Offer blocks to the end times

"Really?!" Frieda was overjoyed, then became somewhat disappointed. "No, thank you, but I have already signed a contract with someone else and cannot become your apprentice."

"A contract?" Senju asked in confusion, then took out paper and pen from the side. Ignoring their astonishment, he created a magic scroll for 'intelligence gathering' and used it. "Oh? You're allowed to live freely here until you turn 15, and then become a nobleman's concubine after your coming-of-age ceremony? Heh, you really are a 'nobleman.' But Frida, I can help you break that contract you have. You should have a brighter future. Such a magical genius, being made a concubine? I'm afraid it's just a breeding ground for your offspring."

"..." Frieda's face turned pale, and she finally whispered, "This is my own choice. Only in this way can I survive."

Chapter 1946 Poverty

“Voluntary? Heh heh,” Thousand Hands chuckled and shook his head. In the face of the threat of death, no choice can be called voluntary. “You must remember, if you no longer own your property, then your gold coins will definitely not be yours either. Come find me again when you have figured it out. I can solve any problem. Now have some snacks.”

"Hmm," the little girl had no appetite at all! She had been so happy just now, but now she was extremely disappointed. However, her 'master' had said a lot, and the thought of not being able to have gold coins after she turned fifteen made her heart ache!

"Mr. Senju, is what you said about breaking the contract true?" the old chairman couldn't help but ask. Senju nodded, "Of course, I can connect with the power of the God of Darkness (one of the supreme gods here) and rewrite all the contract laws of the world."

"The God of Darkness?!" The old guild master shrank back slightly.

Although everyone (referring to the 'respectable people') talks about the blessings of some god, they don't say things like being able to connect with the god of darkness as easily as the Thousand Hands. After all, there really are gods and temples here.

"Don't worry, do you think I'd tell you I'm here on divine orders? Just think of me as an ordinary merchant," Thousand Hands said with a smile. The old man beside him sipped his tea, his hands trembling. Couldn't this guy keep a secret? If he just blurted it out, the bystanders would be implicated!

And look at her granddaughter's worried face. Perhaps this granddaughter will one day use the pretext of debt to snatch Frida away from another noble family? And with their family caught between two noble families, what good can possibly come of it?

Feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles, the old chairman looked at his granddaughter over there, his heart aching, but on the surface he was very 'happy'. Then the old chairman changed the subject to a pile of props next to him.

After chatting for a while, the old guild leader reluctantly left with the few shimmering rings that Thousand Hands had been promoting. He felt a little heartbroken because the items here were quite expensive, with the cheapest costing ten small gold coins. However, he was also happy because these rings could enhance physical attributes. After wearing them, he felt much younger (strength +1, blank).

"What a pity that a guild leader is so poor. He should have spent at least a few thousand gold coins," Thousand Hands muttered to himself as he watched them leave. But as he watched them go, an idea arose in his mind: to collect the body-devouring patients in this world and select the fairy soldiers to inherit the legacy. Hmm, but he'll have to wait until he finishes observing the power of will before thinking about that. Once he gets out, he'll conquer this world.

In just a few days, Senju found his life to be excessively easy. After all, he didn't need to go outside the city to collect firewood, fetch water from the well, or do laundry. He could solve all these problems with magic. And most importantly, he was rich. When Senju was taking a walk, he saw Myne's sister, Dolly, drawing water from the well to wash dishes, and there were many other housewives washing clothes nearby.

However, while he was strolling around that day, he sensed Myne's magic approaching. Look, it was her mother carrying her on her back as they walked down the street. Senju wondered, "Are they going to see a doctor?" Come to think of it, he could also impersonate, no, become a doctor. His medical skills were quite advanced, and he could concoct all sorts of magical potions.

As he thought about it, Senju slowly followed. Of course, his target was Myne, but if others saw him, they would definitely think that Senju was chasing the young mother.

The rogue Senju, who was following the two women, listened to the mother and daughter's conversation. Myne, who had just arrived, was very interested in her surroundings and asked all sorts of questions. Senju listened in as well. It was then that he realized that the kind of street-front shop he owned was only for the wealthy. Well, the things in his shop were indeed very expensive.

"Mommy, Mommy, look what's that?" While Senju was thinking, Myne in front of her spotted something exciting. There was something that looked like writing on a shop sign, and below it was an open book symbol. The young mother, Eva, looked at it for a while and then shook her head. "That should be writing, but I can't understand it."

