Chapter 48
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Fairy Forest (1)
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A faint, sparkling light spread softly through the mist.
The group entering Kitten Forest all let out gasps of admiration at the breathtaking sight.
“Wow!”
Monet, in particular, reached out toward the twinkling lights, visibly thrilled.
“I’ve never seen such a beautiful forest before. It really feels like fairies could live here!”
The wonder wasn’t just the scenery.
Moments ago, there had been plenty of people around, including us, all there to tour Kitten Forest. But the instant we stepped into the woods, everyone else vanished.
Red, walking quietly beside Vince, shivered.
“It feels a bit creepy to me. Is it really okay to keep going like this? What if we really get lost forever...?”
“Fairies wouldn’t do that!”
Monet, the self-appointed spokesperson for the fairies, gave Red a gentle scolding.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, and that’s when Gransesia spoke up.
[But is it really okay for people to come and go so freely? It’s not like there are only tourists here.]
‘Fair point.’
Before coming to Kitten Forest, I’d looked into various things. Among them were the numerous incidents that had occurred here.
‘Some tried to set fires, others came to hunt fairies. Of course, they were all without exception banished from the forest.’
[And yet they still let people in?]
‘The Fairy Queen must be magnanimous.’
I quietly gazed at the shimmering lights in the mist.
To the naked eye, they were just mysterious glows, but I could clearly see what they truly were.
==
[Fairies of Kitten Forest]
Fairies under the rule of the Southern Fairy Queen, Beatrice.
Gentler than other fairies, following their queen’s temperament.
Friendly toward humans, they often watch those who enter Kitten Forest from afar.
==
‘I didn’t realize all those lights were fairies.’
I could only read the settings, not see their exact forms.
Using Insight Eye might reveal more, but I had no intention of going that far.
‘A reaction will come soon enough anyway.’
We kept walking through the mist.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes.
By now, we should have looped back to the entrance, but we pressed deeper into the forest.
At this point, even the adventurers noticed something was off, their expressions growing uneasy.
“...I’ve been in Kitten Forest a few times, but this is a first.”
“And I’ve never seen so many lights around like this.”
“Could this be the dungeon the Count mentioned?”
Vince, Herdin, and Red each spoke to me in turn.
Even veteran adventurers would panic in unfamiliar situations.
“No, it’s not that.”
Unlike the others growing anxious, I felt more at ease as time passed. Everything was unfolding exactly as described in the Synopsis.
Monet, on the other hand, seemed purely fascinated by the situation, her eyes sparkling like a child’s.
“Wow! Young Master, the lights are moving all over! Look at this!”
She squealed at the lights rippling outward like waves.
Perhaps stimulated by Monet’s beaming smile, the lights swirled around us and suddenly closed in all at once.
“Hey, who are you?”
“Huh?”
At that moment, one of the twinkling lights transformed into a tiny fairy. It was so sudden that even Monet, who had been laughing, froze with wide eyes like a startled rabbit.
“Amazing. How can a human have so much luck?”
“Yeah, yeah! I’ve never seen a human like this before!”
“And such a pure heart too. What’s your name? Who are you?”
Monet panicked at the fairies swarming her all at once, chattering away, unable to get a word out. The rest of the group was just as stunned.
The adventurers stood there with mouths agape.
“Oh, right. You’re intriguing too. Who are you? You’ve been watching us, haven’t you?”
“And what’s that on your finger? It feels like good energy.”
Not as much as Monet, but a few fairies approached me, babbling like gossips.
I wanted to say something, but held back, waiting for Monet to speak first. I couldn’t risk deviating from the original story.
At least until we met the Fairy Queen, I had to let Monet take the lead.
“Um, are you really fairies?”
“Yeah! Lucky child, who are you?”
“I’m Monet. Monet.”
“Monet!”
“Easy name to remember. Human names are usually so complicated!”
One of the giggling fairies raised her tiny hand high.
“Let’s take her to the Queen! She’ll love it!”
“Huh?”
“You’ll come, right?”
“Um... could the others come too?”
“Other humans? Sure, that’s fine. If they’re with a child like you, it should be okay.”
The fairies agreed more readily than expected and began guiding us.
The mist around us thickened, and only the backs of the flying fairies ahead remained clear.
“Young Master, they’re really fairies! Fairies really exist!”
“Yeah. Glad we met them.”
I chuckled as Monet tugged excitedly at my clothes.
Anyway, from the looks of it, things were proceeding as in the original.
‘Now then...’
How long had we followed the chattering fairies?
Before long, a massive flower garden filled with countless flying fairies came into view.
“Wow!”
Vibrant flowers and beautiful trees left everyone in awe.
