Since the straightforward approach couldn’t be used casually, they had to come up with another plan.
“Esther, do you know where Ewan went after the negotiations ended? Did she return to the Spirit Puppet Tribe’s territory?”
“You’re overthinking it, Lady Violet... She’s still in the Demon Trace Fortress dealing with the resettlement of the first batch of monsters returned by humans. I heard she’s busy to death every day, how could she possibly have time to leisurely go home and sleep...”
A shimmer of light flickered, and the wolf sorceress returned to her tall and mature form, shaking her head helplessly.
“And Ewan is a wandering member of the Spirit Puppet Tribe, she has no fixed abode. I heard she left the tribal territory many years ago.”
“I see. Are there any other Demon Generals in the Spirit Puppet Tribe?”
Esther didn’t immediately answer the question, seeming hesitant.
“It’s hard to say. This race is too low-key. Ewan is only relatively well-known because of her exceptional strength and years of traveling. It’s possible that there are more masters hidden in the Spirit Puppet Tribe. After all, no one would reveal all their trump cards to outsiders.”
“That makes sense...”
Anyway, let’s move forward first. The forest seems quite calm and peaceful, unlike it has encountered any troubles. And with the appearance of the Puppets, they probably wouldn’t live in strange places like caves, unlike the mountain wolves.
Stepping into the tranquil dense forest between the valleys, although it was still a sunny afternoon outside, under the layers of tree shade covering overhead, as they moved forward, the light gradually dimmed.
Though it wasn’t as dark as night where one could barely see their hand in front of their face, it added a touch of mystery to the surrounding environment.
However, it was evident that there were signs of human activity here. Not only were there obvious traces of pruning on many trees, but there was also a delicate and elegant pathway paved with bluestones through the woods.
Violet and the others followed the path, and after about half an incense stick’s worth of time, they saw the first building on the roadside.
It was a single-story cabin built of wood, painted with a cute pinkish-white color on the outside. Handwoven wind chimes hung on the door, swaying gently with the breeze, emitting a crisp sound.
“Esther, is this the house where the Spirit Puppet Tribe live?”
“Um, sorry, Lady Violet, I’ve only heard that the Spirit Puppet Tribe live here. I haven’t been here myself before...”
“I knew it... Never mind.”
“Hmm...”
Standing in front of the house, the black-haired girl looked around for a moment, hesitating to knock on the door.
Instead, she tiptoed, seemingly trying to touch the small wind chimes hanging from the eaves.
However, due to her lack of height, after several attempts, she reluctantly gave up.
But Xiao Guang, who had learned to read between the lines, immediately reacted and, perhaps only she would dare to do so at such a time, reached out her hand and hugged the petite priestess, lifting her gently.
“Wow! Xiao Guang, what are you doing all of a sudden!”
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Startled, Violet waved her arms and legs in the air to express her strong protest. However, because Xiao Guang didn’t make any further strange movements, she just left it at that.
“Hmm? I thought the master wanted to touch that thing, so by doing this, wouldn’t it be possible to reach it? Or did I misunderstand your intentions, or did my actions upset you?”
“Mmm... I’m not upset or anything, it’s just... couldn’t you have given me a heads up beforehand? This position is too embarrassing, it feels like you’re holding a child...”
Although she retorted with a pout, the priestess’s voice became softer and softer as she spoke, until only she and the dragon girl nearby could hear her.
But the Xiao Guang didn’t let go of her hands supporting the slender waist of the black-haired girl. Instead, facing her owner’s slightly flushed cheeks due to embarrassment, she showed a rare smile and lifted her up again.
“So, does the master still want to touch it?”
“Ugh, what do you mean ‘still want to touch it’?!”
Damn it, what kind of embarrassing play is this? Why do you guys, Leila, look so envious? And you, certain lady holy knight, why do you write down and remember these things? Damn it! Believe it or not, one day I’ll burn that crappy book of yours!
Feeling the increasingly strange and off-topic atmosphere, Violet quickly flicked the wind chime in front of her as a form of distraction, producing another crisp sound.
The dragon girl then somewhat reluctantly placed her back on the ground, but the faint smile on her face seemed to indicate that she was actually in a very good mood.
“Ding-ling-ling, ding-ling-ling~”
The soft sound of the wind chime echoed in the quiet forest. Just as Violet was straightening out her slightly disheveled white robe and before she could say anything, the wooden door of the cottage was gently pushed open, revealing a young girl in a green dress stepping out leisurely from inside.
“Here they are~ Huh? Why is it so lively?”
Noticing the unfamiliar and distinguished demeanor of the outsiders outside the door, the girl paused for a moment, then looked up at the still swaying wind chime before realizing the situation and gracefully performing a flawless greeting.
“Another group of visitors from afar, how rare... To all you unfamiliar guests, suddenly visiting the Spirit Puppet Forest, may I ask what brings you here?”
Although the girl made a polite gesture at first, Violet suddenly froze when she saw this innocent-looking girl walking out of the house. She turned back in confusion, intending to ask the wolf girl beside her, only to find that she was just as perplexed and puzzled.
“Ewan? Weren’t you supposed to be at the Demon Trace Fortress? How...”
“Oh? Hehe, I see~”
Seeing this, the girl, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Ewan, smiled as if understanding, dispelling some of the guardedness hidden deep in her eyes. With a voice as gentle as a heavenly melody, she spoke softly.
“It seems you’re friends of Big Sister Ewan. I thought you might be the same kind of unscrupulous folks as last time... My apologies for the misunderstanding. I’m Ini, the current chieftain of the Spirit Puppet Tribe. Perhaps I do look somewhat similar to Big Sister Ewan, but there’s a reason for that. In short, we’re indeed two different individuals.”
“I see. Nice to meet you~”
Indeed, they were both spirit puppets, so judging them from the perspective of normal creatures might not be appropriate.
But this woman... Her personality seems quite different from Ewan’s. Although they both give off a gentle and reliable vibe, the latter is obviously more energetic and approachable, while Ini gives the impression of being a bit lazy, as if she can’t muster much energy, or perhaps “melancholic” would be more fitting?
Without suppressing her curiosity, the priestess spoke frankly.
“I’m Violet... So, what’s your relationship with Ewan? Are you sisters? Or rather, how exactly are spirit puppets born?”
“You’re quite straightforward, aren’t you? Well, it’s not really a secret... Since you’re friends of Big Sister Ewan, there’s no harm in telling you.”
The spirit puppet girl, who called herself Ini, didn’t seem to have any intention of inviting everyone into the house. She just stood at the doorway and explained directly.
“Essentially, we spirit puppets are self-aware puppets. Since we’re puppets, there must be creators. In fact, all of us spirit puppets are created as semi-living beings using a special method, with a certain woman as a template. The 【Father】 who created us seems to have wanted to use this method to recreate the body of the deceased woman and retrieve her elusive soul.”
“Big Sister Ewan and I are from the same batch of created spirit puppets. We have almost no differences in any data, so it’s not surprising that we look alike. Is that explanation satisfactory for you?”
“Um... hmm...”
Another person pursuing the resurrection of the dead... It must be said that love and passion can truly drive people with great determination. This one is even more serious, creating a special race for this purpose.
Violet couldn’t help but be intrigued.
“What happened to him in the end...?”
“Oh, you mean the 【Father】?”
The self-aware spirit puppet girl suddenly laughed, and from her tone, Violet could clearly hear a hint of mockery.
“He failed completely, of course. By the time we were born, the 【Mother】 had been dead for almost a hundred years. We couldn’t even find her body. How could he possibly resurrect her?”