Brain bloom

But these words came from the mouth of the coffin bearers, which caused the seven giants of the Holy Coffin Kingdom to gasp in shock.

What B said was nothing short of an insult to the Coffin Bearers, criticizing the sacred and benevolent God, the Coffin Bearers, as an existence with an evil nature... Instantly, the atmosphere in the entire Hall of Souls froze, as if a blizzard had suddenly swept in from outside the window and poured into the conference hall.

But B gritted his teeth and persevered.

On the surface, this "War of the Flowers" is recorded in history as follows: "It was a great power struggle between the Kingdom of the Holy Coffin and the Empire of Peda, which involved the Kingdom of the Flowers, which was located on the only way. Under the struggle of the great powers, the small country was destroyed."

Sen remained silent.

This version of the story is what the dandelion told her when she was summoned to this world. Although the result was that the Harvest Festival priest personally destroyed the entire Flower Kingdom, as she learned more and more, Mori inevitably began to question the various aspects of it.

For example, did the Flower Priestess Tu Mi do this because she didn't want the country to be humiliated, or for some other reason based on the nature of the Four Seasons?

"But, in the historical records I've investigated, this war wasn't like that..."

Several voices interrupted her—

"The next thing... it's probably not appropriate for you to speak on the matter of protecting the Blade of Chaos."

“What you’ve gathered through your private investigation is all based on your own personal opinion. I think you should integrate our views.”

"This is in front of the true god..."

"Mortals, calm down and let the Guardian of Chaos continue. Even if she mentions the so-called evil of the Four Seasons, that's fine." She spoke, calming the chill in the meeting room.

"Yes."

This usually valiant and powerful female knight has a deep-rooted faith in Mori Toki, and Mori Toki also understands that this is not an intentional attempt to smear Shiki... well, anyway, they're already thoroughly smeared.

"As I mentioned earlier, the previous pope, while perusing the classics, noticed some fragments recorded in ancient history, and then learned of a... huge, bizarre... conspiracy."

"conspiracy?"

"The souls beneath the blooming flowers of the Four Seasons are actually a very ancient evil, and corrupt. Many true gods fear the Four Seasons and have mentioned the so-called 'darkness,' which has shaken their understanding of the Kingdom of Flowers. But what led us to raise an army against the Kingdom of Flowers is something else... I think Princess Dandelion should know this very well."

Dandelion, who had been watching the show the whole time, became a little dull and never expected to be mentioned.

"I?"

"When you were born, the ancient Demon King, who had not set foot in this world for a long time, came at your invitation to congratulate you on your birth..."

Upon hearing this news, Moritoki had a fleeting thought: "Isn't this just common sense?" But that thought vanished instantly. Because the devil was considered the most evil being, and those who prided themselves on being kind, peaceful, and loving the seasons were actually tainted by such a thing.

This seemingly insignificant detail undoubtedly confirms the previous pope's speculation about the nature of the Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons are evil.

"So, it's because the ancient Demon King came to congratulate my birth..." A faint shadow fell over Dandelion's face, an expression Sen Shi had never seen before. "You... you've set your sights on our evil and then attacked?"

B, questioned, stumbled back several steps, overwhelmed by an inexplicable pressure that filled her with unprecedented fear. She was the pinnacle of the nation's military power, having even ascended to the level of a demigod through the divine sword, but it was all in vain.

Mori coughed, trying to stop the pressure emanating from his princess.

Strangely, she felt a slight sense of joy. Perhaps it was because dandelions usually used this kind of pressure on her, and now, finally, there were other victims.

Whether it was her past hatred for the coffin bearers or her current reaction to the reasons for the war, Dandelion's attitude proves that she harbors genuine resentment over the subjugation of her nation. In the War of the Flowers, are the Four Seasons truly innocent?

"...That's right."

"Pope!"

"Before God, we should never let history be forgotten!"

The increasingly aged pope squeezed out a bitter, howling sound from his hoarse throat, his weak hand clenched into a fist, struggling against the table.

"The birth of a princess in the Land of Flowers, the most terrifying demon colluding with the Four Seasons, confirms the numerous cruel descriptions of the Four Seasons in ancient texts! This neighboring country is always kind and beautiful, but in reality... it is so terrifying!"

