Chapter 135

Chapter 135

Thus, Martha's family settled down at the Animal Pet Shop to recuperate, but when Ruth suggested that she also stay and help out at the shop, Martha brushed it off with a laugh.

After all, this was a business her own nephew had started in partnership with someone else. Martha was a smart woman; she didn't want such a thing to cause any potential conflicts between her nephew and the knight.

She was a woman who had been through much and considered issues more deeply than most.

Ruth could afford to be indifferent about such matters and make suggestions, but Martha couldn't simply agree to them.

Even if the probability of such problems arising was very small, Martha was unwilling to take that risk.

She was a strong-willed woman who didn't want to accept charity, even from her own sister.

Moreover, ever since they left the Lopulo Mountains, Martha felt that her former life goals were not unattainable.

She wanted to open an inn or an old tavern, somewhere frequented by many adventurers, where she could listen to stories from all over and serve them mugs of ale every day.

This had been Martha's wish since she was a little girl.

Her grandfather once owned such a small tavern, which was a beautiful memory for both sisters in their childhood.

For the younger Ruth, these memories had become somewhat hazy, but for Martha, they were her entire childhood.

She honed her culinary skills for this reason.

When both families lived in Holland, Martha worked as a kitchen helper in a baron's household for some time, thanks to her excellent cooking skills.

This allowed her to earn her first capital.

Now, though penniless, Martha believed that there was always a way out, and Mauplan, being a big city, meant more opportunities. She was confident that with her abilities, she could support her two children well.

Ruth naturally understood her sister's intentions and did not press the matter. The stubbornness of the two sisters was strikingly similar. If Ruth were in Martha's position, she doubted she would willingly accept her sister's help either.

However, Ruth wasn't worried. Martha's family would be staying at the Animal Pet Shop for a long time, giving them ample opportunity to plan their future together.

The next day, when Mo'er opened his eyes and saw the wooden ceiling above him, he was momentarily disoriented.

His mind involuntarily thought, "I seem to have woken up a bit late today. A caravan is supposed to stop by the mound for supplies in the morning. If I get there early, I might be able to guide them, earning quite a few copper coins after just one day's journey."

It might be too late now.

After all, such good jobs were always in high demand.

The wooden ceiling became clearer, and the surroundings were eerily quiet, unlike the dilapidated shack.

There was no constant howling wind or the sounds of fighting and cursing.

The silence was almost frightening, broken only occasionally by the neighing of a Windbreaker horse.

Mo'er blinked, then remembered what had happened yesterday.

He met Brother Lorant outside the Lopulo Mountains, and when he was about to die from cooking pigeons, it was Brother Lorant who saved him and his family from that terrifying slum.

Brother Lorant then brought them back to his shop.

His shop was amazing; last night, Silem even took him for a ride on a Windbreaker horse...

As his thoughts returned to reality, Mo'er heard a knock on the door.

"Mo'er! Are you awake?" Silem pounded on the door, completely oblivious to the noise he was making.

Mo'er was instantly transported back to their days in Holland three years ago. He rolled out of bed and yanked open the door of the small wooden house. "Stop knocking! Keep it up, and I'll hit you!"

Silem grinned at his ruffled cousin. "Try it, see who beats who now!"

These two boys, close in age, had a deep bond, but when they fought, they did so without hesitation.

Of course, after Silem grew stronger under Lorant's care and became an apprentice knight, Mo'er rarely fought with him anymore.

After all, fighting someone you know you can't beat isn't wise.

Mo'er, with his hair standing on end, carefully examined Silem and, under the other's expectant gaze, lunged at him.

Silem was already a Level 1 Knight, physically far superior to Mo'er.

But Mo'er had spent the past few years living in the slums, where each day was uncertain.

Every boy his age there was a thief or a bandit; if you weren't tough enough, you'd be bullied.

If you weren't vigilant, you could even be killed in your sleep.

Mo'er, despite having a somewhat attractive sister, had managed to survive until now, and his fighting skills were not to be underestimated.

Caught off guard, Silem found himself unable to gain the upper hand for a moment.

He lacked the experience of life-and-death struggles, especially after Lorant began protecting him. Silem rarely faced real danger.

As a well-off Level 1 Knight, he neither had to undertake dangerous missions nor worry about resources for advancement, leading a very comfortable life.

