The boy's reaction was not beyond Shade's expectation. If someone could calmly accept that he was going to drink the "price of growth", then Shade would be surprised.
"What kind of growth do you want?"
Shade asked. The boy who used a toy knife to protect himself was not troubled by this question. He looked up at Shade:
"It's carefree, it's freedom, it's not being restricted by adults, it's doing whatever you want, it's..."
Shade did not continue to listen, but turned around and shook his head at the saint. This was not growth, and he did not understand what he wanted.
God keeps that smile:
"When you told this gentleman about your wishes, what you longed for was indeed to become an adult."
The voice was still so gentle, but Shade subconsciously felt that his tone seemed a little different:
"Lying and denying what you have said in the past is not the behavior of a good boy."
God said softly, picked up the teacup and shook it slightly. Shade was so frightened that he almost ducked away.
"Child, I want to tell you a truth. When you make a request and a well-meaning person satisfies you, even if you are not satisfied, you should not be harsh."
Shade inexplicably thought of the story of the witch princess who longed for immortality that God had told him when he first met God. Then he understood that the boy probably had no other choice.
The young man wearing a ridiculous clown hat walked out of the counter with a teacup, bent down and handed the teacup to the boy. He didn't say anything, just looked at him with a smile. The boy bit his lip and was unconvinced, and turned to look at the other two
The child then raised his head and said:
"It's nothing to be afraid of."
He took the teacup, raised his head and drank the liquid inside. But after just one sip, the teacup fell to the ground, and the boy held the floor and retched violently.
The more he vomited, the worse he got, and finally he collapsed on the floor of the toy store. Painful moans came from his mouth, and his body kept twitching and spasming, but his height and shape were changing rapidly.
Thirty seconds later, in the stains on the floor, the young man wearing adult clothes opened his eyes. He stood up blankly and looked at everything in the toy store:
"I grew up?"
He touched his face in disbelief. Shade was surprised by the strange effect of the potion. Seeing that God returned to the counter and stopped talking, he took the initiative and said:
"So how do you feel now?"
"I feel like I'm looking higher and more powerful..."
He touched his body and then looked at Shade gratefully:
"Sir, I have really grown up!"
Children are children. They were still hostile to Shade not long ago, but now they look at him in a completely different way:
"I've really grown up!"
He waved his hands happily:
"Great, I can finally stop being scolded by my father!"
"No, as long as that is still your father, he can always reprimand you."
Shade reminded him that he understood a little bit what he needed to do to fulfill this second wish.
"is that so?"
The grown boy looked at him doubtfully, but soon became happy again:
"I can finally hang out with my friends at night."
"No, you probably can't. You're grown up, but your friends are still young."
The grown boy was stunned again, and then said cautiously:
"I finally don't have to study with a tutor anymore..."
"No, you have to learn. Growing up means you have to move out and make money by yourself. If you don't learn, where will you work? Mining or working as a coolie?"
The boy looked at Shade with his mouth open.
Shade also looked at him and stated a basic fact:
"You don't think that when you grow up, you will still live under the protection of others as before, do you? Then, why do you want to grow up?"
"I......"
The grown boy pointed at himself, then suddenly picked up the toy wooden knife and held it in his arms:
"I don't want to grow up."
"Look, this is the child."
The young man lay on the edge of the counter and said to Shade that the effect of the potion was disappearing and the boy was changing back to his original appearance (Note). As for the clothes on his body, they were the same as before. Under the power of the saint, of course they followed the body.
Variety.
"Am I fulfilling his wish?"
"certainly."
The saint nodded.
"But instead of growing, he changed back."
Shade pointed out this fact.
"But he did grow, you see."
The young man wearing a clown hat pointed at the boy. The latter looked at his hand and laughed happily when he found that it had returned to its original appearance.
"At least he understands what the cost of growth is. This is also a very good growth. After all, it is really difficult for children to understand this."
"Do you always use similar methods to reason with children?"
Shade asked curiously.
"No, different children have different situations. In fact, I prefer to be gentler."
The saint smiled and shook his head, but Shade did not comment on this.
After completing the wish about growth, we moved on to the final wish about "power".
Shade looked at the girl who came out of the shelves again. The latter immediately stopped and looked at Shade very warily:
"I don't want to drink weird potions."
"Don't worry, I don't have a magic potion that gives ordinary people power."
The girl finally came to the counter with confidence, but still did not dare to approach him.
Shade had already had an idea before, but before he really started, he still asked:
"Ahem, that's it. Before I realize your wish, can you tell me how you understand the word 'power'?"
"I can protect myself and the things I want to protect."
said the girl, and the other two children nodded.
"Okay, next question, do you think, apart from the power to split stones and move mountains, does wisdom count as power?"
Shade pointed to his head again.
"Of course it counts!"
The boy who longed for stories and the boy who longed for growth said together, but the girl hesitated. She understood how Shade wanted to give her strength.
"To be honest, wisdom is certainly power, but sir, what I long for is my own... something that can be realized... is..."
She hesitated to express her thoughts, but she couldn't find the right words to express her thoughts.
Shade understood what she meant. The girl agreed with the power of wisdom, but what she wanted was a more realistic power.
"Why don't you listen to me and then think about what kind of power you want."
Shade suggested, and the girl nodded:
"No problem, sir."
The saint behind the counter looked at this scene with a smile, and had no intention of interrupting.
"Have you ever seen hot water boiled?"
"Yes, sir."
To be continued...