Chapter 462

Chapter 462: Small Performance

In the remote village, the residents had limited contact with the outside world, making the interpersonal relationships simple. Most people were rather simple-minded. Despite their doubts, some gradually entered the tent to seek their own destinies.

The tent, adorned with mystery, was dimly lit by a few beams of light piercing through thick fabric, enveloping the entire space in a hazy purple glow. Various small objects hung in the air—seashells, star-shaped shells, insect exoskeletons, peculiar stones—creating an aura of mystery.

Inside the tent, a veiled woman sat behind a black velvet table. She wore a deep purple cloak and hood, with asymmetrical rings adorning her wrists and colorful rings on her fingers, giving her an air of expertise.

After a hesitant guest asked her questions, she used a low, solemn voice to inquire about the origins of the issues, then shuffled the divination cards several times before asking the guest to draw one.

The results always carried a mix of good fortune and caution, hope and difficulty, leaving the visitors with myriad thoughts, which they would remember deeply.

“This card shows the sun shining over lush golden fields, with a dog standing beside it, and a shadowy figure approaching from afar.”

“It suggests you might have a good harvest this year, but be wary of other disturbances, like the dog, which could symbolize demonic beasts or wild animals destroying your fields. The shadowy figure could be yourself or someone watching your success, so you must watch over your fields carefully.”

After interpreting the cards for a middle-aged man, he nodded solemnly, thanked the witch, and left the tent.

By then, the sun had passed noon. After a morning of divination, the man at the entrance announced that the session was over. The witch followed some mysterious rules, limiting the number of readings per day to avoid misfortune.

With this explanation, the crowd who had been watching reluctantly dispersed.

When most of them had left, a pale-skinned teenage girl quietly exited the back door of the tent to eat.

Lolan Hill sat under a large tree, sunlight filtering through dense leaves onto the table in front of her, where a teapot and cups were placed.

She smiled slightly at the girl who had performed the divination earlier that morning, shook her head, and slowly sipped her tea.

Although Cold Spring Village was remote, the surrounding scenery was beautiful. The terraced fields and fruit trees in the mountain area reflected vibrant colors under the afternoon sun.

“Miss, is that divination accurate?” Mira, standing beside her, asked with some doubt. She didn’t sense any extraordinary magic from the girl.

“Perhaps it is,” Lolan replied.

“If I told you that if you worked diligently and carefully tended to your fields, you would surely have a good harvest by autumn, would you believe me?”

“That’s just common sense, isn’t it?” Mira shook her ears and looked up at the blonde-haired, red-dressed young lady.

“Yes, like I said before, if you work hard, your grades will improve. It’s all quite straightforward.”

“But often, people don’t want to do it because of various reasons.”

“But if an authority figure tells you it’s your fate through a special, mysterious ritual, wouldn’t you feel a sense of sanctity and strive to complete it?”

“Seems so,” Mira nodded, beginning to understand.

“Maybe predictions aren’t always true, but they can motivate many people. So sometimes, it’s not worth being too harsh on such things.”

“And sometimes, being too smart can make you lose faith and hope, becoming anxious and hesitant to move forward.”

“Mm-hmm, understood, Miss,” Mira felt that the lady might be hinting at something again, so she quickly nodded, hoping she wouldn’t say more.

“Ha ha, alright, let’s go have lunch.”

They headed towards a temporary house in the village.

—

The lunch in the mountain village wasn’t elaborate, just plain white rice with some green vegetables. The only highlight was leftover meat slices from yesterday.

Unlike the Wind Province, where wheat was widely grown, these villagers ate more rice. During lunch, Lolan met the same pale-skinned girl again.

“Good afternoon, you’ve been working hard today,” Lolan greeted her simply.

“Good afternoon, Miss Lacya,” the girl said, with a large bowl of rice and a pile of meat and vegetables in front of her.

“You seem to be enjoying your meal.”

“Yes, I rarely get to eat so much meat,” she replied while eating, not worrying about formal dining etiquette. Lolan herself didn’t care much about such unnecessary manners either.

“Then eat more. Do you often pretend to be a witch and give others readings?” Lolan asked.

“Before, my aunt did this job, but now she says she’s getting older and needs someone to take over. Since there aren’t many girls in the next generation, they chose me,” she chewed quickly and explained about the trading caravan.

“Various tasks in the caravan need fixed roles. If someone leaves, someone else has to take over. That’s how it works.”

While Lolan was finishing her small bowl of rice, the girl had already finished two large bowls and a bowl of vegetables.

“Thank you for the meal,” she said after finishing, then happily skipped off to take a walk in the mountains.

—

After witnessing Lake’s trading company’s performance, Lolan asked her own team members what they thought, suggesting they try some small performances to attract the villagers to browse their goods.

Seeing the members pondering and hesitating, Lolan suddenly felt like she was acting like her childhood teacher, asking students to prepare programs, ultimately becoming the person she once disliked. But it was still interesting. Now, as a Demon Sequence character, Lolan was more versatile than when she studied the Angel Sequence.

The next day, in Cold Spring Village.

The stage in the village square had more setups. Not only Lake’s trading company, but also Ragatis’ trading company had prepared some attractive performances.

On a small stage, a stranger girl walked up the steps. She had short golden hair and wore a blue-and-white dress, holding a cross-shaped wooden frame, while below her, a puppet danced and waved its arms controlled by strings.

“A tiny puppet opera, presented for you today.

Special thanks to Reader Mo Shang Youren for their support as an ally. Thank you very much! I will continue to add chapters in the next week ~ 0 0/

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