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Bolton’s Territory was suddenly thrown into chaos.

“What the heck is this fly!? Ow! My ear!”

“Ouch! Get off my cow, you pests! Shoo! Shoo!”

“Jack Frost, huh!? No, he looks totally different!”

Before the Grizzly Beaver incident, Bolton was just an ordinary village you could find anywhere in Iceland.

This meant there were more people who didn’t even know what a fairy was.

Let alone Jack Frost, the residents of Bolton who had never even seen a single fairy in their lives were now in a state of confusion.

And that confusion began to settle down gradually, thanks to adventurers from the continent and those who had visited the continent.

To be precise, what they did wasn’t anything remarkable.

They simply shared one piece of information.

“Hey, what are you doing throwing this away!?”

“Huh? It’s just some shiny sand—”

“Hey, this is all money! Quick, scoop it up!!!”

Fairies were significant cash cows for low-tier adventurers.

In other words, they were worth money.

Before winter hit, the value of fairy materials became known to adventurers who were on quests to earn money in Iceland.

“Hey! Scoop it up!”

“This is way more economical than hunting wild undead!”

And it’s just that fairies were easier to kill too.

Giggle—What the heck!?

“Hey, Marcus’s Mom, where did you get that net?”

“These critters! They’re too quick, but we can catch them!”

The people of Bolton’s Territory began to fervently hunt fairies, their eyes lighting up in unison as they followed the adventurers.

Especially the farmers. They were more passionate than anyone else.

Every day, monsters invaded their fields due to territory disputes. Seeds they planted were gobbled up in no time, and fences were rebuilt only to be knocked down a few days later.

“This year’s harvest is ruined. Grab your tools!”

So they picked up weapons. In Iceland, farmers were synonymous with hunters and warriors.

They soon realized that the materials from their first fairy hunt were surprisingly rewarding.

“If you have a net like Marcus’s Mom, gather them all up! Bows, catapults—anything works! Hurry!”

“…Are you serious? This insect wing is worth five silver coins?”

“This fairy glimmering thing is surprisingly profitable?”

The people of the Baron’s Territory also knew their lord swung a weapon day in and day out for the sake of the territory. And they understood that wouldn’t be possible within the year.

Fortunately, the living issues in each village had already been addressed by their capable lord who had brought in a sage-level druid well before this.

“With all this, we might be able to afford steel plows for our home. Gather all the cousins!”

“With one pouch, we can get five chickens! With a leather pouch, one cow!”

“Undead! Get lost! You’re not worth a dime!”

Such news from Bolton’s Territory was transmitted beyond their lands by merchants and adventurers.

Thus began the sudden fairy frenzy.

It had been a week since the Twinkle Tide occurred.

The fairy hunting craze in Bolton’s Territory was still ongoing.

Hmm?

“Isn’t this interesting?”

The fairy, seemingly blocked by an invisible wall, attempted to enter only to bounce back. It seemed to find that sensation amusing, sticking to the wall and pressing its squishy face against it.

As Karem watched from atop the castle wall, Catherine, who was checking the enchanted barrier spell, stood up.

“Hmm, okay. I added the function in a hurry, but it seems like there won’t be any problems.”

“Then is the housewarming gift complete?”

“Yes, it’s good to confirm its performance, but—”

“By the looks of this fascinating scene, I think you’ve clearly proven its performance.”

As Karem innocently pointed at the fairy that was stuck and flattened against the clear wall, Mary audibly clicked her tongue.

“The pests tarnishing the name of fairies. Useless goblin-like nuisances. Oh my Titania. How can those things be fairies like me?”

“Wow, I’ve never seen you curse so much before.”

“That goes without saying for those vermin.”

“Oh, really?”

It was quite a spectacle. Karem had rarely seen Mary react with this much intensity.

The only instance was when he was introduced as the personal cook by Catherine, which was the first and last time, right? No, it felt like this was even more intense than that.

Rarely, Mary’s eyes, slightly narrowed, contained pure disdain and disgust.

So fierce that the group of squished fairies had increased in number, they immediately fled towards the village the moment their gazes met.

Whoosh—Creeeak!?

“Those little devils are gathered over there! Get the net!”

“Quite meaty ones, indeed!”

As they approached, the fairies, caught like fish in a net, soon exploded into small bursts of light and scattered.

“Is this okay to do?”

“What do you mean?”

Catherine casually tossed her disheveled hair over to Mary while subtly moving her eyes.

“Well, everyone’s working so hard over there. I was just wondering if it’s okay to just stand by.”

It’s almost as if she felt guilty.

It’s a bit unsettling, perhaps?

The castle was quiet, unlike suddenly being overwhelmed by a swarm of locusts, primarily due to knights and soldiers all being dispatched for the noise’s source.

Flora, perhaps having issued commands to the tree spirits, could be seen from the castle walls as fairy groups exploded from the limbs, branches, and roots that the passing tree spirits wielded.

Giggle—Giggle—Giggle—

Of course, there were still many left.

“But can’t Flora or Lord Arberni do something about this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, one’s the cause of this incident, and the other’s the source of it all, right?”

Of course, Karem was in a state believing it might be impossible. Speaking such words and then acting like this, if it were doable, they would’ve done it sooner.

“Trying to poke a persimmon you can’t eat.”

With a heart full of hope, Karem was shaken from his thoughts at Catherine’s firm shake of the head.

“I could manage some preventative measures, but even that would be on a small scale. To try to include the entire territory would be foolish.”

“You mean, a waste of money?”

“Exactly. The larger the scale, the more materials needed to create the barrier. If it’s small, then maybe.”

“Like Bolton Forest?”

