1323-1328

Chapter 1323: Path to Awakening

"What exactly went wrong?"

Not only was Rhode puzzled by that, but the holy sword cards were confused as well. Celestina crossed her arms and frowned as if she were thinking hard. Celia shook her head in silence. Gracier and Madaras also weren't smiling, which was uncharacteristic of them, and they stood quietly at the sides. Shira looked the same, standing beside them with a wry smile while swaying her body. Eleanor, Dona, and Catherine, on the other hand, lowered their heads and exchanged a few words with one another. But it was clear by the looks of them that they hadn't come to any useful conclusions.

"Is it due to the fact that you rarely used her?"

Eventually, it was Canary who stood at the side who broke the silence. Rhode shrugged in response. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about that aspect of it either. But then again, if that were the case, it would be a real problem. Because time was the only problem that couldn't be solved. The ones that Rhode used the most often were Celia, Celestina, Gracier, and Madaras. He barely used the other holy swords. At the very most, he would occasionally use Shira.

Rhode had rapport with the four mentioned, but his rapport with the remaining holy swords was a different story, especially in regards to Karin. Due to the fact that there was a real lack of technicians under Rhode, this holy sword spirit mostly served as a logistical technician after being summoned by him. For instance, tasks like building magical warships and whatnot were all completed by her, Lapis, and Marlene. Among them, Karin was in charge of the basics, which was the most important, so much so that although Rhode had summoned her early on, it was as though he didn't use this holy sword at all. He initially didn't think that this was going to be a problem. But now, he didn't expect this issue to come knocking on his door.

In fact, Rhode also felt like every time he used Karin, her reactions were slightly out of sync. It was like two people in a whirlpool, desperately trying to hold each other's hands. But after several attempts, either one side was faster or the other was slower; there was no tacit understanding to speak of. And it wasn't a lack of effort from Karin either. He felt like she also tried hard, but no matter how hard they tried, it was simply a waste of effort if they couldn't match up.

"That means you don't have a good understanding of her yet, Leader. Drag her to bed and that will resolve everything! You two need to know each other better by going deeper!"

Mini Bubble Gum was apparently the classic case of one who wished for the whole world to be in chaos. Of course, Canary reached out her arm and slapped the gloating Bubble on the head. Icy Snow and Christie were watching from the side. Bubble didn't know how to be cautious with her words; not everyone was as precocious as her, after all.

"Indeed, Big Brother. You have too little interactions with the other holy sword cards. You don't know one another well enough yet."

Upon hearing Bubble's words, the younger sister nodded slightly. Apparently, she also 'partially-agreed' with Bubble's remarks. In fact, even if the younger sister didn't say a thing, Rhode was aware of the problem. But this was the only problem that wasn't as easy to solve as the others. Because some things could only be solved with time. But now, even if he were to coordinate with the holy sword cards 24/7, it wouldn't be the slightest bit beneficial.

So if this was really the problem, it would be a really difficult one to solve.

It was like falling in love. Falling in love was a gradual process of getting to know each other better out of mutual admiration. And after the two parties became familiar with each other, enough to be able to handle each other's flaws, marriage was just a matter of course.

But what about a blind date? It was for the purpose of getting married in the first place and there was no basis for a relationship. It was only when one felt like it wasn't good to continue being single that one would go on a blind date. For both parties on a blind date, marriage was like a task rather than a recognition of each other from the heart. So after the blind date, as long as the other person was superficially acceptable, the two parties could get married. But because of that, the problems in each other weren't revealed. This was one of the reasons why so many blitz marriages and divorces happened. In the first place, there was no deeper understanding between them, so naturally, conflicts would occur after marriage.

If one were to use this as an analogy for the relationship between Rhode and the holy sword cards, it would be as if someone ordered them to get along and understand each other like passionate lovers in the shortest time possible, which would feel odd no matter who put it out there. So even if both sides knew it should be done, there was no shortage of mental resistance between them. Moreover, emotions were the hardest to express and easiest at leaving repercussions. Perhaps even if both sides had an affinity with each other, their hearts might still long to be somewhere else, which tantamount to tossing in vain.

"I don't think there's any other better idea."

After some consideration, Rhode finally shook his head helplessly. At least for now, he believed that this problem couldn't be resolved in a short time. And as for Bubble's remarks about dragging Karin to bed for a round or whatever, he only treated it as a joke. He knew that he would be a loser if he took the joke seriously.

"It's not like there's no way around it."

However, what surprised him was that his younger sister interrupted him with a smile on her face all of a sudden. Upon hearing her words, Rhode couldn't help but turn to her. Sensing his gaze, the younger sister smiled and winked at him.

"Big Brother, haven't you ever wondered why I created the holy sword cards?"

"What you meant is..."

Upon hearing his sister's question, Rhode was taken aback. However, he responded quickly. Indeed, if it were just about creating the Holy Sword Barrier, there was actually no need to use the holy sword cards to awaken it as there were many measures and pieces of equipment meant to protect spirits in the Dragon Soul Continent.

The younger sister could also use equipment to seal them up without binding their souls, but it would be too restrictive, where only Spirit Swordsmen could awaken the holy swords and no other profession could. And now, with his younger sister suddenly mentioning this, he was stunned. He returned to his senses shortly after.

"... Awakening?"

"Not bad, Big Brother."

Upon hearing his answer, the younger sister chuckled. Rhode twitched his brows at her reaction.

Awakening was an essential and dedicated ability for every Spirit Swordsman. But for the most part, it was rather useless. The awakening in this context wasn't referring to Spirit Swordsmen becoming Super Saiyans[1], but rather awakening of cards instead. The cards of Spirit Swordsmen were actually much like those unique cards purchased with in-game currency on mobile games. And after the card spirit reached max level, one could choose whether or not to awaken it.

If the awakening was successful, the entire card would emit a golden glow and have a few more patterns on its surface. Along with the awakening, the appearance of the card spirits would also change. But... That was about it. It was just like spending money on a hero skin; one wouldn't be able to increase the hero's offensive and defensive ratings or anything like that just because one changed its skin. As for Spirit Swordsmen, the point of awakening was for its appearance's sake for outsiders. After all, card spirits looked gorgeous after awakening, regardless of whether their strength had increased or not. At the very least, the beautiful card spirits were enough to attract a lot of people's attention after being summoned.

Of course, it wasn't surprising that when the winds howled around the highest peaks, they were often instant-killed in group battles.

That was why many experienced Spirit Swordsmen, including Rhode, wouldn't choose to awaken their cards. Because if the awakening succeeded, the card spirits would certainly become incredibly gorgeous. However, if the awakening failed, the card's loyalty and attributes would drop across the board. Not only that, but the success rate of awakening also seemed to be random. So unless one happened to be lucky enough to get some flashy card spirits that could be used for appearance's sake, the average Spirit Swordsmen wouldn't use this skill. And now that his younger sister brought it up to him, the only thing he could think of was awakening.

But this skill...

"The awakening skill may seem flashy and unrealistic in the game, but it actually isn't that simple. It was originally set up so that the card spirits and the holder could get to know each other better..." The younger sister said, raising her right hand and making a gesture. "... Just like you and Karin right now, Big Brother. Although both of you know that you should work better together, deep down. you still subconsciously resist it. This is something you may not be aware of subjectively, but it does exist. The so-called awakening is to project your spirit into the subconscious of the card spirit and make them accept you. That way, when you succeed, the issues with value will not be a problem."

"I see..."

Upon hearing the younger sister's explanation, Rhode nodded. He finally understood why the loyalty and attributes of the card spirits would fall after this skill failed in the game. Because the Spirit Swordsmen failed to make his card spirit accept him, which was why it naturally rejected him. And even if it succeeded, card spirits were just data, after all. It was impossible for them to appear in tune with the player's feelings or anything (of course, it was important to not invest emotionally in virtual characters). So, naturally, there wouldn't be any other changes except for the card spirits becoming more gorgeous.

But reality and the game world were different, after all.

"So, in other words, all I have to do is use the awakening skill on Karin, pass through her subconscious, and I'll be able to handle this tricky situation?"

That was good news for Rhode; at least, it was better than both of them having a hard time getting to know each other on a blind date.

"Yes. But Big Brother, I think you've also realized that it isn't that simple... And besides..." The younger sister paused for a moment, looked at the crowd, and revealed a mysterious smile. "... Big Brother, I was hoping that you would use the awakening skill on all the holy sword cards at once."

"... Huh?"

Upon hearing his younger sister's words, even Rhode was stunned. But soon, he reckoned that this was indeed a good idea. In fact, in the midst of practice, he also found out that not only Karin, but he and the other holy sword cards also weren't that compatible. However, their problems were within permissible limits, while Karin's issues directly affected the construction of the barrier itself. That was why Rhode brought up Karin specifically. And if he could get through the subconscious of all the holy sword card spirits and get them to accept him, he could create the perfect barrier.

But...

"Is this going to take a lot of time?"

"The flow of time in the mental world is different from reality, Big Brother. It may feel like time passes very quickly in the mental world, but it actually moves really slowly in the real world. That is why even if you feel as if you're spending years in the mental world, in reality, it's only for a moment."

"I see..."

