The Apples Are Causing a Stir
Taxis these days were honestly so convenient.
Just set the destination in the app and the driver would pick you up and take you there. Register a card once and payment was automatic too. Thanks to that, I made it home without saying a single word.
Once I got back and headed up to the rooftop, I found Ayla stroking the World Tree. She must have finished her business first and beaten me home. I walked over to her, and she turned with a smile.
"Did you enjoy yourself, Your Majesty?"
"I did."
"Hehe. I'm glad to hear it."
"Pii!"
"Pyuu!"
"Pyaa!"
Just then the fairies came fluttering over to Ayla, gesturing wildly as they tried to tell her something—
"I see. How fortunate."
"…?"
I'd been thinking this for a while, but Ayla seemed to understand fairy speech. I looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Ayla, you can understand what the fairies are saying, right?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"How do you understand them?"
All I ever heard was a bunch of pii-pyuu-pyaa.
Ayla thought for a moment before answering.
"Someday, Your Majesty will also be able to comprehend the language of the Elder Fairies. For now, you simply lack the necessary level."
"Level?"
"Yes. As Your Majesty is already aware, the Elder Fairies are immensely powerful beings. You must grow until you reach a comparable stature."
Ah. So I was just too weak right now to understand my own fairies? That meant time would eventually solve the problem.
I opened my status window and checked my current level.
[EX]World Tree
[EX]Rune Language
[A]Dreamy King's Dignity
[S]Touch of Abundance
Between clearing that A-rank Gate last time and the fairies raiding gates for me every single day, my level had somehow climbed all the way to 25.
So I needed to grow even more from here? I had no sense of how much further I had to go. Then again, that just spoke to how strong my fairies were.
"I suppose I'll need to visit gates more often."
Level up and make money at the same time. Honestly, gates didn't scare me anymore. My fairies were strong enough to clear A-rank Gates, after all. I'd raise my level along the way and collect byproducts to sell for cash.
"Ah, but selling byproducts requires a Hunter ID…"
"Regarding that matter, I have something to discuss, Your Majesty."
"…?"
"Would you happen to be free the day after tomorrow?"
I nodded without a second thought. Nobody on earth had more free time than I did. Seeing me nod, Ayla continued.
"As it happens, obtaining Your Majesty's Hunter identification will require a personal visit to the Association."
"Uh… isn't that just the normal process?"
Of course you'd have to visit the Association to get a Hunter ID issued.
"Yes, that is correct. However, I was concerned you might prefer not to go."
"No, it's fine. It's not like anything's going to happen—"
I trailed off mid-sentence as the thought hit me that something very well might happen. I was kind of famous, after all. Fairy King, currently ranked fourth in Korea.
"Hmm…"
Still, what choice did I have? I'd just go, get it done quickly, and come straight back.
That night. Late evening.
While the fairies were cheerfully clearing gates and collecting mana stones as usual, Ayla had separate business to attend to.
"Well then…"
She stepped onto the garden plot. The moment she closed her eyes, thick wooden trunks sprouted around her and began winding around her body. The vines that enveloped her sank into the earth, carrying her with them.
A few minutes later, at the Korean Demilitarized Zone—before the entrance to the S-rank Gate known as the Forest of Forgotten Gods—a tree burst from the ground, and Ayla emerged.
Without hesitation, she walked forward and entered the Gate.
The interior was a vast forest. Yet the moment it sensed her arrival, the entire woodland began to sway as though it were alive. From somewhere deep within, a clear, powerful voice rang out.
"The one who lifted the Leaf's Curse, I presume."
"It was not them."
Ayla spoke with the gentle smile she always wore.
"Our King has awakened."
In that instant, countless presences gathered throughout the forest. Among them, the most overwhelming aura began approaching Ayla.
The being that arrived before her radiated fierce power—yet its body was no larger than the palm of a hand. Fairy wings fluttered at its back. This was the guardian fairy currently protecting the forest, and she spoke on behalf of them all.
"Yes. The Leaf's Curse was also lifted by Her Majesty's own hand."
She had heard it directly from the Elder Fairies who stood at Her Majesty's side just hours ago. There was little chance of error.
"That is not possible. Her Majesty, as she is now, cannot withstand your power."
At Ayla's words, the forest seemed to settle into a heavy stillness. The disappointment was palpable.
"Correct. But it is only a matter of time—both for Her Majesty to recover her memories, and for the hour of vengeance to arrive."
In that moment, as if resonating with Ayla's words, a dark and turbulent energy spread through the forest.
Ayla answered with a bitter smile.
"Yes. But no longer."
"So please wait for the right moment. …It may arrive sooner than you think."
At Ayla's words, the forest's many presences began to fade one by one. The lone fairy who remained turned her back, leaving only a final message.
"Hwaaam~"
I woke to a refreshing morning, washed my face as usual, ate the breakfast Ayla had prepared, and was leisurely wondering what to do with the day when it hit me.
Ah, right. The apples.
Remembering I needed to sell apples, I immediately asked the fairies to bring some over. How was I supposed to resist earning five hundred thousand won a day? In just two days, I'd already made 1.4 million won from this.
I should withdraw the money too.
All transactions within the community were credited as community balance. That meant the money didn't deposit straight into a real bank account, and it wasn't handed over as a stack of cash either.
The reason was simple: since users from every country in the world used the community, every nation had a different currency. If an American bought my apples in dollars, I couldn't exactly receive dollars myself.
Using the "Request Withdrawal" function would automatically convert the money so I could receive it in cash. So I was about to withdraw my earnings before listing more apples when—
…Huh?
My private messages were completely flooded.
"Huh?"
Why on earth were there this many private messages? And mixed in among them were some seriously important people. Wondering what had happened, I checked the community posts—and discovered something astonishing.
"My apples restore mana?"
Apparently my apples had the effect of replenishing mana. In other words, they could serve as a substitute for mana potions.
Hmm… but was that really enough to cause this kind of frenzy? Sure, my apples being incredibly delicious and restoring mana was pretty amazing, but still.
"Pii!"
"Pyuu!"
"Pyaa!"
"Ah, thanks, guys."
Right on cue, the fairies brought over the apples. Judging by how many they were carrying, they'd grabbed some for themselves too. I took a crisp bite of one and thought,
So good.
Though I didn't particularly feel any mana filling up. I decided to tell Ayla about this.
"Ayla."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"People are saying that eating my apples restores their mana."
"Yes. That is correct."
Ah, so she already knew? No wonder she'd told me to sell them for a hundred thousand won each. There was a reason for that.
"May I ask how the community has been reacting?"
"They're going crazy over my apples. They're saying they can be used as potion substitutes."
"Hmm… was there any other talk?"
"Just that they're incredibly delicious."
"Is that so?"
Ayla fell into thoughtful silence at my words. Then, in a tiny voice, almost as if murmuring to herself—
"…I wonder if the fact that they permanently increase mana has yet to become known."
"Pardon?"
"It is nothing, Your Majesty. For now, I believe we should maintain the current quantity and price, then raise the price slightly starting next week."
"Really? How much should we raise it by?"
"Five hundred thousand won."
"Whoa…"