The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

"babble!"

"...Like a puppy soaked by the rain, even the candlelight reflected in a shop window can make you feel warm."

"I……"

"But the little match girl eventually froze to death on the street outside the shop window on a cold winter night."

"..." Pandora fell silent after trying to speak several times. She felt that Miss Nobu could be really strict at times.

"Little puppy, don't trust the kindness of strangers too easily. The world is not as gentle as you think. I thought you should have understood this long ago."

Miss Nobu seemed to have recovered from her brief moment of shock. She put down her cup, the slight clinking of it against the coffee table indicating it was empty. A faint, wicked smile reappeared on her lips. "You've become a little smarter, haven't you? But you underestimate me if you think you can get away with just saying nice things. You can't develop the habit of wasting food at such a young age, Pandora."

"Hmm..." Pandora trembled at her words. Soon, with a long and soft gliding sound, the hot drink that belonged to her was gently pushed in front of her. A faint and intoxicating sweet and fishy smell lingered in her nostrils. Pandora looked down and saw the dark liquid undulating slightly as the container moved, and the swaying ripples seemed to contain starlight.

Pandora cast a pitiful look at Miss Nobu, only to be met with a cold rejection as always.

"Little girl who is still growing shouldn't be picky about food, or you'll regret it later. To be honest, you're already much shorter than your peers, Pandora."

"Ugh..." Pandora whimpered softly, her sore spot touched. She was almost thirteen years old this year, and her classmate Jeanne was less than six months older than her. Jeanne was already a graceful young lady. Jeanne had a slender and delicate figure, and her height reached about 1.7 meters at the beginning of this year. Her secondary sexual characteristics were developing in an orderly manner with the secretion of hormones during puberty. That girl of the same age with a single braid and a head of bright golden hair could make the boys in the same classroom blush and turn their heads away, not daring to look at her. But Pandora herself was still an unpopular 1.4-meter-tall washboard!

"If there's no improvement in a few years, I'll probably just join the surfboard league naturally."

As Pandora held the porcelain cup, lost in her own sorrow, Miss Nobu continued to utter nonsensical ramblings, her gaze drifting upwards, through the ceiling towards the empty sky.

"Although, even if you change your picky eating habits, there's probably no hope of saving you," Miss Nobu said, her gaze drifting far, far away.

"Gurgle gurgle..." Pandora, in despair, held the cup with both hands and drank the warm contents in one gulp.

Then he slammed the porcelain cup down on the coffee table, seemingly as a show of defiance towards Nobu across the street.

I will never succumb to fate—that is, or something similar.

Miss Nobu leaned back on the sofa, silently watching her, her eyes gleaming with an indescribable light, as if she were expecting or waiting for something.

Soon, the little girl, who had been unusually brave, collapsed onto the soft sofa, clutching her throat tightly with both hands, letting out a silent cry, her petite body curled up in extreme pain.

Pandora felt as if lava was flowing through her body. The scalding liquid started from her abdomen, flowed through her blood vessels, through her limbs and bones, and finally returned to her abdomen.

"Coffee beans, sugar cubes, a little cocoa, a few cherry blossom petals..." When Pandora finally got up from the sofa, panting, Miss Nobu blinked her innocent eyes and began to slowly share the recipe for the drink, "...I've said from the beginning that I'm not some old witch in the forest who only serves guests dishes made from frogs, toads, snakes, and the innards of lost little girls."

"What else is there besides that?" Pandora asked, her breathing gradually calming down. Judging from her tone, it seemed that this was not the first time she had experienced something like this.

"Okay, I admit I added a little bit of tequila, you know, because there's cocoa in it, so I wanted to try making liqueur-filled chocolates, the kind you had last time."

"Anything else?" Pandora continued to press, looking distressed.

“Emmmmmmmmmm…” Miss Nobu drawled out, seemingly hesitant to meet the girl’s gaze.

"Please tell me, at least let me know what I drank, Miss Nobu!" Pandora was almost crying.

