The decision to marry Leen brought a whole lot of trouble with it. I had to go to Mismede and explain the situation first. I had to promise to take care of appointing a new ambassador for Mismede after informing them that Leen would be stepping out. Fortunately, or should I say unsurprisingly, His Majesty the Beastking just broke out with his usual hearty laugh and gave me his blessing. Originally Mismede was a country founded by the seven major demi-human tribes. In their country, the leader reigns more or less as king, but there’s lots of cases in which the patriarchs of each respective tribes stand on equal grounds with him. It seems opposing Leen’s decision as matriarch of the fairy tribe would have been inconceivable for the other tribes. Just like Leen told me, the other tribes gave their blessings partly due to the fact she wasn’t deeply involved in the secrets of the kingdom. There’s many long lived races among them, so most of them have known Leen for a long time. The chancellor of the kingdom, Glatz, seemed really pleased with the news. But there was a single exception among all the creatures giving their blessings. “I’m strongly against this!” “Eris... I’d have guessed as much.” A single girl stood up voicing her obvious displeasure and shock to Leen’s decision. It was Eris of the fairy tribe, court magician of the Kingdom of Mismede. She looked about 20 years old, pretty different from Leen’s petite figure. But being a fairy, she was probably older than she seemed. Her hair was closer to white than platinum blonde, tied up into a ponytail that falls down the height of her shoulders. Her slender figure was clad in a pretty white blouse adorned with a jeweled ribbon around the chest area. Black stockings and pumps extended from the tight skirt she wore. She was also wearing a set of one bracelet and anklet on her right wrist and ankle respectively. On top of that she wore an open green robe, and she wielded a staff with some kind of white mark on it that exuded the vibe of intellectualism. There was nothing further from the truth, unfortunately. It was the total opposite of the girl throwing a tantrum in front of everyone right now. “Why must Miss Leen marry the man from Brunhild?! What of her duties as clan matriarch?!” “But I haven’t done anything here in about 100 years. It won’t make much of a difference whether I’m here or not, right? Ah, since we’re at it, I’m leaving the position of matriarch to you. Best of luck.” “Are you even listening to me?!” She looked more upset about it all by the second. I was concerned about dumping so much responsibility on her, but still... “Besides, why would you ever marry this child?! He won’t even last a century! I’m certain he must be wetting his bed every night!” “That’s just nonsense now.” I guess I can’t do anything about being like a baby when compared to centenary fairies, but calling me a child is kinda... I’m kind of the Grand Duke of a Duchy, come on. “But age is just a number. That doesn’t have to do anything with love, does it now? That’s why your partner is...” “N-N-N-Never mind that! Anyhow, I won’t accept this! I’m not about to hand Miss Leen over to some stranger!” “He’s not a stranger. I’ve told you a thousand times already. He’s the Grand Duke of Brunhild.” “Why you little...!” She was a real handful. I managed to see Paula by Leen’s feet shrugging in resignation. It was a real fuss. “You might have merits enough to take Miss Leen’s hand in marriage, but I won’t accept it until you prove yourself.” “How can I do that?” “A trial! If you can overcome the trial of the fairies I’ll allow you to take Miss Leen’s hand in marriage! But if you fail, the engagement will have to be called off!” Things went south pretty quick... But it wasn’t like I could run away. I didn’t know what she wanted me to do, but I resolved to try.
