Sugar Apple Fairytale Vol 1 Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Scarecrow and the Fairy
The sun rises in front of her; a warm white light hit Ann's face, s.h.i.+ning
brightly. On the driver's seat, Ann held the reins. From the hem of her cotton
dress, she could feel the cold wind blowing. Even with clean lace covering the
hem of her modest dress, she couldn't help but s.h.i.+ver slightly.
As she took in a deep breath, she looked up at the sky.
The rain from yesterday night seemed to shed some of the dust from the air.
The autumn sky was clear.
Today is the day for her departure. Clasping the reins with both hands, she
looked ahead.
The road was muddy; the wheels of the horse-driven carriage were piling up
with mud.
From now on, she would be on her own, and she would be walking this road
alone. Worry and nervousness spread throughout her thin body.
But there is also a bit of hope that she feels in her chest.
"Ann! Wait, Ann!"
She heard a voice from behind.
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol. 1 - Ginzatous.h.i.+ to Kuro no Yousei.
 
  
Behind the box-shaped carriage that Ann was riding, simple houses made of
stone were strewn out. For the past half year, Ann had been indebted to
Knoxberry, a village located in the northwest part of the Highland Kingdom.
Ever since Ann was born, she, together with her mother, Emma, had lived by
travelling. Therefore, Knoxberry village was the first that they stayed in the
same place for six months.
From that village, a tall golden-haired boy came over. He was the only son of
a family who ran a candy crafting business in the village of Knoxberry. His
name was Jonas.
"Waah, this is bad!"
Ducking her head, Ann whipped the horse, allowing the carriage to start
moving. She then waved back.
”Jonas! Thank you. Please take care!”
”Wait a moment, Ann! Wait! Do you hate me?!”
”That's not it, so don't worry about it.”
Returning with a loud voice, Jonas yelled out completely out of breath.
”Then - then, please wait!”
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”Geez, I've already made up my mind. Goodbye!”
The distance between the two quickly grew apart. When Jonas couldn't catch
up, he paused. He looked towards her with a bewildered expression, as he
gasped for breath.
Ann gave a big wave back again, before looking forward once more.
”Watch over me...Mama”
Earlier that spring, the healthy and merry Emma, fell sick.
And during that time, while staying at Knoxberry by chance, she became
unable to move.
The villagers were kind to Ann and Emma, who were strangers to them.
They stayed at the village while trying to cure Emma of her disease, and the
villagers gave them a recommendation, to go to Jonas's house. The mother and
daughter spent six months there, without having to pay any rent. It might be
due to the fact that they were in the same business that the family helped them
out.
However, Emma never healed. She pa.s.sed away half a month ago.
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol. 1 - Ginzatous.h.i.+ to Kuro no Yousei.
 
  
”Find your own way of living, and walk on that path firmly. If it's you, you
can definitely do it. You're a good child, so don't cry.”
Those were…Emma's final words.
The funeral arrangements, such as the burial in the country's church, went on.
While doing necessary tasks, the grief that surfaced quickly slid by. Although
Ann did feel sorrow, she was never able to cry out loud.
Emma is now…sleeping in the corner of the Knoxberry cemetery. And while
thinking that, somehow her hazy heart was able to appease her thoughts.
When she'd finished all the tasks, half a month had pa.s.sed since Emma had
died. At that exact time, Ann decided to depart.
Three nights ago, Ann told the family she was indebted to that she will go out
on a journey.
“Ann, you can't go out on a journey alone. It's fine if you just stay in this
village. And… that's right. Why don't you become my bride?”
Jonas whispered, grasping the hand of Ann, who was determined to go on a
journey. Brus.h.i.+ng up strands of soft golden hair with a smile, he looked at
Ann with glimmering eyes.
“You've always been in my mind.”
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol. 1 - Ginzatous.h.i.+ to Kuro no Yousei.
 
  
Ann and Jonas had spent six months living in the same house. But during that
period, they had never talked intimately. It didn't even cross her mind that the
other party would possibly court her.
Among Jonas's refined features, his blue eyes were exceptionally beautiful. It
looked like an expensive gla.s.s imported from the south made for a king.
So being stared at by those eyes, when they don't even know each other's likes
and dislikes, puzzled her.
It's not like being courted made her unhappy. But even then, Ann had already
decided to go on her journey.
She thought that if she informed Jonas of her departure, she might be held
back from leaving. So she decided to secretly leave the village early in the
morning. However, as expected, Jonas followed her.
“Marriage…”
Absent-mindedly, she voiced it out. It was as if that word was completely
unrelated to her.
In the village, Jonas was popular with the ladies.
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol. 1 - Ginzatous.h.i.+ to Kuro no Yousei.
 
  
Of course, one of the reasons why he is so popular was because he was from a
wealthy candy shop.
Even though he was living in a rural area like Knoxberry, Jonas came from a
well-known faction of candy craftsmen, and also a blood relative of the
founder of the Radcliffe guild.
It is a big possibility that he will be chosen as the next head of the Radcliffe
guild.
Before long, to prepare him for becoming the next head of the guild, Jonas
would probably be going to the Imperial City, Lewiston, for his apprentices.h.i.+p.
That was the rumor circulating around the village.
Speaking about the head of a candy guild faction, if he's lucky, he can even
become a viscount.
Jonas, for the girls of the village, was already the equivalent of a prince.
In comparison, Ann had a small build for a 15 year old. Being gangly and
having light wheat colored hair, she was always called “Scarecrow”.
And incidentally, her only property was a single tired horse and the old horse
carriage. 
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A wealthy blonde prince asking a poor scarecrow to marry him. It's like a
dream.
“Oh well. It's not like the prince seriously falls in love with the scarecrow
anyway.”
Ann muttered with a bitter smile, as she whipped the horse.
Jonas was by nature a playboy; he was especially kind to girls. The only
reason that a person like him would be inclined to ask her for marriage would
be because he felt pity for her due to her circ.u.mstances.
