Brain bloom

But for Mori, admitting or denying is a huge dilemma.

"Mori, if you know, then... then please answer me quickly..."

"...Don't rush, let me think about it," Mori said dismissively.

Melia instinctively wanted to get angry because she was extremely anxious.

But she gritted her teeth and endured, waiting for Mori to speak. While she fidgeted, Ima sat down beside her and affectionately patted her shoulder. Although Ima didn't understand the complex truth behind it all, she could sense her close friend's unease.

The dandelion, too, waited quietly beside the forest.

Mori looked at Melia silently, searching for the answer in his heart—indeed, there was a very, very strong sense of closeness.

A person's demeanor is determined by their soul. And the aura emanating from Melia's soul made Mori feel extremely close to her…

But ultimately, is she really her daughter? This is truly strange.

Her soul split in two; one part was summoned by the succubus, and together they created a daughter, so far there were no problems. But the crucial point is that, although she was penniless and destitute, she was now a genuine girl.

You can't very well put on a smug face and say to this high and mighty demon queen, "Hey, I'm your dad, my good daughter, don't be naughty, come here and let Daddy give you a hug," no one would believe you.

The reasons behind this are extremely complex. Even if Mori could explain it clearly, Melia couldn't possibly accept it entirely. After all, she's the Queen of the Chaos Lands, yet she wants to acknowledge a strawberry girl of the Four Seasons as her father…

"Have you thought it through? I'm not rushing you, but..."

"Yes, this is how it is."

When Mori started to speak, he subconsciously wanted to take a sip of beer to moisten his dry lips and tongue, but the glass was already empty, so he had to give up and continue.

“I do have a very deep connection with your parents. We are not only contemporaries, but your father always carries a small amulet, right? And a necklace. The amulet is a set of seven-colored world treasures, and the necklace is a pure black stone feather from purgatory.”

"……Correct."

What Mori said were all secrets known only to her family. Could it really be...?

“I did all of that,” Mori said casually.

"Uh, you did this?"

"Yes, your father and I are good friends, that's all."

Mori didn't reveal the truth because it was simply too absurd. But in order to make the path to restoring the kingdom smoother, and at least not to anger Melia, Mori still cultivated some relationships with the main character; "friends" was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Moreover, she also has Dandelion, and any explanation would cause problems. Sen Shi really didn't dare to anger Dandelion.

"Oh, I see. Father's friend, an extraordinary craftsman?"

"Yes, that's it."

Melia was disappointed, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Melia knew very well that the girl who lived through the four seasons was lying.

It wasn't that she had discovered a flaw in his words, or that Mori's demeanor showed any obvious hypocrisy. Rather, it was a simple, intuitive feeling from her very soul. She had 99% confidence in her intuition, because it had never been wrong.

We're just one step away from the truth.

She dispelled the spatial magic, calling the stall owner, who had been standing outside in the cold wind, back to continue grilling the meat. After adding more beer, Melia raised a glass to Mori.

"Aunt Mori, may I call you that?"

"...whatever, at will"

"Then, Aunt Jingsen, the gates to the Chaos Land will always be open for you."

The two clinked glasses and drank, each lost in their own thoughts. Quietly, in an attempt to uncover the truth, Melia, as their glasses met, splashed a drop of a drug that could relax Mori's mind into his glass.

She gave a sweet smile and coaxed him with her words.

"I want to hear more about my father. After all, he was a quiet, simple-minded man who only knew how to protect us with his sword."

"This..."

"By the way, I heard that Aunt Mori is a great hero with profound knowledge of magic?" Melia asked with a half-smile. "Do you know about Rose Stone? It can give mechanical souls. Rose Stone seems to be the creation of an ancient magician."

"Oh?"

Melia spoke slowly because she wanted to talk to Mori for longer.

She casually shared some secrets, just to make Mori reveal a flaw and admit the truth himself.

"Legend has it that magicians created Rose Stones initially because they were short-handed. So they would split their own souls and merge them into Rose Stones to create clones... Does Aunt Mori Toki know this kind of magic?"

"No, I don't know."

Melia failed to elicit information on her first attempt, but she was not discouraged.

“My country has been fighting against the Evil Mist, and in order to enhance our combat power, we have also conducted in-depth research on soul magic. But there are some difficulties... Perhaps Aunt Morishige can help? You must be a master of magic, right?”

"What exactly do you want to ask..."

"I formally extend an invitation to you. Please accompany me back to the Chaos Realm for our research. I will offer generous rewards and protect you Four Seasons. Princess Dandelion, please come along too?"

Mori felt a little dizzy, which she thought might be due to the alcohol. But even so, she wasn't stupid enough to fall for it.

Although she doesn't know why, Melia may be getting close to the truth...

“My Erlong Daniel is nearby, and he would be happy to give you two a ride. Besides, I have inherited all of my parents’ belongings. Don’t you want to see them, Aunt Mori? Those treasures you made back then are national treasures of our country.”

