Translator: Tsukii
Editor: PalenMisha
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 17 – The Villainess is to be Supported desuwa
While Maria, Makia, and Makina were looking around the shopping area, they saw two children pushing a rickshaw together. Looking at their tattered clothes and how they were going in the direction of the orphanage, it was easy to imagine they belonged to the orphanage. When Maria praised them for their good work, the children rejoiced.
When Makia saw the rickshaw, she thought it was full of delicious vegetables.
When Makina saw the rickshaw, she saw how the beautiful vegetables were only put on top while there were many blackened vegetables with holes beneath.
“…I’ll go buy lunch at a different place. I’ll be returning to the orphanage at lunchtime, so onee-chan, please go with Maria-senpai until then.”
“I don’t mind, but why don’t we buy it together?”
“I don’t feel like eating the bread sold here.”
The three entered a bakery recommended by Maria to buy lunch, but Makina could see the bread on display was uneven, and she could expect the place that Maria recommended was the place where the children of the orphanage were making the bread, so she went to a different shop alone. On the way there, she stopped once and asked a butcher.
“…Do children from the orphanage come to help on weekdays?”
“Hm? Aah, you are Maria-sama’s friend from the academy, huh? The children of the orphanage come to tend the shop and line up the display. They work properly for the amount they are paid.”
“How much are they paid a day?”
“3,000 credits a day. Since two children are working here, that makes 6,000 credits a day… What’s with those eyes? An 11-year-old is already considered an adult in the imperial capital, but here in the Hein Kingdom, having children below the age of 15 paid half the minimum daily wage of 6,000 is already considered good. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Makina found out that the children of the orphanage were helping in various stores from what she heard from the butcher and she was astonished. What she was surprised with was the fact that those children properly earned money, and while it was unlikely for all 500 of them to be working, that would still mean the orphanage itself earned a fair amount of money.
Then Makina realized the monthly payment Maria paid to the stores included the wage of the children. Makina thanked the store owner and bought a lot of fried chicken. It wasn’t only the children’s portions, but Makina’s as well.
When Makina rejoined Makia, Makia and Maria were discussing lodging for the night. Makia wanted to stay at the orphanage, but Maria desperately recommended a luxury inn instead. Makina felt something was off so she had no intention of staying over at the orphanage, but she asked to have the meal together and proceeded to brazenly enter the building.
Since Makina entered the building, Makia obviously followed. Since more than 500 children lived in the orphanage, there were many long buildings within the orphanage grounds, but the place that Makina went to was the innermost building. She saw the children there weren’t as thin as the children who welcomed her, rather, there were many children with healthy physiques.
When Makia saw that, she thought that not all the children were thin after all.
When Makina saw that, she thought some of the children were made thin on purpose.
“Are the thin children people who entered the orphanage recently?”
“…No, that’s not it. The children near the entrance are those who don’t work. On the contrary, the children in this building are those who work. It could be cleaning, washing, repairing clothes, cooking, or cultivating land. This orphanage is quite large, so we divide up the duties. The children who work can eat their fill. On the contrary, the children who don’t work only eat the necessary amount to stay alive.”
Makia’s innocent question was replied to by Maria, who didn’t make excuses. Makia was convinced by the explanation, but Makina was not.
Even among children younger than 10 years old, some of them could clean or cook. On the other hand, there were also children who couldn’t or didn’t want to do it. When Makina realized the role given to those children was to become thin to draw sympathy, Makina felt a little nauseous.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just ate too much fried chicken so I feel a little sick. I’m okay.”
[“…How much did you earn from having children work?”]
[“Earn? I did no such thing. They got to use the money they earn for themselves.”]
[“…I see. So you make them voluntarily buy weapons and armor.”]
[“There are many children who want to join the army after all. They would naturally buy their own weapon for training… please tell Lydia-sama about what you see as it is.”]
Maria calmly responded to Makina, who sent a mental wave of anger to Maria, and smiled as she asked her to accurately convey the current situation of the orphanage to Lydia as it was.
After looking around the orphanage for two days, Makia did notice something off with the orphanage, but she also knew everything had its reason and Maria openly answered whatever she asked, so Makia didn’t find anything suspicious.
On the other hand, Makina calculated that among the donations to the orphanage from aristocrats and nations, 70% of them would eventually end up in Maria’s hand. She had heard that the wyverns were something that the children of the orphanage pooled their money together to buy, and she told all she knew to Lydia without hiding anything.
After hearing the report of the two, Lydia laughed loudly and told Maria that she would continue to support her.
Tsukii’s Note:
Considering Maria might be a reincarnator (according to Lydia), she likely did things based on efficiency… judging everything that could be used and not by statistics, and even making good use of children who wouldn’t work. It is like she is the ruler of lower-class people, and the orphanage itself is an independent nation…
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