Brain bloom

After much deliberation, Mori asked in a low voice, "Is there no hope?"

“There’s hope. The ghosts haven’t come out yet—but we’re taking a huge risk…” Dandelion’s eyes flickered, and she seemed willing to help. “We need to weigh the pros and cons, since we might not get a generous reward.”

Mori was well aware that anything that could terrify the entire city like this couldn't be simple, and the risk was indeed considerable. Just as she was hesitating about whether to become a good person unafraid of the risk, something suddenly appeared in her eyes.

【The Salt Elf's Disguise】

As the girl drew closer, almost passing the hotel where they were staying, Mori noticed the words hanging above the little girl's head: Salt Sprite! Wasn't that the Salt Sprite they encountered this morning?

“Princess, let me tell you, this girl is a salt elf, do you believe me?” Sen Shi was quite happy, after all, salt elves are very rare.

"...Really?" Dandelion was also surprised.

“That’s right, it’s a salt elf disguised as a human.”

Dandelion believed her hero wouldn't joke like that, so all they had to do was capture him! She immediately took action, removing the two layers of wooden planks that were sealing the entire window, and they remained unmoved even as the cold night wind kept blowing into the room.

The princess silently prepared magic to capture the salt spirit, while Mori held the silver pendant used to ward off evil spirits in her hand, always on guard against potential problems on the street.

A few brief seconds passed quickly in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, a commotion appeared on the ground, startling Sen Shi. But he immediately realized that it was a plant summoned by the dandelion.

Intermediate Nature Magic: Venus Flytrap.

This is a semi-control skill that summons a giant, mobile Venus flytrap that traps its prey within its spiky mouthparts.

The Venus flytrap appeared almost silently behind the little girl, and when she turned around, she saw the Venus flytrap's huge mouth about to swallow her whole.

The tranquility of the street was shattered by the little girl's panicked scream—followed by the gurgling sound of the Venus flytrap feeding and the squeak of it moving across the ground, which sent chills down everyone's spine.

If Mori didn't know it was one of his own people casting the magic, he felt he would be terrified by these eerie sounds.

Since their room was on the second floor, when the Venus flytrap reached the base of the wall, the dandelion extended its wand downwards, and the flytrap stretched out its vines to wrap around it, struggling to climb upwards. Mori could hear the panicked prayers of the travelers below—especially when the flytrap brushed against the wooden planks of their windows.

After bringing the salt sprite, disguised as a human and wandering outside for some unknown reason, into the room, the two immediately closed the windows again, trying their best to cover up all traces.

Thankfully, the last nail was driven into the wall, and no real ghosts appeared on the street. This adventure was worthwhile.

"Are you sure this human cub is a salt elf?" Dandelion asked excitedly.

"Yes, I'm sure."

To confirm this, the dandelion gave the command, and the Venus flytrap opened its mouthparts slightly. She reached in, pinched the little girl's cheeks hard several times, and then licked her fingers.

"Ugh, it's so salty." After saying that, she hurriedly went to drink water. Mori couldn't help but worry a little, because too much salt is harmful to plants.

Inside the Venus flytrap, the salt sprite struggled incessantly, occasionally letting out a whimper.

"We meet again, Salt Sprite." Sen Shi raised her hand to greet her, hoping that the little guy wouldn't be afraid, but would obediently produce several tons of salt every day for her to sell, which would be good for everyone.

As Mori carried the candlestick closer, he found the little girl disguised as a salt elf to be exceptionally cute.

She looks to be about ten years old, like a mischievous elementary school girl who always pesters you to buy her snacks. But her short, salt-white hair and her incredibly beautiful and whimsical outfit give the Salt Fairy a strong sense of etherealness.

"This outfit looks really good..."

Dandelion, having finished rinsing her mouth, also came over, occasionally poking at her hem with her staff.

"How interesting! The salt fairy can turn into a young girl and wear beautiful clothes. It's just like a fairy tale."

Mori thought so too; perhaps after the midnight bells tolled, she would return to her original form, ending her sweet dream. Thinking this, Mori asked herself:

"Why is this little guy wandering around at night? Has he met his prince charming?"

