Monster - Chapter 60
Chapter 60: Departure
When Lin Sandie returned to the Maple Bud Tribe with Little Fool, she saw many changes from when she had first arrived. The most obvious was that the people were visibly stronger, and the tools they used were much more "modern." For instance, before returning to reality last time, Lin Sandie had bought a pile driver from the online store and installed two convenient hand-cranked water wells in the tribe. Now, even when children helped fetch water, there was no longer any worry they would fall into the well.
The houses were now red brick, no longer the thatched huts of before, and the variety of crops was much richer.
The arrival of Lin Sandie and Little Fool had genuinely changed the Maple Bud Tribe. As promised, Chief Flower Cow gave most of the tribe's gold to Lin Sandie, who converted part of it into points and set the rest aside for Little Fool's future living and educational expenses.
However, the Maple Bud Tribe still had a shortage of men, mainly because the Spanish and Aztec armies were still at war, and the dreaded smallpox continued to ravage the land. Consequently, whether on Lin Sandie's advice or based on their own judgment, the tribe knew they couldn't allow outsiders to enter casually.
They had all witnessed the severity of the smallpox virus—a "curse" that covered faces in pustules and claimed lives within days—which was more than enough to make them all extremely cautious.
Perhaps because Little Fool's behavior was so unusual today, she chattered nonstop to Lin Sandie the whole way, recounting everything that had happened since she left. She was always cheerful and lively, eager to share everything with her Little Rabbit.
Upon returning to the tribe, the moment Chief Flower Cow and the others saw her, they knew the "god" who possessed her had descended again. In their eyes, Little Fool was the God's Favored, and Lin Sandie was the deity who favored only this little girl. The fact that the girl called the "deity" Little Rabbit was merely a sign of her childish ignorance.
The merciful god didn't seem to mind being called Little Rabbit.
The collared peccary hunted today was too large, and the pony Little Fool rode could only carry one back. After telling Chief Flower Cow and the others where the remaining carcasses were, she announced without any hesitation or preamble that she was leaving. This saved Lin Sandie, who was still trying to figure out how to say goodbye, a great deal of effort.
After she finished speaking, Little Fool immediately stuck a conical, finger-length stone into the ground.
This was a magical item Lin Sandie had just redeemed with points: the Whisperer.
Name: Whisperer
Rank: D-Class
It looks like an ordinary stone.
Positive Effect: When stuck upside down in the ground, it creates a field. People standing nearby will hear sounds they normally cannot, such as the voices of souls.
Negative Effect: Frequent use will cause auditory hallucinations.
"Little Rabbit has something to say to you," Little Fool announced as instructed, looking at the Maple Bud people who were staring curiously at the stone on the ground.
"The Goddess?"
"Is the Goddess going to speak?"
Hearing the "God's Favored" announce that Little Rabbit had something to say, the people of the Maple Bud Tribe immediately gathered around in excitement. Those who weren't present were quickly fetched, and before long, every member of the tribe, young and old, had assembled in the village's central clearing.
Although the goddess had been descending for a long time, they had never heard a divine oracle with their own ears, having to rely on the God's Favored to relay messages. This made them extraordinarily curious about her.
After carefully considering her words, Lin Sandie spoke in a plain tone, neither overly familiar nor aloof. "My favored one and I will be leaving this place, and we will not return."
Hearing the gentle, calm female voice, the Maple Bud people immediately knelt, their eyes filling with tears. Their initial feelings of awe and gratitude were quickly overshadowed by the sorrow of their goddess's impending departure.
"Goddess..."
"We beg you not to abandon us..."
"What must we do for you to stay?"
Lin Sandie watched the dozens of people kneeling around her and Little Fool, feeling awkward. She had never thought of herself as a deity; the whole charade was just to ensure Little Fool would be respected. She never expected that by providing the tribe with so many modern conveniences, they would come to genuinely revere her. She was a true blasphemer.
Fortunately, no one could see her blushing. Restraining any superfluous movements, Lin Sandie continued to speak.
"I have decided to leave. Is there anyone among you willing to become one of my favored and leave with us?"
