Brain bloom

After eating and cleaning the fat chicken—

"As agreed, I'll do you a favor—"

As soon as he finished speaking, a melodious whistle, without any malice, flowed from Bira's lips and into the distance.

The clear, crisp sound of the whistle broke the silence of the frozen forest, lingering on and on. Within minutes, it had attracted a group of visitors.

Ten wolves appeared. Their average rank was even over 75, clearly indicating a high status within the pack. Their well-nourished bodies gave them glossy fur, unlike the coarse appearance of typical wild wolves. As they entered the den, they moved with a noble yet docile demeanor.

Pira said in a seductive voice, "Four Seasons, tonight, these lovely little ones belong to you. Don't refuse."

"Awoo."

"Ow."

"Waaaaah."

The summoned wolves, obeying the alpha wolf's command, automatically split into two groups, as if they had done it many times before, and happily surrounded the two Seasonal Beings. Perhaps it was because they were high-level monsters, or perhaps it was because they had a vegetarian leader, but they didn't have the slightest bit of wild animal stench on them; instead, they exuded the freshness of grass.

Walking through the snow year-round has made them unexpectedly clean.

Sen Shi was surrounded by five wolves, whose rank was even higher than hers. They all rubbed against her, sniffing and circling around her. The soft, thick wolf fur rubbed against Sen Shi, and the warmth quickly enveloped her. If they weren't still strangers, they probably would have already started licking each other.

"Is this...some kind of special arrangement?" Mori couldn't help but ask. "You may have misunderstood us Four Seasons People."

"As I said—they will stay with you for the night, don't be shy."

"This……"

"Pfft, hahaha, don't overthink it. They're just for you to keep warm. In my little place, I only have one bed. It would probably be cold for you to sleep on the floor, and I'm uneasy about keeping the campfire burning all the time, so these are like blankets to take care of you."

Mori breathed a sigh of relief; this was barely acceptable...

She began to intentionally or unintentionally get closer to these creatures. Their docile nature, coupled with their excellent feel, made Mori lower her guard slightly. Moreover, they were residents of the Holy Coffin Kingdom's territory, and in a sense, they were also her subjects.

Unlike Mori, the other group of wolves didn't seem to like Dandelion, probably because they sensed her terrifying nature.

……

Sen Shi slept soundly and had a warm, restful sleep.

Previously, I listened to the Ancient Demon King and the Mythical Period reminisce about history. In reality, she had been without sleep for about a day and a night. Although she was physically strong, rest was always precious. The wolf pack was also very well-behaved, staying close to Sen Shi all night, their fluffy tails keeping her warm.

She looked around and saw Dandelion outside the door, whispering to Bira about agricultural matters.

So, in the morning sunlight, Mori took out the repaired pocket watch and greeted Heen with a "Good morning."

……

"The seeds I give you, as long as you sow them the right way and infuse them with enough spiritual energy, will ensure that you have enough to eat three meals a day for the whole year, even if you don't weed or fertilize them and just wander around outside all day without taking care of them."

"……real?"

"Why would I lie to you, given the dignity of those who live through the four seasons?"

Judging from the content of the conversation, the agricultural forum outside had probably come to an end. Mori then spread out a map and, with the help of the information given by Fukufu who returned home last night, began to find the way forward.

Although this is a border frozen land, strictly speaking, it is not far from the capital—that is, the modern holy site.

Thanks to the nation's incredible strength and the widespread availability of magic, the country's infrastructure is actually quite advanced. Beautiful, straight roads, readily available supply points, and various towns and villages along the way ensure that a group of travelers can travel efficiently.

Some books I bought long ago in Silvermoon City contain this information—

Whenever you see a flag bearing the Holy alphabet fluttering in the wind, and humbly proclaim the name of the true God, you will receive a full meal and a bed, no matter who you encounter.

This is the renowned pilgrimage route to the Kingdom of Sacred Coffins.

By simply walking along this road for three days, accompanied by rich and beautiful scenery, one can reach the holy site. Alternatively, by spending a few silver coins and sharing a carriage with fellow believers, a day is sufficient.

