Orphans Join

"Well, it has been a week. Why don't you stand on your fixed leg boy! Haha!" James laughed loudly as his only patient stood up without much help.

Another doctor was watching from the back in complete disbelief. He had bet that the man on the bed would never walk again. It is only now that the man stands does he wonder if it could be true, after all, seeing is believing.

"Thank you sir! Thank you for savin my leg! The man looked like he would cry as he slowly walked on his leg. "I am almost ready for battle!"

"HAHA! Well, I sure hope you keep that wound clean for a few more days before joining the battle." James turned to the other doctor and spoke, "So I suppose this gives me the qualifications? Will you allow me to treat the others?"

"huh? Oh yeah... Sure..." The doctor simply looked stunned as he watched as James started working.

He watched as James cleaned the wound and did so many things for other patients. What stood out to him the most was how clean James was being. Instead of the doctor's uniform of a bloody apron that showed how good he was, James made sure to be clean from patient to patient.

The next strange thing was how little pain the patients seemed to be. Everyone knew that pain was just part of the process and most patients screamed in pain while being treated. Lastly was the strange act of making sure the patients with a fever were covered. It was common practice to make sure that anyone with a fever be cooled down, but again James stopped the common practice.

"Sir? Are you sure that this type of care works? You aren't even keeping the blood on your apron. Where did you learn how to care for patients?"

"Keeping Blood!? Are you trying to get everyone killed! Keep the men clean and make sure the wounds are clean. Then there will be no infections! I know this from the hundreds of patients I have cared for. The books from the mythic library said this is the best way! 

Now! Stop bothering me and instead take this time to learn how to truly care for people."

James simply shook his head at the man as he turned back to focus on the patients. The other medical staff looked at him with strangeness in their eyes. After all he had done so many things against what they were taught that they weren't sure if he was truly trying to care for patients.

***

"Today we eat good!"

"YES!" x15

After the battle yesterday and the orchard in the middle of town, the church of Knowledge was now accepted by the town as a genuine organization. Although it was accepted and no longer being called a cult, only six people decided to join them. 

Now everyone in the church was eating all sorts of apple goods. From the one thunderstorm, the group had gotten thousands of apples. Each person can only eat around twenty a day. Making it so the small church of sixteen people can barely finish 320 a day. This would mean it would take 200 days to finish it all! 

With this in mind, most of the new members were put to making the apples into something that can be better preserved. Others were working on a way to grow more so they can start selling the apples if needed. Lastly, there were the fighters who were helping move stones around to build the church.

Everything was going even more smoothly thanks to the new ovens that allowed for new recipes. Everything from pies to tarts to breads were all being made constantly to feed all the members.

In fact, the word of free food was going be their main strategy to attract potential followers. Although no one showed up during the day, Alma knew people would eventually want to join an organization that gave out food to its members.

As if to prove a point, at this moment a large group of children appeared at the edge of the area where everyone ate. Alma recognized them as the orphans who lived on the streets. It appeared that they had joined hands together to form a group and come here with courage.

The rowdy atmosphere of people enjoying the apple goods calmed down as the kids attracted everyone's attention.

Alma quickly stood out and spoke, "Hello! Are you here to join the church?"

A boy with marginally better clothes stood out and spoke. "Hello, I am Issac. I am the leader of this group. We were originally working to earn a good meal and make our organization better, but hearing you giving out food and seeing the trees you grew, I knew I had to contact you." The boy paused as he bowed and spoke, "The Altias Shadow here to join the church."

"Oh? You are an organization? What do you do? When did you create it? Do you understand what it means to join the church?" Alma bombarded Issac with questions with curiosity burning in her eyes.

**

Issac Pov

'Is she a reincarnate too? Here I thought I was special, but now seeing a child was truly responsible for creating a church it is likely reincarnates aren't as rare as I thought. Of course, there could also be the possibility that I was just lucky and found someone like me nearby. There could be the chance that we are the only ones in the entire world.'

"I created the organization four years ago just before turning five. I created it to help those abandoned on the streets. So far we have saved at least three hundred children. Granted, only 58 are in this village while the rest are in the city and other towns.

As for what it means to join the church... From what I understand we have to do some work and believe in the god of knowledge. As for the rest, why don't you tell me?"

