The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

"...Miss Charlotte, aren't you actually the real deity?"

Eileen put down her snacks and asked instinctively.

"No, there are no gods in this world. There are only a group of enormous evil dragons. I am just one of the smaller ones. Compared to the largest evil dragon that raised me, I am just a speck of dust under its feet."

Charlotte, holding her teacup, solemnly denied it.

"Uh... I see. The world of dragons must be tough too, huh? Hahaha..."

Eileen's laugh was dry and stiff.

"It was just a joke, don't worry about it."

Charlotte shook her head and smiled slightly, dispelling the girl's concerns.

"Ha... I knew it! Is this some kind of lame joke popular in the Astral Plane?"

Hearing this, Eileen breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, let's forget about it and get back to business."

Therefore, the conversation at the tea party was able to get back on track.

……

"not enough."

When Eileen tactfully expressed her first wish, Miss Devil gently shook her head.

"The value of Miss Eileen's soul alone is far less than the value of a star's ether."

Ugh--

Despite being mentally prepared, Eileen couldn't help but sigh inwardly when she was actually rejected.

Come to think of it, how could it be such an absurd deal as exchanging one person's soul for a star, which is practically a free gift?

After spending half a day dealing with this devilish lady from the stars, Eileen knew that this seemingly polite and well-mannered devilish lady was actually an extremely shrewd businesswoman. If you wanted to get something for nothing from her, the burnt orange cat from before was a cautionary tale.

However, it's not possible to do it any other way.

Eileen had already inquired about the blue sun in the sky. It was temporarily "hanging" in the center of the star system by Miss Charlotte as a substitute to maintain the star system's gravity after the orange cat was kicked away. She would take it away after this matter was settled.

A galaxy that has lost its star will have its remaining celestial bodies flung into some unknown corner of the interstellar space due to the loss of gravity.

Even if Miss Charlotte were to take pity on Fat Orange and leave his body where it was, there would be no possibility of civilization arising in a star system that no longer emits light and heat.

Eileen could not accept either outcome.

“Miss Charlotte, I don’t quite understand the rules of your devils’ world, but mortal souls are so insignificant and cheap, they’re probably just numbers to beings like you. But what I find very unreasonable is this: since I’m so insignificant and my soul is so cheap, why do you go to such lengths to come here, serve me delicious tea and snacks, spend time listening to my self-pity, and even help me relieve my anxiety? To be honest, I think you’re doing a job that’s not entirely worthless, but it’s certainly very inefficient.”

Eileen tactfully voiced her doubts. She knew that her soul couldn't possibly buy a sun, that it was cheap and insignificant, but the more she knew, the harder it was to understand why these devils would go to such lengths to visit her.

"I see. I fully understand Miss Eileen's concerns. In that case, the business model will change. We will no longer discuss this deal on the premise that Miss Eileen has passed away peacefully. Next, I will explain to you, in a theory that Miss Eileen can understand, another business model for soul trading..."

"what do you mean……"

"In short, Miss Eileen, you can [leverage]."

"..."

It's actually using leverage!

This word is really simple and easy to understand!

As the heiress of the Xue Ni Group, who has often handled company affairs at her father's behest since her teenage years, how could Eileen not understand the meaning of leverage!?

The devil himself just said that they had negotiated this deal in an elegant and amicable manner, assuming that Erin Scherney was dead!

In other words, everything has changed now!

Eileen could even feel the golden light shining in the devil's purple eyes!

The concept of "equivalent exchange" is completely false; it's really just about "mutual consent"!

These devils in human skin are constantly using various methods to tempt customers to buy goods that far exceed the value of their souls and to make unimaginable wishes!

Where is this supposed to be a fair, just, and equal exchange platform where souls are traded for dreams?

If dreams are conservative, cheap, and approachable, then are they still dreams?!

That's why they specifically choose to visit mortals who have truly experienced despair!

Only mortals who have truly experienced despair would make the most arrogant, ignorant, and insane wishes in the face of even the slightest glimmer of hope offered by the devil!

This is not an equivalent exchange at all!

This is practically a stage for dreams, come if you're lucky!

……

"Miss Charlotte, you're actually the kind of clever, resourceful, modern-day devil who knows how to exploit loopholes in the rules, aren't you?"

After fully grasping the core idea of ​​the second business model, Erin Scherney was quite disillusioned, but she asked without any intention of backing down.

Although she didn't want to admit it at all, Eileen knew in her heart that she had already taken the bait.

As if deliberately reflecting Eileen's state of mind, across the conference table, Miss Devil was skillfully adjusting the mechanism of the silver briefcase, then opening and rotating it, finally respectfully presenting its contents to Eileen.

It was a beautiful and wonderful sight, just like the toy store windows I used to visit with my parents when I was a child.

A dazzling array of tiny stars, each the size of a marble, emitting soft light and heat, drift slowly and orderly in fixed orbits within the limited space above the suitcase.

Behind the silver box, across the tea table, Miss Charlotte leaned comfortably against the accompanying sofa, her hands folded in front of her, her face displaying her signature cold yet incredibly gentle smile, like a compassionate angel from mythology, as she softly declared to Miss Eileen Scherney, who had already fallen into the trap.

"That's right, I'm a modernist."

……

Chapter 156 Cinderella and Snow White (Part 5)

公历1173年12月16日10时18分56秒，天气：多风。

There are more stars in the sky than you can even dream of.

"Hamlet?"

"So Karen has it too."

Miss Devil seemed quite surprised.

