Native Nymphs Hate Invasive Species! # 7

The ship arrived back at Incheon Port.

Song Mi-nyeo and her band of followers were taken away by the police who had been waiting for them in advance.

"Turns out a group of women who'd had their boyfriends stolen by Elves gathered together and planned the whole thing."

Seo Yerim pressed a hand to her forehead, looking like she still couldn't quite wrap her head around the case.

"I honestly can't believe this is something that happens in the 5th Industry era. Why on earth would anyone do something so idiotic?"

I agreed. Planning any crime in the first place was a foolish thing to do.

Cha Yura climbed down from the ship, hopped up onto a crate, and crossed her arms.

"This is going to send shockwaves, no question. Still, thanks to Il-do catching on so quickly and handling the situation, we averted a major catastrophe. If things had gone even slightly differently, the casualties would have been staggering."

Sink the ship carrying the Elves─

And drag down everyone friendly with those Elves along with it─

That had been Song Mi-nyeo and her gang's plan. It was a truly chilling story, and just thinking about it made the world swim before my eyes.

An incident of this scale wouldn't just be buzzing on social media—it would dominate the news. The papers would run it on their front pages for days.

Which was exactly when Seo Yerim spoke up.

"Ha Il-do. You're going to do interviews with the reporters, right? Aren't you going to become a star? You get a chance to be famous again—pretty good deal, huh?"

Good deal, my foot. A horrific tragedy had nearly unfolded; I couldn't exactly gloat about it. The world still had so many problems.

"This Illinoi is berry angry, it is said-dot…! In the end the incident meant the prize raffle got canceled, it is said-dot…! Long-eared fairies are all liars, it is said-dot…!"

"This Oinoi received a live crayfish as a gift from a certain kind grandmother, it is declared…!"

Oinoi held the crayfish aloft.

It was a sea crayfish, alive and kicking, looking extremely fresh and healthy. Was she planning to eat it at home? Or raise it in a tank or aquarium? If it was a sea crayfish, we'd have to build a saltwater tank—

Just as I was thinking that, Oinoi tossed the crayfish back into the sea.

Splash—

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Farewell, crayfish…! Go well, it is declared…! Next time, don't get caught by humans, and return safely to your family and the embrace of your homeland…!"

Family, and the embrace of one's homeland.

Those words settled my heart in all sorts of ways. Of course. The nymphs had drifted away from their families and their homeland into this world. And the same was true of the Elves.

"I want to go home too."

"Do you think my brother and little sister are doing all right?"

Elves pining for their old home. And from among them emerged their leader, Madam Freyja.

"Cheer up, everyone. From now on, this land will be our homeland. And Master Il-do. Our fairies owe you a great debt. On behalf of them all, please accept my deepest gratitude."

She bowed her head in a graceful greeting. I felt awkward and flustered, and found myself recalling what I'd actually done today. Saving a great many people did leave me with a small, quiet sense of pride, I supposed.

The internet had been in an uproar for days.

Well, of course it was noisy. A former top star turning terrorist was the kind of story that would stay loud for a while.

Then a transcript full of the Elves' unfiltered true feelings leaked online, sending fresh shockwaves through every community. Debate raged back and forth from every angle.

And in the middle of all that, what I had to do was interviews.

"At the time, I said this. Keong-keong-i. Smell for the scent of gunpowder!"

"Ohh—. As expected. So the Dog-Squirrel standing here is indeed Keong-keong-i."

━Keong-keong…!

I gave interviews to an endless parade of news reporters. Cameras snapped away at me furiously, and they filmed Keong-keong-i, Kwang-kwang-i, and Ang-ang-i too.

"This Oinoi wonders whether she too appears on this thing called television, it is declared…!"

They filmed Oinoi the nymph as well.

Time passed like that, and at nine o'clock, the news featuring me finally began.

"Aaah—! The master of the house is appearing on the TV, it is declared…! This is exceedingly marvelous, it is declared…!"

