Fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood's wolf mentor

Wielding the shovel, soil flew up, filling the pit, concealing the two dead bodies.

Although, Polo initially thought, dead is dead, just bury them in the ruins and let them rot naturally.

After all, the death of this couple was, in the end, self-inflicted—

Even if they hadn't been backlashed by Hans's luck, being overheard by me, they would have likely met their end.

But Polo looked at Hansel and Gretel kneeling to the side.

The woman was nothing, but the siblings clearly still had some affection for their foolish and incompetent biological father.

Exposing the bodies in the wilderness in front of the two children was obviously not a good idea.

"Ah, that's about it, let's leave it at that."

The old soldier looked at the mound on the ground, shaking his head. He looked at a map in his hand, from the collapsed wooden house, which depicted the route, marking several roads and a small town next to the forest.

It wasn't big, but it was extremely detailed for this small area.

As for other things, this wooden house could indeed be described as "bare walls"; besides the ruins, broken bricks, and broken wooden strips, there was almost nothing useful.

"What about the siblings? Have they recovered yet?"

"They are strong."

Polo looked to the other side, the two children had stopped crying, Hansel was patting Gretel's shoulder, the two small figures staring blankly into the distance.

"Why not find a small town first and leave them there? Considering those few gold coins—someone should adopt them, right?"

"Or, take them to that bountiful paradise? Isn't there always food there?"

"Uh, that's indeed a good idea, but... I'm just a little unsure."

The old soldier paused for a moment at this point.

"Unsure?"

"Unsure how far away it is. According to my previous memories, it should be on one side of the forest, but I've been away from here for too long—only the general direction is correct.

If we bring two children, it will undoubtedly slow down our progress..."

But just as the others were talking, Hansel and Gretel seemed to discuss something in the distance, and then, they seemed to have made some decision and walked over.

"What's wrong? If you're hungry..."

Hans was stunned for a moment, rummaged in his pocket, and took out a few pieces of jerky.

But the older brother Hansel looked at the jerky, swallowed, but shook his head and said:

"Thank you for saving me and my sister."

Lek smiled when she heard this, "You're welcome, everyone who sees children like you will do their best to help."

"No, that's not how it is, our father, and... stepmother, they wouldn't do that."

Hansel lowered his head slightly, revealing a sad look, "I know, we were lost in the forest before, actually, it was father who... listened to stepmother's words and wanted to abandon us that's why he did that.

That night, because I was hungry, I didn't actually fall asleep—I heard my father's conversation."

Hearing Hansel's words, everyone was stunned for a moment. The family's affairs had not been hidden from this child who looked only eleven or twelve years old. He probably already knew the truth about his parents "losing" himself and his sister.

But he still had to pretend not to know, and do his best to find that "home" that had already abandoned him in the dark.

"Um, I'm sorry..."

Hans looked at the two children, and opened his mouth with some difficulty.

"Don't say that, sir."

Hansel raised his hand, stretched it out in front of the others, opened it, and in addition to the gold coins Lek left behind last night, there were also a few dirty copper coins.

"What's wrong? You don't need to return the money to us. When you get to the town, you might be able to use this money to find a better family, at least you won't be so hungry anymore..."

Lek was stunned for a moment and said quickly, wanting the two children to take the money back.

But Hansel shook his head, he sent the money forward again, looked up at the eyes of the others:

"I heard you talking before, you are also going to the Bountiful Plains, which is... that paradise on earth, right?"

Hansel looked at his sister, a trace of firmness in his eyes, "If it's convenient, can you take us with you? This money can be used as travel expenses, okay?"

Hearing the words of the two children, Lek and the others looked at each other, and finally nodded.

In a sense, these two children were indeed a bit too mature. At just over ten years old, most children are still playing at this age—

But Hansel and Gretel were already able to independently find their way home in the dark forest.

And after the death of their parents, they were not affected by negative emotions.

They could even cheer up in this short period of time, and even think of using money to exchange for an opportunity...

From these points of view, if the journey is not far, these two children are actually not considered a "burden."

"Okay, we promise, then... let's get in the carriage?"

Lek took the money handed over by the child and smiled friendly.

She could clearly feel that when she took the money, the two children in front of her obviously breathed a sigh of relief.

The carriage traveled slowly through the forest, the wheels collided with the uneven ground, making a creaking sound.

