Chapter 11

    The Generous Special Teacher

    Only the two nuns and David knew that the important text had not actually been sent from the grand church of Russel City, as was claimed.

    It was merely an old teaching book of the White Wings Order, which was still in relatively good condition and had been carefully restored to look even better. The restoration process involved using pine resin as an adhesive, staining it with a deep yellow dye extracted from boiling layers of dried tree bark found in the forest. Finally, the book was sealed and polished with high-quality animal fat, which had just been donated by the villagers. The fat was simmered with fragrant wild herbs and thoroughly filtered before being applied to the precious book.

    It had taken a long time to persuade the nuns to agree to a morally dubious plan—lying to Mr. Gray. However, in the end, both elders accepted his reasoning.

    “Sister, with someone like him, we cannot afford to wait for divine judgment… We must take action ourselves. Didn’t Lord White Wings teach that ‘The divine never abandons those who strive’…?”

    That little boy used the knowledge he had gained from just a few days of studying the sacred texts to completely outmaneuver the kind-hearted nuns.

    “But deceiving others like this is…” Sister Lisa hesitated, while Sister Anne remained attentive.

    “Think of it as a way to test the truth. If Mr. Gray truly upholds the kingdom’s laws, he should be able to counter our claims. But if he has been abusing his authority all along, then this will finally expose him…”

    “Waiting for the gods to judge evil men… cannot be considered an act of effort,” the boy’s final remark struck deep, strengthening the two elders’ resolve.

    Thus, the day of repairing the teaching book became an eye-opening experience for the nuns, as they marveled at the little hands that skillfully restored the book into something breathtaking. In the end, the old, well-worn book was not only returned to its original state… but became even more beautiful than before.

    Little Kit secretly sighed. The beautiful art they praised was nothing more than simple lines he had skillfully drawn together. If an elementary school student from his past life had even a little artistic training, they could have done the same without much effort…

    As expected, everything played out just as the child had foreseen…

    The plan was an overwhelming success. The village chief’s crude nature was revealed through his own actions. In the end, everyone realized that his sharp tongue and legal posturing were merely tools he used to extort the villagers. Even the mercenaries, who had been hired with dirty money to serve as his guards, began to doubt their employer.

    No one wanted to risk punishment under the kingdom’s law, nor did they wish to face an investigation by the Central Church of Seris. At this point, they found themselves in an increasingly precarious situation.

    As winter arrived, all the mercenaries decided to submit indefinite leave requests and return to their homelands. The once-mighty Chopper family manor fell into a state of desolation, nearly losing its former grandeur. Mr. Gray could do nothing but grit his teeth and spend his days cursing the members of the White Wings Church in the village.

    Jason recounted the entire ordeal with a sense of melancholy. In Kit’s eyes, Jason was still a naïve young man. Fortunately, his constant kindness and willingness to help others had earned him the goodwill of the villagers, preventing them from holding his father’s sins against him.

    However… the weight of his father’s crimes left Jason deeply troubled. The stress gradually built up, dulling the brightness in his once-vibrant expression and stripping away much of his motivation in life. If left unchecked, these negative emotions would eventually consume him.

    Having experienced his own share of sorrow and despair, Kit decided to step in. The first and crucial step was to help Jason feel better about himself.

    “Brother Jason…”

    “Hm…? What is it, Little Scholar?”

    “How do you and the villagers usually hunt?” The curious little boy asked eagerly. Even James and the other children turned their attention to the conversation.

    Everyone wanted to know how such delicious meat was procured. That day, Jason had caught three fish as big as an arm and brought back three plump wild rabbits. Not only did the children and the nuns look at him with admiration, but in their eyes, he had also become something akin to a saint bringing blessings upon them.

    A small sense of pride began to swell in Jason’s heart.

    “Hahaha. Alright, I’ll tell you all about it…” Jason straightened his posture as the children gathered around him, but Sister Lisa quickly interjected.

    “Hold on… Isn’t this a hunter’s secret? Won’t revealing your hunting grounds to the children put you at a disadvantage?”

    The young man shook his head, indicating that it was fine. While most hunters kept their hunting grounds a closely guarded family secret passed down through generations, the sacred forest was vast. Jason himself had not inherited this knowledge from his family but had instead learned through trial and error, eventually discovering a large hunting area that provided him with all the game he needed.

    Because he was willing to share such valuable knowledge, his image in the children’s eyes—especially Kit’s—rose even higher.

    That afternoon turned into a special learning session for everyone at the orphanage.

    In an era where technology had yet to advance, hunting was a difficult profession. Many factors contributed to a successful hunt, and Jason’s explanation stretched on for hours. Information poured from his lips without pause, and by the end, nearly ten children with short attention spans had dozed off on the laps of their older siblings.

    One of the most crucial aspects was the ability to observe and survive in the wilderness. This wasn’t a skill that could be learned quickly; rather, it developed through real-life experience.