Upon hearing her explanation, Rhode couldn't help but nod and instinctively sweep a glance at Lize, who stood next to him. When she sensed his gaze, her face turned red instantly. Of course, she knew why he looked at her. Although she wasn't his card spirit, she was the only one whose mental world was entered by Rhode. That happened a long time ago. Back then, Lize hadn't confessed to him, but deep down, she was jealous of the intimacy between him and Anne. This led to her falling prey to the Mind Devil, sucking Anne and Rhode into her mental world. She also got so angry at them. However, Rhode managed to gain two cards in her mental world, which was a dark history that Lize could never forget. So up until that moment, Rhode didn't use those two cards unless necessary. Or else, Lize might hang herself in shame when she saw the two card spirits.

Of course, awakening the holy sword cards wasn't as simple as awakening the spirits of the card spirits because the holder's spirit had to be projected into the spirit's subconscious. That was why, during the process, Rhode was entirely defenseless and this sort of thing naturally couldn't be done in full view of the public. As a result, he decided to do it at night in his own bedroom.

His younger sister would watch over him to ensure that his spirit wouldn't be damaged or affected in any way. Of course, this would also require the consent of all the other holy sword card spirits. And if they disagreed, he wouldn't have the permission to enter their mental worlds and would simply be ejected. Therefore, it was also very important for him to seek the opinions of the card spirits. Fortunately, everyone was well aware of what was at stake, so they didn't complain much on that front, but quickly nodded in agreement instead.

And so, as night fell, the awakening ritual was about to begin.

"Are you ready, Big Brother?"

Looking at Rhode, who lay on the bed, as well as the 10 holy sword card spirits who were suspended in the air around him, the younger sister hesitated for a moment, before asking softly. And upon hearing her question, Rhode nodded.

"Yes, I'm ready."

Under his younger sister's narration, he also understood the entire process of awakening. The reason why she proposed to use the awakening skill on the 10 holy sword card spirits at once wasn't solely for insurance purposes. It was due to the fact that the mental worlds of the 10 card spirits were interconnected. So by using the awakening skill on them at the same time, Rhode would be able to freely travel through their mental worlds without having to deal with them one by one.

Of course, in addition to that, the most important thing to note was that in the mental world, he would encounter more than one projection of the card spirits. Not only that, but the spirit projections would also have no memory of him at all. This meant that his existence was completely foreign to them. Only when he was fully acknowledged by the spirit projections would their memories be linked to their external body, thus restoring the part of their memory about him. And only after dealing with the spirit projections in the mental world, Rhode would be considered to have officially obtained the recognition of the holy sword card spirits and completed the entire process of awakening.

"I hope you can remember, Big Brother, that the spirit projections are likely to have a completely different personality from their actual selves. So you'd better not treat them with the same attitude. The mental world is the spirit projection's home turf and if you infuriate them too much, there's a good chance you'll do damage to your own spirit. So you need to be careful to protect yourself and not get hurt or let anyone else get hurt."

Even though the younger sister didn't explain too much, Rhode knew exactly what she meant. The mental world was a fragile thing. Whether it was his own spirit projection or that of the card spirits, if his spirit projection was harmed, he would be hurt as well. If the card spirits received damage to their mental worlds, they would also face issues. In that case, any slight instability would most likely turn into factors that would cause irreparable damage to their original selves.

That was why this proposal from the younger sister could be said to be a beneficial, yet risky one. And if Rhode were able to complete the test flawlessly, the situation would naturally be perfect. But if something went wrong with him, no matter where the problem occurred, it was conceivable that the Holy Sword Barrier would basically be out of luck.

Despite the risks, Rhode agreed to his younger sister's suggestion. Because he was absolutely confident in himself.

"Let's start."

After making sure that he was completely ready, Rhode took a deep breath, turned to his younger sister, and said. When she heard his words, she simply nodded, walked to the side, extended her fair, slender finger, and pointed at the holy sword card spirits in midair. Along with this action, a bright light emanated from the holy sword card spirits. In the blink of an eye, the brilliance connected the 10 of them, all of whom surrounded Rhode. Upon looking at this scene, Rhode muted his facial expression, continued to lay on the bed, and closed his eyes.

Shortly after, dazzling magical rays of light erupted with him at the center, forming a revolving summoning ritual circle that enveloped all 10 holy sword card spirits. Then, a blinding radiance flashed.

At the next moment, the entire room restored its serenity.

[1] An advanced transformation assumed by members and hybrids of the Saiyan race in the Dragon Ball franchise.

Chapter 1324: City of White (1)

Entering the subconscious could be said to be both a short and long process for Rhode. It was like a dream, where one felt like it had happened for a long time, but, in fact, it had only been a moment. This was one's mental world, which was not always about the person themselves. It wasn't entirely unreasonable to say that the person who knew themselves the least was often themselves. Even if one were as sane and indifferent as one could be, one couldn't completely grasp one's mental world. Even robots could make logical errors due to various incidents, not to mention humans whose minds were a thousand times more complex.

After an unknown amount of time, Rhode finally felt his feet setting foot on solid ground. He opened his eyes and the blurry scenery before him became clearer. Although he had already prepared himself mentally, after looking at the scenery before him, he couldn't help but stare with curiosity.

What appeared before him was an endless grassland, as well as an azure sky, which didn't seem to be out of the ordinary. The problem wasn't this beautiful scenery either, but something that appeared amongst it—a white city.

Of course, if it were just an ordinary city, Rhode wouldn't be so surprised. As a matter of fact, instead of a city, it looked more like the scribbles of a child. There were heavy, crooked black lines, square windows that were clearly not drawn neatly, a gate made of childish-looking fruit candies, cookie-paved roads, rivers flowing with fruit juice, and walls that looked like they were made out of marshmallows... And a sweet aroma of appetizing food lingered in the air.

"Have I entered Lilian's mental world?"

Looking at this scene with an odd expression, Rhode reached out his hand and scratched his head. He would totally accept the explanation that this childish and crooked 'candy city' before him belonged to Lilian's inner landscape. But unfortunately... According to the order, he should have entered Celia's inner world instead.

"Celia?"

Rhode swore to God that he never thought that the battle angel who was always calm and quiet would have such a childish side. This was really surprising to him. But despite that, it was the truth that he had entered the deepest part of her mental world, and the most unknown side of her. Perhaps even Celia didn't even know that she possessed such a mental world.

No matter what, this mental world seemed rather peaceful and wasn't as sinister and evil as he had imagined. The reason why there were so many issues in Lize's mental world was mainly due to the fact that she was taken advantage of by the Mind Devil, which unrestrictedly amplified the negative emotions within her. But this time, through his younger sister's guidance, Rhode entered the card spirits' mental world peacefully, so there wouldn't be any troubles as evil or dangerous as the Mind Devil.

Rhode's curiosity about Celia's mental world lasted for only an instant and soon after, he lowered his guard. Since this place wasn't dangerous, all that was left was to complete his mission. Although everyone's mental world was full of bizarre happenings, there were always things in common. And now, he was going to find the 'real Celia' in this mental world and earn her recognition. Of course, he couldn't come up with anything just by standing here, so he had to take this one step at a time.

At this thought, Rhode lifted his head and strolled toward the white city.

While the grassland and sky around him appeared normal, everything started to become strange when he arrived at the bridge built of biscuits. He stared at the gate before him, which was made entirely of fluffy cream cake and considered how he should open it. He extended his arm and pushed the gate, only to end up sinking his entire arm into it.

"Who's there!"

And at that moment, along with the sudden yell, two figures flew down from the city wall from the left and right and arrived in front of Rhode. Upon meeting them, Rhode was stunned. They looked undoubtedly like Celia, wearing the set of battle angel armor Rhode remembered, and their expressions were no different from the Celia he knew. The only difference was that there were two of them standing before him right now. They were like twins, exactly the same without any visible differences in the slightest. They held spears in their hands, gazing at him sternly as if he were an odd visitor. As long as he acted suspiciously, they would stab him with the spear and teach him a lesson.

Forget about whether or not they could cause any harm to him; since the two spears in their hands were made entirely of candy sticks, they must taste really nice.

"Greetings, I am a traveler from the outside world. My name is Rhode."

In response to the two Celias' question, Rhode didn't explain himself, but quickly introduced himself instead. He knew that this was Celia's mental world. But even so, they wouldn't recognize him. Because this was the most secret area of Celia's innermost heart, where even she wasn't aware of its existence. That was why it was natural that this place didn't know anything about Celia's outside world, and it was normal for them not to know him. If they did know who he was, it would then be really strange instead.

"Traveler from the outside world?"

Upon hearing Rhode's introduction, the two Celias exchanged puzzled looks with each other. Shortly after, as though recalling something, they revealed warm, passionate smiles.

"Oh, I see. You must be here for Her Majesty Honey Queen's annual Sugar Pot Extravaganza too, aren't you! We're so delighted that word of our grand event has finally spread to the outside world... Welcome, traveler from the outside world, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself to the fullest here."

"I'm looking forward to it."

After hearing their words, Rhode didn't say too much. He pretty much figured out what was going on here. Since they had already said so, he was happy to go along with them since it was quite troublesome to explain his situation, anyway. Since they found a good reason for him, it would be a waste if he didn't use it. That was why he kept quiet and went along with what they said. As expected, after hearing his answer, the two Celias grinned

"We're sure you'll be pleased, Traveler. We promise that our Sugar Pot Extravaganza will not disappoint you."

