The fairies did not know why, when, or how they had awakened from their long slumber. Just as they didn’t know why flower buds bloom by themselves in spring, they also didn’t know the reason for their awakening from a sleep that should have been eternal.
However, one thing was clear: they were still fairies.
Even though their once-beautiful appearance had faded, and even though they had lost the voices that once blended with the spring breeze, and could no longer receive nature's love, they were still the mischievous fairies who boasted of the beautiful visions in their dreams.
"I see."
Faby, who had effortlessly organized the fairies’ chaotic talk, nodded her head and smiled again.
"Then, I have another question."
However, the fairies' attitude was now different. Gone was their cooperative demeanor in front of Faby's bright smile. They had crossed their arms, resembling insects.
"Yes, that's right. We lacked manners. Fairies, feel free to ask us anything."
After a brief pause, Faby, who had been listening to the fairies complaining about the forest, smiled brightly again and spoke.
"I came to see you."
"Is there a reason to come see something you like?"
It was such a careless statement that anyone else would have furrowed their brows, wondering what nonsense she was talking about. But to the brainless fairies, Faby’s answer was well-received.
The fairies’ laughter, which sounded even more chilling than nails scraping metal, proved it.
<This.>
However, getting on their good side might not have been the best choice.
"Go ahead," Faby urged.
<I just learned it myself, but fairy games are incredibly violent by human standards. I wonder how it is now with the evil god's energy in the air.>
...Did the surprise attack from earlier count as a game?
That attack, if it had been from any other creature, could have easily killed us.
It turns out that if you have such immense power and your brain is absent, this is what happens.
<Don’t refuse the game. Even when they’re in their right minds, if they’re offended, it’s a hassle. How do you think it is now?>
‘I get it now.’
I pulled back Faby’s shoulder, who had been hesitating to answer. The looks from the fairies, perched on the trees, were less than favorable.
I’ve heard they like beauty, but aren’t they like the silly fox, only concerned with appearance? From my perspective, that’s actually a relief.
If those things that looked more like bugs had been following us around like perverts, I’d have been creeped out.
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"You guys are more foolish than goblins. What kind of game can you possibly play? Hide and seek?"
It was obvious just from the atmosphere. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to play hide and seek, but that they didn’t like the fact that I, who looked annoying to them, had suggested it.
"Heh♡ Are you not confident?♡"
So, I flashed a knowing smile at them.
"After living your whole lives in a forest so dark that even the demons of hell would puke, you’re afraid to lose, aren’t you?♡ Pfft♡ What a bug-like thought♡"
"Are you confident now?♡ You’re not going to lose to a little brat like me, right?♡ Isn’t that right?♡ Huh?♡"
The fairies easily fell for my provocation, spitting out insults that sounded like something a kindergarten child would say, scattering in all directions.
It was strange. When we first met, I thought they would ambush us at any time because they looked so bizarre.
But contrary to my expectations, they were easy to handle, like dumb kids.
"Did I chase the fairies away with this?"
"Yes. I did this for the incompetent prince who can only watch from behind. I’m glad to hear you’re finally saying something that makes sense."
"Sorry about that."
We passed through the spot where the fairies had been blocking us just moments ago and soon arrived at our destination.
We were now near the barrier that sealed the Fairy Forest. Beyond the barrier, I could see the swirling energy of the evil god.
The energy, long lost to its master, had been consuming the surrounding land, looking eerie as it swallowed the twilight and approached like a dark, creeping force.
"Are we going to enter that?"
"...Erginnus said there’s no danger in touching the barrier. So, it should be fine."
Joy spoke as if reassuring herself, but her hand was shaking. Even I, used to confronting the evil god's energy, felt uneasy in the presence of such power.
I could easily guess how it must be for Joy, who wasn’t accustomed to the holy energy like me.
If left alone, she would definitely make a mistake. There had to be a way to calm her down.
Ah, I have an idea.
"Lucy?"
I smiled at Joy’s response and gently grabbed her hand with both of mine.
Then I prayed for her.
Having prayed every morning for small boosts in my stats thanks to the incompetent god, I was quite accustomed to prayer.
What’s so special about a prayer?
You just praise the god a little, thank them, say what you wish for, and then thank them again. That’s it.
If I were a real priest, I’d probably make it sound much more refined and noble, but I’m an apostle of the god and still a novice in priesthood.
So I prayed something like, "Great god, please take good care of my friend. If you don’t, I won’t pray tomorrow."
When I finished the prayer and opened my eyes, I saw Joy looking at me with a blank expression, Faby barely holding back tears, and Frey watching curiously with a puzzled expression. Kal was nodding as if he expected it, and Arthur was quickly turning his head in a panic.
Why is he acting like that?
I took my eyes off him and, after a while, turned back to look at Joy.
"I’ve done all this for you, so you won’t make any foolish moves, right? Idiot."
"Who do you think I am? I’m the genius magician who learned from you!"
"Heh, really?"
Though Joy’s hand was still shaking slightly, her eyes had changed. She was no longer avoiding the darkness of the barrier.
"Prince the Third, could you help me draw the magic circle?"
"What do I need to do?"
Having surpassed the level of a student, Joy quickly completed the magic circle with Arthur’s help.
"Now, I’ll begin."
As she exhaled deeply and infused the magic into the circle, many drawings appeared around her.
The magic in the air was more abstract than the magic I was familiar with, but strangely, its meaning was clearer.
I didn’t know much about magic, but this felt different. For some reason, I felt like I could understand what each part of the circle represented.
On Joy’s right was communication. Right next to it were stillness, blockages, silence, and control.
"...Huh?"
I was amazed that I could see what had been almost incomprehensible before. As I focused, the surrounding scenery gradually darkened.
‘Grandpa.’
The lack of an answer made me wonder if my mind had been taken by someone else.
This was bad.
The resistance I had to magic was far beyond the level of most knights.
With the blessing from the silly fox and the holiness surrounding me, I shouldn’t be this powerless even if my mind was being overwhelmed.
So, the one who invited me here must be a being of a level far beyond mine. Someone not of the earth, but from beneath or above it, or someone very close to that.
"How are you?"
The moment the voice echoed in my ears, the dark world around us regained its light.
The withered land, the trees that had morphed into grotesque shapes, the scent of mold in the air—this wasn’t the dark of dawn but more like a cave’s blackness.
"Blessed one, who is loved by the god."
As I scanned the surroundings and turned my head, I saw a woman sitting on a tree stump.
Her face was divided into several parts. Her forehead seemed eaten away by darkness, transparent and black. The right side was wrinkled like an old woman. The remaining parts were her original form.
"Apologies for this way of inviting you. But please understand, I had no other choice."
I knew her. More precisely, I knew the past version of her.
The one who lamented her inability and, despite that, used all means to protect the forest, even considering sacrificing her life for a little girl.
"Sorry for the late introduction. I am the one who was once called the Fairy Queen. And now, I am too powerless to distinguish between dreams and reality."
The woman who had once been mocked as the "chicken coop lady" blushed.
"Unconsciousness? Self-awareness? Fragments? It must be something like that, so please treat me kindly. The Fairy Queen, who cannot wake up from her happy dream, will not remember this conversation."
She was a fragment of herself.
...Fragment? What does that mean?
Seeing my confusion, the woman in front of me opened her eyes wide, laughed for a while, then spoke in a lazy voice.
"Because the Fairy Queen is closer to a god than a living being, it’s common for her mind to fragment when her spiritual state is unstable."