Chapter 4

The people in the town of Lissey have to work during the day, so Pastor Cavan always arranges his sermons in the evening. If the townspeople have nothing to do after dinner, they can come to the church to listen.

When Elphis was still young, he could see that at first everyone came simply to listen to stories and find a place to chat and pass the time.

Later... after years of brainwashing, although I had never seen magic beasts, let alone miracles, I adopted the attitude of "it is better to believe it than not to believe it", and my attitude towards chanting mantras and praying was much more pious than before.

Today, Pastor Kaven told the story of a Vatican priest who captured a dark magician who controlled thousands of skeletons, in order to demonstrate the Vatican's attitude of eliminating harm for the people.

Finally, everyone put their hands together as usual and looked at the statue in front of them, "Thank you, Lord God of Light, for guiding the believers to eliminate the evil dark forces and protect the human race."

Willy, who has recovered, sat among the crowd and recited the words of thanks with his parents as usual. The difference was that the little guy's expression was much more serious today.

Little Willy used to like listening to stories told by his pastor grandfather, but his attention was only focused on the plot development of the stories.

Once Kevin started praising the gods and the church, the little guy would either be in a daze, or drowsy, or look around and make weird faces to his friends, and his words of gratitude were not sincere - because children often have to witness or experience something with their own eyes to have a more intuitive feeling, and it was difficult for Willy to appreciate the kindness of the gods and the church just from words.

At this moment, Little Willy looked at the back of the person sitting in the front row, and suddenly understood the pastor's description of the God of Light -

He is the most beloved child of the God of Creation. The Father God has endowed Him with omnipotent talents and a face as dazzling as the sun.

He controls all the light in the world, the stars, the moon, and the lamps that guide us in the darkness.

His warm divine power watches over us around the clock, keeping the weak believers from being restrained by darkness and cold.

As long as you call upon Him devoutly, the merciful God of Light will bless you and drive away all your sufferings!

Willy once carefully observed the statue. The bronze color of the statue made it difficult for a child to imagine what a dazzling appearance like the sun looked like, nor could he experience the sense of security of being protected.

But when he thought he was going to die of illness, brother Al appeared. He was as calm and reliable as usual, and he seemed to have everything under control. He brought him the most delicious food he had ever eaten in his life, and then let him sleep without having to drink any bitter medicine. The disease was really driven away!

Brother Al is so awesome!

Now, Alphis' image in Willy's eyes is particularly tall - he usually takes care of the children in the town and teaches them a lot of things. Willy and his friends already think that his brother is smart and reliable.

Coupled with the fact that he had easily gotten rid of the troublesome disease this time, Elphis seemed to be omnipotent in Willy's eyes!

The little fellow's bright eyes were fixed on the straight back in front of him. This person had a face as dazzling as the sun, the power to drive away suffering, and a temperament that made people feel at ease. At this moment, the image of God that had always been vague in Willy's mind had a clear face.

Elphis was thanking the gods perfunctorily and didn't notice at all that a halo of light floated from Willy to him and then sank into his body.

After the townspeople dispersed, Elphis caught up with the town merchant, "Uncle Will."

Will is a man who drives a horse-drawn carriage to Raphael City every now and then to sell goods. He sells his own products, and also helps the townspeople sell vegetables, fruits, wild game, or other handicrafts, etc. Of course, he gets a commission for such a troublesome work.

Will is always called "Merchant Master" by the townspeople. In fact, he can only be considered a rich man in the small town of Lise. When he comes to the city, he is just an ordinary merchant among many merchants and cannot even afford a store with a good location.

When Alphis called him, the middle-aged man with a mustache turned around and looked at him, smiling warmly: "Little Al, is there anything wrong?"

Will will not smile at other townspeople. After all, it will be difficult to make money if he has too good a relationship with them.

But Elphis was different. The little guy gave him some advice, which helped him sell goods much faster than before.

For example, buying meat and getting free wild fruit, buying a bunch of vegetables for three copper coins, two bunches of vegetables for five copper coins, when a woman comes to buy, she gets a bunch of wild flowers, and there's also the gift of accumulating points...

There is no one who doesn't like to get a bargain, and once these little tricks were used, Will's stall was packed with business. Although it sounds like a loss to always give away free gifts, those gifts were picked in the woods before leaving for the city. They were all free things, so it was not a loss.