“…Stellar Essence.” Miss Nobu turned her face away and answered slowly and deliberately in a voice barely audible.

"?"

"The ether essence obtained by etherifying all celestial bodies and matter in a fully developed, mature star system, refining and extracting it... I think you're really too short, so I tried a folk remedy recommended by an old friend. But it doesn't seem to be working. You're still only 1.4 meters tall. Congratulations, congratulations..."

"???"

……

Chapter 70 The Silence of the Lambs (Part 7)

"leave?"

The girl, just a step away, looked up.

"Yes...yes." Pandora's face flushed slightly as she stammered her request.

This was the first time she had made such a selfish request since she met Miss Nobu.

Unlike the usual all-night talks, or the pleasant companionship while tending to flowers and plants, this was a clearer and more direct request.

Humans don't become friends with strangers for no reason.

They share the same core values, are mutually dependent, or are attracted by a pleasing appearance and fall head over heels for someone.

There are countless reasons to establish a relationship, but in essence, they are only one or two.

"Roar—?" Miss Nobu tilted her head slightly, scrutinizing the girl in front of her from head to toe for a long time. Her sea-blue eyes, filled with a scrutinizing gaze, licked over the girl's skin inch by inch, as if a seasoned gourmand could know the taste of a fine delicacy before even tasting it.

Having been taught by her father to hide everything since childhood, Pandora had never been subjected to such an aggressive predator's gaze. In an instant, her small figure curled up in fear, just like when they first met.

Fortunately, almost at the same time she showed her embarrassment, the scrutinizing gaze disappeared, replaced by a look that was somewhere between sighing and amused.

"Pandora."

"Yes……"

Do you know what you just did?

“I know I have offended you rudely by expressing a purely selfish wish to leave this frozen land…”

Pandora murmured softly, but her voice grew firmer with each word. She slowly raised her head, facing the unidentified being before her, her violet eyes filled with a light of will and stubbornness.

If a girl not even thirteen years old could have any selfish desires, for Pandora, it would undoubtedly be how to escape this hell on earth called Ys.

“No, it’s purer and more in line with the essence,” Miss Nobu replied slowly.

"what?"

"You, a child of earth, have poured out your purest desires to a devil—what do you think this means?" Miss Nobu, unlike her usual frivolous self, became solemn, her voice slow and deliberate, causing the air in the room to freeze.

"...This means I will become Miss Nobu's [guest]." In the same atmosphere, Pandora gave the answer in a similar tone, an answer that couldn't be more obvious.

Son of Earth and the Devil, Wishes and Compensation.

Pandora was one of the few students who listened attentively to Lady Vanessa's teachings, so she naturally knew what a demon was and what a devil was.

They are the most generous, stingy, merciful, and cruel creatures in the world, recorded in the many manuscripts left by the pioneers known as Omnesia, and are pure evil standing in opposition to the Lord of Light, the Saint of Dawn, the Son of Light, and the Son of Earth.

Pandora stayed behind based on her own judgment, after fully understanding this knowledge. In other words, there was an undeniable fact before her: for freedom, for leaving Ys, this hell on earth, this little girl, not even thirteen years old, chose to place her hopes on the devil.

“Clever little devil,” Miss Nobu praised softly, leaning back lazily on the soft sofa, crossing her legs, her expression relaxed and indifferent. “Pandora, you are lucky, but also unlucky.”

"I see."

“Oh?” Nobu responded with interest.

“Fortunately, I met Miss Nobu, who has a way of easily granting my only wish since birth,” Pandora whispered. “Unfortunately, I also met Miss Nobu, who charges a very high price for granting wishes.”

Extremely, extremely expensive.

“The logic behind that statement is perfect, but it always sounds like I’m making things difficult for the little girl,” Miss Nobu blinked innocently.

"..."

