Chapter 1087: Settling the Newborn Fool's Dreams
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1087: Settling the Newborn Fool's Dreams
Witch Cat Café.
Inside one of the themed cat rooms, Dinah looked at me with a beaming smile. She held a Fool's Dream creature in her arms, which was currently enjoying having its long hair brushed by her.
She had been looking forward to my visit with great anticipation.
"It’s rare for Xiao Han to take the initiative to ask for a meeting. Even though we just saw each other not long ago, I still hope you’ve brought good news."
"I’ve summoned a hundred Fool's Dreams from the Land of Fool's Dream into reality. Does that count as good news?" I asked.
"Oh! A hundred!" Dinah’s eyes instantly lit up.
"Don't get excited too early. I respect the wishes of the Fool's Dreams themselves, so I have conditions. You cannot use any coercive means to force them to stay and work at the Witch Cat Café," I stated directly, getting straight to the point without any beating around the bush.
"I understand! How could I have the heart to force these adorable little creatures to work? Every cup of Fool's Dream Drink they brew is a testament to their love for life! If you don't believe me, just ask Yu Le." Dinah picked up the little Fool's Dream in her arms. The creature, who called herself Yu Le, cooperatively raised both hands.
"Sister Xiao Han! I super-duper love it here! Sister Dinah is very good to me too!"
"And the benefits at the cat café are excellent," Dinah added. "After all... these tiny needs of the Fool's Dreams are nothing to me. I am a Transcendent Witch, you know. I don't supervise the Witch Cat Café in the Main World just for something as vulgar as making money. Xiao Han, you understand, right?"
"Yes, I understand. Ordinary wealth holds no attraction for a Transcendent Witch," I nodded.
This wasn't just true for Transcendent Witches; it was the same for me.
"Exactly! Since you like getting straight to the point, I won't waste your time. Where are those hundred Fool's Dreams? Can I see them? I promise—even if they don't want to stay at the Witch Cat Café, I'll arrange other places for them!"
Dinah was so excited she couldn't help but stand up, leaning toward me.
"Sister Dinah, can't you show a little restraint? You’re making me feel like some shady agent who just sold a bunch of Fool's Dreams to an illegal coal mine..." I waved my hand, signaling her to calm down.
"Why restrain myself? If you like something, go for it boldly! If you love something, express it without reservations! Xiao Han, being this reserved and subtle won't do. You still need practice," Dinah said with the air of an experienced elder. "If you were a bit more proactive, wouldn't you and that Sister Bai Yu have sealed the deal long ago?"
"Huh?" I looked at Dinah with a strange expression. "Seal what? Our relationship? That was confirmed ages ago."
"You've... done it too?"
"Mhm."
"What did Sister Xiao Han do?" Yu Le asked, confused by the cryptic exchange.
The gossipy grin on Dinah's face froze before it could fully bloom.
"Ahem... don't corrupt the Fool's Dream!" I pursed my lips and sent a targeted transmission to Dinah using a spell. Then, I looked at the curious Yu Le. "Sister Xiao Han and Sister Bai Yu have a very special, intimate relationship. It involves a ritual that can only be performed between two people who have entrusted their lives to one another."
"Eh? Then can Yu Le perform that ritual with Sister Xiao Han?"
"No, you can't," I said, keeping a straight face as I explained. "I am the Sage of all Fool's Dreams, the beacon that guides you toward your own paths. I am not the entirety of what you should entrust your lives to. You should experience life for yourselves, feel the good and evil in everything around you, and seek a promise that belongs solely to you and your other half."
"Eh? If that's the case, um... how about Sister Dinah?"
Following Yu Le's words, I gave Dinah a peculiar look. Although I knew the Fool's Dream didn't understand the underlying meaning, based on her understanding and phrasing...
"Er! That... let's not talk about that for now. Yu Le, I'll discuss this with you later. For now... how about we welcome your hundred sisters who have come to reality?"
Dinah hurriedly changed the subject, awkwardly shifting the focus. Her gaze was a bit guilty, avoiding eye contact with me.
