Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Easter Egg (2)
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Fairy Land. Fairy Sanctuary. That's what they call this place, and it only reveals itself on the imperial route.
More precisely, it's a route-exclusive map that unlocks only after raising Eve's favorability to a certain threshold. Then, once vacation ends, she uncovers a clue and suggests a little adventure with Kelters.
It's a straight-up hidden extra map. No Eve favorability? Tough luck.
"Wow..."
"Hmm."
But the instant you step into this map, the world turns upside down.
Literally. I swallowed hard at the sight before me. Seeing it for real? The sheer scale hits different.
How to put it—a forest floating in the sky. Flowers take root in clouds that serve as solid ground. Glance just a bit beyond your line of sight, and it feels like you're hovering high above the heavens.
Right beneath the sun, lush trees thrive atop this cloudy earth, every inch screaming illusion: one wrong step, and you'd plummet straight to the surface below.
Of course, there's no path meant for humans. Can't fly? Then it's a fantastical realm barely distinguishable from strolling on thin air.
"H-how do we even cross this? Oh, right—levitation magic..."
"Don't."
"Why? Why not?"
"Nothing good comes from casting spells here."
I stopped Eve mid-gesture as she reached for her levitation magic.
A wolf slinking past us at that exact moment curled its lips into a grin.
"Correct. Stats are a joke, but you've got brains, huh?"
"Can't read intelligence anyway."
"...Ha! I like it. Fits that guy's heir. Follow."
The wolf padded ahead slowly. I took a casual step forward, utterly unfazed. Just as my foot met the cloud—
"Ah!"
Eve's startled little yelp piped up from beside me.
But no worries.
This place is truly fantastical.
Fanta-sy like.
Smoothly shifting my weight, I planted my foot on the cloud. Solid ground pushed back beneath it.
"Huh...?"
Eve tested it herself a beat later, eyes rounding as she registered the flat, firm earth.
"...Not scared to tread the sky? Ha. Some nerve. What if it was real sky?"
"Quit stalling and lead on, guide wolf."
"Tch."
We trailed the wolf in silence until we reached the queen's castle.
Hewn from the trunk of a colossal tree that scraped the heavens, it stood as the ultimate emblem of the fairy queen's majesty.
"Queen's inside, is she?"
"Mind your tongue, heir."
"What, no need to bristle. Got a gift fit for royalty."
I smirked and shoved open the throne room doors.
There, at a table, sat the queen—gazing our way.
Light sky-blue hair fell straight down her back. Eyes of vivid azure matched it perfectly. Her dress evoked petals tenderly enfolding her form.
Beautiful. The word alone sufficed; no embellishments needed for that presence.
The pinnacle of fantasy's craft: the most exquisite being imaginable. The Fairy Queen.
Fairy-sized—half a human's stature—yet she dwarfed any sense of smallness. Pure nobility radiated from her.
"Wow..."
Even Eve beside me gasped in awe. Honestly, reality's version caught me off guard too.
But my heart? Not a flicker of affection. Not even basic favorability.
"Hic. Whooo're yooou? Look jus' like a human. Human, hehe. Where ya from, fairy? Reaaally human-lookin'. Wow, human! Our fairy's got a human guest tooo!"
One hand clamped around a whiskey bottle as she eyed us—nope, zero sparks flying.
"Wahaha! Real human? Fairy playin' human? Nooo clue!"
Just a 300-year-old booze hound.
Okay. Let's break it down.
D/Z SAGA mashes multiple regions together. Eastern Forest ecosystems? Totally alien to Sleeping Mountains'. Monsters, plants, animals—all distributed without overlap.
How? No buffer zones, no shared habitats. Cleanly segmented.
Nature couldn't pull that off.
But this ain't natural.
Jefrin Academy Island? An artificial marvel crafted by the great founding emperor himself. Barriers everywhere, ecosystems slotted just so.
Scale's insane for one guy—or even with his mage priests—but that's the lore explaining the map divides.
"Fairy like human... Human like fairy! Wow, face sooo like that guy's..."
And yeah, that lore broke the fairy queen into an alcoholic.
"Qu-Queen. Guests here. That one's heir..."
"Agaiiin! Pranks, ehe. Elpirane no fool. Nooo fooool!"
The wolf tried reasoning, but she thwacked its head with the bottle and sprawled across the throne. Puu... puu... snores followed. Out cold.
...Elpirane, same as ever.
We froze mid-thought. Soon, whiskey-bottle dent on its crown, the wolf heaved a deep sigh and herded us outside.
"Out for a sec."
"Mm."
Outside, it fixed me with mournful eyes.
"...Smoke?"
"Yeah, right."
And if I did? You'd what, light up?
I'd grabbed Eve's stiff hand the second the queen started her drunken ramble, pulling her into the hall. The wolf let out a heavy sigh.
"Rough one."
"Ha. Know-it-all act."
I skipped replying. It stared up at me, sighed again.
"Eyes screaming 'I know it all.'"
"Some, yeah."
"First visitor in 300 years, and you know stuff?"
"......"
"Weirdly, feels legit. Mouth don't lie. Heart don't either."
