The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

There is absolutely no such forest of giant trees growing wildly to the height of the Great Wall of the Northern Frontier in the ecosystem of the tree.

The vine-covered suspension bridge beneath our feet, a blend of artificial and natural features, proves that people live nearby.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hearn, the vertical height was set slightly off. Please come back inside." The gray-haired demon's somewhat flustered voice came from behind.

"..." Although he wasn't called out by name, Weiss still followed Hearn back into the Chaos Corridor, somewhat speechless.

……

When she saw the light of day again, Weiss looked around. The sunlight was much brighter than before. This seemed to be the canopy level, and she could see some signs of human habitation in her field of vision.

And the place I am in... seems to be a slowly rising elevator?

Weiss stared at the "cage" woven from lush green vines, his mind wandering as he speculated about its power structure.

The "cage" slowly rose to the top platform, and the emerald green vines twisted and opened outwards like green snakes. The sunlight, like scattered gold, shone in through the opening. Weiss instinctively squinted and raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight. He saw the backs of two children fleeing in panic, along a straight tree trunk.

Although they quickly disappeared from sight, Weiss keenly noticed something unusual about them—some features that were not human.

"Looks like they've been treated as uninvited guests." The believer smiled as she looked in the direction where the little brat had disappeared. "But it's fine, it saves us the time of looking for him."

"Hearn, what's with those two kids' tails?" Weiss tried to match the target with the Funa people in his memory, but there were still some discrepancies.

"The people of the Rosetta Sea can be understood as the Funa people without human ears; in fact, their racial markers are animal-like ears and tails," the believer explained.

“I’m trying to ignore some logical issues to understand what you’re saying. Okay, I understand. But, Xin Nu, are you sure you want to stay like this?” Weiss pointed above him, or rather, to the little rainbow-haired girl riding on his shoulders. But the girl ignored him. Xin Nu gave a wry smile. “I’m fine. Let’s go out. There are other passengers waiting to board.”

Hearn seemed familiar with the place. He walked along the path formed by the branches of the giant trees and stopped on a man-made platform inside the canopy. It looked like a large, enlarged log cutting board, or a sawn cross-section of a log, but much smoother and rounder, with traces of natural repair.

"You've been here before?" Weiss, who was following closely behind, looked around at the overgrown, wild plants and felt as if she had shrunk. She subconsciously asked the gray-haired demon beside her.

"I've heard of it, but I've never had the chance to come and see it." Charlotte was also looking around, seemingly purely curious about the surrounding scenery.

Weiss still couldn't accept such innocent emotions on a demon's face. She turned her head away slightly, slightly annoyed. "Then it's better not to say anything."

"I was just answering the truth," Charlotte replied calmly, seemingly unconcerned by her reaction.

The atmosphere turned cold again.

"Oh, here we come."

The believer ahead seemed to have sensed something. After passing through the chaotic corridor, he lowered his hood, and his pair of ink-like fox ears trembled slightly in the wind blowing through the treetops. Before he spoke, they stood up sharply. The little girl with rainbow hair once wanted to rub his ears, but he ruthlessly put them off his shoulders.

"Oh, right, it was too chaotic just now... Anyway, Weiss, let's get to know each other, her name is Jibril." The believer picked up the unhappy little girl and introduced her to Miss Xue Ni, "This child is rather introverted and doesn't like to talk much, please don't mind."

“I understand.” Miss Weiss stood a step away understandingly, not rushing over as if they were old friends, but instead gave the little girl a warm, friendly smile that was almost like a mother’s love. “Hello, I’m Weiss Schnee. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Gabriel.”

"..."

"..."

"...Huh? Believers, why are you staring at me like I've seen a ghost? Did I mispronounce the little girl's name?" Weiss noticed two pairs of ghost-like gazes on her from the front and back, and couldn't help but feel strange.

"No... I'm just curious why you call her that?"

"Jibril is the grammatical pronunciation of the Eastern Wind Kingdom. If we pronounce it according to the grammar of Skyrise and Valley, the word you just spelled should be pronounced as Gabriel."