"Do you two really know where the Bountiful Plains are? Have you been there?"

Anyway, they were going to be fellow travelers along the way, and there was no need to be wary of the two children, so Polo asked.

"We haven't been there, but we felt it, and we've seen it, it should be on the other side of the forest."

Hansel said, and then pointed his hand firmly in a direction in the forest.

Lek and the others did not doubt the child's sense of direction, but there were still some strange things about the child's words.

"But you haven't been there, so how could you have seen it?"

"We can see it when we are very hungry..."

Hansel thought for a while and said, "Father used to see it too, but he said it was an illusion, but what he saw was exactly the same as what Gretel and I saw!

So, it must really exist!"

"You can see it when you are very hungry?"

The old soldier was stunned for a moment, as if he had thought of something, and asked eagerly:

"How did you see it at that time? Can you... describe it to me?"

"At that time, we hadn't eaten anything for a day, and our mother asked us to pick mushrooms in the forest."

Hansel slowly described, "Gretel and I were very hungry at that time, and we were about to faint, but in a trance, we seemed to smell some fragrance...

Our eyes seemed to cross the jungle and see something on the other side of the forest. On that plain, there were all kinds of delicacies everywhere, roasted pieces of meat, with sauces, and those desserts we had never seen before..."

"Delicacies? What are they like?"

Lek also asked curiously when she heard this, and the scene from the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" appeared before her eyes.

"They are red, yellow, and have juicy pulp! And those roasts are covered with a lot of sauce!"

Hansel described, the color of longing in his eyes becoming more and more distinct.

"We only saw a small part of them before, when we went to town with our father, in the food placed in the center of the table in the gardens in front of the houses of those gentlemen.

But that time, we saw that everyone in that place had a lot to eat.

And the food that was eaten could grow back by itself!

They... must be much more delicious than black bread!"

"In a trance, I even felt like I could experience the taste of those delicacies!

If I was really in front of that table at that time, how great would that be."

"What happened next? What else happened?"

Lek looked at Hansel who was a little silent, and asked.

"Later, that scene disappeared quickly, after all, I didn't really reach there."

Speaking of this, Hansel sighed,

"Although after it disappeared, I seemed to be able to feel its location, but after I ate some wild vegetables, that feeling of trance disappeared.

Father said that we were hallucinating from hunger at that time—but I knew that it was definitely not an illusion!

Because, if it was an illusion...

How could there be so many delicious things that I had never seen before?"

Speaking of this, some fantastical expressions appeared on Hansel's face again, he smiled, and finally said: "But fortunately, every time my sister and I are extremely hungry, we can see that place, those delicious things..."

Hearing the child's words, everyone looked at each other.

The delicacies Hansel described were extremely detailed, and without many careful observations, they would never be seen.

Moreover, with the financial resources of this pair of siblings, they probably wouldn't even have the chance to take a good look at these delicacies, let alone taste them.

"Is there really such a place... that you can see when you are hungry?"

Lek was stunned for a moment.

"So that's how it is, that explains it."

Beside him, the old soldier Invi's face also revealed a trace of sudden realization, "A paradise only open to people who are extremely hungry?"

"Do you also know about this?"

Lek and the others looked at the old soldier in surprise.

"Yes, like I said before, I've also seen that place. At that time, I had just come out of my destroyed homeland. At that time, I was sad, disappointed, if it wasn't for Dans by my side, I would have almost chosen death..."

He shook his head and added, "One day, I didn't eat much, and in that hunger, I also saw the Bountiful Plains.

Later, I passed by some nearby towns, and only heard about this place from the mouths of people.

I had been hungry to a certain extent near that city, so I sensed the location of that plain.

But now, it's been a long time, and I've forgotten a little.

Generally, if you want to reach that place, if you don't fall into extreme hunger, you can find a guide, a... ordinary person who has experienced hunger."

The old soldier looked at the two children, squeezing out a smile on his serious face, "It seems that now, we have two little guides."

Ahead, a vine-entwined road sign appeared before them.

This narrow wild road reached a fork in the road, one side leading to the town, and the other leading deeper into the forest, and the gateway to the Bountiful Plains should be in the depths of the forest.

"Now that we have guides, we probably don't need to go to the town anymore, right?"

The old soldier said, looking back at the others in the carriage.

