"Oh, I see!"
With Leticia's explanation, even Kurma quickly understood the story behind it. As an observer, she was in no position to judge the actions of Shiroyasha and the others.
Sacrificing others was undoubtedly wrong, but for the sake of Little Garden's development, some sacrifices were necessary.
The world was not yet kind enough to permit victory without a price.
This complex entanglement was too difficult for Kurma to process, so she set it aside. Then, she stuck out her tongue, relieved.
"Thank goodness I didn't say that to Shiroyasha earlier, otherwise that idiot would definitely have come looking for trouble! And maybe even the Queen..."
At this, Kurma felt a slight pang of fear. With her strength, she didn't need to worry too much about provoking either Shiroyasha or the Halloween Queen individually; it would just be a bit of a hassle.
But if she offended both of these Problem Children at the same time, it would be a huge problem.
Just as a cat and mouse teaming up would be unstoppable, if Shiroyasha joined forces with the Queen, even a Pure-Blooded Dragon like her would be in for a rough time.
Seeing Kurma's timid look, a voice, just as innocent and young, spoke up from beside Leticia.
"Are Sister Shiroyasha and Sister Queen that incredible? To the point that even Sister Kurma is so afraid?"
A young girl with red twin-tails and a still-childish face blinked, her red pupils—a symbol of misfortune in her original world—shining faintly.
She sat primly on the carriage seat, her slender legs fidgeting restlessly as she questioned Kurma with great curiosity.
Clearly, she was another being who should not exist in this world.
"I think Sister Shiroyasha is very easy to talk to! And while Sister Queen has a very dignified and imposing aura, she's also very gentle. You don't have to be so scared, do you, Sister Kurma?" the girl said.
If anyone in Little Garden heard her use these titles, they would surely question their own reality and treat the red-haired girl before them as the most honored of guests, terrified of causing the slightest dissatisfaction.
After all, anyone connected to those individuals could be no ordinary person.
But the girl herself clearly had no firm grasp of their status. Though her tone was respectful, it lacked any real awe.
Faced with the girl's question, Kurma's eyes widened as she retorted defensively, "Wh-Who's scared? Me, scared of Shiroyasha? Don't be ridiculous! She's just an idiot who only knows how to use violence. I'm not worried at all, I just can't be bothered to argue with her."
"As for the Queen, she's just a 3-digit anomaly. Aside from her annoying Domain Authority, she's no match for me at all! Enju, do you have any idea the caliber of a 2-digit being like me?!"
My head can be cut off, my blood can be shed, but my pride is on the line.
Since neither of them was here, Kurma had no intention of backing down in front of her new friend.
"Is that so?" Hearing Kurma's words, the red-haired, twin-tailed girl, Aihara Enju, gave her a skeptical look.
"Of course! Who are you going to believe, me or them?" Kurma puffed out her chest proudly.
"I guess that makes sense..." Deceived by Kurma's bravado, Aihara Enju slowly nodded.
"..."
Beside them, Senju Kayo and Tina Sprout exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads. Enju really is an idiot.
They could clearly see through Kurma's bluff, but being clever, they didn't expose her.
It wasn't out of fear of her power—though she was an absolute powerhouse even in a place like Little Garden where gods and buddhas roamed freely, under Su Mo's protection they had no need to fear physical coercion.
Besides, Kurma had a very likable personality and was easy to talk to, with no real generation gap between her and nine-year-olds like them. They wouldn't deliberately embarrass their new friend.
Right now, they were more concerned with something else than whether Kurma was bragging.
"My Lord!" Senju Kayo looked at the man before her with eyes full of reverence and admiration.
He was the one and only god in the hearts of all the Cursed Children, the faith to which they would dedicate their lives, the light of their souls, the fire of their hope.
They had been living in hell until Su Mo appeared and saved them, bringing them to a paradise where they could live peaceful, happy lives like angels.
