Chapter Epilogue
Epilogue - Release and Honey
The place I woke up in, was the 【Atelier】 workshop's cold floor.
It was a crushing defeat. Death - Grim Reaper was a boss that made players feel awe.
"Ahahaha, it's my complete loss."
In the first place, even before fighting I knew I'll lose. However, thinking that I'll be able to escape, it was my complete loss.
"I didn't stand a chance. I didn't even deal any damage to him."
I couldn't do a thing, still, he had a presence I couldn't hate. It was truly a mob that only hunted the players, although it was odd and horrifying, but also an existence to respect strongly.
And, in the middle of the fight with the Grim Reaper I found an answer.
"Hey, Mischievous Fairy, come out!"
I spoke to the ring fitted on my own finger.
The ring of 【Fairy Possession】 allowed for summoning the fairy three times. I have decided on the first wish.
"You call, I come——hey, woahh?! You, why are you so beat up?!"
"How noisy, it's been a while since we met."
"Eh? EH?! You okay? Why did you call me looking like this?!"
The Mischievous Fairy I called was flustered not knowing what's happening. Therefore, I conveyed my feelings to her.
"Well, calm down. As for this, I fought someone earlier and lost."
"What?! Can I blow that guy away?!"
"Nah. Well, listen."
To think I would speak so seriously with an NPC, I'm real strange. As I thought so I spoke of the feelings the Grim Reaper made me aware of.
"You see. I'm troubled as for how to use you. You're way too free and your loving pranks troubles me. Also, you're leaving leftovers after eating sweets."
"Grr, hearing that from you while you're so beat up is..."
"But you see. Doing things with you wasn't so bad. And when the quest was over, you were sucked into my ring and I was told you would grant three of my wishes, but I don't have any."
"............"
The Mischievous Fairy listened to this with a perplexed expression on her face. Normally she would say some joke, she's a good girl.
"I've heard of many wishes fairies granted to players. None of them sounded any good to me. Thinking you'd only respond if you're called out, it felt kind of sad and lonely."
I paused for a moment. And in order to convey my wish to the fairy——
"And just earlier, I noticed. I want to be friends with you. That's why——I 【Release】 you."
The 【Fairy Possessed】 ring responded to these words and my bond with Mischievous Fairy disappeared.
Hearing this wish the Mischievous Fairy blinked several times in surprise.
"Release, by release you mean, I'M FREEEEEeeeeee!!"
"Woah, wait!"
Suddenly, wind raged inside the workshop part of the 【Atelier】 and the windows opened wide. Flying around the workshop the Mischievous Fairy generated wind, laughing merrily.
"I'm the freedom-loving Mischievous Wind Fairy! The 【Fairy Possession】 where I have to listen to someone's orders didn't fit me! This is feels the bestttttttt!!"
"Ohh, good for you!"
"Yup yup. Then, Yun and I are now on equal footing!"
"Yeah, I guess."
"And so, I'll do whatever I like. See you!"
She said so and flew out of the window.
Eh?!! Isn't this where we deepen our friendship a little, talk a bit? She suddenly went somewhere and once the wind subsided, there was no one left here.
"...pft, good grief. Just how free is she."
Even if I don't meet her again, I was still in
somewhat refreshing mood.
"Aa-aah. Well, I'm glad the distressing 【Fairy Possession】's ring is gone."
With that said I lifted to take a look again at the ring on my finger.
And I noticed. The ring had further changed.
Faerie Ring 【Ornament】 (Weight: 1)
DEF+5 Mind +5 Additional Effect: Faerie Blessing
The Rugged Iron Ring changed into Ring of 【Fairy Possession】, and then with the blessing of the Mischievous Fairy it changed into an unique accessory.
The 【Blessing】's effect was slight increase of stats and slight increase of skill success rate. There was also slight rare drop rate increase. It was an aggregation of small yet handy effects.
A smile naturally spilled on my face. This is enough.
And, once I checked the equipment on my beat-up body, the dirt disappeared over time and the damage to the armour recovered absorbing my MP.
Just when I felt it looked good enough to appear in public, a voice had called out from the store part of the 【Atelier】.
"Hello〜. Is Yun-san in?"
