Brain bloom

"I'll eat one more and that will be fine."

Mori turned and left. Although he didn't know where the problem had occurred, he could make a rough guess. Fukufu had said that danger and home were very close, and then... she even mentioned the seabed?

The result was obvious: another accident occurred at the small dock.

She took out her debt-collecting bow and tried to run in shaded areas. Light and agile, Mori felt like a cheetah, and this feeling of being one with the wind was quite pleasant.

About a minute later, a familiar touch suddenly landed on her shoulder. It wasn't those annoying bugs, but Fufu.

"Sister Morishitsu, you actually got back faster than me..." Fufu exclaimed.

“We took a shortcut.” Mori sped up, and asked, “Fufu, did you ask what I told you to ask before? What did kissing her dandelion mean?”

"Not yet..."

"What use are you?" Mori suppressed his disappointment and had no choice but to ask about serious matters. "Alright then, tell me what happened while I was away."

Fu Fu started by telling Sen Shi what she had found, and then exaggeratedly described her experience of going into the sea to explore in detail. When she heard about corpses and steps, Sen Shi felt a chill run down her spine.

After all, in the era of the game "Silent World," there was no such thing.

A world that should be intimately familiar is now filled with unknown problems, which is terrifying for Mori Toki. What's more, this unknown danger is right on his doorstep.

"Later, the princess asked me to go find Sister Morishita, but you weren't there. She seemed very angry after reading the note," Fufu continued. "She told us to get ready and go on an adventure together, as if she was taking her anger out on us."

"Get angry? I'm going to make money, what's there to be angry about?"

"However, before we even got into the water, suddenly someone rode over on a flying dragon. I'd never seen anything like it before. It was very powerful, and it was an old man with an old man smell."

"Old man smells bad? I thought this guy was pretty strong. Never mind, you can continue."

"The smelly old man told the princess to stop digging at the ruins, but the princess thought it was her private property, so they started arguing. I felt something was wrong, so I came to find Sister Mori."

She roughly understood what had happened and thought it probably wouldn't escalate into a violent conflict. Soon, she saw the small dock that hadn't been repaired after the battle, and the robe she had sewn herself.

Seeing his princess safe and sound, Sen Shi felt much more at ease. Elsalia stood behind the princess, silently gripping her long sword, while Su Dai perched on her shoulder. Dandelion sat impatiently on the pirate treasure chest they had salvaged.

"I've already told you, this is my private property, you'd better not interfere," she said to the man in front of her.

“I didn’t want to come either, but that ruin involves a lot of issues. Princess Dandelion, why don’t you give us a break and let us have ownership of the ruin? That’s the best option.”

Why didn't you come before?

"After all, we didn't expect anyone to disturb it, nor did we know it was here... However, our stance is that no one is allowed to explore it on their own. This is a matter of great importance, even if it's you."

The one arguing with the dandelion was indeed a man, who looked old, with a unkempt beard that gave him a somewhat unruly handsome air. He was dressed in a traveler's linen outfit, looking travel-worn.

Beside the man, a three-legged wyvern lay waiting. This was something Sen Shi was familiar with; it was often used by players for transportation in the past.

Even from a distance, Mori could feel the man's aura; he was a very strong presence.

She squinted and looked over—[Level 99 - The Eternally Praised Hero - Man]

Upon seeing him clearly, Mori was startled, never expecting him to be just one step away from reaching the maximum level. Since arriving in this world, she had encountered very few max-level individuals, all of whom were renowned figures. Clearly, this person before her was one of those.

His title read "Hero," and judging from his tone, he seemed to represent the stance of Silvermoon City.

These two clues reminded Sen Shi of the three heroes of Silvermoon City who had ended the war, as mentioned by Dandelion. There was a strong possibility that this man named Man was one of them.

"The land Lord Balzac allocated to me included this sea area; it's my private land," Dandelion said, suppressing her anger. "What do you mean by suddenly appearing and telling us to stop exploring? Are you slapping your master in the face?"

“No, these are two different things. We have no intention of infringing on the land you own.” The man’s voice was low and hoarse, yet full of conviction.

"Wait, you know what's down there, right?"

"……do not know."

"Nonsense, let Lord Balzac come here and talk to me. Otherwise, explain yourself: what do you want from the ruins? Otherwise, how can I possibly agree to this?"

“How about this, Princess Dandelion? Our Silvermoon City can purchase the exploration rights to this ruin.” He shrugged, but his momentum remained undiminished. “How about fifty gold coins? I guarantee it won’t affect anything else.”

"Not for sale. Don't change the subject. What's inside the ruins?"

Sen Shi was puzzled. The strange thing on the seabed had just been discovered when one of the great heroes, who was praised by many, suddenly appeared and, representing the position of Silvermoon City, solemnly prohibited any exploration of it.

As Dandelion said, these three famous heroes have been missing for a long time.

……

(I can't believe it's already reached 100 chapters! Here's a poem to ask for your monthly votes.)

Springtime is not for writing.

Summer heat is just right for sleeping

Autumn brings mosquitoes and winter brings cold.

(Coo coo coo coo coo coo)

Volume 1, Chapter 101: A Hero's Punch

But a hero who will be forever celebrated? That's quite a prestigious title.

But the other party also lived up to his reputation. Man simply stood there and uttered a few cold words from his mouth hidden under his beard, which was enough to make Sen Shi, who was hiding in the shadows, feel the other party's calm and imposing aura.

Their combat strength is not yet apparent, but it is certainly not weak.

