Brain bloom

How can a low-level account with nothing become a hero of restoring a kingdom?

A bitter smile appeared on her lips. The idiot she had built with nine hundred million gold coins back then was truly a perfect self-mockery.

Seemingly feeling they had explained things clearly, the ghost and the princess looked expectantly at Mori, eager to know what kind of power the hero they had finally found would use to restore their homeland. Unfortunately, the hero was very hungry and managed to squeeze out the word "hungry" with great difficulty.

The two immediately understood and ran off to find food, their faces full of guilt. A moment later, the princess returned, carrying a large, unappetizing leaf. Then, the princess stood before Moritoki.

“Ancestor, I am Dandelion, the first and only heir of the Kingdom of Flowers. As you can see, I am ‘the one who possesses a flower crown.’ Please lend me your strength for the sake of my homeland.”

After saying this, the princess, who called herself Dandelion, poured the dew from the leaf onto the leaf on Mori's head...

Sen instinctively wanted to complain, but as the cool sensation spread over her head, she actually felt refreshed, and her fatigue and hunger gradually subsided. She realized that the players were right; the plant on her head might actually be her true form.

The smiling dandelion watered Sen Shi while asking its bewildered ancestor a question—

"From which era do you come? You must be a famous hero in history books. Can you tell me the meaning of your flower?"

Volume 1 #002: Dawn and White Flowers

This series of expectations put Mori Toki in a difficult position.

What would she think if you told this expectant princess that the hero you summoned was actually just a casual player who hadn't leveled up? But if you were to be even more blunt and reveal that you'd thrown away everything that could have helped, she would be extremely disappointed.

However, right now, Moritoki thinks he should assess his current situation before deciding whether to help or quietly spend his second life in another world alone.

She started trying to find a way to check her character attributes, and thankfully it didn't make things difficult for her. With just a thought, the data appeared clearly in her mind like a memory.

Name: Mori Toki (Strangely, her real name replaced her original character nickname; Mori Toki felt that perhaps the soul was the main factor in giving a name.)

Race: Four Seasons

Level: 9 (Experience required for the next level: 112/9000)

Current title: [The One Who Turns the Clock], a limited-time title obtainable only by completing the quest "Starlight Moment". Effect: The stars will favor you.

Power: 31

Intelligence: 412

Agility: 400

Willpower: 91

Luck: 7

After reviewing this, she realized that the character's attributes and other aspects were largely unchanged from the game era, which relieved her. In other words, the life skills she had painstakingly acquired with money must still be there. Otherwise, the intelligence and agility they granted wouldn't have remained.

As for the equipment I'm wearing right now, it's just a blue and white dress that has a rather girlish feel. Aside from looking good and keeping me cold, it doesn't offer any other benefit.

Immediately afterwards, Mori used the same method to visualize the contents of his backpack... Aside from a few permanently bound outfits, all that remained were the quest items he couldn't discard. However, all of these outfits were thin and couldn't withstand the night wind.

Seeing that Sen Shi had remained silent and had not answered for a long time, Dandelion was a little worried.

"Is it something you're unwilling to disclose? Or is it that the aftereffects of the magic of fate are causing your memory to be unclear?"

“Indeed, there is some. I need to recall…” Mori sat up, trying to adapt to the body, and answered appropriately, “My name is Mori, which means forest and time.”

"Hmm? Is it some kind of old variety of flower? Does this flower even exist?"

"Princess, I've never heard of it either."

Mori rubbed the leaves on his head, recalling that in the lore, those of noble birth who belonged to the Four Seasons were mostly named after flowers. This was a troubling point; should he reveal their in-game names?

Perhaps sensing her distress, Dandelion asked timidly, "Are you... a sinner stripped of your flower language? I've heard of great magicians like that."

"No, Mori is a kind of flower." After saying that, she swallowed her shame with saliva, hoping to digest it.

Both Dandelion and Ghost nodded thoughtfully, admiring the vines growing from Mori's head, clearly amazed by the new species.

