From Now On, This Place Is Occupied by Fairies (2)
From Now On, This Place Is Occupied by Fairies (2)
The Great Hall at the heart of Siyoram's central district was packed.
The hall and the surrounding streets, usually quiet, swelled with a sea of visitors drawn by the Birth Festival.
The crowd rivaled last year's turnout—no, the headcount we'd already observed alone had surpassed it. And the numbers were still climbing.
Every single one of them was here to catch a glimpse of Siyoram's young sprouts—
"They all came to see you, Junior Disciple."
[...Generalizations like that aren't very helpful, Senior.]
"But those are the facts."
Senior Daera shrugged with practiced nonchalance, and I pressed my lips shut.
It was true enough.
Last year's Birth Festival had essentially been the first real chance for ordinary civilians to see me in person, so an enormous crowd came. I'd heard it set a new attendance record among all Birth Festivals to date.
The crowd seemed ready to break that record again this year.
'My standing nowadays is a lot different from back then...'
Last year's festival came before the Reverse Side Rampage. Neither my role in resolving that incident nor my appointment as the Association Presidents' proxy had been made public yet.
Above all, this year it was revealed that an Outer World Tower Master had tried to invade our world.
The fact that I had driven back the Tower Master of Bitter Cold, struck down the Tower Master of the Dead, and that I was the hero our Tower Masters had raised specifically to expel the Outer World Tower Masters—all of it came to light this year.
The result was a crowd so massive that even calling it "a sea of people" felt like an understatement.
Which happened to also be the reason Siyoram staff members were dropping like flies...
"Ha-sol must have some share in this too..."
"Why are you suddenly nitpicking me, Acting Cheonmunjang?"
"Since you're a Holy Maiden, maybe they came to see you out of curiosity... poof."
Ha-sol pressed a finger against my cheek and shot me a sidelong glare.
"That remark sits badly coming from the person who made me into a Holy Maiden."
"Oh, so now you've stopped resisting being called a Holy Maiden?"
"...Ellia, weren't we supposed to maintain amicable relations as fellow Spirit Union members?"
"Of course we are~"
Ha-sol's lips twitched. Ellia smiled gently and calmly tidied my hair.
Watching that, Yeon-hwa pointed at Ellia.
"Honestly, going by her abilities, Ellia deserves to be called a holy maiden too, doesn't she?"
"Actually, she's already being called that behind the scenes. She healed so many people on the last battlefield that if you go to Arteria and ask the citizens now—"
"Oh, I think it's about to start."
With her earlobes faintly reddened, Ellia wordlessly deflected with a smile. Lee Ji-yeon let out a small laugh and came closer to me.
"I'll head over to the third-year ranks then. See you a little later."
[Okay.]
"...Hm."
Lee Ji-yeon looked down at my necklace, let out a soft, complicated hum, and lowered her head.
- Sssoop.
A tender sensation settled on the crown of my head. Only then did Lee Ji-yeon smile with satisfaction, stroke my hair, and return to the third-year ranks.
"I'll go too."
"See you in a bit, Junior Disciple."
Ha-sol gave a pretty smile, pressed a kiss to my cheek, and went back to the first-year ranks. Senior Daera followed, giving Lee Ha-sol an odd look on her way out.
"Well I'll be. The crowd is way bigger than last year."
"......"
[A distant mountain...]
Yeon-hwa crossed her arms under her voluptuous chest and muttered petulantly. I leaned slightly against her while looking off at a mountain I couldn't actually see (for real).
She gave me a sidelong half-glare and snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me close.
.
.
.
The Opening Ceremony followed the same order as last year.
Standing on the platform, the Vice Headmaster delivered a brief talk and a lesson about Siyoram. He also offered a hopeful perspective on the tumultuous state of the world.
"The broad and deep world faces many incidents. Events beyond our capacity leave damage and pain, and sometimes bring wide-scale chaos."
Naturally, the content wasn't identical like a copy-paste job.
"This Cradle serves as a nest to nurture the sprouts of heroes. Siyoram will not look away from a past overcome through great sacrifice, and will always prepare for chaos whenever it may come."
So much had happened since last year's Birth Festival that the speech had gained considerable substance.