"Is there any other reason besides this?" The believer stared at the silver-haired girl in front of her, her tone somewhat subtle.

“No,” Weiss replied calmly.

“Interesting.” A voice, still somewhat childish, slowly emerged from the brief silence.

Weiss felt that the childish voice was somewhat unfamiliar, but she quickly realized that it was the first time she had heard the rainbow-haired girl speak.

"Hello," Miss Xue Ni greeted her again with a smile.

However, no response was received.

Those amber eyes stared at her for a long, long time, a scrutinizing gaze that moved from head to toe back and forth, finally settling on her left eye.

Being stared at by that gaze for too long, Weiss inexplicably felt a burning sensation vaguely appearing in her left eye.

“Miss Weiss Schnee, right?” After a long stare, Jibril asked the little girl with rainbow hair in a playful tone that seemed out of place for her age.

"Yes," Miss Xue Ni nodded. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

“It’s just a small matter. The believer is still asleep, so I’ll ask on her behalf for now.”

"I'm not only perfectly awake now, I could even lift you up high, even though I'm really sleepy," the believer protested nonchalantly.

“If you’re really sleepy, just go to sleep. Don’t worry, Jibril won’t keep fooling around while you’re asleep.” Jibril leaned back against his chest, looked up, and smiled slightly. “But right now, there’s something that’s a little bothering me, but don’t worry, it’s all for your own good.”

After speaking, she turned her gaze back to the silver-haired girl in front of her and uttered a strange sentence under the latter's increasingly uneasy gaze.

"Ms. Weiss Schnee, what impression do you have of the word 'Chloe'?"

“Chloe? Hmm… I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of that name.” After a moment’s thought, Weiss shook her head.

"Is that so? Then it seems I misunderstood. By the way, my name is Jibril, not Gabriel. In fact, that surname only disgusts me."

"I'm so sorry!" Weiss was a little flustered. She had been trying to make a good first impression on this cute girl named Xiao Ji, but she had made a mistake and made a mistake, which made her feel a little embarrassed.

"Believer, put me down, I can walk by myself." Jibril leaned back.

"Actually, I've been waiting for you to say that for quite a while." The believer released his hand much faster than he spoke. After putting Xiao Ji down, he stretched his arms and walked forward, saying, "We should be there soon."

He arrived at the very center of the platform. On the opposite edge, he could see a corridor of branches leading to other tree canopies. Everything around him was lush and verdant, and utterly silent. These outsiders had clearly startled the naturally alert native inhabitants of this sea of ​​trees. The settlement wasn't large, probably only a few households. Those long-tailed creatures who didn't recognize them were likely all hiding inside their houses by now, except…

“Miko!”

A slightly familiar yet ambiguous call suddenly drifted into her ears. Following the sound, the woman quickly turned her head to look at the branch path directly east of the platform. Not far behind her, Weiss and the others also looked in that direction and soon noticed an unfamiliar figure rapidly approaching.

It was a pure white creature of the Tree Sea, with a pair of fluffy fox ears on its head and a long, equally fluffy tail trailing behind it. The fur on the tips of its ears and tail was pure black—otherwise, it was no different from a human girl of sixteen or seventeen. She had a pair of deep gray eyes, and long, snow-white hair that matched the fur on her ears and tail. She wasn't tall but was quite well-endowed, and her fluffy, soft appearance always made people want to hug her. She wore a classic monocle... She leaped about ten steps away from the believer, displaying the agility of a creature of the Tree Sea to the fullest. Her exquisite alchemist's robe, adorned with the Big Dipper in red and blue, fluttered in the air with the airflow, carrying the softness unique to silk fabric.

"Miko!" The pure white tree-sea people called out and pounced on the believer, their snow-white fox ears blown into airplane ears by the wind.

"Miko!" The nun responded from afar, opening her arms to her and calling out in the same ambiguous way. The pair of ink-like fox ears on her head seemed to stand up high in the joyful atmosphere.

