Chapter 168: Bankruptcy
Voomie had completely frozen as her pupils trembled.
The description sounded once again in her ears.
"Whatever I can imagine…?"
Her voice quivered.
"And with just, a thought?"
The cheerful voice sounded in her ears again, as if to confirm her suspicions.
[This is the truth]
Voomie's breathing became rapid.
This… this wasn't paradise!
Paradise implied limitations, but, this place had none!
A single tear rolled down her fluffy cheek.
"I-I have finally found the meaning of life, WOOOF!"
Voomie launched herself toward the jellyfish's exit with unprecedented speed.
She had never run this fast before.
Not even Instructor Axel had ever witnessed such explosive acceleration.
But Caelum caught her by her plump belly, halfway through the leap.
"You are not eating an entire world's worth of desserts."
"Nooooooo! They are calling me! They are literally inviting me!"
The fat dog kicked her paws wildly while stretching both forelegs toward the rainbow cloud.
"Please! They have prepared this place for me!"
Caelum's grip remained firm.
"No."
Seeing the two struggle, Seth simply chuckled.
"Let her go."
Caelum blinked.
"Father?"
"This place exists to be enjoyed and there is no reason for you to stop her."
"But she will get–"
Before Caelum could finish speaking, a gentle breeze drifted past.
His fingers loosened all on their own.
Voomie slipped free as though the wind itself had rescued her.
"WOOHOOOOOOF!"
She happily somersaulted through the air before plunging straight into the rainbow cloud.
And Instead of crashing, she was quietly swallowed by it.
The colorful mist rippled once then Voomie disappeared completely.
"…"
Caelum stared at that in disbelief.
"Did the cloud just eat her?"
Ignoring him, the Count then turned toward everyone else.
"Half an hour should be enough for now."
He gestured toward the rainbow cloud.
"Go on you all, enjoy yourselves!"
One after another, the children stepped off the jellyfish and entered the Land of Sweets.
The rainbow cloud welcomed every visitor equally, gently enveloping them before carrying them inside.
Soon, only Seth remained outside.
He quietly waved a hand and a tiny multicolored cloud floated into existence above his palm.
It lazily drifted in circles before producing a single piece of chocolate.
The chocolate looked rather ordinary.
Dark brown in color, scattered generously with several unfamiliar dried fruits.
Seth picked it up with a faint smile.
"Bittersweet."
His favorite flavor.
Taking a small bite, he gazed toward the rainbow cloud where laughter was already beginning to echo from within.
"I hope, they discover new tastes."
Not merely sweets, but experiences.
Childhood passed quickly.
Opportunities to enjoy and remember it passed even faster.
He had even convinced Grozni and Cliodhna.
Tonight, everyone deserved to eat sweet and dream.
***
To Voomie, the past several minutes, could only be described with a single word.
Bliss.
Time itself had lost all meaning.
She imagined one thing after another, happily devouring chocolates after chocolates.
Sweets after sweets and desserts after desserts.
Every bite was somehow even more delicious than the last.
It felt as though the very concept of sweetness had gathered together in one place.
What hadn't she eaten?
There was Moon Nectar Pudding, so smooth it melted before it even touched her tongue.
Freshly baked Dragonfire Cinnamon Rolls, still warm from flames that never cooled.
Tiny pieces of Crystal Sugar Candy that chimed like little bells as they dissolved.
Delicate Fairy Blossom Cake, carrying the fragrance of a thousand flowers.
Rich Unicorn Milk Cheesecake with a creamy texture beyond imagination.
Refreshing Coral Jelly that tasted like the sea after a gentle rain.
Golden Apple Tarts whose filling shimmered like liquid sunlight.
Salty-sweet Leviathan Sea Caramels, carrying the deep aroma of oceans.
A magnificent World Tree Fruit Parfait.
Soft Pixie Dust Donuts that became lighter with every bite.
Towering slices of Aurora Thread Nine-Layer Cake, each layer revealing a completely different flavor.
And finally, a single Starlight Genesis Truffle.
The tiny chocolate burst apart inside her mouth, releasing countless sparkling flavors that seemed to recreate the birth of a star.
"…"
Voomie's eyes became moist.
She couldn't remember being happier that this.
Today was her day!
And somewhere deep within the Land of Sweets, hidden from every guest, a completely different scene was unfolding.
"She's eating another one."
"…"
"How many was that?"
"I stopped counting after the three hundred."
A heavy silence followed.
Several figures stared at a floating screen.
On it, Voomie was happily stuffing yet another cake into her mouth.
One of the workers covered his face.
"But her demands are too excessive!"
"This dog's greed knows no bounds."
A third weakly pointed toward another screen.
"She just imagined a dessert that hasn't existed until now and we had to invent it."
He paused for a moment.
"In thirty seconds."
The hidden workers were the caretakers of the Land of Sweets.
Every dessert requested by a guest wasn't created from nothing.
Behind the scenes, an enormous number of confectioners, magical chefs, ingredient specialists, and dream artisans worked together to transform each imagined dessert into reality.
Normally, guests became full long before the workload became noticeable.
But Voomie was not a normal guest.
Every time she finished one dessert, she immediately imagined another.
One worker stared blankly at the resource consumption chart.
"We're already using Legendary-grade ingredients."
Another hurriedly flipped through several reports.
"We've consumed enough Moon Nectar for this month!"
"The World Tree Fruit reserve has dropped by seven percent!"
"Who approved three Genesis Truffles?!"
"No one!"
"She imagined them!"
"Damn it!"
"Why did today's visitor have to be a Chihuchi?!"
The complaints echoed one after another.
Finally, one elderly worker slowly stood up.
"There's only one solution for this now."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Start that plan."
The room instantly became quiet.
"Are you certain?"
One employee asked cautiously.
"What reason are we supposed to give?"
The elderly worker rubbed his forehead.
"Tell them it's a friendly event. We're simply inviting two visitors to compare whose palate is more refined."
"That should sound believable enough."
The others nodded.
"I will begin with random selection."
"But who in the world can possibly compete against this Chihuchi?"
He hesitated.
Then someone quietly raised a hand.
"What about that descendant of Gluttony?"
Everyone slowly looked toward him.
"Are you serious?"
The worker nodded with complete sincerity.
"Do any of you have a better idea?"
"But I'm already working overtime."
No one answered.
"Begin!"
Orders were immediately issued.
Throughout the hidden workshops of the Land of Sweets, a secret operation quietly began.
Not to entertain the guests.
But to stop one round dog from single-handedly bankrupting them.
Meant recruiting another troublesome visitor.