Chapter 43 : Life in a Medieval Fantasy Orphanage (1)

Lena was disappointed. No clear blue sky with white clouds, no spinning windmill, no grass swaying to the wind, no pale smoke rising skyward, no brick houses scented with baking bread, no laughing residents—none of it existed. They say there’s no paradise where you flee. She’d reached civilization, yet this place was another den of beasts ruled by the law of the jungle! Dividing ranks! Gang fights! What barbaric, uncivilized bullying!

“Want some? It’s candy I hid to eat alone, but I’ll give it to you.”
“Your hair’s so pretty. Are you really from nobility, Big Sis?”
“Big Sis! Race me! Quick! Quick!”
…Or maybe not?

Come to think of it, kids were like that in her era too. Even top schools for academics and college admissions had bullies—not serious villains, but maybe “good bullies,” as they call them now? In that sense, these kids were just acting their age. How quickly they laughed, touched her, and pulled her to play—despite being scolded moments ago—supported that. Well, they say kids are blank slates. They change with how they’re raised. These were orphans, with no family or having lost them—acting like beasts might’ve been easier than acting human. Yet, interacting with them, aren’t they so innocent? Lena thought, swarmed by the children.

“I’m glad to see you fitting in well.” Mother Isolde watched with a fond smile. She didn’t know the details, but Lena was supposedly raised among beasts. After a life in the wild, integrating into civilization must be awkward—she’d feared Lena might find people strange or struggle with peers. Yet, the kids followed her, and she blended in nicely—a true fortune.
“But why does each child have a bump on their head…?”
“…”

A single murmur silenced the courtyard. Faces paled, some kids trembled, limbs spasming. But in the blink of Mother Isolde’s eye, it vanished. What was that? Did I imagine it…? She dismissed it as fatigue.
“Everyone, I’ve told you to cherish your bodies. The Sun God said the body is the home where the spirit is born and dies; the Sky God said humans circulate through Great Nature via the flesh. Playing’s good, but avoid rough play…”
“Yes!”
“That’s right! We got hurt playing!”
“We’ll definitely remember your words, Sister!”
“?”

She was just nagging as usual, but their reactions were intense—in a good way. When had they last agreed so readily? They were good kids, but their childishness could be overwhelming. Finally, my efforts have borne fruit. Mother Isolde nearly teared up. Of course, it was a misunderstanding. The kids’ response came from their brains erasing the trauma of Lena’s super-flick to protect their psyches. A monster who sends people flying and demolishes buildings lives with us? Acknowledging that would drive anyone mad. Clinging to Lena was an instinct—like infants to parents—for protection. Regardless, for a first day’s commotion, it was surprisingly peaceful.

What’s life like in a medieval orphanage? In modern times, school takes half the day, but mandatory education couldn’t exist in medieval fantasy. So, what do they do morning and afternoon when modern kids would be in class? Play? Talent shows? Recreation? Lena followed the routine with a fluttering, expectant heart.

• 6:00 AM, Wake up. Make the bed, wash up together, change, finish roll call.
• 7:00 AM, Breakfast. Eaten in a spacious dining hall, cafeteria-style. Dish duty rotates—while some work, others rest.
• 8:00 AM, Farming begins. More like tending a vegetable garden—hard labor for kids, but they couldn’t stop. It supplemented their meager food supply. They volunteered even without Mother Isolde’s orders.
• Noon, Midday snack. Three meals a day came with urbanization—this replaced Lena’s packed lunch.
• 1:00 PM, Physical training. Physical strength is national power! Not systematic—just playtime. Lena ran around with the kids. From the shadows, Badugi sighed, as if itching to join.
• 3:00 PM, Scripture study. Not “Bible study”—Hope’s Fence got support from Sun God and Sky God orders, religions from the same root, like Catholicism and Protestantism. It was sometimes one, sometimes the other—Mother Isolde’s desperate balancing act to fund the place with her own money too. Lena’s take? So Mother Isolde’s a cult nun? Could that embezzlement suspicion be true…?
• 6:00 PM, Dinner.
• 7:00 PM, Free time.
• 9:00 PM, Bedtime.

“Big Sis, sleep with me.”
“Mmhmm.”
“Warm.”
Surrounded by preschoolers, Lena thought quietly. What is this? Why does orphanage life smell so familiar? It reeked of the slop pail. Well, I was on dish duty, handling leftovers… Slop pail? She realized. It’s the army! This is the army! Sure, the schedule varied slightly some days—talent shows or recreation she’d hoped for—but that was rare, mostly the same. Even that mimicked the army—soldiers gathered for events on holidays. How could it be so identical! Lena trembled.

Mother Isolde, what a meticulous mastermind! Not content deceiving religious orders as a cult nun, she’s fostering a military under the guise of an orphanage? Warlord! Rebellion! The kids acting beastly and sorting ranks must be her influence—honing combat skills with that benevolent face! They didn’t know the truth; their brainwashing was complete. That’s why they reacted like she’d insulted their parents over the embezzlement suspicion. Only I know the truth… I have a duty to enlighten them! Maybe I’ll plan after sleeping. Tired from the new environment and playing, Lena drifted off.

“Where’d Big Sis Lena go?”
“Dunno! But she probably finished eating!”
“Did she nap?”
“Find her quick!”

The kids swarmed out of the dining hall. Sonia quietly cleared the table and clenched her fist. “Okay, now’s my chance.” Usually a social butterfly chatting during breaks, today she slipped to the back of the building. Lena ate fast—like she wolfed it down in a blink, almost a spectacle. Sonia, a medieval kid, didn’t know the office worker trick of eating quick to rest. After finishing so fast, Lena always looked at her plate regretfully—she must feel it’s not enough. Small-framed but healthy, the orphanage portions likely didn’t fill her. This was Sonia’s opening.

She hid a piece of bread in her pocket—to give it and apologize. Apologize for her weakness, turning a blind eye during the initiation despite knowing it was wrong. Thankfully, Lena turned them into pulp—ugh, my head… huh? How’d it fizzle out again?—but it could’ve ended badly. Being friendly with Malcom’s gang, she could’ve persuaded them to stop. This was her amends, a bridge to help Lena bond with peers who still couldn’t gel with her, unlike the younger kids. Coincidentally, she’d seen Lena sneak off—perfect!

Sonia found her in deep shadows. “Lena… ya?”
“Huh?”
Eyes gleamed in the dark—a massive form, a monster baring threatening fangs at Lena.
“Kyaaaaak! Lena!”

Sonia’s mind blanked, but her body moved to shield Lena. “R-R-Run! Quick, get the Sister for help!” This time, she’d help without regret—pure courage, sublime and praiseworthy!
Lena said, “Oh, perfect timing. This game gets boring quick by myself—I was having trouble.”
“…?”
“Are you a good runner, by chance?”
“S-So-so? More importantly, I said run!”

Is this a conversation to have with a drooling monster wolf right here?
“No, you need to run. I’m done running.”
“Done running? What does that mean…”
“Now, run!”

Lena pushed Sonia’s back. She started running involuntarily.
“And Badugi! Catch! Hunting game start!”
Keng!
“Kyaaaaak!”

Sonia freaked out as the monster wolf chased her, panting with its tongue lolling.