Chapter 294
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 294
Chapter Title: Lesson 57. Bridal Legion - 4
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The Prominence family was one of the top ten noble houses in the universe.
A centuries-long operation targeting the entire fairy race should never have been exposed until the very moment of execution.
The problem was that Ketra, their carefully groomed pawn, had a sudden crisis of conscience at the last second and spilled everything about the plan to the enemy.
And the enemy who obtained that information—Ban Yu-won—was unbelievably competent for a kid who wasn't even twenty yet.
'It was going too smoothly, so I overlooked it. Just because the enemy is massive and steeped in deep history doesn't mean they can't pull off all sorts of tricks.'
That misconception had misled their group.
It had made them underestimate Prominence.
How had Ban Yu-won interpreted the clash between Prominence and the fairies? Had he really thought they'd just charge straight into the Fairytale dimension with the full might of a top ten house?
If so, there'd have been no need to bother deploying a subordinate group like Crimson Spear.
Mira had once told Ban Yu-won something.
War doesn't start simply, nor does it end quickly.
She was right.
And one more thing: war had begun before they even realized it—before they were even born.
"It's a magic circle that flows in through people and transfers to the stars. Or maybe it's better to say people are part of the magic circle itself. In short..."
A fairly large number of fairies were traitors.
Whether intentionally or not, some had brought Prominence's grand magic circle into Fairytale.
Fairies already had little attachment to their kin, so as long as their own lives were safe, they might not care what happened to the rest.
So the great assembly of the fairy race might have been—a golden opportunity for Prominence.
But fortunately, Ban Yu-won was an annoyingly competent guy who only got more competent with time. After gaining new concepts and honing his ability to trace their flows through various events, he'd successfully detected the grand magic circle secretly spread across this land.
"Oh my."
As Ban Yu-won explained the magic circle blanketing Fairytale, Fairy Queen Yura gave a troubled smile but couldn't deny his words.
"That's something our fairy kin could do. Fairytale's been designated as the fairies' homeland for so long; maybe they got tired of it and wanted a change."
"What a crazy race, getting eaten up by this concept..."
"That's how we're born. Can't help it. Overcoming instinct is impossible without a curse that upends it or falling into lovesick fever."
Yura glanced at her daughter plastered to her boyfriend, nodded in satisfaction, and added,
"Still, want to trade husbands with me? I'm starting to feel like settling down with one guy—"
"I told you to find someone else."
Mira growled, pulling Ban Yu-won into her arms.
Ever since arriving in Fairytale, Mira had been acting overly sensitive, as if she were his one and only partner, but the group didn't call her out on it.
It was her homeland, after all, and with a deranged woman here eyeing even her daughter's boyfriend, who could blame her?
Of course, the great dragon heir who acted without regard for others' opinions at any time simply clung to Ban Yu-won without a care.
"Again... I was the only one left out... It's unfair. We've done so much magic research together."
"Uh, Aire?"
Aire grabbed Ban Yu-won's arm with a genuinely upset expression.
Ignoring the mother-daughter banter laced with jokes and veiled threats, she boldly took his hand as if no one else existed.
"Show me what you saw. How you found the magic circle, where it starts. If I learn this time, I won't miss it next time."
"Huh? Well, we have to erase the magic circle somehow, so of course we'll move now..."
"Oh?"
The Fairy Queen blinked.
"Aire, stop treating Yu-won like your knowledge shuttle! I've wanted to say this for ages—you keep clinging to him using your magic weakness as an excuse—"
"It's not that I can't; it's Yu-won!"
"Oh my my?"
The Fairy Queen's blinking intensified at the charge of the second oblivious dragon heir, Asha.
Lucelle sighed and roused the rest of the group.
"Anyway, we need to check the magic circle. To verify the value of the info Master provided, let's all head outside first."
"Yes, assessing the value of terms before negotiation is crucial."
Lucelle was right.
Wild fairies might act on whims, but the Fairy Queen representing them—Mira's mother—couldn't ignore the cards Ban Yu-won had shown.
This wasn't the time for pointless posturing.
Yura grumbled, feeling bested by a brat who'd lived barely twenty years.
"Ugh—I wasn't refusing my son-in-law's request; I just wanted to salvage a bit of pride. Pushing so coldly... You've got me all excited now."
"You'll get even more excited after confirming the magic circle."
"How thrilling."
"Yu-won, don't indulge Mom."
But Ban Yu-won was right.
Floating high in the sky outside, he attached the concept of 'red' to the magic circle—hidden so thoroughly in the fairies' dimension of Fairytale, home to master mages, that no one had noticed (except the traitors themselves).