In the past, if he couldn't sell all the goods on the first day, Will would have to find a place to stay, pay for board and lodging, and continue selling the next day. Now, he can leave early and come back in the evening. Thanks to Al, Will can save both trouble and money! No wonder he is so nice to Alphis.

He sighed more than once: The shrewdness flowing in the blood of the nobility is really terrifying!

Elphis discussed with the merchant: "Uncle Will, when will you come to the city next time? Can I go with you?"

Will raised his eyebrows: "You want to go to the city to play? Of course, I will go to the woods tomorrow to prepare a basket of gifts, and we will set off the day after tomorrow."

If it were any other child, he would never agree, but Al is very well behaved and he would not run around.

Elphis smiled sheepishly: "Do you have room in your carriage for ten rabbits? I want to sell them."

"Oh! Little guy, I thought you wanted to see the excitement of the city. I can help you sell it without taking any commission."

"I also want to go to the city to see it. I'll go with you."

"I'd love to, I'm sure we'll have a pleasant journey."

The next night, Alfists went to bed early on purpose. On the appointed day, he woke up before dawn and had no idea what time it was.

While breakfast was cooking in the pot, Elphis went to bleed and skin ten rabbits.

When he first did this kind of thing he was hesitant and extremely uncomfortable, but now he can do this bloody job cleanly and efficiently. If he wants to improve his living conditions, he can't be pretentious.

In the dim light of the oil lamp, the young boy with bloody hands and expressionless face had a kind of cold beauty.

Elphis planned to sell cooked rabbits in the city, which should be three times the price of a live rabbit. He couldn't waste time killing rabbits in the city, so he could only prepare the meat in advance.

Anyway, he will be there before noon, and it is still a bit chilly today, so the meat won't spoil so quickly. As for the fur, he has to keep it to make clothes and quilts, as it will be freezing in winter.

When the birds in the forest began to chirp and the sky was getting light, Elphis carried a large basket and went to the merchant's house to find him.

Will was feeding the horses. When he heard the greeting, he turned around with a look of surprise. He took a closer look at the visitor's face before speaking: "Al? Honey, what did you do to your hair!"

Elphis was wearing a grey linen suit with a black belt and his trouser legs tucked into brown boots. It was clearly a common outfit without any bright colours. However, the boy had a delicate face, long arms and legs, and a straight back, which made the dull colour look particularly lively.

This outfit would show poverty and roughness on others, but it looked simple and plain on him. If Elphis's hair was still its original silver color, it would have added a bit of nobility.

Today, Al has her long black hair tied up high, which puzzles Will because her original color looked so beautiful.

Elphis smiled shyly, "You always say I look like a child from an aristocratic family. My hair is too conspicuous. What if everyone in the city gathers around me to look at me? It would be a waste of time, so I dyed it black."

In fact, he was worried about meeting the woman who wanted to kill him. If he had no other choice, he would have changed his eye color as well.

When Will heard this, it made sense. He thought the little guy was thin-skinned and didn't want to attract attention, so he was easily fooled.

As for how it was dyed black, Will was not curious because it was an operation that everyone in the town knew.

There is a kind of wild flower in the forest called four-color flower. It shows different colors in different growth cycles. The buds are white, the flowers are light yellow, and gradually turn into amber after the peak period. When it withers, it becomes black. The flowers can be boiled to color the hair, and the leaves can be boiled in water to fade the color. The women in the town occasionally change their hair color for novelty.

Alphis sat next to Will, with a square wooden board attached to his back. A layer of dry grass was placed on the board to prevent the cargo from bumping into it, and four wheels were placed underneath. It was Uncle Will's truck.

For people who are used to modern transportation, this journey can be described as bumpy.

Elphis was thankful that he had worked for several years and his physical condition was pretty good, otherwise he would have died if he had sat there shaking for half a day.

The young boy was helped off the carriage by Will in a daze, and his body swayed a few times...

Make money! He must make a lot of money to buy a luxurious carriage! Put five layers of blankets underneath, put feather pillows and duvets, and set it up as a place to sleep!

Will patted the little guy's shoulder appreciatively and said with a smile, "Al, you didn't vomit, that's amazing. My wife, your Aunt Betty, only came with me once before, and she never came again."

Elphis took a few gulps of cold water from the water bag and felt a little better.

"Uncle Will, do you know which tavern in town has the worst business?"

"I know this very well. It's the Gray's tavern. In fact, their food used to be pretty good. After old Gray passed away, his son, young Gray, took over the tavern. Unfortunately, the boy is not suitable for cooking. When his father taught him, he didn't learn seriously and was always hiding and reading books."