Most of it was related to me, and throughout the address, eyes were blatantly drawn my way.
It only grew worse when a representative cadet went up to the platform for the oath.
Once upon a time, that much attention might have made me faint from the pressure. But now that I'd grown a bit more nerve, I could brush it off with relative indifference.
I mechanically followed the procedure while using Observation to check on the fairies and spirit children.
'The kids are playing nicely.'
Contrary to my worries, they were enjoying the prelude to the festival without any trouble.
Some upper spirits had even come into the Great Hall, claiming seats and attention for themselves.
Upper spirits were already rare enough for ordinary people to encounter. With one or two fairies perched on their shoulders or heads, they stood out even more.
Off in a distant upper gallery, I observed a fairy whose eyes sparkled like bright little lanterns.
I gave a small smile in that direction and waved.
The fairy child beamed, waving her arms back and forth with vigor, and a huge stir broke out around her. Siyoram staff hurriedly scrambled to calm the commotion.
Caught off guard by the sight, I froze up. A-rin, still facing forward, shook her head.
"Why are you suddenly trying to seduce people who were minding their own business?"
"That's so unfair... I never did."
"With that face of yours, giving someone a glance counts as showing interest, and smiling at them counts as seducing."
That was a grossly unjust accusation. But Yeon-hwa, Ellia, Professor Liana, and my Teacher all nodded firmly from nearby.
I jutted out my lower lip—
"That also counts as seducing."
"So I'm not allowed to do anything at all?"
"That's right. Shall we seriously look into getting you a veil?"
It was the sort of teasing that left me utterly speechless.
"Next, we will proceed with the final segment of the Opening Ceremony. Visiting guests, please remain seated and await it."
I'd been keeping my lips tightly shut while dealing with her mischievous teasing. Soon enough, the final segment arrived.
"Cadets, please raise one hand toward the sky and manifest your mana."
The Vice Headmaster tapped his staff against the floor, activating the magic formula.
The cadets raised their hands toward the sky.
The second-, third-, and fourth-years, who'd already experienced this, stayed composed. The first-years, for whom this was the first time, looked up at the sky with a mix of anticipation and nerves.
Around then, lines of mana began shooting upward from the outer edges of the ranks.
"Last year, Ha-yul's mana was incredibly pretty."
"That's right. It looked just like shooting stars, truly beautiful."
Yeon-hwa murmured as she raised her hand.
Ellia agreed with a smile. From her hand, twin streams of glittering mana surged out in a cascade.
I nudged my core, cleared my throat, and shrugged my shoulders with a touch of pride.
"I'll make it even prettier this time."
"You've finally admitted you're pretty... ahht..."
I coiled my Winged Garment around her and pressed firmly into her waist. A-rin gave a small flinch and subtly twisted her waist.
Cheeks flushed, A-rin used the hand she wasn't raising to gently soothe my Winged Garment, stroking it like she was coaxing me.
In return, A-rin's blue Winged Garment entangled itself with my pure-white one.
"You mustn't do this right in front of everyone watching... I mean, a little later..."
"This crazy fox woman."
Smack! A red Winged Garment knocked the blue one aside. With a soft tsk, A-rin let Yeon-hwa's sharp glare slide off and summoned her mana.
- Whoooosh...!
Soon, mana poured from A-rin's and Yeon-hwa's hands as well.
Red flame qi, along with white and blue cold energy and water energy, shot up side by side high into the sky.
A little further away, earth energy in hues like soil and leaves, and fierce lightning energy and wind energy, formed powerful pillars of mana.
The mana manifested by every cadet soared upward and collided with the Barrier.
Most of it dissolved into the Barrier and was absorbed whole. A portion struck the Barrier and scattered in colorful fragments.
Exclamations of wonder burst out everywhere, just like fireworks.
'Now it's my turn.'
Having waited just long enough, I unfurled my clenched fist.
The core I'd been prodding opened, and mana surged out in a rush, overflowing into my raised hand.
A fine vibration ran through my wrist.
For a moment, my wrist grew warm as though heated, then a tingly sensation passed through it like being submerged in cold water, and mana discharged from my body.
- Kwaaaaaaaah...!
"Whoaa...!?"
Yeon-hwa's eyes went round.