Not altering its structure, just temporarily adding color—it didn't matter how massive it was; it only cost him half his vitality to change it safely.
"Wh-what..."
"Not a magical change. How?"
"It's pretty..."
The hidden grand magic circle revealed its naked form after centuries of dormancy, thanks to that simple miracle.
The colossal array drawn across the entire star as canvas flushed red in an instant.
And with it, all the fairies linked to the circle turned red too.
Even the Fairy Queen, who wouldn't blink at most miracles after centuries of life, couldn't stay calm before this sight.
"Now, you probably know what to do without me saying, but just to spell it out."
Ban Yu-won clapped to summon a 'Binding' concept, shackled a nearby red elf, and flung her aside.
"First, take out all those reds!"
Staining the magic circle red and instantly exposing every connected fairy—Ban Yu-won's concept wielding was beyond godlike.
Fortunately, the fairies were sharp. The suddenly red ones were captured before they could make excuses and dragged before the Fairy Queen and Ban Yu-won.
Their number: a whopping 3,000.
Examining one closely, Ban Yu-won steeled himself, pried open her mouth, and roughly shoved in his finger—drawing horrified stares from the group. He hurriedly explained.
"To properly probe and interfere with concepts inside a total stranger, I need deep contact. Can't go around kissing everyone, so this is how."
"Results?"
"Pretty satisfying."
Fortunately, no need to kiss each criminal.
After meticulously scanning the concepts inside, Ban Yu-won clicked his tongue.
"Killing them's a bad move. Prominence must've set up countermeasures."
"Of course. After such meticulous prep over ages, they'd have contingencies for things going wrong."
Yura pressed her forehead, staring at the blatant magic circle and traitors.
True to fairy nature, she was willful and arrogant. As their leader, feeling shame that a human who'd arrived on this planet just an hour ago had uncovered what she hadn't even noticed.
Her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and gratitude, she whispered to Ban Yu-won,
"Now I really can't let you go. We fairies overcome stress by swapping negative feelings for positive ones. If I turn all this heat into love, today'll be happy for me too."
Ban Yu-won, horrified, clung to Mira.
"Mira, no thoughts of inheriting the throne early?"
"I'd love to, but I can't beat that old hag yet. Hang in there a bit, darling."
Anyway, Ban Yu-won had provided crucial intel to the fairies.
Intel so vital they'd willingly nod to detaching elite forces for a Prominence assault.
The Fairy Queen decided no more teasing or testing the guest.
No joke—she felt like she'd fall for him at this rate.
Vaguely understanding why her daughter had clung to him long before his powers proved themselves, she honestly asked,
"Can you help dismantle the magic circle too?"
"Can't with Changelings?"
"Our powers aren't omnipotent. Can't swap what we don't even grasp the structure of."
"Then I'll give it a shot."
A magic circle requiring prior 'sacrifice' consent, using linked fairies as catalysts to offer the entire race as tribute.
Its purpose, activated by so much blood, was also Changelings—specifically, swapping two particular dimensions.
Swapping dimensions! Without fairy powers, or the audacious horror of sacrificing so many fairies, no one would dream it.
"Prominence wanted to become Union."
"What? Move the Tower to the Prominence dimension?"
"Ha."
Dokgo Yeon snorted in disbelief beside her, while Shati rarely looked flustered, lips twitching.
"Is this... even realistic?"
"See for yourself. The circle's functioning normally. Linking it to the fairies is the real evil."
Aire, analyzing satellite photos of the star-spanning circle under Ban Yu-won's guidance, coldly traced it with her finger.
The great dragon's knowledge shone here, guiding even Ban Yu-won—who wasn't yet proficient in magic circles—on adjustments.
"Union wouldn't fall for it blindly, of course. But it'd land a solid blow. Enough to shatter millennia of cosmic peace and turn dimensions into battlefields."
"All that for one strike... sacrificing the entire fairy race."
Mira paused, recalling a fairy man who'd tried using her in the past, steadied her breath, and sorted her emotions.
Imagining what she'd have become without Ban Yu-won timely rescuing her was horrifying.
Just then, Ban Yu-won sprang up.
"Alright, got a handle on it now."
"Al-already?"
"Yeah, picked up plenty of ritual knowledge before—and I've used Changelings once. Fairy Queen? Mother-in-law?"
"Oh my."
Pleased by the novel address, the Fairy Queen smiled warmly as Ban Yu-won requested,
"These criminals are mine to do with as I please, right?"
"Of course, but no impregnating. Executing a pregnant fairy is forbidden by fairy law—"
"I won't!"
What Ban Yu-won planned was, of course, Changelings.
Swapping the catalysts and tributes used to activate the circle.
And then swapping those catalysts with the ritualists who made them.