Brain bloom

"Do you have any more details for me, Your Excellency the Sea God?"

"Hmm, it seems to be a god who oversees cutting...and weaving? He is also a god who symbolizes artisans. I think I'm not mistaken, but my memory is not very clear."

"Fufu has grown up, thank you."

Suddenly, B cautiously interjected, "...The god of craftsmanship who controls cutting and weaving? Are you...are you two discussing Olster Luhrmann? Could it be that this god, so famous in mythological history, is...the first...Pope?"

"That seems to be the case. That Olster, he's quite famous, isn't he?"

"Yes, because he is the god in charge of craftsmen, legend has it that he taught all the skills in the world. But in a very long time ago, he was also a real guide to human civilization. But the key to his fame is not these things, but that his disappearance was too mysterious."

"Oh?"

B became quite passionate when discussing these matters:

"According to mythological history books, when he was teaching his skills in a certain country, he struggled to merge into his own shadow in full view of everyone and disappeared. This is the most classic mythological plot. Before disappearing, he left behind the last words, 'Help, darkness—'."

The master craftsman of cutting and weaving... Darkness?

It sounds quite like the Rose Queen, the ancestor of the Four Seasons, hunting down a true god... Wait, cutting, weaving? These two words made a certain string in Mori Toki's mind tremble, because Fukufu had already told him the answer.

Since he is such a master craftsman, it is only natural that he can create and repair the City of Clocks.

She took out the pocket watch she had repaired, looked at the stopped hands inside, and stared at the two skeletons in front of her. Suddenly, she remembered what she should do.

“B, don’t tell anyone, but please protect this place. I’m afraid I have to go to the City of Clocks. If I don’t return for a very long time, contact the Ancient Demon King… that guy is probably the only one who can help me.”

"Although I don't know what you're going to do, you'll definitely come back safely. The Kingdom of Flowers and Princess Dandelion are waiting for you."

"……Shut up.

Volume 1 #383: The Man Waiting for Interest (Part 1)

"money."

This is the first word the dandelion uttered.

She was meeting with some high-ranking members of the Holy Coffin Kingdom in a slightly less prestigious but still exceptionally luxurious conference room to discuss compensation. As victims, and given the supreme influence of the True God, the people of the Holy Coffin Kingdom had no choice but to comply.

The long-overdue war reparations have finally arrived to visit the dandelion.

"Hmm... Princess Dandelion, how much would you like?"

The person asking the question was a high-ranking official from the National Treasury Bureau. He wore a monocle, and although his beard covered his face, it was still clear how handsome he must have been in his youth.

This is now a dialogue between nations, and no one dares to slack off.

Even though Dandelion was counting on her fingers and occasionally muttering things like, "We should ask for more compensation; this is a rare opportunity," they had no choice but to comply.

On the surface, things were amicable, but beneath the surface, pairs of eyes secretly cast resentment at the military commander sitting next to him, whom the old general could only close his eyes and ignore. War was his duty, and he didn't care about what happened after he had his fill of fighting... Besides, he hadn't even had his fill of fighting that day.

How much are you planning to give me?

"...Weren't you already calculating that?"

“Give me the largest number you can. I’ve thought about it carefully. The Four Seasons’ restoration doesn’t require too many gold coins…”

“You’re really honest. Well, you’re a fellow countryman of the true god above us, we can’t possibly deceive you… How about 100,000 gold coins?” The finance official held up five fingers, his face serious.

Several pairs of eyes immediately turned to astonishment, because the number was utterly insignificant. More importantly, this official, by using the name of God, had delivered a result that was outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, essentially betraying the very faith he had mentioned.

But it's not surprising, because wealth is what forges faith, but it can also turn into desire, swallowing up one's faith.

The other participants remained silent; they were willing to pay less money and have a finance official to take responsibility, so they didn't intend to question the beliefs of their own people.

As for Dandelion, she really didn't know whether the amount of money was too much or too little, so she could only pretend to be thinking about it.

Suddenly—someone burst into the conference room. But the guards dared not stop him, for the man who strode in was the ruler at the pinnacle of power in the country, and even though he controlled secular forces, he was not someone they could afford to offend.

"...Your Majesty? What brings you here?"

"Is there something urgent? Otherwise, even for someone like you, interrupting the meeting is very impolite."

Questions arose from their mouths—but soon, everyone fell silent, their eyes and expressions becoming incredibly complex. The king was not wearing his crown, and his ever-present scepter was nowhere to be seen; he had only brought one thing with him.

"I've figured it out!"

The king slammed the object onto the table.

It is as light as cloth, but no one dares to underestimate it.

"Before I seized power, amassed wealth, and secretly fell in love with another woman, I was a devout believer." The king pulled up a chair and sat down, then continued, "My family was once on the verge of destruction, but the first pope supported us with divinely bestowed wealth. How could I forget that?"

"...What are you doing here?"

“Besides practicing my faith, I must take responsibility for my foolishness and protect the interests of the country. After much thought, I have brought the personal wealth I have accumulated over the years since I came to power; let this become the war reparations.”

It was a magical bag, constructed with extremely sophisticated spatial magic, its vast space supported by stitched lines. It was obvious that inside lay the evidence of his embezzlement and corruption.