"Mom. Mom, let's go take a look! This is what I've wanted all my life!" Myin was incredibly excited. She hadn't expected there to be a bookstore just steps away from home. She shamelessly pleaded with Eva, but Eva firmly refused, "No, we don't have that much money."

"I'm just looking, I won't buy anything!" Myne said without any credibility, but sensing her mother's attitude, she quickly cried out, "Just looking from the outside is fine, you should be able to see inside from there, please, Mom~"

"Okay, we can only take a look," Eva couldn't resist her daughter's pleading and led her closer. However, after taking a quick look inside, Myne perked up. "Huh? Nobody's inside? Oh well, the book, the book, ah, found it! Wait, Mom, let me take one more look!"

"No, we have to go!" After glancing at Eva inside, he immediately carried his daughter on his back and walked away quickly, explaining as he went, "Myne, don't cause trouble. The things inside are worth hundreds of gold coins, and there's no one inside. If anything is lost, they'll definitely come looking for us who're wandering around there. It's best not to go near."

"A few hundred gold coins?" Myne pretended to be clueless, while simultaneously trying to ask about the money. "By the way, Mom, how many gold coins did we bring?"

“How many gold coins? Mom has never seen gold coins before. This time, Mom brought two medium copper coins and eight small copper coins,” Eva laughed in exasperation, lifting her daughter up slightly. Then she remembered that her daughter didn’t understand how much money was. “Daddy’s monthly salary is two small silver coins. Ten small silver coins make one large silver coin. Ten large silver coins make one small gold coin. Ten small gold coins make one large gold coin. We can’t earn enough gold coins in our entire lives.”

“I see,” Myne was speechless. Her father had to work for forty or fifty years to earn a big gold coin. That was too expensive! Eva walked quickly while muttering, “Where do you leave something so expensive? Aren’t you afraid it will be stolen? At least have someone keep an eye on it.”

The Thousand Hands following behind shrugged silently. Protected by a barrier, it was inaccessible to ordinary people. If a mage broke through and entered, he could sense it.

After walking along the main street for a while, the Thousand Hands arrived at the market. It turned out they were...

They've come to buy things, but Myne is a little tired; she ran off while looking at the books. But then her eyes lit up again, "Mommy, what's that? What's that?"

Chapter 1947 Book

“That’s the price, 30,” Eva said. Myne looked at it seriously and asked. Eva replied happily. Soon, Myne knew the prices on the other brands. Eva was overjoyed. The mother and daughter chatted and strolled around. Qian Shou, who was behind them, overheard a lot of useful information. For example, they should prepare more meat and vegetables now, because the market wouldn’t be open much in winter due to snow and lack of vegetables.

"Hmm, looks like we need to prepare some food," Senju nodded in response to Eva's words. Then he smelled a foul odor—chicken droppings! It was really pungent. He then felt a surge of magic from Myne in front of him. Looking up, he saw her staring in horror at a man holding a knife, preparing to kill a chicken.

Then, as the knife fell, Myne screamed and instantly fainted. Senju, who was watching from behind, was dumbfounded. A transmigrator who fainted from being killed like a chicken? Is it really okay for me to want to learn willpower from her?!

When Eva found her daughter had fainted again, she quickly found an open bench and laid her down. Then she called out to her daughter, "Myne, Myne, cheer up."

"Madam, is the child alright?" Senju stepped forward, looking at the somewhat wary woman. "I'm a doctor, let me take a look at her."

"I'm sorry, the child is fine," Eva said, holding Myne and looking at Senju with extreme vigilance. It wasn't just because she was afraid Senju was a bad person, but also because her family didn't have the money to pay for medical treatment. The man who claimed to be a doctor was dressed very luxuriously. Eva, who worked in a tailor shop, could tell at a glance that the material of his clothes was a high-end product she had never seen before.

Seeing the wary woman, Senju shook her head helplessly, took out a few mints from her bag and handed them over, "Smell this, and she should wake up."

"Peppermint?" Eva recognized the herb the man was offering; she had some at home. However, she wouldn't dare accept something from a stranger. "How much is this?"

"It's free," Senju shook his head helplessly, seeing her wary look. But that's good, being wary is very important. Seeing that she looked like she was about to run away, Senju shrugged and backed away. "Okay, okay, a small copper coin will do."