Lek and Polo nodded, but just then, Hans spoke up:

"Wait a minute!"

"What's wrong? Mr. Hans?"

Lek was stunned for a moment and asked.

"In this direction, I might not go with you."

Hans shook his head and said.

"Why? If the Bountiful Plains are really such a beautiful paradise, why not go and see it together?"

"Because of my 'luck', I think I must... get rid of it."

Hans touched Hansel and Gretel's heads, a complex expression in his eyes.

After that wooden house collapsed last night, he had been a little preoccupied.

Although after listening to Polo's words, he understood that it was the couple who had evil intentions that caused this misfortune.

But... as Hans, who is more like an ordinary person most of the time, he still inevitably felt a little guilty in his heart.

"Mr. Hans, maybe we can go with you?"

"No need, I don't have that many clues about this matter yet, but I can't stay with you for too long. As for the reason, you should know, right?"

Hans looked at Lek and Polo, also revealing a trace of reluctance, "No matter how much evil the children's parents had, and suffered the 'misfortune' I brought, the children are innocent."

Speaking of this, Hans placed his gaze on the little girl Gretel's face. There was a tiny wound on the child's soft face.

Although it had healed under the effect of the ointment, it still looked very distinct now.

"Polo, Lek, you are the same...

I can't control the harm that this thing on me, which I can't tell whether it's a curse or a blessing, can cause, and it always manages to refresh my imagination.

This time, the two children were just scratched.

What about next time?"

"It's okay, Mr. Hans, Polo and I are very powerful..."

"Yes, I know, we are fellow travelers for a while anyway, but what about this... Invi's wife?"

Hans gestured to Dans, who was sitting quietly in the corner of the carriage.

"And these two children who just survived? If there is a next time, will they still have such luck?"

He also pointed to the Hansel and Gretel siblings.

Hearing his words, Lek still wanted to say something, but there was no reason to solve the problem that Hans said.

"Mr. Hans..."

"Don't worry, it's not a separation of life and death, if we're lucky, we can still meet again."

Hans smiled, and he jumped down from the stopped carriage, "By the way, there's another reason, I saw the town on this road sign, and I remembered something I heard before.

At the other end of this town, there is a kingdom, where there are many witches and magicians.

Maybe there, I can get rid of the curse on me!"

Saying that, Hans waved his hand, turned around, and walked in another direction.

"Goodbye if we're lucky, Lek and Polo."

"Goodbye, Mr. Hans."

Watching Hans' figure disappear into the woods, the old soldier raised his whip again.

The two steeds neighed and set off in another direction.

Everyone has a place they want to go, but the companions who can stay by their side are few and far between.

The carriage traveled through the forest, the trees on both sides becoming increasingly dense.

The ruts on the ground gradually diminished until they were almost nonexistent. Further on, the ground was barely visible, and the horses began to slow down.

The sounds of the forest suddenly ceased. The chirping of insects and the calls of birds were completely silent at this moment.

"Is this really... the place?"

Leake looked at the two children.

Hansel nodded affirmatively, pointing into the distance, "Yes, it's this way. I can feel it... the scent of those delicacies seems closer."

Ahead, the old soldier on horseback remained silent, but he also confirmed the route Hansel indicated.

"It should be here. I have some recollection. Those who returned from the Plains of Plenty said the same thing—cross a silent, dense forest."

At this moment, Polo, sitting beside Leake, flipped through the pages of his book, finding a page in the queen-sized magical notebook and, after a moment of thought, said:

"Leake, haven't you noticed? This part of the forest feels familiar."

"Familiar?"

"It's like the forest mazes we encountered before, but different. They seem more like a special kind of magical barrier."

A flash of magic light appeared in Polo's eyes, then quickly disappeared. Through the study of magic, he had gained some understanding of the principles of mazes and other magical knowledge.

Enhanced senses also allowed him to discover things that ordinary people would find difficult to detect.

"This is a maze, twisting the forest and other roads leading in one direction. My magical abilities are not enough, but I can deduce... it's likely that only the hungry, or those who have experienced hunger, can ignore this layer of the maze."

This section of the road was not long. After all, most hungry people do not have the ability to walk very far on foot.

The moment they passed through a certain curtain, the sky lit up again. The sounds that had disappeared all around instantly returned, the trees became sparse, and a wide-open view appeared before them.