"Yeah, wait a moment."
The one who spoke in such slow manner was Letia. When I entered the store part, I found Letia waiting alone.
No, she was together with someone else. On top of her head, there was someone who tilted her head with the same expression as Letia.
"Hello, Yun-san."
"Hey. That fairy on top of your head is?"
"Ah, after I completed the fairy quest I negotiated with her so that she becomes my tamed mob. She's Wind Fairy, Yayoi-chan."
Silently, the Wind Fairy raised her hand in greeting. Although normally I would congratulate Letia honestly, at the time my facial expression cramped up.
"Eh? Yun-san, did something happen?"
"Eh, no, Letia. Actually——"
I told her that the Mischievous Fairy I released earlier left as if nothing happened.
Therefore, seeing such a clear difference between me and Letia, I felt like I failed to raise hidden friendship parameters. Well, I guess our relationship wasn't that good right from the start. She covered me with mucus and I threatened to put her in a bottle.
"Isn't it all right?"
"Is it?"
"You see, doesn't 'see you' mean that you'll meet again?"
These words entered straight into my heart.
I guess that even if she freely flies away, she'll also freely come back. I might have worried about it needlessly.
"Thanks, Letia. Want to eat something?"
"I'm in mood for doughnuts."
"Making me make some from scratch, huh."
When I stared at her intently, "You can do it, Yun-san." together with the fairy on top of her head they looked at me with gazes full of expectations.
Good grief, I heaved a sigh and started preparations for making doughnuts. With that said, they weren't shaped doughnuts, for materials I used hot cake mix and deep fried it making doughnuts in shape of a ball.
Then I covered them in powdered sugar, completing them. When I put plenty of them on top of a simple platter, Letia and the fairy started eating them while drooling.
I guess, I should prepare a stock of sweets in case the Mischievous Fairy comes back. I muttered quietly.
●
After that, the story of Letia using a fairy as a tamed mob spread. Inside OSO, there were various discussions on the topic of 【Fairy Possession】 accessories usage. Among our acquaintances, there were many people who chose the 【Release】 option.
"Well, that's because there's a higher value in their existence itself rather than in items and temporary help in combat. If they are to disappear after using three times, might as well release them right from the start."
Emily-san said so and sipped tea.
I was talking with Emily-san over the counter.
The time-limited Fairy Quest was over, the leisurely everyday life in the game has returned.
From among acquaintances who released fairies, Cloude freely treated his fairy as a dress-up doll. Magi-san's blessed her furnace increasing its firepower and Lyly's was entrusted with the management of the vast, private field.
"Well, it might be so. Cloude, Magi-san and the others are enjoying their company even without them doing anything, you could say they have the role of mascots."
But there were very few fairies who have become tamed mobs and lent people their strength like in Letia's case.
Well, I guess it means that my favourability rating was low.
"I don't think that was the case. She seemed to have plenty of fun."
Saying so, Emily-san and her released Water Fairy comforted me.
"Then, why did you release your fairy, Emily-san?"
"No, you see, the management of an indoor plant is troublesome so I released her and left it to her."
Now that's a luxurious way to use a fairy. I made a bitter smile, but since my Mischievous Fairy was long gone, I was a little envious.
"Well, I guess she'll casually appear sometim——"Yahooo, I was invited by the sweet scent!"——And there she is."
What a good timing she has. Ahead of my line of sight, there was the diving Mischievous Fairy.
"Been a while, were you healthy?!"
"That's my line. You overly-free Mischievous Fairy."
There was no touching reunion. I guess I can't be surprised every time.
"Ehehehe, I returned to the Fairy Village and brought lots of things! Be grateful to me!"
While saying so, the Mischievous Fairy held out a small pot.
Inside, there was a sticky amber-coloured liquid.
"It's the first sweetness after the Fairy Village's revival! Yun's human delicious sweetness and fairy sweetness. If we combine the best taste and sweetness, we'll become invincible!"
Filling the outstretched pot there was honey named 【Fairy Village's Honey Crown】. (Note: Honey Crown here is written as Hani Kuraun)
Good grief, she was really gluttonous. And, the Water Fairy stared at the little pot too.