Through my Heart Sense, however, I knew exactly what was going on.
She had led Yu Le astray!
Just like that Rebel Witch!
I took a moment to compose my emotions. I felt like a mother whose daughter had run off with some punk before she was even an adult. The worst part was that the Fool's Dream didn't understand a thing!
"I understand... it's Yu Le's freedom. I won't interfere. Besides... you aren't the first one," I said with a sigh.
"What?!" Dinah's eyes widened. She had thought Xiao Han might get angry, but Fool's Dreams were simply too cute to her. she had even wanted to ask Xiao Han about adoption but had been too embarrassed to bring it up, settling for this cooperative arrangement instead.
But what did she just hear?
She wasn't the first? Other witches had already made a move on the Fool's Dreams!
She felt a surge of rivalry... no, that wasn't quite right. It was more like she had discovered the existence of a "Fool's Dream trafficker" and felt a profound sense of crisis!
"Who? Who exactly beat me to it?"
"A Rebel Witch."
"..." Upon hearing the words "Rebel Witch," Dinah's competitive fire instantly withered. "Cough... right. Xiao Han, where were we? Oh! The Fool's Dreams. When can we go see them?"
"Anytime," I replied.
Since those Fool's Dreams had all been hatched, I naturally had to settle them before I could focus on other matters.
Entrusting them to Dinah for the time being was the safest choice. Although she seemed a bit unreliable at times, her love for the Fool's Dreams was genuine, and she possessed great patience.
While a hundred Fool's Dreams wasn't a massive number, it wasn't small either. I obviously couldn't let them out of the Dungeon World right there in the Witch Cat Café.
So, after a serious discussion with Dinah, we headed over to the Branch Academy.
According to Dinah, she had submitted an application to build a Witch Cat Café at the Branch Academy, but after it was built, no Fool's Dreams had moved in, which she found very regrettable.
Currently, the population at the Branch Academy consisted mostly of lower-year students, so the foot traffic was light. it was a suitable place for these Fool's Dreams, who were new to the service industry, to get to know the real world.
Sister Dinah mentioned she had also applied to the academy to build a "Fool's Dream Street," but the proposal had been heartlessly rejected. Setting aside the fact that there weren't enough Fool's Dreams to staff it, the academy wasn't going to build a dedicated facility just to cater to her specific obsession.
In my view, Dinah was treating the Fool's Dreams like lucky cats for her shop. A whole street of them... she was dreaming too big.
Still, the concept... it would be a stunning sight. Just thinking about it made for a beautiful picture.
But the necessary conditions for that certainly didn't exist yet.
We arrived at the Witch Branch Academy in the Expansion Realm.
I opened the gate to the Dungeon World, and a hundred Fool's Dreams crossed the spatial portal, pouring out all at once in a flurry of activity.
"Whoa... so many Fool's Dreams!"
Dinah only had time to shout that one sentence before she was submerged by the crowd of creatures.
"Alright, everyone! Come meet your Sister Dinah! In the future, when I can't be with you, you can go directly to Sister Dinah if you need anything. She will help you solve any troubles you encounter in reality," I said, clapping my hands above my head to introduce her to the group.
"Come on, say hello to Sister Dinah."
"Hello~ Sister~ Dinah!" ×104
Very quickly, Dinah lost herself in the chorus of "Sister Dinah."
It took quite a while before Dinah snapped out of it. Managing and caring for a hundred Fool's Dreams was no easy task.
Even though they had explored the wonders of the real world through the Dungeon World, their excitement hadn't faded.
However, Dinah had her own methods. She made a single phone call, and before long, staff members from the Witch Cat Café at the Witch Academy arrived. To respect the Fool's Dreams' wishes, they couldn't just be forced into working at the café immediately. Besides, even if they were to work, training hadn't even begun yet.
The part-time employees who arrived were also shocked by the hundred Fool's Dreams, but under Dinah's direction, they quickly began tallying the creatures and recording their information.
Even for the Fool's Dreams who didn't plan on working at the Witch Cat Café, Dinah still had custom identification tags made for them, which listed their names, hobbies, personalities, and so on.