"There are no princes in Frozen Bear Town, nor any particularly distinguished nobles."

"There is indeed a genuine princess."

The two women pointed and gestured at the trembling salt sprite, then resumed their conversation, finally pushing it to its limit. With a soft "whoosh," the girl transformed back into her original deep blue orb of light. It quickly escaped from the Venus flytrap, trying to find an exit.

But the room was completely sealed off, so she had no chance of escaping.

After several unsuccessful attempts to ram the wooden plank, Mori wasn't worried that it would escape, so he simply watched the salt sprite fly around and found it quite amusing.

Dandelion wasn't interested in that; instead, she converted the Venus flytrap back into mental energy, otherwise her meditation tonight would have been in vain. After the Venus flytrap disappeared, she picked up the beautiful clothes left behind by the salt fairy, which still carried a faint scent of the sea.

After struggling for a long time, the salt sprite finally got tired of flying and stopped in a small corner. The light it emitted was as dim as night, and it trembled sadly from time to time. But after a while, it calmed down a lot.

She was surprised to discover: "Ah, it was you... the two older sisters who killed the wheat flour."

“That’s right, you just realized? I thought you came here specifically to find us.” Mori moved closer.

"I...I'm looking for another kind person. I've already thanked you, so I'm not here to see you." The salt elf's voice shattered like glass. "Waaah, why is everyone suddenly gone at night? It's scary."

"Don't you know that in towns and villages, you can't go out at night? This is a law that applies all over the world," Dandelion countered.

"Is that so? I... I haven't been in contact with humans for very long... I don't know these things. But why can't we go out at night?"

……

(Happy Children's Day, the second update will be tonight)

Volume 1 #022: New Companions

The salt sprite was no longer so afraid; she keenly sensed that the two girls in front of her were not enemies.

In a very friendly tone, Sen asked the Salt Spirit a series of questions.

Based on its answer, Sen Shi realized that it was actually a newborn that had only recently ascended to become an elf. It is said that a small group of salt elves once existed in the deep sea, but that has become a thing of the past.

So, what appeared before the two was a wild salt spirit. It was indeed a special life form that nature had nurtured over a long period of time, and naturally possessed some minor illusion magic, allowing it to disguise itself as a human.

According to the salt spirit, its human form was copied from that of a girl who committed suicide by jumping into the sea. The beautiful clothes she wore were also those the girl wore before her death.

Salt sprites lead a fun and carefree life, and are incredibly curious little creatures. They often play in the sand along the beach line of Frozen Bear Coast, catching crabs and collecting seashells.

This very morning, a terrifying wheat flour monster appeared by chance, mistaking her for a human, and instinctively tried to burrow into her stomach and melt happily. Just then, a noble young master, who happened to be hunting the chieftain of wild boars, happened to pass by and, together with his servants, rescued her.

"It's like a fairy tale, so you fell in love with it?" Mori asked jokingly after hearing this, with a knowing smile on his face. After all, there's nothing wrong with fairy tales.

“What is love? I don’t understand those complicated feelings, I just want to say thank you.” The salt elf continued, “Because after I was rescued… I ran away. He clearly praised my clothes and said I was a good person, but I was very scared at the time, and my emotions were too volatile to maintain the illusion, so I could only run away in a hurry… I missed the chance to say thank you.”

Both Sen Shi and Dandelion knew that the person the Salt Elf wanted to thank was someone they had met before—the young master who had appeared in the Wild Boar Territory with several servants.

"So you're going into Frozen Bear Town just to thank them?"

"Ah."

The light emitted by the salt sprites was bright for only a few seconds before dimming again.

"But, but, human cities are so scary... There are human signs everywhere, but everyone is hiding in their homes, like... a dead city. I've seen similar ruins underwater, full of corpses, very, very scary!"

Dandelion was a little surprised: "You came here without knowing anything?"

"Why is this happening? During the day, the city is full of people; I've been spying on it for a long time. That lively atmosphere is wonderful, unlike the loneliness of the deep sea... But at night, it's even more terrifying than the deep sea."

Like Mori, she had no idea what night would bring. Mori shared the same doubts, quietly waiting for Dandelion to elaborate. But the princess had other thoughts—she reached out and grabbed the still somewhat frightened salt sprite, weighing it in her hand.

