Brain bloom

"Does this give us an excuse to stop Silvermoon City from taking off?" Melia said, having already picked up her axe as if to put on a queenly air. "But this isn't really an excuse. The source of the Evil Mist... we need to be careful."

"Another chance to make money?"

To be honest, Dandelion doesn't care at all who the Evil Mist will bite.

Sen Shi nodded shyly. She had her own thoughts. It would be great if this evil mist could obediently offer its neck to her and become experience.

However, there is more than one solution, and it would be foolish to confront it head-on.

“I have a most conservative and reliable method,” Sen Shi suggested. “Talk to the Peda Empire and ask them to stop sending troops. Silvermoon City will know that peace has arrived and will not allow the city to float. The Evil Mist below will also stop rising.”

“To be honest, I agree with my father’s plan. But I don’t think it will work. Lord Balzac probably won’t believe Dandelion’s speculation. Instead, he’ll think it’s a way to prevent people from taking off and escaping the war.”

"You're right, unless there's evidence."

"Moreover, if I have a technology that I've been hoarding for many years and can finally bring to the forefront, I will definitely use it to show off."

……

(This month, I've already received over three thousand blades from you all. I also saved over seven hundred from opening golden eggs, so it's about four thousand blades in total... Waaah, I... I can only try my best to update more frequently starting tomorrow to accept all the blades. From tomorrow onwards, I might need to update 5-7 chapters a day.)

Please keep an eye on the lazy Moon Raven.

Volume 1, Chapter 227: His Ideal

"You seem quite pleased, Lord Balzac. Is successfully replicating an ancient technique really that gratifying?"

“Yes, it means a lot to me… well, I mean, at least the city can continue to be peaceful. Okay, we’ll talk later.”

Lord Balzac remained indifferent, offering only a casual reply to the mocking voices behind him. He didn't even turn around to face him directly. He continued watching the team of technicians, engrossed in the reports and answers he had prepared.

This island, through its pseudo-intellectual technology, transcends the natural order of the world. Using this ability, it successfully left the sea and soared into the sky.

Although it was a hastily put-together technique, the first experiment was a success, and he was naturally all smiles.

Everything went smoothly, and the residents, now satisfied with the answer, have dispersed with peace of mind. Meanwhile, the city's technical team is preparing for a second attempt, working towards the goal of eventually raising the entire island to the surface.

"After this, your prestige will be even higher, right? But why don't you care even about Man's death...?"

“I said—we’ll talk later.”

He was getting impatient and glanced back.

Standing behind her was an elderly man. Although he was dressed cleanly and neatly, like someone playing a leading role in a theater, he exuded a sense of decadence and superficiality from the bottom of his heart, as if he had been seriously ill for a long time.

"Does Man's death mean nothing to you?" His eyes, however, were very bright.

"How could that be? After all, he was one of the three heroes of this city, and even the world, just like you. I am sorry, but the person who killed him was a notorious assassin in history. There's nothing we can do about it."

Although the domineering aura and joy had faded beneath the lion-like golden mane, replaced by regret, the superficial man did not accept it; he heard not a trace of genuine emotion.

Lord Balzac was speaking entirely in diplomatic language.

As for himself, although he had served this city... and even Lord Balzac for a long time and was quite famous, he still felt dissatisfied—

"No, lord, you don't care about such things. Yes... you only care about the opportunity to get closer to the dwelling place of the gods... right?"

"...This is my dream, which I explained to you back then. It's a pity that I can't take Man with me to get closer to God's dwelling place, it's a great regret."

After he finished speaking, he looked down and continued to examine the reports.

Below the square, the crowd had completely dispersed, most people relaxed, relieved that the danger was over, and clamoring to have a good meal. The technicians were equally excited, diligently preparing for the next test.

Lord Balzac was about to enjoy, or even participate in, this grand spectacle when the frivolous man interrupted him once again.

"Will the Eden Bank you seek be higher than the sky? Your ideals are like a floating city, without any foundation."

"So what? The prevailing opinion is that the sky is not Eden Bank. Therefore, they dwell in places deeper than the earth and venture into even deeper places."

He chuckled dismissively and continued.

“But I am different. My Eden Bank is in the sky, so I came here and have accomplished everything I have today.”

"Alright then, I hope you can erect a tombstone for Mann when the time comes... never mind, you've already erected one, the Three Heroes Monument will do."

"Then, let's talk again later."

He suppressed his displeasure: "Just so you know, the assassin from the Peda Empire has left, so I don't need to protect you here anymore. I want to go for a stroll for a while, since Silvermoon City is safe now."

"Yes, that's good news. Go ahead."

The timing was perfect, and the technicians also sent word.

"Lord Balzac, preparations are ready for the next test."

"This time, we plan to float up the suburban areas and guide people back to safe places as soon as possible."

Lord Balzac was thrilled and immediately jumped off the podium to go to the group of bright and intelligent technicians. These were the very people he had painstakingly trained for his ideals, and they had contributed a great deal to Silvermoon City. The results were generally quite good, so his investment had not been in vain.