"You're right. I do have over ten thousand ways to get you out of this ice city called Yisu unharmed, to leave this final forbidden zone where the Son of Earth lingers on. But that doesn't mean your life will be any better than it is now. In fact, while you were away, I've already fully experienced your birth and death. The former was as bland as a third-rate comedy or plain water, while the latter was diverse and mouthwatering. Unfortunately, after my insatiable, almost insatiable hunger was slightly relieved, I finally noticed a fact—it seems there's no possibility of you dying a natural death and enjoying your old age in your limited lifespan. Trust my judgment, dying of childhood from the cold and being buried whole is almost the best outcome."

But you've already missed that opportunity.

Ms. Nobu shrugged and summarized.

"If that is my fate, I will resist until the moment I close my eyes." Influenced by the atmosphere created by Nobu, the little girl's words became solemn and strong.

"You're overthinking it. Do you think they'll leave you with eyelids and eyeballs? You'll never close your eyes again."

"..."

...At least that's what it sounds like.

www.53dushu.com

Pandora suddenly felt a stinging sensation in her nose, as if some dark emotion was gathering from the clouds, about to turn into a torrential downpour.

Oh no, she looks like she's about to cry.

Nobu rolled his eyes and pondered to himself.

“Alright, let’s leave the suspense aside for now and get down to business.” She waved her hand, trying to lighten the mood. “Let’s count your wishes and your stakes.”

Pandora nodded, forcing back tears.

"Freedom, now with life, what a common yet precious desire, just like the soul's status as hard currency in the game of chips, unshakable for billions of years. The 'soul-centric' system has played a pivotal role in the hellish economy for far too long, and all other chips can only obediently depreciate in its presence."

"As expected, Miss Nobu, who doesn't run a candy shop in the forest, has always wanted mine..."

“But I have absolutely no interest in your soul; it is worthless in my eyes.”

“…Miss Nobu, the ancient books say that individual will is as insignificant as a grain of sand in the vast ocean in the face of the world economy. You cannot go against the laws of economics and extort money from people in order to bargain.”

"Sorry, but the all-powerful Miss Nobu is the pricing authority of the hellish economic system. As long as Miss Nobu goes back and says the word—starting tomorrow, all the demons in hell will have to use [NobuNobuNobu Coin] as their currency for all transactions! Any disobedient bastards will be dragged out, shot, exiled, and annihilated!"

"..."

What the hell is all this nonsense? And what the hell is this "NobuNobuNobu coin"?!

Pandora, a former thief, felt as if she were haggling with a gossipy woman at a market, and a phantom headache struck her head.

"In short, I have absolutely no interest in your skinny, flat-chested little brat soul. Besides, you're not very nutritious, your blood and qi are poor, you're short, and your body temperature is low. In this freezing weather, you're less effective at warming the bed than a hot water bottle, and I wouldn't even want to use you as a sofa pillow." Nobu's venomous voice trailed off. "What use are you?"

"..." This little girl, who had stolen a lot of things, been beaten a lot, and secretly tricked a lot of people since she was a child, was mentally mature beyond her years and had a strong will. This time, she was really about to cry.

“However, speaking of other hard currency, Little Pandora does have one.” Miss Nobu changed the subject, “—Although I didn’t really think much of it at first, there are so many people who want it, and if I get it, I can annoy so many people. So, for the sake of this, it’s not impossible for me to acknowledge its value and use it as a bargaining chip.”

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Pandora looked up in surprise, her small face showing a slight panic, but more so curiosity. She mentally went through all the small bags and hidden compartments of her body, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of anything among those odds and ends that would catch Miss Nobu's eye.

She turned her inquiring gaze to the other person, awaiting an answer.

"Yes, it belongs to the most beloved son of that great and detestable [Father], the white moon and ether lord before the dawn, the divine crown worn by the Radiant Son as he walked above the heavens. On a day long ago, He bestowed His 'crown' in the form of bloodline upon the royal family of the earthly heaven [Yale], established by the Sons of Earth. This led to the unparalleled monument of the Sons of Earth sweeping across Thranheim and exterminating the dark species from the surface of the earth."

