Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 151: The Flavor of Soup

Upon receiving news about the “Temple of Life coming to cause trouble”, Sheepskin Ball Village was informed immediately. Knight Saint Bernard, along with the school nun, hurried back to the village, running so fast they were panting heavily.

After hearing the full story, the Border Collie village chief nodded solemnly. “Move as soon as possible.”

Knight Saint Bernard looked at the village chief with a bit of guilt. “Woof… It’s all my fault…”

“You followed the traditions of Sheepskin Ball Village and helped a guest. The fault lies with those humans who target us without asking right from wrong. Good knight, everyone will be proud of you,” the Border Collie village chief said very calmly.

He specifically stood on tiptoe, his paw gently patting Knight Saint Bernard’s head.

“Our sheep have just been sold out recently, and everyone doesn’t have much stuff, so it’s convenient to move. But about the destination…”

“Everyone just needs to be ready.” Painter smiled. “Someone will come to take you all away. Trust me, you’ll like your new home.”

He remembered that there’s a floor in the Lost Tower that has snowy scenery, which is perfect for these dog-headed beastmen who like the cold.

Outside the Lost Tower, there are forests, waterfalls, and grasslands. The beastmen can run as they wish without fearing the harsh winter of resource scarcity—even for trade, they can directly use the trading channels of Paradise.

From his observation, most residents of Paradise love animals and don’t have a trace of monstrous malice. The residents of Sheepskin Ball Village can live comfortably.

“Just in case, I’ll wait with you,” Painter added.

The Border Collie village chief looked at him suspiciously for a while but decided to remain politely silent—what could this “school nun” do if the Investigation Knights from the Temple of Life really came?

Before his question could be further pondered, green fire sparked, and two figures appeared out of thin air.

The petite Teesti easily supported the frail Noli, both reeking of blood and emitting the distinct smell of death. Noticing the puzzled look from the Border Collie village chief, Sister Noli lifted her head and tried to smile at it.

“The efficiency of you two is really high,” Painter said cheerfully.

“If it weren’t for that troublesome Golden Sword, we could have been faster.” Teest supported Nol, letting him gently lean against the armchair in the room. “Is that guy your stalker? You always appear in the same place.”

It sounded like sarcasm, but there was something else in it. Painter tasted it for two seconds and sensed the subtle flavor—

Teest was on guard against him.

Of course, the Mad Monk had been very hostile towards him from the beginning. Painter was well aware of this. But comparatively, this hostility didn’t conflict with Teest’s trust.

…It seems these two have learned something significant.

Painter kept his smile, pretending to notice nothing. “Regarding the situation of Sheepskin Ball Village, I have something to say to you both…”

That night.

With Eugene’s keenness, the news that “Drake” might be in Gratice would most likely be confirmed. Plus, with the big news of the Eternal Pope’s death, the Temple of Life gradually withdrew its already powerless surveillance network.

After determining the surrounding situation with Painter, Nol opened the green fire portal.

The dog-headed beastmen carried their belongings, big and small, towards the fire circle. The Border Collie village chief walked at the end of the line, carrying a small bag with several perfectly shaped bones full of bite marks in it.

Knight Saint Bernard dug up some beautiful stones and sticks in a patch of snow. He was the last to leave, and as he did, his tail was still drooping.

“Good knight.” Nol called out to him. “You forgot your ball.”

Knight Saint Bernard’s eyes suddenly lit up. “You found it for me?”

“This time, you’ve helped us a lot. If it weren’t for you leading the disruption, our battle wouldn’t have gone so smoothly,” Nol said softly—they now knew the old Pope’s oracle.

He extended his hand, holding the small sheepskin ball in his palm. It had no bloodstains, and the damaged parts were stitched up.

Knight Saint Bernard took the small leather ball with both hands, sniffed it vigorously with his nose, and his eyes were a bit moist.

“Thank you,” he said solemnly. “This is the ball my parents gave me—it’s my favorite thing in the whole world.”

“Don’t lose it again.” Nol stretched out his arm, gently patting Knight Saint Bernard’s head. “Go on. I’ve already informed friends ahead of time. When you get there, there will be roast chicken and juicy beef waiting for you.”

Knight Saint Bernard’s tail wagged excitedly. “You are a very good human!”