She wouldn't want to get married out of sympathy. A happily-ever-after by
marrying a prince - that kind of princess like fairytale, doesn't seem to be a life
worth living.
It's not like she hated Jonas. But living a life with him didn't seem to have any
charm.
Experiencing everything by taking each step with her own two feet, that is the
life she wants.
Ann's father, having been caught up in the civil war, died soon after she was
born.
But Emma, as a single woman, raised Ann, and lived on.
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Furthermore, Emma became a Silver Sugar Master, an admirable occupation.
Candy craftsmen are common anywhere in the country of Highland. But only
those recognized as Silver Sugar Masters are the best, and in Highland only a
few of them existed.
Emma became a Silver Sugar Master at the age of twenty.
The sugar candy made by a Silver Sugar master could be sold at a higher price
compared to the candies made by an ordinary candy craftsman. However, in
towns and villages of the countryside, these expensive sugar candies don‟t sell
well.
In the imperial city, Lewiston, there was a huge demand for these. But because
famous silver sugar masters gathered there, it was very difficult place to
compete in.
Emma chose to journey throughout the kingdom, to find customers who
needed sugar candies there.
She liked the abysmally strong brightness that Emma possessed.
The journey was harsh, but having earned it on your own - having walked on
your own feet, made it enjoyable.
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If I can be a Silver Sugar Master like Mama, then it would be wonderful.
For so long, that was what she idly thought. When Emma died, she finally
decided on her future, and through the deep love and respect for her mother,
determination bloomed inside Ann.
I'll become a Silver Sugar Master.
But, becoming a Silver Sugar Master isn't an easy task. She knew that as well.
Every year in Lewiston, the royal family hosted the sugar sculpture festival.
To become a silver sugar master, it is necessary to partic.i.p.ate and win the topranking
royal medal.
Emma partic.i.p.ated in the fair when she was twenty years old, and was
awarded the royal medal. And then she was given the right to call herself a
Silver Sugar Master.
Silver sugar candy is a candy made from purifying silver sugar from sugar
apples. Apart from silver sugar, there is nothing that cannot make sugar
candies. There is nothing more beautiful that the workmans.h.i.+p of candies
using silver candies.
Sugar candies can be used for weddings, funerals, coronations, coming-of-age,
and other various ceremonies.
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It is said that without sugar candies, all kinds of ceremonies wouldn't be able
to begin.
Silver sugar invites blessings, and expels misfortune. It is often called the
"promise of sweet blessings", a holy food.
Legends say that during the era when fairies still ruled over Highland, the
fairy people consumed silver sugar to extend their lives.
It was said that a mysterious energy, referred to as "Form”, dwelled within
beautiful sugar candies made from silver sugar.
Humans eat silver sugar and sugar candies, but of course, it doesn't extend
their lives.
But humans were also able to obtain the mysterious power that helps extend a
fairy's life.
In fact, when people have beautiful sugar candy and eat them, often,
unexpected luck pours in. Without a doubt, the probability of good fortune
coming along increases.
That is what humans realized after a period of hundreds of years experiencing
it.
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It is because of that fact that the kingdom has strict regulations to qualify as a
Silver Sugar Master.
The n.o.bility were always trying to get their hands on the holiest and most
beautiful sugar candies in order to garner good fortune for them. It was even
said that the fate of the country was determined based on the success of the
sugar sculptures displayed at the Autumn festival, an event carried out in order
to pray for the peace of the country.
Just like in previous years, when autumn is about to end, a fair will be held in
Lewiston.
And Ann planned on partic.i.p.ating.
Every year, only one person would be given the t.i.tle of Silver Sugar Master.
From what she heard, there are only twenty three Silver Sugar Masters in the
country since Emma died.
It wasn‟t going to be easy.
But she had confidence. She didn't help a Silver Sugar Master for 15 years for
nothing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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The cart proceeded down a road with fields of wheat spreading out on both
sides.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, she‟d arrived at the provincial capital
of Redington, the largest city in the vicinity of Knoxberry Village.
Redington was a castle town[1] that radiated out around a circular plaza at its
center. Up on a hill overlooking Redington was the castle of the Duke who
ruled Redington province.
As she proceeded slowly into the city, she came upon a crowd of people in
front of her. The crowd was completely blocking the road.
Ann shrugged her shoulders and got down from the driver‟s seat. She tapped
lightly on the shoulder of a peasant woman whose back was turned toward her.
“Um, excuse me… What is everyone doing? The road is blocked, and my cart
can‟t pa.s.s through…”
“No… You can go through, but... Young lady, do you have the courage to cut
through that?”
“That?”
Ann ducked down as if to pa.s.s under the peasant woman‟s armpit, and peered
at the thing everyone was looking at.
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There was a brawny man standing in a puddle of mud. There was a bow
strapped to his back and a longsword hanging at his waist. He was wearing
leather boots and a fur vest. He was most likely a hunter.
“You useless little--!!”
Raising his voice, the hunter stomped on a clump of mud over and over again.
Drops of mud went flying. Each time the clump of mud was stomped on, it let
out a loud, “Gyaa!!”
Looking closely, Ann could see that the clump of mud was the size of a
human‟s palm, and human-shaped. It was lying face down and had a single,
half transparent wing sticking out of its back, repelling the mud.
“Is that a fairy?! That‟s horrible!”
As Ann let out what sounded like a little shriek, the peasant woman nodded.
Fairies were living creatures resembling humans who lived in the forests and
fields. There were many types in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but the two
half-transparent wings growing out of their backs were a special feature they
all shared.
Fairies had special abilities, so if you used[2] them right, there were all sorts
of things you could get them to do.
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She‟d heard that the royal family, aristocrats and knights were using a large
number of fairies for their own various purposes.
Even among the populace, middle cla.s.s families often had at least one fairy
helping them do household ch.o.r.es.
Jonas‟s family in Knoxberry Village also had a fairy named Kathy, who was
about the size of a human‟s palm. Kathy helped with Jonas‟s personal care and
with preparing the sugar sculptures.
