Brain bloom

However, there is probably another reason why Yuan would actively collect these feathers.

"Do you know that living beings have an instinct? The ancient king of demons."

"Hmm? Why are you suddenly bringing this up? What do you want to discuss with me?"

"For example, wild animals lick their wounds and eat when they are hungry; these are all instincts... I was thinking that perhaps the feathers of a divine messenger, a holy and high-ranking creation, might be of some use against your curse, so... you voluntarily collected them?"

The ancient demon king's previous joy was completely dispelled. After a moment of rational contemplation, he rejected the idea altogether.

"God's creations are still creations, just like my messenger in the human world, who was once a rain wizard. You killed him once, so you should know the fundamental difference in class... Besides, a few feathers can't possibly work on my curse."

"How can a rain wizard compare to this thing..."

"Moreover, the trajectory of fate is not something that happens by chance."

It spoke profound and complex words, but these were not ramblings; they were its words of experience.

"My grieving daughter has been unable to find salvation for over a decade, but now, by chance, she has found the key to salvation because of your arrival? This world isn't so kind, and good fortune doesn't come from the four seasons."

"I hope your pessimism is wrong." After saying that, Mori walked towards Yu and Melia.

The two of them were discussing what to do with those wings that had no flesh, no bones, and were made of a strange material. They had once been the six wings behind the messenger of the gods, but now they had been stripped of their feathers, leaving only a bare and bizarre body.

"Melia, a feather—can I borrow one to take a look at?"

"Well, no need for a price... no price needed."

Mori took the feather with a wry smile, but immediately let it slip from her grasp—she couldn't hold it. A sharp, stinging pain seemed to contradict her very soul… It was an instinctive aversion that made her entire hand go numb.

She immediately realized that the soul of the Four Seasons was in strong conflict with this thing.

No wonder the messenger of the gods waited so long and was able to awaken because of her arrival; the divine war back then must have been extremely fierce.

Helpless, Mori took out a few pieces of material from her bag and used them as chopsticks to pick up the feathers and examine them closely. But this didn't yield any results; she could only feel how white and soft they were... She could only discern information about the objects by touching them with her own hands.

She first poured water on herself to refresh herself, then gritted her teeth and tried again.

Her small hand slowly grasped the pure white feather.

This time, the aversion was less intense, and she could bear it. She immediately focused all her attention on the object in her hands. Perhaps this was the key to her rescue; all her pessimism was reserved for another body, so her positive and optimistic heart firmly believed that her fate could be reversed.

Volume 1 #215 This is not the fate I wanted

【White Feather】

The remnants of God's messenger possess incredible divine power.

The item description was limited to that, leaving Mori somewhat disappointed. But she wasn't discouraged; she had to keep trying from various angles. She used her most prized skill: Magic Training.

Her masterful state of mind allowed Mori to remain calm and have a broad perspective; every detail of the feathers seemed to hold meaning. Her thinking also became wiser, as she considered all possibilities based on the wealth of experience in her mind.

This white feather can indeed be used as material.

It has a very simple structure; it is the key to guiding the power of the true God from an unknown source, and it itself possesses great power. It seems to have some use in purifying the curse of the ancient demon king.

Mori eventually came to an ambiguous answer: these feathers might be useful... however, how to use them remained to be explored.

She begged Yuan for a few feathers, and then studied the bare wings for a long time. Unfortunately, her biggest takeaway was that these things were absolutely inedible.

"Right? Fate isn't that simple. It hasn't favored you." The ancient demon king's helpless voice drifted into Sen Shi's ears, followed by his habitual sigh.

"Perhaps fate has left a locked door, but we haven't found the key yet."

"I hope so." With that, Mori carefully put the feather away. She had a feeling that it might come in handy, but its purpose remained to be determined. Fortunately, there was still some time before the end of her wish was fulfilled.

At this moment, Yuan picked up the ancient demon king and asked curiously, "What were you talking about with Sen, you lazybones?"

"They are discussing the wines of the Four Seasons," the ancient devil king lied on purpose. "They are growing a very special grape, the taste of which... I have never tasted it, but it is very sweet."

"Brewing wine?" Yuan asked thoughtfully, her hand instinctively tugging at the owl's feathers.

Mori knew what was troubling her: brewing wine required a long time. To prevent her from uttering the truth, Mori immediately interrupted her—

"Yes! I am also a member of a race blessed by nature. I'm sure that once we get through winter, the grapes will ripen and they'll be very sweet. I'll pick a few bunches for you then."

"cost……"

"Let your dad pay for it."

"Don't worry, I'll pay." The ancient demon king quickly spoke up, while not forgetting to use his mental power to conjure new feathers.

Melia spoke at just the right moment, changing the subject: "We... we've finished our business, right? Should we leave this godforsaken place? Who knows what else might come out and attack us."

"Don't make such statements...don't say things like that, they might become reality."

At the same time, Mori complained inwardly to himself about how his main account hadn't taught her such an important thing.

But Mori wanted to go back... Since arriving in the Demon Realm, her sleep schedule had become completely disrupted. Once back, she'd first lie in bed and have a warm, cozy sleep. In the morning, she'd try to sweet-talk the dandelion and ask it to tend to her leaves and water her with some of the Four Seasons' nutrients.

Although there was a conflict, and Dandelion was more terrifying than the devil, Mori also cherished the princess's gentle side.

Hopefully, she didn't go back with them, because this disaster caused by the messenger of God needs her influence to appease it. After all, this small market was originally her idea, and it's only in its early stages; it's destined to become the first city in the Demon Realm.

Fortunately, this world has magic, and it will only take a day to restore it to its original state.

