Upon hearing the remuneration Andrew quoted for the commission, Ellen was momentarily stunned.
And the reason, of course, was not because the money Andrew offered was too little.
On the contrary... it was too much.
It could even be said that it completely exceeded her expectations.
After all, generally speaking.
The jobs found outside were not long-term positions, but rather temporary work like being a shop temp.
Even in the best-case scenario, earning ten thousand Dennies a day was already considered a very substantial situation.
And that would require working a full day on the weekend at the job site.
Yet, this commission from Andrew was basically a one-off deal, and a very relaxed one at that. In most cases, such gigs paid less than long-term wages.
And generally, it would be more than just a little less.
In Ellen's expectation.
If the payment she could get after finishing work today was enough to buy that limited-edition moisturizing balm, it would already be a very lucky thing.
But looking at it now...
Forget buying the moisturizing balm; after this job ends, her other goal for saving money could take a massive step forward.
Seeing that Ellen didn't react.
Andrew, not knowing what she was worried about, immediately began trying to dispel her concerns.
At the same time, he instructed:
"Don't look just at the high pay; the sewing method I need to use later is actually very troublesome. Moreover, when doing it, you must be careful and serious, and strive to achieve perfection!"
Andrew's requirements were nothing new to Ellen.
She didn't feel there was any problem at all. If anything, it was only after Andrew added such requirements that Ellen felt it was more reasonable.
After all.
If the gap between the labor invested and the return received was too large, in that situation, she would actually have to worry about whether she was being scammed.
One had to be careful not to be scammed and shipped off to some hellhole, becoming the type of 'close friend' who literally gives up their heart and lungs for others.
If that happened, even if the gods descended and found all her pieces, she would still have to be puzzled back together.
However.
Although she had basically decided in her heart to take this commission, and determined she definitely wanted to work here.
Ellen still had one last question.
"Umm... May I ask, are there any restrictions regarding time for the work? Today is Saturday, but after the weekend passes, I usually have to go to school, so I can only come after school."
Regarding Ellen's question, Andrew waved his hand without hesitation and said:
"No, there are no restrictions regarding time."
After all, when it came down to it, it was just a daily gift.
In the end.
Actually, it wasn't even a slightly special holiday gift; it was simply a whim that felt appropriate, so he was giving it.
Waving his hand, Andrew continued:
"You can just come do it whenever you have free time. Besides, I will be making them together with you during the production period, it's just that I have something to do tomorrow morning and need to go out for a bit."
But after answering Ellen's question, Andrew, who had a new idea after thinking for a moment, immediately spoke up as if adding a supplement:
"However, although there is no time limit, if these three outfits can be finished within three days..."
As he spoke, Andrew said:
"I will add a bit to the remuneration for this commission for you, rounding it up from ninety thousand to prepare one hundred thousand Dennies."
Then, Andrew held up four fingers and gestured:
"Moreover, on this basis, if you can manage to finish it within two days with guaranteed quality and quantity, then the settlement will count as if you made one extra set. It will go from ninety thousand Dennies to one hundred and twenty thousand Dennies."
Although Andrew added an extra condition.
This condition was so lenient that it greatly exceeded Ellen's expectations. It could be said that as long as she worked seriously, it was basically no different from free money.
Rather than a restrictive condition for completion, this actually felt more like an achievement reward for a side quest.
There was no penalty for not completing it, but there would be an extra reward for completing it.
At this point, Ellen, having had all her doubts answered, naturally had no further objections.
As for whether Andrew knew that the remuneration he was giving was actually somewhat excessive compared to other jobs...
Naturally, he knew.
Andrew wasn't a fool.
It wasn't for any other reason; it was simply a well-intentioned investigative aid for Ellen.
Although Andrew wouldn't let his sympathy overflow to the point of being a saint, thinking about how to unconditionally save everyone after knowing there were many orphans in New Eridu who had lost their parents.
In the final analysis, he really hadn't reached that level of greatness.
But when a real person like Ellen appeared in front of him, and he already knew her specific situation.