“It‟s a labor fairy belonging to that fairy hunter. It stole its own wing and tried
to run away.”
The peasant woman lowered her voice and pointed to the fairy hunter.
In his hand, the fairy hunter was gripping a slender wing. It was likely the
matching pair to the one on the back of the mud-drenched fairy.
In order to control a fairy, the master[3] would pluck off one of the fairy‟s
wings and keep it with them at all times.
A fairy‟s wings were the source of their life‟s energy. It was said that fairies
could survive even if their wings were separated from their bodies. However,
if their wings were damaged, they‟d grow weak and die.
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a.n.a.logous to a human, a fairy‟s wings were like it‟s heart. Anyone would
quake in fear if their heart were held in the palm of someone else‟s hand.
They‟d become unable to oppose the person who held their heart.
That‟s why, by plucking off one of the fairy‟s wings, the master was able to
use the fairy as they wished.
But, of course, no fairy wanted to be a slave. There were many who tried to
distract their masters so that they could take back their wings and run away.
Although people were whispering “Even if he is a fairy, that treatment is too
horrible,” and “That fairy is going to die,” not one of them made a move to do
anything about it.
Ann looked up at the peasant woman next to her and the men nearby.
“Hold on, everyone! Is it really okay not to stop that guy‟s horrible behavior?!”
But the people around her averted their eyes, seemingly unsure of themselves.
The peasant woman whispered weakly, “I feel bad for him, but…. Fairy
hunters have violent temperaments. We‟re afraid of retaliation… And besides,
it‟s only a fairy…”
“So what if it‟s a fairy?! If you sit around wringing your hands and doing
nothing, that poor child will die. Fine then, I‟ll go!” 
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Ann brushed the peasant woman aside and took a step towards the fairy hunter.
“Hey, young lady. I‟m telling you, a child like you should quit while you‟re
ahead.”
“I‟m not a child. I‟m 15 years old. In this country a girl is legally an adult at
15, right? I’m an upstanding adult. I‟d be mortified my whole life if I, as a
full-grown adult, just stood by and watched a fairy be pummeled to death. It‟s
not a joke.”
Ann straightened her back and strode determinedly towards the fairy hunter.
Perhaps because he was so worked up, the fairy hunter didn‟t notice Ann.
With the fairy crushed under his boot, he gripped the wing he possessed in
both hands.
“This is your wing! It means that you belong to me!”
“Stop it, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Stop!!”
Given everything, the fairy still acted bravely, thras.h.i.+ng his tiny arm and legs
and sending up splashes of mud. He shouted in a shrill, high-pitched voice.
But the fairy hunter mercilessly stretched out the wing in his hands.
The fairy in the mud let out a shriek.
“I‟m going to kill you, you thieving fairy!”
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Just as the fairy hunter put more force into his hands to tear the wing in half,
Ann came to stand behind him. She lowered her hips and braced herself.
“Hey you, you‟re too rude!!”
Together with her voice, the hem of her dress went flying up. Ann kicked out
forcefully with one leg and connected with the backs of the fairy hunter‟s
knees. It was Ann‟s special technique, the sudden death knee kick.
The fairy hunter was caught completely off guard and his knees buckled. He
lost his balance and fell face-first onto the muddy road, his mouth open in an
O of surprise.
As the onlookers burst out laughing, the fairy leapt to his feet, freed from
under the fairy hunter‟s boot. Ann leapt over the fairy hunter‟s head and
nimbly s.n.a.t.c.hed the wing out of his hand.
“You b.i.t.c.h!!” the fairy hunter yelled, raising his mud-covered face.
Ann leapt lightly back and held out the wing she‟d recovered to the fairy, who
stood motionless in shock.
“Here, take it. This is yours, right?”
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As if he‟d finally come to his senses, the fairy s.n.a.t.c.hed the wing. In his mudstreaked
face, only his blue eyes shone with a strange light. The fairy looked
up at Ann and said, “Tch! I‟m not going to thank a human!!”
After spewing this out[4], he took off, dodging around the legs of the
onlookers, clutching the wing. Ignoring the people who let out yelps of
surprise and moved to let him pa.s.s, the fairy made for the outskirts of the city
with all the speed of a gale of wind, and soon disappeared from sight.
Ann shrugged.
“Oh well. I guess I am one of those detestable humans, after all.”
“What are you going to do about this, little girl?! How dare you let my
important labor fairy get away!!” the fairy hunter shouted, standing up roughly
with mud dripping from his chin.
Ann turned back to the fairy hunter and said, “But, Oji-san, you were planning
to kill that fairy, weren‟t you? If so, isn‟t that the same as him disappearing?”
“What?!”
The furious fairy hunter raised his arm.
But the onlookers surrounding them raised their voices as one in protest.
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“A big man like you, raising a hand against a child like that?!”
“It‟s as that girl says!”
“You‟re too barbaric!!”
Under the force of the onlookers‟ protests, the man shrunk back. Ann looked
straight up at him unflinchingly.
With a low groan, he lowered his raised arm.
“Thank you. It‟s a good thing you‟re such a good person, Oji-san. A good
person like you will surely be kind to fairies from now on as well, right?
That‟s great!”
Ann flashed him a sickly-sweet grin, and the fairy hunter‟s expression twisted
into an incomprehensible cross between smiling and furious.
Lightly bidding the fairy hunter goodbye with a “See you later,” Ann made
her way through the crowd of thunderously applauding onlookers and returned
to the driver‟s seat of her cart.
She muttered indignantly, “I can‟t believe it. It‟s just too cruel. So what if he‟s
a fairy?!”
Fairies were, primarily in their appearance, a bit different from humans. Yet
they still possessed feelings and free will, and spoke the human language. Ann
though that they were no different than humans. People whose conscience 
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wasn‟t bothered by using fairies like slaves were the ones with something
wrong with them. That‟s why Emma absolutely never used fairies either.
We won‟t use fairies. That was Emma and Ann‟s creed. But----...
Ann‟s expression suddenly turned dark.