Miss Nobu raised a slender middle finger, her face full of disgust. "I've never seen a more shameless double standard princeling than this kind of 'sowing seeds and having someone else do the beating.' Thanks to the prosperity of the Son of Earth, the Radiant Holy Son, along with that bunch of white-haired devils, has been grinding our fellow devils in Hell to the ground for countless epochs. Hell's economic bubble burst and they still haven't recovered. The drawbacks of immortality were also exposed at that time. Some little devils are still paying off their debts and are living a miserable life hovering around the poverty line. Sigh."

"I don't quite understand what Miss Nobu is talking about... I also don't know what the Yale royal bloodline, which went through several changes and reforms in the Upper Ages but was eventually destroyed, has to do with me. However, judging from Miss Nobu's tone, you... I mean, you devils, your lives should be better now, right?"

"Of course, it has actually improved for over two hundred years. Pandora is very diligent in her history lessons, so you should remember the term 'The Day of Crying Gods.' The demons' living standards improved significantly after that day; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they had a complete turnaround."

“The Old Testament records that the Day of Weeping is the day God lost his beloved son,” Pandora replied, recalling the fragmented information extracted from the texts left on the Old Testament tablets that Morgan had unearthed and that she had ultimately translated and deciphered.

"Of course, it's actually still His wedding day. I mean between gods, not counting the previous one with that lucky girl from the Yale royal family. That was just breeding at most."

Pandora noticed that Miss Nobu's mood had become cheerful and high, her eyebrows were dancing, and the corners of her mouth were uncontrollably turned up, as if she was recalling a very, very happy time, or something else.

"What happened that day?" Pandora asked curiously, her violet eyes searching the sea.

"It's nothing, that's not what you should be concerned about right now. There's only one thing you need to consider—freedom, life, and the Crown of the Sky. If you want to continue, you'll have to make a choice among these three."

Ms. Nobu turned away indifferently, and the conversation abruptly ended.

……

Chapter 71 The Silence of the Lambs (Part 8)

Azure Crown.

A familiar yet unfamiliar term, this is the third time I've heard it since meeting this lady who calls herself the devil.

She had no idea what the term meant, even though the other party had told her the correct form just minutes earlier.

It's so far away, so far away that it feels unreal.

But none of this affected the fact that an inexplicable, baseless negative emotion emerged from this small body, as if long-buried memories were being awakened once more.

fear.

Leave her, stay away from her.

escape……

In the darkness, an almost instinctive will was distorting the positive impression she had built up over the past few days of her feelings towards Miss Nobu. An extreme force of order rippled outwards from the center, and ripples of regularity swept across this bottomless abyss of the underground world, starting from this dark blue courtyard.

It was an unparalleled power, almost like a corrective force, yet it only left ripples in this courtyard before eventually disappearing completely.

After everything fell silent, the ancient temple built by the grey elves still retained its half-decayed ivory white color, and in the courtyard, the dark blue flowers swayed with the dark wind in the underground cavern.

"The outdated self-defense mechanism, even after so many years of being dead, still retains the corrupt belief that devils only use counterfeit goods to deceive mortals." Miss Nobu casually cracked sunflower seeds, her eyes full of mockery and disdain for the intangible. "Of course, I admit that there are all kinds of birds in a big forest, and it's common for a few untrustworthy scoundrels to emerge from among the devils. But unfortunately, in my life to this day, I have never used counterfeit goods, nor have I ever looked at them with a second glance. Just like every blade of grass, every flower, every tree here, is real."

Her gaze fell on the little girl who was instinctively moving away from her; just minutes before, they seemed to be friends.

"May I hear your heart?" She smiled slightly at Pandora, just as she had when they first met, when she put down her book.

“Miss Nobu…”

"I'm here."

“I…cannot agree to your terms.” Pandora lowered her head.