Weiss watched all this in horror. As the two drew closer and closer, she couldn't help but cast a questioning glance at Charlotte beside her. "How come another vixen has appeared in the blink of an eye? Aren't you going to take any measures? I think the believer's mental state is a bit abnormal right now."

"Don't panic, keep watching," Charlotte replied unmoved.

“…Alright.” Weiss noticed that even Xiao Ji was unmoved by this, so she had no choice but to give up.

“Miko!”

“Miko!”

The distance between the two eerie creatures calling to each other shrank to just one meter in an instant.

“Miko!”

"Lushan rises to dominate the dragon!"

Just before the final moment arrived, the believer Hearn assumed a familiar jumping stance and unleashed a rising dragon punch at her opponent while shouting an incomprehensible phrase.

Weiss watched silently as the pure white fox spirit rose into the air amidst a patch of azure flames, soaring more than thirty meters high before finally crashing onto the not-so-sturdy treetop platform with a muffled thud of flesh colliding with flesh.

“What’s this?” she asked Charlotte, who was standing beside her.

“I’m not quite sure either. Let’s wait for Mr. Hearn to come and explain.” Charlotte shook her head.

"But why are you so at ease?"

"You'll find out once you keep watching."

"???"

A few minutes later, the believer Hearn brought the snow-white fox spirit to the three of them.

"Everyone knows each other, so let me introduce Xue Ni separately. This is me..."

Miss Xue Ni couldn't stand the sight of that gentle, jade-like, and naturally alluring white fox spirit, so she didn't give Xin Nu a friendly look either. She crossed her arms, waiting for Xin Nu to give her a reason, and then she would give her a good scolding.

"I am very sorry for my lapse just now. There was a problem when I was trying out the new drug, but thanks to Hern, I am now fully sober." The short white fox bowed slightly to the three ladies and said politely, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Yonglin, and I am an alchemist. Hern and I are sworn brothers who are like brothers who have been through thick and thin together."

"???" Weiss felt a sudden darkness before her eyes.

“I told you not to worry, because it’s a male fox,” Charlotte explained in a low voice, though her tone was soft enough to draw the attention of the person involved.

"You are... Miss Pandora? My goodness, it's been five years, you've changed so much. You used to be only... this tall." The white fox who called herself Eirin gestured with a slightly surprised expression, indicating a height that was roughly just past her waist.

“That’s because Mr. Hearn has always taken good care of me,” Cinderella replied with a polite smile. “It’s been a long time, Mr. Yonglin.”

……

I accidentally went over the mark for the 4K chapter. Please vote, recommend, favorite, and promote! Thank you!

Chapter 62 Aftermath: A Chapter for Leisure

"Was this house created by plants?"

Even after sitting down in the tea room of the fox spirit's house, Weiss remained incredibly curious about the Rosetta people's living timber treehouses.

The believer seemed a little tired, and he squinted slightly as he answered, “Of course, the traditional dwellings of the Rosetta Forest are all built by the druids of the tribe through communication with specific seeds.”

Weiss was about to reply when he saw the fox spirit return to the tea room carrying fragrant fruit wine and flower tea. Her snow-white tail swayed as she walked. She placed the drinks on the table and poured tea for each of the guests. "I apologize for not knowing your preferences, please help yourselves with your drinks later."

“This guy almost became a druid before.” The believer opened her left eye, a slight smile playing on her lips.

“Yes, but my father said I wouldn’t have a future as a druid because my family doesn’t know anyone in the healing or wild schools, and if I choose the natural school, I’ll most likely end up working on construction sites after graduation, carrying bricks and building houses.” The white fox spirit put down the teapot, filled with emotion. “Later, I became an alchemist, making a living by selling medicine.”

“Don’t be fooled by him. Although he talks such a miserable story, he’s actually living a pretty good life. [Yagi] is a genuine ‘blue-blooded’ nobleman in Rosetta, with ancestry tracing back to the royal family. In other words, this alchemist who lives in seclusion in a remote village is actually a young master from a very noble family.” The nobunaga’s lips curled up even more. “Eirin, I remember the last time we corresponded, you hadn’t run away from home to live a carefree life yet, right? I remember—you had just married your thirty-second wife then?”

