Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Surviving in the Sky Garden (4)
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Fairies are, by nature, a gentle and innocent race of metahumans.
They prefer cooperation over conflict, peace over war. They enjoy sharing rather than hoarding things for themselves.
Compared to greedy humans, their way of life could be described as nothing short of ideal.
However, not all fairies were stamped from the same mold.
Just as a person's values are shaped by their upbringing and innate talents, fairies, too, had vastly different ways of thinking depending on their aptitudes and interests.
For instance, a fairy who enjoys napping while eating sweets is usually optimistic.
A fairy who prefers reading over eating tends to be calm and meticulous.
In other words, when environment and innate personality combine…
…it meant that even a gentle fairy could possess a prickly and cynical nature.
“Hey, are you listening? Are you a human with bad hearing? If not, you can stop ignoring me.”
“…”
Before me stood a male fairy with his arms crossed.
He was a creature barely two and a half heads tall, his eyebrows furrowed in displeasure and his eyes half-closed.
His purple hair and eyebrows, contrasted by his striking yellow eyes, were so impressive…
…that had he been human, I imagine he would have been a cool and charismatic pretty boy.
Though this was our first meeting, his appearance was paradoxically familiar.
After all, he had appeared in the original story and was the very being I had been searching for.
*I can’t believe I’d run into Murmur here…*
His name was Murmur.
He was the one who had obtained the World Tree Seed and hidden it in his sanctuary.
There was no need to find his unique name strange. It was quite average for a fairy.
Like Chiruru, whom I had met earlier, most fairy names had a similar feel.
In fact, among fairies, Murmur’s name was apparently considered rather stiff and pedantic.
Though what kind of sensibility that was, I had no idea.
*No, this isn't the time for stray thoughts. He spoke to me first. I should answer.*
My mind was in turmoil.
The sudden explosion in the Sky Garden, the near-miss of being discovered…
…and on top of that, the sudden appearance of Murmur.
But since he had spoken to me, I couldn’t delay for too long.
If he felt I was refusing to converse, he would turn his back and leave without a second thought.
Therefore, to meet the gaze of the clearly displeased Murmur, I knelt on the ground.
To convey that I couldn’t speak, I pressed a finger to my throat and shook my head.
Murmur eyed me up and down suspiciously.
Then, as if to say, *if you’re lying, you’re dead*, he narrowed his eyes and spoke.
“Then do you know what happened here?”
“…?”
“You don’t? What, I helped you for nothing. Useless.”
Calling me useless is a bit harsh.
But I had also arrived late after hearing the explosion.
There was no way I could know what happened just by looking at the traces.
With that thought, all I could do was awkwardly scratch my neck in front of the tsking fairy.
Then, I suddenly noticed something in Murmur’s words that made me tilt my head.
He just said he helped me for nothing.
Does that mean the purple rabbit that shot out of the bushes earlier… was his doing?
*That was a close call. Thanks to him, I got out of that crisis. I should be quite grateful.*
The reason I had used Echo to disrupt their sense of location was simple.
I figured there was a high probability of outsiders being near the blast's epicenter.
I thought getting involved in the incident would hinder my exploration of the Sky Garden.
But it also felt too unsettling to not check at all.
My plan was to just get a rough idea of what happened and quietly withdraw…
I never imagined I’d be found out so easily while hiding.
If it hadn’t been for Murmur’s help, things would have gotten very complicated.
No matter how I looked at it, he had helped me immensely.
Hmm, but isn't this bad?
I was supposed to help him first, put him in my debt, and then get the World Tree Seed.
This way, my plan was already stumbling from the start. Our roles were reversed.
“Hmph, what a waste of time.”
Just then, had Murmur’s patience run out?
He turned his back with a look of lost interest, seeming ready to leave.
It appeared he had come late to find the cause of the explosion.
And having confirmed that I, who he thought might know something, was a dud…
…he must have decided it wasn't worth spending any more time here.
“What, get out of my way. You want to get hurt?”
“…!”
But I quickly blocked Murmur as he tried to leave.
My posture was somewhat clumsy from hastily standing up from a squat.
Still, thanks to my unhesitating movement, I managed to block him before he could leave completely.
Naturally, Murmur’s mood soured rapidly at having his path suddenly blocked.
His face was terrifying, as if to say, *I help you, and you repay my kindness with enmity?*
At this rate, I might get torn to shreds by Murmur’s magic!
