349 Trouble Come and Go
The kids had their meal. Their gazes were fixated at me.
(Oh crap... I went and overdid it again... They've gotten attached now...)
It must look like I produced meat out of nowhere from their point of view.
When in reality I went around looking for prey in Accelerated state for around an hour.
Naturally they couldn't have known, their eyes popped open as I threw all that meat in the pot.
I gathered lots of fruits I put all over the hut as well.
(Now then, what now... They're no longer in danger at least...)
First, I made the weakened and starved kids eat the meal and let their condition stabilize in the hut.
They're looking fine now, not in immediate danger anymore.
"What do I do about this? Should I take them back to the kingdom? Shoving them on Raine... might be too much."
I'd have liked to just disappear from this hut but I'm not that heartless.
Neither am I cold enough to just toss them back as homeless kids.
I mean I just managed to avoid having to take care six children and it all went faster than expected, might as well drill these kids on survival handbook too.
(Stuff like fruits and edible plants. Wonder if there's a river or a lake nearby?)
Might be a bold plan, but this wouldn't be my first rodeo.
"Alright! You kids, look here. Memorize these fruits well. Here, c'mere here. I'll tell you how to identify this one. Gather round. We've got edible plants too."
Afterward, I drilled the knowledge about food gathering to these kids for about two hours.
(Also how to secure protein... and cooking... which means I should leave my cooking utensils here?)
There's no end to stuff that needs preparation if I start thinking what happens after I leave.
"Ha~. We just parted ways and all, but I guess I should go tell Raine and the other kids... and push this on them?"
I left the kids in the hut. Instructed them to wait there as I call more people.
Also told them to make their own food if they're hungry.
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Thus I waited for about 30 minutes in front of the gate. Raine and the six kids showed up.
Why was I even there? Acceleration.
The gatekeeper told me they hadn't come back when I asked if he saw them.
"Eh? Why? Or rather, what's the matter, you look troubled..."
Raine wondered. The kids themselves don't seem particularly ruffled.
I have no idea why they're standing in a neat row saluting me though. Guess I shouldn't call them kids anymore since I told them they're independent now.
Thus I gave them the name, 'Numbers', in my mind.
The prey they hunted can be seen bulging out a sack they're carrying. Three of them.
Getting this result in just two days, I tremble at their skill. Is it cheat?
As I tried not to overthink it, I beckoned them to where I stood in front of the gate.
"I'll make this short. I'm asking you to take one more group of children under your custody. They're in a hut a bit farther ahead from the place you got attacked. There's 45 kids in total with the same circumstances as these guys."
Raine kept flapping her mouth open and shut without making a sound.
Not sure how long she froze, meanwhile the kids didn't even budge.
Once she came back to her sense, Raine panicked.
"I can't take any more kids! I only have debt to these six you know?! I can't take any more!"
Fair point. Hence, I asked her this.
"Do you have any good idea how to help them? Like recruitment drive at the hunter guild, or maybe you know hunters looking for pupils. Anywhere that needs manpower?"
I'm not asking someone to care for the entire group. It's fine if they go separate ways, normal even.
Hence me urging Raine about it.
"...I'll do all I can to help out, but I can't guarantee every one of them will be getting help... I'll ask around if you're fine with that... Just don't expect much okay? They're like these kids right? There's nobody eccentric enough to care for slum kids..."
Thus I turned to Raine to look for good places. It seemed hopeless though. Told her to stop if she can't find anybody willing to take those kids in.
The six kids are going to register at the hunter guild so they can support themselves. With Raine as the guarantor of course. Seeing the game they hunted, the guild's probably gonna welcome them with open arms.
I ended up going back to the hut to fetch the kids back to this gate.
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