Chapter: 576
The disaster that unfolded in the Fairy Forest instantly crumbled like all of it was just a prank by the fairies.
In the heart of the woods, a radiant light emerged, purging the darkness that had burrowed deep into the land.
As the forest began to reclaim its former greenery, the clergy praised the God and the Saintess. Meanwhile, the various knights and mercenaries summoned for this incident expressed pure admiration, and the mages let out sighs of relief.
However, strangely enough, the various brave souls who had entered the forest did not return even after a considerable amount of time.
As the sun dipped down and the last traces of the sunset vanished, the night fully settled in, yet the forest remained eerily quiet.
Just as unease began to grip the frontlines, the sound of dozens of unified footsteps echoed across the earth.
It was none other than the Alrn Knight Order, recognized as the strongest knight order in the kingdom, making their appearance.
Although the army had cheered at the sight of the intact knights even after the mythological wars, they began to Lower their voices upon noticing the subtle reactions from the Alrn knights.
“…Huh? Where are the others?”
In the midst of this, a question surfaced somewhere. The procession consisted only of those who had entered the forest first and the Alrn Knight Order.
“Why just them?”
“What happened inside?”
“Could it be that the battle isn’t over?”
With no clear answers, speculation morphed into anxiety until the calming presence of the Kingdom’s high-ranking officials, led by the First Queen, arrived.
“Alrn Baron, may I inquire about the situation?”
“Could you simplify it into a single remark, or should I provide a detailed explanation?”
“Of course. But for now, please just answer this: did we achieve victory?”
Benedict, noticing the intent behind the First Queen’s words, nodded and cleared his throat.
“Everyone, listen up!”
His voice resonated through the dimly lit world. The weary individuals who were on the verge of collapse perked up at the knight’s voice.
“The Evil God of Darkness has crumbled before the will of the heroes that has persisted since the mythological era! Your might has brought humanity’s will closer to the divine! Boast to everyone else that you are part of a living myth! Today! We! Have triumphed!”
Cheering erupted across the frontlines, transforming fatigue into overwhelming exhilaration. When Benedict sealed his lips upon confirming this, the First Queen nodded.
“Let’s have detailed discussions inside.”
After Duke Partran silenced the celebrations from outside the tent, questioning glances turned towards Benedict.
Understanding their concerns, Benedict discreetly sought permission from the First Queen and stood up.
“First off, it’s true that we won. The Fairy Forest has been purified from darkness, and the Evil God of Darkness has fallen.”
No one expressed doubts about this explanation. The miraculous light that had risen from the center of the forest was too bright for anyone to deny victory.
“We have also suffered no casualties. It seems as if the miracle of the God has blessed us with complete victory.”
“What about the others?”
“They are currently resolving the issues remaining within the forest.”
Though Benedict summarized it as several problems, the reality was much more complex.
Erginus’s choice to eliminate the Evil God from this world.
And the Fairy Queen who had fallen asleep to assist him.
A bizarre cocoon had been formed when their slumber started.
Fairies, silent guardians surrounding that cocoon.
The sword saint leaned against a tree, eyes closed, wanting to ask the apostle of the Goddess, who chose to keep his place per the Goddess’s command.
A wolf, full of determination, insisted they must help the forest regain its former self, dragging a fox along with him, who had no choice but to follow.
Benedict’s party also wished to stay in the forest alongside them.
Regardless of the outcome, they wanted to confirm the end.
And if the worst came, they hoped to fight together, risking their lives.
“Do you think you pathetic fools will be any help here?”
Ruel, borrowing Lucy’s body, intervened to halt those thoughts, urging everyone else to leave. But they couldn’t understand his intentions. Ruel’s words spilled out distorted, just as Lucy’s had.
If not for Karia, who entered the forest to confirm the situation, their conversation might have dragged on until dawn.
“Not my client… Who are you?”
Upon revealing himself, Karia immediately recognized Ruel’s identity and used her own abilities to interpret Ruel’s intended message.
“In the worst case, the entity that will emerge from this cocoon is something worse than the previous darkness. The one who will become hope then is Lucy Alrn.”
“To prevent Lucy Alrn from collapsing. And to support her when the worst arrives, you all must survive.”
“So retreat. Take a break with the army and prepare for any eventualities.”
Upon hearing the hero’s words filled with mixed emotions, the knights suppressed their reluctance and exited the forest.
Even their comrades who had shared heroic tales also wondered if they could afford to let their youth and vigor get the better of them.
“Hey, Benedict. Are you heading to report to that crazy lady now?”
“We have to, don’t we? As the person in charge, I should.”
“I’ll determine what to say. Don’t give them unnecessary excuses.”
Karia, still on guard against the First Queen, received a nod from Benedict, taking her advice seriously as he explained the situation to others.
Her advice, honed through years of working in the shadows and developing political acumen, easily persuaded the kingdom’s high officials, including the First Queen.
“It’s unfortunate that we can’t consult with the Fairy Queen right now.”
Even the First Queen expressed this regret but bore no suspicion towards Benedict’s words.
Though discussions about procedural issues followed, they ultimately concluded without reaching a decisive outcome, as the critical figure—the Fairy Queen—was incommunicado.
As dawn approached, the meeting concluded, and Benedict wore a puzzled expression while staring at the rising sun.
