Striving For The Luxury Liner – Vol 9 Chapter 28

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Chapter 28 – Decorating the Orphanage and Living Preparation

With the slaves purchased in the city of Lucca, we arrive a short distance from the port of the city of Cagliari on the Fortress.

“Alessia-san. I will take the slaves to the port on the Lutto in several trips, and you will take them to the orphanage?”

“Hmm, I think it would be better if we all go together. It is not right for me to let so many human slaves into the city since I am not their master.”

“Is that so? Then I ask you to escort them, for you never know what might happen when slaves gather in the harbor.”

There aren’t many people in the city, but there are a lot of ships coming into the harbor to deliver supplies. Speaking of which, we’ve brought a lot of materials, and the naval headquarters should be finished by now. I’ll talk to the old man from the Merchant’s Guild later.

We’ll take the slaves to the harbor in six trips. Since we’re not going to open the Castle yet, the cooks and clerks who will work on the Castle until it’s ready will also live in the orphanage until the Castle is opened.

Since some kind of training may be necessary, we will send them to the Castle as soon as the orphanage is ready.

A total of 57 people, including Rimu and the others, went to the gate. We had been in and out of the orphanage many times and were known to be related to the mage, so it took longer than usual, but we were able to get in.

Arriving at the orphanage, we opened the heavy iron door and entered. The interior must have been renovated, but the exterior is still so rough that it doesn’t look like an orphanage. Even the slaves whispered in low voices, “Wasn’t it an orphanage? Are we being deceived?”

I didn’t deceive you. It just looks a bit like a fortress. Since excuses were useless, we entered the orphanage.

“The atmosphere is brighter than I expected.”

“Fufu, we all thought of it together. But it’s taking shape better than I thought.”

The interior, which had been dim and rough, is now a little brighter with brightly painted furniture and light cream-colored cloth hanging on the stone walls. The fabric is expensive, but since I have the budget, it is better than people being afraid of it.

The room is dimly lit because there is not much light coming in, but the color scheme is that of a kindergarten, which reduces the atmosphere that might frighten children.

“It’s a little dark, but it’s nice.”

“Ufufu, I have another idea. If we put a ball of light between this wall and the fabric… you see, it’s quite nice, isn’t it?”

Alessia-san looks at me with a proud look on her face. …It’s an indirect light… No, can we even call a magic light a light? No, it doesn’t matter. The cream-colored fabric emits a soft light throughout. It’s stylish.

“It’s beautiful, but I think the light is too faint and not bright enough.”

“You’re right; it’s a little dark for an orphanage, don’t you think? Let’s use light magic to illuminate it.”

When we put some balls of light on the ceiling, the brightness increased, and the atmosphere became sufficient for the children’s living space. I’m worried about a fire because there’s a lot of fabric, but the light is magic, and the only place they use fire is in the kitchen, so it should be fine.

“This will be fine. But isn’t it always hard with magic light?”

“It’s magic that even a child can use, so there’s no problem. I will decorate the large rooms the same way. The children’s room will be decorated with colorful furniture, some trinkets I bought in Lucca, and some stuffed animals from Claretta.”

“Well, it’s a nice atmosphere, and we’ll decorate it all, and if something is missing, we’ll add it.”

Since I have a confidentiality agreement with all the slaves, I call the storage boat and have them place the trinkets without hiding them. The staff dormitory is next.

We decided that the ten people who would directly care for the children would live in the orphanage, while the cooks, teachers, and clerks would live in the staff dormitory.

The staff dormitory will also be furnished with small items purchased to create a livable space. The preparations were completed with the clothes purchased in the southern city.

“Wataru-san, are we almost finished here?”

“I think we just need to take the last of the non-perishable goods to the warehouse, and we’ll be done.”

“I understand. Let’s get it over with.”

We go to the warehouse and put away the clothes and furniture for the staff and children on the second floor.

After the slaves are gathered, I will officially take over as director of the orphanage until a good person is found. I asked Elmo-san, who was the owner of a shop that had gone out of business, to organize the slaves. He was also a teacher. I was worried about the fact that his store had gone out of business, but he is a serious person, so I thought he would be a good fit for the orphanage. And he can’t do anything bad by contract.

