The Puppet Loses its Spirit

The doll crushed the dry, hardened remnants of the ‘Formless Spawn’ that remained after the torture.

She lowered her head with a soft sigh, rubbing the space between her brows.

Within the sealing barrier, the corpse’s remains transformed into motes of light at Sally’s command.

They dispersed into the hazy expanse, becoming pure spiritual energy that nourished the pristine white sea of flowers.

Although she had successfully silenced an entire unit, Sally’s expression remained somewhat grim.

The information she had just extracted from the ‘spawn’ was far from pleasant.

‘Were those Elder Evils in the city of R’lyeh stirring once more?’ she mused. ‘What truly vexing news.’

The so-called Elder Evils were malevolent beings of immense power, active during an era almost a full eon ago—a time ten thousand years past, when a hundred races vied for dominance.

These creatures typically possessed bodies covered in tentacles, heads adorned with hundreds of eyes, and slimy, dripping skin.

In essence, they were a collection of abominations that challenged all notions of decency and sanity.

These beings reveled in deceiving and devouring humans.

Their mere presence drove ordinary mortals to madness, yet their terrifying power also garnered the worship of certain creatures.

For instance, Zatagua, a particularly formidable Elder Evil and the master of the ‘Formless Spawn’ that had just appeared, commanded the reverence of the subhuman ‘serpentfolk.’

The Elder Evils, or rather, the Great Old Ones, possessed a nature of absolute chaos, disorder, and malevolence.

Born from primordial chaos, they yearned for pandemonium, more bloodthirsty than demons and more cunning than devils.

Thousands of years ago, they used their wicked powers to revel, to slaughter, and to unleash joyous mayhem, inflicting nearly irreparable chaos upon the world.

Fortunately, in that distant era, which marked the zenith of magical civilization, these rampant disruptors ultimately proved no match for the mightiest champions of each race.

The cults that had formed, driven by a fearful craving for their power, also vanished without a trace.

Of course, these Elder Evils had been sealed away in the undersea city of R’lyeh thousands of years before Sally’s own time.

Their kin had perished, eradicated to the last, with barely any survivors.

As for the present, nearly ten millennia later, the marks they left behind had long since turned to dust in the annals of history, fading into oblivion.

Yet, unexpectedly, in this age where the divine remained hidden and vitality waned, they were stirring once more.

Though the most powerful among them, as revealed in the soul memory of the creature just slain, had long since crumbled to dust within their seals, unable to sustain their forms due to the world’s changes, a few still lingered.

The unfortunate wretch killed by the doll was merely a scout, cast out due to the loosening of the seals.

“Why must I encounter such wretched luck simply by stepping out to buy snacks?” she lamented. “How utterly vexing!”

The silver-haired doll tilted her pale neck upwards, gazing at the layers of mist shrouding the nightmare realm above, and let out a long sigh.

“I can already envision what would happen if I were to clash with them: defeat the weak, and the strong would appear; defeat the strong, and the ancient ones would emerge. Eventually, an Arch-Elder Evil would break free from its seal, leading to some grand save-the-world operation. How incredibly dull!”

“And now, these lunatics launching ‘witch hunts’ have also surfaced. Could this be the disturbance in the world’s causality, brought about by a rank exceeding the world’s capacity?”

Every world possesses finite boundaries, and the highest rank it can accommodate is fixed.

If a being whose rank exceeds these limits forcefully remains within a world, it’s akin to stuffing a rock into a water-filled balloon.

Their transcendent rank would inevitably alter the causality and destiny within that world.

This is precisely why deities create divine realms outside of worlds; were they to descend forcefully, even without causing physical destruction, the distortions of fate induced by their rank would cause the world itself to actively reject them.

Sally, having already ascended to sainthood, now stood precisely at the upper limit of what this mystically decaying world could tolerate.

Therefore, even acting through a doll’s body, she would stir the tides of destiny, becoming swept into the world’s currents—what is commonly referred to in literature as the ‘main plot.’

“Alas… never mind,” she sighed. “Who knows what the future holds? I should just enjoy my retirement. Still, these small villages by the forest… I suppose I ought to look after them. I wouldn’t want to emerge from the woods one day only to find those foul-souled madmen slaughtering these little folk who are, in a way, my neighbors.”

“And if those Elder Evils truly break free from their seals, that would be a massive headache as well. Perhaps I should travel out and check on those remaining sealed remnants?”

A seed of thought, urging her to venture out of the deep forest and travel, began to sprout within the doll’s heart.

With a tremor of her hand on the long handle, the massive scythe—three heads taller than herself—and the black demon hunter’s trench coat transformed into white smoke, surging into her body.

‘It’s fortunate this body can bear the weight of my soul armament,’ she thought. ‘Otherwise… carrying that nightmare around every day would be far too troublesome.’

As she mumbled to herself, Sally smoothed down her clothes.

Before long, the elegant and serene lady reappeared.

White mist billowed forth.

Moments later, this world of flowers dissolved into illusion, beginning to dissipate from the silver-haired doll’s center.

