During the winter months, the Church of Knowledge and Books conducts regular charitable relief activities. The church will free up some spare rooms for homeless orphans to spend the winter here. The church prepares food and shelter for them, and they also do some work in the church, such as sweeping the floor or helping with scrubbing.
Only a large diocese like Nolan City has the time, gold pounds, and manpower to do such a thing. And compared to the poor people hiding everywhere in Nolan City, this kind of help is only a drop in the bucket.
Of course, the orphans who are helped by the church should declare their belief in the sages in this life, preach the teachings of the gods, and safeguard the interests of the church. This is not an empty oath, but a specific agreement to be signed.
It sounds excessive, but it's a very merciful means of dealing with these terrible times. Compared to going to the steam factory to earn a living with flesh and blood, compared to stealing at the risk of having your fingers cut off, this is really the best choice. After all, there are gains and losses, and the children's ability to survive this winter is the most important thing for them.
Also, being a winter helper at a church is more than just cleaning and stuff. Some industrious souls may even learn a useful trade in one winter, and thus, with the help of the Church, actually support themselves before the next winter.
Of course, this is only possible for the lucky few.
In the memories Jenkins acquired, some people would freeze to death and starve to death in Nolan every winter. This is true of the bustling Nolan, not to mention other cities in the mainland.
"It's winter again..."
He sighed softly.
"Yeah, it's winter again."
Miss Bevanna and Jenkins looked at the orphans together, because they were standing at an angle where they could see the children, but the children could not see them.
These sad events, for the time being, can't compare with the predicament facing Jenkins. His reason told him to wait until midnight tonight before he could judge what had happened, while his emotions told Jenkins that he was completely insane.
"Maybe I have never been in this world at all, and now I am just hallucinating after witnessing indescribable things, or the game of brain in a vat played by higher creatures..."
The thought was frustrating, so he relied on touching his cat and telling himself not to think about it. Chocolate has a strange power that keeps Jenkins sane.
"Will the seeds survive the winter?"
Jenkins lowered his head and asked, the nursery under the porch was almost covered by a thin veil of snow, and the emerald green seedlings could only be vaguely seen.
"Although the growth cycle is very long, B-01-5-0718, the seeds of fantasy flowers are not so easy to die."
"It has a number?"
I thought it was just a material.
"Yes, but so far there is no experience of successful artificial breeding. The growth cycle of this plant is very long, and it may even span an entire era."
She waved towards the nursery, and a black seed the size of a peanut burst through the snow with a puff.
"In addition to the growth cycle, the maturity of fantasy flowers requires some conditions that we still don't know, and it is basically impossible to grow them."
She handed the seed to Jenkins: "Keep it as a souvenir, maybe you can make a specimen of it and hang it in the living room."
Chocolate grabs Jenkins' shoulder, and looks at Jenkins' hand salivating.
Thinking that the afternoon would be spent normally, Jenkins, who dared not leave the church, looked for some books in the general library open to believers.
But things always happen at any time. Near 4 pm, Jenkins saw Captain Bincy and several players in the same clothes, hurried past the window.
"What's the matter?"
He thought for a while and chased after him.
Chocolate was lying on the long table in the middle of the bookshelf, and three little girls with red ribbons on their hair and small skirts were secretly watching it not far away.
The cat kept a lazy look and didn't catch up, because it already knew what was going to happen.
"Gentlemen, what's going on? Need help?"
As soon as Jenkins asked, he regretted it.
"Someone's trying to break into Mr. Mischief's counterfeit store, we're going to help. You're here, let's go, we might need therapy."
Now that the gentleman said so, Jenkins couldn't refuse.
"Why should I find something for myself to do?"
With this in mind, he followed the team.
The 9 people left the building in two teams and stepped into the snow. Jenkins was unconscious on the 31st of the last time, so I don't know how long the snow will last.
The men's boots left a string of footprints on the ground, and the two teams hurried to the assembly point in two carriages.
In the distance, you can hear the sound of gunfire.
According to Captain Bincy's introduction, the location of A-01-1-0034 is closer to the Church of [Starry Sky and Balance], so the specific protection and guarding are carried out by the stargazer team.
But the two bestowers who tried to break into the counterfeit shop this time were very powerful, so they asked for help.
The neighborhood has been cordoned off, and the team that rushed over jumped out of the carriage, stepped on the snow in the alley, and boarded a small three-story red-roofed house. Their task is to stay here and wait for someone to pass by.
There were sharp screams from the eastern block, followed by continuous explosions. But the sound was not very loud, and it was still snowing, so the sound could not travel farther.
The building was used as an agency's offices, but people here have long since been evacuated. The nine men held their breath and observed the surrounding situation. Two of them had the ability to perceive human beings, which made the task easier.
"Notice."
The black and thin man raised his right hand. All the people present were gifted, and their hearing was much better than that of ordinary people. Soon, the sound of Xixi Suosuo's footsteps came from the alley in front.
They turned out of the window one after another, leaving Jenkins huddled here to wait. This is also something that has been said in advance, even a level 2 bestower is too weak, so there is no need to set foot on the battlefield as a healer.
The place where everyone was fighting was beyond the detection range of the Eye of Reality. Jenkins could not watch the battle and could only wait for someone to find him.
The roar of beasts, the collision of gears and machinery, the sound of explosions from unknown sources, the sound of thunder... all kinds of strange sounds came from a distance. Jenkins thought that the two bold guys probably couldn't escape, because piles of light spots representing the bestowers kept running into the field of vision and then disappeared, and several of them had the aura of special items on their bodies.