City of Limon, Awwa County.
Jasmine wrapped the scarf around her face and walked out of the apartment building.
She heard that the annual Limon Carnival had already begun and wanted to go to the town square to take a look.
At this time last year, the carnival was canceled due to the war, which greatly disappointed Jasmine. Afterwards, she suffered the biggest trauma of her life and stayed at home, afraid and unwilling to go out.
Perhaps because she had been isolating herself for too long and confined to the narrow environment of her home, Jasmine has recently been wanting to Upper Street and wander around, just like she used to.
In a fleeting glance, she saw herself reflected in the large glass window of a shop on the street:
She was dressed entirely in black, without a single other color. Her long dress reached her ankles, and the veil of her hat covered most of her face. A scarf wrapped around her from below her eyes to her neck, and she wore a woolen glove on each hand.
This is completely different from the cheerful and lively self that Jasmine remembers.
During the previous war, a shell destroyed Jasmine and her parents' original home and caused a fire that burned her face and left her body covered in wounds.
If she hadn't been incredibly lucky, Jasmine would have died from those severe injuries long ago, but even so, she felt as if her life had ended at that moment.
Now, her nose has been burned off, leaving only two black holes. There are many traces of flames on her face, neck, and hands. If she were to walk in the Evernight, she could easily Acting of Devil.
Jasmine remembers one thing very clearly: on her first night in the apartment building, after cleaning herself in the communal bathroom before bed, she had just stepped out the door when she saw a boy approaching, and the boy saw her too.
Bathed in the crimson Moonlight, the boy wore an expression of extreme terror, as if he might leap up at any moment, turn around, and run away.
In the end, he regained his composure, simply taking a few steps to the side, unable to bear looking at Jasmine's face any longer.
This pierced Jasmine's fragile heart. From that day on, she stopped going out, and even when she needed to clean herself, she would wait until late at night.
In this regard, she was very grateful to her parents, because they said nothing and worked hard to maintain their lives, barely supporting the family with their original savings and the jobs they found later, so that Jasmine did not need to go out to earn a salary.
After walking for a while, Jasmine saw the main venue of the carnival— Limon Municipal Square.
The bustling crowd, the outpouring of various emotions, and the vibrant atmosphere made Jasmine instinctively stop in her tracks.
She dared not go closer, afraid that people would notice her strangely dressed appearance, and afraid that she might accidentally let her scarf fall off.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she stopped completely, found a clean spot on the street, sat down, and focused intently on gazing at the city square.
After an unknown amount of time, Jasmine finally noticed that there was another person around her.
He was a young man dressed in a long black robe and a top hat, like Magician from a circus.
The city square is over there... Jasmine wanted to remind him, but after her lips moved a few times, she didn't open them.
She neither dared nor wanted to talk to anyone.
However, the young man walked over, took off his hat, and bowed slightly, saying:
"Miss, do you know what this Robot does?"
Robot? Jasmine subconsciously looked up, somewhat bewildered, following the young man's gaze to the side.
Under the gas streetlights, a small, wardrobe-like Robot had somehow appeared there.
Its surface is brass-colored, inlaid with several pieces of glass that have little to no transparency, and parts such as gears, bearings, rivets, and metal pipes are directly exposed, giving it a very rugged appearance.
Jasmine looked away, shook her head, and indicated that she didn't know what the Robot did.
This also conveyed her intention to refuse to communicate.
"It's called the ' Fully Automatic Wishing Machine '," the young man introduced with a smile. "This is my invention; it can automatically grant the Manipulator's Wishes. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself Merlin Hermes, a wandering Magician."
" Fully Automatic Wishing Machine "... Jasmine discovered that she could understand each word individually, but couldn't put them together.
"You can try it; it's free for the first person to experience it," Klein, disguised as Merlin Hermes, said with a smile.
Jasmine shook her head, refusing to communicate.
Klein was not discouraged at all, and glanced at the other party before saying:
"For example, you can make a Wishes return to your original form."
These words struck Jasmine like a sharp arrow, startling her so much that she stood up abruptly and hurriedly retreated, attempting to leave.
She suspected that the other person had already seen what she looked like.
"How will you know your Wishes won't come true if you don't try? It doesn't require you to give anything." Klein said, watching her back as she walked away, his voice neither fast nor slow.
Jasmine's pace gradually slowed, and she eventually stopped.
If she could return to her original state, she would be willing to pursue it even if it required a large sum of money.
But she knew that her deepest Wishes could not be fulfilled by money.