However, his much stronger physique eventually played its part.

Before long, Mo'er, biting Silem's arm, was pinned down, unable to move.

The young boy bared his teeth, looking like a vicious little wolf, but he was powerless against true strength.

Silem laughed, and winning against Mo'er wasn't just a victory over an ordinary person; it was another win in their long history of fights.

He had no qualms about overpowering a weaker opponent, feeling elated by his victory.

Mo'er reluctantly got up, ready to spout some tough words as usual, but before he could open his mouth, he was faced with a terrifying creature.

He quickly used all his strength to pull Silem, who had his back to the fearsome beast: "Be careful!"

Mo'er took a step forward and stood directly in front of his much stronger cousin.

They shared the same birthday, but neither Martha nor Ruth could clearly say who was older. So, from the moment they understood the world, the two kids started competing to be the older brother.

Even now, neither would yield, each insisting that he was the older brother.

Silem was taken aback and turned around to see Mo'er standing face-to-face with Konger, who was clearly startled.

Konger's soft body swayed in the air, feeling the obvious hostility from Mo'er, it looked somewhat wronged, its two tentacles tangled together as it pitifully gazed at Silem.

Silem couldn't help but laugh and pull the tense Mo'er: "Mo'er, it's okay. This isn't a monster; it's a type of pet. Its name is Konger, one of the floating octopuses."

Mo'er, still shaken, looked at Konger with suspicion.

Last night, he had already seen the pets. Whether it was the elegant and beautiful Windbreaker Horse or the majestic and handsome Crystal Flame Dog, he had seen them all. These pets were all exceptionally beautiful, the kind that would instantly win anyone's affection.

Even the Slimes, known for their cute and lovable appearance.

But this thing in front of him! Its ugly appearance was something not even low-level monsters would have. Only high-level monsters could look so terrifying and hideous!

Mo'er glanced at Silem, whose eyes conveyed doubt about Konger's appearance.

Silem couldn't help but twitch his lips; his cousin seemed to be just as much of an appearance enthusiast as his brother.

In a way, this explained why he had always been so attached to his brother.

In that moment, Silem suddenly understood.

He looked at the oblivious Konger with sympathy.

"Konger, what are you doing here? This is my cousin, Mo'er. He'll probably be staying at the Animal Pet Shop for a long time," Silem walked over and patted Konger's head, introducing him. The giant octopus closed its eyes contentedly.

No pet could resist human touch; it seemed to have a magical effect, making them feel comfortable all over.

Seeing Silem introduce himself so seriously to this shockingly ugly pet, Mo'er felt an inexplicable pressure, as if he were facing another person. He hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking: "Um, hello? I'm Mo'er, please, please take care of me?"

Konger blinked, carefully examining him, then extended a tentacle in front of Mo'er.

The gesture to shake hands was unmistakable.

Mo'er, dazed, reached out and shook hands with the strange giant octopus.

He suddenly felt the world was so fantastical.

In the Lopulo Mountains, humans and monsters fought fiercely to the death, but in Lorant's Animal Pet Shop, such magical creatures existed.

If the monsters outside the Lopulo Mountains could be so friendly, perhaps fewer people would die, Mo'er thought, looking at the pet in front of him.

"Silem, why are you here at this time?" Silem was curious. Recently, Lorant had not relaxed his training of the floating octopuses for a moment.

In the morning, they followed Mike to complete tasks at the pet shop, and at noon, they helped Taya prepare lunch for the other pets.

Only in the afternoon did they have rest time, comfortably shrinking into their water pools for a good soak.

It was early morning, and these little guys should have been working with Mike.

Konger tilted its head and pointed with a tentacle toward the distance.

There, the pet shop had recently cleared a small piece of land.

Lorant had demolished several houses there and built a small circular amphitheater, preparing it as a classroom for the floating octopuses.

After all, the octopuses were still growing, and although they were soft-bodied animals capable of squeezing through a bamboo tube when needed, they generally required vast spaces.

An outdoor classroom was undoubtedly a better choice.

And despite being outdoors, everything necessary was provided.

Wooden boards and many small stools were already arranged in a circle.

Because the number of students was not yet large, the five-tiered circular steps surrounding the area were not being used.

Lorant planned to use this part when teaching the next batch of students from the Knights Academy.

