Forks and the Fallen
There were more intact jars of preserved food in the carriage wreckage than I'd expected. My sense of smell had long been numbed by the stench blanketing the clearing. But for Veronica, who hadn't eaten all day, the mere fact that it would fill her empty stomach was enough.
After forcing down that tasteless meal, before we started seriously scavenging the area for anything useful...
"Veronica, Fairy Realm, putting in, okay? Good!"
Being considerate of Veronica, Diana subtly pointed to the rift leading to the Fairy Realm and suggested a rest.
"I'll help."
No matter how exhausted she was, Veronica wasn't so shameless as to leave a palm-sized fairy to handle it alone.
Watching Veronica shake her head, Diana tilted her head for a moment before flying over to the supply crates.
"This, this, this, here, putting in."
"Yes, move them over here, right?"
"Good!"
Diana fluttered around, checking supplies and pointing out essentials, while Veronica placed items from the crates into the nearby rift.
An eleven-year-old girl couldn't carry much at once, so progress was slow.
...She's positioning the rifts to minimize my steps as much as possible.
Thanks to Diana constantly adjusting the rift's location so Veronica could deposit items directly without walking far, the work proceeded smoothly. Though there was one peculiar thing.
"This, this, need it! Fairy Realm, putting in, Diana needs it!"
"...Do we really need this many forks?"
Whenever she spotted forks, Diana insisted Veronica stash them all in the Fairy Realm.
Does she like shiny things? But then why not the silver candlesticks or plates...?
As Veronica puzzled over Diana's behavior and recalled the sunflower field incident—
"Fork! Fork, there. Many good!"
"Many...? What does that mean?"
"Good, good!"
"...That's an awfully cute way to put it."
"?"
The fairy-tongue whispers in her ear clouded Veronica's mind.
...Right, the situation was that dire back then.
Diana stabbing out the gray wolf's eye was just her mustering all her courage to save Veronica. There was no way this tiny, adorable fairy enjoyed killing or mindless slaughter. It was merely a coincidence born of extraordinary circumstances.
So Veronica concluded that Diana hoarding silver forks was simply because she found them pretty.
….
….
"Ngh."
As night deepened, Veronica finally finished transferring the forks, preserved foods, and other useful sundries from around the wreckage into the Fairy Realm. She stretched briefly.
Nod... nod...
Her eyelids, reaching their limit, began to droop.
Snap—! ...Not yet. There's still something I must do.
Shaking her head, Veronica lightly slapped her cheeks to chase away the drowsiness. Then she approached Diana, who was playfully twirling a fork.
A cool, heavy sensation. The stored forks numbered over a hundred, maybe more.
Even if wolves attacked again, I could rest easy now.
Come to think of it, I got Spear Technique.
Last time I checked my status window, all my attention went to acquiring Invisibility, so I'd overlooked it. But back then, reaching level 10 had evolved Pierce into Spear Technique.
Whoosh— whoosh—.
Hmm...
But swinging the fork in the air didn't feel dramatically different, like when flight had changed.
Spear Technique.
So this time, consciously activating the skill, I swung the fork wide.
Whiiish—! "...!"
My grip automatically corrected, and I felt far more power surging into the thrusting arm. And not just that.
Bwoom—! Bwoom—!
Not only thrusts but swings flowed with far greater proficiency than before.
...Click.
Afterward, without consciously invoking Spear Technique, just assuming the stance—
Whoosh! Bwoom—! Whiiish!
Like second nature, a fairy's expert spear demonstration unfolded smoothly.
At this level, a crow would be easy.
Not just crows. Large raptors or wolves might be tough, but snakes or weasels? With a fairy's flight advantage, I could win.
...Though actual combat might differ.
Overconfidence invites disaster. You never really know until you test it in a real fight.
That's why this was necessary. Not mindless slaughter.
Rustle—, swish—.
Perfect timing—a test subject just showed up.
Through shaking leaves, yellow eyes silently watched me.
Hoo— hoo— chirp. Hoo— hoo— chirp.
I'm not out hunting. This owl came to me.
Attack others, and you risk being attacked. Yes, self-defense. That's fine.
Night's raptor. As I scanned the one perched on the branch observing me, savoring the thrill of the hunt—
"...Over there."
