Entering through the back door, the priestess encountered some minor troubles.

 

The one who opened the door for her was not the menacing cultist she imagined, but rather a boy who looked only seven or eight years old.

 

With a small stature, skinny as a twig, hair messily bundled together, wearing tattered clothes with holes, his eyes were dim and lifeless, lacking the vitality typical of a child.

 

“Big sister… who are you?”

 

The boy timidly inquired with a voice as thin as a mosquito, and Violet couldn’t help but wonder if he might suddenly collapse while speaking.

 

“As I mentioned earlier, big sister is here to bring warmth. Where are the adults from the orphanage?”

 

While saying this, Violet directly squeezed into the partially closed door, and the boy seemed to have no intention of stopping her, or perhaps it was impossible for him to stop her.

 

“Adults usually don’t stay here. They only appear when it’s time to deliver meals or medicine.”

 

The little boy, with eyes devoid of luster and vitality, seemed unaware of the concept of concealing information. He straightforwardly explained the situation to the priestess.

 

Unexpected, yet expected.

 

The back door Violet chose was not connected to the outside world at all. Surrounding it, tall walls rose several meters high, forming a not-so-spacious backyard.

 

To be honest, it gave her a bit of a feeling of a pigsty used for raising poultry and livestock.

 

Except for Violet, who could fly, and her pet, there were hardly any individuals from the any Kingdoms who could cross these tall walls and enter the interior. Moreover, this area belonged to the relatively secluded outskirts, with few residents passing by outside the walls.

 

Don’t think that having wings or using a ladder will solve everything. In reality, when the priestess arrived, she felt that a high-intensity trigger-based barrier covered the top of the wall.

 

It might seem normal, but if something tried to enter the courtyard from above, like her, it would immediately activate counter-attack magic while simultaneously relaying information to somewhere inside the orphanage. It was evident that precautions had long been taken against such situations.

 

Violet couldn’t quite understand why, if they didn’t want people to come through here, they didn’t just block the back door completely. Odd.

 

However, for Violet, this level of enchantment was quite childish. One of her professional specialties was barrier magic, and without even touching it, she easily slipped in with the dawn.

 

“So, can you tell big sister what your name is?”

 

The priestess crouched down, smiling, and handed the little boy some candies she had bought from the capital.

 

The boy was slightly stunned; his gaze was immediately captivated by the colorful candy coating. However, unlike a normal child who would eagerly reach out to take it, he hesitantly lowered his head and took a half step back, seemingly afraid.

 

“Can… can you really give it to me? Every time the adults in the orphanage give someone candy, it means they’ll soon be taken away to do something very painful, or… some never come back at all. Big sister, are you going to take me to get some injections too?”

 

“……”

 

The smile on her face froze for a moment. The dark undertones in the boy’s words made even the now more indifferent Violet feel uncomfortable.

 

However, she didn’t make any obvious gestures. She just shook the colorful ball in her hand again, as if soothing a pitiful stray cat attracted by a teasing wand, causing the boy’s eyes to follow the movement.

 

“It’s okay, big sister gave it to you. I won’t do anything strange to you. Since you’re not very reassured, how about taking me to meet those who have moved in here from the outside? Consider it a reward for the candy, okay?”

 

“Then… okay!”

 

Seeing Violet say this, combined with the holy and friendly aura emanating from her and her beautiful and easily likable appearance, the little boy finally seemed to relax. He carefully took the small candy held by the girl’s fingertips and tucked it into his pocket like a precious treasure, before letting the exposed candy piece enter his mouth, savoring it carefully.

 

“Mmm~ so sweet, so delicious! Thank you, beautiful big sister. By the way, my name is Eli!”

 

The boy, who seemed to be only seven or eight years old, revealed a genuinely happy smile. Even his dim and lifeless eyes seemed to shine with a new light.

 

For most children in Courage City and even residents of the kingdom, these ordinary little candies might not be considered rare. However, for Eli, it seemed to be a great joy and gift.

 

Sometimes, happiness is such a simple thing.

 

For a sword enthusiast, obtaining an extraordinary sword is happiness. For lovers, overcoming countless difficulties and finally being together is happiness; even just sipping warm milk in leisure after hard work can be called happiness.

 

In essence, happiness is the state of mind that lacks and longs for something. It is the ultimate satisfaction that occurs in the moment of obtaining something eagerly anticipated.

 

As for Eli, the little boy in the orphanage, he undeniably lacks too much, or you could say almost everything has been taken away from him, leaving only his life.

 

It’s truly a… unpleasant place.

 

Without a hint of disgust on her face, Violet maintained that not-so-friendly simple smile.

 

“So, little Eli, it’s time to set off, right?”

 

“Yes, big sister. Remember to stay close to me. Many places in the orphanage are off-limits. If you run around, you might be caught by monsters in the dark and eaten!”

 

Eli, who got the candy, seemed to be quite close to Sister Priest, and after giving a somewhat childish warning, he turned around and staggered to lead the way.

 

Violet and Xiao Guang followed without any sense of tension, walking through the dim corridors of the orphanage. Miss Dragon even had the leisure to chat quietly with her master.

 

“You seem quite friendly with human youngsters.”

 

“Hmm? Is that so?”

 

“Yes, under different circumstances, master would not be so patient to comfort the other and even give small gifts, right? Am I wrong?”

 

“Well… maybe.”

 

The seemingly unconcerned Priestess peeled another candy, popped it into her mouth, and handed one to Xiao Guang as well.

 

“That’s how it is.”

 

Feeling the sweet taste spreading in her mouth, Violet gave a brief and sharp comment.

 

“I used to really like children. They are innocent, adorable, not yet tainted by the worldly desires and money, exuding the taste of pureness in every move.”

 

“Seeing them, I can’t help but recall the somewhat blurry memories of childhood, even though it now seems like a laughable and ignorant dream, a dark history. But even if it’s embarrassing, isn’t it a more pure and flawless treasure than diamonds and crystals?”

 

Xiao Guang seemed not to fully grasp her master’s feelings, blinked her golden vertical pupils, and instead showed curiosity about another matter.

 

“Master must have been super cute as a child, after all, you are now so beautiful and radiant, like pure brilliance. I really want to see what you looked like as a child, but alas, when I hatched from the dragon egg, you were already in an adult form.”

 

“Uh…”

 

Seeing the dragon girl’s expression filled with anticipation, Violet didn’t know how to explain to her. The body she had now was created by a game system, and there was no such thing as childhood. In reality, she was a somewhat silly little boy.

 

If her own pet found out about this, her dignified life as a master would probably come to an end…?