“...But… I, too, right now…Am about to do something horrible…”
Ann lightly applied the whip to the horses and drove the cart forward again.
When she came to the center of town, she called out to a few children playing
nearby, and pa.s.sed them some small change. Then she asked them to watch
the cart for her for a short while. The children eagerly accepted.
She got down from the cart and headed towards the circular plaza.
In the plaza there were tents lined up at irregular intervals.
The tents were made of cloth painted with animal fat. They gave off a
particular, greasy stench. Groceries, cloth, copperware and other goods were
laid out underneath the tents. This was a marketplace. It was bustling with
people.
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A sweet and sour scent tickled her nose, coming from the tent where one
could drink heated wine. It was a famous product of this marketplace from fall
through winter.
Making her way through the marketplace, which was so congested that people
were literally shoulder-to-shoulder, she came out to a place with fewer
pa.s.sers-by.
This block was deserted. There were quite a few shops, but extremely few
customers.
She cast her eyes at a nearby tent.
A cage woven with ivy hung from the tents crossbeam. There was a fairy the
size of a human‟s palm inside the cage. On its back was a single, half
translucent wing. 5 or 6 of these cages were lined up in a row. The tiny fairy
sitting inside of the cage was looking over at her with suspicious eyes.
In the next tent, there were 3 s.h.a.ggy fairies the size of dogs. They were
chained with collars around their necks. The single translucent wings on each
of their backs hung limply, as if withered up. The s.h.a.ggy fairies bared their
teeth threateningly at Ann.
This was the fairy market.
Fairy hunters hunted fairies in the forests and fields and sold them to fairy
merchants. The fairy merchants then plucked off one of the wings of the 
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol. 1 - Ginzatous.h.i.+ to Kuro no Yousei.
 
  
fairies who would become their merchandise, set an appropriate price, and
sold them off at the fairy market.
If she intended to head for the royal capital of Lewiston, pa.s.sing through
Redington required going a bit out of the way. The reason she‟d stopped here
regardless of that fact was because she knew that the marketplace in this city
contained an established fairy market.
Approaching the nearest tent, Ann called out to the fairy merchant, “Excuse
me, do you sell warrior fairies?”
At this, the fairy merchant shook his head.
“I don‟t deal in them. Too dangerous, those types.”
“Then, do you know of anyone in this marketplace who does handle them?”
“There‟s only one place. The old man in that tent by the wall over there deals
in them, but… You should give up now, young lady. Not a good quality
product, that one.”
“Oh, really? Well, I‟ll just go and have a look. Thank you.”
She thanked him and walked off.
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Fairy merchants cla.s.sified and sold fairies according to their appearances and
abilities.
The majority of fairies were sold as “Labor Fairies,” to be used for manual
labor.
Those whose appearances were particularly beautiful or particularly exotic
were sold as “Pet Fairies,” to be used ornamentally.
And those who were particularly ferocious and could be used as guards or
soldiers were sold as “Warrior Fairies.”
Ann had come to the fairy market to buy a warrior fairy.
From here, Ann would go to Lewiston to partic.i.p.ate in the sugar sculpture
festival[5].
The highway connecting the western part of the kingdom where Knoxberry
Village and Redington were to Lewiston was called “The b.l.o.o.d.y Highway.”
It was a very dangerous highway. The highway traversed unsettled wilderness
and there were no rest stops or towns along the way. Because the area was
very poor, there were brigades of people who‟d gone broke and become
bandits, and there were also many wild beasts. 
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It was a highway that Emma had avoided crossing during her continuous
journeys.
There was a safe way to get to Lewiston by making a detour to the south and
taking another highway.
However that route wouldn‟t get her to Lewiston in time for this year‟s sugar
sculpture festival.
Ann wanted to make it time for this year‟s sugar sculpture festival no matter
what. It was for an incredibly sentimental reason.
Even she knew that. But without clinging to those sentimental reasons and
constructing an objective before her eyes towards which to strive, she felt that
she‟d surely lose her footing.
----This year, for sure, I will become a silver sugar master. I’ve decided.
She raised her gaze determinedly.
To traverse the b.l.o.o.d.y highway, she would need a guard.
But, unfortunately, reliable guards were nearly impossible to find.
In that case, her only option was a warrior fairy. Fairies didn‟t disobey the
person who held their wing. As guards they were extremely reliable.
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Her desire to become a silver sugar master this year was huge. For that
purpose, Ann would bend her conviction not to use fairies.
When she reached the area she‟d been told about, she came to a halt and
looked around.
In which of these tents were warrior fairies being sold?
In the tent to her left, cages containing palm-sized fairies were strung up.
These fairies were probably being sold as labor fairies.
In the tent to her right, there were adorable little fairies the size of a grain of
wheat inside of gla.s.s bottles sitting on a table. A fairy of that size probably
wouldn‟t be of any use for manual labor, so they was likely a pet fairies. They
were sold for children to play with as toys.
There was another tent at the end of the alleyway straight ahead. The goods
for sale in this tent consisted of a single fairy.
There was a tanned leather rug laid out under the tent, and the fairy was sitting
on top of it, with one knee bent. There was a chain around its ankle, connected
to an iron stake driven into the ground.
The fairy‟s appearance was that of a young man, approximately 2 heads taller
than Ann.
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He wore black boots and pants, and a supple jacket. The matching set of
clothing, all in black, was likely something the fairy merchant dressed him in
to drive up the price. The fairy‟s appearance certainly stood out.
He had black eyes and black hair, and there was a sharp atmosphere about him.
His white skin, which looked as if it had never been exposed to the sun, was
another special characteristic all fairies shared.
On his back, there was a single, half transparent wing. It lay out on the rug
looking just like a veil. The fairy‟s appearance was extremely beautiful. There
was something about him that gave off a sense of quiet dignity.
There was no doubt that this was a pet fairy. He seemed to be exactly the type
that aristocratic ladies would be clamoring to buy at a high price as a
decoration.
Beneath the bangs that hung down over his forehead, his eyes were downcast.