"I don't care what punishment God gives me. I'll take responsibility for all the mistakes I've made."

"...Why all of a sudden? Your Majesty, this isn't like you," the treasurer asked, but his eyes, which were secretly glancing at the magic bag, were filled with greed and curiosity.

At this moment, the old general, who had been silent all along, opened his eyes.

"Your son, the first heir to the kingdom... I heard he's still alive," he asked. "Is that the reason?"

"Yes... My God rescued my foolish son from the labyrinth of evil gods... The lord of Silver Ring City told me all this when he brought him here. Only then did I remember that I am still a believer."

Having confessed everything and surrendered his sins, the king felt much more at ease. Even if the true God were to punish him later, he would gladly accept it, and after atoning for his sins, at his current age, he would start anew as a believer of the lowest rank.

The dandelions, which showed no interest whatsoever, were quite pleased to accept the compensation, unaware of the wealth hidden within. In any case, they would use these to build a magnificent harem, exclusively for Mori Toki.

……

"I wish you a safe journey as you embark on your journey."

"Yes, that's more like it. Don't say those unlucky things anymore." Mori nodded, barely expressing his satisfaction.

Once again, she decided to visit the City of Clocks.

Previously, that place had left a very deep impression on her because, unlike the ordinary material world, it was extremely illusory, and people's five senses felt abnormal there.

Those things that are essentially "time" are frozen and accumulated throughout the entire City of Clocks.

But they possess vibrant colors, colors that cannot be seen but can only be heard.

Going there was no easy task, and Mori made considerable preparations. First, she put both skeletons into her bag, and then she made sure she had enough food, water, and combat supplies.

She still doesn't know what she will encounter.

With a single thought—the pocket watch she held in her hand began to glow, eroding the reality that Sen felt. Then, she heard familiar, vibrant colors and saw countless beautiful melodies transform into butterflies, fluttering ethereally in the sky.

Coming to his senses, a time sprite flew up in front of Sen Shi.

"Sister Morishita, welcome to your second visit." Shan was very happy. Even elves with incredibly long lifespans accumulate loneliness in their hearts.

Sen touched it; it was soft, like a QQ candy.

Then, she looked around at the houses and streets built by time, and the clock tower visible overhead. It was still this strange world that brought her a sense of peace.

A beat too slow, she remembered the purpose of her visit and began to look around, hoping to find a beautiful girl who was no longer missing limbs and was extending an invitation to her, since there had been one last time.

But not this time.

"...Did you see anyone?"

"No."

She and Shan wandered around for about ten minutes. They even went inside some of the buildings, but they were empty and desolate, with an eerie sense of deathly silence; clearly, no one was inside.

nobody.

Sen Shi stomped his foot and shouted at the top of his lungs—

"First Pope! The coffin bearers have come to play with you!"

The world responded with silence.

"Where are you? If there are any people, come out! The god you created, which is me, has come to find you."

Still no one answered.

"If you don't come out, I'm leaving—really leaving. Don't regret it, I'm never coming back."

After her voice faded into the distance, a deathly silence lingered in every corner, never leaving or disappearing.

Disappointed, Mori realized with a stern face that words were useless. His only recourse was to open his baggage, take out the bones one by one, and see if he could collect the puzzle pieces to summon the first Pope.

If it weren't for Yuan, Mori wouldn't want to cause so much trouble.

However, just before her patience was about to run out, Mori Toki vaguely saw a line of text appear on the ground. She rubbed her eyes; there were indeed words. Like the "Mori Toki was here" she had left last time, it was woven from threads of time.

"Weren't you leaving?" The exquisite handwriting seemed to carry a hint of mockery.

"...Damn it, there really was someone there."

After a while, the handwriting reappeared: "If you want to leave, then leave. There's no point in us meeting anymore."

"Come out, I'm not leaving."

"So... you really are the one who delivered the coffin?"

“Yes,” Mori replied sullenly. “If you were the first Pope, you picked up the money I lost, made up a bunch of nonsense doctrines, and then put me on the altar of a true god, giving me divinity.”

“...Ah, the coffin bearer.”

This time, instead of words on the ground, a cheerful voice came from above. Following the sound, Mori and Shan looked up and saw a male figure standing high at the very top of the clock tower.

A handsome man dressed as a bard in pure white, with a weathered stubble and a neat ponytail.

Perhaps because he often handled skulls, Mori felt a sense of familiarity at first glance, and upon second glance, he recognized the skull as his own. But unlike Mori, this man's figure was ethereal, and he possessed a faint soul.

He removed his hat and bowed respectfully to Mori Toki.

"The god of craftsmanship, Olster Ruhm, who is in charge of cutting and weaving, sends his greetings to the coffin bearers."

"...Why didn't you come out before?"

Olster replied with a hearty, toothy smile, "I'm so sorry, but I never expected to meet a true god whom I put on the altar in this way."

"You are the first Pope of the Holy Coffin Kingdom."

"If you mean the man who found an enormous fortune, distributed it to the world, and then established nations and religions to maintain faith... that is indeed me."

Mori's soul froze for a second, because these words meant a great deal to her.