With that said, the two Celias held out their hands in an inviting gesture to Rhode. Then, they put a knife and fork into his hand.

"This is..."

After looking at the knife and fork in his hand, Rhode shifted his gaze to the two of them with some confusion. Upon sensing his puzzlement, the two Celias smiled warmly, stood on both sides, and made an inviting gesture to him as if they were welcoming guests.

"Please."

"..."

Upon hearing their response, Rhode looked once more at the knife and fork in his hand, before gazing at the gate in front of him, which was made up of fluffy cream cake. He twitched his eyes in disbelief. This gate must be almost two meters thick, right?

Fortunately, the two Celias weren't going to let him finish the whole of the cake gate, but just let him eat his way in. But even so, that was more than enough for him to take. He wasn't a girl, after all, and his liking for sweets wasn't really that strong. Like most men, he only occasionally had sweets. But this time... He felt as if he were about to swallow the amount of cake that he would have in his entire lifetime. Even though he only had to eat a one-man-sized entrance for himself through the two-meter-thick cake gate, it still gave him quite a headache. And if it weren't for the two Celias watching from the side, he would have just thrown all of the cake into the river of juice to destroy it. Of course, in the end, he finished the cake on his own will and as for how he felt... Well, that was another story.

"Phew..."

After 'eating' into the gate, the two Celias turned around, flapped their wings, and left in satisfaction. After Rhode witnessed the two Celias leaving, he let out a sigh of relief and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead. Oh, Lord. He would rather go out and fight Chaos 300 more rounds than take another bite of cake again.

But soon, he found out that his difficulties were more than just cake. After entering the city, he realized that this city wasn't as deserted as he thought it was. On the contrary, it was just as lively as a city in any other world. Drivers handling their wagons, vendors selling their goods and merchandise, and working civilians... Everything was no different from an ordinary city.

The only problem was that all of them were Celia.

Taking a stroll down the street, Rhode saw different Celias dressed as a groom, farmer, elegant noblewoman, and enthusiastic vendor... It literally felt as if she were 'cosplaying' and Rhode didn't know how to tell the difference between them. All in all, he just felt like his eyes were completely confused.

"This is going to be a problem..."

Looking at the dense number of Celias in front of him, Rhode knitted his brows. He was sure that Celia's true projection of herself was among them. He thought that finding her wouldn't be so difficult. But now, it didn't look easy at all. Although this 'candy city' resembled a child's world and seemed more like a small, simulated city in a children's play area, there were hundreds of Celia around and it would take a lot of time for Rhode to find the real Celia and earn her acknowledgment, not to mention the fact that he couldn't even figure out how to spot the real her.

Which is the real Celia?

At this thought, Rhode frowned. He pondered for a moment, but eventually shook his head and walked down the avenue toward the palace. According to the two Celias from before, they would inform Her Majesty Honey Queen of his arrival. Originally, Rhode didn't know who that Honey Queen was, but now it seemed like it was probably another Celia. In terms of status, that Celia should be the true one.

Among the many 'Celias', Rhode's appearance was naturally quite eye-catching, where almost everyone looked at him curiously. But in the face of these gazes, he remained calm and walked along the only street in this city of candy until he reached the front of the palace.

Although it was said to be a palace, it was nothing more than a three-story building stacked from biscuits. Just like a children's candy house, the walls were made of biscuits, while the pillars were cakes, and the steps and floor were flakes of candy. The whole palace had a sweet and delicious scent to it. If any girl were to witness this scene, she might not be able to stop drooling. But Rhode didn't feel this way at all. Instead, he looked at the biscuit palace in front of him with a bitter and pained expression. The taste of the cake that he forced into his stomach and had a hard time forgetting once again resurfaced in his head...

"Candy house, huh... I wonder if there are any man-eating old hags living there."

Rhode soliloquized and shook his head, forcing himself to forget the painful memories from before. The cake itself tasted great, but if one were forced to eat several cakes and could still manage to keep a straight face, that would be a problem.

Unlike the 'bustling' city, there was no one on this side of the 'palace'. From the moment he walked through the entrance of the palace to the atrium, he hadn't seen a single person. Only when he came to the stairway did he see the two 'Celias' who greeted him at the entrance of the city, and the only reason why he recognized them was because they wore the same armor as before.

"Greetings, Traveler. We have reported your arrival to Her Majesty. She is very pleased to have a traveler attending the Sugar Pot Extravaganza. She wishes to meet you and personally show you how to enjoy this feast. So please follow me, Her Majesty is waiting for you."

"It is my great honor."

Upon hearing the words of two guards, Rhode saluted and let out a long breath. If there were no mistakes, this queen should be the real Celia he was searching for.

At this thought, Rhode's spirits lifted, and he followed the two guards up the stairs and arrived at the entrance of the hall located on the second floor.

"Your Majesty, the traveler has arrived."

"Let him in."

Celia's voice, which had a hint of arrogance and pride, sounded from behind the candy door. Upon hearing that voice, Rhode couldn't help but feel a little amused as the corners of his mouth perked up. After all, the Celia he knew was a meek, peaceful, and somewhat rigid person. And now, after hearing her tone of voice that sounded like she was imitating Celestina, it was rather interesting. Despite that, Rhode also felt like this voice didn't seem to be the same as the Celia he remembered, but sounded a bit childish instead.

But before he could think about anything else, the door had already opened. He threw those nonsensical thoughts to the back of his head and entered the hall, only to meet the owner of that voice. However, after seeing the figure before him clearly, he stood dazedly on the spot.

Sitting on the luxurious throne made of pudding and honey embellishments was a little girl in a gorgeous dress, who looked about six or seven year old. Her curly, blonde hair framed her small face of baby-fat and she looked exceptionally adorable. At that moment, behind her was a pair of small wings fluttering and waving along with their owner's movements. But it was obvious that they weren't of much use. The little girl let out a cough as soon as she saw Rhode strolling into the hall. She reached out her tiny hands and fiddled with the crown on her head, which seemed to be made from egg rolls. Then, she crossed her arms and looked at him with a smug look.

... That's Celia?

Looking at the little girl in front of him, Rhode tried his best to not burst out laughing. Fortunately, an expressionless face was his natural disguise. If not, seeing this girl in front of him who acted as if she were playing a game of kings, Rhode would have been seen laughing already. And for a moment, he even instinctively touched his pocket to see if he had brought his phone with him. It would be funny if he took a picture of Celia in this form to show the rest!

But this was only a fun thought of his. After all, this was a mental world and also the most private of all places. Whatever happened here shouldn't be made known to others.

"I've heard from the guards. Welcome to my kingdom, traveler."

The loli version of Celia said and nodded to Rhode while pretending to be very dignified.

"As the first traveler to attend my country's grand ceremony, the Sugar Pot Extravaganza, I will bestow upon you the highest honor, and you will join me in enjoying the most magnificent and delicious desserts and cakes at this ceremony!" With that said, the loli version of Celia raised her right hand and held it out to Rhode. "Come, traveler, to my side! Let me give you a good taste of our kingdom's grand event!"

"As you command, Your Majesty."

In response to her invitation, Rhode bowed respectfully.

Seems like this is the only way to continue my search for now.

Chapter 1325: City of White (2)

When Rhode followed the loli version of Celia to the balcony of the 'palace', the streets and scenery below had changed completely. It was now decorated with bright lights, reflecting the atmosphere of a feast. Even the balcony was also filled with a variety of sumptuous desserts. Really, there were only desserts.

Rhode wasn't too surprised since this was just how the mental world worked. As long as one wanted to change something in one's mental world, it would transform in just the blink of an eye. But when he saw the pile of desserts in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a little nauseous. His stomach was still stuffed with the chunks of cake he ate at the gate. He didn't know what would become of him if he had more slices. On the other hand, he remembered the times he went out with his girlfriends on dates. No matter which one of them, their eyes were wide-opened whenever they saw cake or dessert. Although most of them didn't really eat much due to fear of gaining weight and other reasons, he could see that they were capable of devouring much more dessert, than him. This made him wonder. His appetite was clearly much bigger than theirs, so why was it the other way around when it came to dessert? Could it be like what Canary said, that desserts were stored in a woman's second stomach?

The loli version of Celia wore a gorgeous robe and walked rather imposingly with her feet splaying outward. Rhode followed behind her, but tried his hardest to not laugh out loud. Right now, Celia was as if a little kid who was learning how to be an adult. It was especially so when she looked truly like a child, which made her actions look even more adorable.

Shortly after, the little queen stepped onto the balcony, stretched out her hand, and beckoned. The two guards next to her skillfully took out two boxes made of biscuits. The little queen stood on the boxes, smiled proudly, and waved to the people in the square below. Upon witnessing the appearance of the queen, all the Celias in the banquet square stopped whatever they were doing and cheered loudly. Hearing the cheers of her 'subjects', the little queen showed a satisfied look, waved her hand at her 'subjects', and announced.

"My people! The great annual celebration, Sugar Pot Extravaganza, is here again! On this day, the most delicious desserts and juices are served and everything is in unlimited supply! There are no limits, so take as much as you want!"

"Oooooh!"

