The day was bright.
The sky was scattered with pale clouds, and the weather was almost unnaturally pleasant. A gentle wind passed over the enormous bridge, carrying with it the distant cries of birds. I had heard many strange sounds since entering the Imaginary World, but that particular melody was unfamiliar to me. It was soft. Almost peaceful.
Behind us, the massive gate remained open.
The voices of countless fairies drifted through it.
I was about to move forward when Elta stepped in front of us.
"Formation."
Her voice was calm, but there was no room for argument.
"You are about to meet the Fairy King."
I stopped.
Gray stopped.
Alysa stopped.
For a moment, the three of us simply stared at her.
"...What?"
Elta glanced at us as though our reaction was perfectly reasonable.
"We did not tell you earlier because there were certain reasons. Once you pass through these gates, you will be standing before the king himself."
So we were meeting the king already?
That was... sudden.
I had expected some kind of preparation first. Perhaps an announcement. Perhaps a group of nobles. Maybe some ceremony where someone explained what I was supposed to do.
Instead, we were apparently going straight to the person who ruled the entire Fairy Realm.
I sighed internally.
Well, I suppose greetings were necessary.
We were supposed to represent the Creators, after all. The bridge between this generation and the next. If the Fairy Realm and the Creator's World were going to maintain a relationship, then meeting their king was probably unavoidable.
Still...
Would he ask about Bell?
Was she going to be there?
She had said she would meet me at the Exil Tree announcement party.
Maybe she was still grounded.
I didn't have time to think about it.
Elta continued.
"The Fairy King is Hastward Vashteria. He has ruled the Fairy Realm for a long time, and his decisions carry the greatest authority within this realm. Do not disrespect him."
She paused.
"Not that I expect you to."
Gray and Alysa exchanged glances.
I nodded.
"The best approach is to behave respectfully and show proper manners, right?"
Elta nodded.
"Exactly."
Simple enough.
At least, I hoped so.
I took a breath.
Then we walked toward the gate.
The moment we stepped inside, the atmosphere changed.
The enormous doors opened before us.
My heartbeat slowed.
I kept my expression calm.
There was nothing to fear.
At least, that was what I told myself.
Gray immediately moved slightly ahead of me.
I glanced at him.
Why was he doing that?
Was he planning to protect me again?
And Alysa had moved closer to my side.
What was this?
Was I some kind of magnet for troublesome people?
The moment we entered the main hall, however, my thoughts disappeared.
There were too many eyes.
The hall was enormous.
Calling it a room would have been an insult.
The ceiling stretched high above us, decorated with elaborate designs. Beautiful fabrics hung from the walls, some carrying symbols I didn't recognize. Ancient writings covered portions of the stonework. Golden ornaments reflected the light from enormous crystal lamps.
Everything about the place screamed one thing.
Royalty.
Fairies dressed in magnificent clothing stood in two long rows on either side of the hall.
Nobles.
Royal guards.
Officials.
Powerful individuals whose names I didn't know.
And at the very end of the hall stood a throne.
An old fairy sat upon it.
He had a long white beard.
His expression was calm.
His eyes were almost emotionless.
Yet despite his age, there was something about his presence that made the entire hall seem to revolve around him.
The Fairy King.
We slowly walked forward.
The nobles watched us.
Some looked curious.
Some looked respectful.
Others looked openly displeased.
And then there were a few whose eyes contained something else.
Killing intent.
My footsteps didn't stop.
But my mind became sharper.
There is someone here who wants us dead.
I couldn't tell who.
That was the problem.
Nobody was attacking us.
Nobody had even moved.
Yet I could feel it.
Someone among these people wanted me—or perhaps all of us—dead.
The thought immediately reminded me of the assassination.
The Death Givers.
The attack.
The strange events surrounding me.
Could the person responsible be here?
I didn't know.
And because I didn't know...
I couldn't trust anyone.
We eventually reached the throne.
Gray leaned slightly toward me.
"Hey..."
I glanced at him.
"Are we supposed to bow like we did when we met the I.W.L.D. Head?"
I had been wondering the same thing.
Before I could answer, Elta stepped forward.