Leake and the others widened their eyes, the distant view was wide open.

But what was most surprising was not just that.

Leake and the others looked around. Behind them was the forest path their carriage had traveled, but it was not an isolated path.

In that forest, there were six or seven other paths that were not far apart, extending from the forest.

Just as they were looking around.

Not far away, on another path in the forest, several people in simple clothes covered in dust walked out. They also showed excitement when they saw the surrounding light.

Looking around, their expressions seemed so excited that they were about to cry!

At this distance, whether it was Leake, Polo, or the old soldier Invi, they should have been able to hear their voices in the forest, and even see their movements between the trees.

But they hadn't.

The small forest path that was not too far away was like a passage isolated from the outside world. Neither Leake, Polo, nor the old soldier could perceive the changes outside.

"This... is space, a transfer without realizing it?"

Polo's eyes were also filled with horror. The more he learned about magic, the more he realized the power of the maze here, whether it was the illusion array with a wide range that only the hungry could find the direction.

Or the ability of this to distort everyone who steps into the plain to this exit—

All of this shows the powerful magic possessed by the caster who caused all this!

Not far away, at the junction of the vast plain and the forest, the wide and flat stone road was even flatter than most towns.

At the entrance of the stone road, a tall wooden sign stood straight up.

Sunlight passed through the hollowed-out wheat ear patterns on it, hitting the ground in front of it, and a line of exquisitely carved characters was affixed to the center of the wooden sign.

【End of Suffering, Fields of Gold, In Paradise, There is No Hunger, Travelers, Welcome to the Plains of Plenty】

Behind the wooden sign, there were also several rows of long tables.

On top of them were silver bowls, plates, knives, and forks, filled with countless colorful pastries, meals, hot soups, dishes, and drinks.

Extending to a very distant place.

Wooden chairs with backrests were placed next to the dining table.

No one was there, but it was spotless, as if it had been prepared to welcome the diners.

On the plain, as far as the eye could see, golden waves of wheat rose and fell, but no one was working. Only further away could one see windmills slowly turning.

A long wind rushed towards them.

A rich fragrance instantly entered everyone's nostrils.

"It smells so good, Polo. Is this where the masters eat? Why don't I see anyone?"

Leake's delicate nose twitched, looking at the dishes behind the door.

Although they had never eaten such a banquet, they certainly could not eat things randomly without permission, let alone... food that was arranged so neatly and looked untouched.

As for Hansel and Gretel, although they swallowed a mouthful of saliva,

They had eaten a lot of wild game hunted by Leake and the others on the way, so they would not be unable to control the urge to steal food.

On the other side, the group of travelers who came out of other paths in the forest also saw the table of unmanned delicacies.

"What's going on?"

They were also equally puzzled, looking at Leake and the others and asking, "You... are you people from here? These things to eat are..."

"We are like you, we also came from outside."

Leake thought for a moment and said the name of the town they had passed through before turning into the maze road.

"That place?"

The other travelers were stunned for a moment, one of them reacted, "It's so far away?!"

After the shock, their expressions became even more excited, "It seems that this is the real paradise! Only God would have such great power!"

Some of them were even so happy that they wanted to cry. They suppressed their excitement and walked quickly towards the door.

Leake and the others looked at each other and followed.

After passing through the door, they saw a wooden sign standing next to the row of... spotless long tables. The words on it were applied with special magic, attracting the attention of those who passed by.

At the same time, even those who were illiterate could instantly understand the information conveyed.

It was also a sentence:

"These dishes are specially left for the distinguished guests who have come from afar. Please don't be polite and enjoy them to your heart's content. We hope they suit your taste."

"This is..."

"God's magic?!"

The travelers, after seeing these words, were stunned, and then filled with ecstasy.

They had been running around for a long time and were now hungry and tired.

Seeing this, they carefully walked over and sat next to those spotless tables, praying or thanking with various gestures before carefully tasting the delicacies.

At first, perhaps out of respect for God, their movements were very elegant.

But after the first bite of food entered their mouths, these people's eyes revealed surprise and enjoyment. They sped up their movements and began to actively take more distant dishes to enjoy.

And what was even more amazing was—

The wine in those glasses would refill after being drunk.

The plates containing the dishes were the same. All the food would return to its previous state after being eaten for a period of time.