Witch, don't be so lazy

Especially when they saw the adventurers and guards returning to the city one after another, the panic in everyone's heart gradually subsided, and was replaced by pride, relief and fear, celebrating that they and the city had survived another round of disaster.

Unlike the southern continent, the natural environment in the north is too harsh. Ordinary people will almost die if they leave the settlement. Whether it is the freezing cold wind and snow, bloodthirsty beasts, or evil-minded wizards, each one is a death warrant in the wilderness.

Therefore, although the guards never prevented people from leaving the city, most of those who actually chose to flee were merchants, adventurers, people with some wealth, and minor nobles.

I don’t know whether to say they are lucky or unlucky.

To put it in a good way, the real crisis has been resolved, and their escape would be in vain; to put it in a bad way, the real crisis has been resolved, otherwise with the Wailing Angels and the Silent Well cultists who hunt living things, their escape might only hasten their death.

Of course, the people in the city cannot rest easy either. At least they will have to endure another round of shock tomorrow, some buildings will be damaged, and some unlucky people may even be injured and bleed.

After all, according to Momo, with her current strength, controlling the lost skeleton dragon is like guiding the terrifying earth energy. She can only issue some simple commands and there is no way to achieve the level of controlling it as if it were her own arm.

When the dragon skeleton crawls out, it will definitely cause a certain amount of damage, and if it is beaten, it will also resist, just as it will struggle restlessly and make hollow howls after being tied up.

Fortunately, this thing will crawl out from under the giant tower by then.

Even if the surrounding environment is destroyed, the City Lord's Mansion will be the most affected, and other places will at most suffer some aftermath.

"Bad guy, much more grumpy than Little Gray."

Momo's evaluation caused the little gecko to protest, "Don't compare me with the monsters on earth, I am a spirit of nature."

After leaving the story hall, they strolled along the quiet Turner Street, which was some distance away from the bustling market. The shops around here were mostly clothing stores, coffee shops and flower shops.

The dim street lights are neatly arranged, extending to the end of the sight. Shoes make rustling sounds when they step on the thin snow, and occasionally you can hear the cries of wild cats coming from far away.

The topic was initially caused by those funny rumors. After Momo learned that she had become a "cold and talented wizard with eccentric habits" in the eyes of the people, she didn't seem to have any special reaction except for an "oh oh". She just made a small excuse, saying "the medicine that can quickly heal poisonous sores is very expensive in the North, so spells and scrolls are more convenient."

Then they talked about the spell "Amber Seal" that binds vampires, and then talked about the magic circle "Green Seal" that trapped the skeleton dragon. They learned that His Majesty Kumo had a very powerful attainment in ritual magic, and Momo also knew some.

Whether it is washing or transforming the skeleton dragon, it relies on the comprehensive use of ritual magic and earth magic. Of course, the latter always accounts for a larger proportion.

Anke was curious about something else.

"I feel like Sister Momo's earth magic is really powerful. Has she been practicing it since she was a child?"

"Um, thirteen years ago?"

Momo tilted her head. "It seems that two days after my fifth birthday, A-Mo started teaching me leyline magic in various ways. But he lied to me back then and said it was just playing with blocks, making earth figures, and piling up sand. And then he gave me a bunch of questionable toys."

"Amo is so abominable. When Momo was playing with other children, he secretly used magic to tamper with them, just to prevent Momo from noticing. This made Momo think she was stupid and couldn't even do such a simple thing. Any child is better than Momo."

"When Momo was little, she cried secretly many times because of this. Later, she didn't want to go out to play. Ah Mo played the role of a good elder and comforted Momo, asking her to stay home and study, and stay in the Obsidian Court to resonate with the earth veins. Oh, he even coaxed Momo back then, saying that as long as the resonance reached a new level, a little friend would emerge in the court just for Momo. They were super obedient, just like Ah Mo, and would never look down on Momo for being stupid."

Momo paused. "Then Xiao Hui showed up, and we talked for a while. Xiao Hui was indeed a good guy. He directly exposed the tricks of the bad Amo. So Momo burned off most of Amo's proud long beard as a punishment!"

Xiao Hui swung his tail, a little embarrassed: "Although Master Kumo is very kind to me, how can a spirit of nature deceive its own contractor?"

"Good little gray!"

Momo nodded the little gecko's head and added, "It would be even better if you didn't have to eat the super stinky cod. Now you can only stay in the bag and can't appear on Momo's shoulder!"

Then she ignored Xiao Hui's struggle and stuffed it back into the bag that came with the clothes, and sprayed some unknown potion on it, which smelled of grass and wood.

"..."

An Ke hesitated to speak and took a big bite of the fish cake with thick sauce in her hand.

It was a fried dish made of minced fish mixed with flour, served with a large spoonful of mashed potatoes and tomato sauce, and it tasted pretty good.

Ganfan was silent because he was still frightened by the terrifying biological weapons from before, and he was even more moved by what Momo said.

On the one hand, I found that Momo was younger than I thought. However, she had said before that she broke through the third level and became an assistant teacher in the foundation year. If she entered school at the age of thirteen or fourteen, after five school years, she would indeed be around this age.