They are allowed to eat three meals a day and receive an allowance of three silver coins each month. The slaves’ faces lit up when I promised them that they could have a normal life because there was enough money to run the orphanage.

They said they were treated quite well compared to ordinary slaves. I told them that they could be treated a little better, but Mauro-san told me that if the slaves and orphans live too well, things will not go well. It is difficult.

“Speaking of which, Wataru-san, what are you going to do about the armor for the guards?”

I completely forgot.

“Sorry, Alessia-san, could you please go to the Merchant’s Guild and buy the armor for the seven gatekeepers and guards? I’ll give you five gold coins for now, so you can get some things.”

“All right, leave it to me.”

Alessia-san, Marina-san, and Carla-san took the seven slaves and left. We gather the slaves and ask them to make a flower bed and a field to take care of the outside before the children arrive.

Even the adult slaves said they were fooled when they went inside because it didn’t look like an orphanage. If we don’t improve it, the children will be frightened.

We decided on the location of the flower beds and fields and asked the people who had worked on the farm to be the leaders, giving them the tools we had bought.

As we continued with the work we could now do, Alessia-san and the others came back. It’s amazing how a scary-looking atmosphere can become reliable when everything is prepared.

We decided on our respective responsibilities, restocked the kitchen with food, and headed back to the Lutto. We’ve already given them the operating funds, so there’s nothing to worry about for now. We’ve been working hard lately, so let’s take a break at the Castle for about three days. Maybe we can take some of the people who are working on the Castle with us.

If we take them, Camille-san and the others will start training them, so it won’t be a vacation. The merchant crew has been working full-time, so they need a break. I don’t want them to fall apart.

Speaking of which, when should we start taking in orphans? Would it be too late after we build the flower beds and the flowers bloom? I’m afraid the God of Entertainment-sama will complain.

I wonder if they sell flower seedlings. Then the atmosphere will be a little brighter even if the flowers don’t bloom. I’ll stop by the Merchant’s Guild on my way back.

“Oh, you’re here too? What’s going on?”

Oh, I just let Alessia-san and the others go to the guild earlier.

“Yes, I’m thinking of doing something about the harsh atmosphere of the orphanage, and I’m going to make a flower bed. Do you sell flower seedlings?”

“Hmm? Flower seedlings? There used to be stores here in town that sold them, but not anymore. You can get them if you order them from Lucca. What kind of flowers would you like?”

I don’t know anything about flowers. I looked at the Girasole, and they looked away. They know a lot about medicinal herbs and such, but flowers aren’t their specialty, are they? I looked at Camille-san and Donatella-san, who nodded their heads and took over the conversation.

Instead of choosing a single flower, we ordered several seedlings of flowers that would bloom in a short time. They even negotiated the price for me, so I can count on them.

“Speaking of which, do you know how to pick up orphans? Do we just have to go to a church?”

“If you don’t know such things, why did you decide to build an orphanage?”

Because when they said charity, the only thing I could think of was an orphanage. …Would a hospital or something like that be a charity? It seems like it would be hard to get the right people.

Oh, if I appoint staff to the Castle’s medical office, we could have the best doctors in the world. …Since there is magic, I wonder if doctors are still needed?

“I’m only building on behalf of Mage-sama, so I don’t know much about the details.”

“Oh, yes, indeed. There are a lot of orphans now, so if you ask them to take them in, I am sure they will accept your offer. If you make a request to the Merchant’s Guild, we can bring in the orphans for you.”

Either we pay them to bring the orphans to us, or we pick them up ourselves. I also need to find the Dark Elves, and it would be safer to make a request.

“Claretta-san, how many orphans can we take in under the current circumstances?”

“Yes, right. We don’t have the know-how to run an orphanage, so we should start with about ten and see how it goes. If we gradually increase the number of staff and orphans, I think we can manage. And if they are too young, it will be difficult to deal with them, so we should start taking care of children as young as seven.”

