Chapter 61

Translator: Nox

61

They learned through Hayley that many of those abandoned in the Contaminated Zone were likely innocent victims. If the Tainted could be turned back into humans, back to their original forms, there would be no greater salvation.

While the two were thinking this, Cyril grabbed Rango's arm and asked urgently.

"What is the method! What do I have to do to return to normal!"

"Let me ask you something first."

Rango said.

"Who contaminated you? How could you become like this without even entering the Contaminated Zone?"

"That's…."

"Listen carefully. You must find the person who made you like this and ask if there is a way to reverse the contamination and purify you back to normal. The key is in their hands."

"What, what? How…."

"Recently, in Selbon, Holt's production city, a group of lumberjacks were unjustly subjected to heresy trials and abandoned in the Contaminated Zone. But they turned into monsters and, for some reason, returned to their original forms, took care of their families, and left the village."

"……."

"Lady Asta, Your Highness Maris."

Priest Rango clasped his hands together and prayed earnestly.

"We must ask that person for help."

"Priest Rango…."

"They are proof of a miracle. If there is someone in that forest who can manipulate Magical Energy, we must ask them for help, whoever they are. We must grant them whatever they want. We must even prostrate ourselves and beg!"

Rango knew who the target was, and so did Asta and Maris.

"I believe this is God's will, our last chance…."

Marquis the Demon, did I do well?

Rango smiled slyly inside.

Autumn was deep.

I don't know where they got them, but the women wandering the forest brought apples and persimmons. Were there fruit trees around here? Why didn't I see them even though I was running around so much?

"Because your eyes are just for decoration."

"Says you."

"A dirty, evil fake Tree Sprite doesn't need to know which is an apple tree and which is a persimmon tree, does it?"

"How long are you going to be like this, really!"

"Until Hayley gets a proper apology from that little bird."

I knew that Doraji was so reasonable that he was almost old-fashioned, but I didn't know he would hold a grudge for so long.

I put the most delicious piece of persimmon into Doraji's small mouth and asked.

"Listen. Let's be honest. What does a Spirit Bird know about this harsh world? Right? How would an ornamental flower trapped in a glass greenhouse know about rain, wind, typhoons, or pests?"

"That's right."

"You're a young fairy who not only overcame death but also endured that terrible Magical Energy! You even succeeded in growing strawberries in the middle of this Contaminated Zone."

"That's right. I did."

"Amazing is not enough. You could even say you're great."

"Then tell me that I'm a better fairy than the King of all Wind Spirits in this world."

"That's…."

Ah, that's too much of a lie.

The conscience I thought I didn't have pricked me. I hesitated for a moment, but still, thinking that my fairy was the best, I was about to nod.

But that Doraji couldn't even bear that short hesitation and screamed.

"You must not love me!"

"What?"

"I know it's a lie! But if you love me, you should at least tell that kind of white lie! Are we just casual acquaintances? We went through all that hardship together in this Contaminated Zone…."

"No, wait a minute. Hold on! Of course, I think you're much more amazing and better!"

"Don't lie!"

"You told me to lie!"

"Damn it!"

Doraji swore again.

Could this guy actually be a Mandrake from legend, not a Dryad? I thought that if I raised him well for a hundred years, he might become a ginseng, but what happens when a Mandrake is a hundred years old?

"You screamed when I pulled you out."

"When, from the riverbed?"

"Huh?"

"Of course. It hurt so much."

"It's a good thing it was underwater. Otherwise, I might have died then."

Recalling the Mandrake legend that everyone who hears the scream when it's pulled out dies, I kept stroking my chest with one hand.

I expected Asta to come soon since I had made such a mess in Enif, but I didn't expect her to come this quickly.

In the clear autumn sky, a huge bird appeared and unleashed its wrath.

[I meet you again! Evil demons! This time, I will inflict the harsh power of the wind upon you….]

"Ventus, I'm sorry!"

Asta fearlessly reverse-summoned the Spirit Bird in mid-air. Thanks to that, Reikart had to fly to catch her as she screamed and fell.

I was so surprised that I dropped the persimmon I was holding.

"Are you crazy or what! What are you doing falling like that! What kind of princess is so fearless!"

"I knew Hayley would save me."

"Did I save you! Reikart saved you!"

"Thank you, Young Master Winter."

Asta bowed to Reikart. Reikart, who had rushed to catch Asta without even having time to think about whether to save her or not, sighed, twisting his throbbing wrist.

"Why did you come again?"

"It's about Cyril… I have something to tell you."

"I don't want to hear it."

Reikart turned away and went back to the logging site. He was carrying a large axe on his shoulder, helping with the logging work, focusing on the trees that the lumberjacks had marked in red.

Looking at the much larger front yard of Maron Keep than before, Asta asked.

"Are you going to turn all of this into fields?"

"No."

"Then why…."

"They're building a village."

"Pardon?"

Asta opened her big eyes wide and asked. Maron Keep was huge and had many rooms. Even if all these people came to live here, there would still be plenty of space left over.

But why unnecessarily build houses outside and create a village?

I couldn't understand it either, but they had their own reasons.

"They said they can't live with me in my house forever? They accepted living in the Contaminated Zone as their fate, but they still want to live like people if possible. They want to live in a place that feels like a place where people live, closer to civilization."

"Ah… I think I can understand."

"Is that so."

I grabbed Asta's hand and dragged her inside.

"Let's go in quickly before my Doraji catches us."

"Why?"

"Do you know how much my Doraji is sharpening his knives to make Spirit Bird Ventus into Samgyetang if he encounters him one more time?"

Even as Asta was being dragged away by me, she asked what Samgyetang was, how she should apologize to Doraji, and how she should persuade Spirit Bird Ventus.

"Hey! Can't you figure it out yourself? What kind of protagonist comes to the villain and asks for help with everything from A to Z like this? Do you even know who I am? Huh?"

"The public enemy of the Three Kingdoms, Sorceress Hayley."

"Hmm."

"But I don't think you're a villain."

"Hey!"

"At least not to me."

Asta smiled brightly.

They say you can't spit on a smiling face, and a pretty girl was even prettier when she smiled. Her cotton candy-like hair fluttered softly, revealing her neat, corn-like teeth. Her eyes folded like butterflies and she smiled with a flushed face, ha.

I almost kissed her.

"Don't smile."

"Yes? Why?"

"From now on, show a dignified and authoritative appearance befitting the princess of Kasnatura in front of me. Don't smile like a silly idiot like that."

"My brother said I was pretty…."

"Your brother is prettier."

If we're going to have similar faces, it's better to kiss a man than a woman. I nodded inwardly and dragged Asta into my room.