Mori pondered for a while, feeling that this route was the shortest, but it was a bit awkward to take on a pilgrimage. As hesitating about whether to take this route, Mori inadvertently looked up and saw an exceptionally thick cloud drifting towards the distant blue sky.

The thunderstorm cloud worm is incredibly powerful, bringing a deafening roar wherever it goes, truly deserving of its title as a mobile natural disaster.

Mori didn't understand whether it was because the creature remembered his scent or for some other reason; it seemed like a fervent fan, constantly following Mori. But the problem was solved; with its speed, they should arrive in the capital by the afternoon.

Volume 1, Chapter 374: A Trip to the Capital

Having bid farewell to the warm wolf den, Mori, dressed in thick clothes, said goodbye to Bira and the pack of wolves along with Dandelion.

Bira didn't try to stop her at all. After all, she had already learned the true meaning of farming from the Four Seasons, and sending away the vicious Four Seasons with its bad reputation would relieve her of a burden. On the other hand, the few guys who had spent a night with Mori were reluctant to leave and lingered for a long time.

After putting everything away, the thundercloud worms successfully reached the top of their heads.

It wasn't until Mori waved to it, and it formed a staircase of clouds to greet him, that Bira realized in astonishment that this thing wasn't an ordinary cloud that came to bring a blizzard, but one that Mori had summoned...

Climbing onto the back of the Thunderstorm Cloud Insect, not only was the white cloud soft, but Mori also felt that familiar, slightly tingling sensation.

Dandelion probably didn't get enough rest yesterday, so she found a particularly soft spot and fell asleep right away, while Senshi was full of energy.

"Long time no see." Mori patted it.

"Ah, I've finally found you." The Thunderstorm Cloud Worm's voice was tinged with melancholy, like that of an old, resentful woman.

"We went to the Demon Realm from Silver Ring City for a few days. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you."

“It’s alright, your presence disappeared, so I ran away…” It was still so melancholy, “but I never saw that Sunset Cloud Insect again.”

A beat too slow, Sen Shi finally remembered that on the way to defeat Hodge while riding this thing, it had hooked up with a beautiful sunset cloud. This ridiculous species, always in heat, probably searched for it for a long time afterward, but to no avail.

"What a pity."

"Yes, even cloud worms under five hundred years old can hardly withstand my power and can't wreak havoc on the clouds. It's a real pity that the Sunset Cloud Worm is gone..."

Mori coughed, putting an end to this topic unsuitable for a young girl, then told it the location and let it leisurely set off. This time, it wasn't rushing off to save anyone, so it could drift along like an ordinary cloud. In this way, Mori could overlook its country while pondering what it would face next.

"My child will be born soon, thanks to you, coffin bearer." At this point, its mood eased slightly.

"I didn't do anything."

"I thought you were going to take it away, but I didn't expect you to bury it back. Sigh, it should have been born hundreds of years ago, but it waited in the eggshell for so long."

A child of the Thunderstorm Cloud Worm... Mori was quite interested; she had once held that tiny egg, brimming with life and seemingly formed from the calamity of a thunderstorm, in her own hands. Would it hatch into a vast white cloud, or just a tiny little thing?

Later, at Mori's request, the Thundercloud Worm sent Mori to the very edge of the cloud.

To accommodate this god who fears heights, it also created reliable railings from the clouds, so that Sen could freely overlook the earth from there.

And so—from her elevated position, she saw this land for the first time with her own eyes.

She was familiar with everything, both in terms of its outline and terrain. This was an area she had explored many times during the game, where she had embarked on numerous adventures. Previously, it was a monster's paradise, and the nearest human village was quite far away.

But now—what she sees are fertile field ridges that gently embrace the village.

From above, people resemble scattered grains of rice, and buildings look like square pebbles, yet even from a distance, the village's prosperity and vitality are palpable. Early winter cannot yet extinguish the land's energy; some professionally trained intermediate-level magicians are skillfully warming the fields. Villagers offer thick porridge made from grains and bacon, creating a harmonious scene in the countryside.

If everything could be this happy, losing nine hundred million gold coins wouldn't seem so bad.

A moment later—

A corner of the city begins to appear on the horizon.