Hearing this, Nol was slightly taken aback, his expression subtly pained. He patted Knight Saint Bernard’s head again, watching him happily step through the fire circle.

The snow in Sheepskin Ball Village kept falling, and the sky was covered with clouds. The absence of the four moons left him with a bit of security. Watching the happy dog-headed beastmen, the gloom in his heart lightened a bit.

Not far behind Nol, Teest leaned against the emptied house, watching Nol’s figure.

Since the battle with the old Pope, Nol has been overexerting himself. Teest could see that it was even more difficult for him to stand straight now—Nol couldn’t even spare the extra magical power to “refresh” his own body.

But he still insisted on standing, smiling at the dog-headed beastmen of Sheepskin Ball Village.

He could smell Nol’s worry and fear and taste the persistence deep in his bones. Compared to the wavering vase at the table when they first met, the current Nol was more like a sword deeply embedded into the chest of a corpse.

He couldn’t be pushed, nor did he need to be.

Teest reached out his hand, covering the vision of Nol in his palm.

The creator he was deeply fascinated with, the guide who brought him into the whirlpool of truth.

His prey was the completely unknown, the false god hidden in the shadows. This would be an unparalleled hunt—everything was perfect. How favored he was by fate, except…

Nol’s nun’s veil had been lost a long time ago. In the light of the green fire, the cord of a pendant could vaguely be seen on his neck.

It lay there, like an ominous scar.

…Except for this thing. Teest frowned.

Every time he saw that pendant, Teest felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest. But to say he detested the residents of Paradise seemed not quite right.

He just felt like this thing was like a dangerous rope, a heavy collar. One day, it would take his Nol away from him.

At that thought, Teest bit his tongue, shaking off the idea with the pain.

It would be better to think about that mysterious Star Stealer Sol instead.

If that guy wanted to domesticate him, there wasn’t much he could do from the past.

Not to boast, but Teest believed that there were few as unfortunate as him in his youth throughout all of Tahe—his family was tragically killed, and he himself bore ten years of torment in utter darkness.

Even if the Star Stealer Sol turned that time into twenty years, Teest didn’t think he would break down mentally.

Moreover, the false god’s powers definitely had their flaws. If the false god wanted more absolute control, he could easily crush all strong beings into more obedient puppets.

At least if it were Teest himself, he would definitely replace the positions of the popes of the two religions with completely brainwashed pawns.

But Painter defected and indirectly helped them discover the truth about the false god.

In Teest’s view, Godfrey Painter ran around 365 days a year, or 366 days in a leap year. Either messing around with his mercenary group or disguising himself as a monk or nun, leading the good seeds of the Temple astray.

“Ladder of God”, such a useful oracle, yet Star Stealer Sol didn’t domesticate Painter.

This was very interesting.

Merciful Gilmore, before his fall, was very similar to Painter in nature. However, unlike Painter who scrambled all over Tahe, he chose to go to remote areas to be a priest, away from the world’s turmoil.

Away from the world’s turmoil…

The Mad Monk’s fingers moved, playing with the tough gold thread.

To achieve what Nol described as “forging a hellish life” without letting the domesticated person notice anything unusual, forging five years of life would indeed require physically restraining the target for five years.

If there were others around the target, once the five years of “hellish illusion” ended, and everyone compared notes, the target would definitely notice something was wrong. Even if all witnesses were killed, many loopholes would remain, possibly causing greater chaos—

Gilmore’s disappearance was taken as him wandering anonymously; if Painter suddenly disappeared, not to mention the Temple digging three feet into the ground, just the troublesome tasks his mercenary group undertook would have his employers searching every corner of Tahe.

This isn’t a world where one can cheat easily.

Powerful abilities are always accompanied by strict conditions, and Teest couldn’t be clearer about this. For example, “time reversal” can interfere with time under the condition that it “cannot go against the flow of fate”.

Could the condition for “domestication” be “the target has weak relationships with those around”?

Hmm, it could be a direction for speculation. He needed to tell Nol quickly…

“…Teest. Teest.”

Teest raised his eyes, seeing Nol standing in front of him. “What are you thinking about? You’re so distracted.”

“I was thinking…”

Just as he was about to voice his speculation about taming, the fear in the cave with Nol, and the frail face of Nol in front of him, both choked him simultaneously.

