Money and Faith

After a friendly and cordial conversation, the Mechanical Heart team continued their patrol duty, while Xia'er and her two companions went home.

Alice followed behind Chael and Martin all the way to the Backlund Bridge.

"Is there anything else?"

Xia Er asked, feigning confusion.

"Give me the money!"

Alice took a deep breath and gave a sweet smile.

"Pay me?"

"What money?"

"I invited the beautiful Miss Alice to stroll along the banks of the Tasok River simply because I like her, not because I covet your gold pounds."

Chael continued to play dumb.

"Let me tell you, if you dare to renege on your debt, the consequences will be severe."

Alice's smile remained unchanged.

"Isn't that romantic?"

"Am I not a gentleman?"

Shael pointed to the crimson moon in the sky, "The moon is my witness..."

"I suddenly remembered that I seem to have forgotten to tell Deacon Ikonser about your becoming an Extraordinary."

As Alice spoke, she turned to walk toward the bridge area.

"This is your payment."

Chael shrugged and chose to pay.

He slipped a banknote into Alice's hand, who hadn't moved an inch.

"Ten pounds?"

"That's it?"

Alice looked at the August head in her hand, and rubbed it in disbelief. It was indeed a single one, and there was only one.

"Is there a problem?"

"You're charged by the hour, and your hourly wage even exceeds that of most middle-class people. You've earned in less than two hours what a dockworker would earn in three weeks of hard work. That's fantastic."

Chael clapped and laughed.

"I helped you defeat the werewolf."

Alice opened her mouth, unwilling to give up.

Are you hurt?

"If you are injured, I can take you to the best hospital in Backlund."

"After all, we're friends who fought together."

Xia Er twirled the revolver in his hand and said.

We decided to go see the excitement together, how can that be included in the reward? It's not even certain who protected whom, is it?

"You...I..."

Alice thought it made a lot of sense, but in the past, she would have gotten at least 100 from this trip, but now she only got 1/10.

"Alice, I had no choice."

"You've made so much money off me, I'm almost at the point where I can't even afford to eat."

"And you? Have you saved enough money to advance to Sequence 7?"

"If you were to advance to Sequence 7, wouldn't it be even more expensive to ask for your help?"

"It's not easy for anyone, let's try to understand each other."

As he spoke, Xia Er began to walk slowly toward the West District.

Martin was initially a little disapproving, thinking that his young master was being a bit too harsh in haggling over the price, but after hearing the last bit of it, he stopped talking and just silently followed along.

The more money you spend, the less you can afford to hire?

Is this acceptable?

"Sigh, you half-baked guy, do you even know how much it costs to advance to Sequence 7? I'm not even talking about potion recipes, just one main ingredient costs 600 pounds! How am I supposed to advance?"

Alice thought about how she, struggling alone in a foreign capital, was now seen as having a bright future by Xia Er, a winner in life? She caught up with him, feeling both annoyed and amused.

"You've at least scraped together enough money for one main material, right?"

Xia Er did a quick calculation and said.

"no."

Alice shook her head and began to complain:

"I am a believer in the sun, how can I only think of myself?"

"I made a lot of money from you, and I used it all to buy food for the people here who need warmth, in the name of the sun."

Alice was even more troubled by the thought of Intis's Eternal Sun Church—one church with so many ideologies.

The Inquisition was quite extreme, keen on arresting heretics and heretics and subjecting them to torture.

Similar to the former, the Evangelistic Brotherhood emphasizes the brutal crackdown and purging of heretics, cultists, and wild extraordinarys in order to promote the orthodox doctrine of the "Eternal Sun."

The Mendicant Monks' Association (Little Brothers Association) is relatively better. It advocates restraint of desires, begging for alms and asceticism, and preaching in various impoverished areas to let more people believe in the "Eternal Sun".

But the girl, who grew up in the countryside, didn't quite understand why she had to beg for food when the church provided decent treatment and ascetic practices were understandable.

It feels strange to beg for food from rich people, but isn't it even more problematic to beg for food from poor people?

Shouldn't we, as believers in the sun, take the initiative to offer food to those in need?

The sisters of the Nine Sisters are doing relatively well, although they still have their share of internal troubles.

Alice felt uncomfortable staying in Intis, so she went to Backlund, genuinely hoping to earn some overseas allowance from the church.

"Are you still so proud?"

Xia Er was somewhat surprised.

Do you know how many people in need I've helped?

Alice proudly raised her chin.

"Young master, I can testify that Miss Alice is indeed helping those in need free of charge. The food she buys and distributes is arranged by me."

Martin testified that he had personally witnessed many of Alice's good deeds, otherwise he wouldn't have trusted this Miss Intis so much.

"You mean, you used the money you earned from the Night Followers to distribute food to potential Night Followers in Backlund, spreading the faith in the Eternal Sun, and I'm supposed to praise you as a kind girl?"

"Is that what you mean, Alice?"

Even Xia Er couldn't help but marvel at this guy's moral standards; his actions were just too nimble.

You used my money to buy off my followers, in your name?

You're still so proud?

"Ha, if it weren't for me, would you have voluntarily gone to the East District to distribute food to those in need?"

"Besides, I'm spending my own money. I've worked hard, running around doing chores, helping you Ruen people for free. I don't even ask you to remember my good deeds. Can't I even ask you to praise the sun?"

Alice felt that her thoughts were correct; she was on the path of justice, and the eternal sun would protect her.

Praise be to the sun!

"Forehead..."

Martin fell silent at this point. The logic was sound, but his young master might be the future Bishop of the Night.

"You help others for free, but you charge me?"

Xia Er couldn't help but laugh.

"You're rich."

Alice blurted out her name.

She doesn't beg for food; what's wrong with earning money through her own abilities?

What about friendship?

"Even ignoring me, Martin has helped you so much, how can you have the nerve to cheat him?"

Xia Er stretched out her hand and looked at the crimson stain on her fingertips, then smiled.

"I didn't cheat him."

"I'm the one who's screwed over."

Alice doesn't even pretend anymore.

If she doesn't swindle the nobles of Rune, who else will she swindle?

"Can't you make it cheaper?"

As Xia Er thought about how he only had 400...390 pounds of pocket money left this month, he felt a bit of a toothache and wondered what use this guy was to him.

As for the funds that were actually used for charity in the East District, let's leave that aside.

Alice was right about one thing: Maynard Jr. didn't have the intention to do charity work, and neither did Shael.

He will definitely prioritize using the funds he has to purchase extraordinary materials.

"Are you willing to believe in my Lord?"

"I told you, the sun has many powers. As long as you believe in my Lord, I will teach you the ritual magic of praying to the Lord for free."

Alice thought for a moment and asked.

"dream."

Xia Er refused outright. He wanted to worship the strongest one. Did the Eternal Sun give him eggs? Did it expect him to worship it?