After gradually adapting to the personal service of Viola and Lily, Tia headed to the Star-Dew Church in Hela City to learn about the church’s Faith Gold.
Since there were not many believers in the city, the Star-Dew Church was very short-handed.
Many church tasks required help from others in the city, and the reward was the church’s Faith Gold.
After browsing through the tasks, Tia finally chose the mission to distribute porridge to the poor.
The task was simple; she only had to go to a fixed location every day to provide porridge to the impoverished.
Settlements occurred every seven days, and although the Faith Gold provided wasn’t much, its stability was its strength.
‘Every bit counts; exchanging for Magic Crystals is no longer just a dream.’
—
The cold wind swept across the dirty street corners.
At the eastern entrance of the slums, a group of people in rags huddled at the base of the walls, their hollow eyes staring at the gray sky.
Suddenly, a breeze carrying the warm aroma of food drifted by.
Someone sniffed the air and struggled to sit up.
“Someone… someone is giving out porridge!”
A scrawny man croaked, his trembling finger pointing toward the other end of the street.
Those words were like a spark falling into a pile of dry grass.
“Quick, go!”
The previously lifeless crowd suddenly surged with energy.
People supported one another or leaned on crude wooden sticks, staggering yet eagerly rushing in that direction.
Most of the people in the crowd were the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled; after all, they were the group most incapable of making a living on this street.
A large iron pot sat atop a simple brick stove, steam rising from it.
Golden wheat porridge bubbled slowly inside, emitting a mouth-watering scent of grain.
Viola wore a clean apron and held a long ladle with a serious expression on her face, while Lily helped maintain order by her side.
“Everyone, please don’t rush. Line up, one bowl per person. Be careful, it’s hot.”
Rough ceramic bowls were taken by pairs of hands covered in calluses or frostbite.
When the warm porridge landed in their bowls, tears welled up in many cloudy eyes.
“Thank you… truly, thank you…”
“Finally… finally something to fill my stomach.”
Many were moved to offer their thanks.
At that moment, an old woman with white hair squinted her eyes, carefully observing Viola and Lily for a long while before suddenly widening her eyes in surprise.
“Eh? Is this… aren’t you the Viola sisters?”
Those words immediately triggered everyone’s memory.
An old man drinking hot porridge nearby looked up, squinting as he peered at them repeatedly before realization struck.
“Oh, it really is you! Viola, Lily! It’s you two!”
He glanced at the sisters’ clothes.
Upon noticing that their complexions were much healthier, a gratified smile appeared on his face.
“Looking at those outfits, I suppose you’ve been favored by some noble master? I knew it! You sisters have kind hearts and are willing to work hard. One day, your luck was bound to turn!”
“Good children, can you tell us which master it is?”
Fearing the sisters might misunderstand, the old woman quickly added, “Don’t worry, we just want to know our benefactor’s name so we can keep his kindness in our hearts. Without his generosity, we would likely have had to endure today with empty stomachs…”
Viola’s movements paused slightly, a look of mixed gratitude and pride appearing on her face.
She shook her head gently, lowering her voice as she glanced toward the blurred silhouette of a noble carriage in the distance.
“It’s not a master. It’s a kind young lady. However, the Young Lady is only here to do good deeds and doesn’t want to reveal her name. If the Young Lady knows you have such gratitude in your hearts, she will surely be very happy.”
The old woman froze for a moment, then revealed a deeply sentimental smile.
“That’s wonderful… To think that in this Hela City, there is still such a kind-hearted Noble Young Lady who doesn’t seek fame…”
Perhaps because of the warmth of the wheat porridge, the cold wind seemed less biting at that moment.
However, it wasn’t long before that warmth was brutally torn away.
A burly, one-eyed man led several thuggish followers, charging through the crowd.
His remaining eye flickered with fierce, greedy light, like a wolf breaking into a flock of sheep.
“Get lost! Everyone, get out of my way!”
With a wave of his large hand, he ruthlessly shoved several women and elderly people in line aside.
He walked straight to the porridge bucket and glared at Viola, whose face was gradually turning pale.
“Heh! Am I seeing things?”
His voice was unpleasant, thick with sarcasm and suspicion.
“Aren’t these the two brats who owe me money? I hasn’t seen you for a while, and now your wings have grown? You actually have the money to come here and give out porridge?”
The knuckles of Viola’s hand gripping the long ladle turned white. Her throat tightened, and her voice was dry. “One-Eyed… One-Eyed Wolf?”
She knew him.
One-Eyed Wolf was her father’s true creditor and one of the genuine bullies in the slums.
“One-Eyed Wolf is a name you can call?!”
As if provoked by the name, or perhaps looking for an excuse to cause trouble, One-Eyed Wolf roared.
He suddenly raised his foot and kicked the scalding porridge bucket with all his might!
*Clang — !*
The wooden porridge bucket overturned, and the hot, thick golden wheat porridge spilled out.
It instantly soaked the cold, filthy ground, sending up a cloud of white steam.
Not only that, but the boiling porridge even splashed onto the hem of a figure who had just quietly approached.
A large, sticky stain immediately appeared on the exquisite patterns embroidered on the bottom of the dress.
“Eat! Eat! I’ll let you eat!”
Still not satisfied, One-Eyed Wolf stomped on the overturned empty bucket twice more.
“You have money for this fake compassion but none to pay me back? That deadbeat father of yours owed me dozens of gold coins. Even if I sold your whole family, you couldn’t pay it back! What, did you think hiding would make it go away? Or did you hook up with someone blind enough to try and help you dodge this debt?!”
“And another thing! Where are Scar and Skinny Monkey? I sent them to find you! Where are they?! Not a soul in sight, not a corpse to be found! Speak! Where did you put my men?!”
His voice grew louder, and he approached aggressively, pulling out a shotgun at some point.
“If you don’t give me an explanation that satisfies me today, you, and that sickly mother of yours lying in bed, can forget about leaving this place alive!”
Just when his arrogance reached its peak, a middle-aged man behind him, accompanied by an attendant, walked over quickly with a frown.
One-Eyed Wolf’s sharp eyes caught him, and he immediately swapped his face for one filled with flattery and grievance.
He pointed at the Viola sisters and shouted to the middle-aged man.
“Lord Tax Official! You’ve come at just the right time! You must handle this for me! These two wretched girls owe money and refuse to pay. They even made two of my subordinates disappear. I’m afraid they met a foul end! They — “
*Slap — !*
An incredibly loud slap landed heavily on One-Eyed Wolf’s hideous face.
The force was so great that it snapped his head to the side, cutting his words short.
One-Eyed Wolf looked at him, his face a mask of incredulous daze.
But the middle-aged man he called “Lord Tax Official” didn’t even look at him.
His eyes were fixed on the exquisite figure whose dress had been soiled by the porridge, and the color drained completely from his face.
Soon, fear, fawning, and fury crawled onto his features, twisting his expression.
He trembled with rage, turning to scream at One-Eyed Wolf, “You bastard! Who gave you permission to act so lawlessly here? Huh?!”
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