"Are you sure it's wise to send him off?" Sister Domne held her breath.
Father Donavic paused his writing. He has been in his room for quite some time, with his wax candles evident as it nears its final melting point.
"You know as well as I do that he would fare better off in the patreon of arts than being a farmer, sister. I wouldn't have done so if it wasn't the case." Father Donavic set down his quill.
"But Bartle, isn't sending someone that young outside our village too much? What if Lord Gren finds out that you ask Lord-"
"You will know your place, Sister Domne. You are women of the cloth by the blessing of god. For the sake of our friendship, I will forget you utter my name."
She remained silent as she bowed her head.
It is not unheard of Christian priests of all branches to change their names once they've devoted themselves to god. Even so, the pressure accumulating from a single letter causes her to sweat profusely.
"Forgive me, Father Donavic. But please reconsider what you're doing. Lord Gren isn't someone who would neglect his authority if we challenge it. Perhaps he may not care for a few days, but when that time comes, this village will only earn his ire for betraying the lord we live on."
"I understand the risk, sister. Which is why I'll see to it that any consequences that show themselves, shall be directed to me. I thank you and the children for letting me enjoy this life, which god has given us. But now, I must see to it that what I'm doing will at least see a new era for England, even if it's just a spark."
"How can a boy really be what you say he be? I already told you he is not of humble beginnings. If such nobility found out that we offered a black sheep, they will not take this lightly!"
"Which is why I must do this now. You may not understand what length I do, but one day you will understand."
Father Donavic closed his eyes as he folded the large envelope with his letter and the drawings Nothelm drew.
"With this, I hope it will be enough for him to become an apprentice or at least a serf for that matter."
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
The door resonates throughout the halls, enough for the pair's ears to hear.
"Oh? Someone comes at this hour?"
Sister Domne stood up as she left through the door.
Father Donavic set aside the envelope for now, completing every preparation for the coming week. All he can do is pray.
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*Sniff* *Sniff*
In the end, I got caught by that fucking jerk again. I swear to god that Hemmark gets more pleasure stalking children than fucking women.
Once more, I got my ass spanked, this time she used a sinister-looking whip. That shit's painful, I thought I might bleed out shitting to death.
I wish I had ice, but right now I need to keep myself focused on gaining experience. What I learned about getting new magic is all related to magic circles I can cast. I know if I put more thought into it, such magic becomes a reality. It had me second-guessing if I really had an overpowered skill.
However, it's hard to determine how many spells I can cast, or how much mana I need to use for devastating effects. The only thing that indicates my limitation is feeling tired to the point of immobility.
"Magic circles." I kept thinking about it as I walked to my dorm, only to be stopped by the other orphans.
"Hahahahaha! You sneaked out again! Are you stupid or something?"
"That's scary. Why did you do that?"
Thrice I had my ass spanked, thrice I'm mocked for my incompetence. At this rate, how can I survive in this dark age? All these brats had no problems whatsoever, yet here I am making a ruckus. At this rate, shouldn't I surrender?
"I'm hungry... I don't think it's supper yet."
One of the orphans caught my ear. it was just that statement that made me realize something.
The fact that this Dark Ages is often viewed as the decline in cultural development is also applied to many scientific and militaristic developments as the design of every aspect of life remains similar to the Roman Republic era. It was only during the Roman Empire when the concept of monarchy became much popularized, it remained popular in most countries of the 10th century as it was applied by the religious institutions and philosophical nature of rulership.
But besides that, it made me think. What snacks were there during this period?
By the gods, I can start a mother fucking food franchise. I can see it now, clear as day, with customers lining up the church's doorstep for a chance to get a bundle price. If monopoly and capitalism taught me anything, it's that money is not only a display of wealth but also a legal factor in production and trading, making it an endless cycle of monetary gains.
But how?
I can't rely on meat, since it will spoil much more quickly than vegetables. I'm unsure who our landlord is, or if he even really cares what we do. And most importantly, I'm not sure where to start.
"Haha, you got mud on you!" One of the kids laughed as the other boy tripped down into the mud.
"Hmmmm..."
I kept brainstorming as these orphans were minding their own business.
"Child labor..."
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The next day, I managed to make some concessions with my fellow orphans. It's easier to promise them sweets, but it's another to acquire some.
Nevertheless, I decided this business venture focus on the very first and unique product:
The Biscuit.
Hear me out, though the ancient Romans were the first chefs of such a recipe, what I'm talking about is the the classic American buttered glazed buns.
The crispy crust of the exterior is easy enough to bite, while the fluffy insides are pretty much feasting on the very texture of soft dough. Hell, my parents from my previous life too make biscuits every breakfast with a side of bacon and eggs.
And for that, I decided to manage a task for each orphan.
Though we didn't have the equipment to manage such an operation in magnitude, we will only have to adjust the supply and demand to match the index price. It is only then can we grow our business to other parts of the realms while maintaining freshness despite the unsanitary nature of this period.
Speaking of which, I made sure that each one of them cleaned themselves, at least enough to clean off the dirt and whatever can be washed off with water.
Of course, we wouldn't release the floodgates yet. There is a need for subtlety about it, so when Father Donavic begin his masses, we will simply give out samples to the newcommers.
This was by far a good idea as people wake up early in the morning without breakfast, but need to attend church. It's simply a way to give back to the community.
Watching from the sidelines, after the people took their share of our samples, I perked my ears.
"Oh my, it's delicious, isn't it? Did the church find a new cook?"
"This isn't like the bread I have eaten. Are you sure this is edible? I don't see the black ends of this bread."
"This bread belongs to the noble, right? Did Lord Glen arrive? It's too delicious, when did Father Donavic make them? Could he teach my wife to cook?"
"Mama, it's tasty! can we get more?"
"Gracious, I thought I wouldn't have anything to eat. This is too kind."
Smiling, I decided to do a quick inventory check on our supplies. Though there's plenty of flour to prepare enough batches, eggs and milk were another thing. Still, the reception is good enough to attract new customers soon.
Perhaps I need to use [Dimensional Storage] and figure out how to utilize this.