Master, I Swear I Didn’t Mean To! - Chapter 71

Eki looked down at the fairy spreading its tiny arms, her expression one of mild distaste.

The fairy had the long ears, pale skin, and beautiful, butterfly-like wings one would expect from a picture book. But beyond that, it was quite different from the fairies people usually imagined.

Its eyes were absurdly large, its mouth and nose crowded close together in a way that didn’t fit the proportions. The face might be called cute, but its completely naked body was so small it looked like it couldn’t possibly support that round head. If not for the fact that it had no reproductive organs, it might have looked rather grotesque.

‘It looks completely different from what I imagined.’

Still, it wasn’t bad. In fact, the way it chattered on with that tiny mouth was oddly cute in its own way.

【 The fairies of other worlds are busy living in their own realms! If you want to meet us, being newly born like this is faster than summoning! 】

“That would only be possible once the world itself had recovered.”

Cassius took the pipe from his mouth and let out a deep sigh.

Even though the fairy he had longed for all his life was now right before his eyes, he didn’t look the least bit pleased.

Eki asked carefully,

“Fairies stopped being born because the world’s sustaining force collapsed during the Age of Darkness, right?”

“Yes. Originally, thousands of fairies should have been born every year. But when the demons invaded, countless lives were lost, and the world suffered irreparable damage.”

This world possessed something called ‘sustaining force’.

When life followed its proper balance—some dying, some being reborn—the world gained strength from that cycle, and through that power, it maintained its natural order.

But when the barrier torn open by dragons allowed demons to pour through, countless living beings were slaughtered.

Once the balance between life and death was broken, the world lost its sustaining force, and the first sign of that distortion was the disappearance of fairies.

“But for a fairy to be born now means…”

“…That the world has begun to recover its sustaining force, at least to some extent.”

Cassius drew in a long breath and exhaled a thick stream of smoke.

“Natural recovery, huh. Makes centuries of backbreaking effort feel pointless.”

【 I told you! Being newly born like me is faster than meeting fairies from another world! 】

“Would you shut up already.”

【 I can’t. I was born from Eki’s dream and I tend to talk a lot. 】

Eki’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“What do you mean you were born from my dream? And why can I see you at all? Aren’t humans normally unable to see fairies?”

【 That’s… 】

“It must be because of your luck potion.”

【 That’s right! Thanks to that ultra-strong luck potion, you gained the pure luck needed to see fairies! And also… 】

“If it’s a dream of yours, the reason’s obvious. Your passion for that hobby of yours probably helped.”

【 That’s true too, but Eki’s dream is fundamentally a little more… indecent and sticky— 】

“Waaah! Okay, enough! I get it! Master, you stop explaining too! And you too!”

【 Hey, I wasn’t even done talking yet! 】

The fairy puffed out its cheeks and waved both tiny hands, though the defiance only made it look more mischievous than intimidating.

‘Ugh…’

What was even going on anymore?

A fairy, out of nowhere, and one born from her own dream?

‘Was I really that much of a pervert?’

For a moment, flashes of her past behavior raced through Eki’s mind.

‘Hmm, maybe I was… kind of.’

And lately, she’d been completely out of control. After what had happened with Cassius, she’d been practically on the verge of nosebleeds every day.

“Wait, then that childlike voice Master heard before—?”

【 Oh, right! I was the one who lured Cassius into the warehouse! 】

That must have been what had Cassius so irritated despite the long-awaited appearance of a fairy. His expression turned stiff as he clamped his mouth shut.

The fairy, however, continued brightly, revealing the rest to Eki.

【 Cassius falling into the jar was my doing too. Because Eki likes naughty things! 】