Tilea's Worries

The Underground Empire is bustling. As I'm prepping food in the kitchen, I hear Ortissio’s loud voice. He’s shouting things like, "Walk briskly!" and "Don't dawdle!"

What’s going on? Is Ortissio causing trouble again?

The voice is coming from the direction of the stairs leading to the Underground Empire.

...I'm curious.

I pause my preparations, leave the kitchen, and head towards the stairs.

What the!? There are so many kids!

Usually, the Underground Empire is only full of chūnibyō patients, but now, a large group of children is descending the stairs. It seems Ortissio brought them here.

What is he planning with all these kids?

Ortissio had caused quite a ruckus at Hidler's place the other day. I can't take my eyes off him.

I rush towards Ortissio.

When I descend the stairs to the Underground Empire,

Oh, come on! What are you doing!?

Ortissio had the children tied up with rope and was making them walk. Earlier, it was hard to see because of the building's shadows, but now it's clear. The children are being pulled along by Ortissio.

They look like criminals being paraded through the streets.

This is completely child abuse.

"Ortissio!"

"Oh, Lady Tilea."

"What the hell are you doing? Untie them this instant!"

"But they are important hostages—Gah!"

I immediately punch Ortissio in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground.

Seriously, know the difference between right and wrong!

After knocking Ortissio out, I untie the children.

Once I untie all the children, I make Ortissio sit in a seiza position once he regains consciousness. It’s time for questioning.

"Ortissio, who are these kids?"

"These are the children from the villages we attacked with our Second Division."

Ortissio answers cheerfully. As usual, he's spouting chūnibyō nonsense. It's annoying, but hitting him further won't help. I hold back my anger and urge him to continue.

"So, why are these children here?"

"As hostages for the Evil God’s army."

"Hostages?"

"Indeed. They are the children of various tribe leaders. They hold significant value as hostages."

Ortissio beams with pride. Clearly, he's not taking this seriously. Or maybe he is in his own way. Whatever. This is getting nowhere.

"Ortissio... I have so many questions."

"Yes?"

"For now... take this!"

"Gaah!"

I twist Ortissio's arm. Not actually breaking it, just a light twist. He needs to understand that there are consequences for mistreating children.

"Lady Tilea, have I done something wrong...?"

Ortissio holds his arm, teary-eyed.

"Ortissio, I’ll let your usual nonsense slide this time. But tying up these children is inexcusable. Look how scared they are!"

"And so?"

"Don't you understand? Are you trying to make me angry?"

"Eek! No, not at all. Please forgive me!"

Ortissio cowers and bows down, trembling. If he’s going to cry and apologize, he shouldn’t have done this in the first place.

Honestly, I can't take my eyes off him for a second.

But still, how did he manage to bring so many children here? These aren't local kids, right?

Just a glance reveals they come from various races.

There are humans, beastmen, dragonkin, birdmen, and more.

Among the beastmen, there are cats, dogs, and rabbits, showing a rich variety of species. Ortissio must have used his family's power to bring them. Only a high noble like him could have such wide connections.

But why gather so many children? Ortissio’s flimsy excuse doesn’t explain much.

Let’s try to decipher Ortissio’s chūnibyō logic.

Hmm... maybe he brought them here to play a game of hostage with the Evil God’s army?

It’s plausible. The presence of children would heighten the atmosphere. Ortissio probably forced the kids to participate in his demon lord game. If he dragged these innocent kids into a silly event, that's unacceptable.

That perverted loli-loving brute.

No, no, no, that's too extreme. I made him promise not to commit crimes after the Jessica incident. He wouldn’t go as far as kidnapping. I want to believe that.

"Ortissio, you got permission from their parents to bring them here, right? This isn’t something that can be dismissed as a joke."

"Of course. Their leaders agreed to let them be hostages."

He says the parents gave permission.

So, if I interpret Ortissio's words...

These kids must be here on an educational trip. As the saying goes, “send your children on a journey.” It’s good for them to see the capital and broaden their horizons. Their parents must have entrusted Ortissio with their children, believing it was beneficial.

"I see. I understand the situation."

"Indeed. I gathered them from dozens of villages around the capital. Some tribe leaders even volunteered their children."

So, there are parents that dedicated to education.

Inviting children from various villages to the capital...

