The distance from Austria to France wasn't far, and neither Luo Lin nor Ragnar needed to adjust to the time zone difference. After two days of acclimating to the local weather, they began teaching the children at the orphanage.
At first, the children were quite reserved, thinking that Luo Lin and Ragnar were like their regular teachers who taught subjects such as literature and mathematics. They believed the teachers would be stern, assign heaps of homework, and scold them if they didn't perform well.
After all, the identities of the two had spread throughout the orphanage in these past two days—one was the head of the action team from Schiksal Headquarters, also serving as a combat instructor, and all the nuns at the orphanage held Ragnar in high regard. The other seemed to have little fame, but also came from headquarters, probably not someone pleasant to be around.
After all, the children gathered here were survivors of the Honkai events, and the Valkyries of Schiksal had saved their lives.
These children who had experienced the Honkai naturally had the qualifications to understand relevant information, with the first being the introduction to Schiksal—a military organization dedicated to fighting against Honkai, which had been passed down for centuries.
So when Ragnar's first class began, and the two of them pushed a small cart of things into the classroom, all the children remained silent and dared not make a sound.
Ragnar looked at everyone in the classroom and was prepared for this situation. She cleared her throat and gently addressed the children, "Hello, my name is Ragnar Lothbrok, and I'm your gardening class teacher... Don't be nervous, I want to be friends with all of you."
Turning around, Ragnar wrote her name on the blackboard, then asked Luo Lin to help unload things from the cart. There were various flowers packed in plastic cups, some already in bloom, and others still in buds.
The plants in these plastic cups quickly filled the platform. After introducing herself, Ragnar picked up a cup with a beautiful flower in bloom and asked the children, "These flowers are gifts from the teacher to you... Do you like them?"
Gifts?
At the mention of this word, the children became restless, but because they were not familiar with Ragnar, they just raised their heads excitedly to observe the flowers.
"The teacher has introduced herself already, so would anyone like to introduce themselves voluntarily? For example, your name, hobbies... The teacher is new here and doesn't know you all yet."
"Who wants to be my friend?" Ragnar smiled and raised the flower in her hand, "After becoming friends, we can exchange gifts, okay?"
Almost immediately, some children responded. A girl with golden hair stood up and said firmly, "My name is Bianka Ataegina! My dream is to become a Valkyrie of Schiksal!"
Ragnar looked somewhat surprised at little Bianka's determined face. She seemed to understand why Bishop Otto valued this child so much, offering assistance when she was seriously injured, always paying attention to her growth, and even asking Ragnar to come to France to look after her.
Almost all the children were watching Bianka, not only because she set an example but also because she had become the leader of the children unconsciously—Bianka was like a flag, uniting the children around her, and her every move influenced everyone around her.
Schiksal needed talents like her, people who could unite others and lead them into an uncertain future.
Bianka had already unconsciously demonstrated her talent.
"Very good, Bianka, the future Valkyrie," Ragnar walked to the girl's side, bent down, met her eyes, and extended her hand, "Shall we shake hands? Handshakes represent communication and acceptance, so we can become friends."
Bianka was quite surprised by Ragnar's behavior. She didn't seem to be treated as an ignorant child but as an equal conversational partner. In the eyes of this adult, Bianka saw respect and a certain expectation, so she hesitated to hold the Valkyrie's hand.
"Alright, my friend, this is my gift to you!" Ragnar handed the cup of flowers to the girl, "Please cherish it!"
Bianka solemnly accepted the colorful blooming flower and returned to her original position.
Ragnar stood up, looked around, and smiled, asking, "Who else wants to be friends with me?"
Under Bianka's influence, the children overcame their fear and became more active.
A boy jumped up, puffed out his chest, and shouted, "Me! My name is Michael McDonald, I'm ten years old! I like running! Um, and playing hide and seek!"
"Great, would you like to shake hands with me?"
Excitedly, the boy shook the Valkyrie's hand with both of his, shaking it up and down exaggeratedly, which caused laughter and made Michael McDonald shrink back, lowering his head a bit.
Ragnar sternly scanned the room, using a serious tone to stop the children's laughter, "Children, is making friends a laughing matter?"
The children seemed to realize their mistake, and the laughter quickly subsided. Michael McDonald, who had been somewhat dejected, raised his head, his eyes shining. Ragnar didn't let go of his hand but pulled him a little closer, indicating a sense of protection.
"Speaking to strangers requires courage, and I believe Michael McDonald is a brave child." Ragnar slightly raised her voice, letting her words echo in the classroom, "Now, I've become his friend. And what about you? Can I be your friend?"
In the silence, Michael McDonald received his own flower and returned to his seat, chest puffed up.
Ragnar waited for a while longer, then asked again amidst the children's thoughtful expressions, "Now, who else wants to be friends with me?"
"I do!"
"And me!"
Satisfied, Ragnar nodded, watching the children eagerly introduce themselves, and the class proceeded smoothly.
After everyone received their own gift, Ragnar took out various gardening tools from the cart, such as small shovels, hoes, watering cans, fertilizers, and so on.
Using the flowers in the children's hands as a starting point, Ragnar gradually began the gardening class tutorial. She kindly walked among the children, allowing each child to water their own flower, fertilize it, and carefully loosen the soil with a small shovel.
The children were all very serious. They cherished their own flowers, perhaps because they were proof of their friendship with Ragnar.
And thus, a successful gardening class quickly passed. Luo Lin, who was watching on the side, exclaimed in admiration, and Ragnar walked over and patted her shoulder, saying lightly, "See, I told you it's not difficult to get along with children..."
"I just feel that you have a high level of control... Your ability to control the situation is really impressive..." Luo Lin sighed.
"Don't worry, you've learned all the Valkyrie courses from Schiksal. This little thing is nothing."