For Andrew, this was another situation entirely.
For such an existence, Andrew would still choose to help as much as he could within his ability.
Although it sounded somewhat contradictory, Andrew understood one principle.
That was—
No matter how long a person's arms are, the places they can reach are ultimately limited.
Andrew wouldn't lament over things he couldn't do at the time, but within the range his hands could touch, Andrew couldn't completely ignore them either.
Leaving aside the ten girls from the Silver Squad still staying in Silver City, and Nicole and the others.
With so many people, a position could indeed be squeezed out.
But even if a job position was forcibly squeezed out, did you plan to let a fourteen-year-old kid run all the way to the Outer Ring every day after school?
Let alone the long distance.
What if she ran into some fledgling reckless idiot who robbed her on the way?
So going to the Outer Ring was completely impossible to guarantee in terms of safety.
Furthermore, doing that felt no different from just giving her money directly.
As for the siblings' video store, it was already a bit overflowing after adding Soldier 11, so making up another position wouldn't be reasonable either.
As for other organizations Andrew knew...
Except for Nicole's Cunning Hares, which Andrew had never considered from start to finish, if Ellen was indeed a good kid, Andrew actually had a place he could recommend to her.
As for the Cunning Hares.
With their operational method of starving nine meals out of three days, Andrew didn't believe they could raise a child well.
It would be good enough if they didn't starve themselves to death, and they want to raise a child?
So regarding the most suitable place, after thinking it over, Andrew felt Von Lycaon's Victoria Housekeeping Co. was the most suitable.
It just so happened that he had asked him a while ago to help introduce a suitable candidate.
Although Ellen's age was admittedly a bit young... there shouldn't be any problem... right?
After all, when Von Lycaon told him the filter conditions back then, the only filter condition mentioned was Ether resistance; there were no other requirements.
So logically speaking, Ellen was a perfect match.
Moreover, according to Andrew's understanding of Von Lycaon.
If he were to act as something like a guardian for Ellen, presumably he would be extremely diligent and responsible.
Calculating carefully, Victoria Housekeeping Co. was indeed the most suitable place for Ellen.
However, this was something to consider only after the work at hand was finished. Before recommending a new job to her.
Work first!
Andrew hadn't forgotten the fundamental purpose of recruiting her.
Moreover, regarding Ellen's specific situation and internal and external conditions like character and morals, Andrew was still in a state of complete ignorance.
At least the other party trusted him that much.
If the recommended person was politely rejected by the other party because of character issues or the like, it would really be a huge loss of face then.
So before deciding whether to recommend her or not.
Andrew felt he should wait to make a decision after interacting with and observing her during these two days of work.
And regarding Andrew's requirement to start work, Ellen naturally had no reason to refuse.
Under his teaching and demonstration, Ellen, who was at the age of a student and had strong learning abilities, quickly learned the sewing method.
Then she began attempting to do it independently.
It had to be said.
A girl's hands were indeed much more dexterous than Andrew's, and she learned very easily.
And as time passed, her movements became faster and faster due to proficiency.
Watching her gradually accelerating movements, Andrew was actually a little worried about quality issues at first.
He started to suspect a little whether Ellen was directly ignoring quality during the production process for the sake of speed.
However, after Andrew checked, he found that...
There were no problems at all with the quality of the parts she sewed. As for why she always subconsciously sped up, always accelerating to the limit she could endure...
Lowering his head.
Through Ellen's leg-shaking and toe-tapping on the ground, which began to go pat-pat-pat and get faster and faster as time passed.
Andrew discovered.
The reason why Ellen always unconsciously sped up her movements as she continuously repeated the sewing was purely because Ellen actually gradually became agitated as she worked.
But in the state of focused work.
Being agitated didn't mean she would become careless because of it; it was just that the movements of her hands would start to subconsciously and unconsciously speed up with the change in her mood.
As the speed increased to a certain degree.
Since she had a human limit after all, she would start to make some subtle mistakes during the work.