The languid light of the afternoon sun danced along his eyelashes. Just by
looking at him, Ann experienced something pleasurable that sent s.h.i.+vers up
her spine.
----How beautiful…
As she gazed at him, drawn in by those long eyelashes, the fairy suddenly
raised his face.
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Their eyes met. The fairy gazed directly at Ann.
As if he were thinking something, the fairy briefly knit his brows. But then,
seemingly having made up his mind, he muttered, “I thought you looked
familiar, but now I‟ve got it-- you look just like a scarecrow.”
And just like that, apparently having lost all interest, he once again averted his
gaze away from Ann. 
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“H-how rude… Saying such things about a girl blossoming in the peak of her
youth…!”
At the fairy‟s utterance to himself, Ann‟s hands unconsciously clenched into
fists.
“There‟s not much blooming[6] going on there…” the fairy shot back, still
turned away from her.
“What a horrible thing to say---!?”
The person selling this rude fairy was an elderly fairy merchant. He was next
to the tent, smoking a cigarette. When he saw Ann with her eyebrows drawn
up in anger, the fairy merchant opened his mouth as if to say “Not again!”
“Sorry, young lady. This product of mine has a foul mouth on him. He
hara.s.ses all the humans who pa.s.s by, no matter who they are. Pay him no
mind and continue on your way.”
“I do mind! It‟s really not any of my business, but you‟ll never be able to sell
a pet fairy with such a foul mouth! Never! Why don‟t you give up on selling
him and let him go already?!”
“He‟s not a pet fairy. He‟s a warrior fairy.”
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Ann‟s eyes widened. It seemed that this was the tent she‟d been told about, the
one that sold warrior fairies.
Still, she couldn‟t believe it.
“A warrior fairy?! That can‟t be? No matter how you look at it, he‟s more fit
to be sold as a pet fairy. I‟ve seen warrior fairies before. They were huge, and
tough as rocks.”
“This is also a warrior fairy. He‟s an excellent specimen; they say 3 fairy
hunters died hunting him.”
With an openly doubtful expression, Ann crossed her arms.
“The oji-san I talked to earlier did say that you were selling a “low quality
product.” Aren‟t you just calling this foul-mouthed pet fairy a warrior fairy so
that you can sell him?”
“For fairy merchants, our reputation is everything. I wouldn‟t lie.”
Ann returned her gaze to the fairy.
The fairy was looking at Ann again. He was smiling faintly, as if he found
something funny.
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It was a fearless expression. He certainly didn‟t look like an obedient fairy. He
had an air about him like he was up to something, but that still didn‟t mean
that he looked strong enough to be useful as a warrior fairy.
“I want a warrior fairy, but… Do you have any others besides him?”
At her question, the fairy merchant shook his head.
“Warrior fairies are tricky to handle. You can‟t deal with more than one at a
time. He‟s the only one I have for sale. Just so you know, I‟m the only one in
this fairy market who sells warrior fairies. If you go to Libonpool, 60 Caron
north of here, there‟s one other fairy merchant who sells warrior fairies.”
“If I have to make a detour to Libonpool, I won‟t make it in time for the sugar
sculpture festival,” Ann moaned, chewing on her thumbnail.
“Hey, scarecrow.”
Suddenly, the fairy opened his mouth. Ann glared at him.
“By “scarecrow” do you happen to mean me, the lovely 15 year old maiden
before whom even flowers hide their faces in shame?!”
“Who else is there here besides you? Stop dilly-dallying and buy me.”
For a moment, Ann was completely stunned.
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“...Buy me… I-is that an order…?”
The fairy merchant, after making a surprised face, clutched his belly and
laughed heartily.
“This is great! This is the first time I‟ve ever heard him tell anyone to buy him.
Did you fall in love with this young lady at first sight or something? How
about it, miss? You don‟t have any choice but to buy him, right? I‟ll give you
a huge deal and let you have him for 100 Cres. If not for that foul mouth of his,
I‟d sell him as a pet fairy. There would be people willing to spend 300 Cres to
buy him as a pet fairy.”
“That would be if he didn‟t have such a foul mouth~~”
But the amount of money the fairy merchant had suggested was indeed cheap.
Warrior fairies and pet fairies were rare, and so they were expensive. 100 Cres
was equal to 1 gold coin. For a warrior fairy, it was an unprecedentedly low
price.
“Hey, you. If you‟re telling me to buy you, does that mean you have faith in
your abilities as a warrior fairy?”
At this, the fairy looked up at Ann with a glint in his eyes.
“What do you want me to do?”
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“Guard duty. I will be traveling to Lewiston alone. I want you to protect me
on the way there.”
The fairy smiled confidently.
“That‟s nothing. I‟ll even give you a kiss as a free bonus.”
“I don‟t need such an overbearing bonus! Especially for my precious first kiss,
it would be a shame to have it stolen away like that.”
“Such a child.”
“Well excuse me for being a child!”
Of course she would have preferred a more serious and obedient warrior fairy
if it were possible. But she didn‟t have time to make a detour all the way to
Libonpool. Ann made her decision.
----It can’t be helped!! So he’s got a foul mouth, so what? I can’t afford to be
picky.
She took a hemp bag out of the pocket of her dress. She opened it and took out
the only gold coin mixed in among the copper coins.
“Ojii-san, I‟ll buy this fairy.”
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“Hehe, so you gave in after all, eh, miss?”
The merchant flashed a gold tooth as he laughed. When Ann held out the gold
coin, the fairy merchant examined it carefully and accepted it. Then he
removed a small leather bag that had been hanging around his neck.
“Alright, then, let‟s confirm the wing.”
The fairy merchant opened the small leather bag and took out what looked like
a transparent cloth folded up to around the size of a human‟s palm. Taking
hold of the tip, he shook it once and the folded up item flapped open. A wing
about as long as Ann was tall appeared before her eyes.
The half-transparent wing, which reflected rainbows of light according to the
condition of the lighting, was so beautiful that she was hesitant to touch it.
