Chapter 18: The Family
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After that day, more and more people came to Edwin for help. He even had to help five more mothers give birth. Two with a C-section and three the old-fashioned way.

That had been nerve rattling. He had done all the procedures the way he was taught and had, miraculously enough, not lost a single baby. The boy with the asthma attacks had come by to show him his inhaler, and Hadrian had made a show about asking the boy all about the object. Perhaps genuinely interested, or just trying to put the boy at ease.

Then there was the matter of Ben. Most of the prisoners, the thieves, have been let out of prison, as was the law concerning test subjects. Ben had been among them. He had gone straight to his siblings, and they had all searched for a place to stay.

The town’s washer woman had offered to take all three of them in, as long as they worked, but Ben had not wanted to hear of it. So, now they were searching for a house.

The mayor had failed with making an orphanage. As it turns out, there was an orphanage quota, even for privately owned orphanages, and Orc’s rest town simply wasn’t cutting it.

Hadrian had threatened to expose the mayor and so a new, unofficial, arrangement had been made. The children will be housed in the houses that were empty because of the sickness. After a good cleaning and mana water filters installed, since Edwin insisted.

And so, they moved from house to house and tried to find something passable. The problem was that all the houses and apartments that the mayor had rented for housing the children of the town were either run down or in bad neighborhoods.

“The last one was not so bad,” said Luciano, one of Ben’s brothers.

“It had no holes in it,” said Rael, his other brother.

“The floorboards were moldy and so were the walls. Moreover, the next door neighbor had alcohol stains on their door,” said Edwin. He had spent his childhood in a hut, but his mother had kept it clean. This was no place for a child.

“I am not better than whoever gets placed here, Eddy. Mold can be cleaned. I just need vinegar and then to keep the apartment warm and dry,” said Ben with a shrug, his brothers nodding along to his wisdom.

“There is an apartment building closer to the guards. Maybe we will find something better there?” Said Edwin, already walking in the direction of the guard’s apartments. Maybe guard Rollo and Erzbet would even check on Ben from time to time? They seemed like good people.

“I should have made the mayor hire maids and caretakers,” snarled Hadrian. He was as disgruntled about what was offered to the children as Edwin.

“You can’t order the mayor around, Harry. Just the fact that he does this for us is enough,” said Ben. Now, both Edwin and Hadrian shared a look. It was better if no one knew that they were extorting the mayor for what was his duty.

“Ben, it is the state’s duty to take care of orphans,” said Hadrian. Ben turned to look at him and smirked bitterly.

“Well, they certainly haven’t heard of it, have they? Orphans are on their own. Sure, we may have an allowance and a roof over our heads for now, but once you two are gone and the mayor figures that you are too far away, he will leave us on the street again. But you know what? I won’t stand for it!” Said Ben, and then he bowed to Edwin.

“Teach me to become a healer, Eddy,” his brothers, not understanding why he was bowing, bowed too and smiled at Edwin.

“Ben, most surgeries require two hands,” said Edwin. He wanted to avoid letting the boy down, but it was the truth. The academy was not going to teach Ben. Not when he couldn’t operate.

“But you are not without talents. Tell me, kiddo, what do you know of rogues?” Asked Hadrian, his eyes twinkling.

“They are thieves,” said Ben uncertainly. “And they do dungeon delving.”

“I am a rogue.” Said Hadrian proudly.

“You are an adventurer?” Asked Edwin. He had pegged Hadrian for a very talented thief, but certainly not one who had what it took to be a rogue. “With what can you fight?”

“Daggers,” said Hadrian, and he pulled a straight dagger from within his sleeve. He threw it in the air a couple of times and smiled at Ben. “See, you only need one hand to throw.”

“If Ben is becoming a rouge, I want to be a warrior!” Said Rael, his chest puffed up.

“And I will be a healer. We will be a party!” Said Luciano, fist pumped high.

“Well, Eddy, we have younglings. It seems we are a proper family now,” said Hadrian as he lopped a hand around Edwin’s shoulder.

“Playing for the opposite team, my ass,” said Ben with a snicker.

“Hadrian, you are not helping my image any,” said Edwin as he shrugged the hand off himself.

“You have to train young Lucy here, Eddy. The academy won’t take him with a criminal record. And I can train Ben and Rael.”

“I am not Lucy! You are Lucy!” Protested Luciano as he pointed at Hadrian.

“No, pipsqueak. I am Harry and your teacher is Eddy. While you travel with us, you are Lucy or no desserts,” said Hadrian with a teasing smile.

Despite himself, Edwin chuckled at the small scrunched up face of the black-haired, blue-eyed toddler. In a moment of lack of mercy, he decided to play along with Hadrian.

“I’ll have you know, Lucy, that I make killer muffins. And my cookies are said to be so good, my mother uses them to bribe children your age to sit still to get their vaccines,” said Edwin in a conspiratorial voice.

“I get a cookie for every time you call me Lucy and a muffin for everything I learn,” Tried to bargain, Luciano. Edwin shook his head and patted him on the head. Kids these days.

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