Chapter 42 : I won’t hear any excuses!

The weak being good and the strong being bad is a stereotype. Proof: the gang of former beggars turned bandits who robbed equally penniless domain residents just because their own lives were tough. And so were the orphanage residents planning to bully and mock under the guise of an “initiation ceremony.”
“It’s them again.”
“Initiation, my foot. The older kids who left said the orphanage never had such a tradition.”
“Should we call the Sister?”
“She’s busy. Even if we stop them now, it’s useless if they just call her out again later.”

An orphan overcoming adversity with a good heart is rare—just a convenient fantasy for clueless adults. The lives of bottom-rung children are petty, dirty, and vile, governed by the logic of power. Here, the strong one is king. This tendency had worsened lately with scum like George’s Crew running rampant in Carvalon Castle.
“We just have to hope it ends after a few hits.”
“Will it be that easy? She’s the kid the Knight brought—they won’t let it go lightly.”

Sonia, the self-proclaimed social hub of Hope’s Fence Orphanage, bit her lip hard. The initiation was about breaking one’s spirit—making them recognize they were no longer an outsider, now part of Hope’s Fence! It aimed to hammer reality into kids who’d suddenly become orphans after having parents. The intention was good—what’s wrong with persuading kids in the same boat to stick together without family? The process was the problem: violence. Finding fault, insulting with words, breaking spirits with fists and feet. Even if they became allies that way, could you call it family? Even Sonia, who dozed off during lessons, knew the answer. It was bullying and harassment dressed up as purpose—especially harsh on kids orphaned later, fueled by sticky jealousy and envy.

“Hey, newbie. What’s your relationship with that Knight just now?”
“Big Sis Celine? Hmm, let’s see. Friends, maybe? Honestly, she feels more like a little sister. She seems meticulous, but look closely—she’s got a screw loose somewhere.”
“Ha, calling an escort knight a friend? You must’ve grown up sheltered.”
“Escort knight? I don’t know why everyone keeps misunderstanding that. If anything, I was busy protecting her.”
“Such bravado. Are you a fallen noble? An illegitimate child? Whatever you are, you’re a kite with its string cut now.”
“Oh, Malcom. You’re quite eloquent—where’d you learn those words?”
“Damn it, I’m trying to set the mood here. Shut up, will you?”

The children snickered—an implicit jab: We’re tight-knit, but you’re alone. You’re insignificant enough to toy with.
“Anyway, the point is, there’s no one to help you now. You’ve got to find your own food, your own clothes. Got it?”
“Huh? I have to find them?”
“Yeah, starting to get your situation now?”

Malcom smirked at her surprised reaction, but her next words threw him.
“This is an orphanage—don’t they give kids food and clothes?”
Is that what she’s curious about in this situation? No, food and clothes are important, I guess. Malcom answered honestly.
“…They give some. Just not enough to share among everyone.”
“What…? I didn’t see Sister that way, but she’s really a bad person. The kinder the squinty-eyed impression, the more likely they’re the mastermind—is that a rule?”
“Wh-Why are you suddenly talking about the Sister?”
“Tsk tsk, you kids don’t know ‘cause you’re young. The Sister embezzled it all.”
“What…!”
“Wh-What is she even…!”

Not just Malcom’s gang, but all the residents watching from afar started whispering—even Sonia, sunk in grief over the injustice she couldn’t stop. Huh? How’d it turn out like this?
“Blasphemy!”
“Don’t slander the Sister!”

At Hope’s Fence, Mother Isolde was a parent, a guardian, the only trustworthy adult. Suddenly, the girl shifted from victim of delinquents to public enemy. But she paid no mind, surveying her surroundings like an enlightener facing an ignorant mob.
“It’s an orphanage, so the country should support it with taxes. I’ve seen so many cases like this on the news. Kids, don’t trust people too much.”
“Tax support for the orphanage…? What nonsense is that!”
“The Sister uses her own money ‘cause the church support isn’t enough!”

Tax support—what ridiculous talk. Orphanages were usually under religious orders, and even those were rare. Monasteries might raise believers, but supporting orphans was volunteer work—no reason to run an orphanage otherwise.
“…Hmm, is that so? Sorry, I got it wrong.”

Faced with the outcry, she apologized—quick to admit her mistake. Adults cling to pride, kids to stubbornness, but maybe she wasn’t so bad… just a little slow.
“Hey, Malcom.”
“What.”
“Let’s just leave her alone.”
“What?”
“They say don’t mess with crazy people. Instead of establishing discipline, it feels like we’d need to take care of her…”
“You’re being fooled! She’s ruining the mood to get away!”

Malcom tried to revive the fading initiation vibe.
“You look naive but you’re cunning. That won’t stop the initiation.”
“Come to think of it, I didn’t ask—what’s this initiation? Like introducing yourself, stating your details? So far, you’ve only asked about me.”
“You think it’s something like that?”

Whoosh. A fist stopped close to her face. She didn’t flinch.
“It’s like this.”
Blinking, she asked, “You’re not trying to kill me, right?”
“Kill… what? We don’t do heinous stuff like that! The Sister would be sad!”
“I can’t tell if these kids are good or bad. Maybe ‘cause they’re kids.”
She muttered, “So, you’re trying to establish rank?”
“Yeah, something like that. To make you know your place.”
“Hmm, sorting ranks—a beast habit. I’ve done it often too. Didn’t know why such a barbaric act was necessary, but after trying it at my last house, it was so convenient.”
“I’ll do you a favor and not hit your face. Since you’re a girl, and the Sister would nag if she saw.”
“No need to worry about that.”

As the tension built, Sonia gritted her teeth. So it ends up like this. Everyone, sensing what was coming, closed their eyes. Thwack! Or Smack! Or Crack!—the sound of someone hit defenselessly. They’d heard it before—dreadful enough to want to cover their ears too. They kept them open out of guilt, easing it through mental anguish. But the sound piercing their sharpened hearing wasn’t what they imagined—more like a storm raging through.

When the bewildered kids opened their eyes—
“?”
The girl still stood there. The warehouse far off had collapsed, and Malcom was embedded in it.
“Eh, not even a satisfying impact.”

What just happened? If one guessed: she hit Malcom, he flew, and broke the warehouse. Even summarized, it didn’t make sense. How, with that slender body?
“Relax, he’s not dead. His bones are broken, so he’ll need a few months’ rest, but that’s basically fine.”

A strange standard—was that state really fine just because he was alive?
“He didn’t seem quite like a beast, so I let him off easy. He’ll be thankful when he wakes up too.” If he were an Orc, I’d have drunk him dry—I really went easy. Her playful voice carried an eerie chill from the wild, alien to kids used to petty squabbles.
“Why are you all standing there dumbfounded?”

She jolted them back to reality.
“The rank sorting isn’t over yet.”
“W-Wait…!”
“Only he threw a punch directly, so I’ll go easy on you guys.”

Sonia realized Malcom’s flight wasn’t an accident. She couldn’t even see how the girl moved—blink, and everyone else was down.
“And you guys too.”
“Uh, uh…?”
“You need to finish sorting ranks too.”
“W-We weren’t watching with that intention…!”
“I don’t listen to excuses!”

If you’ve got a house, food, and friends, you should know you’re blessed. Kids these days don’t know gratitude. Want to try living in the deep mountains for a few years after blinking? They couldn’t grasp the nagging paired with a flick to each head. Wait, is this a flick? It hurts so much! That was Sonia’s last thought as she fainted.

That day, a new ruler began to reign over Hope’s Fence Orphanage. A girl named Lena.