The disaster that had occurred in the Fairy Forest collapsed in an instant, as if it had all been a prank by the fairies themselves.
The light that rose from the center of the forest not only illuminated the darkness but also purified all the shadows that had burrowed into the land.
Watching the forest regain its former lushness, the priests praised the Creator and the Saintess. The knights and mercenaries mobilized for this task expressed pure admiration, while the mages let out a sigh of relief.
However, strangely enough, several sages who had entered the forest did not return for quite some time.
Even as the sun descended and the crimson glow of the sunset disappeared, the forest remained eerily silent, fully enveloped in the night.
As anxiety began to take hold of the frontlines, a sound of dozens of footsteps, but seemingly all one, echoed across the land.
It was the Arlen Knights, the kingdom's most formidable order, making their appearance.
Though the army had cheered for the knights’ arrival, especially given their heroic lineage from the mythic era, their subtle reaction caused the cheers to slowly fade into silence.
"...Huh? Where are the others?"
In the midst of this, an inquiry arose. The return procession consisted only of the leaders who had entered the forest first and the Arlen Knights.
"Why only them?" "What happened inside?" "Could the battle still be ongoing?"
With no clear answers, uncertainty turned into rising anxiety, but it was the royal elites, including Queen Consort 1, who quelled the mood.
"Sir Arlen, may we inquire about the situation?" "It is difficult to summarize in one sentence, may I speak separately?" "Of course. But for now, please answer this—did we win?"
Noticing the Queen's intention, Benedict nodded and cleared his throat.
"Everyone, listen!"
A single knight’s voice reverberated through the dimly lit world. Those who had been drained by fatigue raised their heads upon hearing the voice.
"The evil god of darkness has crumbled before the will of the heroes from the mythic era! Your efforts have made human will touch the divine! Go and boast of it to all others! Tell them that you are part of the myth! Today! We! Have! Won!"
The heroic cry that turned fatigue into excitement echoed across the frontlines, and when Benedict sealed his lips, Queen Consort 1 nodded.
"Let’s discuss the details inside."
After the soldiers’ cheers outside were silenced by Duke Patran, curious eyes were turned toward Benedict.
Understanding their thoughts, Benedict sought permission from Queen Consort 1 with a glance, then stood up.
"First, I can confirm that we won. The Fairy Forest has been purified from darkness, and the evil god of darkness has fallen."
There was no one who questioned this explanation. The miraculous light that had risen from the center of the forest was so bright that anyone could not help but believe in the victory.
"There were no casualties. It seems the Creator’s miracle protected us, and we achieved a complete victory."
"What about the others?"
"We are currently dealing with various issues remaining in the forest."
Though Benedict summarized it as "various issues," the reality was more complex.
Erginus’s choice to rid the world of the evil god of darkness.
And the fairy queen, who had fallen into slumber to assist him.
The bizarre cocoon formed when their slumber began.
Fairies who silently guarded the area without speaking a word.
The Apostle of the Goddess, who had chosen to stand guard in accordance with the divine command, and the swordsman who had closed his eyes, leaning against a nearby tree.
The wolf, eager to help the forest return to its former self, and the fox, who was half-forced to follow him.
Benedict and his group wanted to stay in the forest with them.
No matter the outcome, they wished to witness the end.
And, if the worst came to pass, they hoped to fight together, risking their lives.
‘Do you think you worthless idiots will be of any help?’
It was Luel, who had borrowed Lucy’s body, who put a stop to it.
He urged the others to return, but it was hard to understand his intention. Luel’s words, much like Lucy’s, were twisted and spilled out.
Had it not been for Karia, who had entered the forest to assess the situation, their conversation would have likely continued aimlessly until the dawn broke.
‘Not the employer... Who are you?’
The moment Karia appeared and recognized Luel’s identity, she used her abilities to interpret the words Luel wanted to convey.
‘In the worst case, the being that will metamorphose from this cocoon will be something worse than the previous darkness. The hope then will be Lucy Arlen.’
‘To ensure that Lucy Arlen does not fall, and to support her when the worst comes, you must survive.’
‘So return. Rest with the army and prepare for the worst.’
Convinced by the hero’s words filled with a complex sentiment, the knights suppressed their reluctance and left the forest.
Even the comrades who had shared the heroic tale thought to themselves, “Shouldn’t we hold back for the future, since we can’t let our passions get the best of us?”
‘Hey, Benedict. You’re going to report back to that crazy woman now, right?’
‘That seems to be the case. I’m the one responsible, after all.’
‘I’ll outline what to say. Don’t give her any unnecessary excuses.’
Benedict nodded at Karia’s words, still cautious about Queen Consort 1. He took her advice to heart and passed the explanation to the others.
Karia’s counsel, honed from years of working in the shadows and developing a keen political insight, easily convinced the high-ranking officials of the kingdom, including Queen Consort 1.
"It’s a shame we can’t discuss things with the fairy queen right away."
Even Queen Consort 1 expressed this regret, but she had no doubts about Benedict’s words.
The conversation then shifted to various procedural issues, but ultimately, with the fairy queen unable to speak, the conclusion remained unresolved.
By the time the meeting ended at dawn, Benedict looked at the rising sun with a subtle expression.
"Why do I feel so uneasy, even though the matter is over?"