She lowered herself onto one knee.
That answered the question.
Gray and Alysa followed.
So did I.
Around us, whispers began spreading.
"So those are the Creators?"
"They are the ones participating in the secret Exil Tree Tournament?"
"How can outsiders be allowed to participate in our sacred event?"
"They look weak."
"How strong are they?"
"Do you think they can actually climb the Exil Tree?"
The whispers overlapped.
I ignored them.
Elta bowed her head.
"Greetings, My King. I have brought the Creators who were invited to participate in the Exil Tree Tournament."
I followed.
"It's nice to meet you, Your Majesty. I am Zaraf, from the Imaginary World. Thank you for allowing us to participate in the tournament."
Gray immediately spoke after me.
"It is an honor to meet you, Fairy King. I am Gray. I have been eagerly waiting for this tournament ever since I heard about it."
I glanced at him.
We are being way too formal.
He was going to ruin this somehow.
Then we both looked toward Alysa.
She blinked.
"...?"
The king waited.
Alysa smiled.
"It's nice to meet you, King of the Fairy Realm! I am Alysa, the Creator of Joy. Let's make some wonderful memories during this event!"
Silence.
I stared at her.
Gray stared at her.
The nobles stared at her.
I lowered my head slightly.
We're definitely not getting into this tournament.
For a moment, the Fairy King simply looked at us.
Then—
"Hahaha!"
His laughter echoed throughout the hall.
"You three are quite the lively spirits."
He leaned back slightly.
"I am Hastward Vashteria, King of the Fairy Realm."
His gaze passed over us.
"And as the king of this realm, I welcome you."
So this was Bell's grandfather.
I instinctively looked around the hall.
She wasn't here.
As expected.
Perhaps she really was still grounded.
The king continued.
"I am also looking forward to this tournament. Whether you participate or merely watch, I hope you enjoy what you see."
He smiled faintly.
"The journey here must have been long and tiring."
He gestured toward one of the fairies standing behind him.
"I have prepared rooms for you. Rest. Prepare your bodies and minds."
The fairy stepped forward.
He wore an elegant formal outfit.
A long sword rested at his waist.
His black hair was tied behind his head, and his expression was completely emotionless.
The king looked at him.
"Lead our guests to their rooms."
Then he turned back toward us.
"We shall meet again at the announcement ceremony."
He paused.
"Three days from now."
Three days.
So the tournament was really that close.
"The day the Exil Tree officially opens."
His eyes suddenly became nostalgic.
"I look forward to seeing what this era of Down Bringers can accomplish."
He paused.
Then laughed softly.
"Ah. Forgive me. You call yourselves Creators now, don't you?"
Down Bringers?
The term immediately caught my attention.
So that's what Creators were called in the past?
Why?
What did it mean?
Before I could think about it any further, the king waved his hand.
"Now go. Rest well."
We stood.
After offering our respects to the surrounding nobles, we followed the black-haired fairy out of the hall.
The moment we left, Alysa released a massive breath.
"Haaa..."
She looked like she had forgotten how to breathe for the past five minutes.
Gray sighed.
"I wanted to hear more about the people who participated before us."
I glanced at him.
That was actually a good question.
Who were the previous Down Bringers?
How many had participated?
Had any of them reached the end?
Had they succeeded?
And what exactly had happened to them?
There were too many questions.
But they could wait.
We followed the fairy through the palace corridors.
After a while, he stopped.
"I forgot to introduce myself."
He turned around.
"I am Zeon."
His gaze passed over each of us.
"You will be staying in the third quarter of the palace."
Then his eyes stopped on me.
He stared.
Not casually.
He was observing me.
"You are Zaraf?"
I frowned.
I had literally introduced myself in front of the king.
"Yes."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"What of it?"
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he looked away.
"Nothing."
He started walking again.
"...Forget it."
I stared at his back.
What was that supposed to mean?
He looked like someone capable of ordering an assassination.
But why?
Could he be connected to the attack?
Or was I simply becoming paranoid again?
I didn't know.
We continued through the palace.
The palace itself seemed to have grown together with the forest.
