Brain bloom

"I see."

Sen nodded. Melia's explanation was very thorough, and she finally understood how this sizable traditional empire used its wealth to acquire the means to fight against the harsh winter.

However, it seems that B also has some opinions to express on this topic.

"Queen of Demons and Banshees, normally I shouldn't discuss your country's private affairs in such a private setting, but..."

"Ugh, stop dawdling. You just want to criticize me, don't you?"

"Yes, the Peda Empire has ties to the devil. But your country makes a fortune by renting magicians to it every winter... I don't think this is a classy practice. As you keep raising the price, the Peda Empire can only extort more wealth, which I find despicable."

Both Mori and Dandelion were surprised; they hadn't expected that all the benefits would end up in Melia's hands...

The person involved neither denied nor felt ashamed: "We are not noble people like you who will do anything if there is profit to be made. Besides, most of the money we make is invested in trade with independent city-states. This is called the circulation of wealth, which is the basis of commerce."

"I only hope that your country can have some of the demeanor of a great power and do less of these despicable things," B said bluntly.

"If you want a piece of the pie, I can arrange more trade with your country, because it's quite annoying to hear you buzzing in my ear."

"...That's not what I meant."

"So you're really criticizing me? No wonder you can't reach the level of a demigod, you're just a simple-minded swordsman." Melia shrugged, put away the flipped-over mission sheet, and ignored it.

"Therefore, if we want to end the war, the core issue is the Peda Empire's problem of keeping warm..."

Don't you want to see war?

"I just feel that it might affect our winery."

Upon hearing Sen Shi's words, Dandelion immediately nodded in agreement, though she only mashed the garlic a few times: "However, I do hope that Silvermoon City will suffer a bit, and I don't want to see... the Peda Empire survive the harsh winter."

Mori is currently weighing the pros and cons.

Although she was scheduled to visit the Holy Coffin Kingdom and might be invited to the Chaos Lands by her daughter, the enemy's blades were already drawn, and the Four Seasons were already among them. For the sake of the future, she had to make a profitable decision.

During this time, the two of them turned over almost all the corpses, and then simply led Mori away from the blood-soaked battlefield. B hurriedly followed behind Mori, subconsciously wanting to stand shoulder to shoulder, but immediately leaned forward halfway.

She is forcing herself to accept all of this.

Faith, the very origin of the Kingdom of the Holy Coffin, was a construct created by the first Pope…

Given this, which soul should the nation truly follow? The true God who left behind wealth but offered no guidance, and was misunderstandingly elevated to a divine status? Or the first pope who constructed a complete religious system and established the nation?

She couldn't find an answer for the time being. Perhaps only after returning home, offering sacrifices with the relics of the first pope, and performing the miracle of "summoning the soul," could she ask the first pope himself... She could only hope that when she learned the truth, the old soul wouldn't be so angry that it would be scattered to the winds.

"Melia, I have a question for you."

"Princess Dandelion, what do you want to know?"

"Why are you being so cold to me? Is it because strawberries are sweeter and more appealing?"

"...What do you want to ask?"

"Tell me, if the Peda Empire really attacks, which city, Silvermoon City or it, would win?" she asked earnestly.

Melia was slightly surprised: "You would ask such a good question? Well, it's worth answering."

"The Peda Empire's dominance?"

"No, the answer is uncertain. The three heroes may not be reliable, but Lord Balzac is a formidable figure. Moreover, he possesses a large amount of military equipment made using pseudo-techniques. Furthermore, many powerful individuals weary of the chaos are living in seclusion in Silvermoon City, representing a significant undeniable potential."

"They've probably all become dull." Dandelion understands this well; a gentle life dulls even the sharpest tools.

“So it’s hard to say.” Melia nodded. “It depends on how much of that potential can be realized… Although the outcome is uncertain, there is one person who can influence the result. If I were Lord Balzac, I would definitely be kneeling down and begging for help right now.”

"I get it, just another form of self-aggrandizement." Dandelion looked at her coldly, but the Demon Queen did indeed possess such power.

"No, it's the pretty girl you described as having a sweeter scent."

……

(I woke up coughing in the middle of the night, so I quickly squeezed in a chapter to write.)

Volume 1, #195: Letter of Support

While being praised is something to be happy about, Mori believes that, first and foremost, the praise must be truthful.

Okay, so she's a strawberry-producing being of all seasons. It's embarrassing, but it's a fact she has to accept. But the strawberries haven't even formed yet, how can they know they're sweet and delicious? Besides, how could someone just casually taste such a panacea produced by a true god?

And—how could she possibly decide the outcome of the battle?

The Peda Empire is just a poor country. Even if it sent a hundred warships, she couldn't just stand on the shore and fire a single shot to link the fleet together...

Mori looked at Melia with a puzzled expression, only to see the little banshee occasionally reaching out to twirl her giant axe and blinking her bright eyes beneath her eyelashes. It was as if she were saying, "Because I listen to my father. Whoever you tell me to beat up, I'll beat up."

This succubus was indeed boasting...

The journey back to the winery wasn't long, but they walked slowly because another problem had arisen along the way—

A dirty, seemingly wild cat silently stopped them. The cat showed no hostility, carefully placing a rolled-up piece of paper near Sen Shi's feet before curling its tail and fleeing into the grove.

A letter from Black Cat's house.

Mori never forgot that it was those cats from the slave trade in Frozen Bear Town who earned her her first pot of gold, making her realize the weight of gold coins for the first time. In addition, those cats were very kind, which made her actually quite fond of this strange family.