"It's the thirty-seventh, which is why I escaped." The fox spirit shrugged charmingly. "I won't go back until I've figured out the elixir of immortality."

Miss Scheres was struck dumb, while Charlotte and Jibril seemed completely oblivious to their conversation—the latter seemed to be trying to get back onto the maiden's shoulder, while the former was quietly peeling oranges for him.

The believer took the freshly peeled orange from Cinderella's hand, and without breaking it apart, popped the whole thing into her mouth. "Mmm...it's delicious. Thank you, Charlotte."

"As long as you like it."

"..."

"Weiss, excuse me for a moment," Xin Nu stood up from her seat and turned to the three girls, instructing them, "Little Ji, don't cause any trouble. Charlotte, keep an eye on those two for me."

"You can rest assured," Charlotte said with a slight nod.

Just as Weiss came to her senses, she noticed that when the woman uttered a certain word, the white fox's body visibly trembled for a moment, as if an electric current had passed through it. The fox stopped abruptly, and even its fur stood on end slightly. However, before she could investigate the reason further, the woman had already swayed away with the soft fox spirit and disappeared around the corner leading to the corridor.

"Are they really okay?" Weiss was still somewhat doubtful.

“No problem,” Charlotte replied casually, then began peeling a new orange.

Weiss figured that the orange was most likely meant for her, so she picked one up and started eating it herself.

Jibril climbed onto Charlotte's lap, closed her eyes, and fell peacefully asleep.

……

"Can you walk now?"

After turning another corner, the believer let go of her hand.

“Yes…” Yonglin leaned against the wall to steady himself. After resting for a while and calming his breathing, he looked incredulous. “Hearn, you almost killed me.”

“It was you who called out too quickly when you met her. I really didn’t feel comfortable interrupting you. She didn’t seem to mind, so you don’t need to be so… conflicted.” After a moment of consideration, the believer chose a word that was more considerate of the other person’s feelings.

"I need some time to sort out my thoughts. The study is on the second floor. Let's go there... I roughly know why you came to see me, but I still hope you can tell me yourself."

"as you wish."

……

"sit down."

"Thank you."

The two sat down again in the study. Xin Nu glanced around and saw that the room was clean and tastefully furnished, filled with a scholarly atmosphere, which perfectly matched the style of the mansion's owner.

"So, Mr. Hearn, who used to claim he would never encounter a woman with a bust size smaller than 85cm, has degenerated into a pure and innocent man trapped in a corner by a white-haired surfboard kid five years later?"

"To correct you, it's not 'regression,' but rather a transformation from a naive and reckless youth who caused heartache into a reasonable, respectful, and considerate gentleman, understand? The once staunchly celibate young nobleman, now the irresponsible husband of thirty-seven beautiful ladies, Mr. Yagokoro Eirin."

"What's it to you if I run away from home!"

"Your kidneys want to stop but your waist won't stop. I think they want you dead—don't worry, I won't laugh at your original intention of being obsessed with making the elixir of immortality."

"Not at all, not at all. I call it knowing when to retreat and temporarily avoiding the limelight—it's still a bit lacking compared to your glorious history of facing difficulties head-on and confronting steel with your bare hands. It's been five years, and I still often dream about your impassioned speech when you faced the overwhelming cyborg division on the walls of Silver Ridge, and then I wake up laughing in the middle of the night."

“If you dare repeat that speech in front of anyone but me, I will skin you alive, make your skin into a scarf, and stew your flesh. We all swore an oath.”

"Okay, okay, let's change the subject. Can I interview Mr. Hearn about what his experience of 'toppling the psionic reactor' was like... Ughhhhhh! Don't eat me! Let go! No!!!"

……

“I think we’ve both calmed down enough, haven’t we, Yonglin?”