Chapter 151

Chapter 151

Doris's body was still weak, but she had accumulated a significant amount of divine power within her, which was an improvement from before.

The divine power that almost cost her life had seeped into every bone in her body, passively enhancing her affinity with it.

In this sense, Doris actually had a stronger starting point than most normally awakened practitioners.

She could be considered quite talented.

When Diana arrived, she was prepared to take this young girl as her student, regardless of how ordinary Doris's talent might be. She would accept the girl as her disciple.

Even so, when she saw that the young girl had decent talent, Diana couldn't help but feel relieved.

A lack of talent is the most fatal flaw for a priest. No matter how hard one works with insufficient talent, the height they can achieve in their lifetime is easily predictable.

Those children with inadequate talent know from the moment they step onto this path where their endpoint will be.

"Lorant, Doris has recovered well. I find this young girl very compatible with me. How about letting her become my apprentice?" Diana said straightforwardly.

Lorant's willingness to bring Doris over when Diana came earlier indicated that he had already made his decision.

Between Archbishop Frank and Diana, Lorant chose Diana.

Both of them had a good relationship with the Animal Pet Shop, but Diana's relationship was naturally closer.

As Lancelot's mother, as long as Lancelot remained the Animal Pet Shop's largest partner, she would naturally lean more towards the shop.

The most reliable relationship in the world is that between parents and children, and only parents would unconditionally give all their love to their children without expecting anything in return.

To be honest, if he were more rational, Lorant's best choice to strengthen alliances for the Animal Pet Shop would have been Frank.

If his sister became Frank's apprentice, the relationship between Frank and the Animal Pet Shop would immediately become much closer.

From then on, he could completely bypass Lancelot as a partner in his dealings with the church.

But Lorant didn't want to do that. For him, there were already too many things that could strengthen these alliances, and he didn't need to sacrifice his sister.

Just like powerful nobles wouldn't think of marrying off their children for political alliances, Lorant was now more focused on what was best for Doris.

Although both Frank and Diana would never treat the child lightly out of respect for Lorant, with Lancelot's connection, Lorant felt more at ease letting his sister stay with Diana.

Hearing Diana's straightforwardness, Lorant didn't beat around the bush: "No problem, Aunt Diana. We'll leave our sister in your care."

Taking on the role of an older brother to make arrangements for his sister might seem a bit presumptuous, especially since Doris wasn't his biological sister and her mother was still present.

However, Martha felt relieved. With Lorant's attitude today, she was reassured about Doris's life in the church.

The church's reputation was already notorious, and there were always strange folk tales that made it difficult for ordinary people to make decisions.

But a capable child like Lorant would definitely not be wrong, and Martha trusted his judgment wholeheartedly.

Diana smiled and patted Doris's head, looking at the shy young girl. "Don't worry, Doris. You'll study diligently under me and become a competent priest who can stand on her own, right?"

Doris nodded shyly, her eyes avoiding contact with the archbishop who was now her teacher.

That evening, after a leisurely day at the Animal Pet Shop, Diana and her husband took Doris back to Holland.

Priest training must be conducted within the church, so despite her thousand regrets, Martha had to hold her daughter's hand and give her thorough instructions.

Lindbergh also took away a large batch of freshly harvested 'sugar ears.'

These 'sugar ears' were a byproduct of the first batch of candy rabbits produced by the Animal Pet Shop.

The over a thousand candy rabbits had finally grown to the stage where they needed to shed their ears.

The large rabbits spent less time hopping around in the backyard because their oversized ears hindered their movements.

During this period, the candy rabbits would choose to hide in dense grass or forests.

This was a natural instinct; they would hide when they were weakest and come out to hunt when they were strong again.

Lorant understood this instinct and did not force the little creatures to go against their nature.

He had Mike prepare numerous hiding spots for the candy rabbits, placing small, carrot-shaped nests in various patches of grass, allowing the candy rabbits to quickly find a safe place to hide when needed.

As for why they were carrot-shaped, well, it could only be attributed to Lorant's whimsy.