On the other hand, it was discovered that the fifth seat, the "Guardian of the Earth", His Majesty Kumo, seemed to have a very "unique" understanding of raising children.

Oh, speaking of this.

An Ke asked again tentatively: "If I remember correctly, Sister Momo seemed to have said that His Majesty Kumo was your adoptive father?"

"Ah."

Perhaps knowing what An Ke wanted to ask, Momo's answer was very direct:

"Momo is an orphan, from the Portillo area. I remember she was rummaging through trash with an old woman when Amo appeared. He gave the old woman some money, maybe two or three gold coins, and then gave Momo a strawberry-flavored Gilles milk bar. Then Momo left with Amo."

The Portillo region, the most famous chaotic area in the southern continent, is located in the southwest of the continent, adjacent to the Fenghua Kingdom, the Papal States, the Tusk Empire and the vampire Duchy of Kaskia.

Of course, what makes the Portillo area most famous is the "gathering of heroes" there.

Mammon, the Well of Silence, the Darkness, the Order of Disaster, the Remnants of the Old Empire, the Flowered Order, the Eight Mountains Alliance, the Vengeance of the Evil Beasts, the Dawn Rescue Society...all the major dark organizations have placed their largest or second-largest strongholds in this area. It's hard to say whether it was a tacit agreement or the result of multiple rounds of negotiation.

It is difficult for outsiders to imagine why this place has not exploded yet, but just by looking at the string of shining names above, you can imagine how "rich and wonderful" it is inside.

An Ke couldn't imagine it either, but she could imagine how pitiful Momo was at that time.

Because just over half a year ago, she seemed to have the idea of ​​rummaging through the trash can, but she was thirteen years old at that time, had a master, and was also a magic apprentice in the school, so it was just a thought at best.

But Momo was much more miserable at that time. If His Majesty Kumo had not gone to take her away, she might have starved to death in two days or been bought as a slave.

"Why do you look at Momo like that?"

"Because I feel so sorry for Sister Momo, and if it were me, I would definitely not casually talk about those unpleasant memories that made me feel unhappy."

An Ke said softly, "Is it okay to tell me so many secret things?"

She is actually a bit of a loner, but it cannot be said that she is completely bad at dealing with people. After all, she thinks she is quite good at using her advantages to narrow social distances, and her emotional intelligence can be considered average.

But that is not out of preference, but more like an action that one has to take in order to "make it easier for oneself to survive in a group or society."

Of course there are times when she shares her experiences and feelings, but usually only with people she is familiar with, and she is often very restrained. Unless she "needs to gain sympathy and trust by showing something", she is not very willing to express her feelings.

If she feels angry and dissatisfied, she will most likely look for opportunities to vent it to the person she hates; if she is happy, that's also okay, she may occasionally show off to her companions, but for other things, she prefers to process them herself.

Even if I am extremely bored, I will still stare blankly in the dead of night. There are many bright stars outside the window, but the loneliness is as turbulent as the sea.

"...like a stubborn little beast, its fangs bared and its fur trembled, but it hated to show its soft belly and ugly wounds, because it was used to walking alone in the wilderness..."

An Ke couldn’t remember who had commented on her like that. It might have been Friend A, whom she had deleted long ago in her previous life.

"Hmm? Momo wouldn't be upset by something like this, since she doesn't have many memories of that time. Or maybe Momo is just a bit more tolerant?"

Momo nibbled the milk stick in her hand. The sweet almond crumbs just touched the corner of her mouth, and the next moment she rolled them away with her small tongue. She really didn't look sad at all.

"But the reason I talked so much is, of course, because little Anke is just to Momo's liking! This is Momo's first time on a mission! It's her first time leaving Black Rock City and Pendegar, going to such a remote place, meeting so many people who are different from her classmates and teachers, and different from the Silent Guards, especially the smart and adorable little Anke!"

"Oh, but Xiao Anke is right. We can't tell others about Momo. We have to make a promise. Whoever breaks the promise will eat ten thousand bitter cod~"

Momo stretched out her little finger and waved it in front of Anke's eyes.

...It's really a combination of the words of a young lady and a childish kid. And why use the word "to your taste"? It makes it sound so scary, as if she is used to eating children.

An Ke couldn't help but sigh in his heart, but he still made a pinky promise with the girl, although it only lasted for a moment, and then he let go and ran away.

"Eh? Where do you want to go, little Anke?"

"Go to the flower shop over there."

"Hmm? Why?"

Momo blinked and looked at the girl who trotted into the flower shop. Xiaohui also stuck his head out of the bag.

In the harsh natural environment of the North, wild flowers are very rare, but precisely because of this, people love colorful things even more, and their enthusiasm is no less than that of the people in the Phoenix Flower Kingdom. This is why you can always see flower shops on the streets.

Even though prices remain high, during festivals or important changes, people are willing to spend their money as long as they can still afford it.

Of course, opening a store in the central district of Asda City is probably beyond the reach of many people.

The air of luxury is palpable the moment you enter. A mermaid-shaped fountain gurgles with warm water, purple-leaved barberry in a flowerpot hangs laden with fruit, and neatly trimmed Araucaria trees sit next to a classical pergola filled with fragrant flowers.