“The fairies take pride in their magic prowess! We can’t allow someone without that gift to marry our leader! You need control of the highest order over magic. I’ll have you show me your power!” The place chosen for our match was the arena standing behind the Mismede Palace. It was the same place I had my fight with the Beastking. It was as big as I remembered. I took a look at the stands and found there were actually people watching us. Maybe they caught wind of our match and came out of curiosity. Naturally, the king was on a special seat with an entertained look on his face. Have you considered doing your job, dear king? “What am I supposed to control?” “I shall strike you with magic! You’ll have to cancel it out! The attribute of the magic doesn’t matter! But it can’t be either too weak or too strong! If my magic touches you you’ll lose! Ah, barrier spells are prohibited, just so you know!” Isn’t the whole “I can choose any amount of power and attribute” part kind of unfair? Well whatever. I can negate attacks pretty easily. Well, it was true you wouldn’t be able to cancel your enemy’s magic unless you can match their strength, but there were other ways to negate damage. “So, in short, it’ll be okay as long as I negate your magic before it gets to me, right?” “Hmph! Enjoy the time you have to bluff while you can! Let’s start! Come forth, Fire! Crimson Javelin of Flames: [Fire Spear]!” A flame spear came out of the staff she was wielding. Oooh... I’d heard fairies weren’t very good at using fire magic, so I didn’t think fairies besides Leen could use it. But I guess this wasn’t the moment to be amazed. I conjured up my own magic to negate hers. “[Absorb]!” The fire spear dissipates and disappeared before it could hit me. “Huh?! What’s that?!” “It’s one of my null spells. It’s magic that allows me to transform your magic into magical power, is there a problem?” “Didn’t I say I wanted to see your control!? Sucking it up is foul play!” “Uh... But you said the attribute didn’t matter.” “No null magic!” Tsk. You do need control to manage using null magic like I can, you know? “So you have the gall to try and make a fool out of me... I’ll show you! Thunder, Heed my Call: [Thunder Spear]!” “Alright, geez! [Thunder Spear]!” The clash of the two spears echoed across the arena like a thunderclap, creating a sphere of energy right in the center of it. They canceled each other out and vanished. “Guh! Pierce, O Ice! Frozen Point: [Ice Needle]!” “[Ice Needle]...” Same result, the icy needles canceled each other out in the middle of the arena. It was easy to cancel a spell out by using the same spell. Although it wouldn’t be that difficult to do the same with opposing elements either. She was pretty simple to read. “Come forth, O Light! Shining Duet: [Light Arrow]!” “[Light Arrow].” The light arrows canceled each other out just like the icy needles did. After that the same happened with some fire spears and stone bullets. “Wait just a minute! How many elements can you handle!? Six if we count the null magic?! Are you the same as Miss Leen?!” “Eeh, not really...” “Eris, he can use all the elements. That makes him better than me.” “Excuse me!?” Her eyes went wide as saucers. It seemed like Eris could use fire, water, wind, earth, and light. Having aptitude for two elements was enough of a feat. Linze and Yumina could use three. The matriarch of the fairies, Leen, could use six. The fact that this girl could use five was more than amazing in its own right. “Why you...! Don’t get carried away!” She extended her hands and started gathering magical power. Oh? “Come forth, Fire! Crimson Duet: [Fire Arrow]! Come forth, Water! Feel My Blade, Both Cold and Clear: [Aqua Cutter]!” She conjured two spells at once and sent them flying towards me. Oh, so she can cast two types of magic at the same time? “Ugh... [Fire Arrow]. [Aqua Cutter].” I cast two spells at the same time just like her, and they canceled each other out. Her face was overcome by surprise, but it didn’t take long for that to be washed away by a raging red flush. Followed by a nonstop barrage of magic and angry prattling. “Take this! And this! You puny little...!” “Whoa! There! Hah!” I made sure to confirm the order of the random magic she hurled my way, and countered it with magic of the same type. Somehow, the more flustered she got only made me feel calmer. So much in fact I started thinking about how nice it would be if she threw a feint or something... “Guh... Hahh... Hahh...” Eris looked unsteady, she was leaning on her staff for support. Her legs were buckling, I wondered if she was alright. Leen, the referee, raised her hand. “That’s it. Eris ran out of magical power.” “I can keep going!” “It’d be nice if you stopped being so stubborn.” Paula walked to the spot Eris was