Although it had been folded up, there were no wrinkles or lines like a cloth
would have. When she reached out her hand and tightly touched it, it felt like
silk. The smoothness of it gave her the s.h.i.+vers.
“This is his wing?”
“That‟s right. I‟ll prove it to you.”
As he said this, the fairy merchant grabbed the wing at the tip and somewhere
in the middle and pulled, stretching it out. Immediately, the fairy under the
tent groaned.
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The fairy seemed to be bracing himself, and his whole body stiffened. He was
gritting his teeth.
“Stop!! I get it already, so stop!!”
At Ann‟s words, the fairy merchant loosened his grip on the wing.
The fairy‟s body went limp, and he braced one hand on the ground. When he
raised his head, he glared balefully at the fairy merchant.
The fairy merchant folded the wing up, returned it to the bag and handed the
bag to Ann.
“Hang this around your neck and keep it on you at all times. No matter what
you do, be careful. If this bag leaves your hands, there‟s no telling what the
fairy will do to you. I had an acquaintance who was killed by his own warrior
fairy after it took its wing back. Warrior fairies are ferocious. That‟s precisely
why they‟re sold as warrior fairies. If they get their wing back, they aren‟t
content to just run away. It‟s likely that they‟ll kill their master.”
“But what should I do when I got to bed? Won‟t I be taken by surprise while
I‟m sleeping?”
“When you go to bed, make sure to hide the wing inside your clothes and hold
onto it while you sleep.”
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“With that I‟ll be okay?”
“Just think about it. This person is holding your heart in the palm of their
hands. Even if you succeeded in killing them, they might be able to crush your
heart in the moments before dying… Fairies wings are especially fragile. So
they‟re frightened and can‟t act rashly. Having their wings damaged is a fear
that appeals to a fairy‟s deepest instincts. You saw how much pain he was in
just now, didn‟t you?”
Certainly, after seeing how he suffered she could understand why fairies
couldn‟t easily strike out at their masters.
After actually feeling what it was like to use fear and pain to control another
person, her depression about using a fairy only increased.
“Just be careful. Especially of this one. Up until now, every time it looked like
he might be bought he started spewing out insults and nastiness that you‟d
never imagine he‟d be capable of just from looking at his face, and in the end
he scared away all the customers and remained unpurchased. And yet, this
time he was the one who told you to buy him. I don‟t know if he‟s just that
d.a.m.n fickle or what, but whatever the case, this is a miracle.”
“Is he really that troublesome?!”
“Are you going to change your mind about buying him, after all?”
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Ann though a minute, but then shook her head.
“I don‟t have time to go to Libonpool. I‟ll buy him.”
“In that case, it‟s fine. Be careful with that wing. Make sure he never gets the
chance to take it from you.”
When Ann nodded, the fairy merchant set to work removing the chain around
the fairy‟s ankle.
The fairy gave a thin smile, as sharp as a blade, and whispered to the fairy
merchant, “Just you wait. One day, I‟ll come to kill you.”
“Oh, isn‟t that nice. I‟ll be looking forward to it.”
Lightly parrying the threatening farewell, the fairy merchant removed the
chain.
The fairy stood up. He was tall. His wing, s.h.i.+mmering with rainbow colors in
the sunlight, extended to his knees.
“So, I guess I‟ve purchased you. Please treat me kindly.”
As she said this, the fairy smiled mockingly.
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“The state of your finances must be pretty good for you to have a gold coin, eh,
Scarecrow?”
“Don‟t call me scarecrow! I‟m Ann!”
Listening to this exchange between Ann and the fairy, the fairy merchant
made an uneasy face.
“Miss, do you really think you can handle him?”
“She can handle me. Right, Scarecrow?” the fairy in question answered.
Being looked down at by a face that seemed to be making fun of her, Ann
yelled once again, “It‟s Ann! Ann Halford! Next time you call me Scarecrow,
I‟m going to give you a big punch!”
“...I guess she‟ll be alright?”
Ann snorted and, while glaring at the fairy, replied vehemently to the fairy
dealer‟s muttering, “Yes! I‟ll be fine. Don‟t worry, Ojii-san. Alright, you,
come with me.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Say, what is your name?” Ann asked the fairy sitting beside her on the
driver‟s seat of the cart as she applied the whip to the horses. 
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The fairy crossed his legs long-sufferingly, crossed his arms, and leaned back
against the backrest of the driver‟s seat. You could say he was lounging.
Between the fairy and Ann, who handled the horses fussily, the fairy seemed a
hundred times more in charge.
The fairy glanced over at Ann as if it were a huge bother.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because, I don‟t know what to call you, right?”
“You can call me Tom or Sam, or another of those names that you humans are
fond of.”
Generally, when using a fairy, the master would give it a name. But Ann
didn‟t like this, because she felt it was humiliating not to be referred to using
your real name.
“If it were me, I‟d want to be called by my real name. Aren‟t you the same? I
don‟t want to just give you some random name and start calling you that. So
tell me your name.”
“I don‟t care what you call me. Don‟t ask such stupid questions. Just give me
whatever name you want and call me that.”
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The fairy turned away. Ann peered at the side of his face and said, “Then I
guess I‟ll call you „Crow‟?”
As expected, the fairy looked at Ann with an extremely unpleasant expression.
“In exchange for being called Scarecrow?”
“That‟s right, Crow-san.”
The fairy knit his eyebrows. Then, after a moment of silence, he said
reluctantly, “Shall Fen Shall.”
“That‟s your name?”
At her question, he nodded. Ann smiled.
“What a pretty name. Much nicer than Crow. Which part of „Shall Fen Shall‟
is your name and which part is your family name?”
“The whole thing is my name. There‟s no separation between personal and
family names like in human names.”
“Oh, really? But „Shall Fen Shall‟ is too long… So I‟ll just call you Shall. Is
that okay?”
“I said you should call me however you like, didn‟t I? You are my master.”
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“I guess that‟s true…”
Hearing it directly from the fairy‟s mouth once again, it wasn‟t something she
was happy about. Her sense of guilt at having bought a fairy to use as a slave
became even stronger.
