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[Kiserre's orphanage]

[Khamishah point of view]

~Wah Wah Wah~

It's around 400am in the morning, and I can hear something unnatural. A sound of an infant crying. Thing is, the youngest orphan here is a three year old boy and that wasn't his cry. This sound younger, less than a year old infant, and there's no magic or mimicry behind this cry, which mean it wasn't a mimic nor is it a ghost infant.

"Who the heck dumped a baby here!" [Khamishah]

When it comes to thing like battle, I can quickly analyze each details presented to me, though it becomes less common for me to do so as I can always one hit KO almost every opponents nowadays, but for this kind of thing, a normal thing where everyone experience, I only realized how severely lacking I am after taking the role of director of orphanage

Taking my thick cloth to wear, as well as some dry thick towel, I quickly went outside. There, one of the priestesses bravely checking a basket, and inside there were two things left behind, a human infant and a note

~Please, take care of Miriam~ 

"Shuu shuu, it's alright Miriam, I'm here to take care of you" [Nun C]

"Goddess, who would just abandoned a baby girl right in front of an orphanage..." [Khamishah]

"I don't know, but what I do know is that, we have a new family member to take care of" [Nun C]

"But... I never take care of an infant before. Have you?" [Khamishah]

Her face says it all, she hasn't. Plus

"It keeps on crying" [Long hair girl]

"Sorry if that wakes you up" [Nun C]

"It's fine. Maybe she's hungry" [Long hair girl]

"But we can't just give some animal milk to baby this age, it simply not good for her digestion" [Nun C]

"But, we don't have any breast milk as well" [Khamishah]

"Actually... that cat lady might have some" [Long hair girl]

""Cat lady??"" [Khamishah, Nun C]

"I was locked up with her and her baby back then. Her baby though..." [Long hair girl]

"Anyway, did you know where she is right now" [Khamishah]

~Nod~

"Good, I'll take Miriam to her and explain the situation" [Nun C]

"I'll go as well" [Khamishah]

And thus, with Miriam's loud cry, the three of us went to nearby strict. There is a brick house with multiple mana inside of it, guess this is one of the houses that Queen Rinz provided for those who have nowhere left to go. Before I can even knock on the door, a black cat lady quickly came out. This lady, I could have sworn I saw her somewhere before, but where!

"Kat!" [Black cat lady" 

"No, but..." [Khamishah]

Judging by the story just now, she must have thought the cry of this baby girl is the cry of her own child, but sadly it wasn't the case, though

"Mrs Saga, and little girl... What are you doing here?" [Black cat lady]

"Actually..." [Nun C]

After explaining what happen to her, I can see a mix type of emotions in her face, ranging from madness to frustration. It's a face of a mother who dearly loved her lost child and couldn't accept the fact that another child is abandoned

"There there, you're hungry aren't you" [Black cat lady]

Taking the child into her arm, she quickly feed her own milk, and the hungry Miriam latch quickly. For me, it's just a scene of a mother feeding a child, but for some spying eyes 

~Quick step~

"!" [Old follower]

"Do anything strange and you will be in trouble" [Khamishah]

"Ouch ouch ouch ouch! Let me go! Let me go you brute saga" [Old follower]

Well, I will let him go, after breaking his finger that is

~Crack~

"Gaaahhh!" [Old follower]

"Stay out of her. I won't be this nice next time" [Khamishah]

Releasing my deadly grab, the old follower quickly run away. The nun and the long hair girl was confused by my actions, the black cat lady, she seems to know the reason behind my action. Better explain it 

"I see, so that man release a killing intent the moment this lady here feed Miriam her breast milk" [Long hair girl]

"He must have greatly against this action then" [Nun C]

"Same as back then as well. Thank you, Mrs Saga" [Black cat lady]

Back then? So the two of us did meet somewhere before, but where? It's hazy and I need a little bit of stimulus to spark back my memories

"From your look, you couldn't remember it well. What if I told you I am the adopted mother of Kucin, Anjin and Manu" [Black cat lady]