“But even so—we still do not want to be branded as the cause of war and to bring shame upon the true god…” The general who once commanded the War of the Flowers also revealed the past, “So, we stirred up conflict and hatred with the Peda Empire and started from another angle.”

"...Is this the pretext for war?" Dandelion held her breath like a wild beast.

"Those pirates from the Peda Empire aren't very bright, and their personalities are too impulsive. They were easily provoked and fell for our trick, declaring war on us directly. A war of national defense was launched in name only, and under the guise of an expedition and other pretexts, our war... dragged the Kingdom of Flowers into it..."

The general's speech slowed down, until finally his voice was like an old man smoking a thick cigarette, thick and heavy, yet drifting very slowly.

"Afterwards, the Land of Flowers... seemed to have realized our intentions."

"Yes, so many of your armies are gathered here, but instead of taking the main road, you insist on taking a detour to trample on our country, talking about 'borrowing a route' and 'surprise attack,' and you even made up a lot of reasons, didn't you? The Peda Empire's hunting fleet is hiding in our area, ha, we are an inland country."

Dandelion's voice was different from before, tinged with violence and intensity. The fact that the two sides of that war from many years ago were talking so frankly made the leaders of the Holy Coffin Kingdom lose face.

More importantly, this dishonorable war... was exposed to God's eyes.

God is a truly high being; otherwise, He wouldn't have pointed to this matter so immediately… This is part of the process of tracing sin and judging mortals. These thoughts lingered in the Pope's mind, filling him with shame.

Although he was only a bishop at the time and had no decision-making power, he still felt ashamed. Back then, they truly believed that the War of the Flowers was the right thing to do…

Mori Toki also learned what happened next.

When the army pressed in, the Flower Priestess Tu Mi used a spell to reduce the entire country, along with the foreign vanguard with ulterior motives, to dust. To this day, the area of ​​the Flower Kingdom on the map is still painted a strange black, symbolizing a polluted and forbidden land.

Mori fell silent. If this was the truth, then at least in this matter, the Four Seasons were indeed innocent. Looking down at these war veterans, even from their silence, she could tell that this was the truth.

The Hall of Souls was shrouded in deathly silence—until the dandelion, carrying a touch of nostalgia, brushed against Sen Shi's ear.

She is no longer the winery owner who kindly brings out a delicious dish, opens a bottle of wine, and accompanies Mori with a smile; nor is she the avenger who dares to use magic even when facing the coffin bearers, just to demand the truth; nor is she the strong one who steps in to shield Mori from suffering in the face of divine power capable of killing gods.

“We once embraced nature and were blessed by it. We followed the teachings left by our ancestors, adorning our country with flowers and living peacefully. Yes, we are not clean... Darkness existed in the world before you humans dominated it, and that was us.”

She took the dandelion flower crown from her long, silver-gray hair and held it in her hands.

"Of course we know what lies hidden in the soul. But we will use the Winged Clouds to purify away excess evil, and we will use flowers to seal away darkness... Doesn't anyone notice? Look, above our heads, there are always plants fluttering, not so that one day we can pluck them to deliberately hurt someone. Rather... rather, it is because we do not want to do bad things."

"Princess……"

“Mori, my compatriot, my ancestor… the coffin bearer. I didn’t kill you… Yes, I could have done it, but I didn’t.” In Dandelion’s eyes, the clear blue sky shone brighter than ever before. “Our magic stole the night. Yes, it was a revenge—in my opinion, the only revenge we could take.”

Instead of sitting high on the coffin with his legs crossed, Sen Shi landed and came to Dandelion's side, following the inexplicable emotion welling up in his heart.

"Where will the souls of the Four Seasons go, now that they are no longer bound by plants?" she asked.

"Turn...back to darkness."

"Yes, the dead will gather into darkness, just as primordial evil will desolate the whole world. Darkness can do more. But the darkness only inhabits a series of nightmares, and the only evil it leaks out is the nightmare coming true."

Mori's eyelids twitched violently. This was probably the best way to contain all the darkness, minimizing the harm to the human world... If he hadn't entered the dream, the darkness would probably have ravaged the entire world?

The Pope, who has remained silent until now, represents the will of everyone, and indeed the entire nation.

"Actually, we always thought... the War of the Flowers was not glorious enough, so we buried everything after the war... But my God, we could not hide it from your wise eyes."

"Have you admitted your mistake?"