Upon hearing the queen's speech, all her 'subjects' let out loud cheers, to which Rhode couldn't help but shake his head and laugh bitterly on the inside. He never thought that Celia was as naive as a child despite looking so collected on the outside. Being able to eat sweets without restriction? Perhaps only a child would have such desires. And now, it seemed like this candy kingdom might be the embodiment of Celia's innermost childlike side?

And just as these thoughts flashed through Rhode's mind, the voice of the little queen rang in his ears once again.

"Not only that, but this time, a traveler from out of town has also come to our grand event. So let us give a warm welcome to our guest!"

"Oooooh!"

After hearing the little queen's announcement, the 'subjects' shouted all at once. And upon seeing their expressions, Rhode could only smile, arrive at the balcony, and wave a greeting to the crowd below under the anticipative gaze of the little queen. When the crowd saw his response, they were also really enthusiastic in their cheers. Probably due to the fact that his actions made the little queen really satisfied, she didn't say anything more, but jumped down from the box with the help of two guards and declared the official start of the ceremony.

Along with the cracking fireworks, the candy fest had officially kicked off. A band (consisting of all Celias, of course) came out from nowhere and played musical instruments made of ginger candy. Meanwhile, the crowd spread themselves out and ate the desserts placed on the table with great excitement. For some reason, this scene made Rhode feel as if he were at the opening of some self-service bakery. A mountain of sweets and treats piled up all over the banquet hall, filling the place with the scent and aroma of candies. Sure, it might be heaven for women with a sweet tooth, but not so much for him. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to turn around and leave just yet. Because right now, the little queen was holding his hand and sitting at the table, personally picking sweets for him.

"Here, traveler, try this cake. This fruit candy is delicious too. And this cookie! I love the honey on top. And this... This... This..." The little queen had lost all her disguise as an adult before Rhode. She was like a real child offering treasures to an adult, putting everything she liked on his plate. Meanwhile, Rhode sat helplessly in front of the table with a somewhat twitchy smile as he stared at the variety of desserts stacking up on his plate. Oh, Lord, he had no doubt that if he ate all of them, he would definitely throw up. As the saying 'there was a limit to everything' went, it was fine having desserts once in a while. But if one were to eat it all the time, even someone who loved sweets probably couldn't stand it, not to mention Rhode, who disliked eating them in the first place. This was tantamount to torture for him.

Fortunately, apart from the dessert, there was also fruit juice. Rhode took a sip and although he didn't know what kind of fruit the juice was made from, it was refreshing and appetizing. If he had more of these drinks, he might actually be able to swallow the pile of sweets that gave him a headache just by looking at it.

Come to think of it, was there such a thing as tooth decay in the mental world?

"Reporting, Your Majesty! Something bad happened!"

Just as Rhode pondered about this strange question to escape the reality before him, an anxious voice shattered his thought. He raised his head, turned toward the direction where the voice sounded, and saw one of the two guards fluttering her wings and gliding over in midair hurriedly. She looked anxious and terrified as she rushed in front of the little queen. Upon seeing her guard in such a desperate state, the little queen was obviously dissatisfied. She tensed up her little face immediately.

"What happened? Don't be so panicky. Watch yourself in front of the guest!"

It was indeed quite amusing that a small child like her was telling someone older than her to watch herself, especially after considering the fact that both of them were actually one person. Although the little queen looked young, she seemed to hold quite a lot of authority. The guard calmed down a lot after hearing her disgruntled complaints. But even so, the heavy look on her face didn't change too much.

"It's bad, Your Majesty. That giant monster is at it again!"

"What?"

Upon hearing the report from her subject, the little queen was taken aback and her little face turned white. She stood up and stared at the guard before her in astonishment. Looking at this scene, Rhode also raised his eyebrows. It was obvious that he could tell that there was indeed a problem. So, what exactly was it about?

Rumble...!

However, before Rhode finished his thought, he felt the building and ground beneath him shaking, followed by a deep rumble. At that moment, the banquet hall was no longer as lively as before. The 'subjects' who had been enjoying dessert in the banquet square happily were now running around in panic, scattering as if they were fleeing. Not only that, but the musicians also tossed their instruments aside and turned around to leave. In the blink of an eye, the bustling banquet hall became deserted. And when the little queen saw this scene, her expression became incomparably ugly. Despite that, she didn't say anything more, but turned around and looked at Rhode immediately instead.

"Take our honorable guest down to the shelter immediately! Move fast!"

At that moment, the little queen finally showed her reliable side. Or rather, when Rhode saw this side of her, he nodded inwardly. Although Celia looked completely different now, she was still Celia, after all. This was just the way she reacted whenever she became serious. But it was no surprise, after all, since they were all the same person. It wasn't like two souls inhabited one body. It would be even stranger to say that their personalities were different.

But unfortunately, it was too late now. When the guard heard the little queen's command and about to bring Rhode away, along with the trembling ground, a tall shadow rose and enveloped the palace before it. And after seeing the true face of that shadow, even Rhode was shocked.

It was also Celia, but she was much taller than the rest and even several times taller than the city walls. She was nearly ten meters in height and looked just like a giant. Not only that, but she was also completely naked. Rhode watched as this Celia strutted to the wall, reached out her arms, grabbed the soft walls, and forcefully stuffed it into her mouth.

"Damn it! It's that wretched monster who's come to rob us of our treasures again. We mustn't let her get away with it this time! Onward, my guards, destroy this monster!"

Upon seeing the giant Celia feasting on the wall in front of her, the little queen was apparently fuming. She waved her hands in exasperation, stomped her feet hard, and glared at the giant with angry eyes. Then, she stretched out her hands and gave orders to her guards. As soon as they heard the little queen's order, the two guards immediately raised their spears high in their hands, flapped their wings, and flew over to the giant. Along with their actions, dozens of guards who were dressed similarly and lifting their own spears made of candy also flew toward the giant.

"..."

Looking at this scene, Rhode twitched the corner of his eye. He was almost certain how things were going to turn out next. Despite that, he didn't want to offer help because up until that moment, he hadn't been able to figure out exactly which Celia was the one he was looking for. Previously, he thought that the little queen was the true Celia. But now, he was a little confused. After all, such things on a mental level were the hardest thing to differentiate, so he had no choice but to hold down his inner thoughts and focus on the 'fight' before him.

And just as he thought, the guards' attacks were of no effect on the giant at all. To the contrary, the giant waved her arms and struck the guards away. The spears they held that were made from candy were naturally bitten and devoured by the giant. After losing their weapons, although the guards continued attacking the intruder unyieldingly, their actions were simply in vain. The giant didn't even look at them for more than a second. Instead, after eating her way through the walls, she strolled into the city, reached out her arms, grabbed the houses that were made from a combination of cookies and desserts, and feasted on them.

This scene looked as though a child breaking into a model house built of candy. When one saw cakes decorated with exquisite flowers, houses made of dark chocolate, as well as fruits arranged around them, wouldn't one be impressed by the beautiful, art-like desserts in front of one?

As the houses were being demolished and eaten by the giant, the house owners ran out in panic, screaming and fleeing in all directions.

At that moment, they were finally reminded of the horror and humiliation of having a block of houses that they worked so hard to build eaten in their faces...

"Damn it! You villain! I curse your teeth to decay! You baddie!"

Looking at her city being destroyed, the little queen stood on the balcony and stomped her feet in wrath. However, that giant seemed to have gotten used to her yelling as she simply ignored and tore down more houses, while feasting on the debris. After making a mess out of the entire city, the giant finally seemed satisfied. She patted her round belly, turned around, and left, leaving behind an ugly mess...

The candy city right now was totally unlike what it looked like when Rhode first arrived. If it were said that the candy city looked like a fairy tale castle in a child's scribbles before, it looked like a wreck now after being swept away by a powerful whirlwind. Looking at this scene before her, the little queen stood silently on the balcony. Rhode also noticed that as the little one stared at the devastated city, she also bit her lip and showed an unwilling expression. Soon, her eyes turned red and glistening tears welled up in her eyes, before sliding down her cheeks.

"This... This... Your Majesty, please don't be sad. We're lucky that nobody is hurt, aren't we?"

After witnessing the little queen sobbing, Rhode didn't want to say anything. However, there was no one else around him, so he could only go and comfort the little fella. It would be fine if he didn't say a word because as soon as he spoke, the little fella cried even louder.

"Boo-Hoo———! I'm so sorry, Big Brother. I wanted to let you enjoy our banquet, but I didn't expect it to be ruined by that villain. I'm sorry. So sorry..."

"Okay, okay. Don't cry. It looks a little messy back there, but I still feel your passion and understand your intention. So, don't cry, okay?"

Looking at the little queen who wiped her tears and apologized, Rhode had a bad headache. That was why he had no choice but to grab the candy beside him while comforting her with kind words. After all, the little one was just a six or seven-year-old child. Under his kind words of comfort, she finally stopped crying. But even so, her face was still red. She sobbed, clenched her hands, and displayed an unconvinced look.

"B-But... This isn't the first time it happened, Big Brother. That monster always comes and messes with us while we're hosting a party. But my guards can't do anything with her... Our weapons can't hurt her either..."

Of course their weapons didn't hurt her. Rhode had never heard of candies inflicting more lethal damage than weapons... Apart from some bizarre ones.