There I was. For about five ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seconds.

Keong-keong-i got a solid thirty seconds on screen. Thirty whole seconds. Keong-keong-i was basically a celebrity now.

Honestly, though, this round really was all thanks to Kwang-kwang-i and Keong-keong-i.

"So then, does Keong-keong-i wish to choose a partner from among these cute Dog-Squirrels…? Do talk to this Illinoi, it is said-dot…!"

Illinoi showed Keong-keong-i a photograph of several Dog-Squirrels. Was she trying to set him up with a female Dog-Squirrel?

"Hurry and find a mate, it is said-dot…! Then have the newborn pups adopted by the long-eared fairies and rake in all their money, it is said-dot…!"

So the Elves' money was the whole point. Watching her, Seo Yerim frowned.

"Illinoi. I thought you hated the Elves. But their money is fine?"

"Mhehehe, money has no name written on it, it is said-dot…!"

Well, she wasn't wrong there. Money doesn't come with names attached.

In any case, we wrapped up our schedule aboard the Fairy and returned to everyday life. A luxury cruise voyage—looking back on it now, it felt like a dream.

I asked Oinoi, "Did you have fun?"

"It was very good, it is declared…! This Oinoi even held a small fan meet in the corridor and received this many coins, it is declared…!"

Jingle—

Oinoi opened her coin purse and showed me a mountain of coins piled high. That was a genuinely impressive haul. So while I was busy hunting down a terrorist cell, Oinoi had been having the time of her life, huh.

"Our nymph sisters have decided to launch a non-profit organization called the Nymph Relief Foundation, it is declared…! We shall gather heaps of nymphs and hold a grand festival, it is declared…!"

I tried picturing a swarming crowd of nymphs. Just then, Illinoi spoke up.

"Mhehehe, our nymphs shall purchase not a cruise ship but a spaceship, it is said-dot…! We shall blast off into space and touch the moon in the sky with our very own hands, it is said-dot…!"

A trip to the moon. What a magnificent dream. I needed to keep working hard for my own dream too.

"Also, that plague-doctor masked woman was there again. Yura tried to subdue her, but she got away, apparently."

Cha Yura was an S-Rank awakener. And because she wielded ice, she was a woman specializing in neutralization and suppression. A villain like that had slipped through her fingers—she was without question dangerous.

Before long, Seo Yerim scowled.

"Cha Yura, she just fumbled it and let her get away, didn't she."

Was that so? If anything, I hoped that was the case. Because if Cha Yura had gone all-out and still failed, it would mean that plague-doctor masked woman was a powerhouse on par with an S-Rank. And in front of such people, I was still fairly helpless.

"I only managed to pull my weight because Kwang-kwang-i was there. I need real power after all."

To shoulder great responsibility, one needed great strength. I clenched my fist tight and resolved to train harder than ever.

Which was when Seo Yerim held out a box to me.

"Hey. This. Freyja said to give it to you. Says it's the reward for this commission."

A commission reward? It looked like the sort of box gift-wrapped dried persimmons might come in. I tore off the luxurious packaging and opened it to find something strange inside—what looked like a bundle of grass, packed to the brim in a glass jar.

Grass? Was all this grass stuffed into the glass jar supposed to be a fragrance? Was it like a scented candle—just as I was wondering, Seo Yerim was the one who flew into a fuss.

"That's Elf Tea! The price per gram is astronomical! It's a sellers'-market item where they literally name their price, and they're giving you an entire jar in one go? Wow. Talk about going big!"

Elf Tea? I'd heard it was an ultra-premium tea drunk by the fairies. Coming from someone as rich as Seo Yerim, all this fuss meant it had to be worth a fortune. How much could it possibly cost?

"If you sell that without drinking it, you won't have to worry about engraving fees for a mana circuit at all. And it's not even about the price—there simply is no supply! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say half the people ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠joining the fan clubs do it just to get on the Elves' good side so they can drink this tea. It's great for anti-aging, great for your skin too—"

Wait, was this for real?