"How's that? Efficient, right? Leaving them to me was the best decision you ever made!" Dinah said, coming over to me as she watched the café employees working diligently.
"That's why I felt so comfortable coming to you, Sister Dinah."
"Hehe~" Dinah was delighted by my affirmation. Then, as if remembering something, she said, "By the way, Xiao Han, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel like these Fool's Dreams are... a bit different from the first batch? They seem much closer to actual living beings."
"That's right. You should understand, Sister Dinah. Fool's Dreams are the product of my exploration into dream life. These hundred Fool's Dreams prove that I've traveled much further down that path."
"So that's it... then, what about Yu Le? Xiao Han, can you let Yu Le also..."
"Is there a difference?" I interrupted Sister Dinah with a question. "No matter how far I go, they still haven't become true dream life. This isn't the end point, so there's no need to be so fixated. No matter what form Yu Le takes, she is by your side, right?"
"..." Dinah was silent for a moment, then smiled in realization. "You're right... fine, then I'll wait for you to succeed! When you do, don't forget my Yu Le!"
"She's yours already?" I asked with a smile.
"Is that not allowed?"
"Of course it is, as long as you don't betray Yu Le's trust. Otherwise, if Yu Le ever comes back to the Land of Fool's Dream crying to find me, I'll have to pay you a visit with her in tow."
"Are you threatening me? Fine... you certainly have the right to. I swear I won't! I'm willing to sign a Witch Contract!" Dinah smiled helplessly and gave her word.
"A contract isn't necessary. As long as the heart doesn't change, that's stronger than any contractual restraint," I said, shaking my head. After all, if the heart changes, the power of a contract can't stop the betrayal.
Over the next few hours, I stayed with Dinah and the café staff to finish the arrangements and assignments for the Fool's Dreams.
I personally asked each Fool's Dream about their intentions. The vast majority were willing to follow Dinah and work in the Witch Cat Café, though I could tell many of them were just lured by the benefit of unlimited Fool's Dream Drinks.
Among them, there were also some who wanted to see more of the world's wonders. Dinah provided a lot of help to these Fool's Dreams, but she didn't give them too much money at once, preventing them from becoming endlessly addicted to wealth.
The first step for a Fool's Dream entering real society was likely realizing the magical concept of money—something that could be "exchanged" for anything.
We stayed busy until evening; the entire day had slipped away.
During this time, Dinah prepared many Fool's Dream Drinks for them, while also teaching them how to brew the drinks in reality.
Additionally, many "senior" Fool's Dreams came by to give first-hand accounts, teaching the newcomers how to survive in the real world.
After all, reality was different from dreams. In reality, concepts like "death" and "hunger" actually existed.
In the end, I bid a somewhat reluctant farewell to the Fool's Dreams, promising to visit them often.
"Eh? Eh? Xiao Han, why are you taking four of them with you... do you not trust me?"
As we were saying our final goodbyes, I called over Yulan and the other three little ones. Dinah immediately became as possessive as a protective mother hen.
"Sister Dinah, have you been dazed by all those Fool's Dreams calling you 'Sister'? Yulan, Yu Yun, Yu Guo, and Yu Xing were my very first experimental assistants. They are also the ones who have traveled the furthest on the path of dream life. If you keep them here, are you planning to take over my dream life experiments?" I asked jokingly.
"Er... is that so? Haha~ how could that be?" Dinah laughed awkwardly, quickly recovering. "I was just worried you didn't trust me! I definitely wasn't worried about you hoarding Fool's Dreams! Definitely not!"
"You just accidentally said exactly what you were thinking, didn't you?" I sighed helplessly. "But regardless, I'll leave these Fool's Dreams in your care, Sister Dinah. Oh, I almost forgot—this batch of Fool's Dreams all possess a special talent. I hope they don't cause you too much trouble."
"Talent? Trouble? What do you mean?" At this moment, Dinah had no idea what kind of talent the Fool's Dreams possessed. However, in her mind, no matter what talent they had, it wouldn't be a problem! Troubles were trivial in the face of such cuteness!