"Too expensive!" Eva said instinctively. This kind of grass could be picked in huge quantities outside the city. Thousand Hands rolled his eyes helplessly. What do you mean too expensive? Suppressing the urge to complain, Thousand Hands put the mint aside and walked towards a nearby shop. "Use it if you want, or don't if you don't."

"Thank you," Eva said softly, picking up a sprig of mint and placing it on Myne's nose. Myne woke up shortly after. Meanwhile, her mother breathed a sigh of relief. Senju went to the nearby general store, which was quite well-stocked. She glanced around casually. "Give me a case of wine, and this... um? A book? Boss, how much is this book?"

"A book?!" Hearing this, Myne immediately looked over, then jumped up and ran over, discovering the book locked in the small display case. "It really is a book!"

"Hmm? You want it?" The shopkeeper sitting there ignored little Myne and carefully examined Senju. Hmm, the clothes are of good quality and the outfit is nice. He looks like a rich person. "But this is someone else's collateral. It's not a commodity yet."

"Really?" Senju tossed a few gold coins, the shopkeeper and his wife's eyes following the coins' ups and downs. "Well..."

"Damn rich people!" Little Myne was indignant. The book she had just seen was about to be bought by someone else, but that shiny gold thing must be a gold coin, right? Thinking about her own family's situation, she felt hopeless. However, it was so good to actually see the book. It would be even better if she could touch it. Of course, it would be best to take a look at it. If she could take it home, she would do anything.

Senju, sensing her mood, rolled her eyes helplessly. "A girl's daydreaming! She's pushing her luck!" She glanced at the dazed boss and asked, "So, what's your decision?"

"Well, I don't have the authority to sell this book yet. Can you wait a few days?" Although the shopkeeper kept his eyes on the gold coins, he still managed to uphold his integrity when he thought of the nobleman who wanted to borrow money. The little girl next to him jumped for joy, then felt disappointed. Now she wouldn't be able to smell the book!

“Alright, when you want to sell it, just come to Wanbao Bookstore on Nanmen Street to find me,” Qian Shou said, then looked at the book. “But, can I check it now? I don’t want it to be missing pages when I get it.”

“This is absolutely the one that won’t be missing; it’s locked,” the shopkeeper said, but Qian Shou smiled and placed five large gold coins on the counter. Seeing such a sincere ‘guarantee,’ the shopkeeper nodded. “Alright, but be careful.”

Looking at the five large gold coins on the counter, the shopkeeper swallowed hard. He had only lent out three small gold coins with the book as collateral. The person opposite him was really too rich. Unfortunately, it was obvious that this was not money for reading the book. For a moment, the shopkeeper hoped that Senju would grab the book and run away, so that he could keep the money.

"Myne, come here," Eva whispered, but Myne ignored her, her eyes fixed on the opening of the small shop window.

The scent of books wafted over, and she was breathing it in desperately. Even Senju was speechless; this was perverted behavior! Eva quickly pulled Myne back, but Myne struggled fiercely, crying, "Let me go! Let me smell the books properly!"

“Madam…” Senju looked over, and Eva on the other side stiffened, seemingly wanting to apologize, but Senju waved her hand, “Let go of this child, she’s too excited, it’s not good for her health.”

“This,” Eva hesitated, and Myne immediately looked weak. “Book, book, Mom, just let me stay here for a while. I won’t run around. Also, Mom, didn’t you say you were going to buy something? I’ll wait for you here.”

“Is that so?” Eva hesitated for a moment, but Thousand Hands waved his hand. “Don’t worry, Madam, I will keep an eye on her here, and the boss here is willing to help.”

“Of course, of course,” the proprietress readily agreed, seeing Thousand Hands pointing to the wine on the side and then holding up three fingers. Looking at the situation here, and thinking that her daughter didn’t seem worth all the trouble, Eva nodded, “Alright, Myne, don’t wander around here.”

"Okay, be careful on the road," Myne said with a smile. At that moment, the shopkeeper took out a book. "Please check it. But I don't have the key either. It can only become a commodity if the other party doesn't pay back the money by the deadline."