The walls were solid, but enormous roots and vines spread across them. Trees formed part of the structure, their branches reaching over balconies and rooftops.
The air smelled fresh.
Natural.
Almost peaceful.
Eventually, we stopped.
A young fairy was standing there as though he had been waiting for us.
Zeon looked at him.
"He is your guide."
Then he looked back at us.
"He will explain everything you need to know."
His eyes became slightly colder.
"Stay under his supervision at all times."
Then he left.
I watched him disappear down the corridor.
Guide?
That sounded more like a guard.
The young fairy smiled.
"I am Sadlar Ishma."
He bowed politely.
"I will be your guide while you remain within the palace. If you have questions, you may ask me."
He paused.
"I cannot promise that I can answer everything."
His smile remained.
"But I will tell you whatever I am permitted to tell you."
Interesting.
Another person with permission restrictions.
I looked toward the direction Zeon had disappeared.
"Can I ask who he was?"
Sadlar tilted his head.
"Sir Zeon?"
"Yes."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"He is the next king of the Fairy Realm."
I stopped.
Gray stopped.
Alysa stopped.
"...What?"
Sadlar seemed surprised by our reaction.
"He is the Crown Fairy. He will eventually inherit the throne."
The next king?
So that meant...
Was he Bell's brother?
Her cousin?
Some other member of the royal family?
I opened my mouth.
Before I could ask, Gray interrupted.
"By the way, where are we going?"
Sadlar blinked.
Then he continued walking.
"The palace has three main quarters."
He pointed toward the central building.
"The middle quarter belongs to the king."
Then he gestured toward our current building.
"This quarter is reserved for honored guests."
Finally, he pointed toward the other side.
"And that one belongs to the royal family. The princesses and other members of the royal bloodline."
My eyes drifted toward that direction.
So Bell is over there.
It suddenly felt farther away than it should have.
Maybe visiting her wasn't forbidden.
Maybe it was.
Either way, I suspected someone was going to make things difficult.
"Come," Sadlar said. "I'll show you your rooms."
We followed him.
As we walked, I noticed several young fairies playing in a garden.
Children were running between trees.
Their laughter echoed through the courtyard.
Alysa stopped.
"They look happy."
Her eyes brightened.
"I wish I could go play with them."
Sadlar looked at her.
"You can."
Alysa blinked.
"In most places, you are free to go wherever you want. After all, you are guests, not prisoners."
Then he paused.
"But not everywhere."
His tone remained gentle.
The meaning didn't.
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
Was that a warning?
Was he telling me not to go toward the royal family's quarter?
Or was I simply thinking too much again?
A mental problem, perhaps.
Eventually, we reached our rooms.
We had separate quarters, each located a little distance from the others.
Gray looked at us.
"Let's meet again in an hour."
Alysa nodded.
I agreed.
But I had other plans.
I entered my room.
Sadlar remained outside.
I looked at the closed door.
Is he actually our guide...
Or our guard?
I couldn't decide.
On the other side of the palace, a girl sat alone in her room.
A cup rested on the table before her.
It had already gone cold.
A maid entered quietly and approached the table.
She picked up the cup.
Then stopped.
It was still full.
The maid looked toward the princess.
"Princess Bell?"
Bell didn't respond.
Her mind was somewhere else.
The maid approached her.
"Hello?"
Bell blinked.
"Huh?"
"Your drink is getting cold."
Bell looked at the cup.
Then smiled awkwardly.
"Oh... sorry."
She lowered her eyes.
"It's just..."
The maid waited.
Bell hesitated.
Then she finally said:
"He's in the palace now."
The maid froze.
Something flashed across her face.
Realization.
Then horror.
"No."
Bell looked at her.
"No, no, no."
The maid shook her head rapidly.
"You have to wait three days!"
Bell's expression fell.
"I definitely cannot allow you to do anything this time!"
"But..."
Bell looked toward the window.
"He is practically living next door."
She hesitated.
"Can't I just go say hello?"
The maid's eyes widened in horror.
"Not this again!"
Bell remained silent.
Then she smiled.
A very innocent smile.
The kind that usually meant trouble.
Three days.
She only needed to wait three days.
...
Probably.