After a friendly conversation, the Machinery Hivemind team continued their patrol, while Xia Ai'er and the other two went their separate ways.
Alice still followed behind Xia Ai'er and Martin, all the way to Backlund Bridge.
"Is there something else you need?"
Xia Ai'er asked, feigning confusion.
"Give me money!"
Alice took a deep breath and said with a sweet smile.
"Give money?"
"What money?"
"My invitation for the beautiful Miss Alice to stroll by the Tussock River was purely out of affection, not for your gold pounds."
Xia Ai'er continued to play dumb.
"I'm telling you, if you dare to renege, the consequences will be severe."
Alice's smile remained unchanged.
"Isn't this romantic?"
"Am I not a gentleman?"
Xia Ai'er pointed to the scarlet moon in the sky, "Let the bright moon bear witness..."
"I suddenly remembered, I think I forgot to tell Deacon Ikanos about you becoming a Beyonder."
Alice said, turning to walk towards the bridge district.
"This is your reward."
Xia Ai'er shrugged, choosing to pay.
He slipped a banknote to Alice, whose feet hadn't moved at all.
"Ten pounds?"
"That's it?"
Alice looked at the Augustus banknote in her hand, rubbed it disbelievingly, and indeed, it was just one, only one.
"Is there a problem?"
"Hourly rate. Your hourly wage even exceeds that of most middle-class individuals. You earned more than three weeks' worth of a dockworker's hard-earned salary in less than two hours. Excellent."
Xia Ai'er clapped and laughed.
"I helped you fight the Werewolf."
Alice opened her mouth, unwilling to give up.
"Were you injured?"
"If you were injured, then I can send you to the best hospital in Backlund."
"After all, we are friends who fought together."
Xia Ai'er twirled the revolver in his hand and said.
We decided to go watch the excitement together, so how can that be counted as remuneration? It's not certain who protected whom, right?
"You... I..."
Although Alice felt it made sense, in the past, she would have gotten at least 100 pounds for this trip. Now it's only 1/10?
"Alice, I can't help it."
"You've earned so much from me, I can barely afford to eat."
"What about you? Have you saved enough money to advance to Sequence 7?"
"If you advance to Sequence 7, wouldn't it be even more expensive for me to ask for your help?"
"It's not easy for anyone, let's try to understand each other."
Xia Ai'er said, taking slow steps towards the West Borough.
Martin was originally a bit put off, thinking his young master was being too harsh with the price, but after hearing the end, he also said nothing, just silently followed.
The more money spent, the less affordable it becomes?
Is that even possible?
"Oh, you half-baked person, do you know how much money is needed to advance to Sequence 7? I'm not even talking about the potion formula, one main ingredient alone costs 600 pounds. How am I supposed to advance?"
Alice thought of herself struggling alone in the capital of another country, and yet in Xia Ai'er, this Winner's eyes, she became someone with boundless prospects? She caught up to him, both annoyed and amused.
"At least you've saved enough for one main ingredient, right?"
Xia Ai'er calculated simply and said.
"No."
Alice shook her head, beginning to complain:
"I am a follower of the Sun. How can I only think of myself?"
"Much of the money I tricked... earned from you, I used to exchange for food and distribute to those who need warmth here, in the name of the Sun."
Alice thought of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church in Intis and felt an even greater headache. One church, so many ideologies.
The Inquisition was quite extreme, eager to capture heretics and infidels, and inflict torture.
The Brotherhood of Preachers was similar to the former, emphasizing cruel suppression and cleansing of heretics, cultists, and wild Beyonders, to propagate the orthodox doctrine of the 'Eternal Blazing Sun'.
The Friars Minor (Little Brotherhood) were relatively better, advocating moderation of desires, begging for food and practicing asceticism, preaching in various impoverished areas to make more people believe in the "Eternal Blazing Sun".
But the girl who grew up in the countryside didn't quite understand. The treatment given by the Church was still good. Asceticism was understandable, but why beg for food?
Begging from the rich always felt strange, but begging from the poor was even more problematic, wasn't it?
As a follower of the Sun, shouldn't one actively give food to those in need?
The sisters of the Nine Sisters' Society were still relatively good, although there were also many internal troubles.
Alice just felt uncomfortable staying in Intis, which is why she ran to Backlund. It was also true that she wanted to earn some of the Church's overseas allowance.
"You're even proud of that?"
Xia Ai'er was somewhat surprised.
"Do you know how many people in need I've helped?"
Alice proudly lifted her chin.
"Young Master, I can testify that Miss Alice indeed helps those in need without charge. The food she buys and distributes, I even helped arrange it."
Martin testified from the side. He had personally witnessed many of Alice's good deeds, otherwise, he wouldn't trust this young lady from Intis so much.
"You're saying that you used money earned from a follower of the Evernight to distribute food to potential Evernight followers here in Backlund, promoting the faith of the Eternal Blazing Sun, and I should praise you as a kind girl?"
"Is that what you mean, Alice?"
Xia Ai'er couldn't help but marvel at this fellow's moral standards. Her operations were far too flexible, weren't they?
You use my money, to bribe my followers, in your name?
And you're proud?
"Heh, if it weren't for me, would you voluntarily go to the East Borough to distribute food to people in need?"
"Moreover, I'm spending the money I earned. I worked hard, helping you Loen people without charge. I don't even ask you to remember my kindness, is it too much to just ask you to praise the Sun?"
Alice felt her idea was correct. She was walking on the path of Justice, and the Eternal Blazing Sun would protect her.
Praise the Sun!
"Uh..."
Martin also fell silent then. The logic was sound, but his Young Master might be a future Bishop of the Evernight.
"You help others for free, but you charge me."
Xia Ai'er couldn't help but laugh.
"You have money."
Alice blurted out.
She doesn't beg for food; what's wrong with earning money through her own abilities?
"What about friendship?"
"Even if you don't mention me, Martin has helped you so much. How can you bear to swindle him?"
Xia Ai'er extended his hand, smiling at the scarlet glow on his fingertips.
"I didn't swindle him."
"I swindled you."
Alice wasn't even pretending anymore.
If she didn't swindle the nobles of Loen, who would she swindle?
"Can't you be a little cheaper?"
Xia Ai'er thought about his remaining 400... 390 pounds of pocket money for the month. He felt a bit of a toothache, while also wondering what else this person could be useful for.
As for the funds truly used for charity in the East Borough, he didn't care about those.
Alice was right about one thing: Xiao Meinade had no intention of actively doing charity, and neither did Xia Ai'er.
The funds in his hand would definitely be prioritized for purchasing Beyonder materials.
"Are you willing to believe in my Lord?"
"I told you, didn't I? The Sun has many abilities. As long as you believe in my Lord, I will teach you the ritual magic for praying to the Lord for free."
Alice thought for a moment and asked.
"Dream on."
Xia Ai'er directly refused. If he were to believe, he would believe in the strongest one. Has the Eternal Blazing Sun given him eggs? And he expects him to believe?