Under Ann‟s guidance, the cart pulled out of Redington and proceeded
towards the b.l.o.o.d.y highway.
The fields of wheat ripe for the harvest disappeared, giving way on both sides
of the road to spa.r.s.e forest.
Feeling that they were close to the b.l.o.o.d.y highway, Ann opened her mouth.
“I bought you to serve as my bodyguard. But there‟s one thing I promise you.
When we‟ve crossed the b.l.o.o.d.y highway and arrived safely in Lewiston, I‟ll
return your wing to you.”
Hearing this, Shall looked at Ann with distrust.
“You‟re saying you‟ll free me?”
“That‟s right.”
At this, Shall made a surprised face for a moment, but then immediately let
out a stifled laugh from deep in his throat. 
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“You‟re going to let a fairy that you spent a gold coin on go? Are there really
such naive humans?”
“„Naive‟ is a rude way to put it. I just think that fairies and humans can be
friends. I don‟t like using a person that I might be able to become friends with.
I bought you because I needed a reliable guard immediately and had no other
options. But if I don‟t have to, I don‟t want to use fairies. Of course, selling
you to some other human is also out of the question. So I‟ll return your wing
to you. That‟s why, if possible, while we‟re journeying together I‟d like us to
be like regular friends.”
“Friends? There‟s no way we could be friends.”
Ann sighed at his cold words.
“That may be so, but… This is just my and mama‟s ideal. But with ideals, as
with dreams, no matter how long you have them, if no one makes them into a
reality, they‟ll always just be an ideal. So I‟m going to make it a reality.”
“I guess we‟ll see the proof of whether or not you‟re really that much of a
scarecrow-brain once we arrive in Lewiston.”
“Didn‟t I tell you not to call me Scarecrow?!”
The palm of her hand went flying towards him, but Shall lightly intercepted it.
Ann chewed on her lower lip, vexed. 
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“Why did you tell me to buy you, if you think I‟m such an idiot? If it were me,
I‟d definitely not want to be used by someone I think is a huge idiot.”
“Humans are all the same. In that case, it‟s easier for me if my master is a
blockhead. You just seemed to be the biggest blockhead I‟ve seen in the past
few years.”
“...For some reason… When I talk to you, I always end up getting thoroughly
depressed…”
Ann understood why Shall had gone unsold for so long.
If he was this nasty about being her guard, how would he be when it came to
actually protecting her?
The wind ruffling the lace on the hem of her dress suddenly became colder.
Ann noticed that a wild, rocky highway spread out before her. This was the
b.l.o.o.d.y highway. The cart slowly entered the highway.
The wheels rolled over the stones, and the tall cart swayed left and right with
the vibration. 
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The sky was clear, but the air was cold. The vicinity of the b.l.o.o.d.y highway
was surrounded by high mountain ranges, and the wind blowing down from
the mountains carried with it the cold of high places.
The wasteland of dried gra.s.s extended as far as the eye could see.
There were occasional, straggling trees, but it was obvious at first glance that
the soil was depleted.
Along the b.l.o.o.d.y highway, there weren‟t any towns or villages. However, the
rulers of each of the territories the highway traversed maintained the part of
the highway that pa.s.sed through their own territory.
Although the highway was “maintained,” that didn‟t mean that they captured
the robbers or drove away wild beasts. There were only 2 things the territorial
rulers did.
First, they trimmed once a year so that plants wouldn‟t encroach on the
highway.
Second, they built simple fortresses, called “Rest stops,” where travelers could
spend the night.
The b.l.o.o.d.y highway was dangerous, but it functioned as a highway thanks to
the territorial rulers performing these two services. 
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Ann had detailed maps of the entire kingdom. Because they were
indispensable for traveling, Emma had especially treasured these maps. She
regularly updated the maps, writing in new information.
Taking out the detailed map of the western part of the kingdom, Ann checked
the location of the closest rest stop. As the sun began to sink, they hurried
towards the rest stop, and they were able to make it by the time the sun had set.
The rest stop was merely a square fortress with high stone walls. There was no
roof. The gate was a drawbridge-type iron door operated using chains. The
interior was overgrown with weeds, and wide enough to easily fit 5 wagons.
Basically, travelers could run inside the walls for protection from robbers and
wild beasts.
Ann drove the cart into the rest stop surrounded by trees. Then she closed the
iron door.
Ann was tired from being rattled all day by the cart for the first time in half a
year. She decided to go to sleep early.
She took out two tanned leather mats and two blankets that were stored under
the driver‟s seat. Ann spread one set out next to the cart, to use herself. Then
she handed the other set to Shall. 
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“Chose for yourself where you want to sleep. Spread this out and use it to lay
on. And this is for dinner. I‟m sorry it‟s not much, but we can‟t afford luxury
on the road.”
She then handed Shall a cup full of grape wine and an apple.
Taking the rest of their journey into consideration, she‟d decided to be thrifty
with their dinner.
Ann covered herself with the blanket, bit into the apple, and within moments
she‟d devoured it completely. Throwing the core far away, she gulped down
the wine. The cold bitterness soon turned to warmth as it moved into her
stomach. She curled up on the mat, feeling her ears heat up a bit.
Shall spread out his mat a short distance away from Ann‟s, sat down and
covered his lap with the blanket. Holding the cup of wine in one hand, he
gazed up at the moon.
There was a full moon tonight. The light of the moon illuminated Shall‟s face.
Bathed in moonlight, the fairy‟s elegance was further polished. It was like a
jewel, wet with dew and glimmering enchantingly.
The wing on his back also s.h.i.+ned a gentle, transparent light green color.
It appeared that, unlike the one that was plucked off, the wing on Shall‟s back
changed color and luminosity subtly depending on his mood. 
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Are the wings on fairies’ backs warm? Or are they cold?
She was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to touch it and see.
“Fairies‟ wings sure are beautiful. Is it okay for me to touch it?”
While asking, she reached out her hand. At this, Shall‟s wing trembled,
rippled slightly, then beat upon the gra.s.s two, three times.