Among the many small stools, nine large wooden platforms specifically for the octopuses were placed.

Initially, Lorant only wanted to find someone to teach the floating octopuses basic cultural knowledge, at least reading and writing, to facilitate future communication.

But after learning of Lorant's idea, Pence came forward with his own suggestion.

"Shop owner, I have an idea. Since they're both going to have classes, why not let the orphans join the pets you mentioned?" Pence, wearing his faded casual suit, sat uncomfortably in the pet shop.

After his secret intentions were exposed, Pence had given up hope until Emma reappeared.

"To be honest, although I usually teach basic reading and writing, I haven't had much time to teach my children. I come back very late every day, and to maintain the orphanage's expenses, I hardly spend more time with them," Pence said, hanging his head.

Lorant thought about it and agreed with his proposal.

This wasn't because Lorant was a kind-hearted philanthropist; he was mainly considering his own orphanage.

Yes, his own orphanage.

Feeling her work ability questioned, Emma had gone all out, negotiating fiercely with Pence.

In the end, Pence agreed to Emma's proposal, selling the entire orphanage to the pet shop and accepting employment from the pet shop as the acting director of the orphanage and a hired basic course teacher.

As the current owner of the orphanage, Lorant naturally had to consider his own institution.

He first moved the entire orphanage from its original location to the other end of the town where the Animal Pet Shop was located, making it convenient for him to keep an eye on the orphanage's affairs at any time.

This time, the area of the orphanage expanded significantly, not only with two separate buildings for accommodation, but Lorant also arranged a dedicated hall for activities.

Although there were no convenient magical facilities, the little ghosts that Lorant specially placed there were very popular with the children during the hot summer.

However, in reality, the orphanage was still being taken care of by Pence, though it was renamed "Blue Star Orphanage."

The orphanage would not bring any immediate benefits to the Animal Pet Shop in the short term, but Lorant had a long-term goal; the children growing up in the orphanage would be a crucial part of his future plans.

Today was the first class for the children of the orphanage and the floating octopuses.

Silem and Mo'er instantly forgot their previous matters and followed Konger to the outdoor classroom.

Lorant and Lancelot had also arrived early.

This was the first basic cultural class for the Animal Pet Shop, and Lorant naturally wanted to see it for himself.

At the very least, he needed to supervise properly and assess Pence's abilities.

After all, the fraudster Holland had left a deep shadow on Lorant, making him inherently distrustful of such people.

If Pence turned out to be a superficial fool, even if his kindness was important to the orphanage, Lorant would not hesitate to dismiss him.

Pence was still wearing his signature outfit, and today he was somewhat nervous, especially when he saw Lorant and Lancelot standing expressionlessly with their arms crossed at the back.

However, he did have some skills. Although his initial nervousness caused him to stumble over his words several times, as he got more into the flow, he became more confident and his teaching improved.

Not only did the octopuses and the children listen attentively, but Pence's lectures were so engaging that even Silem and Mo'er listened with great interest from the back.

They squeezed in next to the octopuses, watching as the creatures held thick leaf-paper books with one set of tentacles and charcoal pens with another, writing and drawing in the books.

The children present were not afraid of the somewhat fierce-looking pets; having seen many magical pets recently, children's adaptability often exceeded that of adults, and they quickly accepted the presence of the pets.

A few of the bolder ones were already playing with the octopuses, huddling around the wooden platforms, and curiously peering over to see what the octopuses were writing when they started taking notes.

Floating octopuses are inherently gentle and patient pets, showing little resistance to the children's cautious affection.

Pence was fully engaged in his class, rich in knowledge and not the kind of aloof noble who lived far removed from everyday life.

Having once struggled in the slums, he could teach basic knowledge through very practical and relatable content, then introduce reading and writing from there.

Such classes could spark the children's interest and prevent them from becoming bored with school.

Lorant left early, now quite satisfied with the teacher he had chosen. Such a good teacher was rare, not just in this backward world but even in the world he had once lived in.

More importantly, he was very patient and enjoyed imparting his knowledge to these young, curious minds, making him an invaluable asset.

With Pence in charge, Lorant was completely reassured about the basic education of the floating octopuses and his children.

He believed that before long, those intelligent floating octopuses would be able to communicate with him in writing normally.