Chapter Thirty: Longing to Become Her

“Niece!”
“Uncle!”

Melina cautiously assessed the mental state of this uncle and niece. Her verdict was not very optimistic—they weren’t completely mad, but a little mad.

Mayor Leon was sobbing uncontrollably:
“I... I’m not cut out for this line of work... I’m really not! Look at me now, I look like a ghost... Somi, what do you think I should do? I miss the earthy scent of the wild soil turning over, but look at me like this—I’m not made for this!”

A burly man weighing over three hundred pounds was crying like a child.

Whether Sonia could endure this or not, Melina herself was having a hard time. She reached out and tugged gently at Sonia’s skirt armor, locking eyes with her. From Sonia’s beautiful and mysterious dark purple eyes, Melina could still detect a premeditated emotion lurking beneath.

Was it intentional? Sonia had deliberately not come to look for her uncle until now.

Although Melina entertained malicious suspicions, she felt no aversion toward Sonia’s behavior. Rather, there was a thrill in this departure from reality. Those who wield intrigue and manipulate power, especially when they do so openly, possess a captivating charm.

Sonia made her move. She circled around the table and gently stroked the mayor’s head, suddenly adopting a tone of exquisite subtlety:
“Poor uncle, they want you to gain experience in this wild land. They want you to grow here, but youth and growth always come with pain. Your pain is no longer being young, my dear uncle.”

Her movements carried an uncommon grace.

“You were born to be an adventurer craving the wilderness. Look at my friend here,” she said, pointing to Melina, “such a beautiful, delicate, lovely person, with a heart yearning for adventure in the wild.” Then she gestured to herself, “and me—a not very gifted banshee—facing misunderstanding and criticism, yet determined to walk this path. You see, we are comrades on the same journey.”

She stirred empathy. A hint of wine-red shimmered in her purple eyes. Then, revealing her true intent with a conspiratorial tone, she proposed:
“How about this—you entrust me with the mayor’s approval rights. I’ll invest some money—you know I have some—to establish an explorers’ guild here and build some production facilities. You’ve met Mayor Georgia, right? She’s a reliable town leader. I’ll have her manage this place for you. That way, you can return to the wilderness for your adventures while still having achievements as a town mayor.”

Mayor Leon hesitated: “But what about your father…”

Sonia took full responsibility:
“My dog-father will leave it to me.”

...

Mayor Leon quickly conceded.

He was not a foolish, hopeless man. But he did not hesitate to surrender; he did so with refreshing decisiveness. The heroic spirit that had been absent suddenly surged, sweeping away his gloom as he stood tall.

He accompanied Sonia and Melina to the equipment room to retrieve the official seal.

In the dust-covered equipment room lay all of Mayor Leon’s possessions: barrels of wine, a greatsword resembling a door panel, and a polished suit of knightly armor. These three items were the only things untouched by dust, clearly well cared for. The official seal, symbolizing mayoral authority, was locked inside a small box containing rings, necklaces, and several gold coins—seemingly just valuables stored together.

...

On the way to Hamlet Town’s only tavern, Sonia showed Melina the official seal—a small, compact piece infused with magic that could not be rewritten. Every month, these seals had to be sent to the local factory to replenish their magical essence. Only within the mayor’s office could the seal’s power be activated—a sophisticated technology invented by a repentant banshee.

...

This banshee’s crime had been: forging official seals.

“The rights of Hamlet Town are now in my hands. I am the mayor.”

Melina rolled her eyes:
“So, you’ll regret this?”

“Ha! It’s the other way around!” Sonia grinned. This phrase, “you regret, I reflect,” could be used anywhere.

“You completely took your uncle’s authority. Besides enjoying this joke and gaining land approval power, do you have other motives?”

Melina couldn’t believe Sonia would do something so borderline illegal for such a trivial reason.

“To replace the mayor with someone more competent.”

Sonia answered. When she calmed down, she was an absolute vision of still beauty. Her expression when thinking seriously finally matched her striking appearance in charm and allure.

“Crying Peninsula is the outpost of the apocalypse. Our only luck is that this apocalypse is like having a stomachache and needing to pass gas but realizing it’s just a fart—you can suppress the urge and find the toilet.”

Sonia shrugged:
“My uncle isn’t a bad man, nor is he talentless. But he’s not fit to be the mayor of an outpost. He can’t find signs in a mouse’s resurrection, doesn’t understand the ecological migration when the red-feathered dragon soars in the sky, and remains indifferent to the folk songs sung by the old witch doctor of the neighboring village, whose practices are neither mysticism nor magic essence rules.”

