Brain bloom

She decided not to think about it too much, because it seemed like a long way off.

Another thing is that the garden shears used to cut the dandelion have snapped one off.

The feeling of having branches and leaves cut off was extremely uncomfortable... At first, it was a soul-stirring pain that made Mori cry out, probably similar to when his little finger was hit. But this pain was only for a moment, and soon, a great sense of relief followed.

The soul has taken another step closer to freedom.

"Does it feel good?"

"...A little."

"Then I'll continue, and I'll cut some more off for you."

Sen nodded, gritting his teeth as he tried to understand.

The dramatic shift from hell to heaven brought her immense pleasure. Before she knew it, Mori had begun to enjoy being pruned and trimmed. Even more delightful was that after the pruning, the princess would rub the leaves with nutrient solution, adding another layer of charm to the experience.

The branches and leaves she dropped all turned into a terrifying poison, which she carefully collected.

"By the way, Moritoki, why were you all puffed up before?"

"I just feel that this world isn't so easy to navigate."

Her attempt to cheat using the three hundred gold coins failed.

Mori took the gold coins back from Dandelion and then gave them to her again, but this was not recorded.

Each gold coin seemed to resist, as if it had forever left Sen. Therefore, even if she returned the gold coins to Dandelion or to someone else, they could not be recorded and increase her attack power.

She tried passing the gold through many hands, or exchanging it for other gold coins through multiple trades and bartering, but none of these methods worked. Finally, she discovered that as long as she deliberately used the gold coins, no other means would work.

The Book of Trillion Stars is no ordinary book; its rules are extremely strict, far more stringent than those for catching cheaters in the college entrance examination.

But Senshi wasn't so discouraged—she still had a lot of wealth waiting to be reclaimed.

"Would you like to come with me to the Kingdom of the Holy Coffin? Seasonal Ones, stepping into the enemy's territory... um..."

"Alright, go ahead then. Don't worry, the grapes at home are being taken care of, and the bunch on the tree spirit will also need time to ripen. With your little display of skill, the people of Silvermoon City won't dare to covet my land anymore."

"Yes, and there's nothing to do here anyway."

"Should you have your little follower come to pick you up? When are you leaving?"

Sen Shi shrugged, thinking it didn't need to be so extravagant. If she left it to B or someone else, it would definitely turn into a grand ceremony. But she preferred to walk around the Holy Coffin Kingdom on her own two feet and see what kind of prosperity her gold coins had created.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, my little paper boat is always ready."

Mori was delighted; the paper boat was swift, beautiful, not crowded, and allowed him to freely enjoy the sea breeze.

Before leaving, there wasn't much to do. She took out her fabric and needle and thread, and in the world filled with the shimmering green of grape leaves, she slowly began to sew an inconspicuous girl's dress. Winter was approaching, and the robe alone wouldn't be enough to keep her warm.

The noisy people were all gone, and even Melia had gone back to be queen; the winery was now peaceful.

A gentle breeze blew, birds sang melodiously, and she blended into this natural world.

Forget those unfathomable mysteries, stop thinking about any troubles, just treat yourself as an ordinary person, and spend a leisurely day like this, it doesn't feel so bad...

Dandelion seemed to share the same sentiment, unusually removing her robes and donning a long skirt. She carried a unique musical instrument and sat not far from Sen Shi.

"You can do this too?"

"Ah."

It was a Theobal, its body rounded like an egg, with three layers of old wood grain forming a smooth surface. The three sound holes were carved into the shape of flowers. It seemed to have been specially made to fit the size of a dandelion.

She tried plucking the strings, and a few off-key notes floated out, more somber than a lute and more complex than a classical guitar, yet still melodious.

The notes began to gain rhythm, her slender three fingers playing very clean melodies, while her thumb occasionally plucked the bass strings above, supporting the melody as if it were about to take flight with heavy notes.

Her ankle boots would occasionally tap lightly on the ground, creating a unique drumbeat from the accumulated fallen leaves.

Mori stopped sewing without realizing it and looked at her in surprise.

The dandelion simply closed its eyes, playing this unknown melody. No, perhaps it wasn't a melody at all, but rather her improvisation. Anyone who can play an instrument well knows how to let the notes soar freely.

Birds perched on her shoulders, and there were dappled patches of sunlight.

The Four Seasons People are truly a race blessed by nature, and Moritoki found this scene beautiful. At first, Moritoki told himself that this was just an illusion, after all, the Four Seasons People were so terrifying.

Perhaps, the dandelion has forgotten its worries.

After an unknown amount of time, the music stopped. Sen Shi didn't clap, but instead said "Beautiful" herself. This was the only praise she could give, and it made Dandelion beam with joy.

"This violin is very special."

"Oh?"

Suddenly, a discordant, deep male voice interrupted what should have been a peaceful continuation of the event.

"Fourteen strings, double-headed... an extension of the lute. An additional head is added to get more resonating strings, which makes the tone richer... It is an uncommon instrument, after all, bards don't like to use it."

Mori became alert and put down his sewing needle: "Who?"

"What, do people nowadays like to break into other people's homes without permission? Who are you?"

"A traveling merchant."

Volume 1 #A Day of Goo Goo Goo

I'm busy with other things in real life, I'll update during the day.

I'm busy with other things in real life, I'll update during the day.