This world did not have carrots, but rather a brown root vegetable that resembled a giant white radish in size and shape.

Although it tasted almost identical to carrots, when Lorant saw these temperamental candy rabbits, he couldn't help but think of the familiar red carrot.

Not only were their hiding spots shaped like carrots, but Lorant also specially processed their animal feed.

Made from a combination of exotic meat, crystals, and other materials, Lorant chose to mold the feed into carrot shapes using appropriate molds.

Each meal, one carrot would satisfy all the nutritional needs of a single candy rabbit.

Watching the cute and adorable candy rabbits hold and munch on a 'carrot' with their front paws, Lorant found it amusing.

It felt like watching an animated show.

Lorant had also conducted extensive research on the candy rabbits' feed.

He chose the cheapest formula from the options provided in the compendium and further reduced its cost through continuous improvements and studies, strictly controlling the price.

In the realm of animal feed, Lorant had long discovered that many of the formulas provided by the compendium could be modified.

And when he improves them, if done properly, they can even earn recognition from the compendium and be recorded within it.

The reason for treating these candy rabbits this way is mainly due to cost considerations.

Lorant definitely hopes that these sweet big ears can become a cheaper source of sweetness compared to the ‘honey’ produced by exotic beasts.

To achieve this, there is still a lot of work to be done.

For example, building a separate factory to process the ‘sugar ears,’ extracting the hallucinogenic factors, so that one ‘sugar ear’ can produce two useful values, thereby indirectly lowering the price of candies.

Another example is finding the cheapest way to raise candy rabbits, ensuring they produce the maximum output with the least expenditure.

Sugar, as an energy source, is quite important.

In the past, Lorant’s family could only buy a little honey during festivals to sweeten the mouths of their two children.

Lorant believes that candy rabbits can change this situation.

It is also because of raising candy rabbits and planting cotton trees that Lorant places more emphasis on the issue of his territory, hoping to obtain his own land.

Having his own territory means that the refugees on that land also become his property.

With people, Lorant can better proceed with the next steps of development.

Before heading to the Lopulo Mountains to acquire his ‘military merit,’ Lorant must first face the first Open Day since the Animal Pet Shop reopened.

The ‘Open Day’ at the Animal Pet Shop has been running since it first opened.

Its main purpose is to allow those who have purchased and gained the recognition of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs to spend time getting familiar with their pets.

After the second reopening, except for the initial few days when all customers were allowed to wander in the backyard, the Animal Pet Shop was once again closed off.

Customers buying Windbreaker Horses would select their horses in the stable facing the road, led by Mike and Taya.

Only customers purchasing top-grade Windbreaker Horses could enter the backyard of the Animal Pet Shop to personally choose their high-end Windbreaker Horses, which cost 100,000 each.

Now, the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs have grown up, and Lorant is preparing to let this batch of little ones meet their owners as soon as possible, so tomorrow is the Open Day he has chosen.

As preparation, today he recruited many students from the Knights Academy to help the Animal Pet Shop distribute invitations.

The first batch of Crystal Ice Flame Dogs is about 150, but some of them need to be traded with The Knights of the Thorns and various outposts.

As for Lindbergh's regiment, as the last to finalize their order, they cannot receive the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs along with those who have been waiting for half a year!

After much consideration, Lorant decided to first invite 100 reserved customers to the Animal Pet Shop for a mutual selection with the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, while the remaining 50 will be given to The Knights of the Thorns and the outposts.

Although the first batch of officially delivered Crystal Ice Flame Dogs is not large in number, it signifies that they, like the Windbreaker Horses, can now be produced continuously.

This also means that with the final payment completed, the underground magic tower and animal cages Lorant wants are now within reach.

Today is another day of hard work!

Lorant first checked the kitchen, where Kongwu and Kongqi, the two floating octopuses that can no longer be called ‘little guys,’ were methodically simmering braised meat according to his recipe.

The aroma filled the entire Animal Pet Shop.

It was even more fragrant than the last time Lorant made braised pig hooves.

The baby ghost spiders had long been squatting in a hidden corner of the kitchen, and the two floating octopuses, while busy with their tasks, would occasionally prepare a small portion of fragrant meat for the baby.