“Precisely.”

“Then why did Lord Arberni go outside the castle?”

Even though he was a druid, deploying a sage-level grand wizard to a money-making effort for C-grade adventurers was quite unwise.

“Gordon must have ordered him.”

Bored, Catherine effortlessly flicked an icicle, shooting down a fairy.

“To manage the fairies from invading the village. He’s probably patrolling the village forest by now.”

“A barrier like the one in Bolton Forest?”

“Yes. A barrier like Bolton Forest. It might be tough in a big city, but in the villages of Bolton’s Territory, it shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Because it’s a forest, it’s feasible? Oh, the village forest.”

“Right. The Bersengzeto-style village is a village but also a forest.”

Catherine snapped her fingers as if confirming the correct answer.

“Originally, the village forest would be established as a basic installation if made in Bersengzeto, but who would have thought fairies would show up in Iceland?”

“Even with Flora around?”

“Can’t you tell just by looking?”

Catherine cracked a slight smile, chuckling softly.

“With a dryad thought to be extinct right in front of you, other matters would hardly catch your eye. I actually find it more unbelievable that he carried out Gordon’s orders effectively. Karem, for you—”

“Ah, I get what you mean.”

“…You do?”

“Yes.”

If a dinosaur, thought to be extinct, was living in front of you, you could bet archaeologists would be overwhelmed with joy, collapsing from sudden heart attacks.

Let alone, they said that Bersengzeto was a land of elves living in harmony with nature. Even Shen had reached sage level as a druid.

Perhaps he was three times as ecstatic than a normal druid?

“Surely, he couldn’t contain that joy and ended up bouncing around like a dog.”

“Definitely, it was quite a breathtaking sight.”

“Well, that’s what I’d say, but Mary, it seems you’ve never witnessed such a sight, have you?”

“A high elf is a being above the nobility within elf society. Especially Arberni. Can you imagine a junior being royalty?”

Mary said that and glanced away towards Karem.

“Though I would like to see it once more.”

“Well, it’s sad, but it seems unlikely that there will be a chance to show you again. Seems he’s come to his senses.”

Hmm, well then, could this be my fault for making him come back to reality?

Karem’s disappointment grew even more. Had he known, he would have said it later.

“…What was I saying again?”

“You were saying it’s slightly torturous to remain idle while everyone else is working. And then—”

Catherine said this and waved her hand dismissively.

“As you said, being idle is what serves the mercenaries. If I move, it’ll only be a burden for them.”

The reason was quite simple.

Catherine Marigold Atanitas. She was a sage-level grand wizard and currently the chief magic consultant for the Duke of Iceland. Moreover, she was an invited guest.

Additionally, while Gordon was recognized as a baron, he was actually a swordmaster who occupied territory that clearly surpassed that of a baron. He had even had the duke grant him part of his territory.

Combine the two elements appropriately, and it creates a situation where the duke cherishes a swordmaster so much that he hands over part of his territory, making it impossible for the duke’s loyal vassal to resolve an issue occurring right within that territory!

After hearing that explanation, Karem’s mouth was agape.

“…Is that how it’s interpreted?”

“Although this icy land prioritizes strength, as a noble, one can’t just sit idly by while another noble shows a gap.”

“…So, I can rest easy and play around?”

“I don’t know what ‘playing around’ means, but sure.”

Catherine, seemingly puzzled by that phrase, nodded.

“You can play. You three can also relax since you were invited guests.”

“In that case, I suppose it’s safe to play then.”

Having said that, silence enveloped the castle walls surrounding Armsport for a while. Simply because they had run out of things to say.

By now, the sound of fairies bumping against the protective barrier of the castle and playing, distant explosions signaling fairies being hunted, and the noise of tree spirits sweeping through the nearby fairy located across the woods could be heard.

“…Is anyone up for some Amadeus?”

No one opposed.

The three then promptly descended from the castle walls.

*

*

*

Flora had been very pleased until a few days before.

After summoning her tree spirit to be a help, her husband, who had been too busy with work, suggested they take a break since guests had arrived.

For Flora, this was a warm welcome.

She thought she would finally be able to enjoy a relaxing day, making the seeds she hadn’t been able to prepare properly due to daily chores after eating the strength-giving meal that her dad gifted her.

“…Porong♪”

But strange little flies disrupted her plans.

That creature had dared to ruin her cooking vessel, spoiled her plans of frolicking with her husband, and was the root cause of her current boredom!

Of course, it was fun to poke at the shiny powder that the fly had left behind.

But she couldn’t forget the resentment that came from having her joyful time with her husband interrupted!

“I heard they were around here, oh wow.”

“Porong?”

Everyone jumped back when they saw Flora, who was grumpily poking her head out from underground.

“Flora, I’ve been thinking about this before, but are you doing this because you enjoy it?”

“Porong~♪ Pororong♩!”

“It seems she enjoys feeling the nutrients of the earth seep into her whole body.”

Indeed, with her droopy expression and sagging hair, you could very well picture a man enjoying a sauna. No, that’s not it.

“I was hoping to make something with Amadeus—”

“Porong!”

Flora resolutely pulled herself up from the ground, leading everyone towards the center of the forest.

“But Flora.”

“Porong?”

“What were you eating?”

Flora stopped and reached out her hand. From the hole where she had been buried, a long tree root handed her a little pouch before retreating. The weed roots moved the dirt, covering up the hole again.

“Porong~!”

“Fairy Dust?”

Inside the pouch was a heap of shiny powder.

But the color was a bit different.

Unlike colorless and transparent fairy dust, what was inside the pouch was shimmering in a light green hue.

 

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