Ah—.
Just as I was about to immerse myself, Veronica intervened, shattering the tense air between me and the owl. Then—
Flap flap—!
The owl cleanly gave up on me and flew off into the night sky. No need to fight me with a big human like Veronica nearby when mice or small birds were easier prey.
"...Diana."
"Yeah?"
Pocketing my regret, I turned. Veronica looked hesitant.
"Could I ask one favor?"
"What?"
Fear, confusion, sorrow—and a budding resolve blooming amid it all. It crystallized into brief words.
"...I'd like to bury them."
"In the Fairy Realm?"
"...Yes."
Her voice was soft, but it reached my ears clearly.
Hmm.
….
Whatever. It didn't really matter.
The Fairy Realm's grounds weren't that spacious. But Veronica had diligently helped move supplies there, and she'd soon be my magic teacher. A corner of the yard could probably be cleared somehow.
"Do what you want."
"...! Th-thank you!"
To my nonchalant reply, Veronica flashed a bright smile and hurried off from the carriage with eager steps.
The Fairy Realm. Only those permitted by the fairy could enter.
According to legends Veronica had read in the royal library, a fairy's subsace was deeply tied to the fairy's mind—a profoundly special place.
As a space directly linked to the fairy's inner world, changes there profoundly affected the fairy's psyche. Building a grave wasn't like storing supplies. Even for the souls of the dead, it meant accepting others not as guests, but as part of one's mindscape. Naturally, it would influence Diana's psyche. She could easily find it unpleasant. So Veronica thought rejection was inevitable.
The guards who died here were irreplaceable to her. But to Diana, they were total strangers.
Worse, Diana might still suspect them for trapping her in the vial. And yet.
"Good!"
"...! Th-thank you!"
After pondering Veronica's request, Diana nodded slightly.
As expected, Lady Diana has a kind heart.
Pure, warm kindness. Her innocent smile choked Veronica up, reddening her eyes again. She shook her head to suppress it and stepped forward.
….
.
"Ugh...."
Corpses left to rot, grotesque in their decay. The intense stench stabbed Veronica's lungs just approaching.
She wanted to flee, abandon her resolve. Yet she pressed on.
Forward. To face them.
Though beasts had torn them, the guards' faces who fulfilled their duty to the end held a strange peace.
...I'm sorry I couldn't bury you properly.
An eleven-year-old couldn't easily move all these bodies to the Fairy Realm.
Even with Diana's help, suitable space was scarce, and digging graves with magic would take days at best.
"Hup...."
It couldn't be perfect. Then at least, she'd do her utmost.
Gritting her teeth, Veronica approached the bodies and rummaged near their chests.
Mercenary dog tags.
As shadow operatives of the kingdom, these tags held no real names or ranks.
...I won't forget you.
Yet they had existed here. Because they did, Veronica lived to meet Diana.
.
Collecting tags was grueling.
Maggots writhing in corpses never got easier. She froze repeatedly, dry-heaving until her head spun.
When tags were missing, she took rings instead; when those were gone, she cut cloth scraps with her knife.
Crucially, Veronica's stamina was nearing its limit.
"...Diana, need this?"
Watching her wobble, Diana offered help.
"I-it's... something I have to do."
"Hmm...."
Veronica shook her head after a moment's thought.
Shaking like she'd collapse any second, yet stubbornly clinging to childish pride. I sighed softly at Veronica.
Should've just said no.
She might add another body at this rate.
No matter how much you miss the dead, the living must live.
I didn't fully get her self-sacrifice, but...
At least she's wrapping up.
Her corpse-farming lap around the clearing was nearly done.
Now, back to the Fairy Realm, scrub her hands-on corpse grime in the stream, let her sleep soundly, then start magic lessons proper.
"Ngh—."
As I sat on the wreckage, stretching and scanning around—
.
Flicker.
In the thick darkness, a faint glint between trees.
├─ Lv.1:Basic danger sense ✓
└─ Lv.2:Enhanced intuition — UNLOCKED ★
Instinct skill leveled up. A chilling dread crawled up my spine.
No time to think. Instinct first—
Crack—.
"Veronica!"
I hurriedly opened a Dimension Corridor near her.
Right after.
Phewwwng—
Cold silver light shot toward Veronica.