Perhaps he shouldn’t talk about this now—at least not tonight.

“I was thinking, what should we eat tonight?” Teest revealed a smile. “I’ve prepared a surprise.”

“This Villain wants to eat warm cream stew and potato soup,” Painter proposed hopefully.

Teest pretended not to hear, his eyes only on Nol. “That Border Collie said, he specially left some vegetables and meat.”

Nol: “Cream stew and potato soup will do.”

Teest: “Really? I just happen to not know how to make those two dishes. Think again.”

Nol couldn’t help but chuckle. “Then, vegetable stew with meat and cream soup.”

“…Alright, you’re really cunning.”

“Ah, I just remembered. There’s something I didn’t clarify with the village chief.”

Painter slumped his shoulders in disappointment. “I’ll just go to Paradise then. The cafeteria’s potato bone soup is so delicious… As a reward, I can explain the situation to Miss Lynn for you.”

Teest then hummed in satisfaction. “Alright, stewed meat and cream soup. It’s settled.”

Painter deliberately made a mournful face, sighing heavily as he left. The green fire went out, and Sheepskin Ball Village fell into complete silence.

……

Teest and Nol stayed in the village chief’s home—the chief’s house was well-organized, showing care in its tidiness. There wasn’t even a single dog hair in sight.

The pot was placed on the fireplace, emitting a warm and inviting aroma. Nol sat back in the soft armchair, and for a moment, everything before seemed like a nightmare.

He sat quietly for a few minutes, then tried to stand up. “You continue cooking. I’ll go handle the food.”

Nol hadn’t stood up when Teest gently pushed him back into the seat. His knight rolled up his sleeves in front of him, smiling and bowing.

“Look!” He snapped his fingers with high spirits.

Carrots and potatoes rolled on the cutting board, automatically peeling themselves, then split into neat chunks. Under Teest’s direction, those pieces gracefully leaped into the soup pot. Dry herbs also floated up, slowly scattering into the pot.

It was hard to imagine that not long ago, these hands had destroyed the heart of the Eternal Pope.

A magical scene.

From start to finish, there was no system-related magical fluctuation.

Nol got up excitedly, curiously approaching Teest, his fingertips brushing over the back of Teest’s hand. “This is—”

“Dominion.”

Teest smiled. “The concept of death bestowed by the [King of Eternal Sleep], combined with [Necromancy] to control parts of a corpse, seems workable.”

Nolly was momentarily at a loss for words.

He looked at the remaining vegetables and meat on the cutting board, as well as the dried herbs, and indeed, it seemed like there was no issue. As a skill beyond the system, Teest’s [King of Eternal Sleep] was truly peculiar.

Even more peculiar…

When the dog-headed beastmen left, they didn’t extinguish the candles in the house, and lights were still on in every household’s windows. Thick clouds piled up in the sky, and snowflakes fell quietly.

Teest hummed a tune, accurately ladling soup into wooden bowls. The stove was warm, and the room was very bright. There were no strange moons, no flesh and death. The air was warm and comfortable. Everything around seemed to be wrapped in a quiet blanket, so beautiful that it was almost like an illusion.

At this moment, this place felt more like “home” than the double rooms in the Lost Tower.

Dangerous skills turned into a small surprise performance—the former Mad Monk scooped up a spoonful of cream soup and winked at him. “Want to taste it? My mom has made this dish before. I still remember it.”

Nol’s eyes suddenly felt a bit sour.

This wasn’t a performance by the Mad Monk. At this point, Teest didn’t need to perform to gain affection. Behind the steaming vapor, those golden eyes looked over intently. Teest certainly didn’t know how soft his gaze appeared at this moment.

All the fears and anxieties about the unknown found their place at this moment.

The two looked at each other for a few seconds before Teest moved his lips. At almost the same time, Nol also spoke with a hoarse voice.

“Don’t be afraid,” Teest said.

“No need to worry,” Nol said.

After speaking, Nol couldn’t help but laugh. He leaned forward, tasting the cream soup.

The taste of home. It was very warm, perfect for this snowy night.

“It’s delicious.” He looked at Teest. This person really…

“Once everything is over, I’ll stew Star Stealer Sol according to this recipe,” Teest said with excitement.

Nol: “…Okay.”

Alright, it’s still the flavor of the Mad Monk.

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