And just as Rhode criticized inwardly, he suddenly saw the eyes of the little queen lighting up before him. Then, she reached out and grabbed his clothes, staring at the sword hanging from his waist.

"Big Brother, that's a sword, right? It's a sword!"

"Yes, it is one..."

Although he didn't know what the little queen was trying to say, Rhode nodded in agreement. And upon hearing his answer, the little queen jumped up in excitement.

"Yes! This is awesome!"

While she cheered, she held her hands up high and stared at Rhode with a bright twinkle in her widened eyes.

"The stories say that the brave with the sword is capable of slaying the monster. Big Brother, can you help us kill that monster?"

Chapter 1326: City of White (3)

What exactly is this situation?

Looking at the wilderness before him, Rhode stretched out his arm blankly to scratch his head. After he agreed to the little queen's request, she sent someone to escort him out of the city. Later, he didn't even know what happened. He simply witnessed a flash in his vision and was transported to this deserted wilderness the next second. Everywhere was empty. The candy city from before was nowhere to be seen. But that didn't surprise him much, since this was how it was in a mental world. And if one were to make sense of everything, perhaps it would be meaningless other than confusing one even more.

"Alright then, looks like I'll need to defeat that giant next, huh?"

Reaching out to hold the sword hilt at his waist, Rhode forced a smile. Even though he brought the sword along with him just in case, the truth was that he never thought of using it. Because the mental world was a very sensitive place, where everything was a projection of its owner's innermost mind. If one were hurt or killed, it would leave a profound impact on the owner's mental world. His younger sister had also warned him solemnly that in the mental world, the amount of strength one had was useless.

The most important thing here was to rely on the mouth. Whoever could convince the other party would be the boss. Using brute force was the most unwise choice, so even if the little queen wanted Rhode to destroy that giant, he couldn't just foolishly run up to her and swing his blade. Since the giant appeared in Celia's appearance, it meant that the giant was also a part of Celia's innermost mind. And if Rhode destroyed her, perhaps his task would fail completely. That was also why the guards around the little queen held weapons made of candy.

This was Celia's mental world. If she set her heart on it, even steel and laser swords would surely be at her disposal. But that would cause damage, after all, so she subconsciously wouldn't use them. It was like how one would resist instinctively even when one wielded a dagger and tried to stab oneself in the heart. But if one were to hold a plastic toy sword, one would be fine no matter where one hit. The same went for the candy weapons around the little queen.

But even so, Rhode nodded and agreed to the little queen's request, before heading to have a negotiation with the giant version of Celia.

"Come to think of it, I don't really understand them at all."

Strolling on the wilderness and recalling the scene earlier, Rhode couldn't help but mumble to himself. Up until that moment, he recalled that he indeed didn't know much about the holy sword card spirits, not even Celia, who had followed him the longest. He didn't know what their true identities were when they were still alive because whenever he talked about this topic, the card spirits hummed and hawed, which was why he didn't pursue the question further. And now, it didn't seem like it was just due to a lack of skill that he couldn't work well with the holy sword card spirits.

Take Celia, for instance. All he knew about her was that she was a battle angel and that she used to be of high status. But as for what exactly she did, how high a status she possessed, exactly what kind of status she had, and what feats she had once performed, Rhode had no idea at all.

Celestina was also the same. He didn't understand her as well as Celia. The only thing he knew was that Celestina was a great demon of hell and that was all. Of course, due to the 'intimacy' between them in the past, Rhode had a much better grasp of her psychological activities and personality than Celia. But other than that, he knew nothing about Celestina. For instance, although she was a great demon from hell, in his opinion, she didn't actually have the tactfulness and composure of one. In that regard, she was a complete amateur. In that case, Rhode was certain that she didn't grow up in hell. Or else with a character like hers, she would have been really lucky to not be sold out. Though on the surface, she seemed evil and loved death, killing, blood, and corpses, this was a demon's nature, after all, and it was impossible to change. But apart from that, Rhode didn't notice any areas that could be nurtured by the environment. In that case, it could only prove that Celestina wasn't raised in hell, but grew up on the main plane instead.

As for Gracier and Madaras, his knowledge of them was only limited to their status. This time, Rhode didn't embarrass himself any further. At the very least, he knew that they were once princesses of the elves. But unfortunately, that was all he knew. Their background was even trickier than the previous two. And for Celia and Celestina, he was still able to make inferences from the information both of them revealed inadvertently. But Gracier and Madaras never said a word, so it was hard getting any information out of them.

As for Shira with the crazy mind, ordinary people had no way of understanding her. For instance, if it weren't for Celestina's slip of the tongue, Rhode wouldn't know that Shira, who looked like a sadist on the outside, was actually a complete masochist on the inside, which didn't match her at all.

Rhode couldn't understand these cards that he often used well enough, not to mention the likes of Little Five and Karin. Little Five and Karin were really just ordinary card spirits with a superior-subordinate relationship to him. And now, even in Celia's mental world, he found himself getting caught unprepared. What would happen to him after he entered the mental worlds of the rest?

At this thought, he shook his head and threw his worries aside for later. At least for now, his most important goal was to take care of that giant in front of him. If there were no way to deal with that giant, he didn't even need to consider the next. Moreover, he was aware of the heavy burden he was carrying. Celia was the one who had been with him the longest and saved his life more than once while he was in danger. If he couldn't even get her acknowledgement, wouldn't it be even more ruinous for Karin, Little Five, Eleanor, Dona, and Catherine, who he had basically nothing to do with?

According to the younger sister, she had used her power to connect the mental worlds of all 10 of them together. Although there was no way to communicate and view the situation in front of them through a spiritual connection like in his system, any fluctuations in one's mental world would be noticed by the others. If Rhode were able to successfully gain Celia's acknowledgement, the rest would also be at ease. But if he failed... How would the rest of them feel comfortable letting him into their mental world?

But the most important thing for him now was to focus on his current task before worrying and discussing other issues.

"Snore... Snore..."

Right after Rhode calmed his mind and stopped thinking about the troublesome matters, he focused his attention on the wilderness in front of him again. This time, he heard some snores from deep in the wilderness. As he walked toward the area where the sound was coming from, it wasn't long before he saw the giant.

At that moment, the ten-meter-tall giant was lying in a clearing and snoring away. She wasn't wearing any clothes and only white wings wrapped her huge body. It looked like this giant was more like a primitive person. She seemed to know absolutely nothing about shame and had no concept of enjoyment. Rhode, on the other hand, stood beside her, knitted his brows, and carefully examined her. Honestly, although she had wrapped her body with her wings, she was a giant over 10 meters tall, so she couldn't cover her entire body. In that case, he was able to get a closer look at her 'erotic side'. Come to think of it, Rhode had never teased Celia, though he had even gotten Celestina into bed with him. Maybe it was that this battle angel was too meek and honest, which made him feel a lack of sense of conquest?

Rhode admired Celia's body curiously. He had seen quite a few naked women, and it wasn't like they weren't any better than Celia. That was why seeing her naked body didn't make him blush or become excited. On the other hand, it did pique his curiosity. This was the first time he had seen a female body enlarged to this extent. But perhaps it was because Celia was an angel, so even though her body was magnified several times, it didn't look all that scary, such as hairy arms or something...

"Hmm...?"

Even though Rhode didn't say a word, the giant seemed to notice his gaze that was sizing her up. She woke up from her sleep, opened her eyes, and let out a confused grunt. After turning over and looking at him, she widened her eyes in shock, sat up, and stared at him.

"Who are you?"

Her voice was literally like a thunderclap echoing in his ears. But it also seemed like the giant didn't have a particularly clear idea of him either. Rhode expected her to scream and jump up after seeing him just like any other women. After all, she wasn't wearing any clothes. But to his amazement, she didn't have any reaction to it, like a child who liked running around naked and was oblivious to the gaze of others. The giant supported herself with her hands on the ground as she sat up. The two huge lumps on her chest the size of a hill dangled in front of his eyes. She didn't even seem to be aware that her private parts were exposed to him. She just stared at him curiously as if looking at some rare specimen that she had never seen before.

"Greetings, I'm Rhode. I am a traveler from the outside world."

Facing the giant, Rhode introduced himself again. Upon hearing his introduction, the giant's eyes glinted instantly.

"You came from the outside world? No wonder I don't remember seeing you before... Is the outside world fun? What are you doing here? Did you come here for something interesting?"

At that moment, the giant was like a curious baby, asking question after question. And in the face of her questions, Rhode patiently answered one by one. Celia didn't seem to care much about the situation in the outside world. Instead, she was curious about why Rhode showed up here. When she heard that he was here to participate in the candy feast, her eyes brightened up.

"Oh, you love sweet things too! I have some with me... Here you go!"

The giant said, turned over, and reached her hand into a cave to grab a bunch of candies and biscuits, before laying them out in front of Rhode one by one.

"This is really tasty... This isn't too bad either... Yes, this is wonderful..."

As Rhode watched the giant presenting her candies and stacking them in front of him like she was offering treasures, he suddenly felt as if this scene was déjà vu all over again.

"Why did you wreck the Honey Queen's ceremony?"