The ancient demon king opened the teleportation portal, but before leaving, he quietly took Mori's hand—

"We were partners under a treaty, and we promised to help you restore your country... but we haven't been able to help at all, and we've just been freeloading off you..."

"...No, no, no, you've helped us a lot."

"I'll come aboard a warship of the Peda Empire. I'll stand at the very front of the deck, shrouded in black mist to look terrifying. That way, I can help threaten Silvermoon City into giving you gold coins."

This touched Moritoki deeply, and it also felt strangely familiar. It seemed something similar had happened not long ago…

"Just like when you came on that pirate ship?" Mori asked with a smile from under the branches.

“Yes, like that.” Yuan nodded with a smile, then suddenly became worried. “You… don’t shoot the boat down again. I’m still a little scared.”

"Haha, a bunch of poor bastards coming to beg for money in a boat, I don't think I could do it even if I tried, don't worry." Mori gave a thumbs up, showing his two rows of white teeth, and made a promise to Yuan.

She bid farewell to her close friend Melia before seeing them off together with the ancient Demon King.

As they walked through the passage, although the atmosphere seemed fine on the surface and everyone was chatting and laughing, Mori felt that something was amiss... It was almost like a situation where "this parting might be the last time we meet."

She gritted her teeth, endured the nausea and throbbing, turned and hopped back to the other end of the passage, returning to the realm of demons.

Yuan was surprised: "...Did you forget something? You definitely brought that powerful figure from the Holy Coffin Kingdom...Is there anything else?"

The ancient Demon King was equally surprised: "Coffin bearers, what brings you here? Are you angry that I didn't entertain you well and are making me open the door again to express your anger? You can just say so..."

"Stop, stop."

Mori waved his hand, dispelling the father and daughter's wild thoughts.

She hadn't forgotten anything; she just wanted to banish the unease in her heart. At least for now, she had easily seen Yuan again, and it would be the same from now on, it would always be like this.

This is the destiny she, and they all, desired.

Not only that—Mori Toki has something else he wants to give to Gen.

She pulled the small creature, gleaming with a deep blue light, from the inside pocket of her clothes. This soft, bright, yet not dazzling light was a color more precious than any jewel in the dimly lit realm of demons.

The ancient king of demons instinctively loathed it, for this pure salt was the enemy of demons. But his loathing immediately turned to astonishment, for it was not harmful to him, but rather beneficial.

"Fu Fu." Sen Shi held up the Salt Sprite.

"Hmm? Sister Moritoki?"

"Stay by my side for me."

"...Is there seawater here that we can drink?" Fu Fu was a little worried about her survival.

Sen Shi pointed at the Ancient Demon King: "You're thirsty and need to replenish your salt. I'll have that owl open the door for you. He can also come over and give us a brief update, how about that?"

The ancient demon king agreed; it was a simple matter for him.

“Well, in that case, I can agree to this request.” Fu Fu’s eyes sparkled, and she seemed a little happy. “The key is that I hope my sister is strong and reliable, so I won’t have to do dangerous things anymore… I hope my sister is also honest and won’t lie to me.”

"Ahem, you've misunderstood..."

Fu Fu added, "And being able to go home anytime is good too."

Volume 1, Chapter 216: The Final Journey

The mornings at Château Four Seasons are always shrouded in a gentle warmth, regardless of the seasons or the weather.

Winter is just around the corner. The sky seems shrouded in a deep gray, and a few ancient cloud insects are slowly awakening from their slumber, beginning their journey in anticipation of this year's harsh winter.

Senshi is back! But he's still catching up on sleep... Dandelion can only sit in a corner of the garden, staring at the sky listlessly, while using her proud dandelion crown to outshine all the other flowers.

These flowers are still quite lush, so there's no need for the cloud insects to water them yet.

The four seasons have a good relationship with nature, and they coexist and cooperate with the soil, plants, animals, and cloud insects according to natural laws.

For example, within the territory of the Land of Flowers, the rain from the Cloud Insects falls according to the will of the flowers, rather than arbitrarily. Even though Silvermoon City was drenched by a torrential downpour, the Four Seasons Winery was still bathed in warm sunshine.

But in Silvermoon City—this downpour intensified the growing tensions surrounding the impending war.

Mud and rain are enough to make people suffer. But war? It shows no mercy.

Few fled, not only because of the cohesion of the Silvermoon City residents, but also because the invaders were from the Peda Empire. They were the absolute rulers of the sea, coming for wealth, and rumors circulated that they had already deployed their fleets throughout the surrounding waters.

Escape? It only hastens death.

The only hope lies in Silvermoon City's unique airships... but Lord Balzac has yet to make any move.

In this unbearable atmosphere, even the dandelion living far away heard some rumors. Not only was war brewing, but it was also rumored that Lord Balzac and Mann, one of the three heroes, had not appeared for a long time because they had both been assassinated.

People are waiting for Lord Balzac to show up and explain that it's all just a rumor.

When Sen returned, Dandelion already knew the inside story, so she didn't have many thoughts about it and didn't feel scared. On the contrary, because she was safe, she was happy to watch the show.

Until—from the torrential rain came a woman with a limp, her figure as ethereal as mist.

……

Like ordinary creatures, cloud worms, after hundreds of years of history, have become old and sluggish. However, their memories are still quite clear.

Whenever a cloud worm encounters the thunderstorm cloud worm near Silvermoon City, it is filled with astonishment.

How is this old guy still alive?

An adult cumulonimbus cloud, passing by by chance, asked, "...Elder, please share some of the power of thunder with me! I have a grand dream: to use thunder to scare human babies! Once the adult humans have put away their clothes, they'll run away and stop the rain! That would be so much fun!"