45 – 45. Neverland (1)

The subtly shining crystals emitted a radiant glow once again.

Morning had arrived.

Then, one by one, the Louinogs revealed themselves.

Neatly gathered on the open field, the Louinogs began their exercises, stretching their short arms and legs.

Their postures fell into place like a well-practiced girl group dance routine.

One, two, three, four.

Two, two, three, four.

“Huahh…!”

“Mmm, mmm.”

The Louinogs coming out of the cabin were still in a drowsy state.

A Louinog was seen nodding off, even snoring lightly.

There was even a Louinog rubbing her eyes and waving her arms while still half-asleep.

Though the Louinogs were fairies who loved their morning sleep, not a single one was absent from the exercise, shaking their arms and legs in a daze, continuing their morning exercises.

“Haam! Couldn’t sleep at all waiting for Edan. It’s all because of Edan.”

A girl with green hair hung on her legs like a cicada.

Perhaps thinking she was an exception, Rue continued to nod off while hanging from her legs.

“What should I do…! They’re too cute, these colorful little ones of paradise!”

“….”

Watching the Louinogs exercise with their short arms and legs stretched out, Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

Where exactly was the cuteness in that?

As the Louinogs finished their exercises, they headed straight towards the area where icicles hung in abundance.

He picked off a small icicle and put it in his mouth like candy.

The Luinongs wrinkled their faces in the cold, but still sucked on the icicles until the end.

The red icicle tasted like strawberries.

The yellow one had a lemon flavor.

The green icicle was apple-flavored.

Fifty Luinongs lined up, each enjoying their breakfast according to their preferences.

It might be a natural occurrence for fairies living in paradise, but to outsiders, it looked like exhausted wanderers, weary from hunger, licking icicles for sustenance.

“It’s disgustingly cold. And tasteless, too.”

What taste could the icicles the Luinongs were eating possibly have?

Suddenly curious, he put a large icicle in his mouth.

He licked it.

Then he threw the icicle on the ground.

It had a sweet fruity taste, but that was about it. Perhaps a taste worse than cheap frozen pastries.

Even Rue tried a bit of icicle, only to discard it on the ground. Traveling through numerous countries on the continent and indulging in diverse delicacies had elevated his taste buds beyond the satisfaction of something like an icicle.

“Beautiful princess!”

“Good morning, princess!”

As the loosely scheduled tasks came to an end, the Luinongs gathered around Elizabeth.

The goddess Browan had left.

But her remnants still flowed within Elizabeth.

Was it driven by the remnants of the creator?

Or was it genuine admiration for Elizabeth?

It could be both, for Elizabeth and Browan were remarkably similar in personality and appearance.

“Listen well. I’m going to take you to the outside world.”

From Noble mtl dot com

The golden-haired, elegantly dressed princess confidently declared, extending both hands. The Luinongs drew round question marks over their heads at the unexpected statement.

Outside world…?

The unfamiliar term brought confusion to the faces of the Luinongs.

Only five Luinongs had ventured into the outside world. Moreover, four of them, excluding Rue, had only briefly experienced it.

For the Luinongs who had never once experienced the outside world, Elizabeth’s declaration was enough to evoke a sense of unknown fear.

Just as they naturally felt fear towards humans, they would undoubtedly feel terror towards the outside world as well.

“Look, I’ll go!”

“Loyal fairies of Faërie will follow the princess!”

The four Louisnains, who had experienced the outside world first, raised their hands eagerly.

The chocolate cake was so sweet.

The licorice candies flowed in like a sweet harmony.

In just one day, they became prisoners of sweetness.

As a friend leaped towards the princess without a moment’s hesitation, conflicts arose among the Louisnains. Their serious expressions, rolling their sparkling eyes like pebbles, showed deep contemplation.

“Uh…! I want to go with the princess!”

“B-but the outside world is still something to be feared!”

Anxious anticipation clashed with the unknown fear.

Which side should they choose?

For the Louisnains, it was an extremely harsh dilemma.

The fairies, who had lived in paradise for ages, had never faced such a dilemma. Therefore, the little fairies hesitated, each tying their minds in knots.

