Brain bloom

……

(P.S. I want to apologize for the updates these past two days.)

Recently, as summer vacation draws to a close, I've been quite busy and haven't had a consistent time to write. But that difficulty has passed—from now on, I'll try my best to update twice a day, usually in the evening or morning, or perhaps once in the morning and once in the evening.

After all, I wanted to present the plot as soon as possible, and I'm quite satisfied with how it went.

The second and third updates for today will be posted together tonight.

Volume 1, Chapter 172, Part B

The once bustling port fell silent at the sound of the melon-chopping man's words. Even the private chatter ceased abruptly. Everyone remained silent, staring at him in disbelief.

Is this statement blasphemous?

Even if this place is outside the Holy Coffin Kingdom and belongs to another country's territory, saying it out loud still carries significant meaning. It's practically an insult to the coffin bearers... How dare they say they don't need a statue of God?

Most inhabitants of the human world, men, women, and children, have consciously or unconsciously mentioned the saying "May the one who carries the coffin be blessed." Therefore, people generally hold this far-reaching religion in awe.

This group is so strange.

A high-ranking paladin in the Kingdom of the Holy Coffin uttered these words of denial of faith in such a devout manner.

The melon-slicer maintained his noble smile, took another step, and led all the members behind him with the same expression through the crowd toward a beautifully decorated ship.

That was the regular ship used for political exchanges between the Holy Coffin Kingdom and Silvermoon City. It was built with pseudo-scientific craftsmanship, spacious and swift.

Everyone was curious about what he was going to do. Even the guards on deck, responsible for watching the ship, peered out, staring at him with suspicion. The guards didn't salute, unsure what this paladin who had uttered blasphemous words was up to… was he planning to apostatize?

The melon cutter reverently performed a bow to the person below and proclaimed loudly—

"I want to requisition this ship."

"Uh... Slayer, since you are a titled paladin, you must know what the high-flying flag means, right? This ship is on a top priority mission. Forgive my bluntness, but you are not of a rank to command it."

“I have something far more important than my top priority; I must return to my home country immediately and meet with the current Pope.”

"Why would the Pope want to see you? Besides, our sacred relics have been stolen. Are you sure there's anything more important than that?"

"Confirmed! Remember, compared to what I'm about to convey, the matter of the sacred object? It's insignificant."

He held his head high with pride, his words brimming with self-satisfaction. He had seen the true God, and these people who only bowed and worshipped idols were no longer on his level. The more devout his faith, the more intoxicated he became with this pride.

"You must be crazy."

After saying this, the guard staggered back into the cabin, seemingly to report to someone.

A few minutes later, he ran back looking worried.

"You who cut the melon, there is a distinguished person on the ship who wants to see you and hear your explanation of all this."

"Apart from our three supreme beings, no one else, not even a king, is qualified to hear what I have to convey. The people sitting on this ship are nothing more than ambassadors, aren't they? They're not qualified."

"Put away your arrogance and be glad that you are one of the three supreme beings you speak of."

……

The man who had cut the melon was disarmed, yet he still arrogantly entered the ship. Only then did he realize that the ship was not what he had imagined; it was not an ordinary government vessel, but rather crowded with real warriors.

Everyone looked solemn.

Even a powerful figure like him with a title is insignificant among them.

Everywhere you look, there are truly powerful individuals with more experience and strength; any one of them could intimidate demons with their reputation. They are figures that even the Gourd Slayer would normally have to look up to... It seems that this is all the power that the Holy Coffin Kingdom has united.

Their efficiency in retrieving the sacred relic is truly astonishing...

As he walked through the atmosphere, a sense of unease swept over him, but the memory of the coffin bearer's beauty rekindled his pride. He continued to stride confidently into the highest-ranking room.

Holy books, sheet music, and a jumble of religious artifacts and personal belongings were scattered everywhere, making the already cramped room extremely messy...

In the center of the room, a man sits casually in a chair, enjoying the sea breeze while sharpening the divinely bestowed sword—this is the very person the Gourd Cutter longs to meet.

An unconventional woman who appears to be no more than twenty years old.

Her face, which should have been exquisite and beautiful, was marred by her disheveled hair and unkempt clothes. Adding to this, her eyes were of different colors; one might easily mistake her for a young widow from the slums.

However, she is the strongest figure in the Holy Coffin Kingdom, the holder of the Holy Letter B, and can sit on equal footing with the Pope. Legend has it that with more time to hone her skills, reaching the level of a demigod is not impossible.

Guardian of Chaos Blade - B. Bradhill.

Because she was powerful enough, she was finally fortunate enough to offer her true name to God in exchange for the sacred letter B, which represents the highest status, and she used her own blade to embody this name.

This is a tradition of the alternation of authority in the Kingdom of the Holy Coffin.

The sacred letter "S" represents holiness and is the name that popes throughout history have been required to accept, representing serving the true God with a holy and flawless faith.

The sacred letter "B" represents a coffin, a name that only the strongest can possess. Once one receives it, it signifies that their fate will be intertwined with the death of their enemies.

The two letters together form the true name of the most unique position: "Servant of the Gods".

These three positions represent the pinnacle and supreme authority of the entire religion. The melon-cutter was fortunate that one of them was right before him; at least he could convey the message of the true God's manifestation…

“Hey, you babbling rubbish at the port,” B said, looking up at him with a nonchalant gaze.

“I am not blaspheming.”

"I think so too, because your hymns are so beautiful. I'm curious, how can a vanguard team that went to retrieve the sacred relic, seemingly returning in defeat, still be singing so loudly..."