Claretta-san is the one who knows the orphanage best, right? I’ll follow her advice.

“That’s the idea. I want to start after the staff is a little familiar with the orphanage, so is it possible to bring them here after ten days?”

“Yes, we can bring them straight from the orphanage in Lucca, and ten children after ten days should be fine. But taking care of children is hard work. Are you sure?”

“We have people who used to take care of children in farming villages, and we have also brought in staff who can educate the children. I think everything will be fine.”

“I see; if you say it’s going to be okay, it probably will be okay… When the children arrive, can I go and inspect them?”

Is this old man the kind of old man who takes care of children?

“Yes, it would be helpful if you could give us some advice. Oh, and when the flower seedlings arrive, please bring them to the orphanage for me.”

I made the request and returned to the Lutto. Now the orphanage is on its way, and things are going well.

………………

I spent my time relaxing on the Castle while the merchant group discussed what to do and worked. They are workaholics. As someone who needs help, I’m counting on them.

I visited the orphanage several times to check on the situation, but everyone was an adult and had food to eat. There were no problems, and they had arranged the surroundings and built the flower beds and fields that I had asked them to build.

The field was originally a private house, so they said it would take some time because the soil was not ready at all. I guess they don’t sell fertilizer on a luxury liner, right? But there is a park, so maybe I can find some fertilizer and nourishment. The question is, will the gods be angry if I take soil from the park, even if it’s my own ship?

I’ll ask the gods next time. If there is an unlimited supply of good soil, I might be able to do the farming cheat. I’ve never farmed before, though.

After the holiday was over, I brought the six cooks and five clerks back to the Castle, and the training of the merchant group began. The cooks were confused by the new recipes and tools, but they practiced eagerly and repeatedly.

The clerks seemed to struggle with the computer, even though they had the knowledge. Camille-san, who easily mastered it, must be an anomaly.

The flower seedlings I ordered also arrived, and we planted them in the flower bed we made with bricks. The gray and brown world seems to have become friendlier with the addition of greenery. With a few more decorations, the orphanage should be fine as an orphanage.

I have a feeling that replacing the iron door would make it better, but I feel defeated somehow, so I’ll leave it as it is.

“Master, what are you going to do today?”

“It’s about time; the kids should be here by now, so let’s go ask the Merchant’s Guild.”

“I understand. We’ll all go together, right?”

“Yes.”

We boarded the Lutto and walked through the streets of Cagliari towards the Merchant’s Guild.

“The naval headquarters is almost finished, but the city is still in ruins, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s true. The residents themselves are few, and the Navy headquarters has its hands full with repairs. It’s difficult when they can’t use force like Wataru-san. I think that will change when the Navy headquarters is finished and the carpenters have more time.”

Forcefully, she said, even though I only brought the materials and asked them to lend me carpenters instead… It’s a little forceful, I guess. I hope they don’t hold a grudge. We arrived at the Merchant’s Guild and entered.

“Oh, what’s going on today?”

“I thought the orphans should be here by now, so I came to ask.”

“If they find a ship that can carry ten orphans, they will arrive tomorrow. Besides, I told them to call me when they get to the harbor and see if the ship arrives, so don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you very much. And when will the naval headquarters be finished?”

“The naval headquarters is almost finished, but they need a lot of manpower to finish the details. It will take more time.”

It will be a long time before the city is restored.

“By the way, earlier, you talked about the land price in this city going up. What happened to that?”

“Well, I don’t make a profit, so it doesn’t really matter to me.”

“Well, if you don’t care, then tell me.”

“Please wait a moment. Wataru-san, please come over here.”

Camille-san takes my arm and leads me to the corner. The merchant group surrounds me with frightening eyes. I’m not in a good mood at all. I want to go home.

Cash on hand: 25 gold coins, 98 silver coins, 23 copper coins

Guild account: 0 platinum, 70 gold

Savings boat: 922 platinum coins

Pepper boat: 0 boat

Charity spending: 81 platinum coins, 63 gold coins

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