They got along very harmoniously.

The delicious braised meat mainly owed its success to Martha, who, with her talent and expertise in cooking, was amazed by Lorant’s braised meat.

After countless experiments, she created a braising broth that was even more fragrant and delicious than Lorant’s original version.

Martha originally planned to rest for two days at the Animal Pet Shop and then go out to work as she had intended.

She couldn’t just stay at home, eating and using her nephew’s things; Martha wouldn’t do such a thing.

But this plan was disrupted by Ruth, who naturally didn’t want her sister to go back to working for others.

On one hand, she felt sorry for her sister, and on the other, Martha’s status had become somewhat special, making it difficult for her to continue doing the jobs she used to do.

Now, the Animal Pet Shop is a well-known entity in Mauplan, and Lorant’s status in the business association is beyond question.

Sometimes, when he is too lazy to attend banquets, he would shamelessly ask Ruth to attend on his behalf.

Phrases like ‘the true head of the household’ and ‘you’re the adult in the family’ would roll off her tongue without hesitation as she shook Ruth’s arm.

Thus, Ruth naturally met many people in Mauplan.

Or rather, anyone with any standing in Mauplan, whether a minor noble or a newly risen merchant, knew the existence of the Animal Pet Shop’s owner.

In such a situation, Ruth was naturally unwilling for Martha to find a job as a cook in a noble family.

It wasn’t that she thought her sister would disgrace her; she was just worried that someone might use her sister to threaten the Animal Pet Shop.

Now, the Animal Pet Shop is a thorn in the side of many people, and Silem, being at the Knights Academy with several protective charms prepared by Lorant, gives Ruth peace of mind.

If anything happened to Martha outside because of their family, Ruth would feel guilty for life.

When Martha first proposed this idea, she did so without a clear understanding of her sister’s current life.

From the moment she said it, Ruth took Martha to various gatherings in Mauplan, both large and small.

In just a week, Martha met people she had only dreamed of looking up to.

Moreover, those people smiled at her flatteringly, and their words seemed to subtly praise her.

This floating feeling almost made Martha disbelieve.

However, she soon realized the unreasonableness of her previous thoughts and never mentioned this matter to Ruth again.

Later, when Doris awakened her divine power, Martha completely dismissed such thoughts.

After all, a priest’s mother becoming a cook would be laughed at by others.

She wasn’t afraid of being laughed at; during her time in the Lopulo Mountains, she had developed a strong heart, able to face all ridicule and insults head-on, and even retaliate with even harsher words.

But she didn’t want her family to be ridiculed.

Even if her strength was small, she wanted to protect her family as much as possible.

Whether it was her sister's family or her own daughter, she wanted to protect them in her own way.

Just thinking about Doris being mocked for having a cook as a mother made Martha completely abandon her thoughts.

From that day on, she never mentioned wanting to work outside again. Every day, she either helped Ruth with household chores or looked for ways to help at the Animal Pet Shop, trying to find some meaning in her life.

Martha was a very proud person, but for the sake of these most important people, she could completely set aside her pride.

Just so her children and her sister’s family could live better.

And during this time at the Animal Pet Shop, Martha hadn’t completely given up on her dreams.

She put her talents to good use, not only improving the taste of the daily meals but also creating many more delicious dishes with the appearance of sugar ears.

Lorant had noticed all of this.

Today’s large portion of braised meat was also something he had asked Martha to prepare, along with the hundreds of meals needed for tomorrow’s open day, which he directly entrusted to his aunt.

Although only the first hundred pre-ordered guests were invited, each guest would bring their families, so there would be few who came alone.

Therefore, they needed to prepare at least enough cold dishes for three hundred people.

For this reason, Martha had been busy for quite some time. Even with the help of Kongwu and Kongqi, and Peter bringing in specialized chefs to finalize the menu, it was still quite hectic.

Martha, however, was very happy. This period was almost the happiest time since she came to the Animal Pet Shop, evident from the little tunes she hummed recently and the increasingly abundant meals.

