Esther stayed behind Chanis Gate, and Crestai gave her a pocket watch with a brass lid, saying that he would let Esther know what time was outside. With starry diamonds embedded on the outside of the pocket watch and a black badge on the inside of the cover, Esther didn't want to accept such a valuable thing, but Crestai was tough.

"This is also a token, and if you go to other cities, you can ask for help from the Night Church. If there is an accident, you can also smash it, and activate the power of the goddess in a short time, whether it is to escape or suppress yourself from losing control, it can help you. ”

Esther had no choice but to accept it, but she didn't like the delicate and beautiful gift, she could feel that it had some kind of secret connection to the outside world, and would pass on where she was.

Although she understands the methods of the Night Church, it still makes Esther uncomfortable.

Later, at the door of Esther's room, Crestai carved a rune that Esther could not read, which, according to Crestel's interpretation, was the ancient Hermetic word for "sleep".

What Crestai didn't say was that the symbols he carved with his spiritual power would magnify Chanisman's seal on the stone house, causing Esther to sleep longer.

Crestai told Esther to rest on her own, and he had other things to attend to, so he didn't bother.

Esther, of course, remembered Dalie's investigation, she returned to the stone house, sat on the bed and continued to read "The Selected Poems of Russell", but soon the tired sleepiness came up, she yawned, put the book on the bedside, pulled the quilt over her head, and fell into a deep sleep in a few dozen seconds.

In Dunn's office, Crestai sat in his chair and shook his head when Dunn asked if he wanted tea or coffee.

"As for Esther, I'm afraid she'll be asleep for a while, I'm not sure for how long. You knock on the door once a day, morning and evening, to make sure she's awake. When Esther woke up, she would be free to enter and leave the Chanis Gate, the equivalent of half of the Tingen Nightwatch. ”

"After that...... Are we going to treat Esther as her? ”

Crestai nodded expressionlessly: "Yes, that's how she perceives herself now. If you need to use dangerous seals, you can take her on a trip, but before that it is best to let her go through the normal training process of the night watch, physical skills, shooting, and weapon rationing, so as not to be uncoordinated with others. ”

Dunn found Crestai to have important aspects that he didn't mention: "What about the occult? ”

She could be taught basic language and writing, but she was kept at a distance from vision, divination, sacrifices, or other things that involved spiritual energy. She can be on the sidelines, but it's best not to try. ”

Dunn took note of this.

"It's best for her to stay in Chanismania for more than eight hours a day, and no more than forty-eight hours a day, for the sake of insurance, so what I told her was to be contaminated with Chanisman's power every night."

"Is there anything else I need to pay attention to?"

"Actually, she's in ...... state now," Crestai muttered for a moment, "it's a lot more stable than the Templar expected, so you can rest assured that you'll be able to communicate with her." The intersection between you is an ordinary human relationship, and the special direction of her strange power has been transferred to the entire Tingen Night Watch team. ”

"What's going on?"

"It was a small accident, but you can rest assured that she made an oath in the face of the sword of the goddess."

Crestai didn't elaborate further, and Dunn knew it was something he shouldn't know.

In fact, Dunn's impression of Esther was not bad, excluding the threat that he had first identified as "it" and the fact that Dalie was too deeply affected and made him panic, as far as Esther herself was concerned, he could feel the smile of the young girl when she thanked him, all of which were sincere from the heart.

After briefly inspecting Daly's condition, Crestai took her to catch the steam train to Beckland, and it was Dunn who saw them off.

Dalie pressed her black gauze hat very low, revealing only her indigo-blue lipstick lips, whether it was her black body-fitting dress or the bitterness in her eyes, it looked like she was going to a funeral.

Dunn watched in silence as the train pulled out of the station, hoping that the misty sky in Beckland would clear for a moment and let out a little sunshine to Dalie.

The goddess is above, she is so talented, she will definitely get better and better.

——

To Dunn's surprise, however, Senior Deacon Crestai said that Esther would be "asleep for a while," for a full ten days.

Every day he knocked on the door in the morning and evening, but there was no response from the door, and according to the rotating caretaker, there was no movement in the stone house.

