Brain bloom

No one paid any attention to Yuan, and Sen Shi suppressed the urge to cry, and could only try to solve the problem on his own.

So she forced a smile and said to Melia, "Actually, I ordered it for you; after all, waiting is a nasty thing."

But at the same time, Melia also spoke up with a smile: "Actually, I just want to rob you outright, after all, waiting is a hateful thing."

"..."

"..."

Two remarkably similar voices overlapped, as if they had planned it together.

The dandelion has given up hope and is seeking the protection of the Demon Queen? Things are already this awkward; how can we possibly continue the conversation?

There's no hope, no hope at all. I might as well finish eating and go home. In despair, she ripped off her hat, letting the dandelions bask in the moonlight, then picked up her beer mug and gulped it down, hoping the fast-acting alcohol would numb her despair.

He was more or less convinced, head bowed in deep thought, but couldn't come up with a way to ease the awkwardness...

……

(It's almost the end of the month, your monthly pass will expire if you don't use it soon!)

Volume 1 #140: The Desolate Rose Garden

Melia stared intently at Mori, as if to say, "If you dare to compete with me again, I'll kill you."

Even if Sen Shi used the leaves on his head to think, he could understand that the slightly flushed Queen of the Demoness was angry because of this awkward situation.

However, Melia's actions and tone reminded Mori of his elementary school days.

I once had a sweet-looking female classmate who would reach out to ask for a new pencil sharpener whenever Morishi bought one, insisting on playing with it until she could give it back to him.

Her female classmate's excuse was always, "You have to let me use all your new things first," which even became her catchphrase. It only stopped after she took a physiology class and learned about sex.

Melia's behavior was similar to that of her female classmate; both were quite childish.

Perhaps it was this lovely memory that calmed Mori Toki's mood considerably. She simply withdrew her hand slowly, casually raised her beer glass, and took a sip of the beer from this other world; it was quite delicious.

They're both adults who can drink; there's no need to engage in such childish squabbles. Besides, Melia possesses power that can shake the world; for the sake of our princess, let's give in a little.

"I hope it suits your taste, since there's no salt in it." She gestured to concede.

"Hmm, you're quite sensible. But let me make one thing clear: I don't care about the food; I just hate it when people get in my way."

"I have already moved aside."

"So you're still alive—you're quite an interesting Four Seasons. To be honest, I have a pretty good feeling about you, which is quite strange. But not enough to share food with you, much less thank you for it. Please remember that making way for me is a matter of course, and you should be proud of it."

Mori thought to himself, "This guy's upbringing is really terrible."

After her victory, Melia grabbed a piece of grilled beef tongue, dipped it in more chili powder, and popped it into her mouth, chewing it with great relish. Her eating posture was somewhat barbaric, yet her protective gestures towards the food were remarkably subtle.

Then, Melia turned to the stall owner, who was sweating profusely, and said, "Give her the same one, it's on me."

The stall owner nodded.

"Besides, I know why you've come. There's no need to hide anything. I also hate politics." Melia suddenly switched to business mode. "You're in a bad situation and want to seek my protection, but I can't agree to that."

Dandelion was still somewhat frustrated by being told off so bluntly.

Sen Shi never had any expectations, so he didn't have any particular thoughts. Instead, he was quietly planning other things, such as how to do something discreet on this ship to temporarily divert Silvermoon City's attention and prevent them from putting pressure on the Four Seasons.

But looking at Sen Shi's thin shoulders, Dandelion still wanted to lighten her burden, so she tried to keep the conversation going:

"Queen of Demons and Banshees, don't make it sound so perfect. We, the Seasons, can offer a generous and equitable reward."

"No need, I don't want your things. I have no obligation to protect you two flowers that could wither at any moment. Okay, let's leave this topic at that, don't ruin the deliciousness of the barbecue with your pointless words."

“…Little Melia, at least look at the price Princess Dandelion offered.” He tried to persuade her to stay, pleading on behalf of the Four Seasons.

"It was because you asked that I agreed to meet you, thank you."

Hearing her best friend's words, Melia's attitude softened considerably, and she gently cupped her face and spoke to Yuan.

“But you understand, there are only two things I want, and even your father can’t give them to me, so there’s no point in continuing the conversation…right?”

As if timed perfectly, the stall owner brought over two other items that Sen had ordered: chicken feet and strips of pig's ear. This time, Melia didn't insist on keeping the two dishes.

It seemed that this was the greatest kindness she could offer to the people of the four seasons.

Dandelion still wanted to say a few more words, but was unexpectedly stopped by Mori.

"Princess, let's stop here."

"Can……"

“They didn’t mean that, so there’s no point in continuing. Besides, whatever the reason, I don’t want to see you bowing down to anyone. You’re not a humble person, Princess Dandelion.”

"Senji..."

Perhaps those words resonated with Dandelion, for her slightly parted lips closed. Though she felt a moment of disappointment, it quickly turned into gratitude towards Mori. Because those words carried Mori's approval of her, something Dandelion needed.

"Don't worry, we can get through this." Sen Shi patted Dandelion's shoulder while eating the fairly delicious pig's ear. "I'm here for you."

"Faced with the anger of various nations, what can you do? Do you intend to sacrifice your life force for combat power, Four Seasons Warriors?" Melia's voice was gentle and beautiful, but it concealed a deadly chill.