As Ann s.n.a.t.c.hed back her hand with a gasp, Shall glared at her with sharp
eyes.
“Don‟t touch me. Aside from the wing in your hands, the rest is mine.”
In the face of this cold fury, Ann remembered that she possessed his wing.
And that, to a fairy, their wings were as precious as their life.
“I‟m sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”
She apologized sincerely, and, while examining Shall‟s face in profile,
gripped the string to the leather pouch that hung down the front of her chest.
A fairy‟s wings were the source of their life force, like a heart was to a human.
Using a fairy involved holding another person‟s heart in the palm of your hand,
and threatening to crush it if they didn‟t do as you said. 
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That was what Ann was doing. From a fairy‟s point of view, it must have
seemed like the act of a demon.
Ann sighed softly.
----I hate this.
Perhaps she could get Shall to do as she asked without acting like that.
If, for example, she were able to make friends with him? In that case, there
would be no need to use him. She would be able to ask him a favor and get
him to agree to help her of his own free will.
“Hey, Shall… I have a proposal for you…”
Ann lifted her head a bit.
“I said so this afternoon too, but why don‟t we try being friends?”
“Are you an idiot?”
Answering brusquely[7], Shall turned his face away.
Ann laid her head down on the blanket, depressed. 
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----It’s probably no use, right away. But I have the feeling that if I’m sincere
towards him, some day he’ll come to understand. At any rate, I wonder what
he’s thinking about while looking at the moon. His eyes are so beautiful…
Her eyelids grew heavy, and Ann dozed off to sleep.
In the comfortable darkness, Ann began to dream.
As always, the setting was that of camping out.
Ann was wrapped up in a blanket, and Emma was moving about busily,
coming and going in and out of the cart.
Seeing Emma right before her eyes, Ann felt a sense of relief. At the same
time, something hot traced a line down her cheeks.
“There, there, Ann. What‟s wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?”
“That‟s not it. I had a bad dream. A bad dream that you died, mama.”
“That‟s silly. Having a dream like that means you‟re not feeling well. I‟ll
check and see if you have a fever.”
Emma‟s cool hand softly touched Ann‟s neck. Those fingers were long and
slender, and always cool. That was because she cooled her fingertips in water
when handling silver sugar, which melted easily. 
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Those fingers were unbearably precious, and something about them seemed
fleeting. Without thinking, Ann gripped the cool fingers.
“Mama, please! Don‟t go away!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At the sound of her own voice shouting this, Ann awoke with a start.
She realized that she‟d been dreaming. But the cool fingers that Ann gripped
were real. Shall‟s face was so close that she could feel his breath. His black
hair seemed about to touch Ann‟s cheek.
“W-what?!”
She pushed away the fingers she‟d been gripping and leapt up.
----Don’t tell me this is that high and mighty “bonus” he was talking about
before?!
Shall smiled wryly and rose. That smile was chilly.
It slowly dawned on her that Shall did not appear to have the proposed “bonus”
on his mind.
----What on Earth was Shall doing…? Just now he was touching my neck…
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“Just now you were touching my neck…”
That‟s when Ann noticed that the leather string hanging around her neck was
sticking out from the collar of her dress. That leather string was the one from
which the bag containing Shall‟s wing hung.
“Shall. Don‟t tell me… You tried to steal your wing?”
“I almost got it,” he said with no trace of reluctance.
“You really did try to steal it?! That‟s horrible…”
“What is?”
“I said so, didn‟t I? That I wanted to be friends with you. And yet, you…”
Ann really wanted to be friends with Shall. And yet, she felt that those
feelings had been betrayed, and that made her sad. Meeting Ann‟s eyes, Shall
laughed mockingly.
“You want to be friends? You‟re holding the other person‟s life in the palm of
your hand, and you say you want to be friends??”
At these words, Ann was taken aback.
“I was purchased by you. I‟m being used by you. It‟s not possible for us to be
friends.”
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If Ann wanted to make her ideal into a reality, she would have to return his
wing to him first, and then ask him to be her friend and beg for his help. That
was the only way.
But, to be honest, she was afraid to return his wing. That‟s why Ann asked
him to be her friend while holding his life in her hands. Even she knew that it
was asking too much. There was no way he‟d be friends with her, given their
current relations.h.i.+p.
As long as she possessed his wing, she was his master.
Shall had merely done what was only natural for a fairy and tried to take back
his wing from his master.
Thinking that she‟d been “betrayed” and getting sad and so on was barking up
the wrong tree.
The truth was that Ann was simply a foolish master for letting her guard down.
“I really am an idiot, huh?”
She sighed lightly. Ann had been doing nothing more than trying to make
herself feel better by thinking “It would be fine if we were be friends.” She
realized now how selfish and stupid she‟d been.
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“I have to go to Lewiston. I can‟t afford to take any dangerous chances such as
returning your wing to you and then asking you to protect me until we get to
Lewiston. That‟s why, even though I‟d decided in my heart to use you, a part
of me was soft. Saying that I wanted to be a friend… was stupid of me.”
Ann closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she opened her eyes again.
“I said I would return your wing to you if you helped me to get to Lewiston
safely. Did you try to steal your wing back because you can‟t believe me even
if I give you my word? Or did you try to steal it back because being used by a
human even for a short period of time is so hateful? Either way, it‟s fine. From
now on, I won‟t let my guard down, so don‟t forget it.”
She looked up at the expressionless fairy. He didn‟t answer.
“While we‟re on the subject, I‟ll still keep my promise. When we reach
Lewiston, I will give you back your wing. After that, I‟ll ask you again
whether or not we can be friends. Until then, I am your master.”
Shall gave a derisive snort and turned his back to her. It seemed tragic that
there was only one wing on his back, reflecting the light of the moon.
Looking up at the night sky, he said to himself “The moon sure is beautiful.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
----I screwed up.
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Even with his eyes turned towards the moon, Shall Fen Shall was aware of
Ann‟s presence as she lay behind him. She radiated nervousness. The