"THREE HUNDRED! WOW! Are you planning to have everyone in your organization join the church?" Alma looked so excited and wowed by the amount of children I had under my command.

'I need to know what type of person you are... fine I have an idea.'

"Well, how about you show you can feed these 58 here without running out of food. Then we can talk about everyone joining your church. After all I have many people in different towns that won't want to leave them for this small village."

"That is fine so long as you truly join." Alma didn't look bothered at all as if she had already seen through me. "I also understand orphans often run hungry so it would be for the best for them to join in the meal, just make sure they don't go crazy. After all, although there is enough food for everyone, I don't want any to go to waste with people being stupid."

Seeing her act like she had the situation under control further convinced me she was a reincarnate. Still, I was mostly happy she seemed to be willing to feed my people. I wasn't sure from what type of world she reincarnated from, but I knew she definitely had much more knowledge compared to what she had shown. 

Although the one thing I am most worried about is why she would choose to make a church rather than an organization like mine? Is it because of the way she grew those trees? Did she believe that a church with supernatural powers is more believable?

Sure, I don't understand how she did it, but any technology advanced enough looks like magic. With that in mind, I knew I had to better understand her in a private conversation. So many of these people don't even understand that they aren't following a child, but an adult with years of knowledge in the body of a child...

*sigh* I sure hope everything goes well. After all to combine our organizations together is a huge gamble...

**

"So, what did you want to talk to me in private?"

"I want to know more about the technology you got to grow those trees. Also how we should combine organizations."

Alma frowned as she spoke, "I got the knowledge from Lord Alex! This is a 'Church' for him! Not an organization!" Alma had expected a happy talk from one orphan to another, but now seeing the boy in front of her insult her and greed after the knowledge she received from her Lord... SHE was FURIOUS!

Issac simply shrugged as he spoke, "We are alone now. You don't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping. I know you are a reincarnate."

"A reincarnate? What is that and why does it give you the right to insult my Lord?" Alma was on the brink of pulling her spear and killing the boy who insulted her god, but she held back. 

"Reincarnate...??? Well, um, it is what you and I are. People who had lived their lives in the body of another until dying in some way and being reborn into a new body where we keep our memories." Slightly bewildered Issac explained. He had expected that the conversation between two reincarnates should be smoother than this.

Alma "???" 

Issac "???"

"But I am not reborn in any way! Wait! Keeping knowledge from other life? Does that mean you think I got my knowledge from a past life instead of my Lord?"

"You're not? How! Are gods actually real?" Issac's eyes widened as he began to look down as he mumbled, "No wait it still isn't guaranteed that gods are real in this world. Maybe it was a traveler who passed on his knowledge to you. Maybe he is a reincarnate? Possible but no longer guaranteed... I suppose this means that this 'Alex' character is at least real..."

"OF course Alex is REAL!"

"Oh! I am sorry..." Bowing Issac could only scream in his mind wondering what should he do! 'AAAHHHh! Why isn't she a reincarnate like planned! What do I do!'

After a long while of silence, Issac finally made a decision, "Alma. I am truly sorry for offending you. I thought something else about you. I would love to meet your god to apologize in person. Then we can start working together completely without worry."

Alma on the other hand felt like she was going crazy! Here comes this boy who makes crazy claims and then apologizes and asks to meet her god! "You can't meet him. He is the one who takes you in. If you are lucky you will have the fog envelope you and find yourself at his doorstep. Until then you will not meet him. The real question you should be asking is whether you will truly join the church of knowledge."

A long silence followed before Issac spoke again, "Very well. As someone who has lived two lives, I have many dreams and aspirations. So if you can feed my people I will work hard to have your god to have him become the one and only religion."

Still confused, Alma leaned against a wall as she thought of everything she learned. "So you claim to have lived two lives and have been reborn. Yet why is it you don't believe in a god?"

"I was an atheist in my past life. In other words, I have never believed in a god."

"Will you be the only one who doesn't believe in Lord Alex or will your people also choose not to believe in him?"

"I will leave the choice up to them. They can choose to believe or not, but we will join your church all the same."

"Why do you so strongly object to there being a god?"

"Simple. Science is the supreme form of knowledge. It gives humans control over the world around us. It gives us power that gods would never be able to give us."

"Oh... *sigh* so you are an idiot."

_______________

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