Chapter 96
Back at Maria's orphanage, the Astraea familia had just finished explaining to Maria about the recent incident.
The revelation came as a shock to the kind-hearted orphanage director, her expression shifting from one of disbelief to sorrow.
"Is what you say true?" Maria asked, her voice tinged with dismay.
"Yes," Kaguya replied solemnly.
Maria let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping as the weight of the situation settled upon her.
"I can't believe they would do such a thing. I truly have failed those children," she murmured, her gaze downcast.
This was the first time in the history of her orphanage that such an incident had occurred or come to her attention, and it was a blow to Maria's confidence.
She had dedicated her life to raising these children, instilling in them the values of kindness, honesty, and respect – values that now seemed to have been betrayed.
Lyra observed Maria's expression, her mind briefly recounting her own horrific younger years. ‘She is way too kind,’ Lyra thought, ‘but there should be a limit to her kindness right’ she questioned.
Lyra was expecting Maria to at least lash out or display a more violent emotion, but the older woman's reaction was surprisingly serene.
‘How can she be like this?’ Kaguya wondered.
‘She has sacrificed so much for children that aren't even hers, and now some of those children are ruining her name and effort, yet she still...’ her thoughts trailing off.
After a moment of contemplation, Maria spoke up, her voice steady.
"Sigh, how much was taken? I will reimburse the person," she offered.
The room fell silent, the members of the Astraea familia exchanging uncertain glances.
‘Can she even afford to give any money?’ Noin wondered, concern etched on her features.
"It's fine," Lyra replied, breaking the silence.
"The owner of the stolen money said it should be used for the orphanage. It wasn't much anyway." she explained.
Maria's expression brightened, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Really? Then can I at least offer my thanks to him in person?" she asked, her gaze hopeful.
Lyra paused, considering the request.
‘Based on what I observed, Michalis won't like that, but it might be fun to see his expression,’ she thought before answering.
"Sure," she said.
With that decided, the group made their way back to the orphanage dining room.
Upon arrival, they found that almost all the children had finished their meals.
Michalis and Vasiliki could be seen playing with some of those who were already done, the hyperactive children seemingly overwhelming the young boy.
"Oh, are you guys done?" Michalis asked, his voice weary as he briefly glanced at the newcomers.
"Children, can you free up this young man? I would like to have a word with him," Maria said, and the children obediently moved away, leaving Michalis free.
‘Being called a young man rather than a boy kinda feels good, but what could she want with me?’ Michalis thought, puzzled, as he followed Maria to a corner of the room.
"Thank you," Maria said, slightly bowing her head in gratitude.
"Eh? What are you thanking me for?" Michalis asked, startled and confused.
"I heard that the stolen money was yours," Maria replied, and Michalis quickly understood the situation.
"It's fine, it wasn't much anyway," he said, waving off her thanks.
"Even then, thank you," Maria insisted, her expression sincere.
Michalis couldn't hide his embarrassment.
He was unaccustomed to receiving such heartfelt gratitude, and the unfamiliar feeling made him shift uncomfortably.
In another corner of the room, Vasiliki strained her ears to listen in on the conversation, unable to resist the temptation to witness her brother's flustered expression.
After expressing her gratitude, Maria returned to the group, ready to tend to the children.
Dinner had been served rather late on this particular day, so the kids were still awake and active, their energy levels high.
As the evening wore on, the Astraea familia members observed the bustling activity in the orphanage.
Ryana couldn't help but be impressed by Maria's dedication to the children, even in the face of such a troubling incident.
Lyra, in particular, couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration mixed with a hint of envy.
She had endured a harsh and traumatic childhood, and the idea of someone like Maria – someone who had sacrificed so much for children who weren't even her own – was both awe-inspiring and foreign to her.
The evening progressed with the children's laughter and chatter filling the air, and the visitors found themselves drawn into the warmth and liveliness of the orphanage.
Despite the earlier revelation, the atmosphere remained surprisingly upbeat, a testament to Maria's effort to create a nurturing and supportive environment for the children in her care.
Since they had completed their business at the orphanage, the Astraea Familia - Lyra, Kaguya, Ryana, and Noin - escorted Michalis and Vasiliki as they departed.
"I'll handle the children who misbehaved, so you can all head out," Maria said, waving them off.
With the Astraea familia leading the way, Michalis and Vasiliki soon found themselves outside the winding streets of Daedalus.
"Phew, finally out of that maze!" Michalis exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief.
Vasiliki sniffed her clothes and wrinkled her nose.
"Hmm, I could really use a bath after all that." she said.
“Me too” Michalis replied.
Turning to the Astraea Familia, Michalis asked, "So, are you girls going to continue patrolling or heading home as well?"
"Our shift is almost over, so we're headed home," Lyra replied.
"I suppose this is where we part ways then," Vasiliki said, glancing at the other group.
"Hmm," Kaguya acknowledged.
"Thank you again for your help. We'll be sure to return the favor someday," Michalis said gratefully.
"Happy to assist," Ryana responded with a smile.
"Have a good night, and we hope to see you again soon," Vasiliki said, bidding them farewell.
As both groups separated and began heading in their respective directions, Michalis suddenly came to a halt after walking a fair distance, a thoughtful look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Vasiliki asked, turning to her brother.
"Well, haven't you noticed that we're heading in a similar direction as them?" Michalis replied, glancing back at the Astraea Familia.
Vasiliki shrugged. "So? Let's just keep going. I'm tired and ready to get home." she replied.
"But aren't you concerned that they might be following us?" Michalis pressed, his brow furrowed.
"Who cares? Our home isn't exactly a secret. Besides, they could have just asked if they wanted our address," Vasiliki replied dismissively, continuing on her way.
Unconvinced, Michalis hurried to catch up with the Astraea Familia.
"Excuse me, do you all perhaps live in the northwestern part of the city as well?" he inquired.
"No, we live in the southwest area," Noin replied.
"Oh, that's kind of close. Would you like to walk with us part-way?" Michalis offered.
"Just go. Your sister is already so far ahead, and we have other things to attend to on our way back," Lyra said, ushering him along.
"I see. Well, good night then," Michalis said, quickly running to rejoin Vasiliki.
"Those two were quite... interesting," Kaguya remarked, watching Michalis scurry off.
"Hmm, did you notice that they're close to Level 2?" Lyra commented, her brow furrowed.
"What? That's impossible. Didn’t you say that It's only been a little over a month since the Bahamut Familia was formed," Noin interjected, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"As shocking as it sounds, they've only been adventurers for a little over a month," Lyra said, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"Ugh, then they must have been part of a Familia outside of Orario or something," Noin said, shaking her head.
“I don’t know but I highly doubt that is the case” Lyra replied.
“Alright, enough you two. I am sure we will eventually find out, it seems like we are somewhat fated with them” Ryana said.
“Hmm” Kaguya nodded in agreement.
“Hmmf” Noin huffed but accepted the verdict.
With that settled, the Astraea familia begun heading back to their Familia home to rest as the day had been a rather exhausting one.