Brain bloom

After a moment's thought, she gathered a wisp of dark, misty spiritual energy at her fingertips and gently touched the girl's forehead—it contained some knowledge about evil magic.

"Why do you take such good care of a young human?" The devil couldn't believe it and couldn't help but ask, risking his soul's destruction just by asking that question.

"Of course it's because it reminded me of myself a long time ago, back then... never mind, I don't need to tell you all this." She interrupted herself, then laughed again. "Alright, I should go now."

"Where are you going? Do you need a servant to accompany you?" The devil bowed his head in fear.

"I want to see the sky at dawn; I heard there's a great viewpoint here."

……

She hummed a song as she walked toward the place suggested by the traveler she had met earlier.

Whether the journey is long or short, it doesn't matter; for her, a single thought or a flick of the finger is all it takes to get there. But she didn't do that, because the joy of travel lies in the journey itself, in measuring the world with one's own feet.

She didn't seem to have even the slightest hint of demonic features; she was simply a human girl with unusual beauty, though her attire was quite distinctive.

She wore an elaborate black robe, with a feather-covered cape adorning her left shoulder. Her left hand would occasionally touch the cross hanging at her chest. On her right hand was a magnificent ring, the gemstone of which was unclear. Her black hair was adorned with a jeweled headdress, yet it was left loose, letting the wind caress it freely.

Her loose-fitting short leather boots took each powerful step forward, but she couldn't leave any footprints on the grass.

"Hmm, almost there..." she murmured, looking at the desolate woods around her. "I hope this is my destination, and I hope that lazybones won't call me back so soon."

She glanced around cautiously, making sure the lazybones hadn't overheard her casual remark. After all, it was the ancient king of demons; its ears were still very sharp—no matter how far apart they were.

Before she knew it, she had reached her destination.

It was a cliff peak overgrown with tangled vegetation, and an old cross stuck in the mud.

Indeed, she was very satisfied with the view of the vast ocean and sky; it was a beautiful viewpoint.

Unfortunately, it was already evening, and what she was looking forward to was still a long way off. She would have to endure the long night before dawn arrived.

"What a wonderful place! We should really thank the travelers who have made it here... I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to thank her again, but she really is beautiful."

Remembering that girl, she sat contentedly on the edge of the cliff. She took out her book, opened it to a page, and began to jot something down.

The night is still long, and she's happy to wait here all night, until tomorrow morning.

She didn't know how much time had passed—suddenly, a hurried soul passed right at her feet, seemingly rushing across the sea. This was quite interesting, because the soul was very powerful; perhaps it was a ghost brought about by the magic of the Four Seasons?

But this wasn't within the town limits... As she pondered, she observed the other person more closely.

"...Huh, a messenger of the devil?"

She was surprised to recognize him; it was the same guy who had summoned her, who seemed to be called Rain Wizard, a greedy but loyal gambler... But how did he become a spirit?

"Ha, you just died like that? Your fate is really unpredictable. Did you gamble your life away?"

At this moment, the Rain Wizard's soul was preparing to fight its way back to the Peda Empire, but on the way, it sensed an unprecedented and terrifying power. It suddenly looked up and found that it was the demon it had summoned.

The demon, shrouded in filthy black mist and whose form was obscured, looked exactly like that in his eyes.

He felt a fear he had never experienced before.

"Are you here to take my soul? No, that's not what the contract says... I've already given enough of my soul to the devil, so my soul should be free!"

"Where are you going?" the devil asked, his voice so ugly it seemed to tear the sea apart.

"Go back home—I warn you, from the moment I die, I will no longer be your envoy, so don't make things difficult for me!"

"Don't worry, I have no use for your soul." The devil laughed and asked again, "Tell me, how did you die?"

"Those who are subject to the four seasons..."

Recalling these events, he gritted his teeth and forgot his fear, recounting the humiliation he had experienced incessantly. It took him a long time to finally calm down.

"May I leave now?"

The devil remained silent for a long time, and after hearing his story, he seemed quite pleased? Was he mocking his foolishness in being ambushed? But the Rain Wizard couldn't fathom the devil's thoughts and could only wait warily, his heart burning with anxiety.

Every second wasted shortens the shelf life of the soul.

After a long silence, the devil nodded: "Thank you for the information. You may leave now... Oh, wait a moment."

"...What else do you want to do!"

“I remember, the devil always operates on fair trade, right? Since you’ve provided me with such crucial information, let me send you back to that wretched country. It’s a deal, thank you.”

She moved her fingers, and before the other could react, she sent the Rain Wizard's soul away. The Rain Wizard was incredulous; he had actually returned to his homeland before his soul dissipated!

But for her, it was just a casual thought.

Having seen off the Rain Wizard's insignificant soul, the world was once again filled only with the sounds of waves and the sea dancing together. She still sat on the edge of the cliff, put away her book, and gazed at the vast sky and sea shrouded in night, her face forever filled with expectation.

"The night is so long..."

She didn't know how many times the night wind had blown her long hair, but her expectations were finally met.

After a long wait, a faint ray of light appeared at the edge of the sea—she knew very well that dawn was approaching.

She suddenly stood up, stopped blinking, and just stared blankly into the distance.

Thick clouds and ceaseless waves marked the beginning of the sunrise. The faint line of light on the horizon slowly transformed into a vibrant, colorful sunrise, gradually painting the clouds with rosy hues and swallowing the night in its wake.