This must be part of the Ortissio family’s social service. Despite being a spoiled brat, Ortissio is the eldest son of the Ortissio family. He must help with the family business as a successor.

Good job. But tying up the children and bringing them here was a mistake.

"Ortissio. Your method was wrong, but you did a good job taking action. I’ll praise you for that."

"Haha, I will strive to do even better."

"Yes, keep it up. So, what’s the plan now?"

"Plan?"

"For these children. Do you have any plans for them?"

"No. I was going to lock them up in a room."

"You… that defeats the purpose of bringing them to the capital. You can’t just have them play in a room."

"Understood. Shall I make them slaves to supply magic? I was thinking of lowering the temperature of the 'refrigerator' by one degree."

Hopeless. I praised him, and this is what I get. Ortissio doesn’t understand the purpose of an educational trip.

"Never mind. I’ll take care of these kids."

"You personally! I cannot trouble Lady Tilea with such trivial matters. I will take responsibility."

"It’s fine. I’ll do it. I’ll give these kids a wonderful experience."

I forcibly take the children from Ortissio and move them to a rather spacious room in the Underground Empire. The children quietly follow me without causing a fuss.

Hmm, they’re quite well-behaved.

At this age, I expected them to be rowdy and difficult to handle.

Yes, yes, they’re very polite. Well-mannered.

However, the kids look sad and downcast.

Are they nervous?

If so, I need to start by easing their nerves.

Maybe they’re anxious because they don’t know anyone here. We should start by introducing ourselves to build familiarity.

"Alright everyone, listen up."

The children flinch at my voice. They look scared, like puppies abandoned in the rain.

Why are they so frightened?

I mean, I’m a lovely and charming lady. There’s no reason to be scared.

Ah! I get it. They think I’m like Ortissio because he tied them up. The kids probably think I’m a rough and scary woman.

Damn it, Ortissio’s fault.

I need to start by dispelling this scary image. I try to show the kids a gentle smile.

"Ahem. Let’s start with introductions. My name is Tilea. You can call me Tilea-san or Tilea-oneesan, whichever you prefer."

"Understood. The noble and great Lady Tilea."

What the!? What is this? Ortissio, what have you been telling them!?

"Um, did that idiot Ortissio say something to you?"

"Y-Yes. Lord Ortissio instructed us to revere the supreme commander of the Evil God’s army, Lady Tilea, as a deity."

A little cat beastman girl answers timidly.

A deity!?

Once again, Ortissio adds to my incredibly embarrassing history.

"Ah, that’s enough. You don’t need to speak so formally."

"Understood. The radiant and profound Lady Tilea."

This is hopeless...

Ortissio’s brainwashing is severe.

It’s fine to indulge in your Evil God army fantasy, Ortissio, but know your limits. This is borderline criminal. If the parents find out about this strange education, they’ll be furious.

Ortissio’s recklessness is out of control.

I’m starting to understand how Edim feels.

What should I do?

At this rate, talking to them will only make things worse.

I know! If we share some delicious food, they’ll see I’m a kind, good cook. The kids will be happy too.

Hehe, I’ll show them I’m a wonderful older sister who’s great at cooking.

"Everyone, wait here for a bit. I’m going to make you something delicious."

I quickly head back to the kitchen and grab some flour and eggs. I crack the eggs, mix them with the flour, and pour the mixture into a frying pan. Then, I add milk and butter, letting it cook until golden brown.

Finally, I drizzle maple syrup on top... and voilà, hotcakes that kids will love. Fluffy and hot, these are sure to delight them.

Alright, let’s do this. I’ll make enough for everyone at high speed.

Once I finish making the hotcakes

, I load them onto a tray and dash back to the room where the children are.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

As I bring the hotcakes, the kids’ eyes light up. The sweet smell and beautiful appearance must be making them hungry. Some are even drooling.

"These are called hotcakes. You probably haven’t had them before. They’re delicious, so go ahead and try."

The kids glance at each other and look down. They seem eager but hesitant to eat.

"Come on, come on, don’t be shy."

"Can we really eat this?"

"Of course. There’s plenty more where this came from."

With a smile, I encourage them. The children rush to start eating.

Yes, yes, that’s how kids should be.

They happily devour the hotcakes.

One, two, three...

The children’s appetite is insatiable. They must have been very hungry. Some of them are even crying with joy. Seeing them so happy makes all the cooking worthwhile.