"Yes."

“Princess Dandelion…” Mori hesitated. “You have the right to demand compensation from these people. At this moment, I am neither the true god of the Holy Coffin Kingdom nor a fellow citizen of the Four Seasons Kingdom of Flowers. Just consider me a witness symbolizing justice.”

Dandelion nodded, wiped away the faint tears hanging at the corners of her eyes, stood up, and faced the seven representatives of the Holy Coffin Kingdom.

"I sincerely hope that you will stop misunderstanding the Four Seasons..."

"We don't have the guts."

After saying this, the Pope mustered the greatest courage of his life, glanced at Morishi's strawberries, and then sighed and continued to bow his head.

What kind of mess is this? The Dandelion Princess's monologue washes away the non-existent sins of the Four Seasons. Their own god happens to be one of the Four Seasons, and the war is sparked by an ugly misunderstanding. In every way, the Holy Coffin Kingdom gains no advantage.

Mori felt the timing was perfect—

"If your God did not exist, the sins of war would be buried by history and forgotten, just as you think, and you would not have to bow your heads and admit your mistakes."

"My God..."

“But the name of God that you chant and pray to day and night is not a false thing.”

In an instant, they were all utterly shocked and then felt utterly ashamed. The Pope had already deduced in his mind why the true God was revealing Himself, not only to eliminate calamities and save the world, but also because they had never recognized their sins and needed God's punishment.

Dandelion spoke up at the opportune moment: "I hope you can help rebuild the Kingdom of Flowers. I have no money, no manpower, and no resources... You may have to foot the bill for everything. But I want to go back to my homeland, which is also the homeland of those who send off the coffin."

Everyone nodded blankly; at this moment, they had no right to refuse anything Dandelion said. God's bright eyes were always watching everything... After recognizing reality, they were as withered as if they had lost fifty years of their lives.

In the following hour, B, who still retained some semblance of rationality, finalized many details with Dandelion regarding their efforts to help restore the kingdom. The Holy Coffin Kingdom would spare no effort. Fortunately, the country was extremely wealthy and powerful; it was simply a matter of hiring a team of mages and finding a group of laborers.

Sen didn't ask for anything more, as he hadn't decided yet. He only said there would be further punishment, but for now, the country needed stability, so he wouldn't touch these old guys. Furthermore, they had already spontaneously apologized to Dandelion.

This is a great power bowing its head, and it seems to be a satisfactory ending.

As it was almost time for Mori to get her beauty sleep, this profoundly meaningful meeting came to a somber close.

……

Mori and Dandelion walked side by side in the courtyard under the night sky, where there was a faint light everywhere. If you looked closely, you would know that these things were quite expensive.

They didn't bring any attendants, and the guards had been driven away by Mori. Anyway, this was her territory, there was no danger, and besides, the two of them weren't pushovers. Mori had driven away these spies simply because she wanted to discuss something privately with Dandelion.

After confirming that there was no ear within a radius of 100 meters—

“I’ve misunderstood you all along, Princess Dandelion… I thought the Four Seasons were actually… well, a bit evil, so it’s probably not unjust that they were beaten in the War of Flowers. And I also thought that your spreading of ghosts into the night was a bit excessive… I didn’t expect it was because of this.”

"Hahahaha." Dandelion covered her mouth, but a sweet laugh escaped her lips.

"Uh, what are you laughing at?"

“Those stupid humans are one thing, but why did you join in too…”

"Could it be—that everything you said was a lie? Was it all just to gain sympathy?" Suddenly, Mori's understanding of the Four Seasons People deepened, and their unfathomable treachery seemed to leap off the page.

“No, it’s all true. I’ve said it countless times, the Four Seasons are a wonderful race… it’s true.” Her eyes were filled with utmost sincerity.

Sen tilted his head and said, "Then why are you laughing at me?"

"Because, you look silly when you're sad, you silly strawberry. We don't need to be sad about it. Actually, everyone is just too lazy to fight the so-called flower war, so they chose the easiest way to solve the problem... incidentally, it has also become a test for the successor."

……

(ps)

happy New Year.

Also, after a year's break, I'm finally back to updating. I hope that a year from now, readers will still remember this washed-up, struggling author.

……

It's a new month, and I'm still shamelessly begging for votes...

Volume 1, Chapter 381: The Attendant and the Rose