“Listen well, everyone. I will never abandon faithful servants. No matter what difficulties we may face… I will protect my servants to the end. It is the duty of the noble lineage passed down through blood.”

Elizaveta declared, placing her hand on her chest.

Noble pride and grace overflowed.

Her emphasis on the duty inherited through blood reminded one of Roodmilla.

Her resolute voice suppressed the fear that spread like a plague. The Louisnains, who had been trembling with fear, stared at Elizaveta with their hair standing on end.

“Even the remnants of Broyan’s divine favor seem to have aligned with Elizaveta. Although it may not be an official blessing from Broyan, she won’t become a mine. But… we must not reveal that the Empress of Valtaria has accepted the divine favor of a mine.”

Broyan, the goddess who created the Louisnains, was nothing more than a sinister deity from the perspective of the humans who worshiped her as their sole deity.

The fact that the imperial princess of Valtaria accepted the divine favor of a mine must not be revealed.

The safety of Elizaveta was at stake.

And it also involved the future of the Louisnains going to the outside world.

I should remind her of that later.

He silently watched Elizaveta leading numerous fairies.

* * *

As if struck by lightning, the lordship of Hoënberg, surrounded by the radiance of purity, shone brightly.

Flash!

With a brilliant flash, a passage connected to the paradise opened.

Following that, colorful little fairies poured out in a stream.

“The ceiling is incredibly blue!”

“Fool, that’s called the sky!”

Having emerged from the confined underground space of the valley and arrived in the outside world, the Luinongs looked around with intense curiosity, their eyes sparkling more than ever.

A blue sky, scattered like spilled paint.

A courtyard adorned with flowers of various colors.

And even the large, elegant mansion that they had imagined from fairy tales.

It felt as if they had arrived in a magical land.

The clear eyes of the Luinongs were sparkling like never before.

“How did the little ones even get into the courtyard?”

“Indeed, that shimmering light just now, what on earth…”

The servants of the Hohenberg family were taken aback by the momentary brilliance. And suddenly, the appearance of the Luinongs added to their confusion.

Then, Edanant appeared belatedly, dispelling the unease of the servants.

“They are fairy guests I invited politely. They will now become members of the Hohenberg family.”

“Are you talking about these little ones…?”

He added, like Lu, that all Luinongs would become members of the family.

It was a sudden decision.

The servants frowned and shrugged their shoulders in disapproval.

However, there was no voice of opposition. Servants who genuinely trusted Edanant nodded with the attitude of ‘It’s the young master’s decision, so it will somehow work out.’

“Your Grace, you’ve returned earlier than expected.”

“Fortunately, persuasion was not difficult.”

Rudmila, who heard the news, rushed urgently to welcome Edanant.

In response, Edanant brightly replied, pointing to Elizabeth and the Luinongs.

Rudmila, confirming that her sister had returned safely, heaved a sigh of relief.

“It must be thanks to Your Grace that Elizabeth was protected.”

“No, there was nothing particularly dangerous.”

Edanant didn’t mention the incident where the goddess who created the Luinongs temporarily possessed Elizabeth. There was no need to unnecessarily agitate Rudmila.

Only the remnants of divine reverence remained.

As time passed, Broan’s divine power would gradually diminish.

The problem was Elizabeth’s constitution, which perfectly accepted divine power.

As Broan, who had been in a state of trance, forcibly possessed Elizabeth, it was uncertain whether other divine beings would also cling to her physical form.

How can I prevent possession?

I needed a moment of thoughtful consideration.

“It’s not that I doubt your thoughts, but… how can the Loinons truly be of help?”

“I will never disappoint you. Please watch the Loinons in action.”

Rudmila asked, glancing at the lively Loinons, who were jumping around like mischievous children.

Will they really be helpful to the territory,

or are they just innocent fairies no different from any other child?

It was natural to harbor such doubts.

Certainly, not only she but also numerous servants of the Marquisate would think the same way.

Clear results were necessary to dispel the deep-seated doubts. And that was not only to resolve the skepticism but also for the Loinons to be recognized as a new race in the Empire of Baltaria.

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