Pastor's Tantra

After two hours of journey, Haina did not feel tired at all.

As we leave the Red and White Queen District, which is the center of the capital's "Glass Island", the number of factories emitting thick smoke and passing trains gradually begins to increase.

The choking thick fog is accompanied by the fishy smell of fish and shrimp, and the sound of steam whistles is mixed with the cries of vendors.

The aroma of baking from the street bakery came, and people wearing thick windbreakers and top hats walked past the street.

The down-and-out painter wearing a beret sat on the street and painted the dark tall buildings across the street, as well as the metal pipes that circled the outer walls of the factory and entangled the buildings like snakes; the inspector in silver armor Riding on a tall and majestic white griffin, which is more than two meters high, it flies from high in the sky.

An eleven or twelve-year-old newsboy with short red hair was shouting on the street while carrying two bundles of newspapers:

"Today's headline of "Glass Steps Newspaper"! Bishop Mathers of the Red Queen Diocese was recently appointed as a spiritual councilor by Her Majesty the Queen! Now the number of spiritual councilors from the church has increased to six!

"The Chancellor of the Exchequer plans to impose a tax on matches and kerosene lamps next year! The Kingdom of Star Antimony expelled the three knights of Avalon for murder, espionage and interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Her Majesty the Queen expresses strong condemnation!"

More than half of the "Glass Steps" newspaper has been sold, with only a few copies left. The rope must be tight and tight so that it does not slip from the shoulders.

The other bundle of newspapers behind the newsboy was only sold less than a quarter.

He shouted with his chapped lips: "A copy of Lloyd's Weekly only costs five red coins - the hanging day is approaching, and the list of death row inmates in November has been determined! Thirty-eight people will be sentenced to death this month. The second most month in the past three years, there is a clear list of those sentenced to death!

"The Nikkas Gypsum Factory in the port area is recruiting apprentices for the third round, and the age has been lowered to fourteen!"

"A painter from Green Flute Street committed suicide at home last week! The Lloyd's Harbor Bank was robbed yesterday, and all the robbers have been arrested! Come and see! One copy only costs five red coins—"

"Senior."

Aiwass suddenly said: "Buy me two newspapers."

"Um?"

Haina was stunned for a moment: "The Glass Steps Newspaper should have been given to your family by someone, right? Do you want to buy a copy of Lloyd's Weekly?"

"No, just buy one." Aiwass emphasized.

"……Oh, I get it."

Only then did Haina react. This is because Aiwass saw that the newsboy was really working hard and wanted him to sell out the newspapers earlier.

"It's almost noon, no one will buy it. And this is Lloyd's District, full of sailors, fishermen and laborers. They don't have that much money to buy newspapers."

She whispered: "How about I buy them all?"

"No, just buy one of each."

Aiwass shook his head: "That child is working, not begging."

"……I see."

Haina was in awe.

She nodded seriously and warned: "I'm going to buy a newspaper, please be careful."

Aiwass opened his eyes and nodded silently.

As soon as Haina left her, a girl crept over.

She was a little dirty, her clothes were thin, and her body was thin.

Looking at the hooded Aiwass, the girl hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to call him.

"...Uncle, buy a bouquet of flowers."

she whispered.

Apparently he noticed that Aiwass was sitting in a wheelchair - although from the pattern of the wheelchair, it was certain that Aiwass was a rich man and a kind person. Because she just secretly overheard their conversation.

But because Aiwass was suspected of being disabled, her tone was not firm enough when selling.

Aiwas reached out and touched her head.

When he stretched out his hand, the girl's body trembled suddenly as if she had been electrocuted, and she raised her body back in fear. Like she was afraid someone would hit her.

But because Aiwass's hands are slow and the hands emerging from the sleeves are young enough. She soon realized that she seemed to have called her the wrong person.

"——It's my brother."

Aiwass said softly.

His fingertips touched the girl's hair, but they only felt dust and grease. Apparently she hadn't showered in a while.

But the girl obviously knew this.

Because Aiwass touched her hair, she immediately took a half step back in fear, and in turn apologized to Aiwass: "I'm sorry, my hair is dirty... I'm leaving now..."

"You'd better sell me a bouquet of flowers."

Aiwass said with a chuckle.

As he spoke, he opened his outstretched right hand.

The palm that was empty just now suddenly had a red coin with a face value of 1.

This was not a supernatural ability, just a simple magic trick, but it made the girl's eyes widen.

She looked at the banknotes and then at Aiwass. Apparently thinking that Aiwass was an extraordinary person, he was a little hesitant and did not dare to accept his money.

The corners of Aiwass's mouth raised slightly under his hood.

He clenched his fingers deftly and slowly took back the banknotes in his hand.

But at this moment, he suddenly let out a light sigh and reached out to touch the back of the girl's neck: "Hey, what is this?"

As he spoke, he gently took out a brand new red coin from the girl's neck.

Watching the girl's eyes widen in surprise and confusion, she obviously didn't understand how it flew over.

Without waiting for the girl to refuse, Aiwass deftly folded the red coin in half with three fingers of his right hand, and then put it into the girl's large money pocket hanging on her chest and abdomen.

Aiwass slightly lifted the corner of his hood, showed his young face to the girl, and gave a heartfelt smile.

