Brain bloom

Master Woodpecker once said that she was a seasonal being who slept in the wild, tainting the surroundings with evil, which was hardly amusing. Following the clues provided by the mimosa, the dandelion squinted, recalling history.

"Four hundred years...the era of Queen Yugiri?"

"Yes."

"The four seasons slumbering in the wild signify that you are an exiled sinner... The fact that you lack a flower crown further proves this. Am I right?"

The communal life of the Four Seasons is not without conflict, nor is it all harmonious. There are all sorts of sins, all sorts of taboos, and sinners who violate them. As the most orthodox and noble princess, it is only natural for the dandelion to reject this sinner.

The mimosa plant looked melancholy: "I am not a sinner... I even served as a harvest priest. But because of this, I encountered many troublesome things. Later, I voluntarily removed my flower crown and waited to be purified by the winged clouds."

"Your seal has failed?"

"Yes, it was pulled out twice."

“…Well then, welcome, fellow countryman.” Dandelion extended her hand and invited her into the house. “I believe what you have said is true, and I sympathize with your plight.”

“Thank you—then…” Mimosa hesitated, but still asked, “What is the current situation in our country? If I’m not mistaken, a trial for successors has been held, but I heard that the Kingdom of Flowers has been destroyed… Can our country really be destroyed?”

"It can't be explained in just a sentence or two, but I am indeed undergoing the trial of the successor..."

Even so, Dandelion still casually said a few words—

"Anyway, in a sense, our country's so-called destruction is just to make this trial more difficult. Anyway, we've entered an unstable period, and no one wants to fight... It's tough for me."

"And then there's our fellow countrywoman, Mori! She actually possesses a divine nature? And a powerful, incomparably strong true god... But she doesn't have a flower crown, nor is she a harvest priestess, so who exactly is she..."

She had wanted to ask this question for a long time. In her view, Mori Toki was a person composed of question marks and paradoxes.

Outside, just as the true God's sermon seemed to be ending, the oppressive aura gradually dissipated. Everywhere was filled with the clamor of reciting sacred texts and weeping. This would be a day of remembrance for the entire human world—a day to commemorate a miracle.

Amidst all the noise, the dandelion answered the mimosa's question in a simple way.

"She kissed my dandelion, that's all."

"...Huh?! Such a powerful Four Seasons True God actually kissed your dandelion?! How did you do that?!"

Suddenly, the mimosa felt that those secrets had become boring, and something more interesting was right in front of her, which she was determined to figure out.

"Tell me your story! I can't sleep soundly if I don't know..."

"Oh, it's nothing."

The dandelion pretended it was an ordinary thing, maintaining a cold expression. But inside, it was overjoyed. After so long, it finally had a chance to show off—it felt amazing!

Just as she was about to launch into a dramatic explanation, Mori's voice came from outside the door—

"Senior Mimosa, I need to talk to you about the design drawings. It's urgent, you must come out and help immediately!"

"……it is good."

After much deliberation, Mimosa could only prioritize the urgent matter of Mori, and she hurriedly left the house.

So, having lost its precious audience, the dandelion had no choice but to swallow its boasting and self-praise. Incidentally, it also casually poured the nutrient solution it had specially prepared for a certain strawberry onto its own head.

……

(My finger injury has gotten worse, so I can only update once tonight. I'll write the rest after I wake up.)

Volume 1 #342 · The Confident Craftsman

At the request of those who guarded the Blade of Chaos, thirteen bells rang out, echoing across the entire continent.

Those were church bells.

These enormous silver bells, totaling thirteen, were placed within the entire circle of the coffin bearers' faith. Along with the thirteen cathedrals, they were traditionally rung only on "divinely granted days" to warn people of the profound doctrine that "wealth brings death."

The pure silver clock produces a clear and expansive sound.

This melodious resonance slowly spread far and wide, as if the timbre had transformed into particles, layering and unfolding in the air, each particle representing a colorful dream. And the dream hidden within was precisely "the one who brings the coffin here."

The news spread throughout the world with the tolling of the bells.

However, some of the older generation in Silver Ring City were not excited; they simply looked at the magnificent statue of the coffin bearer with shame on their faces.

No matter how miraculous the craftsmanship, design, or scale, it is ultimately a figment of imagination, and this is pure blasphemy. Had they known that the coffin bearers looked like this, they might have lived on the statue their entire lives, exhausting their efforts to recreate its beauty.

Mori landed on the street. Although she asked the people not to worship, the crowd spontaneously formed a circular space, and they all knelt on one knee, put their hands together, and bowed their heads devoutly.

The scene was still a bit awkward.

“…Never mind, whatever.” Mori shook his head, deciding not to care, because he needed to hurry.

Using ordinary ice magic, she casually conjured a round table of ice and placed it in the middle of the street. Then, she carefully placed the broken pocket watch on the table, feeling a wave of fear wash over her.

In the days following the unboxing of this thing, she even considered casually tossing it into the sea to skip stones. If she hadn't later discovered that Shan could be used as an alarm clock, she probably would have done just that.

Fortunately, the unseen destiny did not lead to that wrong path.

“Craftsmen,” she began, “I need to repair this pocket watch. Anyone who is absolutely confident in their skills may come forward.”

Mori's words sparked a strong reaction among the crowd.

People don't know how to deal with the true God... The human heart is often as delicate as whipped cream, and tends to overanalyze the other person's intentions. This is a trial given by the true God. If we can't help, will we incur God's wrath? If we do well, will we receive praise?