“My goodness... I never imagined I’d see a place like this.”
Even the adventurers murmured in hushed, emotional tones. The atmosphere felt utterly detached from reality.
“This way! The Queen is waiting!”
The pink-haired fairy who had first approached Monet beckoned us.
Perched on Monet’s shoulder, the fairy pointed with her tiny hand, leading the way.
“Queen! Queen! We brought a fascinating human!”
The destination was a colossal tree stretching toward the sky.
“Dalshi, you’re too excited. Take a breath and speak calmly.”
Beneath the great tree sat a magnificent throne adorned in gold.
Seated there was a girl who looked more human than fairy.
By human years, perhaps twelve? Thirteen?
Yet she clearly differed from ordinary humans.
Long, elfin ears. Pale green, translucent butterfly wings sprouting from her back.
These marked her as no ordinary girl.
“Pleased to meet you, humans. I am Beatrice, the Fairy Queen of the South.”
She rose slowly from her seat with a benevolent smile.
Despite her small frame, an immense presence emanated from her.
I stepped forward in place of the rigid Monet.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I am...”
“Clay Banheart, correct? No need for introductions.”
I stared at her in surprise, not expecting her to know my name.
Sensing my confusion, the Queen smiled warmly.
“One must know the lord of the land where our home lies.”
“I see. But that’s merely a human designation, Your Majesty. Please don’t concern yourself with it.”
“Every era has those who set the world’s standards. In this age, humans are closest to that. We fairies simply live in quiet accordance with it.”
I nodded silently at her words.
I’d said it to win favor, but she brushed it off naturally.
“And you must be the lucky child. The little ones have been dying to talk to you. Even now.”
As she said, the surrounding fairies gazed at Monet, itching to swarm her.
“Fairies are sensitive to luck. Even I’ve never seen one born with fortune as great as yours.”
“Luck? The other fairies mentioned it too, but do I really have that much?”
“Of course.”
The Fairy Queen raised her right hand slowly.
“Enough with the formalities. The others are eager to chat with you.”
At her words, the encircling fairies erupted in cheers.
“Yay! Thank you, Queen!”
“Wait! Don’t push!”
Like a wave of light, they poured toward Monet.
Several swirled around the adventurers too, but none approached me.
[The fairies don’t like you? They came right up to you earlier, though.]
‘It’s not that.’
I was briefly startled but quickly realized why.
Unlike the others, the Fairy Queen herself was approaching me.
“Clay.”
As attention shifted away, Queen Beatrice called me in a quiet tone.
“Might we have a word in private?”
That’s when I knew the moment had arrived.
* * *
“My apologies for summoning you so suddenly.”
“No, it’s fine. If anything, speaking with the Fairy Queen is a stroke of luck for me.”
“With a child brimming with such fortune by your side, your words carry weight...”
The Queen let out a small, girlish laugh.
“You seem young for a human, yet so composed. Then again, that’s why the sword chose you.”
Her gaze drifted to my waist.
She must have noticed Genova in its scabbard.
“Clay, are you not curious why I called you?”
“I am.”
“I’ll be direct. I have a request for you.”
She stared straight at me and continued.
“There is an ancient ruin in Kitten Forest. In your terms, a dungeon-like structure.”
I listened quietly to the Queen.
“It periodically emits great magical energy. But it would soon quiet down. Not this time.”
“The magic is still leaking out?”
“No, the opposite. It’s time, yet no magic emerges.”
“Isn’t that good?”
The Queen shook her head slowly.
“Monsters that should stay inside occasionally escape. Something has happened. Our children block them for now, but...”
“You don’t know the cause, so no telling when it worsens.”
“Exactly. I’d go myself, but that’s impossible, so I’ve awaited someone to entrust it to.”
I reviewed the Fairy Queen’s settings.
Queen Beatrice’s power surpassed even the Seven Heroes.
The issue: her power worked only beneath the Fairy Wood.
In short, Beatrice couldn’t leave this land. She was one with the Fairy Wood.
She could cast barriers with magic, but venturing out was another matter.
‘That’s why she asks Fabian.’
The Fairy Queen who could cover all of Kitten Forest in magic circles.
I’d long wondered why she hadn’t resolved the forest’s issues herself. Now I knew.
“Will you take my request?”
To the cautiously asking Queen, I nodded without hesitation.
“Of course.”
“Ah, thank you truly. Solve this, and I’ll grant a fitting reward.”
Her face moved, she stepped close and gripped my hand tightly.
‘I’ve been waiting for those words, Fairy Queen.’
Despite her small form, she tiptoed to pat my head, and I smiled inwardly.
I already knew what reward she would offer.