For this god who had truly saved their lives, given them a reason to exist, and washed away their negative curse, they, the Cursed Children, would willingly offer him everything without asking for anything in return.
So, when Su Mo had decided to select a few Cursed Children for a mission, their entire world had erupted.
The once-calm paradise became a hive of activity as every child scrambled to sign up. If they hadn't been lucky, they might not have been chosen.
Now, simply being allowed to stay in the same carriage as Su Mo was an event these children would remember for the rest of their lives.
As for Kurma's bold act of sitting on Su Mo's lap and being so close to him, they could only watch with envy.
But envy was one thing; right now, their main concern wasn't getting closer to Su Mo, but being useful to him.
And so—
"I wish to ask for your decree. For what purpose have you summoned us?" Senju Kayo asked expectantly. If I can help Lord Su Mo, can I repay even a ten-thousandth of his grace?
Hearing this, Aihara Enju also looked over expectantly, clearly hoping to contribute as well.
Unfortunately—
"For now, there are no special tasks." Su Mo shook his head. Seeing the little girls' disappointed expressions, he added, "Of course, there will be a time when I need you. Just not now."
"Yes!"
Hearing their exchange, Kurma couldn't help but ask, "So what are we doing now, just wandering around?"
"No, we've arrived at our destination." Su Mo shook his head. Just as the words left his lips, the carriage came to a halt.
"The purpose of my visit is for the era's sacrifice, and for its hope."
"The era's sacrifice... and hope?" Hearing this, Kurma was a little confused. She lifted the curtain again and immediately saw a cluster of dilapidated houses in the distance.
In modern society, this would be considered an urban village or a shantytown—old houses nearing the end of their lifespan, on the verge of demolition.
But in this era, buildings of this quality could be called a manor or a villa, something only minor nobility would have the right to own.
This was evident from the scattered, rundown wooden huts nearby. Those were the homes of commoners.
As the carriage stopped, a dozen timid-looking farmers stood frozen in place, watching the magnificent vehicle from a distance.
They were likely local villagers, and their expressions made it clear they had never seen such a luxurious carriage before. They were curious and wanted a closer look, but at the same time feared that the noble inside might despise them.
One or two of the younger villagers or serfs had already cleverly run towards the manor, apparently to inform its lord.
Kurma paid no mind to these trivial details. After confirming with Su Mo that this was their destination, she hopped out of the carriage window with a little grunt.
She then ran up to the nearest elderly villager and greeted him politely.
"Hello, did you plant the wheat fields up ahead?"
The old man's hands and feet were covered in dirt, showing the marks of years of labor. Seeing such a delicately beautiful young girl speak to him so politely, he subconsciously took a step back, but unlike the other serfs, he wasn't so afraid that he couldn't speak.
While many nobles had a strange habit for tormenting commoners, at his age, he was past the point of fearing death.
So, after composing himself, he nodded respectfully. "Yes, esteemed young miss. We planted all the wheat fields around here."
When he mentioned the wheat, a hint of pride entered the old man's voice.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Kurma exclaimed with genuine admiration. "The vitality of the land here is about the same as in other places, but the wheat here is growing much better than anywhere else we've passed. How did you do it? Do you have a servant of a harvest god helping you?"
Kurma's curiosity was not feigned; she was genuinely intrigued.
She had noticed that along the way, the wheat fields in other places were as withered and small as the wild plants, with low yields even during harvest season.
Only this area was different; their farming skill was clearly on another level. Why was that? Could there be a local harvest god nearby, like a Wise Wolf?
"A harvest god? A servant?" Hearing Kurma's words, the old man was thoroughly confused. Although he didn't know much about religion, that sounded like heresy, didn't it? And what was this "vitality of the land"?
"I don't understand what you mean, milady, but if you're asking why the harvest is so good, it's all thanks to the young Miss," the old man said respectfully. "Under the young Miss's guidance, we've been able to maintain our current yield, which is much higher than the surrounding villages."