After a brief silence, the Maple Bud people all surged forward, grabbing Little Fool's hands and shouting, "I am willing! Please let me leave with you!"
Whenever the "deity" descended upon Little Fool, they ate unbelievably delicious food. The deity was also much gentler than the ignorant little girl, capable of healing sickness and often bestowing useful gifts. The Maple Bud people genuinely respected, believed in, and loved this goddess from the bottom of their hearts. Only a fool would pass up the chance to become one of her favored.
Little Fool frowned at them, her face contorting with anger. She was on the verge of an outburst. Little Rabbit hadn't said anything about bringing other people along.
"Favored ones aren't partners. My only partner is you, Little Fool," Lin Sandie said immediately, having figured out her temper. The moment the words left her mouth, she felt it sounded strange, as if she were explaining to her cat at home that she didn't have another cat on the side.
After placating Little Fool, Lin Sandie addressed the enthusiastic crowd swarming the girl. "I will only take two, and you may never have the chance to return to your homeland. Please consider this carefully."
The news that they might never return to their homeland was like a bucket of cold water on their enthusiasm, and many hesitated. Still, a good number insisted that not returning home was a small price to pay for becoming one of the goddess's favored.
Having spent over "two years" with them, Lin Sandie knew the people of the Maple Bud tribe well. After some deliberation, she chose a teenage boy and girl who had already lost their families. In her mind, it would be inhumane to force someone to leave their homeland forever if they still had family there.
The boy, named Eagle, was fifteen. He was usually quiet but a very efficient worker. The girl, named Branch, was sixteen. She was an enthusiastic and lively girl who treated Little Fool like a younger sister, often visiting to study with her.
"Is that okay?" Lin Sandie asked Little Fool after making her choice, though the question was rather pointless.
Little Fool angrily slapped the hand extending from the black fog. "You already decided, so why are you asking me now! You stupid rabbit! You're bullying me!"
I have no choice. If we travel by boat, a little girl like you would definitely get bullied, Lin Sandie thought, but she didn't say it aloud. Instead, she just ruffled Little Fool's hair.
Without much delay, after packing lightly, Little Fool, Eagle, and Branch set off north toward the White Bear Tribe, accompanied by a stuffed rabbit doll.
Traveling on foot would take too long. Lin Sandie had considered buying two expensive horses from the online store, but she wasn't confident in her ability to care for them, nor did she trust their quality. After weighing her options, she bought a four-wheeled ATV—simple and direct.
After teaching Eagle how to drive, they officially set off for the White Bear Tribe, located west of Lake Texcoco.
"Don't be angry~" Lin Sandie said, poking Little Fool's pouting cheek. "Here, take this vitamin."
"But I want to be angry!" Little Fool huffed from the back seat. Despite her words, she obediently took the sweet orange tablet from Lin Sandie's hand and ate it.
"You see, we're going to a new place. You're so young. If people bully you while I'm asleep and there's no one to look after you, I'll worry."
"I can take care of myself."
"But I'll still worry."
Hearing the gentle worry in Little Rabbit's voice, Little Fool blinked. "Alright then."
So gullible. Lin Sandie felt a sense of healing just by looking at Little Fool's face. She reached out and patted her head again. "If we're going to Europe, we'll need to change our identities and our names."
Having soothed Little Fool, Lin Sandie took a world map she'd purchased from the online store out of her space bag and spread it across the girl's lap.
"Can't I just be called Little Fool?"
"No. Only I get to call you Little Fool. Besides, people in other places won't know you're the God's Favored. We should go here," Lin Sandie said, pointing to the map. "Spain, or here, Great Britain."
"Alright then. What should my name be?"
"Well... these countries are very discriminatory toward Aztecs right now," Lin Sandie began her little lesson. "Racial discrimination means when a person adopts a contemptuous, hateful, and exclusionary attitude in their words and actions toward races other than their own."
"Why do they do that?"
"Discrimination has many facets. People tend to make preconceived guesses about things they don't understand. And when you guess, there's always a chance you'll be wrong. That wrong part is discrimination. For example, if you see someone who is very ugly, you might subconsciously assume their heart is as ugly as their face. Discrimination is a very, very bad thing."
