The Orphanage Children And The Dwarves

“Here you go—cookies. A little treat from Lord Arthur for all your hard work.”

“Yaaay!”

When they arrived at the orphanage and Kei began handing out the cookies they’d brought, break time began. Sweet things worked wonders for tired minds—and Arthur, who had been working hard at studying himself lately, understood that well enough to make the gesture.

And no, it wasn’t that he’d gotten carried away trying to make Kei happy, bought too many, and was now trying to use them up before they expired. Definitely not.

“You are so kind, Lord Arthur, bringing treats for the children.”

“Hm? Ah, well, kids love sweets, and we shouldn’t waste food…”

He frowned, recalling his life in prison in his previous life. Those days had been awful. Whether as harassment from the Revolutionary Army or simply neglect, he had been given nothing but soup without any ingredients and moldy, hard bread.

There were nobles who believed that having lavish meals prepared and then leaving them uneaten was a virtue—a way to display their wealth—but Arthur was not one of them.

“Hehe, indeed… Food is precious. As expected of you, Lord Arthur.”

“Hm…? Yeah, I suppose so.”

He found it odd that Erin pushed her glasses up meaningfully, but he simply nodded. While the two were talking, the orphanage door opened.

“Dammit—why won’t it work? I thought I almost had it!”

“Of course you didn’t. You think our skills are so easy to master?!”

Arthur spotted the dwarf Gale and Ys talking with two or three children. They were learning dwarven techniques using the manual Bedie had written.

“Oh, it’s Lord Arthur. Don’t worry, we’ve been studying hard. One day I’ll make you some accessories myself.”

When Ys spotted Arthur and called out cheerfully and familiarly, Erin’s eyebrow twitched and she stared at Arthur, as if testing how he would react.

Naturally, Arthur didn’t notice and simply pointed to the cookies Kei had laid out.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. If it’s good enough for my eye, I’ll advertise it at the castle. Anyway, I brought you some cookies, so go ahead and eat.”

“Yaaay!!”

As the children crowded around the cookies, Kei could be heard saying,

“Now, now, wash your hands first.”

Arthur felt proud of how attentive his personal maid was.

“How are the kids doing?”

“Eh, well enough, I guess. Lord Ri—no, Lord Arthur. They seem worth training.”

“I see… That’s good to hear. I’ll count on you from here on, too.”

“A dwarf giving praise…? Even the best craftsmen gave up right away—how did you manage…?”

Erin murmured in surprise at the exchange between Arthur—speaking casually—and Gale, who was still awkwardly using polite speech.

Of course, the reason the children were able to learn dwarven skills wasn’t because of Arthur’s efforts. It was simply that dwarves as a race were kind to children, combined with Bedie’s knowledge and Ys’s enthusiasm.

“I see… So because dwarves like children, they lower the bar when dealing with them. And normally, children can’t focus, but since they’re grateful to Lord Arthur, they’re motivated to learn… Could it be that he planned all this from the moment he saved the orphanage?”

In truth, it was all just a coincidence—but to an outsider seeing Arthur nod in satisfaction, it could easily look like part of a grand plan.

Thanks to the influence of Arthur’s maid supporters like Marianne and Kei, Erin too was starting to become blind to such things.

“Anyway, Lord Arthur, how about a rematch with me?”

“Wha—?!”

With a broad grin, Gale slammed a liquor bottle down on the table. Kei, Erin, and even Tristan all gasped in surprise.

It was no wonder. Giving an unfamiliar drink to a working royal on an official visit was a serious breach of etiquette—inconceivable among humans… but dwarves were another matter.

“Hmm…”

Arthur glanced at Kei, who was watching him worriedly. He remembered the time he had drunk with the dwarves, emerged victorious, and been showered with praise.

And thinking it might be nice to show Kei a cool side of himself, he leaned toward Tristan and whispered:

“Hey, if I win here, will that make me look cool?”

“Eh…? Of course, Lord Arthur!! Dwarves are heavy drinkers—beating one is the very image of a hero!”

Noticing Arthur’s sidelong glances at Kei, Tristan gave a wide grin and nodded.

“Alright!! I’ll crush you again! Kei, bring us two cups!”

“Eh, yes, understood!! I don’t really know what’s going on, but I’ll cheer for you, Lord Arthur!!”

“You said it, boy!! I won’t lose this time!”

“Heh, showing off in front of your maid—a romance across class lines is a fine thing indeed!”

And so the drinking battle began, with Tristan hyping up the crowd and the children joining in the commotion. Amid the noise, Erin alone wore an expression of shock.

“Unbelievable… To get along with a cantankerous dwarf so easily… Such unconventional thinking… And on top of his generosity, the insight to see the future as if it were laid before him… He might just be able to protect Britannia from its coming crisis.”

Murmuring so no one could hear, Erin resolved to make Arthur a certain proposal.