Chapter 158

One does not need any special qualifications to enter the Fairy Realm. If anything, a fairy’s kiss is the only requirement. Of course, Jun-sang, whose face was completely covered in the remnants of a fairy’s kiss, had no procedural issues at all.

The problem was Lyches, who was blushing slightly next to Jun-sang and giggling to herself. She didn’t know what method Jun-sang used, but her physical freedom was currently bound by him. This was, in fact, the reason Sella, the queen’s chief aide, could not treat Jun-sang disrespectfully. Sella had even been plotting to return Lyches to the Fairy Realm, thinking that with her amazing abilities, she would be able to break free from this restraint. So, how could Sella not be surprised to see them walking toward the Fairy Realm as if they were on a picnic?

While she was dumbfounded, Jun-sang and his companions had already passed through the Spirit Gate and disappeared into the Fairy Realm.

“Oh no!”

Sella soothed the fairies who were complaining about being tired around the tree and sent them back to the Fairy Realm before quickly entering the gate herself. As soon as she entered the Fairy Realm, she tried to look for Jun-sang and Lyches. But there was no need. Jun-sang and his group were waiting for the fairies with boxes laid out right inside the Spirit Gate.

Sella quickly examined Lyches’s appearance. The Fairy Queen Lyches she knew was a truly beautiful being, a model of fairies, who, though she sometimes got irritable when she couldn’t control her temper, had a somewhat regal and elegant air when she was calm.

But the Lyches in front of her now was giggling like a girl in her first love, absorbed in following Jun-sang’s back with her eyes. No matter how she looked at her, her aura was completely different from the dignified and beautiful Fairy Queen she knew.

“This is…”

Even Sella, who was as ignorant as Lyches about relationships between men and women, could immediately understand the unfamiliar feeling.

Something was definitely going on. Something had happened between the two of them!

Sella, who had just turned her gaze to Jun-sang with that thought, then discovered crucial evidence she had missed until now. It was the faint trace of a strong kiss left just above Jun-sang’s lips.

Ah! Why had she not noticed that sooner? Only then did Sella realize the meaning behind Lyches’s change in attitude and Jun-sang’s easy entry into the Fairy Realm.

“Your Majesty!”

Sella, with tears in her eyes, ran toward Lyches. Lyches was startled to see her aide running toward her with a tearful expression.

“Whoa! You scared me. What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

Sella replied with a moved expression, “You finally did it. It’s so good. Sniffle…”

“…”

Lyches was flustered by Sella, who suddenly started crying while holding onto her. When Jun-sang turned his head and looked at them, she gave an embarrassed smile.

“Th-that’s… hehe…”

Although she thought Sella was overreacting, considering that Sella was the one who had served her for ten thousand years of hysteria and during her sporadic awakenings over a thousand years of sleep, it was not unreasonable for Sella to be excessively moved by the fact that Lyches had finally found her mate.

After shedding a few tears, Sella spoke again to Lyches, who was overwhelmed by a mix of complex emotions, including embarrassment, shyness, and discomfort.

“Now that you’ve found your partner, you’ll return as queen, won’t you?”

Lyches’s mind cleared at her words.

Normally, what Sella said was right. Although she had passed the queen’s circlet to the wolf girl Lysis, it was only a temporary measure to prepare for her absence. Lyches glanced at the brown-haired girl standing demurely next to Jun-sang. No matter how oblivious a gluttonous fairy she was, she knew that who had granted her the permission to be with Jun-sang, and the true reason for receiving that permission.

She also knew, more painfully than anyone else, that Jun-sang did not yet love her. If she were to express their relationship in words, it was a precarious one, connected only physically. In this situation, if she were to return to her position as queen, Jun-sang might soon forget that something had ever happened between them.

That would be a problem. It would truly be a problem.

“Sella.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry, but that’s difficult for now.”

“…”

Sella wore an expression of disbelief at Lyches’s serious words and lost her ability to speak. Lyches, with a bitter expression, spoke to Sella again.

“It will be hard to return right away, but I’ll drop by from time to time, so please just know that.”

“…”

Despite her disappointment, Sella could easily understand that there was a reason behind Lyches’s bitter expression.

“I understand.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. I spoke out of turn without knowing the situation and disturbed your thoughts. I’m truly sorry.”

“…”

While the two of them were talking, Jun-sang and Henes were giving out chocolate bars to the fairies returning to the Fairy Realm. When everything was done, Jun-sang tidied up the empty boxes and said to Lyches, “Lyches.”

“Yes!”

“Where’s your research lab?”

“I’ll show you the way. Come this way.”

“Alright.”

Jun-sang and Henes followed Lyches, walking deeper into the Fairy Realm. The fairies, who had just received their chocolate bars and were debating whether to eat them now or save them for later, whispered among themselves, glancing at the Fairy Queen’s kiss on Jun-sang’s lips.

“So, is he our queen’s partner after all?”

“Can’t you tell? There’s a stamp on his lips.”

“Heh… But why on his lips? Don’t they usually put it on the forehead?”

“She’s the queen.”

“Ah, I see.”

After whispering among themselves, the fairies, at Sella’s command to disperse, each holding their reward of a chocolate bar, returned to their homes with happy expressions.

The first place Lyches took Jun-sang and Henes was the queen’s residence, a place they had been to before, surrounded by white walls. As they approached, a part of the wall suddenly opened, and a little girl with a circlet on her head and a fluttering fairy dress popped out and hugged Henes.

Henes was surprised at how incredibly cute the wolf girl, Lysis, had become in such a short time.

“Lysis?”

