EPISODE 218 : The Fairy Queen, A Re-encounter

Transparent blue hair that reaches the ground. Hair that s.h.i.+nes along the rays of the sun. And something that resembles a crown was placed on top.

The spreading several beautiful wings in the back which s.h.i.+ne in a rainbow color, it would only be mistaken as jewels to those who see its glamour.  Along with her slim figure, she’s completely like a G.o.ddess emerging from a storybook.

It was certainly the Niña he had met before.

She was holding a staff in a hand, with a sphere-like attachment with feather-like articles that seem to be growing from the tip.

“Otherworlder! Otherworlder! Long time no see! Long time no see!”

As usual, the red haired fairy flying round and round atop of Hiiro’s head smiles full of joy.

“Orun, I understand your feelings after a long absence, but you’re in front of the Spirit King, you know?”

“Ah! Oh no! Oh no!”

Putting hands on the mouth after a cute ‘Ah!’ it flurried and went back towards Niña.

“Hohoho, what an energetic child”

“ufufu, too energetic that it’s worrisome”

“Not at all, being vigorous is the best. Umu, it’s been a long time, Niña”

“Likewise, I apologize for being able to meet only in such a form”

Seeing the figure of Niña bowing her head politely, it seems that Hoozuki is of a higher hierarchy.

“Hohoho, it can’t be helped. You are already a queen. Unlike the former times, you aren’t in a position where you can come and go as long as you want anymore”

Hoozuki said while feeling a little regret.

(It seems that they’re acquaintances……and are closer than I thought……)

They aren’t in a relations.h.i.+p between rulers of their races, but way more than that, from their interaction. Their relations are deep enough to make Niña come and go to the Spirit Forest in the old days at least.

“It has changed. It has been a long time, Hoozuki-sama. and also……Princess”

But when Niña faced her, the princess seemed awkward for an instant, but she turned serious immediately,

“Yes. It has been a long time, Niña-sama”

“…………”

“Grandfather, I have other businesses to attend to after this. Please excuse me”

“Princess!”

Princess ignores the words of Hoozuki and quickly ran away.

(What’s with her? Being cold and distant all of a sudden……)

With the princess’ difference of att.i.tude, he felt a strong sense of incongruity. Niña’s face seemed to show sadness as well.

“……Sorry about that. Even though she has such an att.i.tude, that girl means no harm……”

Niña smiles and shakes her head in disapproval.

I don’t mind, because I also understand her feelings”

“Is that so……”

“But……”

“Hmm?”

“Geez……did you summon Nia the same way like in the past, right?”

so you call her Nia before……

Sensing the air going bad, Nikki and Camus looked at Hiiro as if begging for help.

Meanwhile,
“Hey mother, hey mother”

Having changed the mood all of a sudden, the cheerfulness that doesn’t match its size, Orun.

“What is it, Orun?”

“The otherworlder! The otherworlder!”

Thanks to her bright smile, NIña’s face which was gloomy a while ago regained its former beauty.

“Fufufu, your right. Hoozuki-sama, Thank you very much for connecting the portal to reunite with him again”

“Hohoho, pay it no mind. Like the princess, you’re already a granddaughter to me”

As she turned her gaze here, Niña gave a vibrant smile.

“I know that there are a lot of questions you like to ask, but it has been a while, Hiiro-san”

“……I forgot”

“Eh?”

“Come to think of it, when you gave that lump of magic power to me, you said it. That it’s something that will connect me to Fairy Garden. So it was such a thing”

Certainly, he had come in contact with the Spirit King this way.

“My apologies. In your case, I think that sooner or later you would be able to enter the Spirit Forest sometime  soon, so I entrusted you my power”

“So the fact that I came here was to use me as a carrier……you do realize that, right?”

Upon saying it with displeasure, she lowered her head in apology.

“I am truly sorry. But for me to come here again, this method was the most certain. As for using Hiiro-san, I can only apologize with all my heart”

Then, he asked why it was necessary to do such thing.

A long time ago, Fairy Garden and Spirit Forest were in a distance where you can easily come and go. But on a certain day, a rift suddenly appeared and swallowed the two.

After everyone became aware, they were as if placed in an environment where when they reached a distance they cannot pa.s.s through, as if they’re trapped.
“……Environment? What kind of environment?”

Apparently, that thing caused a metastasis, but he was more interested in the ‘environment’ she mentioned.

“Hiiro-san, the Fairy Garden and the Spirit Forest, do you know where they were before?”

“……where?”

“……the bottom of the sea”

“…………Ha? The bottom of the sea……?”

He received a strange answer in return. For the environment in question, inside a forest where one will get lost, he thought that it was hidden in an unknown desert, but for it to be the sea exceeded his expectations.

“……but breathing here is possible, isn’t it?”

Yes. He can breathe here normally. Therefore he could hardly think that this is in the sea.