Before reading it carefully, Mori thought to himself, "They're probably here to buy a healing spell scroll?"

If the situation is urgent, there's no need to be stingy; just send a few over.

But after quickly glancing at the contents, Mori realized that it was not a request for help.

On the contrary, it was a letter of aid.

The old wildcat from the Black Cat family wrote the letter, indicating that he knew Dandelion and Sen Shi were Four Seasons. He also learned from the lord of Frozen Bear Town that several major forces were preparing to purge the Four Seasons, so he immediately arranged for assistance and hurriedly sent this letter through a "private channel".

While this family was powerful locally, they became quite ordinary on a global scale. Even so, they managed to obtain two escape tickets and indicated that the Black Cat's house could serve as a hiding place for the Four Seasons.

Sen felt a pang of sympathy and carefully smoothed out the letter, letting Dandelion also take a look.

"Cats can be so emotional?" After reading this, Dandelion said with a gentle smile and a joking tone, "If you weren't the coffin bearers and we hadn't received the protection of the Demon Queen, this would really have been our lifeline."

"Yes, I need to reply properly."

"Yes, let's include a small token of our appreciation. How about my prized wines and farm produce? That's all we can offer... Or you could make a few magic scrolls..."

"Wait—you mean the Black Cat family? The Black Wildcats?" Hearing their conversation, Melia's expression turned a little strange. "You mean the slave traders in Frozen Bear Town? That family whose cats periodically turn into humans?"

"Yes."

"Are you related to this family?" Her eyebrows were slightly crooked, and her eyes looked even stranger.

Mori nodded and briefly recounted what had happened. However, as she spoke of the journey, she guessed the inside story that Melia was concerned about.

She tried asking, "Is it about their youngest daughter?"

"Hmm. It's said that she saw something inexplicable and then turned into a dead cat. I wanted to send someone to investigate at the time, but I was too busy with official duties and gradually forgot about it... Luckily, I ran into her again today, what a coincidence."

"Queen of Demons and Banshees, be careful, for this signifies that destiny is guiding you."

B suddenly spoke seriously, but his voice was cautious, as if he did not want to get involved in or touch any danger.

"According to astrologers, such coincidences often represent misfortune. Fate will prepare a huge trap and point the way for you to arrive."

"Astrologers? You mean those unemployed bums? After all, the night is over, how are we supposed to see the stars?" Melia grinned, indicating she didn't care at all.

"Little Melia, you want to investigate this?"

"Um, could you help me make a connection? Mori... Dad!" Her eyebrows returned to normal, and her curiosity about the unknown made her beam with excitement. "This phenomenon in the deep and strange underground may be related to Eden Bank."

"This one……"

Mori hesitated. For her, it was just a matter of writing a few words, but she was inexplicably bothered by what B had said. She couldn't help but worry that this little enchantress who had been so kind to her might encounter some danger because of it.

"I'll go ask you that way then."

Melia immediately beamed with joy: "That's perfect! The god of fate definitely can't cheat us."

Mori thought to himself, "I hope so."

……

When they got home, they saw Yuan leisurely sunbathing in the garden and raised their hands to welcome her back.

But nearby, a pair of hands fluttered through the air, holding bandages and herbs, tending to the badly injured Ashalia. Upon inquiry, she learned that a powerful enemy had come and nearly killed this reliable little slave.

Fortunately, everyone is now together, and even with the addition of a potentially max-level assassin, it hasn't brought Mori a great sense of crisis.

Everyone else shared similar thoughts.

Since war is about to begin anyway, it doesn't matter if there's one more enemy. Are we going to fight a true god head-on?

Everyone went about their own business—for example, B, who immediately recognized that Elsalia came from the Kingdom of the Holy Coffin.

Upon inquiring, she learned of her past and her struggle to seek redemption. Moved, she took the injured woman to the small dock, where the kingdom's most renowned mage resided, capable of healing poisonous wounds.

In addition, she also had to explain why she didn't go to fight the Four Seasons without revealing who delivered the coffin.

This is extremely difficult.

Fortunately, if reasoning fails, she can use force to suppress everyone's objections.

Melia, on the other hand, completely relinquished her duties as queen, abandoning all situational analysis and intelligence gathering. Instead, she went to Yuan's side to share her travel experiences, seemingly intending to reveal the whole truth. The girls' chattering was like the daily chirping of sparrows.

Mori wanted to go over and explain, but Dandelion stopped him.

For some reason, she was carrying a knife rack filled with knives of various uses. In her other hand, she was also holding an old apron stained with grease.

"...What...what are you doing?"

"You should keep your promise and go cook dinner."

Mori Toki breathed a sigh of relief; at least he hadn't angered the princess again. But on second thought, Mori Toki didn't think cooking was a good choice.

"I must warn you, my cooking skills are worse than you can imagine."

"But the hams you made look pretty good..."

Volume 1, Chapter 196: An Unattainable Answer

“My ham? That’s a weapon, and it even saved your life.” Mori said, then muttered under his breath, “I clearly saved your life… and you still want to get back at me.”

"Don't dwell on these details." Dandelion looked embarrassed and coughed violently before retorting, "If one day you suddenly find out that Dandelion isn't actually a kind girl and has hurt you, then as a Four Seasons Being, you'll also want to kill me."

At first glance, Mori thought it made a lot of sense, but upon deeper reflection, he couldn't help but show a shocked expression.