abnormal mutation

Chapter 18 The Rosary Cross
Money is a wonderful thing, but it's so hard to earn. Roland's entire assets amounted to only twenty-odd German dollars, and he had already spent a quarter of it on the way there. But these supplies were just a drop in the bucket for the sales home.

If the more than forty children in the orphanage eat only bread for three meals a day, it would require at least 130 loaves of bread. Even if they made it themselves, it would still cost 5 dollars worth of flour.

That's thirty-five Deno dollars a week, while ninety percent of the people in Ice River Town earn less than ten Deno dollars a week. But the problem is, the children need meat, eggs, and milk; otherwise, if they all grow up to be as tall as Evan, wouldn't that be a waste?

Roland suddenly remembered the white-crested snow chicken he had brought. He put the basket on the table and opened the lid: "Grandma Mia, I brought you something good."

The chicken meat was frozen solid, with the chicken head on top, covered with a layer of ice.

"White-crested snow chicken! Where did it come from?" Grandma Mia recognized it at a glance.

"Uh... I caught it." Roland felt a pang of guilt; he didn't want to lie to Grandma Mia. He wasn't the original owner of this body, yet he could genuinely feel the old woman's pure and genuine love for him.

Grandma Mia gave Roland a deep look, but didn't delve into it. She examined the rooster's comb for a moment and said regretfully, "These two chickens are both under three years old. If they were over five years old, they might develop extraordinary traits, and then you would be rich."

However, she also knew that if it was a white-crested snow chicken that was more than five years old, Roland would not be able to catch it even if he was very lucky.

"Wow, they really are something special. I ate two yesterday, and they were delicious." Just thinking about the texture of the chicken comb made Roland's taste buds start to salivate. "This snow chicken must be very expensive."

"The comb of the white-crested snow chicken is a great tonic. It used to cost more than ten German dollars at the cheapest price, and now it's probably several times more expensive." Grandma Mia put the lid on and pushed the basket to him. "I'm old, it's a waste for me to eat this. You can eat one every three days, and your injury will heal faster."

"Keep these eggs for Toby and Amy to help them recover." Roland placed a few snow eggs on the table. He knew that Grandma Mia was very opinionated, so he didn't insist anymore.

He wanted to sell the two white-crested snow chickens. He had already eaten two, which was very nutritious, so he might as well sell them to recoup some of the losses.

“Okay.” Grandma Mia did not refuse again.

She turned back to the desk by the window, picked up a pen and began to write a letter. It was quite long. After she finished writing, she put it in an envelope and sealed it with wax.

"Take this letter and go to the Rose Cross Pharmacy in Taipei to find Yulia. Get a jar of wound medicine, but remember not to pay her. If you want to sell the chicken, you can also go to her; she's my niece. If she tries to cheat you, I'll spank her," Grandma Mia instructed.

"Ah, okay." Roland reached out and took it, not expecting Grandma Mia to be so thoughtful.

Judging from her name, Yulia also belongs to the Solon lineage. The word "Ya" is a linguistic feature of Classical Solon, and this ending is like a grammatical marker, indicating that the name owner is female.

Sauron is the largest clan in the North, and Roland's Hohen-Sauron is one of the Seven Roots. Hohen means noble.

However, this is all ancient history. Now there is no such thing as the North, only the three northern counties.

Roland didn't stay long. After seeing little Toby and little Amy, he said goodbye to Grandpa Hoff.

After leaving the house, he gave Evan two dollars and asked them to buy some supplies to take home. He then carried a basket and went to Taipei City alone.

Getting the medicine and selling the chickens were more important to him; as for whether or not to go to the law enforcement agency, he hadn't decided yet.

As noon approached, the temperature rose, and more people appeared on the street, but most of them were in a hurry. It was very cold, and only a fool would wander around outside.

Ice River Town has poor people, but no beggars; the weather is so bad that it's too risky to go out begging.