In addition to preparing the cold dishes for the open day, they also needed to prepare the venue for the mutual selection with the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs.

To get everything ready in advance, Lorant informed Paul today to bring twenty-five selected knights from the Knights of the Thorns to the Animal Pet Shop for the first selection.

Walking to the activity area where Mike had already prepared and released over a hundred Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, Lorant saw Mo'er sitting dejectedly beside a wooden stake, staring intently at a chubby little one nearby.

His mournful expression made Lorant secretly chuckle.

Mo'er was a sensible child. Although he liked this Crystal Ice Flame Dog very much, training it every day and occasionally sneaking it some snacks, he never named it.

Lorant had previously told them that once you name a Crystal Ice Flame Dog, these little creatures would develop a special bond with you, which would hinder their bonding with their future owners.

More importantly, what Lorant didn’t say was that once you name these little ones, they would inevitably become different in your heart.

When they were sold, the sadness would be like an open shell at low tide, impossible to hide.

But even without naming the puppy, Mo'er could spot it among all the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs at first glance, and the little one would run to him the moment Mo'er appeared.

Though unspoken, everything had changed.

Like now, Mo'er was looking at the little one with a sad expression, feeling a twinge of pain at the thought of it finding another owner tomorrow.

The little one was also very sensitive to Mo'er’s mood. Although placed in the activity area, it lay nearby, watching its two-legged friend attentively.

Lorant found the scene between the boy and the dog amusing, like a tragic TV drama preparing for a tearful farewell.

However, he deliberately ignored Mo'er.

He walked around and saw Mike and Taya checking the temporary fence of the activity area with Kongsan.

Now, the staff at the Animal Pet Shop had gained a lot of experience dealing with these little devils and wouldn’t be easily ‘defeated’ by dozens of young Crystal Ice Flame Dogs anymore.

People always grow through trials.

Before long, Paul arrived with twenty-five excited knights.

He was equally delighted, having long anticipated the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs.

While others might value their powerful combat abilities, Paul, as the leader of the Knight Regiment, had a unique perspective. He valued the complementary nature of these pets with the Knight Regiment.

As a close-combat profession, only high-ranking knights could gain ranged attack capabilities, and the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs’ superior tracking skills were essential.

This was why he had decided to order the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs.

Not to mention, just their tracking ability alone—if you marked a tall spider and let it go, following it through a Crystal Ice Flame Dog from a distance, it would be easy to find the creature’s lair, achieving the dream of a complete capture.

The most profitable job for adventurers now was capturing live exotic beasts.

Since the establishment of the Blue Star Trading Platform, the Claw Wolves and Windblade Foxes near the Black Forest had become even more sought after.

The prices of these live exotic beasts had skyrocketed several times in the market.

However, Lorant wasn’t worried about his sources being cut off by malicious individuals.

After all, he had already started optimizing and breeding these commonly used exotic beasts.

Once he obtained his territory through military merit, Lorant planned to breed these exotic beasts himself to improve their quality.

After all, to obtain higher-quality Crystal Ice Flame Dogs and Windbreak Horses, high-quality exotic beasts were indispensable.

Now, the Animal Pet Shop has quite a few high-quality secondary exotic beasts, but it still lacks high-quality exotic beasts.

Compared to capturing them from the wild, artificial breeding naturally increases the chances of producing high-quality exotic beasts.

With no worries about food and water, the physical condition of exotic beasts is naturally better than when they are in the wild, where they often go hungry or have irregular meals, thus their inherent quality is naturally higher.

To this day, Lorant has not received even one high-quality Windblade Fox. This type of exotic beast, which prefers to move alone, is more difficult to breed at a higher quality compared to the Claw Wolf.

As a species with social genes, Claw Wolves will automatically gather together and select their own alpha once their population reaches a certain number within a certain range.

The quality of this alpha wolf is naturally more likely to receive a higher evaluation.

Currently, apart from the wolf king that gave birth to Maomao, Lorant has also received two other Claw Wolf alphas.

He is eagerly looking forward to the new surprises these two wolf kings might bring him.