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Today was the adoption day. Some rich families with no heir or merchants to groom some loyal employees would come to the orphanage and select a suitable child. Rarely did the orphanage see one inconsequential noble. Recently the orphanage had decided to cast a spell on the merchants to reveal they’re true motives to dissuade them from adopting children for mistreatment. This provided the orphanage with a perfect background check and only after the character was cleared will they be able to take the custody.

Valerian entered the garden, picking up a garden shear, he began to clear up the overgrowing shrubs and bushes. It was his job was to trim and mow the lawn once a week, failing which Gloria delivered the appropriate punishment. He had just started working when a set of footsteps approached him, stopping a few meters away.

“I want it all cleared within a couple of hours, understood, you jinx”, said a high-pitched voice.

Valerian did not stop his hands and nodded quickly. Gloria continued, “How dare you be disrespectful to me? Do you not know to stop when an elder is talking to you?”

The boy stopped, his small body was shivering already, a consequence of the fear Gloria had instilled in his heart for the past three years. Ever since the prophet had rendered him cursed, Gloria found excuses to hit him. Her justification for this cruel act was a self-proclaimed service to the gods and a chance for Valerian to atone for the misdeeds of his past life.

Gloria gazed at his cowering stature and smirked, “At least you know your place. Today is a good day for the rest of the children, I do not wish to dirty my hands, get your work done quickly.” Valerian bowed to her twice before getting back to his work.

.....

For the next two hours, the little boy did not dare to even take a breather. When he was done clearing the shrubs and bushes, the devil he wanted to avoid appeared in front of him once again. “The lawn was mowed yesterday so it is fine. Jinx, you better not try to come in front of those parents. Go hide and do not let me see even your shadow. Understand?” Valerian bowed to her once more and scurried away.

It was time for breakfast but he could not sneak into the kitchen in the morning since the kids reported back to Gloria. Dejected, the hungry little man went back to the library. He looked around at the dusty place and sighed. His stomach made a gentle growl. As a growing child, he needed good nutrition instead of struggling for the basic minimum, but hunger was a beast that cared for nothing.

He found an old duster lying on the librarian’s table and decided to distract himself by cleaning the library. While he busied himself inside the forgotten room, so did the world around him. Two years passed in a haze, at the end of which Valerian turned seven. He had made cleaning the library a weekly activity.

Not many things had changed in the past few years, except for the old chef Esca passing away, leaving Diligentia to take on the responsibility for his meals. His nest inside the library was also discovered by the lady. Though she did not ask him to move back to his room when he said that he was happy here.

After he finished cleaning the library the boy dusted off his clothes. Suddenly, the door of the library was pushed open. Diligentia walked inside and said, “Guess what day it is today?”

Valerian tilted his head slightly while looking at her in askance. The lady shook her head and insisted, “Guess.”

After thinking for a few minutes, he weaved hand signs and asked, ‘Adoption day?’ Diligentia shook her head, “It is the day I found you outside the gates of our orphanage. Today is the day when I held you in my arms for the first time, my dear. I did not know your birthday, so I decided to celebrate your birthday today.”

Valerian heard her and could even tell that his heart was heavier as if someone was sitting on his chest. He was so moved that if he were a normal person, he might have shed tears already. However, he was incapable to shed tears, Diligentia saw the struggle in his eyes, he was trying to come up with a method to express what he felt.

She walked up to him, crouched down, and took him in a warm embrace. Valerian did not struggle and closed his eyes to nestle in the warmth she brought him. Diligentia spoke gently in his ears, “I have brought you a gift, my child.” Valerian raised his head in shock. In the past seven years, he would yearn for a kind smile from people except for Diligentia and Esca, let alone getting a gift. Although, Diligentia had always arranged some clothes for him when she could find his old ones outgrown.

The boy broke up the hug and using hand signs he asked, ‘Why did you bring me a gift? Won’t she trouble you, if she found out?’ The ‘her’ in his mind was Gloria, her name was taboo to him.

Just at the mention of her, he will shiver in fright. Diligentia understood his concern and shook her head, “Don’t you worry your little head over any of it. These clothes are new, I bought them from my savings, but the fabric is linen, no one will suspect anything except for it being clean.”

Valerian cast a deep gaze at her smiling face, then driven by a thought he used some signs and left the elder lady in shock. He said, ‘Mother, your kindness is the biggest gift to me, the jinx. Thank you for always taking care of me.’ This was the closest he could get to expressing his emotions.

Diligentia sensed her vision blur slightly. However, she would never cry in front of Valerian, she turned her face and pulled out a set of clothes and shoes from behind her. She said with a warm smile, “Happy Birthday Val.” Valerian took the clothes and felt the fabric gently and bowed to Diligentia in gratitude. After the boy changed into his new clothes Diligentia left the library but not before pecking on his forehead.

After she left, Valerian walked up to the window and saw some well-dressed people pouring in from the gates. Today was the adoption day as well. The boy gazed at these people for a bit and then shaking his head he came to stand in front of a shelf in the library.

Diligentia had taught him how to read and write, and to make sure that he practices his skills, the boy was asked to read the books in the library, maintain an index for what he has read, and then once in a while, Diligentia will test his knowledge. Valerian did not have anything more to do than tend to the gardens and clean the floors, doing all these chores daily has made him adept and was not cumbersome to him.

He read the books with no sense of time. The day came to an end, and he was brought back to reality when the door of the library was pushed open again. Diligentia had come with his food. Valerian was hungry, he closed his book and came over to take the plate from her hands.

Adoption day was not only known for the children being accepted into forever homes but also, for good food prepared to bid the chosen ones a farewell. Valerian ate the food with joy while the lady sat down on a chair and gazed at the books stacked neatly on the table. She asked, “Oh, so did you read about the world finally?”

Valerian nodded with a morsel of food in his mouth and the lady asked, “How is the landmass on our world distributed?” The child cast her a white eye and using a single hand he weaved signs saying, ‘The landmass is divided into four continents, with each located in one direction respectively.’

Diligentia nodded and asked, “Summarize what you understand about the moons.”

A little hand moved again while the other hand busied itself to stuff in the food, ‘There are two moons in the sky of Vita. The blue one is called Magus, the moon of magic. The red one is called Gladius, the moon of knights. They represent the two major factions in the world. It is said that people can use magic and higher physical strength because they gain blessing from the moons.’

Diligentia nodded, “You are so intelligent, Val. Next question, where are we located in the big world of Vita?”

‘Our town is called, Genesis Town. Located at the end of the beginning of the western continent.’ His signs made the lady gaze at him affectionately. Suddenly, she recalled something, “You finish your food, I will be back in a bit. I have something for you, something you will like.” With that said, she left the room.

Valerian did not know what it was that Diligentia had but heard his guts were telling him that it was not a good thing.