"Lies don't fly with fairies."
"...Ha. 300-year human's a freak."
Cackle. Its laugh felt... off.
"Fairies. Spill what you know."
"Legends. Rest guesses. Figure most of it."
"Lay it out? I'll tweak."
Shrug. I rattled off the lore.
"300 years back. Great ancestor dreamed Jefrin as continent-in-miniature paradise."
Ecosystems mean stocking wildlife too. Plains got slimes, goblins. Deserts: sandworms, blue dragons... Deepest woods: fairy land.
"Lore says fairy queen and her kin treated it like a game, bet against His Majesty. Lost. Vanished from continent, sealed in Jefrin."
"Spot on. Then we fairies... went nuts."
"Can't leave. Stuck here forever."
Fairies' curse.
Nature-born: pure, honest, playful, swayable.
Free spirits who crave roaming. Truth-obsessed.
"Queen—wanderlust supreme—turned this into fantasy central."
"All illusion. Fairies' roam-free dreamworld."
I knew: forest scenery real. Everything else? Smoke and mirrors.
"Yup. Queen hushed the kids' whines, wove illusions, sculpted this tiny plot into paradise. Snapped first."
"......"
I stayed mum. Knew it, no need voicing.
Cooped casting spells, babysitting gripes, outbound itch unscratched? Booze calls. Habit hits. Boom.
"Fairy Queen Elpirane Owen: sloppy drunk. Right?"
"......Tch. Blabbermouth—but true. Still, her creation's pure magic. Don't trash it."
"Know."
300-year mega-barrier by the queen herself. Eve's 22 mana? Botch it, counter-magic floors you.
Hence, no spells.
"Th-then..."
"Hm? Mana-heavy heir."
"No way out for the queen?"
"......"
"......"
Silence. Ways exist. Easy? Nah.
Queen plus horde of fairies. 'Beat 'em full-force.'
Bet revives. Fairies free.
"Way beyond you now, mana-heir. Quick one? Forget it."
"Know."
Eve might pull it off someday.
"Anyway. Not here for trivia tag."
"Then?"
"Deal. Wake her. Prep, summon us."
"...Bossy."
"Pass?"
"......Tch. Hold up."
Wolf ducked into the throne room. Chaos erupted inside.
"...Wolfram. How'd you know all this?"
"Imperial annals."
"Dodging. Fine. Kinda impressed now."
"...Huh?"
"Student council days? Not total slacker."
"...?"
"Concocting convenience stores. Digging fairy lore. Buff snacks. All screams one goal."
"......??"
"Show everyone—you included—the book-only outside world. Sincere. Dead serious."
".........???"
"Why hoard pricey magic tomes and blades your term? Impressed."
"Uh, erm. Uh..."
"Drop it. My words? Forget. Praise between us? Cringe."
"......"
Eve giggled.
Fine, whatever.
I get it...
Unwittingly did all that, huh. Not bad, Wolfram von Loengrin.
"?"
So who the hell was he?
Pondering revolutionary Wolfram—the liberator—ran ten minutes. Throne room doors swung open.
"Queen bids enter."
Inside: tidied up. Snacks cleared, bottles stashed. Throne-back curtain bulged suspiciously.
Eve clocked it, eyes darted away. Throne voice rang, elegant:
"Hark's heir, welcome to Fairy Land. Hic."
Drunk max-hidden, but slurs and booze-breath betrayed her.
"Behold Fairy Queen, oath-keeper of three centuries from great ancestor."
"Aye. Eyes mirror Hark's."
"Honored."
"...Totally diff'rent. Wanna sock ya. Pak."
"......"
300-year grudge runs deep.
"So, trek here for? Cage us, now mock? Ha. Fun. Gon' try sockin' pak."
"Oath bars fights sans bet."
"Know? Can't leave?"
God, this loon—in person? Maximum hassle.
"Here with gift. And one request."
"Gift? Whassat? Love gifts."
"Request first. Quit pranking Jefrin."
"...Prank? Whatchu mean?"
"Pollen via wind spirits. Blasting Jefrin deliberate."
"...Busted?"
Eve's eyes bugged, ping-ponging us.
"Too targeted. Scatter normal."
"......Heh. Dig it. First heir sniffs us out. Tribute decides."
"My handmade snack. Fairies love sweets?"
"Nah? True, but trends off that."
I knew.
"Booze-filled candies."
"...Ooh, savvy. Deal."
Handed fairy queen the chocolate bonbons. She tapped, shook 'em. Nod.
"Bite, booze squirts? Fresh."
"Yup."
"Booze inside gotta be drinkable tho."
"Knockout-grade. Guaranteed."
"Heard of?"
"Nope."
"Teach? Whassit?"
I grinned.
Fairy visits always demand booze entry fee over trinkets. Booze? Rare haul.
Wolfram's shady stash? Booze swaps for tickets.
Easter egg.
Worthless Wolfram's final loot. Dev prank. Fairy pass.
Legend: one swig, brawl poles, curbstone slaps you sober in lockup two days later.
I murmured the name.
"Captain Que."
"Captain Que?"