Chapter 244

Chapter 244

After returning, Lorant had his staff bring a large batch of Spark Fur Slimes from the Beast Tower’s breeding grounds back to the shop.

These Spark Fur Slimes had already been screened by Robert and confirmed as unable to breed. Robert didn’t care where these Spark Fur Slimes ended up.

He only wanted to focus on breeding the Spark Fur and researching what special functions the fur of this particular beast pet could produce, with no interest in other matters.

As for profits, those were even less of a concern for Robert.

For Lorant, however, this batch of Spark Fur Slimes was a crucial source of Spark Fur yarn.

To roll out a new product for the Slime family before winter, they needed to get started right away.

Currently, there were very few beast pet Slimes in the backyard of the Animal pet shop. Only some smaller-sized beast pet Slimes would stay there for a couple of days, occasionally acting as soft cushions when Lorant wanted to relax.

Once they got too big to cuddle, the beast pet Slimes would be sent to the Slime Ranch to begin their comfortable life.

With the arrival of the Spark Fur Slimes, it was time to bring some excitement back to the yard.

Holding the soft Spark Fur Slimes in his hands, Lorant thought to himself silently.

Lorant hadn’t even finished settling in the Spark Fur Slimes when he spotted Jeremy, who hadn’t visited the shop in ages.

The priest had been busy with the breeding and sale of cotton trees, a type of plant that produces fluffy fibers.

Jeremy was more invested in the cotton trees than Lorant ever was.

So, Lorant had confidently handed over all external breeding and sale of the cotton trees to Jeremy. Both Lorant and Archbishop Frank were well aware that one of the foundations for the secure cooperation between the Animal pet shop and the Church was Jeremy.

If it were someone else handling the cotton trees, Lorant would have likely intervened by now.

However, as the temperatures have been dropping lately, the cultivation of cotton trees has been forced to pause. Even with the infusion of faith power from the priests, the growth of the cotton trees has stalled. Therefore, after discussing with the Animal Pet Shop, the cultivation of cotton tree saplings has been put on hold for now.

After freeing up his schedule, Jeremey finally had some free time to start planning the next round of charity efforts.

When it comes to organizing charity events, Jeremey is a pro.

While he may seem socially awkward, he just doesn't enjoy all the formalities and office politics. However, that doesn't mean he's just a sheltered, innocent kid.

In fact, as a priest who has spent years in the slums interacting with the most downtrodden people, Jeremey's life experience is, in some ways, far richer than those practitioners who lock themselves away to focus on their spiritual development.

Despite witnessing so much suffering firsthand, he somehow manages to stay so optimistic and hopeful, which is probably one of the reasons why Archbishop Frank values him so much.

For priests, talent is important, but only a good mindset can maximize that talent.

That's also why Lorant has always had a soft spot for Jeremey.

"Good to see you, Lorant!" Lorant warmly stepped forward and gave the priest a hug.

Jeremey was even more enthusiastic. This straightforward priest, after hugging Lorant, grabbed his arm.

"Good to see you, Lorant!" Jeremey greeted him excitedly. "I've been swamped lately, but now I can finally catch my breath."

"Okay, so what brings you here today?" Lorant could tell just by looking at Jeremey that he must have something on his mind. He was eager to get to the point but tried to remember the polite small talk he'd been coached on, which made Lorant chuckle.

Jeremey's personality was simply not suited for these kinds of pleasantries. He might never learn these tedious etiquettes in his lifetime.

"Lorant, the guild is getting ready for the winter donation drive, and we're counting on you again!" He looked at Lorant with such eagerness that Lorant was caught off guard for a moment.

However, Lorant soon remembered that the last time during the chamber of commerce fundraiser, he was the first to break the rules by significantly increasing the donation amount, thus forcing the other merchants to raise their donations to save face.

It was clear that Jeremy was hoping for a repeat of such an event, and so he was placing his hopes on Lorant.

Lorant paused briefly, then smiled once he understood the situation.

He didn’t mind Jeremy’s idea, even though there wasn’t any direct connection to the previous event.

Lorant patted the priest on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I will definitely donate an appropriate amount,” he assured Jeremy. As for whether the other chamber members would again be forced to dig deep into their pockets to save face, that was beyond his control.

Based on Lorant’s understanding of those merchants, the last time had simply caught them off guard. Now that they were prepared, these fellows wouldn’t be so willing to pay for their face.

At least, not too much.

“By the way, how did that go with the team Archbishop Frank promised you for the free clinic in the slums?” Lorant quickly changed the subject as he saw that Jeremy still seemed eager to say something.

Jeremy was immediately distracted and smoothly followed Lorant’s shift in conversation.

“Oh, are you talking about the team Archbishop Frank promised me to lead for a free clinic in the slums?” Jeremy became even more excited.

This was something Archbishop Frank had promised him a long time ago to encourage him to invite Lorant to give a lecture on Dream Weaver.

However, after the lecture, other matters had kept Jeremy occupied, so in Lorant’s impression, Jeremy had never had the time to carry out this free clinic.

Free clinics and fundraisers were two of Jeremy’s few passions.