Man had previously offered to buy the ruins, but Dandelion flatly refused. However, he didn't answer her question, instead remaining steadfast in his attempt to prevent Dandelion from exploring the ruins.

"One hundred gold coins? Cash? If you agree, we can also give you something else, such as helping you expand your wine market."

"I said, I'm not selling." Dandelion's tone was more intense than ever before.

Mann was silent for a moment, then continued to persuade, "Lord Balzac has been very kind to you. This matter really requires you, Princess, to compromise; otherwise, things will not end well."

"Oh? So you're threatening me? Using your shameless hero's name?" Dandelion's attitude surprised Morishi, like a domestic cat that had been docile for a long time, now baring its teeth and sharp claws to protect its food.

Upon receiving this reply, Man closed her eyes and finally nodded.

"Yes, I'm going to threaten you."

"Let me see what Silvermoon City is trying to use to coerce me. I can also see from this just how important this ruin is to you."

"Simply put, if you don't hand it over, we will no longer protect the Four Seasons."

"Really? That's it?"

"Not only that, but they will also make choices that are extremely unfavorable to you on the political stage in the future. Just a reminder, the killing of the Rain Wizard has brought you a lot of trouble. A world meeting is about to be held urgently in the Demon Realm, which is why Lord Balzac has not returned yet."

Dandelion remained calm and composed, her attitude as firm as iron.

But behind her, Su Dai and even Aisalia's eyes flickered, a reaction only possible after hearing shocking news. The Rain Wizard was dead, and it was actually related to this new employer... The person they were following wasn't just an ordinary rich girl.

"The Rain Wizard being killed? Don't make up stories. We just happened to find his stinking corpse and reported it to the lord of Frozen Bear Town."

"Really? That's not what he said."

"...Themselves?"

"soul."

"Wow, so you're still alive...you're still alive. Do you know what the Rain Wizard did?"

"You mean colluding with the devil? It's already spread." Mann remained unmoved.

Dandelion crossed his arms, put his legs up, and remained confident:

"If he is involved with the devil, then he and the Peda Empire behind him will be hated by the Holy Coffin Kingdom and other forces! If you side with him at this time, there will only be one result: it will prove that your Silvermoon City is also involved with the devil."

"But the Holy Coffin Kingdom will not go to war with the Peda Empire, much less be hostile to Silvermoon City."

Upon hearing the other person's calm words, Dandelion's expression changed slightly, revealing a hint of unexpected panic.

Mann continued, “Both countries believe that Silvermoon City has protected their common enemy. In fact, that’s what the upcoming meeting is going to discuss, but unfortunately you have no right to attend and cannot defend yourself. They have already concluded that you did something wrong.”

"...W-what? The Peda Empire is one thing, but why the Holy Coffin too?" She finished, gritting her teeth, shocked. "What evidence do you have? Why is it also hostile towards us?"

"You should know for yourselves that I wasn't lying."

Instead of providing an answer, Mann calmly presented the real threat.

"Silvermoon City will no longer protect you. That's what it means. You will be crushed by the anger of both nations."

"...In that case, what would I get in return if I handed over the ruins?"

“Very good, the dialogue is moving towards mutual understanding.” Man’s beard twitched slightly as he smiled, revealing his missing front teeth. “If you agree, Silvermoon City will do its best to protect you Four Seasons at the meeting.”

"—And then tell me, you've done your best?" Dandelion's tone shifted, freezing Man's smile.

“…That’s a political arena after all. I can’t make any promises. I can only ask you to trust Lord Balzac.” Mann paused for a few seconds before continuing, already sounding somewhat displeased.

Having asked the final question, the dandelion stood up and proudly pointed to the entire sea—

"Go back, you damn hero. We can protect ourselves. And if enemy ships come? No matter how many, I guarantee they'll be crushed to pieces along with the sea!"

"...Absurd, Princess Dandelion, we have already shown you enough respect."

"This also represents the value of the ruins, right? You won't get this delicious roast meat back from my mouth!"

"The ruins are of no use to you whatsoever, believe me."

"Go back."

The conversation broke down—Man sighed, shook his head, and walked back to the three-legged dragon, rummaging through the pouch on its back.

In the shadows, Sen Shi had already conjured an arrow frozen in ice, nocked it, and pointed it directly at her opponent. Fighting was a very common outcome when negotiations broke down. She just wasn't sure whether this arrow would be powerful or weak…

Man found what he wanted and took it in his hand—it was clearly some kind of weapon, because the faint power it emitted when it was revealed distorted the surroundings, as if it had its own filter.

Mori could barely make out that it was a round object, possibly some kind of compass, or some other special item; let's call it a magic compass for now. As expected of an unexplored area in the game, the heroes here were also holding things Mori had never seen before.

"Want to fight me?" Dandelion asked.

"Don't misunderstand, I just want to use force."

Beneath his dust-covered cloak, his strong, battle-scarred hands were suddenly raised high.

His veins were prominent, his muscles bulged like steel, and at the same time, there was a dense concentration of spiritual energy on them.

"The circle of rejection of cause and effect." His voice was high-pitched and hoarse, summoning a powerful spell—

Power surged from the circular magic disc! Even his three-legged dragon was startled and hurriedly flew into the sky to circle and wait.

The opponent's spiritual power continued to solidify, and the light grew brighter and brighter, but Sen Shi found it difficult to endure, as if it were the unease before a storm.

Mann turned around—staring at the sea behind him. At that moment, he was like a judge holding a branding iron, ready to leave a mark of shame on the prisoner.