On the third day, Dunn had to take Luo Yao down to Chanis Gate, and let her stand by the door and open the gap to check the lamp, but Esther was still inside, lying quietly on the stone bed, breathing slowly.

So she was really asleep.

Dignated, Dunn returned to his office and sent a telegram to the Templar, only to be met with a response of "leave her alone". Dunn sighed, and could only accept such an arrangement.

On the tenth day, when Esther rubbed her eyes and opened the stone door, Dunn breathed a sigh of relief, he was afraid that Esther would never wake up from her sleep. The letter from Daly was still on his desk, and Dunn didn't know how to reply, but now it had a good result.

"I'm sorry, I feel like I've had a long night's sleep." Esther covered her mouth and yawned, and the sleepiness finally subsided.

Dunn shook his head: "From this moment on, you can move on your own, but you have to come back to Chanis Gate every day to sleep for a while." ”

"So can I go back to the bakery and help?"

"Of course, it's your freedom. Due to the Templar's arrangement, you are now a member of the Tingen Night Watch Squad, although we didn't get along well with them before......"

Dunn solemnly held out his hand to Esther and shook her right hand, "But now, you're welcome to join us, Esther. ”

Esther's heart warmed and she nodded vigorously, "I-I'm just going back to the bakery to talk to Grandma Wendy!" If there's anything I can do, please let me know! ”

Dunn nodded, but he felt a little complicated in his heart, as told by the Templar, she would have a particularly obvious "command feedback", and even extremely enthusiastic about helping them. Dunn didn't completely let go of his wariness of Esther, but it was also difficult to maintain a cold and hard attitude, and everything Esther showed would make people subconsciously put the label of "harmless" on her.

Dunn took Esther, who had changed her clothes and tidied up her hair, and introduced them to the people on duty today, briefly mentioning the purpose of each room to Esther. Luo Yao and Siga greeted Esther in a friendly manner, with Frye's character nodding to the limit, while Roshan, Viola, Bright, and Mrs. Orianna were curious. Cizer was a civilian in charge of purchasing and a part-time coachman, and at this time he went to the dock warehouse to order the goods, and did not stay here.

It was the first time everyone had met this strange and gentle girl, and Daly had not seen anyone else when she brought Esther back, and Esther had spent the night on the couch in the reception room.

Only the old Neil, who was guarding the arsenal today, seemed a little vigilant, but under Esther's curious question, the old Neil's character as a good teacher who had been keen on the occult all year round was stimulated, and he couldn't help but give Esther a common sense of occultism, and Esther also listened attentively, and asked her about her curiosity from time to time.

Dunn, who finally returned from the office, reminded Esther: "By the way, there is one more thing, when you go to Sling's Bakery, you can first withdraw a part of your salary from Mrs. Oriana, and buy some things you like on the way, and the salary will be paid from this week." ”

"How embarrassing is that!" Esther's eyes were sparkling, and she was clearly looking forward to it.

Old Neil put down his coffee cup with a smile: "If you want me to say, the church is responsible for reimbursement." Since you are going to stay on the night watch, of course you will receive your share. ”

Dunn nodded, and did not make any comment on the "reimbursement science" that Neal Sr. taught him the most passionate, but told Esther: "Your weekly salary is one pound a week, and on the other hand, there won't be too many daily tasks for you." Except for emergencies, you are free to schedule your time. ”

A pound!?

Esther was almost so excited that she jumped up, and her weekly salary of one pound was enough for a family of three on Iron Cross Street to live with fish and meat every day, which was unimaginable for Esther before. Now, she can buy a lot of books that interest her, do baking experiments or cook to her heart's content, and even save up for two weeks to go to an opera performance and enjoy the entertainment of this world.

Life suddenly has a lot of hopes, which makes Esther have a deeper understanding of the power of money.

Old Neil squeezed his eyes at Esther, who was full of excitement: "You can ask Roseanne to help you order food from the restaurant on Front Street, this is all at your own expense, hehe, praise the goddess." ”

When old Neil made a cross on his chest, Esther did not do it, but she nodded again and again and said, "Praise the goddess!" ”

Senior Deacon Crestai would probably be speechless if he saw this.