“Yes, that’s the one,” Lorant nodded.

“I’ve been preparing for it these past few days! Just like the charity fundraiser, it will probably happen in two weeks,” Jeremy said enthusiastically. “This will be my first time leading such a large free clinic team! I must make sure to conduct it well for a whole week before winter arrives!”

“By the way, would you like to come and take a look too? A friend of mine has already agreed to be there, and I can introduce you two properly,” Jeremy suggested.

“Also, Burns has already made an appointment with me, and after the free clinic, he will give two charity lectures there, to remind the residents of things to pay attention to before winter,” Jeremy said with bright eyes. “Would you like to join us?”

After a moment’s thought, remembering the supplies they had been preparing at the Slime family for some time, Lorant nodded.

“No problem, we’ll be there,” Lorant agreed readily.

The Slime family had also planned to distribute a batch of relief supplies to those in need before winter.

Since Jeremy was preparing to make this free clinic such a grand event, and the church had invested a lot for the reputation, it was clear they wanted to gain some popularity among the public. Lorant didn’t mind hitching a ride on this wave.

Time flew by.

The church had clearly invested a lot of effort, and before long, the free clinic that Jeremy had been eagerly anticipating officially began.

Lorant and the others followed the church group, familiar with the route, and made their way to a corner on the outskirts of Mauplan City.

Anyone unfamiliar with the city might think they’d wandered into a different place entirely.

This place felt like a world apart from the grand and imposing knightly city.

The large streets were filled with sewage, and the low buildings were poorly maintained, their exteriors worn and battered.

Even the vines that clung stubbornly to the walls looked wilted and lifeless.

Just like the people living here.

There didn’t seem to be much vitality in anything around.

The air itself seemed to carry a rotting stench, making one wonder if there was a corpse decomposing in the shadows or if the souls of all the people here exuded such a foul odor.

However, this environment was quite familiar to Jeremy.

Lorant admired Jeremy's ability to step onto this land without changing his expression, while he himself quietly stepped back.

He frowned slightly, taking in the place that felt both alien and eerily familiar, suddenly realizing that no matter which city's slums, although they might look different on the outside, the decadent stench emanating from every brick on the street was exactly the same.

He didn’t rashly enter the alley where the ground and walls looked somewhat strange. Instead, he chose to mount his Windbreaking Horse, which had an invisible protective cover on its shoes.

Lorant had no intention of leaving his Windbreaking Horse, even in the most ordinary parts of the city.

The truth was, the cities in this world were shockingly unsanitary.

Lorant wanted to propose to the knights that they clean up the streets and improve public health, but he had never found a good opportunity, nor had he come up with feasible methods, so the matter had been put on hold until now.

Thinking of this, Lorant couldn't help but reflect that he had indeed become quite lazy recently. There were things that needed to be addressed sooner rather than later.

He turned his head to Joe, who was following behind him, and said, "Remind me when we get back to discuss the public sanitation issue with the knights' captains."

Joe, although confused, still nodded and recorded Lorant's request in his small notebook.

The small creature perched quietly on top of Lorant's head also nodded seriously, carefully noting down the matter on its invisible spider web.

Jeremy clearly knew the drill when it came to setting up a free clinic. Together with his assistant, he quickly began to arrange the clinic in the middle of a two-story building in the huge slums.

If not for following Jeremy, Lorant wouldn’t have known that such a vast area existed within Mauplan.

This place felt like it had been completely forgotten by the city. Although it was within the city walls, there was nothing here that related to the city.

While the city beyond the alley was seen as a paradise by many, this place was undeniably a living hell.

Lorant was actually quite familiar with this kind of place. Although he had never been here, the slums of Holland were where he had grown up.

Following behind Jeremy, he watched as their carriage, loaded with a large amount of supplies, entered the two-story building.

Lorant noticed that this seemed to be church property. At the entrance, he saw the church's emblem. It seemed to have been a small chapel, but for some reason, it had been abandoned.

Jeremy's popularity here far exceeded Lorant's expectations.

From hardened adults to toddlers and bent-over elders, the residents all seemed to have great affection for this priest who genuinely showed them unfeigned kindness.

The slums might be the most chaotic place in the city.

But with Jeremy by his side, Lorant dared say that the slums were a safe place.

If anyone here really wanted to cause trouble for Jeremy, Lorant guessed they wouldn’t make it around the next street corner alive.

But then again, to these people, Jeremy was a true savior. He had saved hundreds of lives here. Some people who were originally going to die from the 'disease' of poverty had survived because of him.

These people, their families, and their neighbors all genuinely supported the priest, who had no ulterior motives.

People's intuition was quite accurate. They knew who truly had their best interests at heart and who was trying to use them. It was clear to everyone.

This kind of respect and admiration was probably what the bishops dreamed of receiving from the people, but it was given only to Jeremy.

After the free clinic began, a large number of poorly dressed people waited in the cold wind, supporting their sick family members as they lined up in an orderly fashion in front of the two-story building.

The level of orderliness was astonishing, even by the standards of the so-called wealthy districts. It was truly jaw-dropping for the first-time visitors from the Animal Pet Shop to see that these people could maintain such order without any formal organization.