“His heart has long been occupied by desolation, and his body, as you can see, weighs over three hundred pounds. He’s no longer the strong pioneer he once was. Little Mel, I’m saving him. Once he steps down as mayor, he may be punished for handing power to a banshee, but he can return to the wilderness he longs for. We, too, can truly influence the apocalypse.”

“Crying Peninsula is the first butterfly. Control it, and the grand task of saving the world will have a perfect beginning.”

Sonia seemed never to doubt the legitimacy, necessity, or feasibility of her mission to save the world.

Her determination shone like a candle flickering in a bitter blizzard.

Flickering, resolute, soon to be extinguished by the endless cold.

What about herself?

Melina wondered if she could accept that candle going out.

The answer was no.

Not from complex emotions, but a simple, undeniable truth—like ice melting under the blazing sun, or ripples forming when a stone falls into water.

“She is the person I want to become.”

The answer was clear and vivid. Melina longed to be like Sonia: someone with faith, resolve, and a kindness called “cunning benevolence.” How could she not want to be such a person?

...

Now wielding power, Sonia no longer played small games. She was determined to connect Hamlet Town, Brightwater Falls, and Arkham Town, turning the Purewhite Forest and Solitary Mountain completely into the domain of the banshees, managing them tightly and flawlessly!

Before helping Georgia, Melina asked Sonia:

“Population, number of explorers, and development potential in Crying Peninsula don’t seem very high. This is essentially a frontier outpost in a demon invasion story. To withstand so many crises here, relying solely on your own development probably isn’t enough?”

Sonia replied:

“There are three groups in this world capable of controlling terrifying dragon disasters. The first is the heavens, the second is the Versioned Explorers’ Guild, and the third is the banshee capitalists. When they smell profit, they come like sharks to blood. Ha, get ready to meet many beautiful senior sisters.”

“...You’ll also meet many lovely junior sisters.”

“Hahaha, of course!” Sonia shivered, gazing at the sky with big eyes full of question marks. “What’s going on? The unnatural cold currents are increasing. Is this a sign of the end times?”

Melina, holding an umbrella and dressed in a black gauze dress, lifted a violin case filled with muskets and silently left Hamlet Manor.

...

Walking alone along the Purewhite Forest road, one could feel a slight oppression and fear. The silent natural scenery, coupled with footsteps, cicadas, barking dogs, and sinister growls, made one worry about being attacked.

To retreat would be truly dangerous in the jungle.

Like every gatherer, Melina pressed onward without hesitation.

Nearby, Miss Georgia, directing gatherers logging and pioneering around Brightwater Falls, witnessed this scene:

A girl in a black gauze dress holding a parasol emerged from the shadowy forest, carrying a black violin case in her right hand. She walked calmly along the forest path like a serene girl just released from evening class, with countless gathered materials floating behind her.

This girl radiated a tranquil aura and melancholic temperament. Her black lipstick and eyeshadow enhanced her beauty, giving her the mysterious allure of a maiden at a funeral. Death and fragility, strength and porcelain-like delicacy—all these elements blended within her.

It was the girl.

Sonia... the impressive girl beside the lady.

As Georgia admired her beauty and strength, she noticed the gatherers around her fixated on the girl, staring unblinkingly. She felt a bit embarrassed and a subtle jealousy.

Her eyes traveled down the girl’s exquisite face... and her own cheeks flushed.

Tch, what was this girl fed on growing up?

Georgia put her hands on her hips and comforted herself with, “I’m a fairy, I don’t compete in physical strength with banshees and elves. So what if I’m small? Small can be cute too.” Then, flustered, she shouted through a horn: “Work, work, stop staring! Work!”

The young mayor’s words nearly made Melina laugh.

Fortunately, Melina’s idol image was strong enough to keep a straight face.

Originally, she had planned to put away the umbrella and sprint wildly through the countryside trees, learning from the outstanding skills of the ninja from the Fire Shadow Clan, leaping from tree to tree. Luckily, she was alone; otherwise, she might have had to jump for three whole episodes.

As she neared, she quickly jumped down, tidied her clothes and makeup, used magic to neatly arrange the materials she had swept up, and then met Georgia.

Maintaining the elegant, mournful beauty of a girl in mourning attire, Melina said to Georgia:

“I’m Melina, here to offer assistance.”