Perhaps, when the two who entered the cocoon later greet me with a smile, this feeling will subside.
After the Arlen Knights had returned, Preté, who had pulled out a canvas and paper from somewhere, began to move her hands non-stop. The contents she was drawing on the white paper were about the various events that had occurred in the forest today.
"You have to do this even when you're tired. This is the reason I live," she muttered.
"Then draw cute Lucy, not those sweaty guys. Why waste time on them for others?"
Lina, who had been forcefully left behind in the clutches of Muerro, had expressed a desire to be healed through the drawings, but Preté refused her request.
"I will start drawing the young lady and the fairy queen only after I have prepared everything properly. I can't do it in a place like this."
"True, you can't lightly draw them. But a sketch wouldn't hurt, right?"
"I refuse."
The two continued to bicker when, waking from her sleep, the swordswoman shook her head upon hearing the two perverts agreeing on criminal-like topics.
From just their appearance, they seemed like characters from a fairytale or novel, but why did the stories coming from them sound like they needed to call the police?
Should I be glad the people involved couldn't hear them?
"Looks like we have a guest."
The swordswoman, who had sluggishly risen and placed her hand on her sword’s hilt, watched as the brushwood parted and an old man appeared beyond it.
Lina, who didn’t recognize the old man, frowned in disgust upon seeing his face, but the other two didn’t react the same way.
The others, who had encountered this old man at various official events, froze upon seeing him—his appearance signified the arrival of an important figure who should have remained in a sanctuary.
"Your Majesty? No. There’s no way the King would be here."
"It is indeed me. Yuden. There could be no one else with such an aura."
Preté immediately responded to the swordswoman’s suspicion, taking up a combat stance with Ezell standing behind her.
"Ha ha. Please, don't be too cautious, Apostle of the Goddess. I’ve come here to help you all."
"You came alone without any formalities?"
"Because I’m in a hurry."
"You, old man, don’t move. Whether you’re the King or whatever, this has nothing to do with the beast!"
Upon seeing the smoke-like fox surrounding him, the Pope smiled and raised both his hands in a gesture of peace.
"I swear by the great Creator! I will not harm you. I have come solely to help you."
"Ha, such an oath."
"An oath sworn to the Creator!"
The voice that echoed through the forest caused leaves from the trees to fall. The Pope gave a sheepish laugh as he continued.
"How could it be trivial? If I were to break this oath, I would rather bite my tongue off."
"...Really?"
Lina paused in hesitation, surprised by the Pope’s sudden frenzy, but she did not fully release her suspicions. Since Lucy, the Apostle of the Creator, had shown caution around this Pope, it seemed unlikely that his faith was genuine.
"Aha. Now’s not the time. The sun will rise soon."
"And what's the problem with that?"
"The fairy queen’s dream is being sustained by darkness. But when daylight arrives, what do you think will happen?"
The question flashed in the minds of everyone present, though none voiced it aloud. There was something more crucial in the Pope’s words.
"I’ll say it again. Please trust me. I only wish for the miracle of the Creator to remain a miracle."
"How exactly do you intend to help?"
"It’s simple. We must make the weakened darkness recognize the hero."
The Pope spoke cryptically before quickly pulling out a leather bag he had kept beside him. Inside the bag, a figure emerged.
"It’s him!"
"Ah, don’t move. I don’t want to fight with you, who are not fully prepared."
Blocking Preté, who was about to step forward, was a woman known as the Hunter of Beasts—Rasha, the apostle of the god of destruction.
One of the most powerful figures in the continent and a representative of the god of destruction, Rasha was an adversary that the current exhausted group could not hope to defeat.
"I don’t want to hurt this old man because of his foolishness. But if you come at me, I’ll strike back. Stay out of my way if you want."
As Rasha’s killing intent weighed heavily on them, the three remained frozen, while the Pope, humming a tune, picked up the head of the former apostle and smashed it into the cocoon in front of him.
"Repeat after me. Darkness has acknowledged its master."
"...Darkness has acknowledged its master."
The former apostle weakly echoed the Pope’s words.
"Darkness has submitted to its master."
"Darkness has submitted to its master."
With that, the cocoon began to tremble.
"It will now serve a new master."
"It will now serve a new master."
The cocoon, which had been still up until now, began to throb as though it had a heartbeat.
Fairies that had been quietly hovering nearby spread their wings and flew around the cocoon.
The former apostle muttered incoherently, his words repeating over and over.
The Pope’s smile deepened.
And then, the darkness swallowed the dawn once again.
The cocoon cracked.
Visit ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.
When will it wake up?
I hope it wakes up soon.
That way, it can celebrate with us!
"...Huh? Ugh... Huh!?"
Suddenly, I jumped up, hearing the three fairies chattering around me, wiping the drool that had dripped from my mouth.
Ugh, so I finally passed out. My body had been forced to move to its limit, so it was only natural.
It seems like I made it back to the lodging safely, so maybe everything turned out okay.
"Hey, bugs. What’s happening with your cages?"
Your Majesty?
The Queen just woke up!
She’s so happy right now!
Lucy, come join us!
Let's dance!
It's going to be so much fun!
So, waking up means everything ended well, right?
Thank goodness.
Hmm? Huh?
Is something wrong with my eyes?
Why have the fairies' wings turned black?