In those days, children were viewed as little more than a source of labor. People worked them to the bone without a second thought, giving no consideration to their education. It was during that era that a certain rumor began to spread.
"Force your children to labor, and the fairies will lay waste to your fields."
In truth, any field where children were subjected to heavy labor was indeed ravaged by mysterious means. Since posting guards proved useless, the people of that time grew to fear the phenomenon. Perhaps as a result, the working conditions for children have improved significantly in the modern day.
Even so, there are still those who occasionally mistreat them. The fairies are the ones who appear before such people to play repeated pranks. That was what Progenitor-san told me.
"I don't exactly make my children do heavy labor, though."
"They also show up in perfectly fine places just to pull pranks. That's just another side of the fairies."
What a nuisance. Still, the reason Progenitor-san shared that story was likely because I had told the Fairy Queen to stop messing with the fields. He was suggesting that her actions served a purpose in their own way.
I see.
"Fair enough. I'll tell her I don't mind what she does as long as she doesn't lay a hand on my fields."
"I appreciate that. Though, please be very careful with your wording. If you phrase it poorly, she’ll think it’s an invitation to do whatever she likes to any field that isn't yours."
Haha. I’ve only known the Fairy Queen for a short time, but I could easily see that happening. I’ll be mindful of how I speak to her.
Looking over at the Ranch Area, I spotted the Fairy Queen playing with the Goats. She had a stalk of Sugar Cane clamped between her teeth and a wicked glint in her eyes. Somewhere along the line, she had managed to take command of the Goats. That was actually quite impressive, considering those Goats won't even listen to my requests, let alone my orders.
And then, while riding a Goat, she led a charge into the area where the Cows were kept. Hey now. Cows are usually easygoing, but they’re terrifying when they get angry.
Predictably, the Goats turned on her right in front of the Cows. They practically served the Fairy Queen up on a silver platter and bolted. Typical. The Goats wouldn't be themselves if they acted any other way.
As for the Fairy Queen, she scrambled away as fast as her legs could carry her. She fled all the way to the top of the log Athletic Course I had built in the Ranch Area. She looked genuinely terrified, yet from her high perch, she started Taunting the Cows.
The problem was, the Cows could climb that structure. And sure enough, she was quickly cornered. It was a bit much for her to look at me for help now.
The other Fairies were much better behaved. they were relaxing peacefully in the flower field. In a way, it was a fantastical sight—provided the small, human-shaped Fairies weren't so crude. If you’re going to sleep on top of flower petals, please try to maintain a more modest posture. My children might try to imitate you.
As the martial arts tournament drew near, the number of guests in the village increased. Dos, Raimeiren, and Giral all arrived. However, after catching sight of the Fairy Queen, they each wore a somber expression and immediately decided to pretend they hadn't seen her.
"Are you all acquaintances?" I asked.
"We are not strangers, but conversing with that one is an exercise in futility," Dos replied, his voice heavy with the weight of past struggles.
I wondered if she had pulled a prank on him in the past. Knowing him, he wouldn't have just let it slide, which meant the Fairy Queen was someone who had managed to survive an encounter with him. When I thought about it like that, she was actually quite remarkable.
"The Fairy Queen is an ally to children," Raimeiren added. "If you leave her to look after them, she will play with them quite happily... but she has a habit of leading them away in the middle of the night, so you must be cautious."
Raimeiren warned me to keep her away from Hiichiro. I wasn't sure what she expected me to do about it, but I had already confirmed the kidnapping habit myself. Hakuren had caught them in the act after noticing Urza looked exhausted during the day. As punishment, I had forced the Fairy Queen to soak in a scalding hot bath for two days.
"That thing is strong in its own way," Giral remarked. "Smart, too. I've had a terrible time at her hands twice before."
At first, I wasn't sure who Giral was talking about. When it finally clicked that he meant the Fairy Queen, I was stunned. The Fairy Queen was strong? And smart?
Could her behavior up until now have been an act?
"No, that is also the Fairy Queen's true form. How should I put it..."
As Giral struggled to find the words, Raimeiren stepped in to help.
"It would be faster to simply see it for yourself."
Raimeiren made a request to the Fairy Queen. In response, the Queen summoned several massive Vines from the ground and allowed them to envelop her. The Vines wove themselves into a sphere before blooming open.
Inside lay... a bedroom? No, it looked more like a throne room. The Vine Throne sat in the center, and the Fairy Queen was perched upon it. Her appearance seemed slightly more mature, and the atmosphere radiating from her was distinctly different.
"Speak, human. Is there something you require of me?"
Who was this? The Fairy Queen? She certainly looked the part now, but was she suffering from a dual personality?
"What is the matter? If you stand there dazed, I can answer nothing."
"Uh, well... why did you charge at the Cows?"
"Because it seemed like it would be amusing. And yet, those Goats... despite swearing loyalty to me, they betrayed me at the ultimate moment. I shall not forgive them."
Yeah, it was definitely the same person. I was convinced.
So this was the "strong" version of the Fairy Queen Giral had mentioned.
"Why don't you stay in this form all the time?" I asked.
"This form is poorly received by children. The animals dislike it as well. Ah, that reminds me, Village Head. I wish to eat those things called Pancakes you made before. I want them again."
Before I could even respond, the Fairy Queen stepped down from the Vine Throne. Immediately, she shrunk back down. Her regal atmosphere vanished, returning to its usual state. Was she only powerful while within the Vine Throne?
Giral answered my unspoken question.
"She uses those Vines to create her own territory. As long as she is within it, she maintains that form. Those Vines are a nuisance; they won't even burn away under my breath. I fought her once, and I have no desire to do it again."
To hear Giral say something like that was impressive. The Fairy Queen was no slouch.
"She would parry every single one of my attacks while preaching incessantly about the virtues of Sweets," Giral muttered. "It was enough to drive a man out of his mind."
Yep, that was definitely the Fairy Queen.
"Village Head, Pancakes!" the little Queen begged, tugging at my clothes.
She wasn't going to stop until she got what she wanted. Well, I suppose it was fine.
"I understand. We'll have Pancakes for today's snack."
The Fairy Queen cheered and went running off toward the children. She was likely going to tell Urza and Alfred so that I couldn't back out of my promise later. Clever girl.
That left one problem. What was I supposed to do with the Vines she had summoned? They were still sitting there, taking up a considerable amount of space.
Lu, Tia, and Flora solved that problem for me. They descended on the site with glee, hacking the Vines into pieces to take back to their workshops. Apparently, they were a primary ingredient for high-grade Magic medicine.
Between the pranks and the unintended benefits, the Fairy Queen was starting to seem like a walking medicinal herb.