Chapter 19, Episode 19: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - Time to get ready for camping! Let's begin...
"So, you called me here just to help her draw this damn rune?"
Jason looked on with displeasure as the runes drawn on the outer trees disappeared in an instant. He turned his head and saw Enid staring at him with her big, watery eyes and an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Jason... I can only draw the inner ring myself, and there aren't many requirements for the runes on the outer ring, so I can't finish them all by myself today. I'm sorry."
"Forget it, and don't bring it over here."
Thinking back to how Enid had rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly as soon as he arrived, he almost threw her off if he hadn't reacted quickly. Luckily, he saw who it was. Although she quickly let go and then went to hug Barbara and Cassandra and wouldn't let go, he was still a little unaccustomed to it. Of course, Dick pulled them apart later.
“Hehe,” Enid stuck out her tongue and chuckled, pretending not to have heard anything. She played dumb and got away with it. With everyone’s help, the runes were drawn quickly. Because the runes were drawn using special herbs and other special liquids, they did not require the artist to have any power. Under normal circumstances, the potion was prepared by the Archdruid and then distributed to other believers for drawing.
She had some extra potion, which she gave to Bruce and Tim for experiments. However, it was clear that even if they knew the same formula, even if other people with magic or other powers were injected, they could not replicate it, and they could not use the potion to draw other runes without permission.
Enid said that was only natural, after all, it was a gift from the Mother Goddess.
As the final stroke of the rune was completed, all the trees were properly placed. Enid stood at the entrance to the forest, while the others watched her back with vigilance or worry. The runes drawn on the edge of her white dress fluttered along with the hem, and the green vines on her head and the golden chain around her waist shone brightly in the sunlight.
After the intense flash of light, the once empty land was suddenly surrounded by countless trees and birdsong. They could only see that an elven garden had grown from the barren soil, perhaps like the land of youth that the golden-haired Nanmu had led Exiang to①, just as the song conveyed.
It was incredibly beautiful there, beyond my imagination.
It was a place of incredible wonder, unlike anything I had ever seen before.
Fruit is available there year-round.
Flowers bloom there all year round.
Honey dripped from the branches of trees in the jungle.
Fine wine and mead were never in short supply.
"The holy site has been restored."
Enid finished her prayers and hymns. Looking at the restored holy site and the ever-loving and peaceful gaze of the Mother Goddess statue in the center, her pale face improved considerably. She turned around excitedly, as if she wanted to show off something to everyone, but Dick took the lead and supported her arm.
"I wish you could see your face; I guess it might look a little bad?"
"I'll recover soon, it will only take a little while, really."
She understood, of course, that this was out of concern for her, so she showed that she wasn't putting on any effort. Soon, Dick saw that her complexion had returned to its rosy hue, and he relaxed a little.
"So, this place is not our hometown?"
Jason asked with a hint of curiosity. He had read Celtic myths and knew that the blonde Namu was the princess of the Land of Youth who took Evans to the Land of Immortality. However, Evans eventually wanted to return, so she instructed him not to dismount and touch the land of Ireland, otherwise he would not be able to return to the Land of Immortality. Of course, the original text was longer, but it was similar to the story of the underworld in Greek mythology, wasn't it?
"Perhaps you can think of it that way, but it's not quite the same as in mythology. At least there's no golden-haired Nanmu here, only Aura (Aura means Golden Princess)."
Aura stepped out from behind them, her snow-white fur shining even brighter in the sunlight. Her beautiful, clear eyes stared at them, and then after a flash of light, they felt as if they were being blessed, though a weaker blessing than before.
"This is a blessing from Aura, a thank you for your contributions to the Sacred Grove... This was originally just my job."
“Don’t say that,” Dick stroked her hair, deliberately changing the subject. “If you’re not from the same hometown here, then your feet are already on Wayne’s soil. Does that mean you can still go back?”
Undeniably, Dick was testing her. He was worried that she would choose to leave and go back to where she originally was, even though she didn't belong here. But... no one could deny that everyone could see what Dick was thinking at the moment. However, even Jason didn't tease Dick, but he didn't deny that he would tease him someday.
"No, because Father has already allowed me to stay, and...didn't you promise to send me to school later? Shouldn't our camping trip begin?"
She understood Dick's thoughts, of course, but she couldn't express her feelings directly, or rather, any other feelings. However, she could at least assure him that she wouldn't leave, and wouldn't leave casually for some time. As soon as she finished speaking, the slightly tense atmosphere instantly dissipated, and birdsong burst forth—a delightful surprise at the opening of the celebration.
"So, can I know now what gift you gave me?"
When they first arrived, Enid took out the gifts. Since not everyone had arrived yet, she didn't give them to them, saying she would give them to them one by one. Now that it was finally over and everyone was there, Barbara had been curious about the gifts she had prepared for a long time.
Enid pursed her lips, then took out the beautifully wrapped gift boxes and handed them to the recipients one by one: "You can open them now. I've been preparing for this for a long time... I hope you will like them."
