Chapter 381
"Cigarettes... you have them?" the fairy, who had been momentarily frozen, finally asked.
When Ian nodded, her eyes widened in disbelief. "On you? Our fairy cigarettes?"
"That's right."
While the fairy blinked in speechless astonishment, Ian moved his right hand behind his back. Naturally, he reached into his pocket dimension and retrieved a metal box about the width of three or four palms.
The fairy blinked in confusion at the box, which seemed to rest on Ian’s palm as if by magic. Her expression, previously tense as though she had inhaled toxic smoke, was now completely blank. Ian paid her no mind as he opened the box.
It was something Princess Seras had given him as compensation for a job—filled with items such as magic stones, essence beads, gold coins, magical scrolls, and identification documents, all relatively small in volume.
Among them was also a silver cigarette case, packed with cigarettes he had confiscated from the trackers of Aynas. He still had two cigarettes from Findrel left, but the larger ones would be better for sharing.
Looks nicer, too.
With that thought, Ian pulled out one luxurious, thick, and finely rolled cigarette.
"Crazy." The fairy let out a dazed murmur, her jaw dropping as she stared at the cigarette and silver case in Ian's hand like they were treasures.After putting the case back into the box, Ian placed the cigarette in his mouth. A small flame flickered to life at his fingertip, lighting the end. With a flick of his wrist, Ian dispelled the flame and drew in a deep breath of smoke before exhaling.
Frozen as if time had stopped, the fairy finally breathed. "How, how did you? Did the black-ear bastards give it to you? Are you working with those beastfolk bootlickers?"
Ah, yet another conspiracy theory.
At the fresh wave of suspicion, Ian let out a low chuckle mixed with smoke. The black ears were likely a derogatory term for dark fairies.
Well, pulling out one cigarette wouldn't resolve misunderstandings that easily. To this fairy, such a theory might even seem reasonable.
"So, who did you team up with? Elbras? Sergis? If not, is it—"
"So." Ian cut her off with a puff of smoke, shifting the cigarette between his fingers. "Are you going to smoke or not?"
The glowing ember at the cigarette's tip captivated the fairy's gaze. The herbal aroma Ian exhaled was likely tickling her nose by now. Ian shrugged and brought the cigarette back to his lips.
"Suit yourself, then."
"Just one drag." The fairy's words slipped out, and she blinked in surprise at herself.
Turning her gaze aside awkwardly, she added, "Just one puff... that's all."
"Does that mean you're open to clearing up the misunderstanding?"
"If such a thing exists." The fairy muttered as if grudgingly admitting it. She seemed almost ashamed of succumbing to the temptation.
However, when Ian brought the cigarette closer, her tightly shut lips parted once more. When he placed the cigarette in her mouth, the fairy shut her eyes tightly and inhaled. In less than a few seconds, the tension, anxiety, shame, and anger on her face melted away entirely.
"Oh, Lu Solar." The fairy exhaled a long breath along with the smoke, murmuring in a languid, subdued voice.
"This is the finest cigarette. The best I've ever smoked in my life. To think I'd get to taste this again..." She spoke as if she could die happy right then and there.
The herbal scent is indeed pleasant, but not to that extent.
Ian clicked his tongue as he watched the fairy savor the smoke, inhaling and exhaling. Then he suddenly recalled the cigarette he had smoked on the day he left the military boot camp long ago. If the feeling was anything like that, he supposed he could understand the overreaction.
Most importantly, her face, once marred by distrust and conspiracies, now bore an expression of peace.
Maybe if I'd offered her one earlier, the conversation would've gone smoother.
Even when Ian took the cigarette back, the fairy showed no reaction. She merely kept her eyes closed, exhaling the smoke she had drawn deeply into her lungs.
As Ian placed the cigarette back in his mouth, the fairy, still with her eyes closed, asked, "Where did you even get something this precious?"
Her voice was noticeably calmer now. It wasn't just her tone; the cigarette seemed to have genuinely steadied her mind. Perhaps the reason fairies constantly smoked cigarettes was to dull their hypersensitivity and perpetual paranoia.
"They gave it to me when I asked for it."