"I get it. Well then, so that everyone can eat it I'll make some hot cakes with the honey."
"It's not mere honey! It's the king of honey! Honey Crown! It's super delicious!"
As the Mischievous Fairy emphasised using her entire body, yes yes, I responded, put down frying pan on the stove and took out hot cake mix I made the other day.
"Hot cakes huh, I haven't eaten any recently."
"If it's to retain honey's simple taste, I think they will be best."
I said so and made one soft hot cake after another and put them down on platters.
To finish up, I covered three hot cakes from the top with 【Fairy Village's Honey Crown】.
While holding down the fairies, Ryui and Zakuro who were about to leap at the food any moment, I cut the hot cakes into portions for everyone.
Once I uniformly put down the dishes with hot cakes covered in butter and honey on the table, the fairies flocked to them.
"Taaaaastyyyy!"
"Geez, you're exaggerating."
Emily-san and I smiled wryly seeing Mischievous Fairy's exaggerated reaction.
As I made next hot cakes I cut them into smaller parts with a knife and fork, then divided them between Ryui and Zakuro.
Ready to it, I put them down on one, two, three platters. Eh? One too many?
"Rather, isn't there one animal too many here?"
Somehow, there was one fluffy animal too much. A small, slightly purple wolf was greedily eating hot cakes next to Zakuro.
"Hmm? This kid was here before."
"No, it's my first time seeing him!"
The Mischievous Fairy I asked licked the sticky honey off her hands.
"This kid was watching over that tree."
"Eh, if you mean the Wisteria Peach Tree, that'd make him Garm Phantom, huh."
Suddenly, Emily-san and I grew wary.
I raised my spatula, Emily-san raised her fork and knife, but the figure looking up at us with dropping ears was just dumbfounded.
To think an over ten metres long boss would turn into a doggy who at most reached my knees. The moment I though so, he barked and disappeared like mist.
"What on earth was he doing."
As I looked at the dish from which the hot cake disappeared cleanly and muttered, Emily-san's Water Fairy responded.
"That kid, he's only watching over the tree making sure it's growing well. Also, it seems like there are the same trees in other places so he's touring various places. He often stops by Emily's place."
"Oh, so the line of sight and presence I felt was his."
Convinced, Emily-san made a strange expression and stared at the Wisteria Peach Tree outside the window. Although it wasn't exactly the spirit of the tree, but more of a spiritual guardian of it.
"I wonder if it has any effect."
"No. He only watches over it and doesn't do anything. He only appears sometimes to watch."
"Somehow, I start to feel my store is becoming haunted by more and more things that aren't human..."
Mythical beasts Ryui and Zakuro, three different coloured synthetic Gel mobs, Mischievous Fairy who drops by from time to time and now on top of all that, a wolf from the underworld started to appear.
"Well, there's no harm so isn't it fine?"
If there was any effect, it would be that the amount of hungry fellows in the 【Atelier】 increased.
And afterwards, the released fairies could be seen around specific players and playing in specific places all over the town.
The 【Atelier】 had grown famous as a store where many fairies could be seen playing in.
—STATUS—
Name : Yun
Weapon : Black Maiden's Longbow
Secondary Weapon : Magi-san's Kitchen Knife
Armour : CS No.6 Ochre Creator (Outerwear, Underwear, Torso, Waist).
Accessory Equipment Limit 2/10
● Faerie Ring (1)
● Substitute Gem's Ring (1)
Possessed SP29
【Bow Lv41】 【Longbow Lv15】 【Sky Eyes Lv10】 【Speed Increase Lv31】 【See-Through Lv18】 【Magic Talent Lv47】 【Magic Power Lv50】 【Enchant Arts Lv28】 【Dosing Lv31】 【Cooking Lv27】
Unequipped:
【Alchemy Lv33】 【Synthesis Lv34】 【Crafting Knowledge Lv35】 【Taming Lv10】 【Engraving Lv3】 【Earth Element Talent Lv20】 【Swimming Lv13】 【Linguistics Lv20】
Time-Limited Quest's Rewards
● Faerie Ring
● Fairy Delivery (Mischievous Wind Fairy will visit the 【Atelier】 on regular basis bringing faerie-related gifts)