"We have no such plans."

That would be best.

Yuan's voice was tinged with sorrow: "Little Melia, this is my life, my destiny, don't interfere with it."

Melia lowered her head and whispered, "I can't interfere, all I can do is share what I consider beautiful with you..."

"Let's leave the intestines and buttocks aside."

"You're a devil, what are you afraid of? Vendor, come on, give me ten skewers of chicken butts."

When Yuan was filled with resistance, even prepared to destroy the barbecue stand rather than accept the evil food, Mori said something to Melia: "Queen of Demons and Banshees, I want to talk to you about something."

"Although I refused, I will not hurt you."

"That's not it."

"What else do you want to ask? Since you can also enjoy these delicious foods, I can chat with you." Her smile was quite friendly.

Sen didn't rush to speak, but instead searched through the starry night and soon found the accompanying dragon. It sometimes darted through the clouds, sometimes chased away nearby birds and beasts, faithfully protecting Melia.

“Daniel, right? Its mother is Fernanda, the ancient Evil Dragon who tore apart the truth. One hundred and twenty years ago, she wreaked havoc in a snowy land called Dreamwalker's Paradise, and was also the strongest dragon in the world.”

Hearing this, Melia's expression became quite subtle: "Yuan mentioned that you are a great hero from 120 years ago, and it seems that your reputation is well-deserved."

“I’ve fought that ancient calamity dragon…more than once.” Mori took a sip of his drink and continued, “It was also the guardian of a certain great banshee, am I right?”

Suddenly, Mori heard a cracking sound. Looking up, he saw a spatial rift right before his eyes. It was Melia's unintentional outburst of anger that shattered the spatial magic used to conceal their presence.

"A great hero? What are you going to say next?" Her voice was like a knife.

"Do you know this desolate rose garden?"

"Impossible, that's my hometown, how do you know..."

That was also the final hidden dungeon of "The Silent World," Mori thought to himself.

Volume 1 #141 The Strongest in History

"The Desolate Rose Garden"—that's the name of that instance.

It was a special hidden dungeon that appeared in the final version of the game, and even I only visited it a handful of times. Unlike other dungeons, its description didn't include any miscellaneous background settings or boss introductions; it only contained a single line of text.

"There are no roses blooming here, only a desolate rose garden."

Furthermore, as a hidden dungeon, its unlocking conditions are quite unique and are also related to the hidden quest accepted by Mori. The dungeon doesn't have any troublesome multi-boss bosses; there's only one banshee.

For Mori Toki, the impression was just too deep...

At this moment, Dandelion sensed that something was wrong; she instinctively felt an extremely dangerous atmosphere. Perhaps the Demon Queen's temper was about to turn the Night Market into a battlefield... So she silently gripped the staff on her back, ready for a bloody battle to the death.

"Little Melia, calm down, calm down."

Melia definitely doesn't look right.

Even Yuan's persuasion failed to calm her down. A powerful killing intent flickered in her pupils—even the nearby escorting dragon sensed her murderous intent and was preparing to come over to check on the situation.

Mori's words had created a dangerous situation.

Sen paused for a moment, sorting out his jumbled thoughts, and then continued speaking, word by word.

“Let me finish—as far as I know, that courtyard was actually the dwelling place of a banshee… If I’m not mistaken, it was your mother, wasn’t it? You both have the same horns.”

"I absolutely hate it when people talk about my family!"

Sen Shi swallowed hard, thinking, "Oh no... I've stepped on another landmine." Even she couldn't remain calm, ready to don the title of "True God" and withstand the onslaught at any moment.

Melia became even more agitated, and she even brandished her weapon.

His hand swiftly reached into the void of darkness and pulled out a strangely shaped, large weapon.

It is a giant axe shaped like a cross, about the size of a dandelion. Its bizarre shape completely abandons the handle, sharpening every part of it, and an extremely powerful evil force is wrapped around its silver metal surface.

Mori recognized the weapon; it was the one used by the great banshee in the desolate Rose Garden.

"Little Melia! Don't be impulsive!" Yuan said anxiously. "I'll listen to you, I'm willing to try eating chicken butts, just don't do it!"

"Queen of Demons and Banshees, we did not mean to offend you, but if you make a move now..." Dandelion was equally flustered.

"I hate it when people talk about my family..."

The person involved repeated themselves, saying they could unleash a brutal attack at any moment, but they didn't. She simply looked at Mori, a subtle affection in her eyes.

“The strange thing is… I don’t hate you,” she said.

"That's good, that's good. By the way, this is your mother's weapon, right? I never thought it would become yours now." The silver gleam of the cross-shaped giant axe reflected in Mori's eyes, filled with nostalgia for the gaming era.

Melia's attitude towards Senshi became much more friendly.

"Yes, it was left to me by my mother. Since you recognize it, are you a friend of my mother's? In any case, please forgive my rudeness..."

As compensation, she took the initiative to push the plate of ox tongue over, although she was still a little embarrassed in the process.

This dramatic turn of events left Dandelion and Yuan, who had just been terrified, stunned. A question lingered in their minds: "Why is the Demon Queen... trying to please Sen?"

The person in question accepted the food Melia shared without any hesitation, and then tried to ask, "Aren't you worried that I'm your mother's enemy?"

“If that were the case, both my mother and father would have told me. So you must be their friend, and someone who was born before I was born.”