It wasn't just her—others, even those enjoying the festival outside the Great Hall, stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the sky.
The sky was white.
Any trace of blue was barely visible.
The mana rising from his hand had swollen so rapidly it grew thick enough to blanket the entire Great Hall's sky.
The pillars of mana other cadets had raised were swallowed whole by the white mana and vanished from sight.
'I really have grown a lot since then.'
That was only natural. A whole year had passed—it would be a problem if there hadn't been a dramatic change.
- Ding!
[Kkonnim is flustered.]
[I didn't plan on taking this much...]
'I sent a lot on purpose.'
Because I'll be summoning again this time.
Just considering the amount I sent now, it was well over ten times what I sent last year.
I had plenty to spare and almost sent more, but after checking the Status Window, I cut off the mana at that point.
- Rrrrumble...!
The line of mana gradually thinned. When it had shrunk to a wispy thread, I snapped it clean. I gave my wrist a few shakes and lowered my hand.
"Wait, just now... how much mana did you pour out?"
"Even if a dungeon burst, it wouldn't release this much mana..."
The silence that had lingered around us quickly gave way to commotion.
Ellia, who had turned to look at me with a dazed expression, suddenly blinked and lifted her head.
"Wow..."
"What? Why?"
Soon Ellia's eyes grew round with wonder. Yeon-hwa, tilting her head, followed her gaze upward.
"Oh..."
"Whoa..."
Admiration slipped out of Yeon-hwa too. A-rin covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes sparkling with amazement.
White snowflakes were pouring down from the sky over all of Siyoram, which had regained its blue.
They were fragments of white-glowing mana.
* * *
The massive amount of mana Lee Ha-yul had shot into the sky came fluttering down like snow.
At that extraordinary sight, those enjoying the festival on the streets looked up with shining eyes.
Those inside buildings pressed against the windows or rushed outside, busy admiring the snowflakes and snapping photos.
Lee Seo-yul saw the snowflakes too.
She followed the pure white mana drifting leisurely down from the sky, and before she knew it, a flake had settled softly on her shoulder like a flower petal.
- Ooom
The shimmering mana melted into her skin. Lee Seo-yul gave a small shiver and turned to face Lee Ha-yul.
"Did you spread so much mana that it's still snowing?"
[Yeah... that's what happened...]
Lee Ha-yul smiled sheepishly and averted his gaze.
An hour had passed since the opening ceremony ended and he had paid his respects to the families of his companions who had come for the Birth Festival.
In that whole hour, the snow hadn't stopped.
That meant he'd pumped in an enormous amount of mana.
[Ahaha... Ah! Seo-yul, Seo-yul. Come this way a second.]
Lee Seo-yul was once again struck with admiration at Lee Ha-yul's mana capacity.
Laughing awkwardly, Lee Ha-yul suddenly took her hand gently and tugged her along.
[Look, look, they're selling cotton candy.]
The place Lee Ha-yul led her to was a street stall selling cotton candy.
Whether he didn't notice the vendor trembling with emotion, or simply chose to ignore it for the sake of his time with Lee Seo-yul—
Lee Ha-yul beamed as he took the cotton candy and held it out.
[Here, say ah~]
"......"
The cotton candy looked like puffs of pink clouds.
Maybe the ingredients were top-quality; a sweet fragrance wafted up, pleasant rather than cloying. The scent alone promised it would taste just fine.
It was a fragrance the current Lee Ha-yul couldn't smell. A taste he couldn't enjoy.
Lee Seo-yul had known about his situation for a long time.
So sometimes, even while eating a meal Lee Ha-yul had prepared or food he'd bought for her, she would be struck by a needless pang of guilt.
[Daddy gets full and happy just watching Seo-yul eat.]
As if he knew Lee Seo-yul's inner thoughts—or maybe he didn't. Lee Ha-yul smiled gently and waved the cotton candy back and forth in little wiggles.
It looked exactly like he was bobbing a fishing rod.
Letting out a hollow laugh, Lee Seo-yul parted her lips slightly and bit into the cotton candy.
[How is it?]
"...It's good."
[Right? That's a relief. Now hold it and eat slowly, okay!]
Lee Ha-yul's smile brightened even more.