These are certainly beautiful views, and if they were anywhere else, Anko would be happy to stop and admire them, but unfortunately not now.

When the girl walked out of the flower shop, she was holding a bunch of beautiful roses in her arms. The flowers were pearl pink and the outer layer was a creamy color. They seemed to be some kind of cold-resistant improved variety.

"I originally wanted jasmine, but the clerk said it wasn't very cold-resistant. Then he recommended this one, Lady Carnarvon. It's said to be a new type of rose bred in the Phoenix Kingdom."

An Ke paused and handed the item over, "Here, I hope Sister Momo can accept it."

"Hmm? Why?"

Momo took the fragrant flower in a daze, not quite understanding the girl's inexplicable behavior.

"Because jasmine and white roses share the same floral language, which is sincerity and frankness, giving it to the beautiful sister Momo is both a thank you and an apology."

An Ke said softly, "Thank you, Sister Momo, for your care these days. I also hope you can forgive me for not being so honest. I told some lies about the things that happened at the Fiery Sun Spirituality and the Well of Silence stronghold."

The care was multifaceted. In addition to taking her to Taiqir and giving her the spell book of "Seal of Moro", he also told her many secret things. The things about the Fairy Tale Island alone were not something that could be learned through conventional channels.

Also, when fighting with the giant snake of the abyss, she noticed that Momo was the one who rushed over the most anxiously. Although it was of no use, she still kept it in mind.

Anke paused, opened her beautiful crimson eyes, and did not elaborate. She did not want to keep the suspense, but planned to find a safer place with fewer people.

But it was only the next moment.

An Ke found herself falling into a soft embrace, and the jasmine fragrance she smelled was many times more pleasant than the white rose next to it.

Momo's proud voice also came to my ears.

"Hehe, little Anke is indeed a cunning bad boy. You know that you can't hide these things from Momo, and you are afraid of making Momo unhappy, so you deliberately buy beautiful flowers to appease me. Before Momo came to find you again, she went to the underground first, and now she knows everything she needs to know!"

Momo felt the girl in her arms pause slightly, and heard a faint voice saying "Sister Momo is so smart", then she hummed twice in pride, and said with a smile,

"It's okay, but this isn't something I need to apologize for. Of course, you can't just tell such a big secret to Lulinger Umbrella, Ba VIII, or anyone else~"

She wanted to say a few words of comfort, but she heard the girl's voice again.

"It's not just that. I just suddenly remembered that Sister Momo had a similar experience when she was a child. Although Master Kumo has his own ideas, it must have had some influence on Sister Momo. Otherwise, she wouldn't have developed the habit of only telling the truth."

An Ke paused, "Although I can understand that you're a little unhappy, I'm sending you a bunch of beautiful roses, hoping that your mood will be as beautiful and flawless as it is..."

"—Little Anchor!"

Before Anke could finish her words, she was terribly interrupted. Not only was her cry of joy broken, but even her face was completely squeezed between the soft, perfectly sized pieces, making it difficult to breathe.

Fortunately, the next moment, she was lifted high again.

After turning it around, it was put down again.

Momo also ran into the flower shop, and when she came out, she had new things in her hands.

It was a flower, a pink rose, but not a bunch, but one, picked up with a clip.

That's a hair card.

Momo smiled brightly. "This is the first time I've received flowers from someone else. I'll give Anke a small rose in return. This one was specially chosen by Momo. Its name is Princess Fiona, who later became the seventh queen of the Phoenix Kingdom."

According to the custom of the Fenghua royal family, every time a new member is born in the family, the flower of the same name will be promoted in the kingdom as a celebration. For example, the little princess who participated in the exchange competition was named Luo Qimeilan, a bright red beautiful rose.

"However, I heard that the queen was a cold-blooded person, which doesn't suit such a lovely flower. She's more suitable for our lovely little Encore."

Momo carefully put a rose hairpin on Anke and took her to the glass window of the flower shop, muttering to herself,

"Aside from Amo and Xiaohui, this is Momo's first time giving a gift to someone else. I hope it's to Anke's liking. If you like it, you must laugh."

The edges of the window are decorated with flowers, and the middle is left empty. The original intention was to allow passers-by to see what is inside, but at this moment, it is all used to reflect the beautiful picture -

Dim street lights and falling snow.

A girl with a smile on her face holding a rose, and a little gecko peeking out.

Of course, there is also a cute girl wearing a Lolita dress, touching the little rose in her hair and smiling sweetly.

……

I don't remember when I returned to my room.

But Anke was lying on his bed, looking at the ceiling, and suddenly he felt like he was in a different world, and he seemed to have a new friend.

Close your eyes and then open them again.

A new day begins.

----

----

The daily routine comes to an end.

By the way, Hedgehog Cat's programmers...you guys should work harder and stop exploding!

Chapter 153 The Protagonist (Five Thousand Five)

The world is big, but not everyone has the talent and luck to see the vast world.

Although he was born in the northern border far away from the southern continent and grew up in a small southern town far away from the capital Pandgar, Haan Aleman has deeply understood this truth since he was a child.