Section I. The Truth of the Legend

"Ling, why do you want to come back at this time? Is something happening again? Hongyue made a cup of coffee and put it in front of the man.

"It's not a big deal, because something happened recently reminded me of you, so I think I should come back to see you too, after all, you left me because you were lonely, didn't you?" The man looked at the coffee on the table and couldn't help frowning: "Yue, do you know that I don't want to drink this?" "This thing called 'coffee' is nothing short of poison!

"Oh, I don't know how to enjoy it, coffee is the finest art ever invented by man. Let's not talk about this for a while, but what I didn't expect was that after you became a hunter, you rarely came back, and I'm really a little sad? ”

"Would you be sad? Do you still have a heart? The man was unimpressed.

"What the hell have I done to make you hate me so much?" Hongyue turned around and sat on the man's body, and his hands without warmth pinched the man's neck. "If you want to die, I can fulfill you."

"It doesn't matter, it's as you please. Anyway, taking me in is just your momentary pleasure, and if you regret it, then please. The man closed his eyes in disbelief.

"Why does it sound so sour, I didn't 'betray' you." Red Moon whispered in the man's ear.

"I'm not sexually interested in old goblins." Despite saying this, the man's hand still wrapped around Hongyue's slender waist. "Why did you open the 'Red Moon Pavilion'? Why do you want so many people to see you? Why choose this time? ”

"Is that because of this?" After knowing the answer, Red Moon left the man's arms, looked around, and then looked at the sulking man with a smile on his face. "Because this is the 'Red Moon Pavilion'! Because you don't accompany me, I have to find someone to accompany me! Because...... It's time.

Ling, this is my choice, you'd better not interfere with me! "The cold smile in the black hole of the red moon makes people understand from the bottom of their hearts that she is the real master of the 'Red Moon Mansion'!

"I'm not trying to interfere with anything, but is that really good?" Ling's words revealed concern.

"Because...... Because I'm more willful, you're responsible for protecting me. Red Moon regained her usual smile.

"But......" Ling was still a little relieved.

"Don't do it anymore, it's just a gift shop now, and no one knows it's the real 'Red Moon Pavilion' except you. As long as he has the ability, I will give him a wish! Or is it ...... Do you want to monopolize me? Red Moon approached the man's side, wrapping her arms around Ling's neck from behind, whispering in his ear.

"Red Moon ......"

That's right, this is the real 'Red Moon Pavilion'! And the shopkeeper Red Moon is also the owner of the museum, Red Moon!

The Red Moon Pavilion Gift Shop is just a cover for the 'Red Moon Pavilion'. Located in front of the Red Moon Pavilion, the real Red Moon Pavilion is just behind the toy store and, as legend has it, is a three-storey 'Gothic' building. It's just that in the eyes of ordinary people, what you see is just a gift shop called the Red Moon Pavilion, maybe Red Moon wants to find someone who can see the real 'Red Moon Pavilion'.

"Yue, I actually have something to ask you when I come back this time." It is estimated that there is enough trouble, Ling looked at Hongyue with a solemn expression.

"Oh, as the strongest hunter, ZERO, you want to ask me something?" Red Moon took the trouble to light all the candles in the hall, and the hall suddenly brightened.

"No matter how many times I've seen it, I still feel that your impression of this hall is much worse than that of the 'Red Moon Pavilion'." Ling looked around.

"Because I don't like to be so flashy, and the current owner is me, so I'm going to decorate it to my liking!"

Unlike the previous toy store, the main building has a considerable footprint!

However, the hall on the first floor of the 'Red Moon Pavilion' is indeed a little 'simple', with all the same wooden furniture, and plants that have long been extinct planted in all corners of the hall, and the entire hall is filled with a mysterious atmosphere.

There was a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, which was different from the whole décor, but as far as Ling knew, Red Moon had not lit it once.

(I don't know why Red Moon likes candles.) Although the candles in the hall are colorful and all lit are beautiful, and the atmosphere is similar to that of the 'Red Moon Pavilion', I always feel that these candles are different from the one in the library on the third floor...... ）

There is a thick carpet on the floor, which is comfortable to step on......

