Chapter 44: The Guide of the Fairy Forest

At first glance, the sound resembled a baby crying or a three-legged animal wailing—an ambiguous melody.

Lucy had heard it before.

None other than in Ragnarok Online.

She walked along the forest path, as if drawn by an invisible force.

Eventually, she found the source of the sound beyond the bushes.

With pure white fur, a long tail, and large ears, the mysterious creature looked like a mix between a rabbit and a fox—one all too familiar to Lucy.

No wonder. It was Afun, Ragnarok’s mascot creature.

Afun was the first monster players encountered in the game, serving as a guide for beginners.

But why was it here?

Lucy stroked her chin and sighed.

Alice, who had followed closely behind, looked bewildered.

“Lucy, is that…?”

“Oh, this is…”

“The forest fairy?”

“You know about this guy?”

“Yes, he often appears in fairy tales as a guide for lost travelers. But this is my first time seeing one in person.”

“Hmm, really?”

Lucy studied Afun. Just like in the game, he seemed to be acting as a guide here as well.

A thought crossed her mind—perhaps he could be useful in exploring Helatos.

“Lucy? What are you doing?”

“Catching him.”

“Huh? That’s impossible. They’re too wary—”

Alice’s words were cut short.

Before she could finish, Lucy had already grabbed Afun by his ears.

At first, he struggled, but only briefly. Soon, he lay flat on his stomach under Lucy’s intense gaze.

Since he was a low-level monster, subduing him didn’t require much effort.

‘Training complete.’

Leaving Alice wide-eyed in disbelief, Lucy took Afun back to the fork in the road.

Now, it was time to test if he was qualified for a mission.

‘What should I ask him?’

Lucy crossed her arms in thought. Then, the task Anderjan had given her came to mind.

“Guide me to the home of the fairies in Edem Garden.”

Lucy had read that there was a separate space in Edem Garden where fairies lived.

If Afun could lead her there, she could complete her task and satisfy her curiosity.

At first, Afun hesitated, but a single look from Lucy was enough to make him obediently get up and start leading the way.

“That’s right. Good job.”

“…Where are we going?”

“To do our homework.”

“…Yes.”

As Lucy’s antics continued, Alice gave up on trying to understand her.

Fairy Garden.

A massive sapling stood at the center of Edem Garden.

Afun led Lucy there.

On one side of the sapling was a small hole, about 70 cm in diameter.

Afun entered first.

“Is this the entrance?”

“Do you want to go in?” Alice asked.

“I’ll go first. If you’re scared, you can stay here.”

Lucy crawled in.

Alice, left alone outside, looked around nervously. The forest felt eerie.

“Lucy, wait! I’m coming with you!”

The passage inside was narrow, forcing even Lucy to crawl.

Alice followed closely behind, keeping her head down.

“Why are you looking down?”

“It’s… a little provocative for me.”

“What is?”

“Nothing.”

Lucy continued forward, oblivious.

She had forgotten she was wearing a short skirt.

After crawling for some time, they reached the end of the passage, where bright light shone through.

Beyond it was a vast, circular space.

The walls glowed golden, and in the center, tangled tree roots formed a nest where fairies clustered together.

Small luminous beings hovered around them.

Lucy was certain—they were fairies.

“Now, where should I do my homework?”

“Wait, Lucy!”

“Again, what?”

“This is dangerous. Fairies may seem gentle, but only in the outside world. If you invade their home, they could attack.”

As if to prove Alice’s point, the fairies’ wings began to beat faster, surrounding them aggressively.

Lucy smirked.

‘Alright, let’s test this out.’

All-round hypnosis.

A red glow filled the fairies’ dwelling.

One by one, the fairies collapsed to the ground, their light flickering out as they fell into a deep sleep.

“These are fairies?”

Lucy chuckled at the sight.

The so-called fairies were far from what she had imagined.

She nudged one with her finger, examining it closely.

“Well, this is the Demon World, so I guess these are fairies.”

The fairies of this world were Mamon.

During the Ragnarok era, players who used mine characters often kept them as pets.

“L-Lucy… Did you just kill all the fairies?”

Alice trembled, both hands clenched.

She looked at Lucy as if she were some kind of monster.

“They’re just sleeping. Shouldn’t you start your homework?”

“…Huh?”

“I found this place and subdued the fairies. You can at least write the log, right?”

Under Lucy’s not-so-subtle intimidation, Alice hurriedly nodded and began documenting the fairies’ appearance and habits in her logbook.

Meanwhile, Lucy lounged at the edge of the nest, resting.

She had used magic, after all. It was good to take a break.

Even if the magic she used wasn’t even 1/100 of her actual power.

When they returned to where Abet and Noah were, the sun had already set.

Abet sighed in relief at Lucy’s safe return.

She knew Lucy was strong, but she still couldn’t shake her worries.

“Lucy, why did it take so long?”

Abet glanced between Lucy and Alice.

One was perfectly fine, the other utterly exhausted.

It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened.

“I was a little late because of the homework.”

“Homework?”

“Yeah. Also, the tent is set up nicely.”

Two small tents stood by the riverside, with a bonfire between them.

A cast-iron pot simmered over the fire, filling the air with a delicious aroma.

“You must be tired. Give me your bags and sit down.”

Noah took their luggage, but something tugged at him from Lucy’s bag.

When he opened it, he found Afun sleeping inside.

“A guide fairy? Why is this here?”

“I’m keeping him from today. Give him some food too.”

“…Yes.”

Noah found it strange but ultimately thought, It’s Lucy, so it makes sense, and left it at that.

Dinner was served.

Abet’s homemade mushroom soup was placed before them.

The aroma was appetizing, though the lack of meat was disappointing.

But there was no choice—Anderjan had strictly instructed them to rely on forest resources for food.

“Hmm, edible.” Lucy took a sip.

“There are also forest berries Noah picked for dessert.” Abet said joyously.

“Really? I was craving something sweet.”

Fresh from bathing in the lake, Lucy frowned slightly.

Only two tents had been set up.

One for Noah. Meaning Lucy, Abet, and Alice had to share the other.

It wasn’t ideal, considering her current confusion about her identity.

Should I make Noah sleep outside?

She entertained the thought briefly but let it go.

In the end, she entered the tent with Abet and Alice.

“Lucy, I saved this spot for you.”

Lucy found herself in the middle.

Abet believed a princess should sleep in the center, but Lucy could only sigh.

‘Fine… I’m too tired to care.’