Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 430: Deception

World's Crown.

In the field of East District 13, Nene toiled amidst the black ryegrass, her face shielded by a cotton mask.

Taking a break from the hours of toiling, Nene paused and stretched her back. As she wiped away the sweat on her face, she noticed her good friend, Sparkle, standing before her.

Nene dropped her novel and dashed over. Pulling Sparkle into a warm embrace, she cried out, "Sparkle! You came down? I'm sooooo happy! I was just thinking of you yesterday!"

"I missed you too, so I decided to visit. I even brought you a gift. It's bananas."

It was only then that Nene spotted the massive cluster next to Sparkle. The cluster of long yellow-green objects was tethered to a stalk taller than any person.

"What are these?" Nene crouched down to further inspect with curiosity, even giving them a slight squeeze.

"Bananas."

"Sparkle, bananas are supposed to be black and mushy. These aren't bananas; you've been deceived."

"Deceived?"

"To deceive is to lie. For example, if I said I was a boy, which I'm not, then I'd have deceived you."

Sparkle blinked her eyes in puzzlement. "Why would he deceive me?"

"Did he take your money for these? Mommy told me there are bad people who sell fake stuff to take our money. When you find out it's not real, they're already far away on a boat to another place. There are lots of tricky people like that."

Sparkle glanced doubtfully at the item next to her. "Are these really not bananas?"

"They really aren't. Are you hungry? Let's have some mushroom slices fried in fish oil. They're deliciously aromatic. My mom packed them for my lunch."

Nene then retrieved a small tin box from her bag and offered it to Sparkle.

"Sit by the side and eat this. Let's go play after I'm done with work."

Resuming her work, Nene bent down to continue clearing the soil of weeds and mushrooms.

With the tin box in her hands, Sparkle squatted down and asked, "Why are you removing those things?"

"They compete with the black ryegrass for nutrients. If we remove them, the black ryegrass gets all the nutrients and grows a lot. Mom can sell it and make money. We can then go back up there and live a better life."

"I see. Let me help you then."

"Okay! Then, you can work on that plot. Let's compete and see who's faster!"

The two girls got busy working the soil, engaging in light-hearted conversation as they toiled. But in just three minutes, Nene saw a pair of fair hands reaching out to remove the weeds she was just about to pluck out. She looked up and saw Sparkle.

"I'm done," Sparkle announced.

Nene stood up and surveyed their plot of land. She couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "Woah! Sparkle, you're so good at this. You cleared everything so quickly!"

"Can we play now?" Sparkle asked with her eyes glimmering with excitement.

"Of course! Let's go. I need to go let my mother know first." Nene grabbed Sparkle by the hand and ran toward Donna, who was working in the distance.

Donna tensed up when she saw the green-eyed child with nothing covering her face. She hastily wrapped her sweat-dampened towel around Sparkle's face to cover her mouth and nose. It was dirty, but it was better than having mushrooms in one's lungs.

"Sparkle, don't your parents look after you? They actually allow you to venture down here by yourself?"

"Mommy said it was okay for me to come down here," Sparkle answered in a calm tone.

"How could she consent to that? It's too dangerous here. And your father?"

"Daddy is on a ship."

Hearing Sparkle's answer, Donna understood immediately. Sparkle's father and her late husband shared the same occupationthey were sailors. The fact that Sparkle could remain atop the large mushroom crown hinted at the significant role of Sparkle's father aboard his vessel.

Being on a ship brought in a large amount of money, but it came with equal risks. The sea's unpredictability could claim lives in an instant. All things considered, Donna felt a newfound affection for Sparkle.

Meanwhile, Nene didn't think too deeply about Sparkle's familial ties. She was purely intrigued by Sparkle's father's occupation.

"Sparkle, is your daddy the Captain of a ship? I've heard that the one helming the wheel is of the highest authority."

Sparkle shook her head. "He doesn't steer the ship. The fish steers it. My daddy just walks around on the ship."

"You're lying! How can a fish steer the wheel?"

"Why would I need to lie?"

With her eyes slightly reddened by the rampant spores, Donna intervened and stopped Nene. She pulled out a couple of coins from her pouch and placed them into Nene's hand. After pondering for a couple of seconds, she generously added more coins to the pile in Nene's hand.

"Let's move on from them. Take Sparkle with you and go have fun. Enjoy yourselves. She can spend the night with us, and then I'll send her back up tomorrow."

Elated at her mother's generosity, Nene beamed, "Woah! So much pocket money! Mommy, you're the best! Come on, Sparkle, let's go buy some nice treats."

Nene excitedly guided Sparkle toward the farmers' fathering spot in the distance. The village was quiet, as most people were out working in the fields. Nene eagerly led Sparkle to the small shop cluttered with an assortment of items.

"Sister Vanessa! I want this, this and this!" Nene eagerly pointed at a couple of treats on display.

Nene bought all the snacks that she wanted to eat and eagerly shared her bounty with her good friend.

"Try this! The initial taste is sour, then sweet. And this one, it's spicy first before it turns sweet," Nene said as she handed over some candies to Sparkle.

Most of the treats were just cheap, hard candies. But for Nene, they were considered an indulgence as she seldom got to enjoy them.

Sparkled placed a candy into her mouth and chewed without any change in expression.

"'How is it? It's delicious, isn't it? It's tasty, right?' Nini asked as she excitedly held Sparkle's hands.

"I don't taste anything," Sparkle answered honestly.

"Impossible. Sister Vanessa's candies are the best. Open your mouth."

She reached her fingers into Sparkle's mouth, took the half-melted candy and placed it into her mouth, giving it a taste before returning it to Sparkle.

"It's sweet and tasty! Sparkle, can't you taste the sweetness?"

Noticing Nene's crestfallen brows, Sparkle asked, "Are you upset?"

"Not really. Maybe sweets aren't your thing. Come, let's go try something else. I'm sure you'll like it."

Holding Sparkle by the hand, Nene led her down a left turn into an alley. Soon, they arrived at their destinationa corner where various colored mushrooms thrived. If there was one thing in abundance on the World's Crown, it would be mushrooms.

After a moment of careful selection, Nene boldly decided on two mushrooms with a dark liquid seeping from the caps and plucked them.

She then led Sparkle to sit atop a large mushroom and brought the selected mushrooms up to eye level.

"This is a Blackwater Mushroom. Have a gentle sniff, and you'll start seeing tiny dancers right before your eyes. It's magical.

"Promise me you won't tell my mom. I learned this from the other village kids. Mommy didn't want me to hang out with them," Nene whispered. Then, she held the mushroom to her nose and took a deep breath before passing it to Sparkle, who followed suit.

In less than a minute, Nene's gaze turned glazed and hazy. "Do you see that? Look, those little dancers are approaching. See, there are blue ones, red ones, and even purple ones. They dance so well."

Sparkle stared at the empty street before her and wanted to confess the truth. However, she was reminded of Nene's disappointed face from earlier when she had tasted the candies.

Determined, Sparkle vigorously nodded her head. "Yes, I see them. The little dancers are coming out, one after another. How pretty."

Nene grabbed Sparkle's hand and let out a giggle. Sparkle chuckled, too, as she noticed how happy her friend was.

The two little girls sat on the mushroom and continued gesturing animatedly at the empty street.

Cosyjuhye's Thoughts

430 is out now! Just some personal updates. Things haven't been going too well in my personal life lately, and I'm struggling with some personal matters. But, well, it's still not an excuse for being late in releasing chapters. I will strive to make sure that we have consistent releases. See you guys around!