"To answer your other question—in fact, before I was summoned here, as far as I know, the Kingdom of Flowers was ruled by Poppy, but I don't know how much time has passed between then and now."

When Mori mentioned the most famous queen NPC in the Flower Kingdom faction during the game era, a chilling silence suddenly enveloped the night. In the stillness, even the insects hidden among the soil and weeds seemed to have fallen silent. The dandelion, bathed in the warm moonlight, looked dazed, while the ghost beside it showed signs of wavering.

This made Sen Shi more worried, secretly wondering if he had made a mistake by talking out of turn.

However, despite having a name like "poppy," the queen in the story is actually quite righteous and honorable.

The era led by the Poppy Queen was the most glorious period in the Kingdom of Flowers, and there was no dark history there. This is something that Mori, who has read every single side story, can confidently guarantee.

After a moment, the ghost broke the silence, sighing hopefully, "The era of the Poppy Queen was truly a dreamlike time."

"Yes, its most prosperous period..."

The dandelion, its gaze lowered, continued in a tone of mixed joy and sorrow:

"That was also the era when our country had the largest land area, and nature and we lived in harmony. Even with some external enemies, the country was full of talented people and was favored by fate, so we were always able to withstand all hardships."

"History is truly an incredible thing."

"Ancestor... Lord Moritoki, is it true? Was that era really so wonderful?"

Sen nodded, without describing any more of the beautiful aspects of the forlorn dandelion.

Because she had already seen boundless longing in the eyes of the princess adorned with a flower crown. That was precisely the reason for their silence, stemming from the contrast between beautiful history and reality.

"When I was young, my parents also talked about how wonderful those times were," the ghostly voice said softly. "However, the era of the Poppy Queen is now 120 years in the past."

He wrote down the number.

Mori had a vague feeling that these two forlorn flowers before her seemed to have placed all their hopes for restoring their kingdom on her. But she wasn't sure if she could be of any help... Thinking of this, Mori reviewed her skills in her mind, trying to see if she had the ability to assist.

The combat class is really pathetic; they only mastered one LV1 slash... still the same old story.

His magic skills were not perfect; he only learned the four intermediate magics of water, electricity, fire, and wind, as well as a few important advanced magics, but his proficiency in them was very low. However, he had mastered the two side branches of magic—magic training and magic combination—because they could make money.

His life skills are quite good: fishing, brewing, jewelry making, tailoring, and blacksmithing—these are all maxed out, and the others are passable. The only thing that's a bit lacking is his cooking skill...

"This doesn't look like a hero's skill bar."

Regardless, it was the "fate magic" used by the dandelion and the ghost that allowed Mori to awaken and be reborn (even though the gender was completely wrong). Based on that alone, Mori felt it wouldn't hurt to lend a hand, but unfortunately, the smaller version was really lacking in combat power…

Life skills require various rare materials to be effective. Whether bought or acquired, the process is far too lengthy. Magical skills are also complex, requiring various elemental staves, spellbooks, magical materials, and magic potions, among other things—all of which she possessed.

At that time, Sen Shi did not have enough reason to start accumulating little by little from scratch in order to wholeheartedly help this dandelion.

But when he thought of the scene of her watering his plants and her expectant eyes, Mori hesitated again, unable to just abandon her like that.

She had regained some strength and was at least able to sit on the ground by herself—and then asked the two men a question.

Do you want to restore your kingdom?

Dandelion nodded somewhat uncertainly, but with the same gaze she had when standing in the darkness waiting for dawn, she silently watched Mori.

"If that's the case, who is the enemy? How strong are they? How did the Kingdom of Flowers decline and perish?"

Dandelion, having shed her earlier girlish innocence, sat demurely opposite Sen Shi. She stroked the dandelion on her head and slowly answered the question—a question that was far from easy for her.

"Actually, it's just because our country is too small and too weak."

Mori agreed in her heart, because this was indeed the reason why most countries declined, and she said it all in such a simple sentence.