“For that, each respective ruler……myself here, and Niña there set up a magical barrier as protection”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. In that case, in the meantime, it’s still safe even it has been separated from Fairy Garden, but as expected, coming here by normal means just takes too much time”

They would need a reasonable protection to withstand the ferocious demons and the sea pressure after all. Whatever he say at the least, the place called the sea is beyond their imagination.

“Therefore in order for you to come here, you had no other way but to use me as a bridge, am I wrong……?”

It was understandable. This method surely solves the problem if Hoozuki were to summon him here.

“However, something worries me”

“What?”

Directing his face to Hoozuki, he asked.

“For more than half a year, why did you not inform me? You could have summoned me earlier than this”

If so, then Niña should have been able to come earlier then.

“There are conditions”

“Conditions?”

“Yes. You, remember the time when you entered Fairy Garden”

As he said so, he recalled what happened that time. Traveling with Arnold and Muir, he was searching for an open place to practice his Word Magic, then noticed an object emitting strange lights on a slightly elevated hill.

That was Orun and the others. Then afterwards, for some reason a rift in s.p.a.ce opened along them, and he was invited to enter the inside of it.

“To tell you the truth, to enter the sub-s.p.a.ce, you need permission from a fairy or a spirit”

“Well, that’s a given”

“However, that means you have to meet them in the first place”

“……? Isn’t that obvious? You can’t get permission if you can’t talk to them from the start”

“I suppose, but discovering Fairy Garden which is a coincidence, along with your disposition to see the Spirits, it is all possible because you have met them”

“Hmmm……now that you mention it……no, wait. I met them?”

Certainly, he had come across Raras.h.i.+k who was able to materialize Yukiouza aka Yuki-chan.

“You have met with Yuki, right? And for that, through that child, I have known your location for the first time”

According to his story, you cannot simply make that rift through s.p.a.ce it seems. The limit is said to be only once in the first month.

“After hearing the story of Yuki, I was about to open the rift, but you have long gone that time”

As he didn’t stay that long in the [Beast Kingdom・Pasion], the possibility of missing each other is huge.

“Yes, yes, I also went that time, but when I came, I can’t find you anywhere”

The monkey that remained silent until now……Tenn, shot a complaint. Even that, because he didn’t know such a thing, it can’t be helped for him.

“Due to that, he stayed on the land for a while, and if he came across you, I told him to make a contact immediately, thus finally meeting you today”

“Is that also from that snow rabbit?”

“Hohoho, not at all, Hey, don’t go raising price of a footwear on a barefoot man here”

Hoozuki said, and turning his gaze on his feet, a dog is there before anyone is aware……no, a ginger cat was quietly staring at his place.

“……what’s with this cat?”

“You don’t remember?”

“…………Ah!?”
He was taken aback as the idea poofed in his head. If he remembered correctly, certainly he indeed met this Spirit before, or rather, fought neck to neck with it before……

“D-don’t tell me……you’re that lion?”

“Yes, it is I. The name is s.h.i.+s.h.i.+. That power of yours at that time, this one has felt utmost admiration of it”

Though you may think of it as another person speaking an overly formal tone, but this thing called s.h.i.+s.h.i.+ might be the same cat that Leowald had manifested.

Hiiro took distance and observed caution in reflex. Why? Because he had almost experienced being halfway to death with this thing once. Antic.i.p.ating his reaction, s.h.i.+s.h.i.+ began to talk.

“Please don’t mind what happened that time. The match was fought fair and square. This one does not hold grudges for it”

Saying it with straight eyes, it could be judged that he was saying the truth.

“(B-but for that one to be that stupidly large beast before……)

Surprisingly, now it’s just nothing but a cute cat. It is not strange if someone were to rub its head and neck on impulse. Anyone dog or cat lover will surely find it irresistible.

“According to the story of s.h.i.+s.h.i.+, I heard that you’re in the Demon Country, so I made Tenn to go”

“I see. So that’s the reason you lure me into the forest and guide me all the way here”

“Yes, that’s right. Therefore, please forgive my mischief at that time. Of this cute and playful monkey, Mischief monkey for short!”

But as he was making a tee-hee without any bit of reflection at all,

“We’ll talk about that later……Well then……Tenn?”

A tremendous blood thirst was directed to Tenn, causing the small animal to tremble and s.h.i.+ver in fear again.

“Indeed, if it wasn’t for you, then we wouldn’t be able to summon him here today. But……Tenn, you have a debt to pay to the Fairy Queen, is that clear?”

“Yes. Thank you very much”

He lowered his head in relief. Perhaps he thought the possibility of receiving punishment or something and was feeling uneasy about it.

“……Hm? Wait a second, now that you mention it, that pervert…… I have met another spirit too, you know?”

Hiiro’s words gathered everyone’s eyes.