standing and poked her legs. It didn’t take a second for her to fall down to her knees. She was on her last legs for sure. “Ugh...” “See? Running out of magic is a matter of life and death for magicians. I told you to always keep at least ten percent of your magic even in emergency cases, didn’t I?” “I-I’m sorry...” Leen used [Transfer] to give the weakened Eris some power back. She got up immediately and stared daggers at me. “This is not over! You’re sorely mistaken if you think magic prowess alone is enough to make you a fitting partner for Miss Leen!” What now...? She’s really pretty, but everything else about her is a disappointment. It feels like I’m dealing with a little kid or something. “Tsk, you were thinking something rude just now, weren’t you?” “Hm? Nope.” She was sharper than she looked, at least.
“This place is called the Lost Forest. It’s said that you’ll be lost forever if you can’t read the forest’s heart. ‘Tis but a trifling task for us fairies, but can a simple human go into this forest and come out?” She crossed her arms and looked at me arrogantly. We were in a forest south of Mismede, close to the Sea of Trees. The forest was a territory that belonged to the Fairy Tribe. Eris was so smug and self-assured because it was easy for outsiders to get lost. Unless one made a bond with the forest or got the help of a fairy, they’d be unable to escape. It was actually forbidden to enter due to a matter of public safety. “Getting cold feet? I don’t mind if you wanna stop here. In exchange, I don’t want to see you near Miss Leen ever again.” “Eris, enough of this.” Leen sighed at Eris’ cheap provocation. Once again, the stuffed bear, Paula, shrugged in resignation. “I’ll go in if that’s what you want. How do you want this done?” “There’s a giant apple tree in the middle of the forest. Take a fruit and come back here. If you can even get there in the first place, that is. Well, if you haven’t managed to come out in two days, I’ll go to your rescue.” Rescue, huh... That part about coming to my rescue sounds a bit suspicious... ah well. “Just so you know, you can’t use magic inside this forest. No transportation or searching magic either, you hear me?” “Ugh.” And here I was about to use the map to find the apple and come back using a portal, she shot me right down. Tsk. “Are you sure you’ll be okay? You don’t have to go along with everything Eris says. You know.” Leen spoke with a slight frown on her face. She seemed worried about me. “It’s fine, honestly. I’ll manage somehow even without magic.” “Hmph! I hope you’re having a fun time trying to show off, because it won’t last long!” Eris spoke again, smug and confident in herself. I wasn’t really trying to sound cool or anything, though. Well, I guess talking won’t do me much good, so I better wrap this up as soon as I can. “Alright then, I’m going.” I took my first step into the lost forest and waved them off. ... One Hour Later... “Why?! How did you manage it so fast?! Who’s that girl?!” Eris screamed at me as I munched an apple. There was a green-haired girl with a puzzled expression by my side. Her long hair flowed like a waterfall of emeralds. It matched her green dress perfectly. The confusion was clear in her jade eyes as she looked at the girl ranting in front of her. “I was wondering if my voice would make it to anyone since the place’s so close to the sea of trees, she really saved me.” “Oh no, I didn’t do anything... Heh... Umm, is she okay?” “Don’t ignore me! That’s why I asked who she was!” I ignored her on purpose, and wouldn’t you guess, she got mad again. Maybe I’m teasing her a little too much. Sorry, Eris.
“She’s a forest spirit. One of the avatars of the great tree that rules over the sea of trees. Everything went smoothly when I asked her to guide me.” “Huh?” “Mister Touya is a patron of the sea of trees. This bit of help is nothing of importance. Besides...” Whoa there, don’t go revealing my divinity... I got her attention and put my index finger over my mouth to keep the spirit from talking any further. Leen didn’t miss the gesture, she put her hands over her hips and lets out an exasperated sigh. Even Paula, who was standing by her feet, copied her. “Darling, I don’t think using a spirit as guide is appropriate.” “It felt more like mediation rather than