At Oriana's suggestion, Esther withdrew two pounds, both of which were given to her in the face value of ten and five sul. Esther had all planned, then bought a light and easy-to-move shirt and legging trousers, bought a few novels or poetry books to pass the time, packed a few pieces of Wendy's lemon cake from the bakery and shared them with everyone at Black Thorn Security, and then bought a woven rug to spread in the stone house, so that she could sit directly on the floor.

With only two pounds in total, Esther decided to find the cheapest ready-to-wear store on Daffodil Street when she rode the bus, and although the clothes would be more expensive than finding a tailor, she wouldn't have to wait. She could have bought fewer books and postponed the purchase of a woven rug, but Wendy's lemon cake was a must.

Fortunately, the restrictions given to me by the church are very relaxed, which does not prevent me from continuing to help Wendy and Fiona, and the business of the bakery will definitely get better and better in the future.

Thinking so, Esther jumped out of the carriage and walked merrily through the familiar intersection of Daffodil Street and Iron Cross Street, and she couldn't wait to go in the direction of Sling's Bakery.

As soon as she stepped through the door, Esther shouted with a smile on her face, "Grandma Wendy! I am back! ”

The old, well-spirited woman looked up from behind the counter and looked blankly at Esther.

It's like I've never seen her before.

But Wendy's habit of running a shop made Wendy smile and nod at the girl standing by the door, "Welcome little one, do you want to buy something?" ”

Esther froze in place, and the person who was so familiar with each other ten days ago that he was willing to call her "grandma" looked over, but it was the same as the stranger looking at her.

A sad, cold estrangement lay before Esther's eyes.

It is clearly visible that the fate after the separation is like a parallel line, as long as everything is cut off, "Esther" will be immediately forgotten by others, and there will not even be much time to wait.

So that's the case, it turns out that all this has a price.

Esther tried to smile, but the smile was worse than crying: "Could you please help me pack half a pound of lemon cake and cut it into small ......pieces?"

Wendy only thinks that this is a strange girl, but since she is a guest who wants to buy something, Wendy has no reason to refuse. Fiona walked in from the back kitchen with the freshly fried dumplings, put the tray on the window, glanced at Esther at the door, and hurried back to the kitchen, no different from the attitude of the other strangers.

Esther felt tears roll uncontrollably in her eyes, the tempting smell of croquettes wafting through the shop, the warm yellow checkered apron that Fiona had cut for Esther hung by the back door, and the animal-shaped sandwich bread was served on a tray, waiting for the children to coddle their parents to buy them.

But none of this has anything to do with me.

Her relationship with Sling's Bakery seems to have come to an end, and Wendy and Fiona no longer remember her, only the traces she left behind, telling Esther that she had been here for months, and that she had met two kind people who were willing to lend her a helping hand when she was at the most confused in the other world.

The bakery was still in order, and Wendy was smiling and cutting the lemon cake Esther was buying, and was gossiping to Esther that it was her "best", trying to liven up the atmosphere and make the girl look less sad.

Wendy and Fiona both look good, and they have a sense of anticipation for a better life ahead.

Esther knew this, and her tears finally fell, and she ran to the ground like a long-accumulated rainstorm.

"Oops, why are you crying? You can have more sweets, the meatballs in the store are very good, the freshly fried, do you want to wrap some of them for you? ”

Esther nodded with tears, but couldn't say a word.

Wendy watched the girl cry continuously, and felt some pity for her, not knowing what happened to the girl. After packing the things that the girl wanted, she took a handful of sule handed over by the girl, and deliberately handed over a cup of warm black tea with honey.

"There's always a lot of bumps in life, little one. But there's nothing that can't get by, and one day it's going to get better. Be hopeful. ”

Before Wendy could find money for the crying girl, she ran out of the store with a paper bag and a paper cup of warm black tea. Wendy counted the handful of sole in her hand, and found that the girl had stuffed a whole gold pound, far more than the price of the food she bought.

But the girl ran too fast and didn't look back, no matter how much Wendy shouted from behind.