"I understand. You shouldn't discriminate against ugly people, nor should you think too highly of beautiful people."
"Er... something like that. The point is, when you meet other people, regardless of their appearance, race, religion, or culture, don't let preconceived notions tie you down. Don't just follow the crowd. You have to learn to judge for yourself."
"Okay, Little Rabbit. So you're saying that the countries of these white-skinned people discriminate against us, and since we can't change their minds, we have to change our names and hide our true identities." Although Little Fool was a little savage raised in a primitive tribe, her astuteness was sometimes frightening to Lin Sandie.
"Correct," Lin Sandie exhaled. "In their human hierarchy, the highest tier consists of white Christians. The second tier is the Chinese and Japanese, because their civilizations are considered comparable to those of Europeans, just with different beliefs. The third tier is the Aztecs, and the fourth is black people."
"Is our skin color the same as the Chinese or Japanese?"
"It is. Right now, Chinese silk, porcelain, and tea are very famous and expensive. I can buy some Chinese specialty goods and give you all Chinese names. That way, we can blend into European life. What do you think?"
"Okay~ Little Rabbit."
Having gotten approval from Little Fool and the other two, Lin Sandie began to ponder a Chinese name for the girl.
Lin Sandie put down the map and studied Little Fool's face. After a long moment of contemplation, she made her decision. "When we go to Europe, your Chinese name will be Zhao Jinyu. How does that sound? If we go somewhere else later, you can change it if you like."
"Zhao Jinyu," Little Fool repeated the three syllables, which sounded a bit strange. "What does it mean?"
"Zhao is the family name. Jinyu means 'fine jade,' a type of beautiful gemstone..." Lin Sandie hesitated. She wasn't Little Fool's parent, so she stopped herself from adding any wishes for her future. Instead, she simply said, "It means you are very important."
Hearing Lin Sandie's explanation, Little Fool's eyes curved into crescents. She tugged on the hand extending from the black fog and asked sweetly, "Am I important?"
"Of course," Lin Sandie replied, thinking, After all, if you die, I die too.
"Okay, Zhao Jinyu it is. But I still like it when Little Rabbit calls me Little Fool."
"Okay. Eagle and Branch should change their names, too."
"We follow the goddess's will," Branch, sitting next to Little Fool, replied quickly after hearing the translation. Eagle, however, was too busy driving the ATV with an excited look on his face to have noticed the "divine oracle."
"Let me think... Eagle will be Zhao Tai."
After Little Fool translated, Branch slapped Eagle on the shoulder to tell him the "goddess" had just bestowed a name upon him. He immediately moved to stop the vehicle to kneel and offer his thanks.
"No. No kneeling from now on. If you kneel again, you'll have to leave," Lin Sandie said with great seriousness.
"Don't kneel anymore. It's a hassle, and Little Rabbit doesn't like it," Little Fool relayed.
"Yes, yes..."
"Just keep driving," Lin Sandie urged, her mind already working on a Chinese name for Branch.
Lin Sandie put more thought into the girl's name. After a moment, she announced, "When we get to Europe, her name will be Zhao Le."
"Yes. Thank you, Goddess, and thank you, God's Favored," Branch said with a smile after learning her new name.
After giving them names using her mother's surname, Lin Sandie began her homework. There were many preparations to be made for living in a new place, but she felt no impatience or fear. Instead, her heart was filled with anticipation and excitement.
Lin Sandie knew she and Little Fool would face many more challenges. But she had spent most of her life in a concrete jungle, sacrificing her freedom to her job, to Yan Ting, and to the responsibilities society demanded. She had meticulously followed every rule and regulation, molded by social conventions into a perfect modern elite.
But Lin Sandie had never taken a real risk. She had never seen the vast, boundless world or considered what she truly wanted. There had been times when she'd thought about abandoning everything—her mortgage, her responsibilities, her job—to go on an adventure, to see the world, to explore. But too many things had always held her back.
Now, she finally had the chance. A genuine joy welled up inside her, and she realized she truly loved this thrilling, unpredictable life of adventure.
Perhaps Lou's words had truly moved her. She, too, wanted to walk out of the dark basement and toward the magnificent palace that was meant for her.
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