No need to pay anything... Free trial... What if it works... Jasmine's mind raced with these thoughts, and as if tempted by Demon, she slowly turned her body around.
"Really?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
Klein pointed to the Robot:
"I can back up ten meters, and all you need to do is turn a wrench on that Robot."
You don't need to take off your hat and scarf.
This last sentence touched Jasmine, and she nodded quickly, saying:
"Good."
Once Merlin Hermes had stepped back a distance, Jasmine approached the Robot and carefully grasped the wrench on the "door."
She was actually quite worried that she would be pranked after spinning, such as having water poured on her head—something that happened every year at carnival, and she and her friends had played pranks on others like that before, but compared to the possibility of her Wishes coming true, she felt it was bearable.
Even if it turns out that there's no such thing as Wishes fulfillment, it can still be considered as her experience of participating in the carnival.
"Remember to make Wishes before you spin it," Klein reminded him from a short distance away.
Jasmine composed herself and almost silently voiced her Wishes:
I want to go back to how I looked before I was burned.
After saying that, she nervously and expectantly turned the wrench.
The next second, the "door" of the " Fully Automatic Wishing Machine " opened, and an ordinary, light-colored wooden cane reached out and touched Jasmine's forehead.
While Jasmine wasn't looking, she noticed a gold ring inlaid with rubies on her hand.
Once the natural wood-colored cane retracted into the " Fully Automatic Wishing Machine," the gold ring inlaid with a ruby also disappeared.
Amid the sound of gears turning, Jasmine watched as the Robot's "doors" slowly closed.
Is that all? She wondered, somewhat bewildered.
She didn't experience the feeling of her Wishes being fulfilled, nor did she encounter any pranks; everything seemed so strange.
"Congratulations, your Wishes has come true." Klein walked back and clapped softly, as if he were a witness.
My Wishes has come true... How is this possible... Just as Jasmine had this thought in her mind, she suddenly felt something under her scarf.
Something has risen up again in the place where only two black holes remain!
Jasmine hesitated and slowly raised her hand, touched her face, and clearly felt the presence of her nose.
Her experience with breathing also proves this point.
She turned abruptly, her back to Merlin Hermes, and walked to a shop on the street. By the light of the gas lamp, she looked into the glass window.
Then, she removed the scarf covering her face layer by layer.
A girl's face, with not-so-large eyes, not-so-straight nose, not-so-full lips, and a few freckles, was reflected in the window.
Jasmine instinctively raised her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes filled with both light and mist.
After a few seconds, she raised her arm, wiped her face with her sleeve, and turned to look at Merlin Hermes said:
Are you a god?
"I'm just a Magician who likes to create miracles." Klein smiled and pointed to the Robot next to him, "You should be most grateful to this, the ' Fully Automatic Wishing Machine '."
"Fully automatic..." Jasmine repeated unconsciously, her emotions running high.
Klein nodded and said:
"Yes, a ' Fully Automatic Wishing Machine ' that can operate on its own without anyone's help."
"You can think of it as a gas meter; just insert a coin and you can get gas as easily as you Wishes."
"The specific steps are very simple: put in a penny, make your Wishes, and then turn the wrench."
"Remember, only three Wishes can be granted."
As he explained, Klein inwardly mocked himself:
If I were to die someday and become Sealed Artifact, I hope it would be something like a " Fully Automatic Wishing Machine ".
--After leaving City of Constant, the capital of Awwa County, Klein changed the way he granted other people's Wishes to avoid getting bored:
People always need to learn to find enjoyment in tedious work.
This is truly amazing... Jasmine simply can't find the words to describe how she feels.
Her turbulent emotions were thus calmed down considerably.
"Will it—I mean this ' Fully Automatic Wishing Machine' —stay here forever?" Jasmine asked hesitantly.
Klein smiled and said:
"Won't.
"It might stay here for three days, or it might not be that long. Perhaps it will disappear when the Sun rises."
"But it won't disappear forever; perhaps one day you'll see it again on the street corner."
Jasmine's mind was in turmoil, unable to sort out her thoughts. She could only bow deeply to the Robot and say:
"Thank you, Mr. ' Fully Automatic Wishing Machine '."
Then, she bowed to Klein again:
Thank you, Mr. Hermes.
Before she could finish speaking, Jasmine suddenly remembered what Merlin Hermes had just said, and asked with a mixture of anticipation, surprise, and embarrassment:
"Can three Wishes be granted?"
"Yes, but it won't be free anymore; you'll need to insert coins," Klein replied without any hesitation.