Looking at her exuberant appearance, Rhode pondered for a while and finally took the opportunity to ask. Of course, he didn't intend to kill her right away. If it were said that he didn't clarify things yet, now, after some interactions with her, he was convinced that there was no difference between the giant and little queen; they were both naive children. It seemed like there was no unbreakable hatred between them and that the little queen was just saying things out of spite when she said she wanted him to kill her. And now, Rhode was thinking about how to unravel the conflict between both sides. Disputes between children could be huge or small and if there was no particular or deep hatred, the conflict would resolve itself over time.

"Ugh..."

Upon hearing Rhode's question, the giant, who had been in high spirits a moment ago, suddenly pouted and revealed a dissatisfied expression.

"I didn't want to do it either. But... But... I was hungry... I eat everyday, but I don't feel full at all... And there is also no food in other places... It wasn't like this in the past..."

Although the giant's narrative was somewhat incoherent, by Rhode's analysis of the situation, he finally understood the whole story. It turned out that she was born in this wilderness and was a giant since birth. But the fruits of the wilderness couldn't fill her belly at all, so she shifted her attention to the candy city. At first, she went to the candy city just to ask for some food. But perhaps due to her size, she scared the people, and the little queen and her guards also chased her away. After trying for a few times to no avail, she became a little discontent.

In her opinion, she just wanted some food. And if one didn't want to give her food, there wasn't a need to drive her away. That was why she became angry and 'power grew from within'... Perhaps this phrase shouldn't be used here, but, as a matter of fact, she returned to the candy city and robbed the city again, taking advantage of her huge size. Previously, she was just a cowardly person and didn't dare to confront them. But now, she was angry, which was why she naturally retaliated against them. And in the face of her attacks, the guards wielding candy-weapons couldn't stop her at all, thus letting her pillage a whole lot of candies and desserts with ease.

Thereafter, she, who had gotten a taste of sweetness, decided to start living this way. She spent her days in the wilderness eating candies and desserts that she had stored up. Once her supplies were emptied, she would head to the candy city to 'replenish' her stocks and bring them back as reserves. And up until that moment, she had pillaged the candy city for up to four times—no wonder the little queen was so annoyed. If one were in her shoes, one would surely be furious for having one's city broken into and having things snatched away.

"I see..."

Upon hearing her words, Rhode nodded. After pondering for a moment, he asked.

"So, if the Honey Queen allows you to indulge in sweets in the candy city from now on, will you stop bothering them?"

Facing Rhode's question, the giant nodded.

"Of course. I was just hungry..."

"Got it."

Rhode replied and narrowed his eyes.

He had already come up with an idea to resolve this issue.

After bidding farewell to the giant, Rhode once again returned to the candy city. Just like before, he had no idea how he headed back. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he was once again transported to the entrance of the city. However, to his surprise, the little queen actually stood there with an anxious look on her face as if she were waiting for him. As soon as she saw Rhode, she scuttled toward him and held his hand worriedly.

"How was it, Ttaveler? Have you gotten rid of that annoying giant?"

Looking at the complicated gaze in the little queen's eyes, Rhode seemed to detect something. He answered with a smile.

"That's right, Your Majesty. I've followed your orders and slaughtered that giant."

"What———!"

Upon hearing his reply, not only did the little queen not reveal a happy expression, but she also turned pale and showed a sorrowful look. She looked at Rhode and asked.

"Did you really kill her?!"

Chapter 1327: City of White (4)

Faced with the little queen's panicky question, Rhode didn't answer her straight away. Rather, he stared curiously at the little one in front of him, shrugged, and asked.

"By the way, Your Majesty, I still don't know what happened between you and her. Can you tell me about it?"

"I..."

Upon hearing his question, the little queen revealed a somewhat terrified expression. Her eyes wandered to the left and right, staring at the scenery on both sides. She subconsciously pointed her fingers at each other. At that moment, anyone could tell that the little one looked like she was guilty of a crime. And upon seeing her expression, Rhode kind of figured out the situation. Earlier, it was indeed out of spite that the little queen wanted him to kill the giant. After calming down and remembering her words, perhaps she was regretting it.

If this was Celestina's mental world, maybe Rhode would be facing the cunningness of a demon. However, Celia was an angel, so no matter what her mental world was like, the fact that her essence was an angel wouldn't change. So in the end, the little queen chose to confess to him honestly.

"Actually... It's not that big of a deal. It's just that she came to us for food at first, but we didn't have that many sweets to give her, so we refused her. We didn't expect her to return and stir trouble a few times, so we tried to chase her away. But later, she took things too far and actually attacked us, so that's why I wanted to... Teach her a lesson and keep her away from our place..."

The little queen's voice became softer toward the end. It was obvious that she knew that what she was saying was a little too far from what she had asked him to do. That was why the little one felt a little guilty. Upon hearing her confession, Rhode felt relieved. It seemed like there wasn't any resolvable conflict or misunderstanding between them. What he was most afraid of was misunderstandings. Sometimes, misunderstandings were more troublesome than anything else. One might think of things one way, while the other party might think of things the other way. Even if one were to explain the situation, the other party might believe otherwise, and so forth. And now, it seemed like both parties knew where the problem was. Judging from this situation, Celia was indeed an angel. Humans in most situations like these would try to downplay the mistakes they made, before highlighting the wrongs of others. However, Rhode didn't see this problem in either of the Celias. They both complained about what they did to each other, but also knew their own problems and that made things easier for him.

"In that case, why don't you keep her around? Even though she's huge, there are some benefits she can offer, right? For example, when building a house, she can easily put them up, can't she?"

Speaking of which, Rhode remembered the story of the Lilliputians in Gulliver's Travels[1]. And now, this was like another otherworldly version of that story. By all accounts, if both sides could do what was done in that story, where the Lilliputians sewed clothes and made food for Gulliver, while Gulliver helped Lilliputians with things that he could easily do as a giant, wouldn't that be a win-win situation for them?

"Uh... It does work that way..."

Upon hearing Rhode's suggestion, the little queen put on a difficult look, pondered deeply for a moment, and murmured to herself. And looking at her embarrassed look, Rhode raised his eyebrows.

Is there something that I'm unaware of?

At this thought, he asked quickly.

"Are there more problems?"

"This was what happened, traveler."

Upon hearing his question, the little queen said.

"It's not that we don't want her to live with us, but we really don't have enough ingredients to make the food we give her every day."

"Oh, really?"

After hearing her explanation, Rhode couldn't help but feel interested. He originally thought that the mental world was a place where everything was available to them, where desserts, candies, and feasts were all just a matter of thought. If one in the mental world could have whatever one wanted, there would be no need for the giant to come to the candy city and destroy it just for food. And in response to his question, the little queen nodded.

"Yes, traveler, all the ingredients we use to make desserts come from Candy Mountain. In the past, we had enough ingredients to prepare food for her. But now, Candy Mountain has been taken over by a group of outsiders. Although we fought against them several times, the results weren't good. In the end, we're only left with this small piece of land..." The little queen said, curling her lips. It was apparent that she felt really dissatisfied. But after looking at her expression, a thought cropped up in Rhode's mind. He seemed to have a grasp of the core problem in Celia's mental world.

"How about this, Your Majesty? I will go and talk to her to see if she can help you reclaim Candy Mountain. If she can, will you make her a resident here as well in the future?"

"Are you willing to do that for me?"

Upon hearing Rhode's proposal, the little queen stared at him with wide eyes and excitement. But shortly after, she frowned and shook her head with force.

"You'd better not, traveler. The ones who occupy Candy Mountain are powerful. We can't beat them. Even though she's huge, she can't fight that many enemies alone..."

"In that case, how about you two work together?"

In response to the little queen's melancholic reply, Rhode offered his advice with a smile. This was his way of doing what he could in someone else's mental world without doing anything. He would rather rely on his words to guide the inhabitants of the mental world to make their own decisions and take actions. It was like two villains in a person's head fighting each other; it was okay for them to fight on their own. But it wouldn't be good if there were a third party influencing their views. That was why he decided to act as a guide and use his words to gain victory in the mental world. In this regard, he was really confident. At the very least, he had relationships with a number of women in the past. Back then, he was neither the Void Dragon nor noble. He had nothing to do with being a rich young man and was just an ordinary college student. Even though he had a beautiful face, which woman would be willing to sleep with a boring man who couldn't sweet-talk?

The kind of guy who didn't even speak more than 10 sentences in a day, smiled only at his computer and yet, had a pretty girl knock on his door, clean up his messes, cook for him, and warm his bed would only be suitable to be a NTR protagonist. While he enjoyed the times when his childhood sweetheart was supposedly making a loving lunch box for him and immersed himself in the forums, he didn't know that his childhood sweetheart and his optimistic best friend had, in fact, opened a room in a small hotel not far away from home. Yes, this was the direction where reality was headed. They no longer showed on TV how a childhood sweetheart would stay with a geek forever... By the way, plots with polyamorous relationships were all over TV nowadays...

Due to Rhode's expressionless face, he was often mistaken for a silent geek. In fact, he had a lot to speak of, but it depended on the occasion...

And now, since swords were useless in the mental world, he would have to rely on his mouth to save the world.