An entire wall on the east side is a closet with many partitions. The closet is filled with bottles and jars of all sizes, as well as some oddly shaped unknown objects......

There is a large floor-to-ceiling window on the north side, and the window looks out of the endless meadow, like a paradise. It's hard to believe that there is such a beautiful scene in a place like 'Border'.

To the west is a large spiral staircase leading to the second floor, which is made entirely of wood and has not a single nail. I don't know how many years I've been using, but it looks like it's new. The stairs are also carpeted, and the handrails are fully hollow and carved, as for what is carved, Ling really can't understand it over the years......

To the south is the gate from the 'Red Moon no Pavilion Gift Shop' to the Red Moon no Pavilion Main Building. The double-opening wooden gate is carved with a variety of strange patterns......

In the middle of the hall there is a small fountain in which there are some strange looking fish? (I think it's fish...... ）

"Actually, this time I came back privately because I was investigating the epidemic in the 'civilian area'. The Hunters' Guild seems to be deliberately hiding something. "Ling knows something about this incident, Red Moon must know something!

In fact, it has occurred in recent times, with a succession of food poisoning occurring in the 'civilian areas' that are not protected by the circle, and it is confined to the 'civilian areas', and there is no such phenomenon in the 'protective circle'. Due to food poisoning, an unknown number of civilians have died, but various investigations have not been able to find the root cause, but this time there are too many deaths, causing panic in the 'civilian area', and the prestige of the Hunters' Association has been questioned like never before! Despite this, the Hunters' Association did not take more active action, which made Ling somewhat suspicious.

Therefore, Lingcai, who is known as the 'strongest hunter ZERO', decided to investigate the incident in person without telling everyone.

In fact, except for the high-level leaders of the 'Hunter Headquarters', not many people knew what the real ZERO looked like, and they would not have thought that the strongest hunter would live in the Red Moon Pavilion, a place that only appears in legends.

"I'm still wondering when you're going to come to me." Hongyue had a helpless expression of 'I already knew'.

"Then ......" Sure enough, Hongyue, this woman, is really afraid that the world will not be chaotic!

"I think you'll go back this time, because even if you know the truth, you can't do anything......" Hongyue carried a watering can to water the plants around the house.

"What do you mean?" Ling was puzzled, Hongyue rarely said such a thing.

"Don't you understand? Then I'll make it clear to you, in fact, this 'food poisoning' is fundamentally man-made, and the purpose is to reduce the number of people in the 'civilian area'. Although it seems peaceful on the surface, for some people, the existence of a 'non-protective circle' is simply unnecessary! But you can't do it too blatantly, so ......" Hongyue looked at Ling with a disgusted expression.

"Who would ......," Ling seemed to think of the answer. Won't it......"

"It's what you think not. Of course, the only ones who can do this are the government and the Hunters' Association. Red Moon shrugged helplessly. That's why I hate humans! Selfishness, self-willedness, no matter what you do, you only think about your own interests, everything is based on the suffering of others. What is the reason for this? ”

"Aren't you also human?" Ling was dissatisfied with Red Moon's statement.

Listening to Ling's words, Hongyue was stunned for a moment, and then sighed that she could have a year's breath: "Alas———! ”

"Hello?" Red Moon rarely says anything about herself. Even if she 'picked up' herself, she only knew the fact that she was the owner of the 'Red Moon Mansion'. There is also the fact that she doesn't seem to get old, because the appearance of the red moon hasn't changed in the twenty years since she was picked up by her.

"Don't talk about this, didn't you come back because you wanted to know the 'truth' about this incident?" Red Moon put down the kettle in her hand and went to the closet on the east side.

She opened the glass door of the closet, took out a small hemp bag from the bottom layer, and put it on the table in front of Ling. "This is the 'truth.'"

Ling opened the small bag in confusion and saw that it contained some scattered granular objects. "It's ......" looks a bit like 'wheat' but differently......

"This is the relief food that the government has recently given to the 'disaster areas'. Do you know what this thing is? Red Moon pinched a pinch out of her pocket and put it in the palm of her hand.

