An ancient fairy tale

At that, Quirrel looked at Shen Yu and asked:

(Karasi) "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just a bit of a mental shock." Shen Yu waved a hand dismissively. Then a question suddenly struck him. Wait, this isn't Godhome. Why can I understand him?

Hmm... could it be because I fished him out through my own passage, so I can understand what he says?

Shen Yu looked up at him and asked:

"What did you feel before this?"

Quirrel held his chin and thought for a moment before answering:

(Luo La) "When I became aware of anything, I found myself here. Is this a dream too?"

"It's somewhere similar, but you can go straight to reality from here."

(Kaisi) "How marvelous." Quirrel gazed at the distant village, then suddenly turned back to Shen Yu and asked:

"My new friend, what's your name?"

"Shen Yu."

(Kaviro... Shen... Yu) "Shen Yu? An unusual pronunciation. Then how do we get to this reality you mentioned?"

"We need to defeat a monster." Shen Yu stood and instructed him, "The people here have never seen anyone like you, so they might be frightened. Sorry for the trouble, but please stay behind with Little Knight and don't let anyone spot you."

After giving those instructions, Shen Yu headed down from the cliff and walked toward the village ahead.

Quirrel followed behind with Little Knight, keeping a sufficient distance. Once Shen Yu entered the village, he took a detour straight to the road leading out and waited there.

When Shen Yu reached the edge of the village, he saw dead vegetation covering the cracked earth, with only one or two weathered old trees struggling to survive.

Looks like a drought hit this place. Shen Yu surveyed his surroundings with a sigh, then entered the village. He saw an extremely emaciated man sitting off to one side, staring at the road leading into the mountain forest.

"Hello. Do you know where Little Red Riding Hood is?" Shen Yu stopped beside him and asked.

"Little Red Riding Hood?" The man looked Shen Yu up and down, taking in his mercenary attire, then pointed northeast with a withered finger.

"Go that way."

With that, the man turned back to watch the road.

Everyone else around him was the same. Their eyes and cheeks were deeply sunken, their skin stretched directly over their bones. They sat upright, watching the road longingly, as though waiting for something.

Pressed for time, Shen Yu glanced around, then quickly left the village and headed northeast.

Before long, the outline of a house appeared ahead. Shen Yu turned and signaled to Quirrel in the distance, then gripped the Meat Cleaver at his waist and hurried forward.

When he reached the house, he saw a small, thin child.

Her face was pale and her eyes deeply sunken. She was sharpening a rusty axe, occasionally giving a dry cough and wiping her parched lips with the back of her hand.

She wore a tattered Red Cloak over clothes that had faded to gray. The desolate surroundings were silent, save for the constant rasp of the axe being sharpened.

This... Looking at the Red Cloak she wore, Shen Yu immediately felt that something was wrong. After a moment's consideration, he stepped forward.

Just then, she suddenly spoke, asking in a hoarse voice:

"Who are you looking for?"

"Um... I'm looking for Little Red Riding Hood."

The moment he finished speaking, the girl stopped sharpening the axe. Then she slowly rose and raised it toward Shen Yu.

"But I don't know you."

Shen Yu was utterly bewildered. Why is she a child? Wait, do abnormalities have childhoods too?

But then he noticed that although the whites of her eyes were yellow, they were only pale yellow, and her pupils weren't blood-red either.

Did I find the wrong person? Or has she not transformed yet? At that thought, Shen Yu gave a light cough.

"I'm looking for a mercenary. She also wears a red cloak with a hood."

"There aren't any mercenaries here. I'm the only one who wears a cloak like this. If you don't need anything else, leave."

Just then, an elderly voice came from the house behind her.

"Little Red Riding Hood, who's here?"

Little Red Riding Hood turned her head slightly and called back:

"Keep resting, Grandma. It's just a strange mercenary."

"A mercenary... cough. Let him in. I want to hire..."

"Huh?" Little Red Riding Hood frowned at that, then replied:

"Grandma, the hunter can deal with that wolf. Why spend money?"

A wolf, and a hunter. Shen Yu's heart jolted at those words, and he called into the house:

"I'm here to hunt the wolf."

"Really... then could I trouble you to come inside? I have trouble walking."

Shen Yu looked down at Little Red Riding Hood. She pursed her lips and glanced at the flintlock at his waist, then put away her axe and led the way.

As Little Red Riding Hood pushed open the creaking wooden door, the smell of mold and old belongings hit him. It was a pitifully small wooden house. The walls had peeled away to expose mottled adobe, and thick moss covered the ceiling.

The room was dim, with only a few shabby windows admitting faint light. The simple furniture smelled of decay. Ash filled the fireplace, and the floor was covered in dust and cracks. Miscellaneous belongings were piled high in the corner.

Medicinal herbs lay drying on the windowsill, giving off a strange odor.

An old woman sat in a rocking chair straight ahead. Her two cloudy white eyes were open as she faced forward and asked:

"Sir, are you really here to hunt the wolf?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful." The old woman rocked her chair and hurriedly said:

"Quick, Little Red Riding Hood, see if we have anything valuable left."

"Grandma," Little Red Riding Hood called unhappily as she chopped dry firewood with her axe.

"What valuables do we have? Didn't I tell you? The hunter will deal with the wolf. Wasn't he the one who saved us before?"

"Excuse me." Shen Yu looked at the old woman.

"Could you tell me how that hunter rescued you?"

"Oh, dear." The old woman slapped the armrest. "It was absolutely terrifying. That wolf pretended to be Little Red Riding Hood to get inside, then swallowed me in one gulp. I'm telling you, it was pitch-black in its belly. I couldn't breathe."

The old woman shuddered at that, then continued:

"Later, I heard it pretending to be me, and it swallowed Little Red Riding Hood too. Then..."

"Then the wolf fell asleep with its belly full. The hunter came by, cut its belly open, let us out, and stuffed stones inside to kill it." Little Red Riding Hood interrupted her grandmother, then turned to Shen Yu.

"So, do you understand now? We have no! Money!" Little Red Riding Hood raised her axe and swung down with all her might, but the blade bounced straight off.

"Was what you just said true?"

"Why would I lie to you? That wolf's pelt is still hanging in the hunter's house!"

Shen Yu frowned in thought at her words. Isn't this the original fairy tale? How long until things start changing?

As Shen Yu pondered, he suddenly heard a creak. Looking toward the sound, he saw a moldy old wardrobe standing in the corner, exactly as it had looked when he first saw it.

At that, Shen Yu chuckled softly. He stepped forward, picked up the firewood in front of Little Red Riding Hood, and tore it into thin strips with his bare hands, saying casually:

"Normally, hiring me would cost a great deal, but this time, I can offer you a discount."