"Shh..."

He reached out his hand and put it to his mouth. Make a silencing gesture.

Immediately afterwards, he put his hood back on again and stretched out his long, white right hand: "Little miss, where is my flower?"

"...Ah, here you go!"

Only then did the girl react, and handed Aiwass a dried wild rose with slightly red cheeks.

"Are you buying flowers, Aiwass?"

At this moment, Haina, who was holding the newspaper, came back with some confusion.

Seeing this, the girl was so frightened that she almost fell to the ground. Seeing Haina dressed as a supervisor, her face suddenly turned pale and her whole body was trembling with fear.

But even though she was so scared, she still didn't run away immediately. Instead, he forced himself to be brave, trembling and stumbling, whispering: "Wait, wait a minute, sir! I still need to change money...!"

She stubbornly used her trembling hands to carefully count out nine wrinkled copper coins from the paper bag hidden in her chest, and handed them to Aiwass respectfully. Then, she carefully folded the brand new red coin with a face value of 1 that Aiwass gave him and put it in. He put it into his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

She was under Haina's gaze the whole time, and when she excused herself and left, her legs were already weak from fear.

"I'm not that scary."

Haina didn't care when she was feared by people before.

But now, maybe it's because of talking about something with Aiwass. Or maybe it was because the girl looked young and innocent, and the fact that she was afraid made Haina a little frustrated.

After watching the girl walk away, she whispered: "Do you need me to help you throw away the flowers?"

This dirty wild flower really does not match Aiwass’s attire.

"No need."

Aiwass replied: "After all, it is the child's wish."

"You seem to like children very much?"

Haina was thoughtful and realized something.

Compared with his attitude towards himself, Aiwass's attitude towards the two children was obviously much friendlier.

"Well, I like innocent children."

Aiwass nodded and responded, rarely lying and telling the truth from the heart: "Just like I like cats and dogs, getting along with them can relax my mood. There are many other things I like, but only Don’t like people.”

"...Does this sound like a curse?"

In the end, this sentence sounded like a joke, and Haina also joked: "You can't treat your children as cats and dogs."

"It just sounds similar."

Aiwass raised the corners of his mouth slightly and did not explain much.

He was indeed cursing people - just in an adult way.

In his opinion, those adults who are dirty-minded, mercenary, and duplicitous are worse than cats and dogs... Of course, this includes himself.

While talking and laughing, under Aiwass's guidance, they finally arrived at the Pelican Bar.

It was more like a house or a warehouse than a bar. Its main entrance is painted with white paint and features an exaggerated, almost comic-like representation of a pelican with its mouth wide open. All kinds of fish are stuffed into the big mouth and float in the beer foam, just like fish stewed in beer in the mouth.

There was a wooden board hanging next to it, with a long list of onomatopoeic words for a drunkard's hiccups scrawled on it in capital letters.

——This is the sign above the bar.

In other words, strictly speaking, this "Pelican Bar" should actually be pronounced "(burps) Bar".

It was almost noon, but the door was not closed. There were even quite a few guests inside.

Apparently it also operates as a restaurant during lunch hours.

The moment Haina slowly pushed Aiwass in the wheelchair.

Her steps suddenly stopped.

Her eyes widened in astonishment.

Because the bartender who was leisurely washing wooden wine glasses at the front desk was not a human—but a rare wild elf!

As a race of elves, in addition to having a lifespan four to five times longer than humans, they are also generally much taller than humans. Even women are generally over 1.8 meters tall, and occasionally grow to 2 meters, while many male elves even grow to 2.45 meters.

This means that if an elf’s upbringing is not good, it is easy for him to become a hunchback due to frequent interactions with short humans during his teenage years. And if you have a good upbringing - or in other words, an elf with parents taking care of you, generally you won't be hunchbacked.

Therefore, the hunchbacked elves are called wild elves. The number of wild elves is much smaller than that of elves.

Elves attach great importance to honor, family and bloodline, so they reject wild elves and their parents, believing that this is a discredit to the elves as a race. Because if an elf parent dies in a matter of honor, they usually leave their children in the care of relatives and friends.

Unless they died of shame...for example, were sentenced to death, they would not entrust their children; or they were abandoned by their parents, or they were rebellious children who ran away from home. For these reasons, they grew into wild elves.

Wild elves do not have the elegance and reserve of elves, but they have similar lifespan, wisdom and extraordinary strength to elves, so they are usually regarded as unstable elements.

They are generally active in rural areas and usually work as liars, killers and mercenaries. All wild elves in the "Glass Island" of the royal capital are theoretically registered. Anyone who causes trouble can be punished, so wild elves who advocate freedom usually disdain to stay in the royal capital.

But for some reason, the wild elf bartender didn't react at all when he saw Haina. Even just giving her a contemptuous glance.

On the contrary, when he saw Aiwass, the bartender was obviously stunned for a moment, and even stopped what he was doing.

Even though Aiwass was wearing a cloak, the bartender easily identified him.

——It’s like I never thought he would be here today.

...Why, Mr. Bartender?

Do you think I...should be dead by now?

Aiwass narrowed his eyes, his pupils as blue as the sea and as deep as the abyss.

Remember to read the new book issue~

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