"Of course! No wonder you look so familiar!" [Khamishah]

"So, you have met her before?" [Long hair girl]

"And Kucin and Anjin, aren't they..." [Nun C]

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[Diana point of view]

Morning come, after the long night chat between the four of us (Rumia, Qis, Alice and I), I wake, feeling refresh. It's a good feeling to start off the new day. Taking my usual red robe and pink rose hair ribbon, I quickly went ahead and meet Qis. Along the hallway, I can see dear mother, discussing something with the eldest brother. Must be about mine and Liyana's engagement to 

him. I wish you can stop using me as your political stepping stone

"Morning..." [Zaidi]

"Morning Zaidi" [Diana]

The fourth prince, and our youngest brother. Born out of the fourth queen. At first, we didn't get along well, mainly because of how the fourth queen behaved. But, the more I look back, the more I realize that unlike dear mother and the other queens, the fourth queen behave almost exactly like Mrs Gizzere. She doesn't really say yes or no, but instead, presented us both with options, and it up to us to choose what we think the best. If only I realized it sooner, I could play around with Zaidi more when he was just a baby. Now, he is a shy 7 year old boy, a year older than Charlotte, and he somehow reminded me of my younger day, trying to play with older brothers only to get rejected for fear of me taking over the throne

"Mother, can I follow, big sister?" [Zaidi]

"Make sure to stay close to her" [Fourth queen]

"Yes" [Zaidi]

"Dear step mother, how come you never be this direct with me" [Diana]

"Who knows. But, surely you can read between the line even clearly now" [Fourth queen]

"That I do, thank you" [Diana]

"Though, I don't mind acting like a mother every once in a while" [Fourth queen]

She give Zaidi a huge hug before doing the same to me

~Sob~

"Don't cry. Other will use it to their advantage" [Fourth queen]

"But... you suddenly hugging me... it's unexpected"  [Diana]

It's unexpected, as well as something that I never thought I could receive. To think a simple affection from step mother bring this much joy, how I lack an affection from a motherly figure

"Guess I will act as usual then" [Fourth queen]

"Please don't" [Diana]

And she instantly release me, before telling me to go with Zaidi quickly. I was confused for a bit but do as she told nonetheless. 

"Diana! Wait!" [Mother]

"That girl" [First prince]

"Now then, may I know what bring you here this morning" [Fourth queen]

"Silent you!" [Mother]

I see, thank you so much for covering me up. Qis, Zaidi and I quickly take our personal carriage and went straight ahead to the orphanage. Rumia and her friends, as well as Alice seems to be here already, and they're all inside the training hall. I can hear a loud "boom" sound multiple times coming from inside. I wonder what spells are they practicing today

"And you pull the trigger here, Rumia" [Ash]

"I see, so charge my mana first and..." [Rumia]

~Boom~

So, that's the pistol that Ash keep on mentioning about. From the looks of it he finally completed it. It function just like how Ash describe it would, with a bullet made out of magic stone that can absorb one mana, and that bullet is fired or propelled by neutral mana of the user channel through a specially made magic core. 

Right now, Rumia is using her light mana, imbued it into a bullet, and fire it off to a dark zombie

"Way to go, you really are talented" [Ash]

"Oh, it isn't that hard" [Rumia]

((Suspicious)) [Diana, Qis]

"Brother Ash, why are you blushing?" [Karon]

"Oh, it's just hot here" [Ash]

"The air conditioning is on though?" [Savel]

"Oh, I might not notice it. My bad" [Ash]

((Suspicious)) [Alice, Elise]

Could it be, Ash has a crush on Rumia?

"Welcome, Princess!" [Kara]

"Mrs Qis as well!" [Mara]

And there goes usual hug. Somehow, today hug feel extra good, but, it is somewhat ruined by the fact that Ash trying to hit on Rumia, and Rumia here being oblivious

(Why did I feel furious seeing it?) [Diana]