And now, there are artisans who dare to straighten their knees.

The first to arrive was a dignified man, dressed in a simple white robe, so clean that there wasn't a speck of dust on it.

Mori remained unperturbed, his gaze sweeping across the crowd until he spotted the silver-armored girl with the most intense glare. After their eyes met, B immediately straightened up and walked over.

Would you like some tea?

"...I just want you to maintain order."

Instantly, like a hedgehog facing an enemy, she nervously placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to unleash her quills at any moment. As a highly respected member of the highest echelons of power, her intimidation was perfectly suited to this situation.

The man did not stop; he walked through the crowd and reached Mori.

Then, with the utmost reverence, they paid homage to their beloved God.

“Chai Yu, the chief craftsman of Silver Ring City, is at your disposal. I have absolute confidence in my abilities.”

"Alright, get up and get to work."

Chai Yu shuddered, slowly stood up, put on his glasses, and leaned closer to examine the pocket watch in front of him.

But he encountered a problem: the pocket watch was not alone; inside was an extremely rare time spirit, who was having a friendly chat with a salt spirit that had flown by at some unknown time.

While Chai Yu observed with a surprised expression, Sen Shi turned to the people.

"I need more than one craftsman."

Gradually, two or three craftsmen mustered up the courage to step forward. Most of them were retired master craftsmen, and at that moment they all seemed decades younger, full of energy.

Suddenly remembering something, Mori whispered a few words to B, who immediately found a bald but well-dressed, wealthy-looking man in the crowd. He was the lord of Silver Ring City; Mori had even stayed at his house before, and the maids there were exceptionally beautiful.

“Whatever you need… I will do my best to prepare it.” The city lord trembled all over, sweat pouring down his face.

"That... the prince of the Holy Coffin Kingdom..."

"...You...you know about his disappearance?"

"He was murdered by the evil sea god Hodge, and now he's probably lying on the road leading to the church in the suburbs. Send a few people to look for him, or they'll catch a cold."

Mori felt he had done a good job, not forgetting the poor prince. Caught in the sea god's illusion, Hodge's death has likely been exposed, though no one has claimed him; he should still be alive…

The city lord immediately obeyed the divine decree and sent soldiers to carry it out.

Mori sculpted a chair out of ice, sat down with her legs crossed, and now more and more craftsmen were eager to try. She had done all she could. Next, she just had to wait for the Ancient Demon King to bring the blueprints so that people from all over could carry the treasure chests over.

The masters were not making good progress and looked embarrassed as they stared at the broken pocket watch.

At first glance, the pocket watch appears unremarkable, merely a poorly made piece of craftsmanship. But upon closer inspection, every single component inside contains a wealth of information, almost impossible to decipher.

Even the silver gear that the Time Sprite is holding is not as simple as meshing with other gears to make the clock hands start moving.

It also bit into other things.

It's as if its existence is to enable some vast world to function.

The craftsman who initially came to help, named Chai Yu, inadvertently strayed too far. He glimpsed a tiny fraction of a world, and upon regaining his senses, he was filled with dread. He didn't believe he was qualified to repair a stagnant, decaying world.

He wiped away a lot of sweat.

The true God who had posed the test to the craftsmen was right before the believers, kindly advising them to straighten their backs and go home to sleep. It was like a passionate and inspiring speech, with a powerful infectiousness, and the believers erupted in cheers.

How much a true God cherishes His believers! He even worries that their legs might go numb from kneeling for so long. Yet, He uses such a strange pocket watch to torment the craftsmen… This trial is truly too difficult.

“The one who delivered the coffin, if we fail to do what you ask, to repair this pocket watch…” Chai Yu couldn’t help but ask, “What kind of punishment will we suffer?”

"Don't be so pessimistic. If you still can't do it after the design drawings arrive, then we'll talk about punishment."

"Design drawings!"

Upon hearing this word, Chai Yu's expression softened slightly. He was eager to see how impressive the design drawings of such a pocket watch must be.

After saying this, Mori sat back down in her chair. Just as she was itching to give herself some water but was too embarrassed by the devout gazes of the believers, the feather of the ancient demon king trembled slightly and conveyed the other party's anxious voice.

“I plan to move the design drawings directly to your place… I’ve also gathered some craftsmen from the Demon Realm.”

"Then hurry up!"

"But I can't offer that much knowledge to actually access this damned book. Ugh, I hate trading pairs!!"

Volume 1, Chapter 343: Invitation

It's hard to believe that this stingy miser, who was so committed to reciprocity in transactions and always demanded a price for everything, now understands how annoying that is.

"You've finally met your match..."

"Stop, stop making sarcastic remarks, coffin bearer, I need a lot of novel knowledge, knowledge!"

Knowledge? Do you need something like that to find design drawings? Morishi fell into deep thought, feeling that the question sounded familiar... but with her mind too full and without any watering, she couldn't grasp the answer that was about to emerge.

She had no choice but to get up, knock on the door of a pastry shop, and ask the Mimosa senior for help.

"Senior Mimosa, I need to talk to you about the design drawings. It's urgent, you must come out and help immediately!"

"...I'm coming."

A few seconds later, Mimosa pushed open the door and came to Mori's side.

The situation was terrible for her. Believers were still holding worship and chanting ceremonies nearby, and the discovery that God had called out a person of the four seasons just like her attracted countless curious glances.