She flipped through the map, a hint of affection unconsciously welling up in her eyes: "Let me see... Oat City, one of the thirteen holy cities of the Holy Coffin Kingdom... What a strange name, oh, an agricultural stronghold, the world's granary, no wonder there's so much farmland. That's good, everyone can have enough to eat..."

"Coffin bearer, it sounds like you've never paid attention to your own country?" The Thundercloud Worm sensed something amiss.

"I have been asleep for a long time."

"Is that so... It's a pretty good country. I've lived for a thousand years and wandered the world countless times, so I know."

These words resonated with Mori, but more than that, it made him realize that the guy under his butt was also a distinguished, elderly witness to history.

She asked curiously, "Have you witnessed the rise of the Holy Coffin Kingdom?"

“I have witnessed some of it…and I have also communicated with your followers. At that time, that man approached me, hoping that I would not send down a thunderstorm, but I was sealed at the time and could not answer. So he looked at me and left happily.”

"My believer? Him? The first Pope?"

"It seems so. That guy has a very strong aura of a false god. I hate that smell, after all, the power that sealed me is from this lineage... But I've also absorbed a lot of that power, so I'm tentatively considered a demigod. That's why I won't address you with any honorifics. Do you mind?"

Mori no longer looked at the prosperous city. Sometimes, even with his eyes open, he would be oblivious to everything in front of him, because the words he heard required more reason to understand...

It lived up to its self-proclaimed status as a false god, as if it understood Morishi's thoughts, and before she could ask even a single question, it had already continued—

"Don't you know about false gods?"

Tell me about it.

The Thunderstorm Cloud Worm was particularly helpless: "Actually, I don't know either... Before, I risked my life to make a deal with the Ancient Demon King to remove that shovel. It went on and on, saying that the power of the false god was eroding me and that it couldn't handle it without a sufficient price."

She was taken aback at first, then Mori laughed; she had overestimated this guy. But at least, Mori had gained a deeper understanding of the first Pope, so she hadn't come away empty-handed.

Two hours later—in the capital of the Holy Coffin Kingdom.

Amidst the drifting white clouds, a violent shadow emerged. A resident who happened to be looking up at the sky immediately clicked their tongue, for it was a thunderstorm cloud, likely bringing a blizzard... But suddenly, the resident remembered a seemingly reliable rumor that had been circulating for days and whose popularity had not waned—

The supreme true god, the coffin carrier, rode on a catastrophic thunderstorm cloud, traversing the world without hindrance.

Gradually, more and more people remembered this and looked up at the rare, enormous thunderstorm cloud. Like a hurricane passing through, a thought that arose from this spread, bringing the city to a standstill.

"Could it be that the true God has appeared in the holy land?"

Volume 1 #375: Divine Punishment is Coming

The story of the coffin bearers in Silver Ring had already spread by word of mouth. It didn't take three days; they arrived at those small city-states at the ends of the world that very night.

This is incredible news, even more powerful and unbelievable than smashing a living heart with a giant hammer. This world has not witnessed a true God for far too long…

Everything from the mythological era has long been compiled into material by novelists in history. Even children have had their innocent fantasies shattered by repeated lessons, and have begun to know that the era of gods has passed, leaving only the beliefs that represent tradition...

Until she appeared.

The capital of the Holy Coffin Kingdom is not given any mundane name; it is simply called the Holy Land, because that is the truth, and there is no need to elaborate.

The holy site is built around the church, which is quite large and contains a lot of miscellaneous buildings. However, there are several areas that are designated as forbidden zones, and only those with the highest authority are allowed to enter.

Hall of Souls —

The current Pope and the Guardian of Chaos each sat in a seat, while the Archbishop and the Paladin Commander stood behind them. Standing here was a privilege not even granted to secular kings.

An extremely serious meeting is underway, and the topics they are discussing are far too complex, revolving around "how to face divine punishment," "a re-examination of the history of the War of the Flowers," "the succession of secular kings," and "the impact of the existence of a true God."

If they were to exhaust the power of their nation, they could certainly oppose the true God, but the souls of these believers were not defiled; they had never even considered rebellion, only remembering that it all began with the coffin bearers. The extremely solemn meeting crushed their spirits.

Suddenly, a sharp, strange voice burst from the knight commander's mouth: "That...that is!!"