Fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood's wolf mentor

"...The wicked witch was burned to ashes, and Hansel and Gretel ate their fill in the candy house, filling their pockets and aprons with pearls and gems from the witch's room.

They returned to their familiar home, rushed into the house, and threw themselves into their father's arms.

Their father, since abandoning his children in the forest, had not had a moment of happiness, and his wife had also died. The family of three, with the treasure the children brought back, lived a happy and prosperous life..."

Listening to Poro finish the story, Leake smiled quietly beside him.

She blinked, her eyes looking at the stars in the night sky.

"A house made of candy? That's a great story!"

Leake's finger touched her fair chin, she thought for a moment, and then asked, "Are the two children in the story also called Hansel and Gretel?"

"Yes, so they may also come from a fairy tale."

Poro added, reaching out his hand, a golden light gradually forming a page.

"But this time, with our help, with money, those two children shouldn't have to go through those dangers again, right?"

Leake smiled slightly, "Their parents don't seem to want to abandon the two children—they were so excited to see the two little ones that they cried!"

"Yes, if our help can save a family in advance, that's indeed a good thing."

Poro also nodded.

Although in his opinion, that pair of parents was not very responsible.

But in such a poor situation, morality is not as important as physical hunger.

So far, every fairy tale that he and Leake had experienced had undergone extreme distortion.

If there really was such a witch in the forest...

The chances of two children surviving on their own were almost zero.

"I just hope that the couple's previous emotions were sincere."

Poro shook his head, and the new fairy tale page in his hand also took shape.

On it was drawn a small house built of chocolate, cakes, candies, cookies, and other desserts and delicacies.

[Circular Return: Candy House · Dessert Feast]

[Fairy Tale Authority: Unknown]

[Unsealing Ritual: Find the candy house hidden in the depths of the dense forest, and taste the delicacies that make up the candy house]

[Description: Your stomach is unbearably hungry, cramping and twitching. In a daze, you pass through a forest, and finally, you see—that sweet paradise!]

"The candy house is real?"

Leake looked at the page in Poro's hand, revealing a hint of surprise.

"Will there also be a child-eating old witch in the candy house? Alas, if such a witch could be a good person, that would be great."

Leake sighed, but then she thought of something else, and her swan-like neck swallowed slightly.

"Poro, if there really are so many candies and cakes in a house… that would be great, right? It must be delicious, right? And chocolate, what is that?

If the candy house really appears in front of me, I must go and have a feast!"

"But if you eat so many sweets, you'll definitely get a stomachache, and you'll also get cavities..."

"I'm just saying, I rarely eat sweets."

The girl frowned slightly, "When I was in the forest, only once, when Grandma went out to exterminate a group of foreign bandits, did she bring me two candies.

The taste… I've forgotten it a bit now.

But at the time, I thought it must be the most delicious thing in the world!"

Poro listened, and the look in his eyes towards Leake became much gentler.

He didn't react for a moment. Although he was a wolf, his previous life was a modern person, and he often ate these cakes and candies.

But Leake was different.

This girl had lived in the forest since she was a child, and even now, after venturing out of the forest, she had never spent money to buy those snacks outside of regular meals.

These… things that rich kids often eat were extremely unfamiliar to Leake.

"Is that so? I was just joking."

Poro patted the girl's head as she lay on her side, and said with a smile, "We have money now. When we get to the next city, we'll buy lots and lots of cakes, candies, and chocolates to eat!

We can eat as much as we want!"

"Eh? Didn't you just say it would rot my teeth? And give me a stomachache..."

"Don't worry, with your current physique, it's just eating some sweets, what could happen?"

Poro leaned close to the girl's smooth cheek and blinked gently, "Besides, you are the great hero who saved the Kingdom of Bo Ren, the savior angel—what's wrong with the savior eating some snacks?

I want to see who dares to stop the savior from eating snacks?"

"Hey! Big bad wolf, why are you making that joke again!"

Leake said with a pout, but the look of expectation and longing in her eyes couldn't be suppressed.

Outside the carriage, the night wind blew through the forest, rustling.

Poro looked at the sleeping girl beside him, her face still with a quiet smile, as if she was already eating delicious food in her dreams?

"It's okay, Leake, we have money now, we can eat whatever we want."

Poro got out of the carriage, it was his turn to keep watch.

Poro, Leake, and the old soldier had been taking turns keeping watch, and today, Poro was the first to keep watch.

