We began the autumn harvest.
It was a busy time, but a pleasant sort of busyness.
"Why must one such as I do this...?"
The one voicing complaints that threatened to spoil my good mood was the Fairy Queen. It seemed her reflection on her actions was still insufficient.
"Lu, get the bath ready."
"W-Wait, I was wrong! I simply need to harvest from here to there, correct? I understand perfectly. Come, let us work hard and work up a proper sweat through honest labor!"
The Fairy Queen hurriedly began pulling carrots. Normally, one would gather the leaves and pull them straight up, but since she wasn't used to it, she was breaking down the ridges first. Since all she had to do was collect the carrots after that, I wished she would just work hard without the commentary.
Yesterday morning, I had caught the Fairy Queen after she played a prank on the fields. While there was no confession, there were numerous eyewitness accounts. As for who testified? It was the other fairies. They had been more than eager to report the Fairy Queen's crimes. The testimony went quite smoothly; I’m just glad the pudding I set out for them didn't go to waste.
Yes, you can eat it. That’s all the pudding for now, but I’ll prepare some more sugar cane later.
For the time being, I listened to the Fairy Queen's excuse.
"Why did you play a prank on my fields?"
"Is there no pudding for me?"
"...We'll talk about that after we finish."
"It is a promise, then. Ahem. That drawing in the field is proof that I have graced this place with my presence. I pride myself on its craftsmanship. Especially those curves..."
I listened to her excuse, but the verdict was immediate: guilty. I wouldn't forgive her. In my mind, this was a crime on par with a wyvern's. However, it truly pained my conscience to thrust a spear into someone who looked like a human girl. I wondered what to do with her.
Come to think of it, Lu had mentioned wanting to soak a fairy in a solution. The queen was fully grown, but would it still work? I consulted Lu.
"About soaking the Fairy Queen in a solution... I've never actually done it, so I wonder what the result would be?"
"You don't know?"
"No one has ever caught a Fairy Queen before. I'm quite interested."
She had a rather terrifying smile on her face. How reliable.
"Oh, let me tell you beforehand, even if we soak her or her wings, it won't kill her. If they remain submerged, they eventually vanish and reappear elsewhere."
Apparently, the substance emitted when they vanish can be used as medicine. They say they reappear in another location, but the exact destination is unknown. Sometimes they appear right nearby, and other times they end up on a different continent.
"I wonder if the Fairy Queen will react the same way? If so, the substance she leaves behind will be... hee hee hee."
"Wait. She'd appear somewhere else? That’s a problem. That would just be letting her escape."
"You've piqued my curiosity this far; it's too late to back out now."
"No, no, she needs to be punished."
I grabbed the head of the Fairy Queen, who was attempting to sneak away.
"Ah, no, stop that!"
"Choose: the bath or labor."
"I refuse both... Urgyaaaaaa!"
The Fairy Queen was elusive. She was everywhere and nowhere—or so the stories said. However, she had a weakness. If she was being touched by someone else, she was no different from an ordinary person. This applied not only to my hand but also to the threads of Zabuton's children.
Before I had even discovered the Fairy Queen, one of Zabuton's children had already launched a thread. The reason she couldn't escape now was that Zabuton's thread was tied around her arms and legs. I had also tucked a single thread into her hair, just in case. Even if she managed to untie the threads on her limbs, she wouldn't get away. Heh heh heh.
For now, let's put her in the bath to see if any "juices" are produced. It’s not like we’re literally pickling her. I asked Lu if we should start with this. Should we prepare a dedicated tub and start with cold water? Or perhaps boiling?
"Wait! I was wrong!"
The Fairy Queen offered a haughty apology. I wondered if she even understood the concept of an apology.
"I shall use my power to restore the flattened wheat. Truly, a task of that level is no trouble at all... Eh? W-Wait, why my head?! O-Ow... it hurts so much I cannot speak!"
She did, in fact, restore the flattened wheat. It was an impressive sight; the stalks were being revived before my eyes. It brought a tear to my eye. However, while my anger was halved, it hadn't disappeared entirely. Still, I supposed the bath might be a bit too pitiful for her.
"Huhahahaha! You fool! You let your guard down!"
The Fairy Queen had untied the threads of Zabuton's child from her limbs.
"Farewell, you simpleton!"
She struck a mocking pose, but she didn't go anywhere. She just stayed right there.
"Allow me to say it instead. Farewell, you simpleton."
After half a day in a cold water bath, I had her spend half a day in a hot water bath.
And that brought us to the present. The Fairy Queen had agreed to my terms—that she would be forgiven if she helped with the harvest—and was now hard at work.
"Come to think of it, what happened to my portion of pudding? I can tell just by looking at it; it must be sweet and delicious!"
"Try to say such things only after you've actually worked."
"Am I not working?! I, the great queen, am staining my hands with soil!"
"Then tell me how many carrots you've harvested."
"Erm... it is over twenty!"
"Haha. Look over there."
The High Elves were harvesting potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and pumpkins. They were nearly finished.
"There are many of them! I am but one!"
"The area you're responsible for is only half a plot. Ten High Elves handled twenty plots. You see the difference?"
"I cannot do difficult arithmetic!"
"...I understand. Just do your assigned work in silence. I'll make sure you're fed."
"Pudding for lunch!"
"Did you already forget what I said? I'll say it again: say such things only after you've worked properly."
"Muu!"
This year's harvest was a lively one. And I was exhausted. Once the harvest ends, preparations for the martial arts tournament begin.
"You can go home now."
"Pudding!"
"I told you, I can't make it every day."
"Then sugar cane will suffice."
"You certainly are bossy."
"I am great! What problem is there with a great person acting according to her station?"
"I don't particularly mind. But if you do anything strange to the fields again..."
"I-I know! I shall do it no more. You are far too persistent."
"I don't mind being persistent. And just so you know, I'm not just talking about the fields here in this village."
"Eh?"
"Pranking farmers is wrong. Do you understand?"
"I... I understand."
"Good. Make sure you tell the other fairies that. You're their queen, right?"
"U-Umu. I am indeed great. Leave it to me. Hahahaha!"
"Haha. I'm counting on you."
If this reduced the hardships of farmers all over the world, I would be happy.
"Ah, there she is."
Lu found me and the Fairy Queen and walked over.
"Regarding the leftover bathwater... I've discovered it has various beneficial effects! I want to run more experiments by changing the temperatures; would that be alright?"
"I don't mind."
If the Fairy Queen could be of use, she should be investigated thoroughly.
"Wait, do not decide that on your own! I already loathe that bath!"
"I won't make the temperatures as extreme as before. This time, it'll be a pleasant temperature."
"I absolutely refuse!"
Lu tried to persuade her, but the Fairy Queen remained firm in her rejection. I suppose that was only natural, given how terrible the first time was. Besides, she had already finished her apology through labor; she wasn't strictly required to cooperate anymore.
So, I presented a reward.
"One pudding for every bath session. How about it?"
"...Make it three."
"Eggs are precious. Just one pudding. However, I'll decorate it with whipped cream and fruit."
"!"
The deal was struck. For a while after that, the sight of Lu boiling the Fairy Queen became a common occurrence in the village.
"She looks just like a witch."
"I'm not just 'like' one; I am a witch."
That was true. Furthermore, even when Lu didn't have experiments scheduled, the Fairy Queen would come to the village seeking sweets.
"I'll give them to you if you work."
"I am quite skilled at soothing children, you know."
It might actually be true, but it was a little scary to imagine, so I haven't taken her up on the offer just yet.