The steam train crawled like a giant beast on the tracks, stopping in front of the platform. As the whistle blew, puffs of steam billowed out of the car, ruffling the corners of Grandin's clothes.

He pressed his hat, carried his suitcase down the stairs, and stepped onto the ground that belonged to Beckland.

Outside the platform, there is an underground entrance to the subway across the road.

The subway line runs through the city in a cross shape underground, and there are also stops in front of the Church of the Goddess of the Night.

Grandin looked at the route map with interest, but he did not choose this mode of transportation.

He wanted to get a good look at the city, and if all went well, he would stay here for a long time; If it doesn't go well, this section of the road will be the last scenery he sees.

He took out his pocket watch, it was past noon, he had no appetite to eat, similar to the decision just now, it was unlucky to eat now.

So he simply walked to the public carriage waiting for the guests, negotiated the price with the coachman, and prepared to go to the Church of the Goddess of the Night in the North District.

"Do you need a guide, sir?"

Just as he was about to get into the car, he was stopped.

He was stopped by a half-grown boy, who looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old, with dry blonde hair, a brown waistcoat with patches on top of his gray shirt, and a slightly worn leather shoe on his feet.

He tugged at the cap in his hand, looking a little cramped. Grandin's confident and calm demeanor and the well-dressed clothes on his body brought him a great sense of oppression.

But he still insisted on introducing himself:

"Having a guide can make your trip to Beckland smoother and save you a lot of unnecessary expenses. For example, it usually only takes 7p to get from here to the Church of the Night Goddess. ”

As he had finished speaking, he glanced defiantly at the coachman, who had just taken Grandin's 10 pence.

"Get out of the way! Puppy puppies in the East End! You're a thief! ”

The driver's face turned red instantly, and he roared in a rough voice before he bowed his head and explained to Grandin, "Because of the exhaust emission bill, we had to raise the fare." ”

"This bill has not been implemented at all!" The half-grown boy angrily retorted, "And my family and I worked with both hands and didn't steal!" No robbery! ”

The boy's arm points to the street corner.

Grandin looked around, and sure enough, he found a few children on the street corner, who were probably the boy's family.

They were younger than the boy, and their hair colors varied, the only ones that were similar were the obvious hunger color that seemed to grow on their faces.

Is this abandoned children hugging each other? Grandin has a deeper understanding of the cruelty of this world.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Wiggins Kirk, sir." The boy saluted to Grandin.

Grandin returned the salute before continuing to ask:

"How much do you need to be hired?"

"For three pence, I'll be at your disposal for the day."

The boy quickly finished what he wanted to say, and then fell silent, he waited in a state of apprehension for Grandin's decision.

3pence, not much. That's the money of a few loaves of rye bread, and even more if you don't care about the gluten taste.

Suddenly, his spirituality was touched, and his vision was automatically turned on. A circle of golden sand appeared around his pupils, and they flowed slowly.

When he looked at the boy again, he saw a future branch growing on the top of his head, and he stared at it, and the boy's future was unfolding in front of him—

In the evening, the group of children bought rye bread with the money he paid. They gathered in a narrow shed under the bridge, and Wiggins carefully took a piece of butter from his arms. Then the butter and rye bread were divided one by one, and the youngest of them got the largest piece.

The drinks were only cold water, but they ate very satisfied.

It was a night of hunger, a day of hope.

This future, I admit it!

Grandin's spirit vibrates, and the "tree of numerology" unfolds silently according to his will, and in a world that no one else can observe, his spirit turns into a big hand and grabs the branch on the boy's head.

The branches are then grafted onto the trees.

The twig was alien to the dead tree, and on its branch hung a faint red fruit.

Is the new ability due to the gradual digestion of my potion?

If the gray, ruined fruit represents bad luck, then this bright red fruit represents good luck? Do I have to pay anything?

Grandin thought for a moment, but decided to go with his own wishes.

"You've won the job, little sir. Let's get in the car. Grandin turned to the driver and asked, "Do I need to pay another fare?" But maybe I should change the carriage. ”

His eyes began to look at the other hospitality vehicles.

"No, no, sir. Please get on the bus. ”

The coachman was taken aback, such a generous customer was not easy to find, so he hurriedly sat down in the front room and beckoned the guests to get into the car.

Of course, this kind of public transport is not comfortable, the solid wood chairs are not covered with leather, and the cramped carriage can only be regarded as neat, but it will still have a strange taste.

Under the influence of industrialization, the cement pavement was built widely, so the carriage walked fairly smoothly.

In the traveling carriage, the boy sat opposite Grandin, helpless.

Grandin tapped his thigh twice with his fingers to turn off his vision, and then he took out a copper penny, handed it to the boy, and said:

"My name is Grandin Ode. This is the advance payment, and you will get the rest after you have completed the wizard work. ”

"Yes, sir."

Wiggins took the coin in both hands and wiped it on his waistcoat before tucking it into the inside of his coat pocket.

"Sir must be an officer!"

"How do you see that?"

Grantin placed the suitcase sideways at his feet to keep it out of the way.

"Because of the way the gentleman sits." Wiggins affirmed.

In the carriage, Grandin still sat upright, a custom left over from his predecessor.

In the same way, Porwiggins has seen from other officers that a soldier with a sense of honor is always strict with his words and deeds, so he feels that his judgment is not wrong. He went on to say:

"I also want to join the army, but unfortunately they don't take children. Maybe when I'm older, I'll be able to join the army. I heard that there was enough food there...... Soldiers' families are also better cared for. ”

Wiggins longed.

"Very good reasoning, although a bit far-fetched. I did join the military, but now I'm retired. ”

Grandin affirmed the boy's judgment.

"Why?"

Wiggins didn't understand that he didn't have to worry about eating and drinking in the army, and he could still exercise a good body. In the Kingdom of Rune, joining the army is honorable, and for children from poor families, joining the army is a good way out.

"Because I'm afraid of death." Grandin was blunt.

The wheels of the carriage pressed against a stone, causing the carriage without shock absorbers to jump with the wheels.

"Huh? Not...... It doesn't matter, I think a character like Mr. can realize his value in Beckland even if he is out of the army. ”

Perhaps it was the sudden tremor that disturbed the boy's thoughts, and he stumbled in his words.

"Yes, so I sold my ancestral manor and prepared to come here to fight, anyway, no one in the manor is waiting for me to go back." Grandin nodded, "In order to get rid of it as soon as possible, I also paid some." ”

"This ......" the boy said.

Sold a property with a stable output and came to Beckland to find excitement. This was beyond the boy's comprehension, and he did not know for a moment what to say about this behavior, and could only try to find other virtues in the gentleman.

"In any case, the gentleman must be a devout believer! For as soon as you arrived in Beckland, you went to the church of the goddess to pray...... Actually, I am also a believer in the goddess of the night. ”

After Wiggins finished speaking, he solemnly clicked four times on his chest, outlining the shape of the crimson moon.

The crimson moon represents the goddess.

"I don't believe in gods."

Grandin's answer was slow. The boy matured painfully, but Grandin decided to tell the truth.

"Huh?"

The boy was astonished, the gentleman in front of him was definitely a freak.

Grandin felt the potion digest again.