The fairies decided to live together.
I’m not exactly in a situation where I can’t take care of about nine fairies.
It’s not just because I can; there’s also a sense of responsibility.
I’m the one who rescued the fairies from the dungeon. It was also me who chose to bring them along instead of leaving them behind. So I have to take responsibility for bringing them.
Leaving them here after having brought them all this way and telling them to fend for themselves would be downright cruel. Where am I supposed to send these poor lost souls?
… I don’t know if this feeling comes from my personal emotions or if it’s from some unfathomable sense of unease.
But I feel that way, so I’m trying to take responsibility.
Of course, I could have sent them to the Taesan Clan…
“We want to serve the King by your side!”
“That’s right! The people should be near the King!”
The fairies flat-out refused that option. They looked like a bunch of kids gathered around, tying a piece of cloth to their heads as if they were staging a protest.
I unintentionally slapped my forehead at the sight.
King! King! King! King! King!
It’s not like I heard barking dogs outside; I never thought I’d hear the term “King” in my lifetime.
[That so-called King… is that really certain? I still don’t know for sure…?]
“The King is the King.”
“And you have the knight by your side.”
[……]
When I ask if it’s certain, I get responses like this.
A king is a king. Apparently, that’s something you sense instinctively. If I say I don’t get it, they point to the fairy knight next to me as evidence.
That fairy knight… happens to be Seo-yul.
I glanced at the fairies fluttering around him.
They’re tiny. Proportionally, their limbs are rather long, but overall, they’re just a bit bigger than my hand.
That’s how typical fairies are. Small in stature and lacking distinguishable combat capabilities. Their unique trait as a species is an affinity for magic, which they mostly use for nurturing nature.
Unlike those typical fairies, the fairy knights are as tall as humans and their abilities are focused on combat.
Seo-yul is still a child now, but that’ll change as he grows up.
The reason? To presumably protect their ruler… probably the king.
“Knights are a race born for the safety of the king. Of course, they’ll protect the people if they can, but fundamentally, they’re the royal bodyguards.”
Kali, leading the discussion, recited the knowledge handed down by ancestors.
“Sometimes they’re born as knights by nature, and other times, they become knights later, having been chosen by the king.”
“I want to work hard to become the king’s knight, too!”
[No, I don’t particularly want to increase the number of knights.]
“Yes?”
The fairy beside me, who was flapping her hands, widened her eyes. The other fairies tilted their heads, sharing her confusion.
I shrugged my shoulders.
[I don’t have the sense of being a king, nor do I know how to make a knight. Seo-yul… just happened to be born that way. So I don’t hold expectations of him becoming a knight.]
There’s no purpose in a person’s birth. They aren’t created with any intended use.
Of course, the fairy knights might have a purpose of protecting the king, but I don’t want to accept that.
Even if it’s an unintended and almost accidental birth, I don’t desire for Seo-yul to strengthen and plunge into battle to protect the king.
This might be my selfishness, but I hope he lives happily without any burdens of protection or anything else.
[Even if he’s a knight, I won’t force him to protect anyone. He wasn’t born with the intent of being a guard. Even if that’s his essence, I won’t impose that on him.]
After saying that, I casually tapped my necklace.
By now, the fairies straightened themselves and listened intently, their eyes sparkling.
[… Um, I’m not trying to force anything. I just mean I don’t even know how to create a knight, and there’s no need for him to get into fights to protect me.]
Feeling a bit awkward for saying that, I turned my head slightly.
The terms “king” and “people” still didn’t feel real, but those eager eyes were definitely something I wasn’t used to…
“… Yes, we understand the King’s words. But we want to help the King.”
Kali, who seemed deep in thought for a moment, spoke up. As she was in a position to think for the fairy group, she always expressed their intentions like this.
[Help, help…?]
I mumbled at Kali’s words. The fairies looked at me expectantly, as if they were eager to take on any task I’d assign.
… But nothing specific came to mind.
[Um… this mansion doesn’t need special management, but sometimes Ariel takes care of it. Could you help with that whenever she does?]
“Yes! We’ll do it!”