guidance, really. Something along the lines of not letting the lost forest get in my way.” Besides, the forest’s heart Eris was talking about in the first place means the spirits that lived in it. The great tree spirit was the same as the small spirits that lead the people who enter the forest astray. Basically, they had freedom to do as they pleased. The fact they lead people astray is probably due to their role as protectors of the apple tree. It seems like a place for all the little spirits to have fun and relax, after all. The fairies were friends to the forest spirits, so they weren’t taken astray by them. “Why does a forest spirit have to guide you?! It’s inexcusable, isn’t it!? Come on now, admit it!” “Eris, you’re aware of the aggressive stance you’re taking against the leader of a whole nation, aren’t you? This person is the Grand Duke of Brunhild. You’re Mismede’s court magician. One step in the wrong direction can mean the end of diplomatic relationships, you know that, don’t you? You’d do well to think before talking when you have part of the weight of the whole country on your shoulders.” “Uuuh...” Eris flinched a bit when the person she respected so much talked to her like that. Well, I (and probably Mismede’s king) didn’t mind so much, but that may not apply for the rest of the nations. It’d be bad if she offended another nation in public. “W-Well be thankful you got lucky enough to meet a spirit! If you hadn’t, you’d have gotten lost and you would have begged and cried for my help!!!” “Yeah, yeah. I get it. Is it over now?” “Of course not! Don’t think you’re even remotely a match for Miss Leen! Even if she approves, you don’t have approval from the clan’s elders!” “The elders of the fairy tribe?” I looked back at Leen, and she had an unusually troubled expression on her face. I wondered what was up. “The elders... I’m sure it’ll be fine. I wrote a letter to them explaining the circumstances.” Something seemed off. She was frowning. Her usual cute face seemed troubled. “What’s the deal with the elders, are they higher in status than you?” “In a sense. The elders are successive in our clan. It is their job to guide the current leaders and shape their direction of the fairy tribe.” “You never really spoke about them.” Leen’s voice fell to a low murmur. From what I understood, the tribe elders would guide the new generation before passing on their titles to their successors. “Miss Leen! They simply didn’t reply because they didn’t feel the need to! You’ve done much for our people.” That seemed right. As far as I knew, Leen had increased the standing of the fairies in Mismede by a whole bunch. “You still must meet with them for approval!” “No, that isn’t necessary.” I looked to Leen. “Well, I think I should probably meet with them. Even if they don’t have a lot of spare time, it’s important.” “Hmph. Then you wish to meet with them? The elders have recently been playing this game called shogi, though. They haven’t had much time on their hands.” Eris’ words surprised me. I didn’t realize shogi had even spread that far. But then again, Olba was my main distributor, and he was from Mismede... So it wasn’t all that odd. “If you wish to meet with the elders of the fairy village, I can take you.” The forest spirit spoke up. That certainly was convenient. “Thanks, spirit.” “...If you insist.” Leen didn’t seem all that amused. She must have really had a disdain for her tribe’s elders. I wondered if they were really as much trouble as she was suggesting, though. Either way, I wanted to do this by the book. If I was to marry Leen, I wanted to let everyone related to her know it. The forest spirit touched a large tree nearby, and the trunk opened up to form a passageway. “This will take you to the elders of the fairy village. By all means, please make use of it.” “Gotcha!” Eris leaped through the passage. Paula skipped onwards too, tugging at Leen’s arm. I followed behind them, and it closed behind us. “Hm...?” Eventually the tunnel ended and we came out into the open. We were still in the forest, of course. There were lots of houses in the trees. They looked like log cabins. Bridges joined all the trees together, too. And naturally there were people on those bridges and in those houses, too. Flowers and grass swayed in the breeze. It was a beautiful place indeed. A