Actually, she was still a little uneasy because she didn't know if it would meet their expectations. Jason opened the gift first. Inside was a very beautiful and exquisite flowerpot. Inside, there were some ordinary-looking flowers planted in excellent soil. The flowers were white with silver edges, and the branches and leaves were spread out gracefully, emitting a very faint fragrance that smelled very nice and calming.
"Her name is Princess Tranquility. She is a flower that can soothe and calm the soul, and emits a faint glow at night."
“Great, this looks just like the one in Nimmando… Thanks, here you go.”
Jason had also prepared a gift—a gun. Enid hadn't expected to receive it. She blinked, surprised and delighted, and accepted it. Bruce glanced at it but didn't say anything. Instead, he opened his own gift, which was also a potted plant. Well, Damian had already opened his, and the others had all been opened as well.
Bruce received a potted plant that looked like crystal.
"This is a nightmare flower. It automatically absorbs a person's nightmares and makes their sleep more comfortable and peaceful. Once it's full, the flower will fall off. And as long as it absorbs enough nutrients in a short period of time, it can grow rapidly. The fallen flower can be made into pills. After eating them, you'll be stuck in nightmares for at least a month." Enid excitedly explained the plant's uses to Bruce.
“This looks really good. Maybe it will give the clown a good nightmare?” Barbara said with a hint of a joke. Bruce reached out and gently touched its petals, silently agreeing.
"Then perhaps Miss Fia could tell me what this is?" Afu pointed to a vine that was taller than him, which was somewhat reminiscent of Poison Ivy. Well, at least it looked pink and inexplicably pitiful.
"She can chop vegetables and sweep the floor! She has chosen her master, and her only master is you, Afu. Her vines can keep growing as long as the roots are still there. Afu, you can teach her many things; she is very obedient!"
“Great idea, letting a plant cut vegetables is a wonderful idea.”
Jason spoke up abruptly, and everyone fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“But I’m curious, why do our three gifts look the same?” Barbara noticed that her gift was the same as Cassandra’s and Stephanie’s—a pendant, only the design was different for each person. Enid was a little embarrassed.
"Because after it was made, we realized that maybe we would need it all? This pendant comes with a small space of about 10 square meters that can hold a lot of things, as well as a potted orchid and a makeup box." Enid hurriedly explained the functions of each item, which she had initially set so that the owner could not take them away.
The orchid is light green and can bloom every day. It grows rapidly. The white flowers can be steeped in water to beautify the skin, refresh the mind, and promote sleep. The black flowers can soothe the body and promote better sleep quality and accelerate recovery. The cosmetic box is very small, only the size of a palm, but it can hold all the commonly used cosmetics. It is also very convenient to take them out and will never expire.
After hearing the introduction, the boys were somewhat envious, while Tim, looking at the pot of red grass with green fruit in his hand, had a bad feeling.
"Maybe this is coffee?"
“Actually, it’s somewhat similar,” Enid touched her nose. “The green berries are inedible, but they can be burned. The aroma of burning them is invigorating, and the powder left after burning has the same effect without any side effects—just a sniff is enough! And the herb itself has a scent that can quickly induce sleep!”
“That sounds good. Looks like Afu won’t have to confiscate my coffee this time.”
Tim shrugged helplessly, but at that moment Damian's gift suddenly grew a lot taller, allowing Damian to sit on it.
Everyone turned their heads and saw Damian sitting on a giant mushroom that was about 1.3 meters tall. The mushroom was a beautiful flower mushroom, somewhat like the kind in fairy tales, except that the mushroom cap was not smooth as usual, but suddenly had a pair of cat ear-like protrusions. The mushroom was quietly moving.
"A really stupid gift."
"I thought you would like it... I'm sorry, I..."
"I'll take it. What's her name?"
"She doesn't have a name yet, you can give her one!"
Enid, who had initially thought Damian wouldn't like it after hearing his words, suddenly became quite happy. Dick, who had seen through everything, couldn't help but laugh, and then secretly sent Enid a message: "Little D actually likes it a lot." After sending it, he quickly changed the subject before Damian could see it.
"Then tell me what functions this has?"
“I’m sorry, she…” Enid looked a little embarrassed at the vine in Dick’s arms, “She can tell corny jokes and tie people up, okay? During the testing, I found that she really likes to tie up enemies, spank them, and then tell corny jokes. Maybe I’ll definitely be of help to your night patrol work?”
Dick's smile froze for a moment, but it was met with a burst of laughter from everyone else.
A note from the author:
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Both ① and ② are excerpts from "Celtic Myths and Legends", with ② being the original content from "Celtic Myths and Legends".
Using this legend of not being from the same hometown, there's no particular foreshadowing, so there's no need to worry about it mirroring the fates of characters in mythology. It's simply a slightly dry joke. The blonde Nanmu is the daughter of the king of the Kingdom of Youth, meaning she's a princess, and Aura means Golden Princess. Okay, I find it hilarious (eyes shift).
I'll write about the other people's return gifts later, and also what names you think Damian will give the mushrooms —
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