And every time it reached this point.
Ellen would start to suppress her state of having unconsciously become impatient.
Wait until all the above was done, and then what happened would play out once more in Andrew's eyes.
It looked like entering a time vortex one couldn't walk out of, leaving Andrew, who was watching from the side, dazed.
He felt as if he had opened a looping animation.
Watching her situation, Andrew asked casually, like making small talk:
"Ellen, do you have any plans for the future?"
"Hmm?"
Andrew's question was a bit sudden for Ellen.
But after thinking for a moment, Ellen answered decisively and seriously:
"I must go eat dinner in a bit."
"Uh..."
Regarding this brief but powerful answer, Andrew was a bit speechless for a moment.
Although it was a bit abstract.
However, this answer, which couldn't really be counted as an answer at all, was obviously insufficient to make Andrew start feeling satisfied, so he spoke up to ask further:
"No, I'll cover dinner in a while, just eat what I make then. I'm asking about a plan that's a bit further away."
However, facing Andrew's follow-up question, Ellen's answer this time was even swifter than before.
She continued to speak very firmly:
"Eat tomorrow's lunch."
"..."
Although he wanted to ask why it wasn't tomorrow morning's breakfast, Andrew ultimately didn't ask it.
Not knowing whether there was a problem with his method of asking or due to some other reason, although somewhat helpless, Andrew still didn't choose to give up.
He continued to ask further.
"No, I mean do you have that kind of even more long-term plan?"
"Yes!"
hearing there was one, Andrew immediately perked up with interest and asked:
"What is it?"
"Wait for winter break!"
Regarding Andrew's question.
This time Ellen's eyes were even more determined. Looking at her face full of fortitude, she was as serious as if she were swearing a solemn oath.
But compared to her determination, Andrew could only speechlessly hold his forehead.
And regarding Ellen's answer, Andrew could only say one sentence:
Nothing wrong with that.
Indeed, there was nothing wrong with it.
After all, for all students, this goal had always been one of the most long-term plans.
After all, for students, generally speaking, calculating the vacation time basically started from the very first day of school.
However.
This answer of Ellen's still couldn't answer the corresponding answer Andrew wanted to know when he first asked.
With the mindset of one last try.
Andrew adjusted his phrasing and continued to ask seriously:
"No, I mean the kind that you could say is your biggest and most long-term goal and plan at the current stage."
However, this time.
Looking at Andrew's eyes, Ellen didn't answer casually using the same method as before.
After thinking for a long time, she finally said seriously:
"I plan to go to high school after graduating from junior high."
A short sentence. Words that seemed only natural explained the main reason why Ellen came out specifically to work.
After all, in New Eridu.
As long as one graduated from junior high, there were no public-welfare nature subsidies belonging to the government once one reached high school. One could only rely on oneself to pay tuition and other fees.
If it were an ordinary family, there wouldn't be any difference aside from an extra tuition expense.
But for Ellen, who was the only one in her family, it was different.
If she wanted to go to high school, she had to save enough for a high school tuition fee through working in advance during these three years of junior high school.
And this was actually the reason why many very young junior high students would come out to work.
At the same time, also because many people knew about this educational situation.
So as long as they were kind people, they would always reveal a bit of their own kindness and preferential treatment towards these people.
And hearing Ellen's plan, Andrew was silent for a moment.
Sure enough, he didn't judge the person wrongly.
Thinking to this point, Andrew spoke directly and continued to ask:
"Ellen, what was your measured Ether resistance?"
Although she wasn't clear on what exactly Andrew wanted to do by asking this, Ellen, who was very confident in this aspect, raised her head slightly and said with self-satisfaction:
"Judging from the results of the physical examination arranged before, my Ether resistance is excellent!"
Surprisingly, she really matched.
To be honest.
When he agreed back then, Andrew himself hadn't expected that he would actually be able to meet a candidate who matched the conditions Von Lycaon mentioned.
And looking at Ellen's very tender face, a decision had already been made in the bottom of Andrew's heart.
____
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