"If you want to thank someone, that's fine. If you want to know what happened at night, that's fine too. But one thing needs to be made clear: in fact, we saved you."

"...Really?"

“That’s right, we rescued you from the street.” After nodding, Dandelion said sincerely, “If there wasn’t danger, why would everyone be hiding at home? The autumn moon is so beautiful… It’s a pity that few people in this era can appreciate it.”

The salt sprite continued in a clear voice, "What exactly is happening at night? Can you tell me? And also, can you really help me meet the other person so I can thank you in person?"

"If you promise me one thing, I will grant your wish."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

“Anyway, you’re a free wild salt spirit, so you can stay with us from now on. You can help me—I’m a Seasonal Being, a friend of nature, and I will treat you well.” She was very straightforward and directly stated her request.

Then, she parted her hair, revealing the branches and leaves hidden within, and openly told the other person her identity. Mori also did not conceal her identity; the Four Seasons People were indeed a race with a good relationship with nature.

The light emanating from the salt sprite suddenly brightened; this identity was very useful—

"The Four Seasons? I know. Alright, I'm willing to follow you."

Sen was quite surprised; he hadn't expected the salt sprite, who had been forcibly captured and was in a panic, to agree so easily. But this was ultimately a good thing; he could use it to produce salt, an essential commodity for humans, and it would always be profitable.

However, Mori felt a little guilty about his thoughts. His princess seemed to genuinely want to befriend the Salt Fairy, rather than simply wanting to take advantage of her—at least that's how it appeared.

"What's your name? I'm Dandelion, and that's Sen Shi over there." Dandelion held it in both hands and asked softly.

"I don't have a name, isn't Salt Fairy nice?"

"I'll get you one in a while. By the way, now that you've become our partner, could you provide us with salt from now on? Just a little bit would be fine."

“Okay, as long as you let me drink my fill of seawater, I can provide you with an extra thousand every day, all of it.”

The plants above the two Four Seasons Keepers instantly straightened, excited by the good news. Over a thousand—that sounded like a lot. Sen had looked into the prices; salt here was sold by the bag. A bag of the highest grade sea salt could fetch two silver coins inland, which was no small sum.

"More than a thousand what?" Mori asked hastily.

"A grain!" the salt spirit exclaimed proudly. "Just like what humans eat every day, I've seen human salt fields."

“A grain? Uh… can’t there be any more?” Mori tried her best to suppress her disappointment, because she knew very well how small a grain of salt crystal really was.

No, that's impossible.

This unexpectedly low production capacity caused them both to sigh in disappointment; their hopes had been dashed. The only consolation was that the device could be used as a light at night, with adjustable brightness…

Sen Shi patted his princess on the shoulder and comforted her, "From now on, just throw it in the water to rinse your food. You won't need to buy salt anymore... Don't ask for anything else. At least it's willing to follow you. It's a good thing to have another companion to chat with."

"Too."

The dandelion loosened its grip, no longer restricting its little friend's freedom.

It floated up from the palm of the dandelion, its color as blue as the ocean, and then landed in Mori's hand, as if wanting to make friends with its new friend. It was the first time Mori had touched such a wondrous being, and it was through this encounter that he realized the salt spirit had a physical form.

Based on the feel, it is likely a round stone, quite hard, and very smooth.

"...This size? It seems feasible."

Thinking of this, she muttered to herself and quietly took out the staff, a gift from the sea god, from her bag.

"It stinks! Why did you suddenly take it out? Are there enemies?" Dandelion frowned, expressing her dissatisfaction.

"No... I just think it seems pretty suitable, I'll give it a try."

"you mean?"

The staff, a gift from the sea god, actually comes with a built-in socket. Its properties can be altered depending on the socket used—Sen Shi simply socketed a salt sprite into it; although the size was slightly off, it could still be squeezed in.

"...They actually got in." This was originally just a whimsical idea from Mori, but unexpectedly it actually succeeded.

As for the effect... Sen Shi had no hope at all; salt sprites weren't gems. But she still looked it up and was immediately shocked.