GalaxyTL
Kron-san took me outside Demon Castle. Well, it’s still within the grounds, so we didn’t go outside the gates. And… I hear excited, happy voices coming from somewhere.
“We’re here. This is the nursery school.”
“Nursery school?”
“Yes. It’s a place for children under a hundred years old, who live in the castle town, to gather and play and learn. Eugene-sama suggested it, a long time ago, and we created this place. It’s within the Demon Castle grounds, so it’s incredibly safe.”
We unexpectedly arrived at a nursery school! Is it like a kindergarten? No, there are older kids too, so it’s more like a school, I guess. I see, so Dad suggested this. I’m sure he also told Father-sama to provide the location.
“The children gather here in the morning, and then participate in various activities according to their age. After that, they have lunch, and then do some more activities and go home before it gets dark.”
Apparently, the older kids even watch over the younger kids and walk them home. So they grow up thinking it’s natural to watch over those younger than them. Whoa, that’s amazing. Of course, sometimes their guardians come to pick them up too, it seems. It varies.
“It was really difficult, at first. Taking care of older kids was manageable, but… we’re even taking care of babies. We had incidents like magic power going out of control, and kids flying away…”
“Th-That sounds difficult…!”
I know, because I took care of Miina-chan before. I’m glad it was just for one day, I think it’s really difficult to take care of kids all the time. Hats off to all the mothers, fathers, and teachers out there!
“We went through a lot of trial and error, and finally created this system. Now that we have a protective barrier, there’s no issue even if magic power goes out of control.”
That’s terrifying in its own way! As expected of Demon Castle… Dad’s amazing, but so is the one who produced it.
“And the favor I wanted to ask of you, Meg-sama… is about that child over there.”
Kron-san said this, pointing to a child sitting alone, curled up, near the nursery school building. His deep blue hair immediately caught my eye. Just the back is long, it seems, tied at the back of his neck. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary human child, but… huh? I wonder what it is. There’s something strange…
“His name is Urbano. And he’s a rare giant child.”
“Eh, a giant!?”
I was shocked by her explanation. A giant… I’ve heard of them but never met one. Now that I think about it, he is a bit bigger than the other kids. But he doesn’t give off the impression of being a giant. Ah, I get it, I realized what felt strange about him.
The other kids have animal ears, tails, scales, or antennae, but he doesn’t have anything like that. Just like us elves, halflings, and dwarves, his form is incredibly human-like, and he can’t transform into a beast form.
“Did you think he’d be bigger?”
“Ah, um… y-yes.”
Kron-san asked me this, glancing at me from the corner of her eye. It was pointless to try to hide it, so I confessed. Sorry, I’m still learning. But she said it’s fine, and explained without any complaints. Her default expression is emotionless, but she’s actually very kind!
“People often think giants are bigger than Appli trees, but they’re usually not that big. Well, they are about five heads taller than the average human-shaped demi-human. And it’s true that they can grow bigger than Appli trees. They can somewhat freely change their size with magic power.”
“It’s like a unique magic only they can use?”
“Yes. It’s the same as the unique magic we rare demi-humans can use.”
I see, that’s a revelation. So I wasn’t wrong to think of them as giants. Not that they’re always huge, but that they’re a race that can grow larger with magic power. Even the giant child curled up over there, while he is a bit bigger than the other kids, it’s not that noticeable. Especially since there are some large people among the demi-humans too. Nika-san’s a good example.
“Um, and… is something wrong with that child?”
“Yes. He arrived here recently, but… he’s actually an orphan.”
“Eh…”
Apparently, his mother became ill after giving birth to him and was bedridden. Then, she recently passed away. So he’s lost both his parents. I see, his mother… his situation is a bit similar to mine. Megu’s mother also passed away when she was young.
“His father was a demi-human, not a giant… but he died in an accident before the child was born. I hear it’s also one of the reasons his mother collapsed.”
