Chapter 44

The port town of Feiraya. It is the largest port town in the Kingdom of Alphasia, serving as both a fishing and a military port on a grand scale.

Naturally, there is a lot of human traffic, with a scale of people coming and going that far exceeds that of an ordinary fishing port.

That said, everyone here is a local. It seems that players have not yet reached this town.

I wonder how the other players are currently moving... Well, I suppose I could ask someone like Hizama or Eleonora.

After arriving, I was a bit hungry, so I sat at a beach grill stand and devoured the fish, shellfish, and shrimp I had bought.

"Truly, the real deal is different when it's fresh."

I haven't traveled much, and I don't have much experience eating on the spot like this.

Well, I do have experience traveling abroad, but that wasn't for leisure.

While it's a bit disappointing to be in a game, the ability to enjoy a simulated travel experience is a significant advantage.

The food here is no different from the real world. Moreover, I can eat as much as I want without worrying about my real-world physique.

Just for that, starting this game was worth it.

Gratefully thanking Hizama in my heart, I finished the beach grill and handed the plate to the server before starting to walk through the town.

Incidentally, Lumina doesn't seem to have much interest in seafood. Her main diet is fruits, and she doesn't eat meat or fish.

This isn't a matter of preference but rather her nature.

(What a waste. I wonder if she'll be able to eat them after evolving.)

Having a limited range of foods to enjoy is a loss in life.

If I can travel through this world, it would be more fun to be able to eat a wider variety of things.

Well, I can't even imagine what direction her evolution will take.

"So, Lumina, is this the right direction?"

"―――!"

In response to my question, Lumina nodded confidently and continued to point in the same direction.

Judging by the direction, it seems to indicate a position slightly away from the port... but if we go too far, we'll end up at the sea.

I don't have a way to go out to sea right now, and it's unclear if I can rent a fishing boat.

Praying in my heart that we don't have to go to sea, I continued down the road leading to the port.

The town is still bustling with people, but—

(The soldiers seem to be in a hurry.)

In a corner of the town, I can see soldiers running around in a hurry.

Their expressions are uniformly serious. They are definitely dealing with something important.

Well, there's only one thing that comes to mind.

(The news about the demons must have reached here. We can't just ignore it, after all.)

This town is also a military port. Naturally, a considerable number of the country's military forces are stationed here.

In terms of defensive capabilities, it's more reassuring than places like Fauskatze or Librum.

However, this town has a large number of civilians relative to its size.

Even with the military forces gathered here, it's unlikely they can protect all the civilians.

They need to come up with a way to protect the civilians.

"Well, that old man is here, so if we can manage the civilians, we should be fine."

"―――?"

"No, it's nothing. Let's hurry on."

I gave a wry smile to the puzzled Lumina and continued on.

The port was now quite close, and I could smell the briny scent of the sea and the fish as I approached the landing area.

Then, Lumina looked around, seemed to be in thought for a while, and pointed in a slightly different direction.

This—

"Could it be that we're close to the destination?"

"―――!"

Lumina nodded in response to my question.

It seems we are quite close to the fairy village.

This direction also means we won't end up in the sea.

Relieved, I started moving in the direction Lumina indicated.

It seems to be pointing towards a cape next to the fishing port.

"Hmm... is that it?"

Focusing my eyes, I could see a small stone building at the tip of the cape Lumina was pointing to.

It seems that is our destination. It's a dilapidated building that doesn't seem to fit the fairy theme... but if Lumina says so, it must be correct.

There's no one around. Still, I cautiously approached.

As I got closer, I could see the entire building.

"This is... a shrine, I suppose."

It was a small, white stone shrine.

The door was closed, and I couldn't see what was inside, but it seemed out of place on the brown cliff.

However, the feeling of standing in front of an abandoned shrine made it clear that this was a sacred place.

But—

"Is it okay to enter?"

Lumina was indeed pointing to this building.

There doesn't seem to be a keyhole on the door, and it doesn't appear to be locked.

But I wasn't sure if it was okay to enter without permission.

I don't know who manages this place, but I decided to at least check if the door was open.

As I thought this and reached for the door—

"―――!?"

Feeling a sense of unease, I reflexively leaped backward—before I landed, the light leaking from the door had already turned my surroundings white.

Shielding my eyes from the blinding light as I landed, I noticed the change.

—The ground beneath my feet was no longer the hard rocky ground.

The smell around me had changed from the scent of the sea to the deep scent of the forest, and the sound of the waves had turned into the rustling of the trees.

"Quest: 'Invitation to the Fairy Village' has begun."

—The surroundings had suddenly changed to a forest with dense trees.

I couldn't identify the types of trees. They were all massive trees I had never seen before.

Moreover, around them, faint, colorful lights were flickering.

Looking up at the sky, it was blue, but it seemed to be distorted by a faint rainbow light.

A fantastical landscape I had never seen before. I was so captivated by the scenery that I didn't even notice the announcement.

Then—

"―――!"

"Hey, Lumina!?"