Heading north along Cheese Street, in the northern part of the town center, two tall buildings divide Cheese Street in two. This is the town hall, and next to it is Glacier Square, the town's only square.

The square was empty. It is said that there used to be a sculpture here, but it was crushed by a blizzard, and the base was dismantled and sold by the town government.

At the end of Cheese Street is the Northwest Gate, which also leads to North City, but it's rather remote. On the other side of the square is Seal Avenue, parallel to Cheese Street. This road runs through Glacier Town and leads directly to the North Gate. Roland crosses the square, passing by the Church of the Lord of Order. The square is filled with orderly and devout hymns, and the accompaniment of a pipe organ can be faintly heard.

'It's Sunday.' He glanced at it from afar, but didn't stop.

He used to be a regular at the Church of the Lord of Order, but he rarely went there after the old priest passed away.

Stepping out of the square leads to Seal Avenue, a famous avenue, arguably even more renowned than Ice River Town itself, thanks to Ice River Town's specialty seal oil and seal potions. Roland had seen seals before; their appearance differed from Earth creatures, but clearly, they possessed a certain... extraordinary talent!

It is said that they can mate dozens of times a day, mate continuously for two months, "favor" hundreds of females, and when they go crazy, they will kill whatever they catch, and then eat it to replenish their energy.

Passing through the North Gate and entering the most bustling area of ​​Taipei, Roland stopped in front of a two-story wooden building with a rugged design and unique decoration. He looked up and saw the words "Rosic Cross" written in Akkadian and colloquial Solon on the purplish-red sign.

"This is it." He knew the shop, but had never been there. Only ruthless people could open shops outside the walls; he usually kept his distance.

To protect against snow, the pharmacy has a high foundation, and the wooden steps in front of the door are at least two yards long. They are kept very clean, and thick snow boots will make a dull sound when you step on them.

As Roland lifted the thick curtain, a wave of heat rushed out, the temperature difference between inside and outside was extreme, and Roland felt a slight burning sensation on his face, which quickly dissipated.

The pharmacy was very large. Apart from the counter at the front and the large fireplace at the back, the other three sides were covered with medicine cabinets that reached the ceiling. Through the glass, you could see all kinds of bottles and jars inside, not only medicines, but also animal tissues soaked in an unknown liquid, which looked a bit creepy.

"Is anyone there?" Roland looked around but didn't see anyone. He stood still and called out.

"Are you blind? Am I not human?"

A hoarse, aged voice suddenly rang out, startling Roland. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw only a fireplace and a reclining chair, but no one in sight.

"I hate you big guys the most, so arrogant." The recliner spun around, and a large, hairy head popped out from it.

He had a large head, with his hair and beard growing out in a messy, tangled mess, like a ball of fluff. He had an old face, gray skin, and thin, long arms.

The strangest thing is that his body is small and thin, disproportionate to his head, and his legs are not visible under the hem of his clothes. He looks exactly like a monster with big arms and a big head.

"Uh... sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Roland tried his best not to look at the strange man's body and kept his eyes calmly meeting his gaze.

"What do you want?" The strange man's deep green eyes sized up Roland a few times before he lazily lay back down. "This shop doesn't sell junk, no bargaining, and no returns."

Roland glanced down at his worn-out fur coat, feeling helpless. He certainly didn't look like someone who could afford such a thing.

"Hello, I'm looking for Julia. This is a letter from her aunt." He didn't know the relationship between the strange man and Julia, and didn't want to offend her.

The strange man sat up, stared at Roland for a while, then pointed up with his index finger and said, "Upstairs, go up yourself."

"Thank you." Roland walked around the counter and fireplace and immediately spotted the wooden staircase in the corner.

His feet landed on the stairs, soft and silent. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a clean carpet covering the wooden planks, now soiled by his snow boots.

He took a step back and looked at the strange man, only to find that the strange man was also looking at him. Their eyes met, and the strange man quickly looked away.

It’s tricky!
Thank you for your support, dear readers. Please add this to your favorites and vote for it.



(End of this chapter)