The scents from all directions drifted with the forest wind.

There was no腥风 of wild beasts, just like the previous few nights. Just as Poro was looking at the crescent moon in the sky and yawning, he suddenly heard—

Not far away, a slight sound suddenly came from the cabin where Hansel and Gretel lived.

"Hmm? Aren't those people sleeping at night?"

Through the darkness, Poro noticed that the somewhat dilapidated wooden door of the cabin had suddenly opened a small crack, and a figure flashed past.

An eye glanced towards his group, and then quickly closed the door.

The movement was very small, but it could not escape Poro's keen perception.

"Is it Hansel and Gretel's parents? Too excited to sleep after getting the gold coins? Or..."

Poro narrowed his dark green wolf eyes slightly, and under the cover of night, approached the wooden cabin.

He remembered the expression of Hansel and Gretel's stepmother that he had seen in the evening. For some reason, Poro felt a strange sense of hypocrisy.

Like wearing a cheap mask.

"Since you're not sleeping, and I'm not sleeping either, then I'll listen to what you're going to do?"

Poro walked to the corner of the wooden house, put his wolf ears against the wall, and a hint of red light flashed in his eyes.

He used the power of "狂舞者" to bless his hearing. In an instant, the sound coming from the house became much clearer.

It was the voices of the couple.

Even inside the house, they were trying their best to lower their voices. If the eavesdropper was not Poro, an ordinary person would probably not be able to hear it.

"Are those people asleep?"

It was the woman's voice.

"They're asleep. What do you want to say to me? Why do you have to wait until the children and these people are asleep to tell me?"

The man's voice sounded a little puzzled.

"Hmph, send them farther away next time, don't let them come back again!"

The woman said in a low voice, with a hint of dissatisfaction in her words.

"Uh, you… what are you saying?"

"Hansel and Gretel, this time the place you chose was too close, you can't even handle this little thing?"

"But, but they are my children after all, how can I abandon them again?"

The man's voice sounded a little surprised, "Besides, don't we have money now? Those gold coins are enough to eat for a long time, until the crops grow..."

"You, you, you're such a good-for-nothing!"

The woman said in a low voice, "Your two children, such small children, why were they thrown into the forest and still able to come back by themselves in the middle of the night!? Think about it carefully!"

"Ah? Why… why?"

"They must have died long ago and been possessed by the evil spirits in the depths of the forest! They are no longer your children!"

The woman's voice said with gritted teeth, "Haven't you heard the stories of monsters in the forest for so long?

And those people, I think they are mostly not good people!"

"Ah? Why? The gold coins they gave are real?"

"Do you think those big masters can give you gold coins? Can those richly dressed landlords in the town stop their horses at your door and give you gold coins? You should be thankful that he didn't take away your copper coins!

Look at those people, their clothes don't look like nobles at all!

Have you ever touched such gold coins in your life?"

"Ah? Then what should we do?"

The man's voice sounded more and more convinced by the woman's words, and became a little flustered.

"Hmph, wouldn't I say you're a good-for-nothing? Kill them?"

The woman's voice suddenly changed, "They have these few gold coins, they have more, as long as we strike first—we can get more!"

"But, but… killing people?"

"You cut trees every day, do you have this strength for nothing?"

The woman raised her voice slightly, and then became more gentle, "I am also for the future of the two of us. In this world, only I am truly and wholeheartedly good for you."

The woman squeezed out a soft tone, "Think about it, when we get the money from those people, and send the possessed children away, when we get to the city, we can buy a new house and a few pieces of land...

They can give these few gold coins, they must have a lot of money on hand—

We can hire a few long-term workers, and we can… be rich masters for the rest of our lives!"

Inside the house, there was the sound of a man swallowing, as if he was a little moved, but he still asked:

"But, but those people have swords and seem to have bows, they look very powerful..."

"Are you stupid? Did I ask you to fight them head-on?"

The woman's voice was a little "hating iron for not becoming steel", and said hatefully, "Isn't there still a lot of rat poison left in our house?

Tomorrow morning, I'll take the remaining rice and cook some porridge, and put the medicine in it!

Then you say that in order to thank them for sending the children back, invite them to eat, and when they are in unbearable pain in their stomachs—then, can't you do whatever you want?"