But the more surprising thing was yet to come. Lysis wiggled her small lips and answered Henes’s call in a clumsy voice.

“Yes. I’m… Lysis.”

“…”

Not only Henes but even Jun-sang looked surprised. The child who had been so silent they wondered if she was a mute just a short time ago had, in that brief period, learned enough to express herself, though in simple terms.

“Lysis. Did you learn to talk?”

“Yes!”

In fact, Lysis’s language ability had only just begun to blossom, so even though the fairies had tried to teach her, it was difficult for them to properly communicate with her. But for Lysis, the learner, it was just as frustrating as it was for the teachers. She could easily understand what Henes and Jun-sang said without complicated processes, but she found the fairies’ words difficult to grasp, which was hard on the young girl.

Still, she had tried hard, and in the end, she could express herself in short sentences, including her name, her aide’s name, and simple yes and no answers. Since Henes and Jun-sang, with whom she could communicate well, had just entered the Fairy Realm, she had run out of joy.

As Henes talked to Lysis, an old wolf emerged from inside the wall with a slow gait. It was the mother wolf that had raised Lysis. The mother wolf showed a hint of her teeth and a cautious demeanor toward Jun-sang and Henes, who were with Lysis, but as soon as her eyes met Jun-sang’s, she quickly lowered her head and averted her gaze. Her sharp animal instincts had immediately sensed Jun-sang’s immense power.

Lyches watched Henes and Lysis’s reunion for a moment, then, seeing Sella frantically running toward them after sending the fairies back, she approached the wall and gently placed her hand on a section. The white wall then split open like a lie, revealing a different passage from the one Lysis had come out of.

“Let’s go inside first.”

“Alright.”

Jun-sang nodded and followed Lyches with Henes and Lysis.

If the passage to the queen’s bedroom was horizontal, the one leading to the research lab was slightly sloped downward. The somewhat dark passage brightened up when Lyches waved her hand in the air in a few rhythmic motions, causing the wall itself to emit a gentle light.

“Wow…”

Lyches puffed out her chest with pride as Henes exclaimed in wonder at the sight and led them on.

Following the passage downward, they came to a small living room-like area. Lyches opened a door in the living room, turned on the light inside, and said, “This way.”

Inside, there was what looked like a garden. No, it was more fitting to call it an entirely different world rather than just a garden. After all, what else could you call a place with a sky, ground, and a wide river flowing through it?

“This is…”

Lyches put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest proudly as Henes’s eyes widened, not having expected something like this to pop out from inside a door. “Ahem. How about this? Isn’t it wonderful?”

Although the words were meant for Jun-sang, the answer came from Henes. “You don’t mean… you made this with magic, too?”

Lyches pouted at Jun-sang, who showed no particular reaction, and then kindly explained to Henes. “Yes. It’s not a big deal, just a kind of illusion magic. The only difference is that unlike ordinary illusions, you can actually touch and feel everything here.”

“Wow…”

Jun-sang wasn’t showing it, but he was just as amazed. He was even more astounded after hearing her explanation. If her words were true, it meant that the things in this space didn’t just deceive the eyes but also affected other senses. At this point, it was more fitting to call it a virtual reality than a simple illusion.

“This place also acts as a kind of security system. Right now, it looks like this, but if an unauthorized person enters, it turns into a very scary place.”

“Ah…”

Lyches took a few more steps forward and opened a small hidden door in the air.

“Come on, this way.”

As they entered the door she had opened, another mysterious space with a blend of various lights was revealed. Jun-sang and Henes, who had taken a step forward without thinking, were surprised. This new space they had entered was odd, as there was no floor to step on.

Lyches stepped forward and said again, “It’s okay. You won’t fall, so just come in.”

“…”

Following Lyches’s words, they took a step, and a peculiar sensation, as if they were stepping on thin air, was transmitted through the soles of their feet. They could walk as if they were touching something, even though there was clearly nothing there. Both Henes and Jun-sang were bewildered by the strange sensation they had never experienced before.

Seeing them looking uneasy, Lyches spoke again. “This is my research lab. You might think it feels a bit odd, but I have almost everything I need here.”

“…”

Jun-sang nodded, took out the metal plate he had in his pocket, and handed it to her. Lyches took it and tossed it into the air.

“What…”

Jun-sang frowned and was about to speak, but he closed his mouth when he saw a faint light shimmer around the metal plate floating in the air. Lyches moved her hands in the air a few times and then said to Jun-sang, “The magic circle itself is crude, but the security system hidden inside is quite elaborate. It’s going to take some time.”

“How long?”

Lyches tilted her head and then answered. “About half a day.”

“Do I need to stand by and watch?”

Lyches shook her head. “No. There’s no need for that. A sudden situation could happen, but with that level of protection… there won’t be much of a problem.”

“I see.”

As Jun-sang nodded, Lyches hesitated for a moment, then suggested cautiously, “Um… since it’s going to take some time anyway, how about we take a break?”

She had suggested this not only for Henes, who was tired from the long hike, but also because she wanted to treat them to something after they had finally returned home. But Jun-sang immediately shook his head.

“Later.”

“…”

“If I don’t need to stand by and watch, let’s head out for now. We need to move quickly if we’re going to keep making Spirit Gates.”

To travel all over the country and create Spirit Gates everywhere, there was no time to rest. Even though it was a bit troublesome and hard now, once they were created, they could travel anywhere easily later on. Besides, his plan was to create a Spirit Gate near Henes’s hometown, Ybelua, after he had set them up across the country.

However, Lyches, who couldn’t know what was on Jun-sang’s mind, could only nod with a crestfallen expression.