Getting tea this expensive as a gift. This was the first time in my life I'd received anything this valuable, and I honestly felt a bit dizzy. Should I just sell it off for cold cash? The thought flashed through my mind for a moment—

But no. Selling a gift felt wrong. It would be spitting on the sincerity of the people who sent it.

"Then shall we try a cup right now?"

"Is this the luxury tea that the long-eared fairies drink, it is said…? Truly, though an invasive species, they remain fairy-like in drinking nymph-friendly grass, it is said-dot…!"

"This Oinoi learned the art of brewing tea from her Master, it is declared…! Magical grass must be steeped in water brimming with mana, it is declared…! Therefore Oinoi shall boil well water, it is declared…!"

Oinoi fetched the kettle, and poured the boiling water with a long shhhh— into the cup holding the tea leaves. In that instant, a sweet yet refreshingly fragrant tea aroma filled the entire house.

So this was the fragrance of the Elves' land, Alfheim?

Soon, sniffing the air with a sniff-sniff, Oinoi spoke up.

"Somehow, this scent brings home to mind, it is declared…! When spring came to the forest where this Oinoi lived, so many flowers bloomed that it always smelled this fragrant, it is declared…."

Oinoi's shoulders drooped. Homesickness had clearly crept up on her.

Watching her, Illinoi chuckled, Mhehehe.

"This Illinoi's hometown is Kore Yerim's house, it is said-dot…! There is even a robot that cleans the floor, it is said-dot…! Returning to an era without computers, refrigerators, or water purifiers is impossible for this Illinoi, it is said-dot…!"

At those words, Oinoi rallied and thrust both hands up in the air.

"In truth, this Oinoi has come to like this place more than her homeland now, it is declared…! Oinoi's water purifier dispenses ice in abundance, it is declared…!"

So that's how it was. I didn't fully understand, but everyone was brimming with energy, and that was a good thing.

And in fact, my own body was overflowing with vigor too. My mana felt fuller than it had ever been.

"Could it be… I've actually reached B-Rank now?"

The moment I said it, Seo Yerim frowned.

"I'll admit Elf Tea is especially good for awakeners, but do you think human mana just shoots up like that in one go?"

Whatever you say. But power really was boiling over inside my body. I felt like I could do it—right now.

"Keong-keong-i. Let's try that thing."

━Keong-keong…!

Keong-keong-i and I stepped out into the front yard. There, S-Ranker Cha Yura had left behind an ice sculpture—an Ice Scarecrow. Supposedly it was ice that never melted, sturdy enough to withstand a C-Rank's full firepower without breaking a sweat.

"Mana Deployment!"

Hsssss—

I unleashed the mana in my whole body in every direction. At the same time, the fur along Keong-keong-i's back bristled and rose.

Keong-keong-i bit down on his own tail. Then, tail clenched in his jaws, he charged at the Ice Scarecrow with everything he had.

━Krrrung…!

"Gale Keong-Keong Slash!"

The Gale Keong-Keong Slash! It was a technique I had only ever dreamed up in my imagination. Biting his tail down hard, Keong-keong-i would channel my reinforced mana and the friction of the tail in his mouth, and whip it out in a single instant like an iaido draw—a spinning, razor-edged tail strike. A blade of wind itself.

Pop—!

At last, Keong-keong-i's tail struck the scarecrow.

Crack—!

And the Ice Scarecrow that Cha Yura had crafted suffered massive damage!

Which meant we'd delivered an impact equivalent to at least a B-Rank awakener or above!

"Ohh!"

Power beyond my expectations! So this was the Gale Keong-Keong Slash!? My prediction hadn't been wrong after all! Drinking the Elves' tea had clearly increased my total mana capacity!

But wait.

Wasn't B-Rank supposed to be a rank you could only reach by burning through your mana circuits and engraving circuits into your body? That was exactly why I'd been saving up 300 million won, wasn't it?