Precisely because the taste is not that good, it is cheaper than other places. People like Will who are thrifty and not picky about food like to go there.

Elphis asked for the address and temporarily separated from Will.

Will had heard the child on the way about how to sell rabbit meat. He did not restrict him and let Elphis do his own thing. He just made an appointment to wait for him at Gray's tavern. After Will sold the things, he would come to pick Elphis up and go back together.

——

"Good day."

Gray was reading a book in the store. He was startled by the voice. He saw that the person was a very good-looking child. He stared at him curiously and said, "Good day, good day. Would you like to eat anything?"

In fact, he wanted to ask Elphis if he had any money with him, but he looked at the politely smiling little guy, hesitated for a moment, and didn't ask... This child looked well-educated and didn't seem like someone who wanted to eat for free.

Gray is a middle-aged man in his late 40s, with brown hair and brown eyes. He is short and slightly fat. He looks kind and is very cautious with a child. He is an introvert.

Elphis smiled even more deeply - it seemed that there was no need to change places. Before he had any capital, such a companion who was easy to control was just right.

"Hello, boss. I'm sorry, I don't have enough money for food. Can I use your kitchen to roast a rabbit? I brought the meat myself. When I'm done roasting it, can I give you half of it as payment?"

"ah……"

Gray didn't expect to hear such a request. He looked at the child and felt a little embarrassed. He couldn't bear to see such a cute face showing disappointment. Gray hesitated and said, "Okay, okay..."

Anyway, it was almost time for lunch, and Gray was a little tired of his own cooking, so it would be nice to try something new, but...

"Little guy, can you grill meat?" The child looked clean and fair, and didn't look like someone who could do any work.

"Of course, don't worry."

As a thank you, Elphis took out two big fruits from the basket he was carrying and gave them to the boss, which made Gray disappear the last bit of awkwardness in his heart about an outsider entering his kitchen.

Barbecue in this world often uses large-leaf trees with a unique smell to make fire, and the oil needed is also expensive for ordinary people. If Elphis went to a tavern with busy business to express his request, he would most likely be kicked out as a nuisance... It turns out that only in deserted places can one have the opportunity to perform.

Worried about his kitchen and seasonings, Gray stopped reading and just stood next to Elphis and watched him.

To his surprise, the other child's movements seemed more skillful than his. That calm and composed look formed a sharp contrast with his usual performance, and Gray was greatly shocked.

If the aroma of meat at the beginning was nothing special, when Elphis took out an oil paper bag from a large basket covered with sackcloth and sprinkled the powder inside evenly on the sizzling rabbit meat, Gray couldn't help but drool - God, what is this smell!

Elphis couldn't bear to watch the boss approach the meat and sniff it without fear of the scalding temperature...

After all, your family runs a food business, could you please not act like you haven’t eaten in three days?

Soon, the overbearing aroma spread, attracting passers-by, "Oh my God, Gray, what are you doing! It smells so good!"

"That's amazing. Gray has improved a lot."

"Yeah, it smells better than his father's cooking!"

The boss replied awkwardly: "Yes, it's roasted rabbit."

"Oh! This is wonderful! I love rabbit, please give us a whole one and three glasses of ale."

Gray was in tears. He finally had business, but he couldn't make any money!

Seeing the guests looking for a place to sit down with anticipation, Gray's face turned red with embarrassment, and he was still organizing his words to think about how to refuse them.

"How much do you usually sell a whole roasted rabbit for?"

Gray answered Elphis blankly: "Forty copper coins."

"What about other taverns in town?"

"It seems like they are all fifty copper coins..."

Elphis took a deep look at the boss. Even though the price was so low, there was still no business. He must be a kitchen killer.

He's not a kitchen killer, but Gray really doesn't have any talent for cooking, and can only struggle to make ends meet with his own skills. However, this shop belongs to his family, and he doesn't have to pay rent, and he also has the inheritance left by his father. At least for now, Gray is not very anxious about his situation.

Elphis negotiated with the boss: "I still have a few rabbits in my basket that I was going to sell. If you don't mind, I can borrow your place to roast them and sell them. I'll take 70% of the money and you 30%. Is that okay?"

There is a way to solve the urgent problem. Gray nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes!"

He only paid a little for firewood and oil, and he could get 30% without doing anything himself, so he actually made a little profit.