The fairies answered energetically. While they had shown determination before, now they exuded confidence.
It’s true that fairies are exceptional at nurturing nature. Their affinity for magic and attributes, as well as spirits, all assist in that area.
[Then I’d appreciate that. Don’t worry if things go wrong; it’s okay.]
“I’ll definitely be a help!”
The wings of nine fairies flapped vigorously.
“Aha! So the kids became farmers after all?”
[Yes… that’s how it turned out.]
Elia giggled after hearing the full story.
“No wonder they were so motivated. It was the King’s orders, after all~”
[Elia…]
“Aww~ What’s wrong? I’m just calling the King by his title~?”
[Ugh…]
Elia’s playful smirk couldn’t be hidden, even as she tried to cover her mouth with her hand. The mischievous glint in her eyes was just as evident.
At first, I blinked at the terms “King” and “Queen,” but these days, she uses them to tease me playfully…
It’s been a few days since the fairies started residing in the mansion.
No particular incidents had occurred during those days, but because of that, the small changes in the mansion caught the residents’ attention.
The fairies began to poke around the cultivation fields as per my directions.
To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations.
It felt like giving a random errand to a kid who wants to help their parents, hoping they’ll figure it out themselves.
– King! Today, we grew some herbs!
– [Huh…?]
However, contrary to my expectations, the fairies began to skillfully grow the materials in the cultivation fields.
They adjusted the soil’s richness and moisture, fine-tuning the environment according to the materials’ needs.
With their abilities, they infused enough vitality into the materials to promote growth and encourage quality growth…
I couldn’t help but be amazed and asked them how they managed.
– Uhh… You just have to help them grow well.
… which felt like a simple response to me.
In a sense, it felt like they were saying, “Why can’t you do something this easy?”
It seems the fairies, as a race that manages nature, were quite gifted in that regard.
On top of that, the fairies also started helping with household chores.
You might think, “What can they do with their tiny bodies?” but the fairies were surprisingly adept at household tasks.
Fairies possess extraordinary affinity for spirits. They inherit affinities for all five elements and can handle lower spirits without needing contracts.
The fairies in the mansion were the same. They had survived in dungeons, commanding spirits amid monster threats.
While it felt somewhat surreal to see such spirits adeptly performing household chores, it was important nonetheless.
“Oh, that’s what I taught them.”
[Yes?]
“The fairies came to me asking, ‘Queen! Queen!’ about household chores. When I shared a bit, they picked it up quickly and used it well.”
Shockingly, that knowledge about spirit magic and housework came from Elia’s education.
I never imagined Elia would be the one to teach them, and as I stood there with my mouth agape, Elia burst into laughter again.
I felt strangely mocked, but seeing her happy didn’t make me feel all that bad.
“The leaves are starting to fall. Just the other day, they were so green.”
[Winter is coming soon.]
“Right, it’s already winter.”
Swallowing the strange feeling, I took a step forward, and Elia, smoothing down her arms, began glancing around.
As she made remarks about how suddenly winter felt, I nodded in agreement.
The lush green leaves were now mostly painted in red. Some had even lost strength, falling to the ground. Passersby were starting to dress in thicker clothing.
Though so much has happened, looking back, it doesn’t even feel like that long of a time.
[Hmm?]
I felt a sensation in my right hand. A soft touch intertwined through my five fingers.
It was Elia’s hand. She smiled brightly, lifting our interlocked hands to wave them.
“I was a bit cold. But it’s fine now.”
[Me too.]
“Hehe, ah~ Back in my hometown, winter meant being busy gathering crops… Do you know that even though magical tools have made farming easier nowadays, there are still many fields that can’t be managed by magical tools, so people still need to work?”
[I’ve heard that. Magical tools have their limits, and people are needed after all.]
“Yes, especially in my hometown, which is somewhat rural, so we relied more on people than magical tools. Two years ago, my dad misused a magical tool and…”
[Oh…]
As I listened to Elia’s story about her hometown, we soon arrived at our destination.
Our destination was one of the nature parks located within Shio-ram.
The nature park of Shio-ram is an official training facility, and due to the dense magic and well-preserved natural environment, spirits occasionally emerge there.
