Fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood's wolf mentor

Lake and Polo entered the city of Dant without much trouble.

Although on the brink of war, the city's defenses didn't affect a seemingly harmless girl like Lake.

Of course, more importantly...

The coins Lake gave, coupled with her noble demeanor.

"These people seem a bit different?"

Lake walked down the street, observing the surroundings.

Although the main force of the Srui Kingdom had left, many remained to guard the city, evident from their different attire.

"Hmm, these people seem to have different attitudes towards the Srui Kingdom?"

After watching the person she had just spoken with leave, Lake drew another conclusion.

Some people of Dant held deep-seated hatred because their relatives and friends had been killed by the Srui Kingdom, openly expressing their disdain when Lake asked them.

However, many others were indifferent to the Srui Kingdom.

In their eyes, there wasn't much difference between the Srui Kingdom and the Blue Kingdom; most people here didn't feel much allegiance to their country.

It was merely a change of rulers.

But given Marshal Giles Bluebeard's oppressive rule, most people were even happier about it.

"What are those people doing in the square ahead?"

Reaching the more central part of the city, Lake saw a golden flag waving in the crowd, with many tattered blue flags of Blue Kingdom lying on the ground.

"It seems like... people from the Srui Kingdom? But the person speaking in the middle doesn't look like a military officer?"

Polo also noticed the scene in the crowd.

In the center of the speaking crowd, a kind-faced person in gold and white robes was holding a book and a bottle of clear liquid, gently explaining something to the people below.

"Looks like a priest?"

The priest's robe had a golden cross on it, his white eyebrows were raised high, and he exuded an indescribable aura of holiness.

Beside him, two Srui soldiers also had golden crosses on their silver armor.

"Our Srui Kingdom has come by the will of God, not to harm you, but to remove the immoral rule and return this world to the right path!"

The priest proclaimed loudly, waving the glass bottle in his hand, the liquid inside shimmering faintly in the sunlight.

"Therefore, God has bestowed upon us a sacred army, bread that cannot be eaten completely, and holy water that can regenerate limbs—we are thus invincible.

We are the agents of God who will crush evil, saving all people in this age of widespread wickedness!

We are the Holy Advent Church—

If you are willing to return to the glory of the Lord, then God will give you the same blessings, making you younger, no longer hungry, prolonging your life, and no longer tormented by pain..."

The priest said softly, and the people of Dant looked somewhat dubious.

After all, no one would be in a good mood being suddenly ruled by a new group of people, and most people wouldn't believe the new rulers' one-sided claims.

Every king, even every lord, would claim their actions were in accordance with God's will before acting.

But some people, with no other way out, wouldn't miss any new opportunity.

"Sir, I am willing to join the Holy Advent Church, I am willing—please save my son, he has been tormented by illness for a long time and is about to give up!

I welcome your rule over Dant... Please."

At this moment, a disheveled woman squeezed into the crowd, holding a dying boy in her arms.

His face was gaunt and pale, and his legs were missing.

He was already unconscious, and it seemed that hunger, illness, and severe injuries had brought him to the brink of death.

"Ah, your child, why did he become like this?"

The white-robed priest looked at the emaciated child in front of him, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, but soon, a look of sorrow appeared.

"He... he... he said..."

The woman opened her mouth, and after a long while, as if gathering courage, she gritted her teeth and said, "My son, he talked about the former lord Giles in front of people, and it reached Giles' ears.

Giles, that beast—he ordered the executioner to cut off my son's legs!"

The woman said through gritted teeth, then knelt before the priest.

The priest showed a compassionate expression, looked at the other Blue people around, and sighed:

"Look, this is what God wants us to do.

This is what our army is going to do, let the unjust rule leave, and let us, the true agents of God, guide you in the right direction..."

As he spoke, the priest picked up the glass bottle, placed the mouth of the bottle near the boy's mouth, and poured the clear liquid into the boy's mouth.

In the next moment, to everyone's surprise, the boy's face quickly turned rosy!

Flesh fibers grew out of his severed legs, they intertwined, growing a new leg, and then, the boy opened his eyes, looked at the woman in front of him who was already sobbing, and said softly:

"Mom, mom?"

Instantly, the woman held the child in her arms, and then, she knelt on the ground, constantly kowtowing, thanking the Holy Advent Church.

And after witnessing this miracle firsthand, all the Blue people nearby were stunned.

Nothing is more stirring than a miracle that happens right before your eyes!

"I also want to join the Holy Advent Church!"

"Me too!"

"I have always been the most devout believer in God..."

Those people shouted loudly, worshiping the white-robed priest, and among them, there were even several soldiers wearing Blue armor.

"They're really using those magic potions to save people?"

Lake looked at the Srui priests' words and deeds, a hint of surprise in her eyes, but she understood that true heaven had indeed undergone some indescribable changes.

This could be corroborated from Cullen, the magic mirror, and the Giant King.

But where did this sect, and the invincible Srui Kingdom, said to have God's blessing... where did they get these powers?

"Birdy, do you think this Srui Kingdom, and this Holy Advent Church... could it be your friend's doing?

Didn't you say he's the king now? Could you have misremembered, not the Goth Kingdom, but this strongest Srui Kingdom?"

The golden bird on Lake's head also showed a hint of confusion, and its tone became somewhat uncertain, "I'm not so sure anymore..."

In the tavern, many Blue people were chatting. After Lake and Polo paid, they found a corner to sit down and placed some food on the table.

With their hearing, they could even clearly hear the conversations of those people in the mixed sounds in the room, which saved them the time of aimlessly gathering information.

Moreover, they hadn't rested last night and had traveled all night. Being in this tavern was also a way to rest.