"You can tell the guests that our seasoning is very precious and rare, so a whole rabbit costs eighty copper coins."

Gray's eyes widened and he took a breath in shock, "How much? Eighty?!"

In this remote small city where prices are not high, there will be no business if non-essential items are sold at such a high price.

"Yes, please tell the customer that." He was just trying it, and if it didn't work, he would lower the price.

Although it had not been long since the two of them had exchanged identities, it seemed as if Elphis was the adult with his own opinions and abilities, while Gray was more like an obedient child.

Gray told the guests about the price increase. They hesitated for a moment, then thought that it wasn't very expensive if they shared the cost among three of them, so they said that it was no problem and asked that the food be served as soon as possible.

The smell is unusual. The boss spent a lot of money on materials, so the price increase is understandable.

More customers came in one after another. Some of them were inevitably hesitant, but the aroma really whetted their appetites. If they didn't try it once, they would probably not be able to sleep well at night. A whole one was too expensive, so they decided to buy a portion to try.

Elphis quickly roasted the rabbit he brought, and also taught Gray how to cook other dishes.

The two were busy, Gray was drooling while serving food to others: He still hasn't had the chance to eat the meat grilled by Little Al!!!

There are no refrigerators in this world, and the tavern didn't prepare much food that day, especially Gray's.

Once the ingredients ran out, the tavern stopped accepting new customers, and Gray was finally able to sit down.

"Gray, the bean stew you made today was delicious too."

"The steak you made before was so tough, but today's is so tender and the sauce is delicious!"

Gray listened to everyone's praise and explained guiltily: "I was guided by a great teacher."

"Really? You're so lucky. You must study hard!"

Little Al didn't allow him to reveal who the real chef was, saying that he was worried about being harassed by other tavern owners. Gray believed it and told the guests the reason that Al found for him.

Elphis didn't want to face his business competitors directly, so he could only stay invisible as much as possible.

The two men were in the kitchen, eating cold steamed buns while dividing the money. The dishes made with Elphis' ingredients were split 30% and 70% respectively, while Gray's ingredients were split 50% and 50% respectively. Gray didn't feel like he was at a disadvantage at all. The honest man looked at the pile of coins and shed tears of emotion.

"Why are you crying?"

"This bread is so soft and sweet, it's really delicious!"

Elphis couldn't help but show a look of disdain, this useless guy... However, he should be obedient enough, which is better than the greedy people who always want to plot against him.

"Al, you are awesome. Can you come here and work all the time? We can divide the money we earn like we did today!"

Elphis sighed. Anyone with a little ambition would have learned from him and then worked on their own.

The way you divide the money and you're still so obedient, it's no different from giving the store to me.

To be honest, he is so honest at such an old age. Elphis deeply feels that this store has not been maliciously acquired thanks to the simplicity and kindness of the citizens.

"No, I live far away. But I can come every few days and give you the spice powder you just used, and teach you how to cook."

Elphis explained the cooperation model and profit distribution to him in detail. Gray was just honest and grateful, but not stupid. He soon realized that the little guy was smart beyond his age.

If the other party was an adult, Gray would be wary even if he felt there was benefit, but Elphis was just the right age for him to be a son, and Gray really didn't think such a cute little guy had any bad intentions, so he readily agreed to whatever Elphis said.

Elphis: When the business is stable in the future, I must hire a smart helper. This guy can take care of the accounts!

Elphis spent several years wandering in the forest before selecting the raw materials for the formula of the spice powder. He mixed each plant into the rabbit feed and fed them to the rabbits for half a year, and only dared to continue his research after making sure there was no poisoning.

It took him another month to adjust the recipe, and finally the taste was somewhat like thirteen spices. Then he ground a bunch of powder and took it into the city.

There was still a lot of spice powder left, so Elphis sold it to Gray and let him run the business himself.

When Will finished selling the goods and came to the store to order a cheap lunch, he was surprised to find that they were sold out!

At this time, all the customers in the store had left, but the lingering aroma was still very tempting. Will felt very sorry and had to go to another store to eat and then come back to pick up Al to go back.

While Uncle Will was eating, Elphis went to buy some oil and sugar. These two items were quite expensive. Few people in the town of Lisai bought them, and no one sold them there. So Elphis took the opportunity to go to the city and bought them. With just a can of oil as big as his head and a small bag of sugar, half of his earnings for the day were gone...

The cute child who has not yet grown out of his childishness made a cat-like face and said: I am so poor!