I'm busy with other things in real life, I'll update during the day.

I'm busy with other things in real life, I'll update during the day.

I'm busy with other things in real life, I'll update during the day.

I'm busy with other things in real life, I'll update during the day.

I'm busy with other things in real life, I'll update during the day.

I'm busy with other things in real life, I'll update during the day.

Volume 1, Chapter 265: A Certain Prince and a Traveling Merchant

This uninvited guest is clearly no ordinary person.

Because of the four seasons' long-term residence and meticulous care, the entire winery has acquired a very rich and unique atmosphere. If any powerful enemy were to enter, the aura they exude would affect the winery's atmosphere, which Dandelion would then detect.

Perhaps this man, who calls himself a traveling merchant, is a master at concealing his presence.

He looked exceptionally young, with flaxen curly hair and a fairly handsome face. However, his face was covered with a unkempt beard, and the damage to his skin from wind and sun made the traveling merchant look unkempt.

He was dressed in thick clothes and carried a large, tattered bag.

Sen Shi had a bad feeling, because the sudden appearance of these random people usually meant her hard-earned free time was ruined. Looks like she'll have to stay up all night sewing and catch up on sleep on the small boat tomorrow…

She rubbed her eyes, which had been staring at needlework for too long, and wanted to take a closer look at the other person. However, after examining her for a while, Dandelion seemed to recognize the other person's identity.

"Aren't you that... prince of what city? I've heard a lot of people talk about you."

"Not at the moment, just a traveling merchant who came for a transaction."

"Prince?" Mori was completely baffled. What was all this about?

This young man, who seemed to be either a prince or a traveling merchant, was quite outgoing. He walked over to a suitable distance, sat cross-legged on the grass, and put down his backpack with a sigh of relief.

When they landed, they made a clanging sound, and it's unclear what kind of cargo they were carrying.

"The Four Seasons Manor... is truly special."

"Welcome, Your Highness, from... uh, a place with a long history... a certain prince..."

"Haha, don't think about it if you can't remember. I've said it before, I'm just a traveling merchant." Unlike the dust on his face, the young man's smile was kind and clean.

Mori couldn't help but tilt his head and think, why would Dandelion welcome this person? Since he didn't remember the name or the country, it meant that he wasn't someone who had provided aid to the Flower Country back then.

As if she could read Mori's mind, Dandelion looked troubled and turned to Mori.

"This prince can bring us good luck."

"Is this the protagonist of some urban legend? This prince."

"No, it's true, not the kind of nonsense travelers make up in taverns. The previous king of that country was getting old, so a few years ago, he gave this prince a trial."

"Something like the Holy Coffin Kingdom? It's about having your heir instigate a proper rebellion..." Because it was her country, Mori Toki remembered this vividly.

Dandelion nodded slightly: "That country is a small border country. Although it is so small that I can't even remember its name, its size is about the same as Silvermoon City. However, the right of succession is not so easy to obtain. Each time there are different trials."

“That’s right, that’s right, it really wasn’t easy. My dad cared for a hundred different kinds of small animals, ensuring their offspring survived healthily, and then used these animals to obtain the scepter, which he said symbolized the foundation of the nation’s agriculture.”

The prince seemed quite happy to share these stories, and he began to talk on and on, regardless of whether Mori and Dandelion were willing or not.

“My grandmother also had a tough time. She insisted on sending her, who was only fourteen years old and so beautiful that she was hailed as ‘once in five thousand years of human history,’ to the wheat field, demanding that that field support all the elderly people over 50 years old in the country for a whole year… saying that she would not forget their sacrifices when they were young.”

"How did they manage to do all this?" Mori Toki asked Dandelion, finding it amusing. "Is making things difficult for the heir a tradition in the human world?"

"Hmm...this is a custom in many countries."

"But they were all quite clever... My dad bought a hundred small animals to fool them."

"So what kind of clever trick did your grandma use? Let me guess, did she hire a high-level nature magician to forcibly exploit the land to increase the harvest?"

To the prince's question about dandelions, the prince shook his head and said in a tone as if chatting with an old friend—

"My grandmother sold the land for money... and then used that money to hire several powerful adventurer groups to raid some enemy towns... She used the looted money to buy back the land, and the rest to buy grain, which she piled up in the fields along with the looted grain, as high as a mountain. Moreover, she gained fame and political capital by selling the grain to the elderly at low prices..."

"This country hasn't become a major power?" Sen Shi asked, quite surprised.

"Because my grandmother had a strong narcissistic complex, she would look in the mirror and change clothes every day. She just managed things casually, keeping the country peaceful and prosperous, and didn't have time to pursue other ambitions."

“Okay…” Mori thought about himself and thankfully didn’t have that kind of complex. “What about yours?”

“I…” the prince said with a pained expression, “My father gave me a gold coin and told me to become a traveling merchant for eight years, and to turn this gold coin into something that could buy the throne.”

"It's quite interesting," Mori thought from the bottom of his heart.

"It's also a learning experience for me, to travel the world and experience different cultures to broaden my horizons, rather than becoming a theoretical king. So now I'm just a traveling merchant, and I'm here only to trade."

Dandelion said, "He would offer what the other person needed in exchange for something useless, so in legends he is a traveling merchant who brings good luck."