As if seeing that her man was still hesitating, the woman's voice took advantage of the victory and pursued, saying,

"Those few people, looking at the number of people, are probably not that difficult to deal with! They are all people—can they eat rat poison and still be unscathed?

The dog looks fierce, but you can take some black dough, dip it in some lard and then put some medicine on it, and that stupid animal can be knocked down within a few minutes!

Among those people, the one with the red cloak, and the woman in the carriage, have delicate skin, those swords and bows—must be just to scare people!

And that man who is as thin as a pole, looks like he is about to die.

As long as you kill that gray-haired, stronger guy, with the rat poison.

Can't you deal with the others with an axe?

I guarantee that you can chop them with an axe faster than you can chop trees!

When the time comes, we'll bury the bodies in the forest, ride their carriage, take the money and leave, and who will know?"

"But, but what if… they are really good people?"

After a while, the man spit out another sentence.

"Where do so many good people come from in this world?"

The woman's voice revealed undisguised disappointment, "Even if they are good people, did I beg those two little ghosts to save them?

You are too cowardly, you don't dare to do anything, that's why you can only cut trees for the rest of your life!"

The woman continued, "My sister, the guy she married, at first, you said he was idle and lazy and wouldn't even cut trees—

But what happened later? He made a lot of money by carrying a knife and doing a few jobs, and bought a house.

Look now, does anyone go to him for trouble?

What about you?"

The woman's words seemed to be thinking for the man, and seemed to be a bit of provocation, "The world is so difficult now, if you are kind again, aren't you still hungry and have nothing?

Such opportunities are rare now—

Do you want to be poor for the rest of your life, or is it possible to be a villain at this moment?

What's more, these people are probably not good people.

Of course, I'm thinking for you, not forcing you, if you'd rather be poor for the rest of your life, I have no opinion..."

The man took a breath, he didn't speak.

But Poro, who was eavesdropping outside the wall, understood that most of the time, such silence often meant agreement.

He also heard a few subtle sounds inside the house.

Like the man took down the axe on the wall and started wiping it.

"Ha!"

After a while, Poro was suddenly amused.

He looked at the dark sky outside, and in the depths of his dark green eyes, a piece of murderous intent rose.

Stupid, greedy...

It was vividly displayed in this couple.

Get a gold coin, and want more?

Even want to use rat poison to kill a few of them?

Sure enough, Hansel and Gretel, these poor siblings, if they were to have such a pair of parents, even if they had gold coins, I'm afraid they would inevitably—be thrown into the forest again and "forced to adventure"!

In the current situation, I'm afraid it really has to be like in the fairy tale, waiting for this ruthless and greedy stepmother to die.

Could their foolish father possibly reflect and find the "family ties" he had long abandoned?

But Poro hadn't been this angry in a long time.

Of course, this anger was different from that directed at the murderous giants, witch hunters, and mind-controlling bishops…

He also felt a deep sense of sorrow.

"Indeed, just like in fairy tales, I have to kill this man's wife and instill some fear in his heart, so he will understand that evil deeds come with a price!"

Poro licked his lips.

He could see that without the woman's instigation, this somewhat foolish, cowardly, and indecisive woodcutter man would probably not have abandoned his children or committed such a murderous act for money.

As for handling this matter, there was no need to involve Leike.

After all, this young girl had just rejoiced at changing the fate of Hansel and Gretel with a few gold coins.

Let Leike continue to rest in the sweet dream brought by the "Candy House" for a while longer!

Besides, they were just two ordinary people.

Now, Poro could guarantee that even if that woodcutter man faced him head-on with an axe, he wouldn't be hurt at all!

This was not difficult to understand, having fought against beings like giants and learned magic.

Regardless of how much it actually helped, Poro wasn't too afraid when facing a few ordinary people with evil intentions.

"If we wait until morning, they'll inevitably waste the white porridge, so let's do it now!"

Thinking this, Poro extended his claws, licked his sharp teeth with his scarlet tongue, and then crouched down, preparing to jump into the wooden house through the window.

But at that moment, a clear snapping sound cut through the silence of the night!

Poro was stunned, stopped his movements, took a few steps back, and looked towards the source of the sound—

At the beam of the wooden house!

"Crack—crack—"

The clearer and more violent sound was more obvious than the previous one!

And Poro also saw a slender and deep crack spreading in all directions at the support between the roof and the walls of the wooden house!

At the beginning of the crack, there were a few inconspicuous small holes.

