"I shall bestow my divine protection upon you."
Following the Fairy Queen’s words, Allen and Milly bowed humbly, clearly overwhelmed with gratitude. Shara offered a slight bow with a mysterious smile, while Pino simply grinned from ear to ear.
To the Fairy Queen, the Spirit God and the Destiny God were far superior beings. It seemed she felt a bit hesitant to grant us her own protection after such high-ranking deities had already done so. I suppose it was a bit like a manager worrying about stepping on the toes of the boss's favorites.
Because of that, she had looked for an alternative, and the choice eventually fell upon the Petit Golems. Bestowing divine protection on golems was likely unheard of, but the Fairy Queen didn't bat an eye as she complied. Then again, with no other candidates available, she might not have had much of a choice.
The effect of the protection increased natural mana recovery and reduced damage from natural hazards like terrain traps. I wasn't entirely sure if those effects would even apply to golems, but more importantly, it seemed we could now visit the Fairy Realm even without an invitation.
We had successfully returned Roro to her home, and our audience was over. Our main goals had been achieved, but there was still one more thing I wanted to ask.
"I’d like to gather some ingredients for potions. Would it be alright if I did some gathering while we're here?"
I worried it might be a bit of a bold request, but the Queen simply smiled.
"You are Roro’s benefactor, after all. As long as you don't take too much, I do not mind. However, the resources here ultimately belong to the fairies who live among them. You must consult with them and pay whatever price they desire."
"I see. Understood!"
Paying a price made perfect sense. Since I was taking things the fairies looked after, it was only fair. Whatever they asked for would be up to them, but I was just grateful for the opportunity to get my hands on these materials.
While I had specifically asked for potion ingredients, she told me I was free to gather other resources as well, provided I negotiated with the managing fairies first. The Fairy Realm was home to all sorts of fairies; apparently, there were even some who managed mines. I made a mental note to check those out when I had the chance. Now that Allen and the others had the Queen's protection, we could come back whenever we wanted.
For now, though, I needed potion ingredients. Led by Roro, we headed back toward the flower fairies' territory.
"So, what exactly is it you're looking for?"
"I want rare plants that can be used in potions."
"Even if you tell me that, I wouldn't know! I don't make potions, so I have no idea what's useful."
She had a point. I needed to be more specific.
"Right. Do you have any Goldidilla? It looks like a golden four-leaf clover."
"Oh, those! They turn up in the clover patches every now and then. I can take you to where the clovers grow!"
I’d narrowed my request down to the Goldidilla since it was a vital ingredient for Status Enhancement Potions, and it seemed Roro knew exactly where to find them. As we followed her through the fields, the scenery slowly shifted. There weren't neat borders like in a garden, but the types of flowers definitely changed as we went deeper, even if they were still a bit intermingled.
"We're here! But those golden clovers aren't easy to find, you know. Think you can actually spot one?"
"Hmm, probably."
Unlike the village I’d visited before, this wasn't an endless field of nothing but clovers. Searching would be a bit more of a challenge, but I figured I’d find something eventually. I knelt down to test my luck.
"Oh. There’s one."
"That was way too fast!"
I'd gotten lucky right off the bat. At this rate, I’d be able to secure plenty of Goldidilla. I could have used my Item-finding Rod if I got stuck, but that tool didn't work well when the ground was covered in thick vegetation anyway. I was glad I could find them on my own.
"Is it okay if I pick a few of these Goldidilla?"
"They're rare, but to us, they're no different from the other clovers. Go ahead."
"Thanks. So, what should I give you in return?"
"Hmm, let me see..."
Roro thought for a moment before shouting to the surroundings. "Everyone! Come here!" The flower fairies who had been watching us from a distance swarmed over, and an impromptu meeting began. After a flurry of noisy debate, Roro spoke up as their representative.
"We want something sweet! Something even sweeter than flower nectar!"
"Something sweet, huh...?"
Everybody loved sweets. Ever since I’d gotten my hands on eggs and milk, I’d been making all sorts of treats. I had plenty of ingredients in my Storage Ring, so I could whip something up right now. The only question was what to make.
"Hey, hey, Spira! Let's make soft serve! It's been a while!"
"Ooh, good idea! Let's do it, let's do it!"
Before I could even make a suggestion, Halfa and the others had already made up their minds.
Soft serve, huh? That was the dish that had won them the cooking contest back in Garond. It was a bit of a hassle to prepare, so we didn't make it often, but it seemed the girls were finally in the mood for it again.