Chapter 1: The Usual Morning

Author: Kurohitsuji
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2086fk/2/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

My day starts before dawn.

I get out of bed, change into my usual plain white blouse and faded brown shorts, and head for the washbasin.
I wash my face, brush my teeth, and check that there’s no bed-head in the bangs trimmed above my black eyes, or in the long black hair I wear down my back.

That’s me, ready.

Same as always, I head for the kitchen and make breakfast for twenty.
Today it’s red-bean soup and black bread.
Plain, but the soup shouldn’t taste bad.
I simmered in the vegetable scraps I was given yesterday, so even with not much in it, you get a lot of flavors.
I taste it just in case. Yep. Pretty good today too.

∞∞∞∞

On the way to the dining hall with the pot, the little ones start getting up.

“Morning. Go wash your faces, hurry up.”
“Okaaay!”

They answer in chorus and clatter off.
Energetic first thing in the morning—can’t ask for more.
All right. I brace myself and totter along with the heavy pot.

I’m setting the soup pot on the hall table and laying out dishes when Sister Naria comes out of the chapel.
I pause and greet her with a smile.

“Good morning, Ouka.”
“Morning, Sister Naria.”

Against the pitch-black habit, the silver hair spilling from her hood catches the sun and sparkles.
She’s beautiful today too. I don’t know why, but it makes me a little happy.

“It smells good again. You’re a lifesaver, every day.”
“You say that every day.”
“Hee hee. I suppose I do. You, on the other hand, still won’t call me Mother.”
“Guh… Ah, look, breakfast’s ready.”
“Ufufu. Yes, yes.”

Once everyone is there, we put our hands together and say “Itadakimasu” in unison.
Apparently they don’t do this elsewhere, but this church has always done it before meals.
It means we receive life, I’m told.
I don’t know who started it, but it feels kind of nice, and it looks well-mannered, so everyone copies it.

Today, too: Itadakimasu.

∞∞∞∞

After breakfast I wash the dishes with the little ones, then it’s laundry and cleaning.
Laundry for twenty and the whole church is pretty heavy work.
But if we split it up, it actually finishes surprisingly fast.

“Hey, hey—you play around, you’ll fall.”
“I’m fiiine… Whoa!”
“There. What did I tell you. Come on, give me your hand.”
“Thanks!”

I haul up the kid who went sprawling, exactly as predicted, and the older group does the tread-washing.
Meanwhile the younger group finishes cleaning the church. That’s the usual order of operations.

Once it’s washed, we wring it hard and hang it in the back yard, and that’s that.
The rain had been hanging on, which was a pain, but with today’s weather it should be dry by early afternoon.

All right. I nod once. Morning work is done.
I hurry and pack my things and head for school.

∞∞∞∞

In this area, even an orphan like me doesn’t have to pay to go to school.
The great lord has apparently been doing all sorts of things.
Donations come into the church too. I think the lord is an amazing person.

School teaches you all kinds of things.
Letters, numbers, history, and magic, which I’m worst at.
The rest I can memorize or think through, but magic just will not go right.
The teacher said I have a constitution that can’t control mana, but I still don’t think I should stop trying.
It isn’t true that you can do anything if you work at it—but cooking, studying, work: none of it happens if you don’t.
It’s too early to give up.

…Honestly, if I don’t think that, I can’t keep going.
Black hair, black eyes. I’m different enough from everyone as it is. I don’t want to think I can’t use magic either.

While I’m at it, I wouldn’t mind if effort made me a little taller.
It’s getting a bit scary how the little ones are catching up.
I mean, some of them have already passed me.

∞∞∞∞

When school lets out I go straight to the town bakery.

I’m a little down that I couldn’t use magic again today, but I switch gears fast.

You shouldn’t bring that to work.
I’m only employed out of kindness as it is.
I can’t make trouble for the shop.

Same as always: selling, and helping prep tomorrow’s bread.
The bread here has such a reputation it sells out immediately, but the owner secretly holds back the church’s share.

He has a scary face, but he’s very kind. I want to repay him someday.

“Oi, Ouka. You’re done for today. Go home.”

He says it out of nowhere, once the rush of customers has eased off.

“Pardon? But the prep isn’t finished yet.”
“Did you forget what day tomorrow is?”

Tomorrow? What was it. The egg special is on the weekend.

“…Was there something?”
“You idiot! It’s your fifteenth birthday!”

Ah. Right. It is the fifteenth year since I came to the church.
I don’t know the day I was born, but the day I arrived is treated as my birthday.

“…Ah. Ahaha. I forgot.”
“That’s enough for today. Tomorrow’s off too. Here. The usual.”

With a scowl, he hands me a huge sack stuffed with bread.
Whoa. This is like three times the usual.
I sneak a look at his face. His ears are bright red.
Oh. He looked away. Is he embarrassed?

“Thank you very much. Then I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Get home safe.”
“Okaaay!!”

Amazing. We get to eat bread at night too. The little ones will be happy.
I never really thought about birthdays, but maybe they’re actually a good day.

I skip back to the church in high spirits, and Sister Naria is there to meet me.

“Sister Naria. I’m home.”
“Ah, welcome home, Ouka. A delivery has come for you.”

…A delivery? What is it.
Well, anyway.

“I’ll look later. More importantly, I got a lot of bread today. Bread for dinner!”
“That’s wonderful, but… you should look at the delivery first.
It’s from the Adventurer’s Guild in the royal capital.”
“…Huh? The Adventurer’s Guild? Why?”
“I’m holding a letter as well. It’s in your room; go see.”
“What is it… Fiiine.”

I stop by the kitchen to set down the bread, then go back to my room.
On the worn writing desk sit a parcel about an armful across and a sheet of stationery.
Ah. This.
I pick up the letter. The Adventurer’s Guild’s brand is burned into the back. This is the real thing.
I open the seal with a small knife and read.

I hereby return your fate to you.
Glad Bergalef, Director, Adventurer’s Guild — Royal Capital Eucria

…Haa. Eh, who? Fate?
I peel the oil paper off the parcel and find a wooden box, also branded by the Adventurer’s Guild.
Ah. The lid opens.

Red and white. Two large handguns.
And a ring with no ornament.
That is all that is in the wooden box.

 

…Uh. What is this.
The sakura motif on the muzzles is cute, but if you look close, the handguns have no place to load rounds.
They look like extremely well-made toys.

What is this. It’s too elaborate for a prank, but I genuinely have no idea what it means.

I pick up the ring. Something is carved on the inside.
But it’s letters I don’t know. Maybe Sister Naria would.

“…What is this?”

The moment I mutter it, the ring glows faintly.
Eh, what, why is it glowing?

“—Voiceprint recognition complete.
—Now online.
—Your orders, my master.”

The ring spoke.

“…Gyaaaaaaaaaaah!?”

For the time being, I threw it on the floor with everything I had.