man walking nearby took notice, and he looked over towards us. He had insect-like wings on his back, much like Leen’s. He looked like a twenty-year-old man. “Huh? Leen’s here?” “Ah... Sureigis... It’s been a while.” Leen smiled softly. He looked pretty young, so I didn’t think he was one of the elders. Then again, he could’ve been... Fairies stopped aging after a fixed point. So he could’ve been really, really old. “I’ll say! It’s been like four-hundred years! Ever since you skipped town after blowing away Ermela’s house...” “I don’t remember trivial things like that.” Leen leered slightly at Sureigis. Wh... She blew away someone’s house?! “My my... The villainous fairy Leen has finally shown up to face down the elders... Have you finally come to accept your... role... as matri...arch...?” The man’s voice gradually slowed and became quieter. Leen was staring him down, flicking fireballs between her fingers as if they were simple toys. Paula was shivering in some pattern of faux-fear. I remembered Leen being good with fire magic, which was rare for a fairy. “Goodness, Sureigis... You want to be cooked that badly?” “N-No! A-Ah, look at the time! I-I better go inform everyone of your arrival, hahaah!” Sureigis ran off like the wind was carrying him. He sure could run... Leen let out a little sigh. As she did, the fireballs vanished. She got a little bit embarrassed when she noticed me staring at her. “Ah... W-Well... There was an incident some t-time ago, I... I was just a child! Aaagh! I-I’m not so hot-headed now, I promise! That was the past, the past!” Leen’s cheeks turned red as she got herself all flustered. I wondered if that was why she was reluctant to meet the elders. Perhaps they only knew Leen as some rampant troublemaker. She turned her face away and attempted to compose herself. She usually wore such a cool and calm expression, so seeing her like this was a rare treat. “D-Don’t laugh...” “Sorry, sorry. You shouldn’t get worked up, though. Everyone did stupid things as a kid. Even I did.” “Hmph. From my perspective you’re still a kid.” “Oh hush it. I mean it, I’m much more mature than I used to be. When I was thirteen and fourteen, I was especially troublesome...” It was funny to think about... That was only a year or two before God had sent me to this new world... But it felt like a lifetime ago. I used to mess around with motorcycle gangs, and I helped ruin the social life of a sketchy substitute teacher who was trying to make a girlfriend out of one of his students... Thinking back, I did some reckless crap. Even if I had good intentions, there were better ways to go about it... I wasn’t entirely sure how much I’d matured, really... But I knew I was a different man in this world. “My feelings for you won’t change, Leen. In fact, I’m glad for the past you had and the past I had. Without either, we’d have never met.” “Hehe... I... I like that... Thank you, darling.” Leen gently hugged me. That was rare. When the other fiancees were around, Leen typically stayed in the background. Seemed like she took her chances whenever she could get them. “What the heck are you two doing?! Quit hugging in public! Gross! Losers!” Eris ruined the moment by physically prying Leen and I apart. Paula gently hugged my leg. Th-Thanks... “Wow, it’s really Leen...” “Long time no see, are you well?” “Nena, Ati... I’m glad to see you.” A girl who looked to be about twenty, and a girl who looked to be about eight both ran over towards us. Nena looked like a typical little girl you’d find in a village. Her hair was white and done up in braids that flowed down her front. I wondered if this child was an elder. Ati, on the other hand... Well, she was as flat as a board. If her hair wasn’t long she’d have easily been mistaken for a man. She seemed aloof, kind of like a stern older sister. “We heard the news! Congratulations!” “Is the rumor true? We heard you’d caught yourself a little boytoy.” “Gh-! How do you know already?! We only just told the Beastking!” Leen looked completely taken aback, and Ati spoke up in response. “Heh... Elders have their own information sources, you know. Everyone already knows.” “What?!” Leen seemed a little annoyed. But, before we knew it, we’d been whisked off to a grand banquet alongside the elders of the village. “Let’s hear it for Leen