I see, so he doesn’t have a father either. Then… he must be so lonely.
“It’s only been about six months since his mother passed away. It seems he’s still struggling and won’t join the other children. The staff at the nursery are worried…”
Yeah, that’s worrying. I’m worried too, even though I’m just seeing him from a distance and only heard about him just now. I can’t help but to hope that even though it might be impossible for him now, he’ll be able to naturally smile again someday!
“So I thought I’d have you talk to Urbano, Meg-sama.”
“Uehh!? M-Me!?”
I made a strange noise! Eh, eh, what do you mean!? Even if you say “so,”! What kind of thought process led to this!?
I mean, it’s not like I’m against talking to him, it’s just that even if I could talk to him, there’s no guarantee, and I’m not confident, that it’ll make him respond or cheer him up even a little.
Kron-san, seeing me flustered, chuckled. She smiled…! It’s incredibly difficult for her to smile, and yet she smiles at times like these. Th-That’s not fair! My heart can’t stop pounding!
“I’m not asking you to fix him, of course. I do have some hope that it might lead to some change, but it’s fine even if he doesn’t respond at all. It’s just that… Urbano was born after you, Meg-sama, and he’s a giant. So…”
Kron-san trailed off there. I wonder what’s wrong. I silently waited for her to continue. Finally, with a look of determination, she continued.
“I thought… you could be with him for a long time. As good friends… Giants have long lifespans.”
“Ah…”
So it was also for me. I was stunned by those unexpected words. I’m the one who’ll live the longest. Even compared to other High Elves, because I’m still a child, I’ll probably live even longer. I think I’ll also live longer than this giant child.
But I’m truly grateful to have someone who’ll be with me for as long as possible. It’s like she was thinking about how to prevent me from succumbing to loneliness. I could feel Kron-san’s kindness, and my heart felt warm.
“I-I know it’s none of my business! Um, there’s also compatibility, and I’m not even sure you’ll be able to become friends, and I admit I also have some hope that this might help him recover… B-But I…”
“I get it. Kron-san, it’s okay.”
I interrupted Kron-san, who had suddenly started waving her hands around, looking flustered. It’s okay, I get it.
“Thank you… I’m incredibly happy that you thought about this!”
“Meg-sama…”
“And, I also wanted to make more friends. So I’ll go talk to him!”
I added that he might refuse, because I’m not confident at all! Or rather, I’m more worried about what’ll happen if he hates me!?
“…Thank you very much. Urbano’s a kind child at heart. Though I did hear that he was a bit of an introvert, even before. I don’t think he’ll reject you, Meg-sama.”
“Okay, I understand!”
An introvert, huh. I wonder if he’s shy around people? It wouldn’t be good to push too hard, considering the situation. Though it might depend on how he reacts.
Anyway, I’ll go with the mindset of being happy if he just looks at me even a little. It’s better to expect no response at all! Mainly to lessen the damage to my heart! I-I mean… I’ll be sad if he rejects me!
“Um, well then, can I go now?”
“Yes, please. I’ve already spoken to the staff. And if I’m there, it might frighten him, so I’ll be watching over you from a distance.”
Frighten him? Ah, no, well. I guess it’s understandable, maybe. Sorry! It’s because it’s hard to tell that you’re kind, Kron-san! Your emotions don’t show on your face, and you’re not good at smiling. It can’t be helped. But I love that about you!
After reassuring her in my mind, I slowly approached the child. I don’t want to startle him, so while making sure he could sense my presence, I intentionally made my footsteps audible. Hmm, I can see it clearly now, he really is big. He’s sitting, but he’s about the same size as me. Though I am a bit taller, because I’m standing!
I can’t see his face because he’s crouching down, but he’s younger than me, right? Even though that doesn’t necessarily mean he looks younger, since I’m growing so slowly.
“Um… Urbano-kun?”
Time to stop observing! He should have noticed I was here, so I spoke to him in as gentle a tone of voice as I could.