"I heard that the grain released by the government this time has been 'sterilized', and although it cannot cure the epidemic, it will never allow the epidemic to spread. I didn't ask about it directly, but it was voted by the top of the department......"

"Ling, are you really naïve to think that the difference between 'protective circle' and 'non-protective circle' is as simple as one word? Your so-called high-level officials, including you, are now having a headache because of the 'alien' matter, and it is enough to keep the 'protective circle' safe, and what else do you have to bother to ask about the 'civilian area'. Wasn't this also the reason why the 'Hunter Association' recruited new hunters on a large scale around the world last time?

So for the sake of profit, in the dark corners that you don't know, the Hunters' Association and the government have agreed to 'abolish the civilian area', this idea started as early as three years ago, but after all, the people in the 'civilian area' still make up half of the population, and if you suddenly abandon the 'civilian area', I am afraid that it will cause a new 'unnecessary war'. That's why this kind of unwitting approach is adopted to reduce the number of people in the 'civilian area'.

Otherwise, why do you think the aliens of the 'non-preservation circle' are so difficult to eliminate? Obviously, the government is working hard to 'reliev' civilian areas, but things are getting harder and harder to clean up? Fewer and fewer people in the civilian area? ”

"But even I don't know that, how do you know?" After hearing Hongyue's words, Ling unconsciously felt a chill. Is this really the case?

"Because...... Because I'm the owner of the Red Moon Mansion. ”

Although she was smiling, Ling could feel the disgust that saw through everything in the depths of the black hole of the red moon.

It was silent for a long time......

"Yue, you haven't told me what this is?" Ling looked at the small pocket in front of her.

"Don't you think it looks familiar?"

"It's like wheat, but I can't say what's wrong......"

"In fact, it is a kind of wheat, which means that the white point is 'poisonous weed'. It's similar to wheat, but it's poisonous, but it can't be separated when it's floured. Three-fifths of the relief food distributed to the 'civilian areas' was mixed with this substance. In fact, this kind of wheat became extinct very early, but it was used in this kind of place under the attention of some well-intentioned people. Red Moon played with the particles in her hand.

"How so?" Even if she heard it with her own ears, Ling didn't believe it was true.

"It's nothing, it's going to be the way it is." Red Moon Dao is indifferent.

"I'm going to stop them, life is equal, you can't do this!"

"Equal? Ling, have you forgotten how you got to the Red Moon Pavilion? To be able to say such a thing. Red Moon reached out and tugged at Ling's collar, forcing him to look at himself.

"Month?" Ling stared at the strange red moon in front of her in bewilderment. "Isn't the Red Moon Pavilion here for this kind of time?"

"Of course, so now I'm doing my duty. A new 'shuffle' is just about to begin. "Red Moon let go of Ling and returned to its previous calm.

"'Shuffle'?" Ling heard the words that made her shudder. "Moon ......" wanted to ask something, but it was unlikely.

"Okay, let's stop talking about these boring things. Will it stay today? Red Moon circled behind Ling and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm not in the mood. And I'm going to the 'civilian area'. Although she didn't pull away Hongyue's hand, Ling didn't mean to stay.

"That's right. All right. But don't go too far, because I have my job, and if you get in the way of my work, even you, I won't let you be willful. Red Moon whispered in Ling's ear.

"Why?" Ling was puzzled.

"Because I am the owner of the 'Red Moon Pavilion', this is my mission."

"Isn't there any other way?"

"Because this method doesn't make me too boring."

"Yue, it's all about the candle on the third floor."

Hongyue was stunned for a moment when she heard Ling say this, and then smiled, but there was a little helplessness hidden in her smile: "Sort of." So it's only now ......"

"Red Moon ......" Ling put on her coat and walked to the door, but stopped as soon as she opened the door. I don't want to see such an outcome if I can, although I don't know what you really think, but I really hope that you can be 'willful' one last time. After saying that, Ling left the Red Moon Pavilion.

"Wayward ......?" Red Moon stood in place as if she had heard some spell, looking at the background where Ling had disappeared.

"But I really hate it!"