"So it's available in other places too."

Miss Eileen inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

So, it turns out, the stars aren't all unfamiliar.

"I see, cough cough, then—demons are like stars in the sky, as numerous as grains of sand on the sea; and with mortal souls as capital, each devil has a different preferred 'leverage'."

"For example?" Eileen asked, maintaining a cautious curiosity.

"There are countless examples of this kind of 'for example'."

Miss Devil effortlessly began listing numerous industry examples for Eileen, speaking eloquently.

"...Finally, there is my teacher—He is fond of witnessing the most lowly and unaware scum make the most arrogant wishes, and then, after a long period of brewing, the twisted cause and effect will eventually turn into a grand fireworks display for Him to enjoy while drinking under the moon."

"...And what about you?"

Eileen forced herself to put aside the countless examples of bad behavior, and she finally asked the most crucial question, the one that directly concerned herself.

Her question drew a playful look from the devil, who rolled his purple eyes and then curled his lips into a wicked smile.

"Hmph, I'm still young and immature, unable to stand on my own. My spiritual cultivation is far inferior to that of a teacher. I'm still a shallow young devil, lacking the patience to wait. Compared to the teacher's leisurely elegance of drinking alone under the moon and enjoying fireworks, I'm more enthusiastic about the torment right in front of me."

"you……"

Eileen felt an electric shock run through her body, and her whole body tensed up in an instant. She almost jumped off the chair, but then realized that she had nowhere left to retreat.

"Of course, I am not so shallow as to enjoy the low-level pleasure of clients wailing in pain from physical torment."

The devil waved his hand, signaling Eileen to calm down.

"...In other words, your 'leverage' is a form of mental torture."

Eileen understood the meaning behind His words.

"Bingo!"

"..."

In the gray hut, the gray devil clapped softly, while the white princess remained silent.

"Ahead lies hell. Do you really want to continue, Miss Xue Ni?"

Before everything began, the devil reaffirmed once again that this confirmation was as important to Him as a ritual.

Yes, the fake one is "equivalent exchange," the real one is "mutual consent."

It is very important that they repeatedly confirm the law because they fear it.

Eileen subconsciously connected the dots to the answer and once again understood her predicament; she had nowhere left to retreat.

"Devil, you know better than I do that I have nowhere else to go, which is why you came to visit me, isn't it?"

Having understood the current situation and realized that beneath that beautiful, blessed exterior lay a genuine demon, she no longer treated Him with human names or human etiquette.

She even felt ashamed and angry that she had once regarded the other person as a human being rather than a monster.

"exactly."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Eileen laughed in exasperation.

"As you wish."

And so the devil began his speech.

"So, Miss Eileen Scherney wished for the sun, but all she had was a pitiful amount of one soul. Therefore, she decided to add leverage—one last time, esteemed guest, Miss Eileen Scherney, do you have any doubts about the statement just made?"

"no!"

"Then, the contract is established! Let's begin, Snow White chasing the sun, Miss Eileen Scherney; according to my research on your client data, you seem to have had a strong interest in painting since childhood, and you also have an extraordinary talent for composition. So what you need to do next is very simple - you just need to paint a sun that satisfies me, and you can bring back a sun for this star system."

"..."

That's it! ?

Eileen could hardly believe her ears, but her intuition told her that there was more to come.

"Of course, since there are no painting tools in your little dwarf hut, I will prepare the necessary equipment for you."

A pale silver chain silently emerged from the void, slithering smoothly into Eileen's right wrist like a serpent, while the other end remained outside, holding a paintbrush of the same color. In an instant, an exquisite easel and a pristine canvas were ready, presented before her eyes.

"...Just lay out any hidden dangers now, or have you, you devil, lost even the most basic integrity?"

"Of course, of course, in the devil's laws, integrity and the spirit of contract are very important. Next, I will briefly explain your situation to you—look, the paintbrush in your hand is the Icarus Wing that you use to chase the sun. Its specifications and model can be changed at will according to your current needs, so there is no need to worry about it. And as you can see, there is no palette or oil paint in front of you, only a prepared canvas."

"In other words, the paint for the painting is mine..."

Before the answer was revealed, Eileen had already grasped the insane truth.

"Yes, it is your [soul]."

"As expected..."

"As I just said, hell lies ahead, yet you still insist on going your own way. Now, the contract is in effect, the game has officially begun, and you can now 'run' and 'fly' to your heart's content to chase the sun of your dreams."

You were the first to exhaust your soul, to die before the canvas, like Icarus melting his wax wings, dying on the road to chasing the sun.

Or did you give up halfway, throw down your paintbrush, and wail in despair, begging someone to save you from the abyss?

Or perhaps, before you die, before I completely take your soul, you can paint a sun that will satisfy me?

Regardless, the sight of your soul/spirit suffering brings me genuine joy.

"So that's how it is, you devil. This is the 'lever' you're so fond of, this is your way of tormenting the minds and souls of mortals. It is indeed very ingenious, very torturous, but I will not let you have your way! I will retrieve the sun for the Karen people and put this star system back on track!"

Erin Scherney, paintbrush in hand, her only weapon, challenges the dragon that dwells atop the castle, much like a warrior wielding a holy sword.

The dragon responded with a sneer.

“Miss Eileen, don’t speak so rashly. It only reveals your weakness. Don’t forget, the decision is in my hands—start chasing the sun while you’re crying your eyes out, Snow White.”

……

When was the last time I held a paintbrush in my hand?