The little queen was also moved by his proposal. After thinking about it for a moment, she finally nodded in agreement that if the giant version of Celia could help them repel the enemies of Candy Mountain and allow them to retake it, they would be willing to accept the giant as a member of their country and would also be willing to prepare enough desserts and sweets for her. As for Rhode's previous statement that he had killed the giant—he lied to the little queen, of course.

After getting the confirmation from the little queen, Rhode quickly went to find the giant and explained the proposal to her. And when the giant heard that the candy city was willing to accept her, she was quite thrilled. She nodded and agreed to the proposal quickly. As long as she was able to help the candy city and the little queen reclaim Candy Mountain, this dispute would all be over.

And Rhode would also be able to get away with this headache-inducing fairy tale... Of course, he would never admit that it was due to the fact that he had had enough cakes and desserts.

There was no need to prepare anything in the mental world. Soon after an agreement was reached, the giant and little queen joined up and headed to Candy Mountain together. After arriving at Candy Mountain, Rhode realized that the massive mountain in front of him was, in fact, made of real 'candy'.

As far as the eye could see, one could see all sorts of sweet treats everywhere: candies in the shape of flowers and grass, tree trunks made entirely of chocolate, a canopy of fluffy white marshmallows, and cream instead of fruit juice flowing in the river bank. Not only that, but a sweet scent also assailed their nostrils, enchanting the little queen and giant.

As for Rhode, he was about to pass out from the sweet aroma that rushed straight into his brain.

Despite plenty of sweets here, the little queen looked really serious.

"Be careful, those guys are scary. We need to be wary!"

On their way here earlier, Rhode heard from the little queen about these enemies that had taken over Candy Mountain. They were so powerful that there was no way for the guards of the candy city to drive them away. Not only that, but the number of these invaders was also increasing, and eventually, the little queen had to evacuate with her subjects. They were only able to gather some ingredients from around Candy Mountain to make food, which was why they didn't have enough food to share with the giant. After all, the giant's appetite was too large for an average person to handle.

"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"

Just as the little queen's voice sounded, all of a sudden they heard sharp squeaks. Shortly after, Rhode was surprised to see nearly a hundred huge mice running down from Candy Mountain and blocking their path. They were like personifications of animals in fairy tales, wearing human-like clothes, and having sharp claws on their two front paws that glinted icy-cold light. They squinted their small eyes at the group of people before them, and one of them who seemed like the leader screeched.

"Get out, get out! This place is ours, ours! Everything here belongs to us!"

In response to the mouse's squeaks, the little queen took two steps forward, puffed out her chest, and raised her head to glare at them in discontent.

"Well, you're the ones who should leave! This place is ours. You stole our land and we won't let up!"

As the little queen said, she raised her hand and swung it forward with force.

"Onward, my loyal guards! Defeat these invaders and take back our Candy Mountain!"

"Oooooh!"

Upon hearing the little queen's words, the guards behind her yelled immediately. They raised their candy spears and charged at the mice in front of them. Soon, both sides entered a battle. Although they fought fiercely, the battle wasn't realistic at all. Rhode was initially a little worried that there would be spraying blood and flesh like in reality. But soon, he found out that Celia's mental world was still a childish place, after all. And although it looked like both sides were fighting fiercely, no lives were taken at all. The mice's claws, which looked sharp enough to tear through delicate skin as if they were made of film, didn't rip through at all. And naturally, the angels' weapons made of candy didn't hurt the mice much when they hit them. And those who were defeated didn't turn into corpses, but just disappeared with a soft bam... At that moment, Rhode finally understood why the little queen hadn't driven the nest of mice out of Candy Mountain yet. With this kind of fight, it would be strange if they could defeat them...

But this time, the little queen had a secret weapon. After seeing that her subordinates couldn't support her any longer, she crossed her arms and shouted loudly.

"Come on out!"

Boom!

With the little queen's call, the giant came out from the back. According to Rhode and the little queen's plan, they hid the giant in the back for the finale. And now, when the giant heard the little queen calling for her to make an appearance, she didn't hesitate in the slightest. She sauntered forward and entered the battlefield quickly. Upon seeing the towering giant in front of them, the mice were bewildered. They had never seen such a huge person. At that moment, the mice weren't as ferocious as before anymore.

The battle reversed instantly. In the face of the giant, there was nothing the mice that were as tall as a full-grown man could do. And every time the giant raised her arm, she swept away a large nest of them. After a short while, the mice retreated hurriedly, never to be seen again.

"Yay!"

Witnessing the mice leaving Candy Mountain desperately, the little queen raised her hands high in excitement and cheered. And along with her action, the guards around her also raised their arms and celebrated the victory. After their cheering, the little queen didn't forget who helped her to victory. She ran up to the giant, gazed at her with a smile and bowed.

"Thank you very much. If it weren't for your help, we wouldn't have been able to reclaim Candy Mountain at all. I declare that from now on, you are a citizen of our country! An honorable citizen!"

"Really? That's great!"

Upon hearing the little queen's words, the giant cried out in excitement. Looking at this scene before him, which was like the end of a fairy tale, Rhode felt relieved.

It should end now, right?

But when this thought cropped up in Rhode's head, a dazzling brilliance flashed by his vision.

"———!"

A bright and dazzling light streaked across the sky like a meteor, before striking the giant heavily. The giant didn't expect this ambush in the slightest and fell to the ground immediately. This scene stunned the cheering little queen and guards and left them at a loss. Just as everyone was bewildered, a serious and earnest voice sounded all of a sudden.

"It ends here! You guys are taking it too far!"

Along with this voice, an angel wielding a sword of light and clad in golden armor that was shrouded in glorious brilliance slowly descended from the sky. With a serious expression, she gazed at the crowd below her. Her entire body exuded an incomparably strong and substantial aura that was almost overwhelming to them.

Celia.

The moment Rhode saw the battle angel, he confirmed that this person was truly the Celia that he knew.

It looked like the rightful owner finally made her appearance.

[1] A 1726 prose satire by the Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift.

Chapter 1328: City of White (5)

Unlike the naive-looking little queen and primitive giant, the battle angel version of Celia before Rhode was almost exactly the same as the original Celia. Whether it was her serious and earnest temperament, or her calm demeanor, there was no difference between her and the Celia from his memory. No, perhaps he should say that there was still a difference; this battle angel possessed an incomparably powerful aura like a tall mountain moving toward him head-on, giving him a heavy sense of pressure.

Rhode, who noticed this, was shocked. Because in reality, he had never felt such a powerful aura from Celia. Although she was somewhat rigid on a regular basis, she was still a meek and honest young lady. Unlike now; the aggressive aura from this battle angel made him want to lower his head, kneel on the ground, and bow down before her.

Could she be the real Celia instead?

"I can't take this any longer. Don't all of you have more important things to do? It's so boring to watch you argue over such trivial matters!"

With a flap of her wings, the battle angel landed in front of the two. Compared to the naked giant and the little queen clad in a magnificent dress, the third Celia was dressed in a way that caught Rhode's eyes even more. At that moment, she wore a platinum armor; her entire body was wrapped in a golden glow. An armor and cape embellished with gold on the edges accentuated each other. And paired with her flowing, blonde hair, in an instant, her presence felt even stronger than Lydia's, where even the archangel didn't have such an imposing presence as her. Rhode also noticed that the sword in her hands wasn't the one wielded by the original Celia. Instead, it was a sharp blade coalesced from light. Other than the solid hilt, the other parts of the sword were made of light... It seemed more like the weapon of a Jedi[1] in Star Wars[2].

Faced with the arrival of the battle angel, both the little queen and giant took a few steps back, clearly wary of her presence. But the battle angel seemed completely unconcerned. She simply swept the crowd in front of her with a cold glance, before letting out a snort. Then, she looked up at the giant before her.

"As a girl, how can you not wear any clothes? How disgraceful! Put on some clothes now!"

As the battle angel yelled, she pointed her lightsaber at the giant. In a dazzling, golden flash of light, the giant, who was naked before, was suddenly covered in a plain outfit. And after doing so, the battle angel looked at the little queen on the other side with dissatisfaction. When the little queen witnessed her stern gaze, she, who had been jumping around like a lamb being stared at by a tiger, let out a yelp, retreated hurriedly, and hid behind Rhode. She peeked out from the back and stared at her as if Rhode could completely resist the razor-sharp gaze of the battle angel. Despite that, the battle angel didn't even look at him, but stared at the little queen and spoke with displeasure instead.

"As the ruler of a country, you have many things to do. But you actually wasted your time over such a trivial matter; how unruly! Now, get out of here right now and go back to your country to do what you're supposed to!"

"Trivial matter?!"

Upon hearing those words, the little queen was clearly unconvinced. She had even forgotten her fear toward the battle angel and instead, rushed out from behind Rhode with her hands on her hips and glared menacingly.

"I've just made a deal with that giant lady! It's part of our agreement! She helps us reclaim Candy Mountain and I'll make her a citizen of our country! How can that be considered trivial?"

"Agreement?"

Upon hearing the little queen's response, the battle angel frowned, turned around, and looked at the giant, who was staring at her in amazement nearby. The battle angel shifted her gaze back to the little queen and replied resolutely.

"You can't even manage your own country and you want to make an agreement with an outsider? I declare this agreement null and void! She can live in Candy Mountain, but she will not be a citizen of your country!"

"What—?!"

