Chapter 192: Allen's Coin-Throwing Investigation Method
The three of them found Allen's behavior odd.
In their eyes, this was just a perfectly ordinary orphanage run by a monastery—nothing seemed out of place.
Allen gave a devilish grin and pointed out the problem. "The key is the doll."
"What could be wrong with a doll?" Agatha asked, clearly confused.
It was just an ordinary doll—surely not some vessel for a malevolent spirit. And in a monastery sanctified by holy power, that didn't seem likely.
"I remember when I was a kid at the orphanage," Allen began wistfully, "whenever toys were handed out, everyone was thrilled. We all cherished them, wouldn't even let them get dirty. After a fierce scramble, I finally got a floral glove—my first love token from an ex. Even when all five fingers had holes in them, I still couldn't bear to throw it away. That's why my ex broke up with me—said I was too stingy."
"Get to the point," Geralt interjected.
He had grown up in the Witcher academy, with no exposure to toys. The weapons he used to hunt monsters were what filled the void of childhood.
"Come on, Supes, don't be so blunt. I like to build some atmosphere first, a little foreplay before diving into the main act—it makes the flow smoother, y'know?"
"…"
That phrasing was… questionable.
But they were used to Allen's outrageous remarks by now and could decipher his meaning correctly.
"A monastery that adopts orphans but is strapped for cash—you think they'd have enough fabric to make toys?"
Allen answered his own question, "Of course not. Even if other kids didn't want a toy, they wouldn't just toss it. Wouldn't it make more sense to pass it on to someone else? Are we saying the kids no longer like toys? That they've matured beyond them?"
The three fell silent.
He had a point—something wasn't right.
The Church orphanages raised children until they were about twelve or thirteen, and kids that age should still be interested in toys.
"What are you planning to do?" Geralt asked.
Even if they now suspected something was off, they couldn't act rashly before figuring out the truth. If they made a mistake, things could easily spiral out of control.
"We'll observe quietly," Allen said, lying down on the bed, looking utterly unhurried.
"This is weird—really weird," Agatha said, frowning at Allen. "Why are you suddenly speaking with such coherent logic?"
"I'm not stupid. I'm just a mentally ill guy with spirit," Allen replied with a shrug. "I always have to explain: I have a mental illness, not brain damage. It's annoying, okay?"
"What's the difference?" Gu Yi asked in confusion. She had no real understanding of what "stupid" even looked like.
Which made sense—back in her mountain village, families struggling to survive wouldn't bother keeping a child with congenital intellectual disabilities. They were usually abandoned or… taken care of. Such a child couldn't contribute to the household—just another mouth to feed.
"Let me show you."
Allen jumped off the bed and put on a twisted expression: mouth askew, eyes crossed, tongue lolling out. His arms bent inward, his legs turned inward in a pigeon-toed stance, and he shuffled clumsily toward Gu Yi while mumbling incoherently:
"Ah-haha… Yao-jie… slurp… let's play… slurp… ah-haha…"
"Don't come near me!"
Gu Yi took a step back, terror in her eyes.
Allen dropped the act and smirked proudly. "Convincing, right? I could win an Oscar."
For a moment, they found him surprisingly normal. Sure, he could be erratic, but at least communication wasn't an issue.
"Yeah… you really looked like an idiot," Agatha nodded approvingly.
"Thanks for the compliment," Allen said with satisfaction.
"…"
Gu Yi was still shaken. "Allen, don't do that again. You looked like you were possessed by an evil spirit."
"Oh come on… if an evil spirit possessed me, it'd have to be suicidal. I've got beast blood running hot—I'd scatter that spirit like smoke in the wind."
If he really ran into an evil spirit, Allen would be overjoyed.
Possess him? Be his guest. Whether it could leave afterward was a whole different question.
That evening, the monastery served dinner.
Dozens of children anxiously eyed the four strangers.
But once they saw the menu—beef stew with potatoes and bread—the tension vanished. The kids dove headfirst into their meal.
After earning a fortune in gold coins, the abbess hadn't forgotten to improve the children's meals. After all, they were still growing.
"Does it suit your taste?"
The abbess came over warmly, though the question felt unnecessary—Allen was licking his plate.
He only stopped once it was so clean it reflected light.
Burp…
Allen let out a loud belch and said listlessly, "It's average. Not worthy of Allen's private recipe collection."
Not worthy? But you licked the plate clean…
The abbess smiled. "What would you like to eat tomorrow? I'll have someone prepare it."
"Hot pot."
"Hot pot?"
The abbess looked completely baffled—she'd never even heard of such a dish.
She hesitated.
If she didn't keep this patron happy, there'd be no more gold to collect.
"Everyone, come here! Gold coin distribution!"
Allen jumped up and pulled out a handful of gold coins, shouting, "Everyone gets one—line up for your benefits!"
Instantly, the entire room froze—spoons halted midair.
The nuns frowned slightly, but the children looked puzzled—they didn't really understand the concept of money.
Their doctrine forbade the pursuit of worldly wealth.
Clearly, Allen's actions violated their teachings.
But the abbess's wrinkled face bloomed into a smile like a chrysanthemum.
With nuns and children combined, over a hundred gold coins were added to the monastery's reserves. They could now operate smoothly for the next ten years.
Allen's over-the-top generosity left the other three utterly baffled.
Shouldn't he be investigating suspicious behavior?
Why was he handing out gold coins at the drop of a hat?
But since the money had been earned by lifting the vampire bird's curse, they had no choice but to let him do as he pleased.
A polite young boy took a coin and said, "Thank you, sir."
"Call me boss," Allen corrected him proudly.
"Thank you, boss."
…
Dinner ended.
Allen counted his remaining coins and muttered in frustration, "I might've overdone it this time. Gave the abbess 133 gold coins, then another 111 during dinner… This place is seriously dangerous."
"Allen, stop already," Agatha snapped. "At this rate, we'll be broke before we even leave the monastery."
"I just can't help but throw money around," Allen said, blinking innocently.
…
The next morning.
After breakfast, Allen was the first to rise. "Gold coin giveaway! One per person!"
Not again!
Agatha facepalmed. "I can't take this anymore."
"He must have his reasons," Gu Yi said firmly, still standing by Allen.
Geralt quietly chewed his bread and sipped his milk, secretly wanting to get in line too—but pride held him back.
Off to the side, the abbess and two deputy abbesses were having a discussion.
"Abbess Shiri, shouldn't we try to talk to this child? We're taking so much gold for free… It just doesn't sit right with me," said Abbess Tina.
"She's right," added Abbess Saya. "This goes against doctrine. I'm worried the younger sisters will grow attached to material things."
Abbess Shiri didn't mind at all. "He's a kind soul. We shouldn't let his generosity go to waste."
"…"