"That's impossible. Not just here, but anywhere—cigarettes aren't something given or received so freely. Though, it was odd from the moment you recognized the Tree of Life. You must be quite close with those black-eared bastards."
"If you're referring to dark fairies, you're wrong. I've never even seen them. I have some ties with high-ranking fairies, though." Ian's voice was also much calmer now.
As the fairy exhaled another deep breath of smoke, she asked, "Which house?"
"Well, Aynas, for one. And Erenos."
"Erenos?" The fairy's eyes snapped open, and she stared directly at Ian. "Are you saying there's another Erenos here?"
This time, Ian raised an eyebrow. "You, are you from Erenos?"
"Weren't you the one who wanted to clear up misunderstandings? Answer properly, you corrupted one. Where, in this dark land, is Erenos—"
Her voice faltered as Ian leaned forward and placed the cigarette back between her lips. Despite glaring at him intently, the fairy didn't refuse and took another deep drag from the cigarette.
Huh. Your mouth sure is honest, at least.
Ian let out a low chuckle and spoke. "I wasn't talking about here. I met them beyond the Wall. I've only recently crossed over."
The fairy's eyes, which had been lazily drooping, widened again. Ian gestured toward the black sword planted in the ground beside them and continued.
"I'm not a lackey of the wanderers or a corrupted one. While it's true, this is a cursed sword, it doesn't control me. It's entirely under my command."
"So, you crossed the Wall from the Empire?" The fairy asked, still holding the cigarette in her mouth.
Ian nodded. "More precisely, from the Northern front. During erosion. It was unintentional."
"There must've been an invasion. Crossing the Wall during that wouldn't have been easy, not even by chance."
"But it happened. I fought to stop the invasion, and in doing so, I ended up here. I could tell you more."
Ian took the cigarette back and placed it in his mouth, adding, "But that would make the story far too long. And I doubt you'd believe all of it, anyway."
The fairy exhaled smoke through her nose, narrowing her eyes as if trying to discern the truth in Ian's words—or perhaps not believing him at all.
Ian added nonchalantly, "Unless all of those countless Martyr Expeditions have died, I doubt I'm the only one who's crossed the Wall."
"But no one has ever
crossed to this side before. It was never even a possibility in our minds." The fairy spoke in a subdued tone, then looked Ian in the eyes and asked, "When you first crossed the Wall, where were you?""A valley filled with nothing but black stone and earth, with rocks floating in the sky."
"That place is swarming with things from the void. With those monsters that can’t survive outside the boundary."
"True. It wasn't easy getting through."
In truth, he had barely escaped with his life, killing some of those creatures along the way. However, if he explained everything, she would probably dismiss it as a lie. She had only just begun to really listen to him.
"Perhaps that was possible because the boundary is expanding." The fairy muttered to herself, exhaling the rest of her smoke. "There were some strange disturbances detected recently. Someone even claimed to have seen a violet meteor fall on the outskirts. If that was related to you… Ah, shit.."
She sighed deeply, closing her eyes, then added in a low voice, "Can you prove what you just said?"
"I can prove my identity." Ian opened the metal box.
Inside were several identification documents. After a moment of consideration, he pulled out a certificate issued by the Temple of the Brazier. The others seemed too impactful to reveal, and there was no need to show all his cards to this fairy.
"Ian Hope." The fairy read aloud from the document Ian held up before her.
Ian shrugged. "Yeah, that's my name."
"The Temple of the Brazier. I see. You must've made quite a name for yourself in the North. Considering the signature of the Saintess, it seems she's risen to the position of High Priestess now."
I didn't expect her to recognize it.
Ian smiled as he folded the certificate. "Exactly. The Saintess of the Brazier issued it personally. That alone should be enough proof that I'm not some degenerate or a lackey of the demons."
The fairy silently watched as Ian retrieved the certificate. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Could I have another hit?"
Her gaze had softened, her suspicion easing noticeably.
Ian readily extended his hand. "Be my guest."
The fairy took a deep inhale. Come to think of it, her complexion had noticeably improved. Her previously sallow skin now had a faint flush of color.