and the Grand Duke of Brunhild! Cheers!” “Cheers!” Fireflies illuminated the night like magical lanterns as I greeted each elder one-by-one. Leen followed, and I ended up hearing many stories about her past. This often ended in Leen getting embarrassed or irritated, though. It was funny. Amazingly, everyone was happy, and we celebrated all night long. Nobody objected to the marriage. Well. Nobody except Eris, who was still grumbling in the corner. “Hrmph...” Apparently everything had been smoothed out for a while. The elders had long-forgotten the fuss that made Leen leave the village. “Eris...” “Miss Leen...” Leen went over to talk with Eris. She was trouble, but she still cared about Leen a lot. They were family, in a sense. “Come on now... Isn’t this good enough? You know I’m no fool... Don’t you trust in me? Hey, Eris... You know... Your approval would mean more to me than any of the elders.” “I... I... Don’t want you to leave us, Leen... Everyone leaves... And we finally formed a nation for people like us... It’s only been around for twenty years, and... And you’re leaving!” Leen sighed, then gave Eris a little hug. “Hey now... This is my home, Eris. And I trust you dearly with the responsibilities. I’m giving this to you because of what you mean to me, alright? You’re the matriarch, and you’ll be wonderful. Someday you’ll pass it on, as well... We pass on our feelings that way. I’ll watch over you, and I’ll guide you too. Just like the elders do.” “Miss Leen...” “Please take care, Eris... You mustn’t get headstrong. You’re in an important position now, and you must lead our people with care and grace. Promise me you’ll stand up against injustice. In or out of Mismede. If you don’t... I’ll... Pinch your nose!” “Gah!” Leen grinned as she gently squeezed Eris’ nose. Paula, who was at Leen’s feet, gradually shuffled off to do her own thing. After a while, Eris came over to me. She pointed a finger in my direction. “You... I... I reluctantly admit that you mean much to Miss Leen! But know that I will come down upon you if you fail to make her happy!” “That goes without saying... But I promise. I’ll make Leen as happy as can be.” “H-Hmph!” Eris shuffled off with a little blush on her face. I thought I caught her smiling as she went back to the elders. “Man, I’m tired...” “Well hey... We got her blessing.” Leen sat down next to me. We had gone through a lot, but we’d finally sorted it all out. “I wish she’d just been honest from the beginning. That girl has a troublesome personality... But her heart’s in the right place.” Leen smiled and sighed. I definitely agreed with that. I wondered if she’d be alright as the new matriarch. “I asked the elders to watch her closely. What comes next is for Eris and the fairies to determine, not us.” Leen rested her head on my shoulder. I was a little embarrassed, but... We were engaged, so it was fine. Eris had accepted it, and so had the others. ...... My liege, do you hear me? Are you getting this?? “Huh... What’s going on...” I could hear Kohaku’s voice in my head. I wondered if something had happened. ?Uh... Hold on, how do I do this again... Ah. Right! Yeah, I hear you!? ?Touya! Where are you right now?? Yumina’s voice came through in my head, and my blood ran cold. Oh shit. I didn’t tell them I’d be out late! I’ve gone and done it again! “A-Ah... Yumina... Uhm. Right now I’m just at the village of the fairies with Leen.” ?Alright, thanks. We should all go there sometime, too! I hope you’re having fun. It’s just getting late, so don’t forget to keep us in the loop next time.? Goddammit. I really need to remember the fact that I can use telepathic messaging... Paula was shivering like crazy. C-Calm down, you’re okay... Anyway, I need to tell you-? “It’s okay! We’re coming home right now! I’ll be there in thirty seconds!” I didn’t want another lecture, so I cut off the transmission, told the elders that we had to leave, grabbed Leen, grabbed Paula, whipped open a [Gate] and hurtled through at mach speed. “...I wish you the best!” Just as we went through the portal, I heard Eris’ parting words. She seemed a little drunk, but... The two of us smiled. “Yes, let’s be happy together, darling...” “That’s the plan.” Paula mimed a little giggle as I replied to Leen.
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