Lumina, her face glowing with excitement, flew off from my side and headed into the forest.

Chasing after her, the forest of giant trees soon gave way to a clear lake.

A lake so clear that the bottom was visible. Lumina stopped at the shore and pointed to the center of the lake, beckoning me.

But even without her guidance, I had already been staring at what lay ahead.

Because—there, in the center of the lake, stood a castle of white marble.

"Is that our destination?"

"―――♪"

A castle from a fairy tale, existing in this fantastical space.

I couldn't help but chuckle, wondering if I had somehow wandered into a storybook.

Finally regaining my composure, I sighed and took a deep breath.

The unexpected series of events had left me flustered.

"Phew... Well, if that's our destination, we need to find a way across the lake. But there's no boat around."

In this space, the only artificial structure visible was that castle.

It would be unlikely to find a boat.

Swimming might be possible, but I'd rather avoid the water, not knowing what might be living in it.

As I frowned, wondering what to do—

"—There's no need to worry, child of man."

"Wha!?"

A voice suddenly echoed, and the lake in front of me began to change.

Something was rising from the water.

What emerged, lifting the water, was a giant lotus leaf.

It was about five meters in diameter, clearly not a natural occurrence.

"I will invite you to my castle. Please come."

"Understood."

The voice seemed to belong to the lord of the castle.

I didn't know what it was, but it seemed to be a being far beyond human understanding.

I briefly considered the possibility of a trap, but there was nothing I could do to guard against it.

I jumped onto the lotus leaf, being careful not to slip.

"Huh? Oh... surprisingly stable."

I had expected it to wobble or sink, but the lotus leaf provided a soft, stable surface.

As I stood in the center of the lotus leaf with Lumina perched on my shoulder, the leaf began to move on its own.

This was a rather whimsical way to travel. I chuckled, thinking it didn't suit me, when I suddenly felt eyes on me.

Wondering if it was the voice's owner, I looked in that direction and couldn't help but smile.

"Look, Lumina, it's your friends."

"―――!"

Lumina looked up in the direction I pointed and waved her arms excitedly.

Several fairies were flying in the air.

They seemed to be observing us on the lotus leaf, discussing something among themselves.

After a while, they seemed to make a decision and flew over to us, circling around us.

They appeared to be observing us.

"―――"

"―――?"

"―――!"

"―――"

"―――!?"

While I couldn't hear the fairies' voices, I didn't sense any hostility.

In fact, they started to look more and more cheerful, touching me and then retreating.

They seemed to be playing with me, but since I wasn't being attacked, I didn't mind.

As I watched the fairies, the white castle gradually came into view, and as we landed on the island, the fairies flew away.

I chuckled at their waving goodbyes and waved back with Lumina.

"We've arrived. The fairies' castle, I suppose."

"―――?"

"Yes, let's go meet the owner of that voice."

I nodded to the puzzled Lumina and stepped into the castle, its gates wide open.

The interior of the castle wasn't particularly luxurious, but it had a mysterious atmosphere with vines covering parts of it.

I didn't see any living beings, but I could sense their presence everywhere.

It seemed the fairies were hiding.

However, I didn't sense any hostility, so I continued straight ahead.

If the voice's owner was what I imagined, they would be waiting in the main hall.

"Is this it?"

A strong presence was gradually getting closer.

As expected, it was the main hall, directly in front of the entrance.

The space, illuminated by the colorful light from the stained glass, had a path in the center, with plants and colorful flowers blooming on either side.

At the far end, on a stone staircase, sitting on a giant lotus flower, was a girl with golden hair.

She had clear, blue eyes like a lake and a smile on her well-formed lips, looking delighted.

"Welcome, friend of the fairies. I am Queen Titania, ruler of this fairy village."

Queen Titania, the fairy queen. The girl, who was the size of a fairy, looked at me with wide eyes, smiling.

■Avatar Name: Quon

■Gender: Male

■Race: Human

■Level: 15

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 18

VIT: 14

INT: 18

MND: 14

AGI: 12

DEX: 12

■Skills

Weapon Skill: 《Sword: Lv.15》

Magic Skill: 《Enhancement Magic: Lv.12》

Set Skill: 《Dead Point Strike: Lv.13》

《MP Auto Recovery: Lv.7》

《Plundering Sword: Lv.9》

《Identification: Lv.12》

《Life Sword: Lv.10》

《Demon Slaying Sword: Lv.4》

《Tame: Lv.4》

《HP Auto Recovery: Lv.6》

Sub Skill: 《Mining: Lv.1》

Title Skill: 《Fairy's Blessing》

■Current SP: 12

■Monster Name: Lumina

■Gender: Female

■Race: Fairy

■Level: 10 (MAX)

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 5

VIT: 8

INT: 24

MND: 17

AGI: 14

DEX: 10

■Skills

Weapon Skill: None

Magic Skill: 《Light Magic》

Skill: 《Light Attribute Enhancement》

《Flight》

《Magic Resistance: Medium》

《MP Auto Recovery》

Title Skill: 《Fairy Queen's Follower》