"Little Melia, what are you planning?" Yuan suddenly asked. "You seem a little different from usual."

"...I...I was just sincerely inviting you, please don't say anything."

Her attitude changed too quickly. Even though she was used to being capricious, it was still too strange. Yuan and Dandelion were both stunned.

But Mori sensed the underlying meaning—a threat. Leaving aside Mori herself, the powerful Eer Dragon was nearby, and the dandelion had become the target of her threat…

This daughter is amazing; just how much of the truth has she realized?

Why not accept the "friends" explanation, which is better for everyone?! Does this mean... we really have to accept the Strawberry Girl as our father?

"I'll go get some fresh air and think about it some more..." After saying that, Mori stood up unsteadily, away from the fumes and strong smell of barbecue, and went to the side of the boat to get some fresh air and sober up.

Melia smiled victoriously and stood up.

"I hope you and Princess Dandelion can enjoy the night market to your heart's content. I'll pay for everything and take care of her."

Watching their retreating figures, Dandelion felt completely bewildered. How had the domesticated strawberry suddenly become someone of extraordinary status, receiving the exclusive care of the Demon Queen...?

Volume 1 #144: Isn't that better?

"Princess, princess, what's going on?"

"...I have a not-so-good suspicion."

The two who were left behind huddled together and started talking all at once about what had just happened.

Mori's swaying figure hadn't gone far, and Melia's white cloak was still conspicuous in the night wind. No matter how you looked at them, they looked like sisters, with Mori being the younger one.

But behind it all, there seems to be an extremely complex truth, which is bound to pique the curiosity of Dandelion and Yuan.

"I also... feel that something might be very wrong."

"Yes."

Dandelion was filled with mixed emotions. She had originally intended to sell Mori to gain Melia's protection by making a hollow promise. But it seemed that promise was about to come true; Mori was about to leave her…

“Princess, this is what I think.” Yuan whispered into Dandelion’s ear, “Perhaps Mori liked little Melia’s father, but he rejected Mori because he loved Melia’s mother, right?”

"...How could that be?"

"Uh...isn't that right? That's how it's recorded in 'The Complete Deal Between the Devil and Man: The Love Chapter'..."

"What kind of books are you devils reading! First of all, my Mori Toki could never like men! And..." Dandelion looked coldly at Won, "Haven't you realized? The Demon Queen is suspecting that Mori Toki might be her father."

Yuan blinked, then froze for a few seconds.

His face, which had been calm and serene, suddenly became as ferocious as a demon.

"Princess, your brain isn't getting enough nutrients, it's gone bad."

"You're just too stupid."

“Let’s go, let’s see for ourselves and eavesdrop!” Yuan stood up and plucked a feather from one of her shoulder capes.

"...Wan, calm down! That's the Queen of Demon Banshees, we'll definitely be exposed, and Mori Toki isn't someone to be trifled with."

"Don't worry about that. I'm the adopted daughter of the ancient Demon King, and I'm quite powerful."

After speaking, the feather transformed into a thick black mist, draping over the two like a veil. Their figures disappeared into the night, their silhouettes unrecognizable even by the brightest full moon. The two followed silently.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a complex family drama was unfolding in the night market under the starry night sky.

……

"Banshees are very special creatures, perhaps Aunt Mori Toki knows this very well?"

"...Please give me some privacy. I feel really bad right now, maybe I've had too much to drink," Mori pleaded in a muffled voice as he leaned against the side of the boat.

She was very dizzy, and even after using the treatment, her condition did not improve.

But Melia followed her like a shadow, showing no intention of letting her go.

Whenever the night breeze swept by, the faint scent of violets emanating from Melia would tickle Morishita's little nose. Moreover, her lips, smeared with chili powder, would keep talking, as if trying to destroy Morishita's nerves.

"When a banshee is born, she is encased in a shell, and her soul slowly merges within the shell—a long process. But it took me ten years to break out of my shell... because my parents' souls were too powerful, and I was also very strong."

"Succubi are oviparous."

"Yes, Dad was surprised too."

"...Heh, hehe."

“But I would rather not have this strength in exchange for ten years of spending time with my parents… I received a lot of love from my family, but… it didn’t last long, in fact, it was very short—this is the second biggest regret in my life.”

"Who's the largest?"

Mori rubbed his head, forcing himself to stay awake and not fall for her trick.

If she were to actually admit it, Dandelion's wrath would be unbearable; she wouldn't be able to explain this mess. Why did she have a different name? And why was a part of her soul possessing her…? What if they investigated further and discovered the coffin-bearer's involvement…?

She wasn't ready to accept this daughter either.

What prevents Mori from admitting it is the biggest point—what if Dandelion considers it a form of infidelity?

Melia said, "My biggest regret is that it was something my dearest friend wished for."