Dark boots once again trod upon solid ground, but the doll’s appearance had transformed.

The black giant scythe on her back was gone, replaced by a basket filled with snacks in her hand.

Her crimson eyes had reverted to a gentle silver-grey, and her slightly curved gaze exuded an aura of calm tranquility.

The smile playing on her lips was equally heartwarming.

Coupled with her charming posture, she resembled a quiet, virtuous noblewoman, yet without any hint of haughty scrutiny—only a truly reassuring gentleness.

“Oh, Adi, you’re still standing out here,” she said, tilting her head with a soft chuckle towards the old man leaning against the railing. “Shall we go inside and chat now?”

Her demeanor was a stark contrast to the grim, furious aura she had projected moments ago.

“Haha… Miss Sally, you’re still the same,” the white-bearded old man chuckled, tapping his pipe against the fence. “This old man will gladly invite you inside!”

The white-bearded old man chuckled heartily, tapped his pipe against the fence, and then led the doll into the small cottage.

It was a typical medieval wooden house.

The first floor served as a reception and dining area, while the sleeping quarters were located upstairs, accessed via a wooden staircase.

Every corner was orderly and unremarkable, with the only notable features being the pelts of ferocious beasts and the mounted, snarling heads of wild animals adorning the walls.

“Fanny! Bring the tea!”

“…Alright, coming!”

The girl with silver braided pigtails, dressed in a frock, carefully carried a small teapot and set it on the table.

Immediately afterward, she scurried behind her grandfather.

“Oh, the child seems a bit frightened,” Sally said with a soft laugh. “Here, have some milk candy! They’re very sweet indeed!”

Sally chuckled softly, observing the small girl peeking out from behind the old man, her eyes wide with alarm and fear.

She reached into her basket, pulled out a handful of pale yellow milk candies, and offered them to her.

It was well known that in these times, milk candy was an extreme luxury; even in the homes of slightly impoverished nobles, it was considered a treasure.

Thus, not just a handful, but even a single piece was an invaluable gem in Fanny’s eyes.

Gulp~

“Grandpa said not to eat things given by strangers!”

Though her mouth watered with desire, the girl clung tightly to her grandfather’s arm.

“Oh? Adi? Am I still a stranger to you?” Sally asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she looked at the somewhat flustered old hunter.

“Of course… she’s not,” Adi replied. “Fanny, this lady is no stranger; she is the lady of the forest I’ve told you about before.”

“Oh, thank you then…!”

Hearing her grandfather’s affirmation, Fanny immediately snatched the milk candy from the white-gloved hand.

She popped it into her mouth and began to chew like a little hamster.

“How adorable,” Sally chuckled. “Hmm… Adi, your tea is quite… wild, isn’t it?”

“Er…” The old man offered an embarrassed smile.

“Sister, sister! You don’t like Grandpa’s leaf tea either, do you? It’s super bitter!”

“Well… ever since you gave me that cup of black tea last time, I’ve fallen in love with tea, unable to forget its taste. Though I can’t afford good tea, nor do I know how to brew it…”

“Ah, you,” Sally sighed. “Never mind. I’ll give you some good tea instead!”

As she spoke, the doll retrieved a small package from her basket and offered it across the table.

“This… thank you very much!”

“Don’t mention it,” Sally replied. “By the way, do you know what those Holy Knights were all about? From what I saw when I arrived, they seemed intent on killing you?”

“This old man doesn’t know why I angered those knights,” Adi said, shaking his head. “But thanks to you, otherwise, both my granddaughter and I would have been in grave danger!”

“Oh… you truly are a kind hunter,” Sally mused. “But those fellows were actually here to hunt me, weren’t they?”

The old hunter gazed at the silver-haired doll, whose smile remained as gentle as ever.

His expression faltered for a moment before he spoke with deep shame:

“I apologize… You have done so much for us, yet some greedy individuals still brought forth unwarranted disaster. I truly am sorry…”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Sally interjected softly. “On the contrary, you were implicated simply for worshipping me. What is there to be ashamed of?”

“You… you know everything,” Adi murmured, a wry smile touching his lips.

“Indeed, it would be strange if you didn’t. This old man, I merely seek solace for my heart. After all, you have done so much for us, saving us from famine and plague. Even if I cannot repay you directly, a quiet worship now and then is the least I can do…”

“What simple, honest folk you are,” Sally said, shaking her head with a smile.

Sally smiled and shook her head, then continued: “The outside world is quite chaotic now. Wandering mercenaries or bandits occasionally venture around Yoiz Forest, making your village rather unsafe. I’ll set up a mist barrier around your village. That way, any malicious individuals who approach will become disoriented.”

“After all… I wouldn’t want to return here next time and find this friendly village missing some of its people!”

“…I am truly grateful.”

“Again, there’s no need for thanks.”

The doll gave a slight shake of her head.

Her silver hair, gently swaying, shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight filtering through the window.

Gazing at her gentle, serene smile, old Adi felt as though he had traversed the river of time.

For a moment, he was transported back to that beautiful afternoon decades ago.

“Indeed… why be so polite…”