As I watch them contentedly,

Huh? What’s wrong?

Among the children, a little rabbit beastman girl isn’t eating. She took a couple of bites, but then stopped and looks sad.

"Rabbit girl, what’s wrong? Don’t you like the hotcakes?"

"No, they’re delicious. I’ve never had anything this good."

"Then why?"

"It’s just... my little brother and sister are starving. I feel guilty eating this."

What does she mean? Aren’t these kids from wealthy families?

Ortissio said they were the leaders’ children, so I assumed they were rich kids.

Now that I look closely, the kids do look emaciated. They’re all skin and bones, clearly malnourished.

"In that case, would you like to take some home? I don’t know how far your home is, but I can make it last for a few days."

"We can go home!?"

The rabbit girl’s voice trembles with surprise.

"Yes, of course."

"No, I’m sorry. We can’t go home. As hostages, if we return, it’ll cause trouble for our village."

Huh!? Hostages?

I’m getting a bad feeling. Maybe I’ve misunderstood something.

"Um, rabbit girl?"

"Yes?"

"That idiot Ortissio said he brought you here as hostages. Is that true?"

"Yes, we were brought here as collateral. If our village doesn’t pay the tax or rebels, we’ll be killed. But the tax is too heavy to bear."

The rabbit girl starts sobbing. The other children also stop eating and begin to cry.

This is definitely not an educational trip. Ortissio actually brought them here as hostages after collecting taxes from various villages.

He probably said something like...

"Daddy, I want to help with your work too."

"Oh, my admirable son. You make me proud."

"So, can I go collect taxes in your territory? I’ve always wanted to try."

"Well, that’s a bit... tax collection is not easy."

"Please? I want to be a great noble like you, Daddy."

"Oh, don't be sad, son. Of course, you can! Go ahead and collect as much tax as you like."

"Yay! I’ll collect lots of taxes, both income and corporate!"

"Don’t forget property tax too."

That must have been the conversation.

Ortissio’s indulgent father probably entrusted everything to him. Ortissio, of course, has no skills in tax collection. He doesn’t understand the need to listen to people’s troubles and adjust accordingly.

He must have wielded his authority...

"My daddy is super important. Now, give me the tax money. Give me lots of it."

"Uh, well..."

"What? Are you refusing to pay?"

"I’m sorry, this year’s harvest was poor..."

"No excuses. If you can’t pay, these children are hostages."

"Oh no, Father!"

"Please, spare my daughter!"

And that’s how he brought them. He did whatever he wanted, hiding behind his family’s influence.

This is terrible. The environment he grew up in is partly to blame, but that’s no excuse. As a noble, he has responsibilities. I’ll give Ortissio a severe punishment later.

For now, I need to comfort these children. They must have been terrified. They might have thought they’d be made slaves.

"I-I’m sorry. I’ll send you home right away."

"We can’t go home. If we do, our village will suffer."

The rabbit girl cries out in anguish. While I’m trying to console her, a tiger beastman boy steps forward.

"Lady Tilea, we have a request."

"What is it?"

"The heavy taxes are why we can’t go home. Can you please lower the tax rate?"

The tiger boy pleads with a sorrowful expression.

I want to help.

But I don’t have the power to change the tax rate. This is a medieval absolute monarchy. The concept of 【Five for the Public, Five for the People】 and the idea that squeezing the common folk is typical among royals and nobles likely prevails. Ortissio’s family is probably no different. Changing this isn’t something I can easily do.

There are limited measures a commoner like me can take.

Should I ask Remilia-san for help?

Or perhaps, use Edim’s followers?

Either way, it could spark a civil war.

"I-I want to help, but..."

"Please. If nine-tenths of our income is taken, we’ll all die."

"Huh!? 【Five for the Public, Five for the People】... isn’t it half?"

"No, Lord Ortissio declared, 'Offer nine-tenths of the village’s income as the Evil God Tax. Fail, and everyone will be killed.'"

Evil God Tax?

You again...

Nine-tenths is insane. Ortissio probably added his own demands on top of the kingdom’s tax rate. He likely thought the more tax he collected, the more he’d be praised, so he made absurd demands.

The children are sobbing.

Ortissio, you may think you’re just doing what you always do, but this is unacceptable. Your punishment will be special this time.

[TL notes: I would be happy if you gave `The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology` a read, pretty fun story :D]