Chapter 1948 The Little Girl Who Works for Free

"Is that so? What a pity," Senju shook his head helplessly, seeing that the shopkeeper hadn't opened the book. He picked it up and glanced at it briefly. There was nothing special about it, except that it was very heavy. Myne, who was next to him, looked on excitedly. "Uncle, uncle, can I take a look? This is my lifelong request!"

"..." The shopkeeper next to her looked at Myne with a deadpan expression, while Senju waved the book in front of her, "This one is locked up, you can't read it."

"How could this be!" Looking at the two large padlocks on the book, Myne knelt down helplessly, shook her head, looked at the book, and Senju nodded. Then she returned the book, put the money in her pocket, and the shopkeeper across from her carefully locked the book. Only then did Senju buy other things, and also bought a pair of gloves for Myne. She asked the shopkeeper to calculate the total price. Senju looked at Myne, who was still in a state of utter despair.

"Child, do you want to read?" Myne felt as if she had heard the words of God, and she raised her head with a devout expression. "Yes, I want to read."

Looking up, she realized the 'deity' was smiling at her. Upon closer inspection, she recognized him as the uncle from before. "Uncle, do you have books? By the way, you said you work at the library. Can I work there?!"

“No, although you have the qualifications, you are too young. I can’t hire you,” Senju shook his head slightly. He could handle a little contact, but what Senju wanted to see was the girl’s ‘performance’. Myne was starry-eyed. “Please, I don’t need any wages.”

"No, you're too young," Senju shook his head mercilessly. Myne looked like she was about to cry, then became excited, "Can I work for you when I grow up?"

“You need to be able to read at least,” Senju shrugged, ignoring Myne who was trying to encourage her, and looked at the pile of goods beside her. “Have you calculated the money?”

"Well, that's three small silver coins and eight large copper coins in total," the shopkeeper said, seemingly adjusting the change by either rounding it down or making up the difference. He took out his card, and the shopkeeper opposite him also took out his card. They tapped it together slightly, and the money was transferred. Then, Qian Shou put the items into his bag.

"(⊙⊙)" Watching a bunch of things disappear into the small leather suitcase at Senju's waist, the three people beside him were stunned. Myne was speechless, her worldview collapsing. No, she didn't know anything about this worldview! She pretended to be innocent and asked, "Uncle, that's amazing! How did you put so many things inside?"

"Well, this is a spatial bag; it can hold a lot of things," Senju said casually. The shopkeeper and his wife next to him didn't understand, but Myne did. This world has magic!

Seeing her surprised expression, Senju smiled slightly, then frowned. The girl's magic power... After thinking for a moment, he took out a dark, ordinary ring, asked the general store owner for a thin string, and made it into a simple pendant. "Here, take this. When you grow up and can read, you can take this to the library to find me."

"Really? That's great~" Carefully putting the ring pendant around her neck, Myne was about to dance and twirl when she heard the 'devil's' voice, "But even if you work for twenty years, you still can't buy a book."

"Thump!" The child fell to the ground, dejected, then looked up angrily, "Even if I can't buy it, I can make it myself!"

“Yes, I can make books,” a blurted-out exclamation led Myne to her newfound path. Since books were hard to come by in this world, why not just make one herself? But after thinking for a while, Myne couldn’t think of any source of materials. Then she looked at Senju, “Uncle, do you know where I can buy paper?”

“Paper? I have some right here,” he said, taking a piece of paper from his bag, about A4 size. “This one will cost five silver coins. Do you want it?”

"Huh?! Why is it so expensive?!" Myne couldn't understand it. A single piece of paper cost her father two and a half months' salary? Even if she begged and pleaded, her parents...

"I would never buy it for myself," Senju shrugged. "Of course it's expensive. Making paper requires a complicated magical ritual, and magic is the privilege of nobles, so it's naturally very expensive. Do you want it?"

"Magic? Those despicable nobles!" Myne was utterly bewildered. Why was she reborn as a commoner?! Looking at the smiling guy beside her, Myne felt a pang of heartache. This guy must have done it on purpose. How could he treat a child like this? Didn't his conscience hurt? He's a bad person. It seems her dream of creating books will have to start with papermaking.

With a vow in her heart, Mei Yin Cai looked away from the paper after staring at it for a while. "Um, I'm sorry, sir, this is too expensive. I can't afford it."