    Proficiency in hunting and combat, particularly with ranged weapons like bows, daggers, or small axes, required daily practice until one could strike a target with absolute precision. A blessing from the God of the Hunt or the God of War was beneficial for this profession, but even divine blessings were not as important as dedicated training and effort—just as Lord White Wings, the God of Light, once preached.

    The location, weather, and season were also critical factors to consider before setting out. These determined the type of clothing needed and the amount of provisions required for longer trips. Jason tried to explain the different types of attire suitable for various seasons to help them understand how to survive in the forest.

    As evening approached, only two attentive listeners remained, absorbing every bit of knowledge. James, determined to master ranged weaponry like axe-throwing and knife-throwing, continued to question their impromptu teacher. Seeing this, Kit decided to excuse himself.

    “The two of them look like brothers from the same mother. Hehe,” Kit remarked to Mother Anne and Lisa, glancing at the two figures with strikingly similar physiques. In his mind, he couldn’t help but imagine…

    If James’s walnut-colored hair were the same reddish-brown shade as Jason’s, no one would doubt it if he claimed to be a long-lost son of the Chopper family.

    Before heading off to prepare dinner, Sister Anne invited Jason to stay for the evening meal. The growling of his stomach betrayed him—he could not refuse, even though he did not wish to burden the children’s food supply.

    While preparing the meal, the old soul within Kit pondered ways to hunt or domesticate animals, ensuring an ample supply of meat for everyone in the community. Memories of livestock farming videos from his previous life resurfaced, forming concrete ideas in his mind.

    Traps were simple to build, required little time, and didn’t demand high success rates. Though winter was approaching and many animals would soon hibernate, Kit was certain that some had failed to store enough fat and would still venture out for food. The two plump rabbits Jason had caught were proof of this. Their well-fed, fluffy bodies would not only provide a good meal but also offer warm fur for bedding—whether as mats or stuffed into cloth pouches for extra insulation.

    Capturing and domesticating animals was another goal of Kit’s. Rabbits reproduced rapidly, had delicious meat, and could be fully utilized in every part. There was also the large wild rat, another species he had set his sights on, but controlling them was incredibly difficult and could introduce numerous diseases. Kit decided to eliminate that option for now.

    The fish Jason had brought back had a pale pinkish-gray flesh—not particularly appetizing in color, but its marbled texture seemed oddly familiar. As he expertly filleted the large fish with a razor-sharp small knife, his skills steadily improved. His mind drifted back to the salmon of his previous world, and soon, an irresistible menu idea surfaced in his thoughts—one that even made the cook’s own mouth water.

    A warm grain porridge with mushrooms and salmon, topped with crispy, salted fish skin…

    Kit wanted to punish himself… He shouldn’t be torturing himself with thoughts of food like this.

    The intense focus in Kit’s eyes piqued the nuns’ curiosity. As they stirred the fragrant porridge, they leaned forward to see what the boy was doing with the fish. To their surprise, all three had already been expertly filleted and portioned for use.

    (Ah… If this were MasterChef US*, I might have earned some points from Gordon Ramsay*. Hee hee hee.)

    Note: MasterChef US / Chef Gordon Ramsay (a popular international cooking competition show featuring a renowned chef).

    In reality, the filleting was nowhere near world-class chef standards, but for a beginner like him, it was quite an achievement. Once he had painstakingly removed every hidden bone, Kit diced the large fillets into bite-sized cubes. He then pan-fried the fish with wild garlic in oil until golden. Instead of immediately mixing the leftover oil into the porridge like he had done the day before, he used it to fry the fish skin, which had been lightly seasoned with salt. The sizzling sound of crackling oil echoed throughout the kitchen. Before long, a crispy, golden fish skin with just the right amount of saltiness was plated onto a large dish. Only then did he pour the remaining oil into the grain porridge, ensuring none of the precious fat was wasted.

    High-fat meals were essential for surviving the brutal winter. Kit wasn’t too concerned about health issues—these people had almost no chance of becoming overweight. Simply consuming enough energy to keep their bodies warm was already a blessing.

    The two devout nuns had never encountered food like this before. Their gluttony was growing at an alarming rate, leaving them feeling guilty as they fixated on the little boy who had crafted such a new dish.

    Meanwhile, Kit was completely unfazed, chewing on a crispy fish skin chip with a contented smile on his face, entirely unaware of what he had done.

    Before long, James was called over to help carry the food for distribution…

    The wooden dining table in the center of the room quickly filled to capacity. The older children spread out to help care for the younger ones. Various wooden bowls of different sizes were handed out, and each child stepped forward in an organized manner to receive their meal. Sister Lisa ladled out the fragrant grain porridge, while Sister Anne added pan-fried wild garlic and salmon chunks to each bowl. The children’s eyes widened in delight as they gazed at the delicious, meaty cubes. But the food line wasn’t over just yet.

    They queued up once more, waiting to receive a crispy salmon skin chip—one per person—from Kit’s own hands…

    For those living in the remote village of Redwood, this meal felt unbelievably luxurious. They could barely wait to thank the gods before digging in.