The free clinic team was quite large, and apart from the priests, there was a small group of people Lorant had never seen before.

They were clearly a group of civilians with no energy fluctuations, except for the leader, from whom Lorant could sense magical fluctuations, confirming his identity as a mage. The rest were undoubtedly ordinary civilians.

Yet these people were in the free clinic team alongside the priests, and their methods of treatment reminded him of the doctors from his past life.

The examinations and inquiries they made of the patients were reminiscent of the doctors he had known in his previous life!

In this world, where priests serve as healers, the concept of doctors was non-existent. Lorant, as a native 'local' of this world, was well aware of this fact.

Even for ordinary people with minor ailments like a mild cold, their only options were to rely on their physical resilience or seek help from priests or alchemists.

What was a doctor? And what was this healing ability that didn’t require magic? They had never even heard of such things!

"Jeremy, who are these people?" Lorant asked curiously, sidling up to Jeremy.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce them to you. This is the friend I told you about. He’s a mage who specializes in healing and is promoting a new approach!" Jeremy said excitedly, pulling Lorant over to the leader of the group. "He believes that even non-practitioners can have the ability to cure diseases, and he has already trained several people using this method."

"Although many people don’t quite approve of what they’re doing, I’ve seen them heal others, and I believe they truly have the ability!" Jeremy added earnestly, worried that Lorant might not believe him.

Lorant nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Jeremy assumed that Lorant, like others, might not trust the civilians trained by Valentine. However, he didn’t know that Lorant had no doubt about it at all.

In fact, Lorant was not only convinced but also intrigued. He wanted to see if the system these civilians had developed matched what he knew from his past life.

"Valentine! Come and meet the Animal Pet Shop owner I told you about!" Jeremy, clearly familiar with the mage, patted him on the shoulder.

The mage named Valentine looked up. His skin was dark, and though he wore the traditional robes of a mage, they were patched and worn, giving him an air of humble dedication rather than poverty. His robes, though well-worn and patched, spoke of years of service rather than neglect. The mage named Valentine looked up. His dark skin and patched robes gave him an air of humble dedication.

However, the baby whispered to Lorant that the man in front of them was emanating a powerful energy.

At the very least, he was a sixth-level great mage.

Lorant was taken aback. He couldn't fathom how someone with such formidable power could look so destitute.

But then Lorant reminded himself that this could just be one of the great mage's quirks. Mages often had eccentric personalities, each with their own unique habits.

Like Monroe, for example, who had a habit of adding a new strip of cloth to his coat every time an experiment failed. Mages like that did exist.

With that thought, Lorant put away his surprise and stepped forward to greet the man warmly.

Valentine paused, setting aside his work. Though his expression was cold, he stood up and extended his hand to Lorant, giving Jeremy some respect.

"Valentine," he introduced himself briefly, his voice sounding hoarse. "I’ve heard a lot about you. Jeremy often speaks highly of you, saying you’re a merchant with a conscience—unlike those bloodsuckers."

His yellowish eyes bore into Lorant, sharp and piercing, as if they could see right through him. "But I’ve never believed a word of it. Jeremy is too quick to trust people, while I’m not so naive. All merchants and noble lords are the same—vampires who rise to power by trampling on the lives of ordinary people. Is there really such a thing as a merchant with a conscience, Mr. Shopkeeper?"

Lorant blinked, momentarily taken aback by the aggressive tone of the mage.

He even silently reviewed his past actions, ensuring that he had never met or offended this peculiar mage before.

Could it be that the Animal Pet Shop had unknowingly provoked him at some point? Lorant couldn't help but wonder.

Nevertheless, he maintained a calm expression as he shook Valentine's hand. "You make a valid point. Everyone perceives the world differently, and we can’t dismiss someone else’s perspective just because it differs from our own."

"Just as many people claim that practitioners disregard the lives of ordinary people, portraying them as demons that must be avoided at all costs—I believe that’s just a stereotype applied to some practitioners. If all practitioners were truly like that, neither you nor Jeremy would be standing here today, would you?"

Lorant’s smile remained calm, but his words left no room for the mage to continue his rant.

Valentine narrowed his eyes slightly before snorting coldly, "A smooth-talking guy. You guys always talk a big game!"

Jeremy, clearly flustered, stepped in to defuse the situation.

"Don't mind him, Lorant. He's just in a bad mood today; maybe he woke up on the wrong side of the bed, which is why he's so aggressive," Jeremy said as he kicked Valentine's shoe and stood between the two.

Lorant, for his part, wasn't fazed by it. Though he had no idea why the mage was hostile, he truly didn't care.

A year ago, Lorant would've snapped right back at any provocation, especially as long as his life wasn't on the line, and wouldn't stop until he'd left the other party speechless.

He'd never been one to hold his tongue, especially when someone was pushing his buttons.

If not for that attitude, Lorant wouldn't have been able to keep his family afloat in Holland's slums.

But now, Lorant just didn't care as much.

Valentine's attitude struck him as absurd.

It felt silly to take him seriously.

You don't bark back at a dog that barks at you on the street, do you?