Late at night, Armin, Mikasa, and Eren lay in their rooms.

The roof was hollowed out, and they didn't have the energy to fill in the missing bricks, and they were exhausted just preparing the beds.

Through the hole in the roof, they could see the stars in the sky, the Milky Way shining, and the moonlight shining on their faces.

"Ian, he's such an incredible man." Armin pillowed his hand and looked up at the Milky Way: "When I listen to him, I don't know why, I become very calm. ”

"Armin, do you think the waterwheel that guy said is useful?" Eren looked through the gap between his fingers and looked at Mikasa's face.

Mikasa was already asleep, lying on a bed made of banana leaves.

The three beds were made by Ian, and Mikasa was curled up in the red scarf toward Ellen, breathing steadily.

"I... I don't know..."Almin said softly, "Didn't Ian say that it is still in the design stage of the drawings, and the finished product will be made before it is useful." ”

"Do you believe that guy?"

"Hmm." "I think Ian is going to make it, there's a special strength in him," Armin said. ”

"Really—" Alan withdrew his gaze and looked at his palm.

"Alan... Are you still not convinced? Armin whispered, "Forget it, Ian, he's a good man, and today he gave us food and helped us choose a room." ”

Alan was silent for a while, and then said, "Starting tomorrow, let's go and help that guy build the waterwheel." ”

"Alan... You—" Armin's mouth opened slightly, looking at Alan's face.

"Sleep." Alan turned his back to Armin: "Tomorrow we will have to solve the food problem on our own, and we can't let that guy look down on us." ”

Armin smiled: "I know, come on, we will definitely be able to live in the pioneer land." ”

...

The next day, when Ian opened his eyes, he saw the three of Alan, as well as two bundles of bamboo shoots and a large bag of red berries on the ground, as well as some wild radishes that had been dug up.

At this time, the sky was not fully bright, and the trio's faces and hands were covered with mud.

"This is yesterday's return gift." Alan pointed to the food and said, "What do you do with that waterwheel, and what materials do you need?" ”

"You're up early." Ian sat up and stretched.

"Ian, all three of us are orphans who escaped from the Higanshina region." Armin stepped forward: "We discussed yesterday, the waterwheel, please let us help, let's go and convince Mr. Hannes together." ”

"Really—" Ian took a grain of wheat powder from his pocket and picked up a handful of dried straw with some dry bamboo on top.

He picked up the flint and flint, rubbed it and sparked, and the gunpowder ignited, and with a bang, the straw ignited a fire, and black smoke came out.

"Anyway, let's sit down and get something to eat." Ian took out the knife he was carrying with him and disposed of the bamboo shoots and turnips: "If you don't have enough to eat, you don't have the strength to work." ”

The three of them glanced at each other and sat around the fire.

Ian roasted the bamboo shoots and radishes by the fire, took out the bag containing the gunpowder, and poured the gunpowder into the palm of his hand.

"Do you know this?" Ian spread his palms.

"It's gunpowder." Almin said.

"That's right." Ian nodded, "This is the wheat powder I made myself, and I want to entrust you to help me sell it." ”

"Why sell gunpowder?" Alan wondered, "Aren't you going to build a waterwheel?" ”

Ian put away the gunpowder: "Although it is said that it is to build a waterwheel, in fact, there are still some imperfections in that design, and I will need about twenty days to draw the design before I can start manufacturing and testing the waterwheel model." ”

"Besides, waterwheels are not something that children can make, we need carpenters with dexterous hands and feet, and it takes money to hire them, so I hope that within twenty days we can make money to hire carpenters."

"You want to make money with gunpowder?" Alan asked.

"Yes." Ian nodded: "Including the material collection, I learned from a person how to make wheat gunpowder, which is more stable than ordinary gunpowder, so it should circulate well on the black market." ”

"It's okay for you to take this as a test, I don't need a companion who will hold me back, I don't want you to say that you want to help me, and then you want me to wipe your ass."

"But wouldn't it be too difficult for our three children to go to the black market to sell gunpowder?" Armin licked his lips.

"If there is a little girl who can't find her mother crying in front of me, I will be happy to take her hand and help her find her mother, are you little girls who can't find their mother?"

"Isn't it just selling gunpowder?" Alan stood up: "This kind of trivial matter, just leave it to us!" ”

"But... Alan..."Alin interjected, "We are now residents of the Frontier Lands, and we are restricted from going out, and... We don't even know where the nearest black market is, it's where the criminals gather! We don't even have weapons, we'll be killed if we go there! ”

"You don't have to worry about this, I'll take you with me the first time I go to the black market." Ian said lightly: "I hope you will think about it before deciding whether to do this or not, once you join, you will have no way to quit." ”

"Cut, do you think I'm a coward! I'm going, it's been decided! Allen said.

"I knew you would say that." Ian smiled, "Clean up your room again during the day, and at night, I'll take you to the black market." ”

"Ian... Is it really okay? Armin's face was worried.

"It's fine." Ian filled the fire with a stick of firewood: "I'm familiar with the black market, and the people in charge behind the black market are generally related to the local corps, which is a tacit market, and few people dare to make trouble there. ”

"Just follow my instructions, and I'll show you what to do, but the second time, you'll have to do it yourself."

Ian pokes the fire with a burning stick, which is a dangerous place to be if you don't know the rules of the black market.

But Ian is not a layman, the so-called black market, in the final analysis, is a place for profit, as long as you learn the rules of action that tend to be human, you can mix like a fish in water in that place.

The key is to grasp the degree of benefits and risks, and the benefits you earn are not too popular with others, so that they can see the risks of stealing this business.