"Polo, what do you think of the Srui Kingdom? And that, the Holy Advent Church?"

Lake sipped the juice in her cup and asked Polo, who was next to her.

"I can't say for sure right now whether they are really for the future of the people or just trying to win people's hearts."

Polo shook his head, "Although they did save a child just now, and the priest's words were very sincere.

But, from other people's conversations, this war was initiated by the Srui Kingdom—

The number of dead in the war can be described as corpses everywhere!

And because of the war, like the merchant caravan we saw last night, people have not become better, but more painful."

Lake and the golden bird listened and fell into thought.

"You mean... if there really is a God who wants the people to become better, they wouldn't use this 'war' method?"

Lake asked again after thinking for a moment.

"No... I mean, if there really is a God, He wouldn't so hastily remove the ruling class without thinking of a better way to govern.

If the God who was once known as 'omniscient and omnipotent,' just and good existed.

He wouldn't use this method of ruling humanity with 'faith.' In the past, there were no such 'selfless' miracles, and now... I think it's even more unbelievable.

Do you know what I thought of?"

Polo's ears twitched.

The words of those Blue people entered his mind.

After these Srui people occupied Dant, the Holy Advent Church began to preach among the people, providing the liquid called "holy water" to a large number of believers.

Those who drank the "holy water" did get rid of diseases and began to spontaneously join and quell the chaos.

The Srui Kingdom did this in every occupied area.

Let the Holy Advent Church rule the people, rather than officials or the like.

They distributed these "holy waters" and more, endless, and unknown "bread" for free. Under such actions, most people began to accept the rule of the Srui Kingdom!

"Polo, are you saying... the Fertile Plains? And that..."

Lake's mind flashed with the golden "Angel of Plenty" in the candy castle, and even earlier, the sanctimonious "bishop" in the town next to the forest.

"Yes, but maybe it's not that bad, is it?"

Polo shrugged, looking at the golden bird at the corner of the table, who seemed a little confused, "This time, we're here to see Birdy's friend and give him something, aren't we?

Birdy, do you think this sect could be the work of your 'close friend'?"

"I'm not too sure, I haven't seen him in a long time..."

The golden bird shook its head, but still said, "But he and I both survived falling from heaven. He also has things he wants to do, but the more specific details can only be known when we see him."

"I see..."

Lake nodded, and Polo also smiled, conjuring up more food, "Then let's not think about these things for now, let's rest for a while."

"Okay."

The girl also lowered her head, eating the snacks in small bites.

There are many kinds of food from the Fertile Plains, and even if you eat them in rotation, you won't get tired of them.

Looking at the girl's cute appearance with her puffed-up cheeks, Polo thought for a while and suddenly said:

"Want to hear a story?"

"What story is it?"

Lake blinked expectantly, suddenly thinking of something, "It's not about here, these wars, or that Marshal Giles you haven't met?"

Polo was stunned for a moment, smiled, and said:

"How did you guess where there might be a fairy tale this time?"

"Yesterday, when you heard about Marshal Giles' appearance, you became strange—hmph, I knew you must have thought of something, after all, I've never heard of Bluebeard people before!"

Lake squinted her eyes, revealing a bright smile.

"Well, you guessed half right, the story of the Bluebeard lord... is not so fairy-tale after all. I originally wanted to tell a story that I hadn't thought of before."

After listening, Lake thought for a moment and then reacted:

"Is it about Miss Little Ida?"

"Yes."

Polo nodded, "This story is more fairy-tale compared to the other one. You can listen to it while resting.

It's called—Little Ida's Flowers."

//Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales·Little Ida's Flowers

//I forgot to write it before, so I'll insert it here first. It's not related to this plot. It's in the Chinese textbook, so I won't put the original text

[Circular Return: Little Ida's Flowers·Flower Dance]

[You have completed the unsealing ceremony and obtained the fairy tale authority!]

[Fairy Tale Authority: You can freely give life to a plant, of course, at the cost of their life]

[Unsealing Ceremony: Help Little Ida bring her last flower companion back from death and decay]

[Description: The soul soars in the dance, freed from the shackles of the soil. Although life is flowing uncontrollably, the flowers do not regret it, because this is a beautiful dream belonging to all plants!]

On the page, colorful flowers and plants danced around a girl playing the piano.

"This story... is indeed very suitable for Miss Little Ida."

In the story, the food on the table was almost eaten. Polo waved his hand slightly, and the remaining plates and food scraps disappeared.

"The story has been listened to, so let's go?"

Polo said, about to jump off the chair, but Lake quickly reached out and grabbed Polo's tail like lightning.

"What's wrong? Lake?"

Polo turned his head and blinked.

"You have another story, why not tell it together? You just admitted it—there's a second story today!"

"I'm not very sure yet, and besides, this story it... never mind."

But looking at the girl's bright blue pupils, Polo still shook his head helplessly and sat back on the chair, "Okay, next is today's second story, called—Bluebeard."

After thinking for a while, Polo was about to speak again—

But at this moment, in another corner of the tavern, a gray-robed person walked to Lake's table, bowed slightly, and sat down.

To avoid drawing attention, Poro stopped the story he was about to tell, not revealing the fact that he could speak.

"Sir, is there something you need?" Lake asked, puzzled and somewhat wary.

But the gray-robed man only quickly glanced at Lake before fixing his gaze on the golden bird standing on the corner of the table, a hint of genuine respect showing in his eyes.

"May I ask if you are Miss Cyparlo? His Majesty sensed your arrival. This country is dangerous—allow me to help you."

"You know my name?" The golden bird was taken aback, and after a long while, she asked hesitantly, "May I ask who you are…?"

"I am from the Kingdom of Goethe, a simple secret agent."