Silvermoon City's atmosphere is completely different from other places; it is much more advanced, and this is precisely because of these people.

"It's great that we don't have to fight anymore. Peace is the soil for technological progress."

"You're right, it's really boring to stab each other with knives."

Lord Balzac outwardly nodded in agreement with these musings. But inwardly he felt a sense of gratitude; after all, war was a convenient pretext. Whether for the enemy or for him, the victim, it was an excuse to whitewash his ideals.

In his youth—he left the dark, sunless underground with only a meager bag. He arrived at the surface, where the sunlight was too blinding… This was the human world, a place created by the hand of a true god in a distant era.

This is the ideal stepping stone for him.

Now... he has the opportunity to get closer to his ideal place.

He traveled all this way just to see it.

Go and see Eden Bank, the sacred place that "traveling souls" who would rather dwell in darkness yearn to reach in their entire lives and generation after generation.

I want to go and see if this place really exists, and what exactly it contains.

This place is full of strangeness. Although only a few myths and legends record its existence, and they are only mentioned briefly and should be completely ignored... yet it seems to evoke a resonance deep in the soul, always making people yearn for it.

"almost."

"Hmm, the fuel will take effect in a few dozen seconds... I really hope this test goes smoothly."

"Yes."

He waits quietly until all the groundwork is laid, then he will look down upon the world like a true god, letting worldly disputes drift away from him.

Silvermoon City will rise into the sky along with the island, but the Four Seasons' Manor will not float up with it. Let the furious fleet of the Peda Empire, arriving only to find the enemy has already flown away, vent their anger on it.

"Lord Balzac".

"Who?"

"I come from the Land of Chaos." She appeared at the other end of the square, walking step by step. Although she was only a hundred paces away, her voice and presence were very powerful.

"...The Queen of Demon Banshees?" He was very confused and had to return to reality first, otherwise his plan would be thwarted by this capricious person.

"I intend to talk to you about what lies beneath Silvermoon City—"

"Alright, let's begin the experiment."

"The outskirts have separated and takeoff has begun... Just like when Silvermoon City took off, it feels like some weird thing pushed it, which is why it went so smoothly..."

The suburban area, like a hollow cylinder, slowly rises into the air.

Lord Balzac was quite satisfied with the smooth progress, but at the same time he asked...

"Demon Queen, we are conducting a pseudo-technique experiment to avoid war. What brings you here? To discuss war? What's happening beneath Silvermoon City?"

"Another one flew out?!"

Volume 1, Chapter 228: Still Ruins

Prior to this, after an internal discussion among the three, Mori and Melia both felt that it was time to temporarily put aside their prejudices.

This ominous fog is good for no one, so it's always good to take action to deal with it. Although they may not have to do it themselves, they should at least inform Lord Balzac.

Therefore, Melia decided to assert her authority and have a dialogue with Lord Balzac. With the prestige that came from her, it would be easy for him to understand the seriousness of the matter.

Unfortunately, we arrived a little late.

With a gloomy face, she couldn't just turn around and leave; it would be better to check the situation first.

Everyone was admiring the magnificent view of the island from the sky, praising it highly, but Melia showed no interest whatsoever. The situation below was far more important than the mud and rocks flying in the air.

After all, if there were also points of emergence of the ominous fog here, things would become very complicated. This wasn't something she could remain unaffected by; she couldn't simply rejoice because other countries were suffering.

"Lord Balzac, I suggest you end the experiment as soon as possible."

"why?"

"There might be something beneath your island."

Lord Balzac was somewhat stunned, as if he had remembered something.

Meanwhile, Melia was extremely focused, but she didn't see the black mist emerge. Unlike last time, she witnessed the entire process from beginning to end. She was quite confident in her eyesight; no matter how fast the other party was, she should have been able to detect it.

Now, part of the island has been raised, but there is still no movement, which probably means that it is safe this time.

……

"Mori, could you help me out sometimes? I'm used to being alone, but I still get tired."

"Okay, I'll make you some iced tea to help you relax and I'll also get you a towel to wipe your sweat. Also, I'll be doing the dishes today, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that."

Mori patted her chest, indicating that she was very reliable. After saying that, she started to walk away from the manor, intending to go back to the cabin to get tea and a towel.

After reaching a conclusion and Melia left, they waited quietly in the courtyard for the next development.

Dandelion seemed exhausted from tending to the plants at home.

However, having received Mori's promise, she stopped her nature magic. Although she was happy, she wasn't entirely pleased. Her lips would sometimes twist into a grimace to express her displeasure, and other times they would break into a smile.

"What I mean is, occasionally help me look after the yard and care for the flowers and plants. Don't be stingy with your natural magic."

"You mean this... I'm no expert at taking care of flowers and plants."

"Haha, a joke unique to the Four Seasons."

She seemed genuinely amused, and casually wiped the sweat dripping down her forehead.

Although things are a bit busy now, this peaceful and leisurely life is exactly what she longs for. It's just a pity that such precious time is often disturbed. Dandelion raised her head and looked towards the small dock.