This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 595, Section 594: Alama's Helplessness
Recently, Alama has had a rare moment of leisure.

It's not that there's nothing to do, but compared to the past ten years or so, when they had to sit in the High Fortress and face the demon army head-on, the situation is now different.

With the fall of High Fortress, the human army retreated to a more rearward defensive line, thus creating a large buffer zone between the two sides.

The extended battle lines and the change in the standoff unexpectedly gave the duke some free time.

Only then could he temporarily leave the front line and come to Modu to see his daughter who always brought him "surprises".

"Is this what they call the Ring of Imprisonment?" Alama's attention was quickly drawn to the ancient-looking ring on Inanna's hand, which faintly shimmered with runic light. "Why are there two?"

As he spoke, he curiously reached out his finger, wanting to touch the ring for a closer look.

"Get your filthy hands off me, human!"

A burst of flame suddenly rose from the ring, sweeping across the fabric on Alama's chest that had just been dampened by the melting ice, instantly drying it and even singeing the ends of his black and white hair, causing them to curl slightly.

"Little Fire! He's my father!" Inanna snapped angrily at the ring.

"Of course I know!" A muffled voice boomed from the ring, clearly displeased. "Otherwise, he'd be a medium-rare roast meat by now! And besides, my name isn't 'Little Fire'!"

"I'm ignoring you today!" Inanna then approached Alama and asked with concern, "Old man, are you alright? Sorry, Little Fire just got hit by Little Ice, so I'm in a bad mood."

"Who got hit by it? Who got hit by it! Right here, call it out, and let's fight again!"

Flames kept erupting from the ring, accidentally igniting the wooden table next to it. Inanna quickly extinguished it with a water ball, and finally had to use the runes on the ring to temporarily lock the fire elemental lord in confinement, which finally brought some peace.

Having experienced both extremes of heat and cold, Alama almost instinctively leaned back slightly when she saw her daughter approaching again.

Fortunately, his control honed over years of battlefield experience allowed him to steady himself at the last moment, though his shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

This time, thankfully, no "defense mechanisms" were triggered.

Hearing her daughter refer to the fire elemental lord, who "stirred up an elemental riot and destroyed the entire city" in the report, as "Little Fire" in a coaxing tone, Alama's eyes twitched uncontrollably.

He raised his hand to stroke his still slightly scraggly beard, and chuckled twice:

"Good, good... Our daughter has really grown up, and her abilities are getting better and better. This is a good thing, a very good thing!"

As she spoke, Alama's voice softened unconsciously, her gaze following her daughter's face, the hard lines forged on the battlefield now gentle.

He talked about some celebrations she missed when she was a child, asked her what she liked to eat now, whether her journey was going smoothly, and even awkwardly suggested that he should redecorate her room in the Duke's mansion. His words revealed a cautious attempt to make up for her past absences.

Unfortunately, this remedy came a little too late.

Inanna is no longer that little girl who lacked love; Puji has filled her heart to the brim.

She smiled and echoed Alama's words, just like a proper young lady from a respectable family. Alama saw this and felt somewhat helpless.

But some things, once missed, can never be made up for, and Alama had no choice.

Fortunately, although the father and daughter could not become close, their relationship was not bad either, and there was indeed affection between them.

The two chatted about everyday things, completely oblivious to the atmosphere. Number Four jumped onto the sofa and snuggled into Inanna's arms.

And Inanna, quite naturally, started rubbing the little pig in her arms right in front of Alama.

Alama's eye twitched again at the sight.

I even wanted to bring up the issue of Inanna's marriage again.

Inanna is already eighteen years old. If she's not married at this age, she'll be an old maid in two more years.

Alama didn't want people laughing at his daughter behind his back.

But right now, there are other things to talk about first.

Before we knew it, the conversation had shifted from everyday matters to the war.

“The Church of Light… has sacrificed too much,” he said slowly. “That is why the kingdom needs stability even more. Recently, some new sects have been emerging in various places, and people’s hearts are unsettled…” He paused, and his gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep over Julia in the distance.

Inanna paused for a moment while kneading number four.

“Old man,” she looked up, her pink eyes reflecting the flickering light from the fireplace, “the Bagu Church is different.”

Alama met his daughter's gaze, which held a stubbornness and naiveté he was familiar with, just like her mother's back then.

He sighed: "Inanna, my child, how can you be so sure they are different? Many things are not what they seem on the surface. The Church of Light has been rooted in the kingdom for hundreds of years, always a pillar of faith and order. The sacrificed archbishop, his blood testifies to the weight of this orthodoxy. You are my daughter, a member of the St. Clair family. By reason and emotion, you should... stand on the side of upholding this orthodoxy."

Inanna shook her head, saying firmly, "How can someone who likes Puji and is liked by Puji be a bad person?"

But is Puji itself necessarily "good"?
Alama wanted to say that, but he couldn't just say it.

Moreover, he suspected that given Inanna's dependence on Puji, it would be of no use even if he spoke up.

Ultimately, it's his fault that his daughter has become like this.

In the end, he could only sigh again and stare at the ceiling without saying a word.

Yes, personally, he owes Puji a lot.

If it weren't for his negligence back then, Inanna wouldn't have been in such a desperate situation; it was these little poops that saved her life.

In the fierce battle at Dragon Roar Valley, it was the power of the "Puji" that pulled him back from the brink of death.

As a human being with flesh and blood, he felt grateful and even close to these wondrous lives.

However, he was not only Inanna's father.

He is a duke of the United Kingdom and one of the bearers of the safety of humanity.

As Puji continues to integrate into the kingdom, the proportion of Puji Masters is also increasing. However, with the research of the scholars from the Relics Association, some previously unknown details have been discovered.

For example, people with mycelium growing on their bodies will naturally feel close to Puji, and have a wide-ranging telepathic communication ability called a fungal network, etc.

How many unknown secrets are still hidden within the mycelium?
Sometimes he even wondered, even if the Puji really defeated the Empire, would the real winner be humanity or the Puji?

As a duke, he had to prepare for the worst, even if it made him look like an ungrateful wretch.

But just as he would choose humans over Puji's kindness.

But Inanna… He looked at his daughter’s happy expression as she hugged and played with Number Four. If it really came down to a choice, she would probably side with Puji.

How could he not feel helpless?

He had no good way to deal with this situation; it was much harder than going into battle.

In contrast, whether or not to release the organizers of a new small sect becomes a trivial matter.

Perhaps this situation will change after Inanna gets married, and she will shift her focus from Puji to her family?
Alama pondered this possibility to himself, planning to discuss it with Lorenzo later, since both of his sons were married and had some experience.

In the end, unable to persuade her daughter, Alama could only get up and leave with a hint of sadness.

He waved his hand, leaving with the words, "Never mind... I'll explain to the church."

Once outside, he noticed another mushroom creature carrying four swords standing there; he knew its name was Fourteen.

Fourteen extended its tentacles, patted Alama on the shoulder, and then "plop plop" walked into the room.

Alama stood there, the soft touch still lingering on her shoulder.

He looked back at the closed door, a hint of confusion on his face.

What do you mean?
Surely this "pfft" isn't just him trying to comfort himself, is it?

(End of this chapter)