"We did fail; no one can succeed."

B dismissed it, casually used his sword sheath to clear away a pile of miscellaneous items, invited the melon chopper to sit down, and then continued speaking.

“It doesn’t matter if we lose. Don’t make excuses. I will still recommend you for credit. However, the situation is a bit unstable right now. My team has been here for half a day. We should have gone to attack the Four Seasons immediately… but there are strange movements from the Peda Empire.”

"Strange noise?"

The melon-cutter felt uneasy, for he worried that the impolite Pedda Empire might harm the true god...

B gazed into the distance and said, "The Peda Empire is amassing a large army, which doesn't seem like they're just dealing with two mere Seasonal Warriors. If they only wanted to avenge the Rain Wizard, they would have sent their strongest assassin... instead of wielding such a large army."

"Could it be that they intend to take advantage of our weakness and attack our country?!" The melon-cutter exclaimed as he stood up. If they defiled our land, how could they present it to the coffin-bearer?

"Stop yelling, it's annoying."

B, looking impatient, tapped his knee with the scabbard, telling him to shut up and sit down.

"They're heading towards Silvermoon City—so our envoys are communicating with them, but we're not yet sure what they're thinking."

"Is this an opportunity to annex Silvermoon City? But... Silvermoon City's promise was only to allow small-scale campaigns, right? How could they allow a large army to attack? As soon as there's the slightest movement, the Three Heroes are not to be trifled with."

"Unfortunately, Silvermoon City is unaware of this, and probably won't know until the army is on the border. Because their spies in the Peda Empire have all been tampered with... Never mind, this is none of your business."

After saying this, B calmly sheathed his sword and asked again—

"It's your turn. What do you want to say to me? Will your words affect our country's situation in the war?"

Volume 1, Chapter 173: Undercurrents

The melon-cutter was not a fool, though his mind still burned with the most devout and proud faith. He knew all too well that even the coffin bearers needed help against the army of the Peda Empire.

He quickly drafted several sets of words in his mind and chose one of them.

He asked, "I want to ask you something—what is the purpose of our country's existence?"

"In order not to disappoint those who bring the coffin, the doctrine that 'wealth brings death' has given us a new understanding of life. We are rich and happy, but we must never be extravagant and let decadence ruin our lives."

"The perfect answer!"

B chuckled a few times: "You sound just like the first Pope, judging my answer now?"

“I mean no harm, I just want to say that everything we have is a gift from the coffin bearers... So, shouldn't we stand by the side of the true God?”

B's eyes showed confusion; she was also a little puzzled: "What exactly are you trying to say? I'm not always easy to talk to, so it's best not to beat around the bush."

The melon-slicer took a few deep breaths of the sea breeze to calm himself. Before revealing the truth, he got up, closed the front door, and locked the windows. Only then did he humbly turn towards the direction of the Four Seasons Manor and slowly recount the incident—

“I witnessed the true God.”

"Huh... in a dream?"

"In reality, together with my sixteen subordinates, I witnessed the supreme beauty of the coffin bearer and also experienced the supreme power of the coffin bearer. Even when we raised our swords against the true God, she still forgave us... She is a kind, beautiful, verdant, and lush true God."

The one who cut the melon was prepared to be mocked, cursed, driven out, and thrown into the sea. The manifestation of the true God cannot be believed without witnessing it firsthand; these few words alone are insufficient.

But B didn't laugh at him. Instead, she hugged her knees, biting her curly blond hair, looking bewildered.

She could be heard muttering to herself, "The coffin bearers... So, that manifestation of true god-level power a few days ago... really was the coffin bearers? The timing matches up... It really is just as the attendant of the gods said..."

"What? You actually believe me?"

"Before you started spouting nonsense at me, there was someone else who said the same nonsense to me."

"You mean 'attendants of the gods'?"

“A servant of God, yes. She was supposed to spend her whole life praying to God at the highest point of the church. This position is a religious symbol, a mascot… that’s how it was supposed to be.”

At this point, her eyes suddenly changed, becoming hazy and unfocused, as if she didn't know how to begin. After hesitating for a long time, she decided to refrain from adding her own opinions and simply recount the events as they were.

“Not long ago, she conveyed something to me in the most urgent way—'She felt the power of the true God, and then a gold coin flew from nowhere, shattered the glass, and landed beside her.'”

The melon cutter was so shocked by the miracle of the true god that his whole body went numb.

"It is the true God! I swear at any cost, it is absolutely the one who delivered the coffin! The skull of the first Pope was not stolen, but flew to the embrace of the true God on its own initiative. We all saw it with our own eyes!"

The more radiant the one chopping the melon was, the deeper the bitterness on B's face became.

"I also sensed a powerful divine force, which manifested in the world for a few seconds. Alas, all the information indicates that it is real... Then why did it manifest in the human world..."

"Isn't this a good thing?"

"No, not for me." B, who should always be strong and protect the country with his sword, was now extremely disappointed.

Her attitude filled the melon-cutter with rage: "You're blaspheming! You don't even welcome the coffin bearers?"

"No, I'm not blasphemous—I just feel ashamed."

She started to sob softly halfway through her sentence.

“The coffin bearers have truly appeared; they must have come to guide or judge us… I’ve worked so hard for the country for so long. Have all my efforts been wrong? Do I need a true God to correct me…”

"The true God will tell you the answer."

"But didn't she already go back? That power only manifested for a few seconds."