She stood on the cross with one foot, bathed in the dawn's glow, taking in the entire process of daybreak. She genuinely thought it was a beautiful sight—yet she still felt disappointed. She looked away, silently staring at the book open in her right hand, utterly dejected.

"This isn't it either... It seems the journey is still long, what a pity."

In her despondency, she remembered what the Rain Wizard had said the night before. Fortunately, there was a glimmer of hope again.

"Yes, the Four Seasons One!"

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Volume 1 #066·Wish

She silently left the cliff tip, bidding farewell to the fading sunrise.

So she embarked on her search.

Although the Rain Wizard's spirit insisted that he was killed by the Four Seasons, he forgot to mention where the two Four Seasons went.

Huh, two? She touched the ring on her hand, a few doubts flashing through her mind. Wasn't there only one survivor... anyway, that's what that lazybones told her.

Filled with doubt, she reached out and opened a world, returning to her home, the world where the devil resided.

It's a dark and gloomy place, where there is no sky, no changing seasons, and no sunrise or sunset.

The surroundings were filled with evil plants and an inextinguishable blazing fire. Outside the castle, there were always some grotesque demons and dead statues wandering around, but they would all flee in panic at the mere sight of her.

The only structure is a huge stone cave standing in the wilderness.

This is the dwelling place of the ancient Demon King; that old monster always sleeps inside.

The living conditions were terrible, even worse than those of the demon nobles under her command. Those guys always lived in ostentatious castles and had countless souls as servants. Before she came, the old monster was always alone here. It was only after she took her in that things changed a little.

Laziness, sleepiness, and pettiness are all used to describe the ancient Demon King, yet he was one of the most powerful beings in the world.

Entering the stone cave, she ignited the soul fire. The flickering flames awakened the ancient demon king seated on his throne. It was a pale white bird. Somewhat like an owl, but with sharp horns and softer feathers.

Its black gemstone crown gleamed, adding to its majesty.

The ancient king of demons was indeed this bird.

"Old man, are you awake?"

"Oh...it is a wish." He replied in a low voice, without the slightest hint of authority.

"Yes, I'm back."

“I thought you were going to be gone for a long time…” The Ancient Demon King shook his feathers, opened his mouth and yawned, “Was anything wrong while I was sleeping? If not, I’ll continue sleeping.”

She walked over to his side, grabbed his body and hugged him tightly. The ancient demon king seemed a little unhappy, but he was already used to his adopted daughter's actions since she was a child.

"I want to ask about the Four Seasons. Didn't you say there was only one left?"

"Yes, there is still one alive, the princess of the Four Seasons."

“But I heard from your messenger that two appeared. Oh, by the way, your messenger is dead.”

The ancient demon king flapped his wings a few times, broke free from Yuan's grasp, and flew back to the back of his throne.

"The Rain Wizard is dead?" His tone changed slightly, as if he were being cautious about something. "And you said two Seasonal Beings appeared? Both of them are alive?"

He then recounted what he had heard from the Rain Wizard to the Ancient Demon King. The Ancient Demon King widened his eyes slightly, considered for a long time, and then let out a hoarse sigh.

"Thank you, this is important news. Since Tu Mi is no longer here..."

Who is Tu Mi?

“A powerful and terrifying Harvest Priestess, the reason I won’t tell you where the Seasons are is because her soul still lingers…”

Wish seemed very angry. He grabbed the ancient demon king and pinched its feathers in his hand: "You wicked demon, you deceived me again. This time I will pluck all your feathers off."

“Your cloak is now covered in my fur—and I didn’t lie to you. I did tell you that there were survivors among the Four Seasons, but I said ‘one is still alive,’ right? Ghosts don’t count as alive.”

"Damn liars, you devils all deserve to die."

He gritted his teeth and tried to pluck the sharp feathers from the head of the ancient demon king, but the latter didn't care at all. Instead, he shook his head and wove new feathers with black mist.

"Now that her soul has dissipated, you can go find the Four Seasons now."

"I'm not going to fight anyone, I just want to see the amazing scenery of the Four Seasons Folk Customs, the sky called 'Winged Clouds'... I heard it's the most beautiful scenery in the world?"

"Correct."

Yuan nodded, because perhaps Winged Cloud was what she was searching for, and that was also her reason for seeking the Four Seasons. She put down the Ancient Demon King, then crossed her arms and asked:

"Now can you tell me where to find the Four Seasons, or I'll pluck all your fur?"

"If you want to get something from the devil, you have to make a deal. Knowledge is very precious. Daughter, what can you give me?"

“Father, you still owe me a lot.” Yuan’s voice had turned much colder.

The Ancient Demon King awkwardly pecked at his feathers and replied softly, "...Alright, actually the Four Seasons Ones are in Silvermoon City. But that Winged Cloud event is probably still brewing, so you wouldn't be able to see it even if you went..."

"It would be good to say hello first."

"Never hurt Princess Dandelion."

“I understand, the Four Seasons and the Devil were once close friends.”

The ancient demon king nodded, intending to add a few more words, but before he knew it, Yuan had vanished... He swallowed back the reasons he hadn't finished saying, hesitating in his heart: should he continue sleeping? Or should he keep an eye on things a little longer?

"Forget it, I'll just go to sleep and see tomorrow."