“I guessed so,” Senju’s smiling face was utterly detestable to Myne. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Although he was a demon, he was at least a demon who could communicate with her. Thinking of his library, she needed to stay calm. Clutching the ring on her chest, Myne quickly composed herself, looked around, and then looked at Senju seriously. “Sir, I know a way to make cheaper paper. If so, can I become a staff member of the library?”

"Well, we'll talk about that after you've built it," Senju said casually, her expression quite perfunctory. Myne looked helpless; as expected, no one listens to a child's words. "I'm serious."

"Yes, yes, that's amazing," Senju nodded insincerely, stuffed the paper back into her bag, and then chatted with the shopkeeper about the book's origin, asking him to help her find a place to buy it. Myne, who was standing next to her, was filled with envy and jealousy. If she had money, she could say the same thing with the same arrogance. But sure enough, there was a book here, and she was captivated by it all.

Then a question popped into her head: learning to read! Where could she learn to read? Thinking about Dolly's usual behavior, there didn't seem to be any schools around here, and besides, she was so weak. She was speechless again.

However, the little girl, who was determined to learn about books, wouldn't give in so easily. After thinking for a moment, she decided to tell him about a very impressive papermaking technique: papyrus, a remarkable invention of the ancient Egyptians! "Uncle, uncle, let me tell you about it. If you think it makes sense, then let me help out in the library."

"Still not giving up? Fine then," Senju said, feigning helplessness, as she sat down on a bench and patted the side. "So, come on over here. By the way, what's your name?"

“I am Myne,” Myne said with a slight bow, then sat down on one side of the bench. Senju casually took out two fist-sized cakes and breads. “Myne, let’s eat and talk.”

Chapter 1949 Hunting

"It smells so good~" Myne was drooling. She swallowed and took the bread. Then she started talking about how to make paper. "First, find a grass that is wide and whose fibers are easy to separate. Take the fibers out of the grass leaves and weave them together like weaving cloth. That should be how you make paper."

“Is that so?” Listening to the girl’s words and watching her gestures, Senju could understand completely. Myne wanted to obtain plant fibers first, and then make paper like paper, but that was too unreliable. Senju shook her head there, “It’s too troublesome. Besides, why not just use cloth? Cloth is easier to preserve, and the technology is more mature.”

“Uh,” Myne was taken aback. She had thought her idea was quite clever, but listening to what the other person said, it seemed that cloth was more convenient and readily available. She remembered that many ancient books were scrolls made of cloth. This was similar to paper, but looking at her own clothes and then at the clothes of the person next to her, damn it, the two materials were completely different!

Myne's clothes were made of linen with very coarse threads, making it impossible to write on them, while Senju's clothes were made of a material that looked like silk, and his white cloak looked more and more like a giant sheet of white paper to Myne! The two were incomparable, and Myne felt as if she had been shot in the heart again.

Clutching her chest, Myne was indignant. So what if he's rich?! If she had money, she would buy paper too, and she would buy such beautiful white cloth as paper, but she didn't have any. She was determined to make papyrus to show this guy!

"What's wrong?" Senju, who was eating bread, looked innocently at the little girl beside him. "Try this bread, it's my masterpiece."

"Hmph hmph~" Myne was quite annoyed, then took a bite. So soft, so sweet, so fragrant~ Her puffed-up face instantly became cute, and her previously gloomy mood soared with the sweetness in her mouth. So delicious~ So delicious~

No, the other party is a bad person! After her mind was racing for a while, Myne finally realized that the other party was a great devil. Myne, you can't give in! Cheering herself up, she couldn't help but take another bite. After the excitement, she felt guilty. No, she had to take it home for Dolly to try.

Senju, who was sitting to one side, was smiling as he sensed Myne's changing emotions. The ring was a kind of locator and could preserve Myne's soul after her death. Of course, if Myne hadn't died, it would just be a locator.

Myne struggled to put the bread down, and Senju asked 'curiously,' "What's wrong, Myne? Is it not good?"

“No, this is the best thing Myne has ever eaten, but I want to take it home for my sister to try,” Myne said, acting like a little adult. Senju chuckled and took out a bread wrapped in paper from her bag. “Here, take this back for your sister.”

"Paper!" What Myne saw was the paper wrapped around her neck.

He eagerly took it and rubbed it on his face, then realized, "I can't take this, it's too expensive."

"The food I make is worth far more than paper," Senju casually waved his hand, and Myne was once again struck a blow. So what if they're rich?! I want to be rich too!