But is the Kingdom of Flowers really that weak... or how could it become weak so quickly? In the game's background setting, the Harvest Priests of each generation were guys who could destroy the world with just a staff, not to mention that there were various elemental spirits and natural spirits protecting that homeland, all of whom were quite troublesome regional bosses.

Dandelion continued:

"The Kingdom of Flowers wasn't originally that weak; it was only because of the rise of the Holy Coffin Kingdom... that, with its unbelievably vast power and wealth, it managed to annex all its neighboring countries..."

The Holy Coffin Kingdom? Mori made a mental note of it, after all, this was something that didn't exist in the game era. This alone was enough to prove that this world was not simple, and her experience and knowledge were not entirely applicable.

Perhaps to soothe the princess's feelings, the ghost, whose figure grew fainter and fainter, took over the story from the sorrowful dandelion.

“You are the hero summoned by the magic of fate to help us restore our country, so I will give you everything without reservation—if it weren’t for the powerful Harvest Priests of all generations, and the two spells of fate they imprinted with their souls, our country would probably have been destroyed much earlier.”

"Why is that so-called Holy Coffin Kingdom expanding so aggressively?"

“They are a religious country with beliefs that we cannot understand. Their reasons for expansion are, of course, religious—but in any case, that’s just an excuse. It would be abnormal for a powerful country not to expand outwards.”

Having said all this, the ghost, as the Harvest Priestess, removed her face-covering robe for the first time, revealing a gentle, feminine face. But contrary to her youthful appearance, she seemed very old.

On her head was a white rose—but as transparent as she was.

“I am the last of the Harvest Priests, and I failed to protect the country… But now, I may be able to proudly meet my ancestors—at least I have awakened you.”

The ghost's figure grew increasingly faint, yet it wore a satisfied smile.

She and Dandelion gazed into the distance, where a faint light was breaking through the clouds, signifying the approach of dawn. Their faces were filled with reluctance, and Mori immediately understood that the ghost would vanish with the arrival of dawn.

Mori kept her breathing quiet, because this was their time.

"Tu Mi, it's time to say goodbye." The princess didn't cry, but loneliness filled her face. "I pay you the highest respect... Death is never the end, don't be sad."

"There's nothing more I can teach you or do for you."

The rose of Sharon is already a pale white flower, but now it is so transparent that it is almost invisible.

Mori stood up to see her off as well.

Their parting was somewhat different from what Mori had imagined. There were few affected words; they didn't even embrace each other. They simply stood beneath the gradually brightening sky, bathed in the first light of dawn alongside countless wildflowers and grasses.

Tu Mi didn't leave many words, only offering a relaxed and contented smile as her farewell.

She, along with last night's moonlight, was replaced by the rising sun.

Volume 1 #003: The Coffin Bearers' Warning

The white flower disappeared. Even Sen Shi, who had just arrived in this world, could tell from Dandelion's incredibly lonely face that this was Tu Mi's farewell to her.

"She was actually a great nature magician. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't protect the country." Dandelion whispered after she left. "She was actually the strongest in history, but... there were too many enemies, and they were too strong."

"Yes, I believe you."

"In the years after Tu Mi died in battle, she used another kind of fate magic to bind her own soul so that she could stay by my side... to protect me."

Hearing her words, tinged with tears, Sen Shi couldn't help but sigh. It wasn't so easy for a soul to linger. Tu Mi was indeed worthy of her position as Harvest Priestess, but sadly, she had vanished completely not long ago.

Before Mori could comfort the princess, Dandelion raised her face and stood in the backlight, looking directly at Mori.

“She went to great lengths to bring you here… I know you’re still hesitant and haven’t decided to help. So I won’t shamelessly ask you to be my hero, nor will I force you.”

Her hesitation was noticed, but Mori didn't want to be seen as ungrateful, so she immediately tried to explain, "Actually, it's because..."

"But—I have a request."

Dandelion interrupted Mori, and almost burst into tears.