abnormal mutation

Chapter 15 Dean Mia
"Hahahaha..." Old Tom laughed heartily, "Don't think that just because you say that, I'll give you a discount."

He turned and went behind the bar, casually tearing down a notice from the bulletin board next to him. Roland, with his sharp eyes, clearly saw his own picture on it, along with the bold, darkened thirty German dollars.

This should be a missing person notice. Thirty dollars is not a small amount; most of the bounties for wanted criminals in the law enforcement agency are less than thirty dollars.

He secretly marveled at how popular the original owner of this body was, despite his seemingly aloof nature. So many people had searched for him relentlessly after his disappearance.

"Five servings each of roasted lamb chops, sausages, mashed potatoes, and goat milk. The lamb chops should be fatty." As he spoke, he placed two one-dollar bills on the bar.

Old Tom glanced at him, picked up a bill and waved it: "Consider this a celebration of your miraculous survival."

"It's really not easy for Ironbeard to pluck hairs," Roland joked, deftly stuffing the remaining one German dollar into his pocket.

"Heh...find your own seat." Old Tom said nonchalantly.

The group chose a table on the inner side, not far from the fireplace, where it was relatively warmer.

Luke and his friends chatted, but their eyes kept glancing towards the kitchen, clearly looking forward to the upcoming feast.

In their memory, they had only been here a handful of times, and they would only come to splurge when welcoming a new member.

Roasted lamb chops are the most cost-effective meat here, because there are sheep ranches in Glacier Town. A large portion of roasted lamb chops costs only 30 cents, a large cup of sheep milk costs 3 cents, plus mashed potatoes and sausages. Even an average adult with a normal appetite can't finish it.

Before the food even arrived, Targen came panting over, only relaxing when he saw the empty table.

“If you slow down any further, I’ll eat your portion too,” Andrew teased him.

"If you don't call me 'brother' later, don't expect me to give you any." Targen's retort hit the bullseye, and Andrew immediately deflated.

Soon, hot milk, sausages, and mashed potatoes were served one after another. The person serving the food was a girl with a rosy face. She wasn't pretty, but she had a lot of youthful energy.

But Luke and the others were completely focused on the food, eating without paying any attention to the girl, which made Roland shake his head.

A year is long in this world. Twelve years old is the age of sexual maturity, which is also the dividing line between middle and higher education. Many people get married and have children at that age. Some people get married and have children later, around fifteen or sixteen years old. Someone like Roland, who is older, is definitely a single man.

Roland wasn't interested; Luke and the others were simply clueless. He was currently preoccupied with important matters and didn't have time to help them; they had to figure it out themselves.

The roasted lamb chops were served last, and the portion was larger than usual. After being marinated and slowly roasted, they were tender and juicy, bursting with flavor with every bite.

In Roland's opinion, the taste was acceptable, but a bit strange. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly delicious either. However, it gave him a great sense of satisfaction when he was hungry.

Evan and Targen couldn't finish the food, so they gave the rest to Andrew, who accepted it all without leaving a single bite.

After eating and drinking their fill, the group got up and left.

As they passed the bar, Old Tom and Roland locked eyes, each wanting to say something but holding back.

“Little Tom’s cooking skills still need some practice.” Roland waved his hand and strode away, not giving him a chance to speak.

Old Tom was just an ordinary person; his own problems were too big for him to drag others down with him.

Across from the tavern was a bakery. Roland didn't buy bread, but instead bought a taren of the cheapest whole wheat flour when he passed by a general store. It cost him 60 minas and 2.40 guilders in total.

There was also a bag of salt, a packet of sugar, a sack of potatoes, two dozen eggs, and a small can of the cheapest black tea, which cost nearly 2 German dollars.

This is a bit over budget because prices have gone up. Whole wheat flour was 3 cents per minus before the Lunar New Year, and now it's 4 cents, and other items have also increased in price.

The trip cost Roland over 5 German dollars, most of which was spent on the windfall he'd received from Ugly Bear and the others. Roland was heartbroken. But there was nothing he could do; prices were likely to rise further, and it would be even more troublesome if he didn't buy more.

Grandma Mia never accepted money from the original owner; instead, the original owner would exchange it for supplies and send them over. Roland was essentially carrying on her legacy. The Salesian Orphanage wasn't on Convent Street; the next turn was at Screw Alley. This alley ran southeast to northwest, had no cobblestone path, and ended at Cheese Street. The Salesian Orphanage was located at the intersection.

After walking for a few minutes with their bags, the group of people saw the gray-white walls of the orphanage.

It occupies a large area, and the main building is a tall two-story wooden building facing south. There is a row of wooden houses on each side, and a stable on the east side. Unfortunately, it has collapsed, but you can still tell from the overall layout that it was once glorious.

Roland's first impression of it was that it was old and worn. The gate, the courtyard wall, the house... many of the exposed wood pieces were rotten, and there were traces of repairs everywhere.

The orphanage gates were tightly closed. Through the gaps in the broken wooden planks, one could see many animal pelts drying in the yard. An elderly man with completely white sideburns was busy with a group of teenagers. The sounds of play could be faintly heard coming from the main building.

"Brother Roland is here!"

Before the group even got close, they were spotted by the lazy children in the courtyard. A few shouts later, the orphanage erupted in cheers. The older children dropped what they were doing and ran to open the door, while even more children rushed out of the main building, jumping and laughing as they surrounded them.

There were probably more than forty children. Roland quietly counted them and was quite surprised. He hadn't expected that there would be so many orphans in such a small town as Ice River.

"Brother Roland, where have you been? We've been looking for you for days..."

“I went to look for it too.”

"And I……"

"..."

It was a complete mess; the children were talking all at once, making a lot of noise, and Roland felt his head starting to ache.

"Get out of the way! How many times have I told you not to block the doorway?" The old man who had been processing fur earlier shouted sternly, holding a scraper.

The noise subsided considerably in an instant, and the children reluctantly dispersed, clearly afraid of the old man.

"Grandpa Hoff, I brought your favorite black tea." Roland took a small jar out of his pocket and presented it to the old man like a treasure.

The old man didn't take it. His gaze lingered on the scars on Roland's face for a moment, then he sighed, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back..."

He glanced behind Roland, took off his gloves, and pulled him inside by his sleeve: "Come in quickly, your Grandma Mia has been waiting for you."

"Mm." He followed Hoff with his basket, feeling a warm glow in his heart. It was a wonderful thing to be remembered, something many people longed for but could not have. At that moment, he fell in love with this small town.

Luke and the others didn't follow. They were going to put their things in the storage room, a place they knew all too well, like their own home.

Grandpa Hoff and Grandma Mia are the only two staff members at the orphanage. Grandma Mia is the director, and Grandpa Hoff is an unpaid "volunteer." He is a local from Glacier Town and has never married. Together, they maintain the operation of the entire orphanage.

Hoff hung the knife, dirty apron, and gloves outside and led Roland upstairs to the door of a room on the south side.

The door was not closed. When Roland looked up, he saw a gentle and elegant white-haired old woman smiling at him. Just by looking at her eyebrows and expression, one could tell how stunningly beautiful she must have been in her youth.

“Grandma Mia.” Roland’s voice was a little hoarse, his heart filled with mixed feelings. In the original owner’s heart, Mia’s status was no less than that of his parents, whose faces were already blurred.

“It’s different now.” Grandma Mia’s eyes held a searching look.

Roland's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked away. For some reason, he felt a little afraid to face her.

Hoff, oblivious to everything, pushed Roland to sit down by the fireplace: "This child must have suffered a lot."

Thank you for your support, dear readers. Please add this to your favorites and vote for it.



(End of this chapter)