Upon hearing her words, both the giant and little queen squealed in unison. On the contrary, Rhode didn't react in the slightest. Instead, he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes to carefully examine the three Celias in front of him. Judging from the interactions between them, he seemed to gradually realize what sort of relationship the three of them had with the original Celia.

"Why? What does this have to do with you? Why do you want to kick her out? She's obviously a very nice person!"

Upon hearing the battle angel's remarks, the little queen clearly disagreed with her. She jumped, pointed her finger, and reprimanded the battle angel. And after hearing the little queen's retort, the battle angel raised her eyebrows and put away her sword. She reached for a logbook from inside her cape and flipped it open.

"I judge that you don't have the strength to handle and command her. As a giant, she is very powerful and doesn't know how to control herself. Can you guarantee that she will not make any trouble in your country? She has robbed you of food more than once in the past and even destroyed your city. You were unable to do anything about her and now, you want to make her a citizen of your country? Can you guarantee that you can manage her? Can you guarantee that the people of your country can accept her? What if she destroys your city again?"

"T-That..."

Faced with a series of rhetorical questions from the battle angel, the little queen was too stunned to say a word. It was apparent that she hadn't considered these questions at all. And at that moment, the giant, who was originally standing beside her, raised her hands in great dissatisfaction and waved them vigorously in protest after hearing those questions.

"I wouldn't do anything like that! I was just too hungry before, and I'll never do it again!"

In the face of the giant's protests, the battle angel, however, looked really calm. She just swept a glance at the giant and spoke in a harsh tone.

"So you won't do it just because you said so? What if you get hungry later and can't find anything to eat? Wouldn't you break the agreement?"

"I..."

Faced with this interrogation from the battle angel, the giant was completely speechless. The latter stood there pitifully and gaped, but didn't know what to say. She didn't understand much about this subject to begin with, and at that moment, it was almost as if the giant couldn't understand many of the words the battle angel said. For a moment, the atmosphere became much more awkward along with the silence of the giant and the little queen. Seeing that both sides stopped protesting any further, the battle angel cleared her throat and handed down the final judgment like a judge.

"In that case, I shall make the decision. The giant can live in Candy Mountain, where she has enough food without worrying about going hungry; it's also not a violation of the agreement between the two of you. If you want to visit her later, you can always come to Candy Mountain. What do you both think of this proposal?"

"..."

Faced with this proposal from the battle angel, the two were unable to refute in the slightest. After all, from any perspective, this was the most reasonable choice. And in fact, Rhode also admitted that this proposal was beneficial to either party. But obviously, it wasn't something that everyone could accept. Because it was at that moment when the little queen's voice broke the silence again.

"I'm not going to listen to you! I've decided that she's our honorary citizen and I'm going to build her a nice, tall house in the city! What do you say? That's a good idea, isn't it?"

The little queen yelled and turned to look at the giant on the other side. And in response, the giant stretched out her hand to scratch her hair with some embarrassment, before revealing a bitter smile.

"I... Think anywhere is fine as long as there's enough food. Besides, I think this place isn't that bad either."

"You...!"

Upon hearing the giant's reply, the little queen puffed up her cheeks and soon, her large eyes glittered with crystal-clear tears. At the next moment, the little one stamped her foot hard and turned away. Then, one could hear her sobbing voice from afar.

"Go wherever you like! I don't care about you! Hmph!"

"Ah..."

Faced with the little queen's departure, the giant looked somewhat worried. She gaped, but in the end, her extended hand dropped weakly. And upon looking at this scene, the battle angel nodded, before turning to the giant.

"It's all settled then. This is your home from today onwards."

"But... She..."

Although it was definitely a good thing for the giant to live in Candy Mountain, her expression, at that moment, didn't appear excited at all. On the contrary, she stared blankly in the direction where the little queen had left and had a complicated expression on her face. And upon seeing her expression, the battle angel gave a light snort and said.

"Why? Do you still want to go back now?"

"N-No, it isn't about that..."

After hearing the battle angel's question, the giant waved her hand in a fluster. But even so, she continued to gaze somewhat reluctantly in the direction the little queen had left in. The giant was at a total loss.

And at that moment, Rhode, who watched indifferently from the side, finally figured out the existence of those three. They were more like the physical embodiments of Celia's inner spirit. The giant was much more naive and innocent, curious about everything, and didn't understand much about human emotions and what to say. She was supposed to represent the most primitive part of Celia's 'instincts'.

On the other hand, the little queen was more self-centered, so she was the proof of Celia's 'ego'. As for the battle angel, it was obvious that she was the symbol of Celia's 'rationality'. Judging from the relationship and status of these three parties, 'rationality' was her strongest point, while 'ego' was her weakest flaw. This was also in line with Rhode's impression of Celia.

In fact, there were many things he did that Celia disliked. For instance, he once summoned the undead army to massacre innocent civilians during the war in the south. And later, he caused confusion and disorder in the border cities of the Country of Light and also bombarded Casabianca. All of these were hard for Celia to accept. In the end, she didn't voice her objection openly, but at the very most contributed with reluctance.

At this thought, Rhode shook his head. Was this how Celia struggled whenever she faced his decision? Like now; perhaps she didn't like it and her instincts were against it, but in the end, her 'rationality' overrode everything and made her choose to remain silent. Rhode wouldn't change his ways for anyone, or he would have already done so. But he thought that he would be able to communicate better if he could. And if Celia had to struggle like this every time she was faced with an order that went against her will, he wouldn't be able to feel at ease at all.

It seemed like this trip to the mental world wasn't the slightest bit in vain... Rhode had never expected to be able to discover the hidden issues within Celia's heart in a world that seemed like a childish fairy tale. Perhaps this was what was necessary for the holder and card spirit to have an inner communication for awakening.

But now wasn't the time for that. Rhode sensed that the key was how to deal with the conflicts between the three of them. The battle angel was too sensible and mature, while the giant was too naive and innocent. She could have clearly not said those words earlier, but she still said them and ended up angering the little queen. And it was true that the little queen was devoted to the giant's good and also wanted the giant to be a citizen in her country. However, the little queen was just thinking from her own point of view and not the other's, so naturally she would be dissatisfied with the giant's choices and statements. Despite that, the battle angel wouldn't pay attention to this contradiction. She saw her decision as the best way, so she wouldn't abandon it just because there was a conflict between the two sides.

A fairy tale-like mental world sure has a lot of trouble.

At this thought, Rhode couldn't help shaking his head. This was Celia's mental world, but what would happen if he were in Celestina's instead? She had always been at odds with him. Although he used the 'bullying' method to force Celestina to change, he couldn't be sure that he could figure out the demon young lady's inner thoughts.

And when he returned to the candy city, the world had taken a completely different look.

The bustling city was now cold and cheerless. The azure sky was covered by thick, dark clouds with rain pouring down and enveloping the entire city in a torrential downpour. This scene wasn't too strange to Rhode. This was Celia's mental world and the little queen, as one of the representatives of Celia's personality, would naturally affect it. And now, it seemed like she was clearly in a bad mood. Not only was the rain pouring down, but thunder was also clapping as if the world were reaching its end.

Rhode entered the royal palace again, and this time it was dead quiet. The two battle angels who guarded the place before were also nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, upon hearing the vague sound of sobbing, he managed to find where the little queen was. He had to admit that it felt rather creepy to be alone in this deserted, fairy tale-like castle, hearing the echoing cries of a little girl among the heavy downpour, flashes of lightning, and thunderclap that was going on on the outside...

Knock, knock, knock.

Rhode stopped in front of a door made of candy apples. He reached out his hand and knocked lightly on the door. Soon, along with this action, the crying from behind the door stopped. After a few moments, the little queen's sobbing voice rang out.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Your Majesty. Rhode."

"Mr. Traveler?"

When the little queen heard Rhode's response, she responded plainly before paddling her way to the closed door. The door opened slowly and the little queen appeared in front of him in pajamas. He could tell that she was in a bad mood and had just cried buckets. Her eyes were still red and listless. Upon seeing her current state, Rhode sighed inwardly, looked at her, and revealed a charming smile.

"May I come in for a seat?"

"Yes... You may..."

Facing his question, the little queen nodded, pulled the door open, and let him into the room. The two of them sat down on the chairs by the window. Looking at the little queen in front of him, Rhode shook his head and said.

"Are you upset?"

"Yes... Mr. Traveler. I thought things through for her, but I never expected her to say something like that. It's so disappointing!"

As the little queen grumbled, she clenched her fists again. It was clear that she was really disappointed with the giant's answer.

"So you just gave up?"

"But... That annoying person was also right..."

"Of course, I know she's right."

Rhode smiled as he interrupted the little queen. At that moment, he already knew how to handle the relationship between the three of them.

"But at many times, not being wrong doesn't make you right. Your Majesty, you've indeed considered a lot for her. But those are your thoughts, after all. Why don't you listen to what she has to say?"

"That..."

Upon hearing Rhode's words, the little queen couldn't help but feel surprised.

"Is that really fine?"

"I guess you can give it a shot, Your Majesty."

Facing the little queen's doubt, Rhode revealed another gentle smile.

"I think as long as you try your best, you'll get somewhere."

[1] Leaders and peacekeepers in the Star Wars universe.

[2] An American epic space-opera media franchise.