Feeling that instinctual premonition, I frantically gestured to convey my intentions.
“What are you trying to say? …Are you offering to help find the culprit?”
“…”
“Ha, what help could a weakling with no magic be? Just get lost before you get in the way.”
As prickly as a hedgehog, he glared at me with upturned eyes.
Murmur’s gaze was filled with a hostility that couldn't even compare to Chiruru’s.
But I had my own reasons for not backing down.
I couldn’t be sure I would ever meet him again in this vast Sky Garden.
And if I didn’t somehow build some favor with him, obtaining the World Tree Seed would be a distant dream.
So, sometimes, you just have to be stubborn.
After a moment of deliberation, I raised one arm above my head with a serious expression.
Right now, I had to prove I had a reason to accompany him.
I had no choice but to reveal the existence of my psychokinesis.
*It’s a big risk, but right now, it’s all I have…!*
*Whoosh! Thud!*
But at that moment, something suddenly flew through the air and struck my back hard.
It was so sudden that my body lurched forward.
In response to the ambush, my psychokinesis instinctively spread out around me, but…
…the voice that followed a moment later drained all the strength from me.
“D-Don’t fight!”
“Ugh… Chiruru?!”
“…!”
The voice that rang clearly in my ears belonged to none other than Chiruru.
I was sure we had parted ways after she told me her secret, so where did she suddenly come from?
Utterly bewildered, I flailed my arms and collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
But Chiruru remained stuck to my back like a sticky rice cake. She was a little heavy…
“Hmph, hmph… Murmur! Whitey is not a bad human! He’s a nice human who gives snacks!”
“You… What nonsense are you spouting, showing up out of nowhere?”
“…?”
Seriously. What is happening?
I grimaced, enduring the throbbing pain in my back.
With great effort, I pushed myself up, held Chiruru in my arms, and flopped backward again.
Fortunately, Chiruru didn’t struggle at all and lay quietly in my arms.
But for some reason, the tears streaming down her face made me feel a pang of guilt.
More importantly, why am I Whitey? Is it because my hair is white?
The name, which felt like something I’d been called before, deflated all the tension that had been building until now.
“*Sniffle*, Murmur… you threatened Whitey… *Hic!* You two have to be friends!”
“Idiot, there’s no such thing as a nice human! Hey you, Whitey. Let Chiruru go. If you don’t, I’ll use force…!”
“*Hic, hic*… Waaaaaah!”
“…”
Oh dear, I made her cry. You shouldn't get so angry in front of a child.
I hugged Chiruru, who had burst into tears at Murmur’s scary face, and gently patted her back.
It seemed she was genuinely crying, as my chest grew damp.
But maybe because I could feel her pure intention to stop a fight, her cuteness made me smile.
Fortunately, did my patting calm her down?
Her genuine sobs slowly subsided, replaced by sniffles.
She’ll calm down soon. I glanced at the fidgeting Murmur as if to reassure him.
“Grr… That idiot…!”
“Murmur is the idiot! Idiot, idiot!”
The reason Murmur had lost his earlier composure and was now completely flustered was simple.
He treasures his fellow fairies dearly.
He must be afraid that I might harm Chiruru, whom I held in my arms.
His near-hostile glare at humans was for the same reason.
He fully understood that humans were a greedy species and was wary that they might hurt the fairies.
Good grief, I have no intention of harming fairies whatsoever.
What a troublesome misunderstanding. There aren't many people as harmless as me.
Still, I could understand how he felt.
If I saw a vampire holding Alice in its arms, I’d do whatever it took to eliminate it. He’s just worried, right?
“…”
So, I took a deep breath and approached him with unhurried steps.
Murmur’s expression darkened as I got closer.
But I paid it no mind and gently set Chiruru down on the ground.
Then, I clasped my hands together as if pleading with Murmur.
Please, allow me to help. My action was filled with that meaning.
He glanced back and forth between me and the half-drained Chiruru, whose crying had stopped.
Then, his face contorted in annoyance as he clicked his tongue.
“Tch, fine, follow me or don’t! But if you turn out to be the culprit, I really won’t forgive you!”
“…!”
“Wah, waah? Whitey is happy! Chiruru helped!”
“Be quiet!”
I gratefully patted the head of Chiruru, who was swaying back and forth as if dancing.
To make a friend and receive their help.
What a relief.