The Responsibility of Taking Someone In

After taking Orleans in, I let her rest and recuperate for a few days.

Even though Elza had treated her, her condition had been severe, and we needed time.

"Does anything still hurt?"

"No. Thank you, Priestess-sama."

"Elza is fine, you know."

Elza gave Orleans a thorough examination just to be safe.

During it, she noticed a crest on the girl's back.

"Orleans-chan, what's this on your back?"

"That's my family's crest. I've been told it appears at birth, for as long as anyone can remember."

At first I thought it might be a mark identifying her as a serf, but apparently not.

Separate from that, the tattoo on her ankle was the serf's brand.

I had her wrap some cloth around it to hide it for now. You never knew who might be watching.

At first she could barely get out of bed, but within a few days she'd recovered enough to walk around.

Azu was particularly eager to help take care of Orleans.

Perhaps it was because they were close in age that she felt an affinity.

The girl had her appetite back, so she'd be fully recovered before long.

Meanwhile, I was talking with Finn.

I knew almost nothing about the Empire's internal affairs in practice. I'd been aware of the serf system, but not what their daily lives actually looked like…

"Hmm. A runaway serf, huh."

"I know I don't need to say this, but don't let it slip."

"Obviously. I'd kill you if you doubted that. I work in the information business, remember?"

A tongue click came with her reply.

As long as you paid properly, she was as reliable as ever.

"If she was picked up around there, then… the closest large-scale estate would be here."

Finn pointed at the map. Orleans had said it was a nobleman's estate.

"An estate owned by a member of the Senate. Impressive she managed to escape at all."

"The Senate, huh."

The Senate. The Empire's supreme governing body. Not even the Emperor could ignore their will.

"Honestly, I'd recommend not getting involved. The girl's parents might still be alive, though."

"Wouldn't they have been made an example of?"

"The Senate types are greedy. Killing serfs means losing labor for the estate, so they'd hate that. Mind you, the serfs as a whole were probably punished. Flogging at least, I'd imagine."

"Flogging… that's…"

Flogging was a punishment nobles imposed on commoners. It wouldn't cost them their lives.

But after a flogging, you couldn't move properly for days. Some even died from the pain.

"Well, whatever you decide to do is none of my business."

"Yeah. Thanks for the help."

"I don't need thanks. What I need is money."

"I know."

I paid Finn, and she vanished.

Once Orleans had fully recovered, I asked her intentions one more time.

"If you want to live in the Kingdom, I'll look after you to some degree. I'm the one who took you in, after all. Honestly, I don't think going back to the estate will do you any good, but what do you want?"

"Sir, thank you for taking care of me. But my mind hasn't changed. I want to go back to my parents. There's no point in being free alone."

"… Understood. We can't leave just yet, in any case."

"Yes, sir."

Orleans was well-behaved, but on this one point, she refused to budge.

Words alone weren't going to change her mind.

For now, I had her wear some of Azu's clothes.

Once she was able to move around, she started seeking out work on her own initiative. So I gave her simple tasks to help with.

Restocking shelves, sweeping the eaves, cooking, and the like.

She was exceptionally skilled with fire.

According to Alexia, the girl had an aura of being beloved by fire.

To the point where the fire brooch became active just by being near Orleans.

"Could it have something to do with that crest on her back?"

"Who knows. I feel like I've seen it somewhere, though."

Once Orleans was completely better, I sent Azu and the others off on whatever quests and labyrinth runs were available.

No good in letting them sit idle.

A bit more time passed, and the carriage adjustments were finished. Everything was ready for a long trip.

I was the one who'd decided to take Orleans in. That meant I had a responsibility.

The girl was obedient, but I had a feeling that if I kept putting her off with vague excuses, she'd eventually set out for her parents on her own two feet.

She had the willpower for it. Even I could see that.

For now, I'd pose as a peddler and try to get close to the estate.

I waited for Azu and the others to return, then took one day to rest.

The goods I'd bring for the peddling cover were luxury items, spices, and the like.

Near the estate was a city governed by the Senate nobleman. We'd head there first.

"Orleans. We're going to the Empire. Officially, it's for trade, but I intend to stop by the place you mentioned. That means if anyone finds out you're a serf, it'll be trouble. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. What should I do?"

"First, we're cutting that long hair. Hide the ankle tattoo with clothing. As for the crest on your back…"

I was wondering what to do about it when Elza stepped forward, saying she'd handle it, and pulled out some supplies.

She applied cosmetics over the crest, and it gradually faded from sight.

"Cosmetics are a basic skill, you know."

It was almost invisible now. That should work.

"You must do everything I say. If it's too dangerous, I'm pulling us out by force. Got it?"

"I promise."

Orleans bowed her head to me.

I was well aware that what I was doing was risky.

I could never see my own parents again.

Maybe that was why. If this girl could see hers, I wanted to make that happen.

It wouldn't make me any money, though.