The cigarette had burned down to nearly a third.
As she exhaled the smoke with deliberate enjoyment, the fairy murmured, "If people knew they could smoke this, everyone would lick your boots, Ian Hope. You, a mere human, can never understand how precious this is."
"So there are more high fairies aside from you," Ian remarked casually.
The fairy nodded slightly. "There aren't many left, but yes, there are still those who haven't succumbed to temptation or madness, who keep their pride. Not just here, either."
The fairy fell silent, her lips pressing tightly together. It was clear she had no intention of saying anything further.
Ian brought the cigarette back to his mouth and added casually, "What about the humans? There must be humans who survived without falling to corruption."
"There are. Far more than us."
"Where would I need to go to meet them?"
Damn.
When the fairy clamped her mouth shut again, Ian clicked his tongue and inhaled deeply.
The only way to force this stubborn fairy to speak was through torture, but that was unnecessary. They had already resolved the largest misunderstanding.
Besides, the sword was in his hands now. If he gave her enough time, this conspiracy-obsessed fairy would eventually spill everything.
"So, who do you know from Erenos?" Finally, the fairy asked.
Ian's lips curled into a faint smirk. "If you're truly from Erenos, you'd better treat me with a bit more respect. I made one of your family an elder."
The fairy's eyes widened again. She blinked and stammered, her lips trembling. "An elder? In Erenos? Does that mean... the family gained a Tree of Life?"
How outdated is her information?
Ian let out a short laugh. It hit him again just how long this fairy had lived isolated from the outside world. Looking back, their conversation had been slightly out of sync from the beginning.
Perhaps he hadn't noticed the disconnect, because her youthful appearance didn't betray her age. It wasn't unusual, after all—fairies had far longer lifespans than humans and kept their youthful looks for much longer.
"Whether or not you know it, the situation outside is completely different from here. Have you ever heard of the twilight of magic?"
"Yes. They say the era of spellcasters is fading."
"Exactly. The Tree of Life is affected as well. They no longer grow or bear fruit. Owning a Tree of Life no longer means you can produce seeds from it."
"Huh?" The fairy's mouth fell open.
It was obvious this was the first time she'd heard this. The fairies here seemed completely unaware of the state of their kind outside the Wall. Well, Ian had never once heard of a fairy taking part in the martyr expeditions.
There probably was none.
Given what he knew about fairies, it wasn't surprising. Likewise, humans wouldn't have had any accurate knowledge of fairy society, so getting proper information would have been impossible.
Ian flicked the ash off his cigarette and added, "So your Erenos elder is the youngest now. If the Black Wall doesn't fall, she might even be the last elder."
"I heard your family was nearly ruined. Maybe things have improved a bit by now."
"An elder in Erenos..." The fairy murmured at last.
Her dull, swamp-colored eyes swirled with a storm of emotions—pride and joy, mingled with inexplicable hatred, bitterness, and longing.
Ian, cigarette between his lips, watched her in silence.
Perhaps this fairy scout had ended up trapped inside the Black Wall because her family lacked power. After all, the Black Wall's interior had always been the front lines. In this world, as in any other, those without wealth or connections were sent to the most dangerous places. Given how selfish fairies were, it was even more likely.
On the other hand, she might have volunteered, seeking an opportunity to restore her family's standing. That, too, was a choice a fairy would reasonably make.
Not that it mattered to Ian. He neither needed to confirm the truth nor cared to.
With a puff of smoke, Ian brushed aside his wandering thoughts and instead thought of Lucia, who was likely waiting for him. He'd been away far longer than he had intended.
"Just one more thing."
It was then that the fairy suddenly spoke up. "Can you tell me the name of Erenos, who became an elder?"
"Hmm." Ian clicked his tongue briefly.
A conversation he'd once had with the Platinum Dragon flashed through his mind. She seemed like Erenos, but it might not be, it had said.
Of course, the hesitation lasted only a moment. He didn't expect this fairy to recognize the name, anyway.
"Thesaya." Ian eventually stated plainly.
"Thesa…ya?"
The fairy's brow furrowed immediately after repeating the name.
"Are you talking about that scrawny thing?"