Most likely, the walls of this wooden house had long been hollowed out by ants or other insects, and coupled with the erosion of rain, it was already somewhat unsustainable…

And tonight, their lifespan had unfortunately reached its end.

At the same time as the owner of the house had evil thoughts, this wooden house finally collapsed under its own weight!

"Crack—crack—crack—"

The teeth-aching cracking sound instantly spread to the entire roof, and after a few seconds, all the broken places finally piled up, crossing a critical value!

"Rumble!"

Poro watched helplessly as the wooden house collapsed instantly!

He only had time to dodge to the side, so that the flying wooden thorns and gravel wouldn't graze his fur.

The wooden house… suddenly collapsed!?

The huge sound shook the ground.

It was especially obvious in the dark night!

"What's wrong? Poro? What happened?!"

Leike and the others in the carriage also had sharp ears and eyes. The noise that ordinary people could hear clearly was like thunder to them!

In the seconds after the wooden house collapsed, Leike and the old soldier were already fully armed, with swords drawn, rushing out of the carriage!

They saw the collapsed, ruined wooden house and also showed a look of astonishment.

"Uh, I'm actually a little overwhelmed."

Poro looked at the broken wooden thorns and beams beside him and shrugged his shoulders, "I haven't had time to do anything yet!"

…

"Bang—"

Leike strenuously lifted a beam as thick as her waist and threw it aside, splashing up a cloud of dust.

What a strong woman…

Although she could jump onto the back of a giant in a few steps and cut off the giant's neck with a sword.

Seeing such a slender and delicate beauty throwing a thick beam like a wooden stick still made Poro feel a little emotional.

"Found them!"

Leike's eyes lit up, and the worried look in them was instantly replaced by a hint of joy.

The girl reached out her hand and carefully pushed aside a few crisscrossing beams, revealing a triangular cavity.

"Hansel, Gretel, don't be afraid, grab my hand, climb out carefully, don't get hurt."

The wooden house collapsed, but fortunately, Hansel and Gretel's bedroom was in a small corner of the house, and for this reason, the collapsed beam formed an angle with the unfallen wall.

Although the two children were pale and frightened, fortunately, apart from some minor scratches from wooden thorns, they didn't have any major injuries.

Hansel picked up his red-eyed sister and handed her to Leike.

Then, he grabbed the beam hard and climbed out.

He was also pale, but didn't shed a single tear.

"Well, I think their parents are probably beyond saving."

The old soldier's voice came from the other side.

Poro and Leike walked forward. This was the most central location of the roof collapse, and also the place where… the couple rested.

The situation the old soldier described was indeed accurate.

The woman was already dead. A slanting beam pierced through her abdomen, pinning her against the other wall. Her body was suspended in the air, and blood flowed and dripped down the beam.

Her hand hung limply on the beam that pierced her abdomen.

The side of the beam was covered with bloody scratch marks.

Not long after the house collapsed, the people outside heard the woman's screams, but now, before Poro could even act, she had obviously died.

Not far from her, the man was also lying against the side, covered in blood.

Poro and the old soldier walked forward.

The man's femoral artery had also been cut open by a spinning piece of wood, and his arm was twisted, with broken bones extending through the skin.

Based on the amount of blood on the ground, it was undoubtedly a death sentence for an ordinary person!

Seeing Leike and the others, as well as Hansel and Gretel who appeared later, a complex expression flashed in his already dim eyes. His blood-soaked mouth opened and closed, as if he wanted to say something.

Poro took another step forward and only then heard what he said in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"I’m… sorry, really… sorry…"

After saying these words, the man's last breath also disappeared.

"Father…?"

Hansel and Gretel wanted to run forward when they saw this scene.

But to prevent them from being injured by the sharp wooden thorns and debris in the space, Leike held them back.

Unlike his attitude towards the woman, a tear flowed from the girl Gretel's eyes again, and she sobbed, trembling.

Hansel patted his sister's back. He wanted to turn his head away, but his eyes were also red.

"Your father just asked me to tell you to live well—and be strong."

The old soldier straightened up, walked out of the ruins, looked at the two children with sad faces, thought for a while, squatted down, patted the two children's heads with his rough hands, and said in a deep voice.

For some reason, the old soldier's somewhat hoarse voice was able to bring considerable comfort to the two children.

Hansel raised his head, met the old soldier's eyes, and nodded lightly.

"I… understand, thank you, sir."