“Why do I feel so uneasy even though the matter should be settled?”
Would his anxiety ease if the two individuals who had entered the cocoon welcomed him back with smiles later?
*
After the Alrn Knight Order returned, Frete, who had pulled out a pen and paper from somewhere, moved her hands non-stop. The contents being drawn on the white canvas revolved around the events that had occurred in the forest today.
“I have to do this, even when tired. It’s my reason for living.”
“Then draw cute Lucy instead of those sweaty guys. Why waste time for the others?”
Rina, who was forcibly left behind by Muir, lamented that she needed healing, even if it was through drawings, but Frete refused.
“I’ll start drawing the Young Lady and Fairy Queen after making the best preparations. I can’t do that here.”
“Right. I shouldn’t portray those two with a light heart. But sketching them should be fine, right?”
“I refuse.”
Amid their bickering, the sword saint, awakened from his deep slumber, shook his head at the two perverts who were teaming up to talk about something criminal.
Despite their outward appearance reminiscent of a fairy tale or a novel, the only stories emanating from them warranted summoning the military.
Perhaps it was a blessing that the parties involved couldn’t hear them.
“A guest is here.”
As the sword saint slowly rose, placing a hand on the sword’s handle, the bushes rustled, revealing an old man.
Rina, unfamiliar with the elderly figure, grimaced at his face, but not the other two.
Those who had encountered this elder at official functions froze in place at the appearance of a prestigious figure who should remain in the Holy Land.
“Your Excellency? No. There’s no way Your Excellency would be here.”
“It is indeed me, Yuden. There can’t be another with such aura in this world.”
Reacting immediately to the sword saint’s suspicious words was Frete, who positioned herself in combat readiness behind Izell.
“Ah, don’t be so wary, Apostle of the Goddess. I’ve come here to help you.”
“What do you mean by speaking alone without any formal procedures?”
“Because I’m in a hurry.”
“You old man, don’t move. No matter who you claim to be, this has nothing to do with beasts.”
Seeing the smoke from the fox surround him, the Pope chuckled and raised his hands.
“I swear by the Great God. I won’t harm you. I’ve come solely to offer assistance.”
“Ha. That kind of vow?”
“A vow made before the God!”
His voice resonated through the forest, causing some of the freshly sprouted leaves from the trees to fall. The Pope, witnessing this, smiled awkwardly and continued speaking slowly.
“How could it be lighthearted? I’d rather bite my tongue than break it.”
“…Really?”
In a moment of hesitation due to the Pope’s display of insanity, Rina still did not drop her guard. Since Lucy, the God’s apostle, was cautious of this character, the Pope’s faith was unlikely to be genuine.
“Ah, this isn’t the time for that. The sun will rise soon.”
“What’s the problem with that?”
“The Fairy Queen’s dream is sustained by darkness. But with daylight approaching, what will happen?”
How did he know that? The thought crossed everyone’s mind, but no one dared voice their suspicion. There was more pressing content lingering in his words.
“I will say it again. Trust me. I only wish for the miracle of the God to remain a miracle.”
“Can you tell us how you plan to help?”
“It’s simple. The weakened darkness must acknowledge the hero.”
The Pope, who had uttered incomprehensible words, rushed to explain he didn’t have time to waste and retrieved a leather bag he had set aside.
Inside was none other than the former Dark Apostle, who should have been bound beneath the Art Guild.
“How did you—!”
“Hey, don’t move. I don’t want to fight with you in your not-so-best condition.”
Blocking Frete, who was about to step forward, was the woman known as the Hunter of Strength.
She was Lasha, a powerful figure and the Apostle who presided over destruction. For their current exhausted state, she was not someone they could handle.
“I don’t want to harm the old man again because of that damned grandpa. I’ll hit back if you get too close, but it’d be best if you stay put.”
As Lasha’s pressure made the three freeze, the Pope hummed a tune while picking up the old Apostle’s head and banging it in front of the cocoon.
“Repeat after me. The darkness acknowledged its master.”
“…The darkness acknowledges its master.”
“The darkness has surrendered to its master.”
“The darkness has surrendered to its master.”
The interior of the cocoon began to tremble.
“It will now welcome its new master.”
“It will now welcome its new master.”
Like a heart beginning to beat, the previously calm cocoon shook.
The fairies, who had been quietly nestled nearby, spread their wings and danced around the cocoon.
The old Apostle rambled on madly.
The Pope’s laughter grew even more vibrant.
As the dawn was again engulfed by darkness…
The cocoon began to crack.
*
– When will it arise?
– I hope it wakes up soon.
– Then we can rejoice together!
“…Ugh. Huh!?”
Suddenly jolting awake, I wiped the drool from my mouth while listening to three fairies chattering around me.
Ugh, did I really pass out? After pushing my body to its limits?
It seems things went alright since I made it back to the inn safely.
“Huh? Hey, bugs. What are you doing in your chicken coop?”
– Your Majesty?
– You just woke up!
– You’re super happy right now!
– Let’s go have fun with Lucy!
– Let’s dance!
– It’ll be so much fun!
Waking up is usually a sign that everything ended on a positive note.
That’s a relief.
Huh? Wait a second…
Is it just my eyes, or are the fairies’ wings tinted black?
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