His radiant mood spread a positive influence over his appearance and aura, both expressions of his Innate Talent.
The result: the gazes already fixed on Lee Ha-yul grew noticeably stickier.
"Seriously, what am I supposed to do with this...?"
[Hm?]
Lee Ha-yul tilted his head, totally oblivious. Even that was far too lovable and cute. Suppressing a sigh, Lee Seo-yul took the cotton candy from him.
[Hehehe.]
[Let's enjoy the festival together to the fullest today and then head back in, yeah?]
"Yeah... But you're entering the tower on the third day, right?"
[Mm-hmm, but my Incarnation will stay outside, so don't worry. This tower entry will be broadcast externally, so if you can, watch it.]
"I watched it last year too."
How could she not watch, when Lee Ha-yul was in it?
Delighted by her words, Lee Ha-yul bobbed his head up and down vigorously.
[Ah, then enjoy it this time too... well... uh, I can't exactly say 'enjoy the fighting,' but... there'll be plenty to see this time too. Watch and have fun.]
"R... really?"
Lee Seo-yul blinked for a moment.
Why did the "things to see" Lee Ha-yul mentioned sound a bit... intriguing?
"Dad, even if it's inside the tower, you can't overdo it, okay?"
[...Of course.]
"Why did you hesitate just now?"
* * *
After the opening ceremony, Lee Ha-sol, who had some errands to run, briefly parted from her group and happened to run into friends on the street.
They were people she was close with from the same Ipchun Class.
"Whoa! The Holy Maiden is coming!"
"I told you not to do that..."
Lee Ha-sol let out a long sigh at her friend's mischievous teasing. Giggling, her friends gathered around her.
"Ayy~ I'm just calling the Holy Maiden a holy maiden. What's the problem?"
"Ugh..."
"What? I wasn't acting cute at you, you bitch."
"Maybe watch your language in front of the Holy Maiden..."
"Ah, good point. Sorry, Holy Maiden."
"You two really play off each other perfectly..."
How much longer would they keep up this Holy Maiden business? Shaking her head, Lee Ha-sol waved to her friends.
"I'm a bit busy right now... Let's meet later."
"Gasp... The Holy Maiden is off to channel her god...!"
"Seriously, stop."
When Lee Ha-sol finally furrowed her brow, her friends giggled and cleared the way. Lee Ha-sol, shoulders drooping, gave a small smile back and stepped away.
"Oh, another spirit passing by over there."
At her friend's wide-eyed remark, Lee Ha-sol looked back.
Just as she'd said, a spirit was striding through the crowd, which parted of its own accord.
A high-ranking spirit in the form of a woman made of light-green mana. A single fairy sat delicately on one shoulder, swinging its legs.
"I've seen ten fairies alone today. Maybe this place is actually a fantasy realm?"
"Seconded."
The friends, who had been utterly shocked at first but were now used to it, traded jokes.
"...It's coming this way though?"
This time was different.
The spirit, which had shown zero reaction even when meeting their eyes, smiled brightly upon seeing Lee Ha-sol and came hurrying over.
"Ah, Ha-sol's here."
It was easy to understand why.
Who was Lee Ha-sol's husband, after all?
Wasn't it Lee Ha-yul, who had sent two Outer World Tower Masters to their graves and commanded a full thousand high-ranking spirits?
That high-ranking spirit must be contracted to Lee Ha-yul, so it made sense it would be friendly toward Lee Ha-sol.
- Lee Ha-sol, Your Majesty the Queen!
The fairy perched on the high-ranking spirit's shoulder waved its hand excitedly, calling out to Lee Ha-sol.
Those who had been nodding, understanding why the spirit was approaching, all stopped dead in their tracks.
"...Qu-een?"
"Your Majesty... the Queen?"
What an utterly strange form of address.
Baffled gazes converged from all around. The ice cream that slipped from one friend's hand planted itself firmly into the ground.
Lee Ha-sol smiled awkwardly.
"Ahaha... it just sort of... turned out that way."
"What on earth did you do to go from being called a Holy Maiden to now a Queen...?"
The friend muttering in disbelief clamped her mouth shut.
Lee Ha-sol was the Queen.
...Then who was the King?