Thus, it’s an ideal place for spirit mages to train, and I made a reservation for the very same day we returned from the dungeon.
Upon arriving, the nature park felt lush with green leaves, unlike the other places we had traversed.
We crossed the grassy fields and entered a forest where trees popped up here and there.
“Looks like you all came just in time? Some of us had been here since morning preparing.”
[Haha…]
Inside was Professor Liana waiting for us.
Though there was a slight mist, beams of sunlight filtering through the leaves illuminated the cozy forest.
Professor Liana, who had been sitting on a tree stump with her eyes closed, opened them and cast a sideways glance at us.
Of course, she didn’t genuinely seem upset. It was just playful behavior, but I felt a mix of gratitude and guilt towards her, who had been acting for our sake for days.
– Ahem.
I cautiously loosened my interlocked fingers and stepped forward. I reached into a suddenly opened pocket space and took out what I had prepared.
“Ta-da!”
Professor Liana blinked with surprise as she expressed curiosity with a glimmer in her eye.
“A picnic basket?”
[Yes, I just made it this morning.]
Professor Liana’s gaze remained fixed on the picnic basket I was holding.
Beaming, I laid out a mat on the ground and placed the basket on top.
– Click.
“Wow, there are so many types?”
As I lightly opened the lid of the picnic basket, it was filled with sandwiches, making Elia clap her hands in reaction.
With a proud heart, I explained.
[Professor Liana likes sandwiches, right? You gave me some when you taught me about magic… so I made some for you.]
“Oh… that time.”
I vividly recalled the sandwiches Professor Liana had given me during the early days of my first year when I was just stepping into the world of magic.
At that time, I was overwhelmed, and having lost my sense of taste and smell, I felt gloomy as I chewed on the sandwich.
Yet the gratitude I felt still lingers in my heart.
[I took a little longer because I was packing these. So please share them with me as an apology!]
This is a repayment for that time. It’s fitting, considering I’m receiving help, and the setting is similar.
Professor Liana seemed oblivious, but even the picnic basket and the mat were the exact same products as that time.
[Here! A special gift!]
Professor Liana accepted the drink I offered her. It was a refreshing orange drink that kept its cool.
“I guess I’m receiving a thanks for this.”
For a moment, while looking over the sandwich and the drink, Professor Liana smiled brightly. Her joy radiated, causing my face to light up.
As Elia and I waited, Professor Liana picked up a sandwich and took a bite.
I swallowed, somewhat anxious.
[How is it? Does it suit your taste?]
“Yes. It’s delicious.”
[Hehe, I’m relieved to hear it’s tasty!]
My stiffened smile gradually eased. As Professor Liana chuckled and took another bite, I felt warmth blooming inside.
“Let’s finish this and then take a short break before diving into practice.”
[Yes!]
Just like before, we answered cheerfully and enjoyed a brief mealtime together.
Seeing Elia and Professor Liana enjoying the meal happily made me smile again as I fiddled with the elixir I had tucked away.
It was an elixir made from the roots of the fairy tree.
‘At this point, there’s no doubt that I’m related to the fairies.’
I vividly recall when I collapsed after consuming the elixir that Hong Yeon-hwa had given me, and the strange visions I experienced.
It’s just a guess, but the fairy tree might have affected something.
So, today, I intend to check that out.
…I might collapse again like last time, but I’ve grown since then, so I should be able to overcome it.
“By the way, you haven’t eaten the candies that I gave you the exchange voucher for yet, right?”
[Ugh!]
With Professor Liana’s sudden statement, memories of the past rushed back into my mind.
▶Professor Liana: And I’m sorry about the morning! (⑅◞‸◟)
▶Professor Liana: [Royal Candy Exchange Voucher] x10
▶Me: You don’t have to apologize, Professor. It was my fault.
▶Professor Liana: I’m truly, truly sorry! ?(T-T )ノ
My first lecture in my first year.
The memory of the embarrassing moment when I couldn’t even introduce myself properly.
Subsequently receiving those candies as an apology…
Now that I think back, that did happen.
I had completely forgotten about it.
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