Volume 10 Chapter 58 Red Graffiti of the Great Library
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Void¹ is a closed society.
Because the Forest People chose to shutter their gates to distance themselves from the endless conflicts of the human races.
While the Forest People were known for their gentle nature, those who ventured into the wastelands did nothing but fight. Most of these struggles occurred between different species. Because the Forest People were easy targets, their foray into the wider world was defined by constant war.
External enemies were a permanent source of anxiety. The Forest People, often called the “Spirits of the Forest,” were frequent victims of kidnapping and trafficking. The Beast Demon Tribe and the Earthens, who shared their borders, were essentially their natural enemies. In ancient times, the Forest People’s nation was annihilated; legend claims the cause was a coordinated invasion by these other races.
To protect her kin, Queen Isabella established the policy of sealing the Void. No one was permitted to leave without authorization. To enforce this, those who defied the law were never allowed back – return meant execution.
—
**Age Fifteen**
”Um, leaving the Void is forbidden. If you stay here, my mother – the Queen – will find out,” I said.
At the time, I was completely ignorant. I had found a fellow Forest Person attempting to flee and tried to warn her, unaware that I was standing on the brink of death. Ignorance is a terrifying thing; at fifteen, a girl like Flavia lived under the delusion that her own kind were unconditional allies.
”You truly think of me as a comrade? noja,” the woman asked.
The Forest People usually have porcelain-white skin. However, this woman was short, and while she possessed our trademark pointed ears, her skin was a deep bronze. It didn’t look like a tan; something about it felt fundamentally different.
”Wait… are you Isabella’s second daughter, Flavia? To think we’d meet like this. But now that you’ve seen me, I can’t let you live. Royalty or not, it makes no difference to me,” she said, stepping closer.
I simply stared at her, confused. I felt no sense of danger at all.
”Hm? Little girl. You carry a star on your back much like mine,” she muttered.
I was overwhelmed by her eerie presence. She had dark green eyes and snow-white hair with a faint blue tint. For a member of my race, she felt… inhuman.
”That star won’t be reflected in the eyes of others. It’s a dark destiny², one that only reveals its light in the pitch black. How fascinating. To think that self-righteous little runt Isabella could produce a seed like you,” she laughed.
I didn’t really understand her, but I was happy to have pleased her. In my innocence, I smiled as if I had been praised.
I never became friends with that strange girl. She left as quickly as she had appeared, and we never met again. That was my encounter with Parl Forestier. Legend names her the First Princess of the fallen city-state, Forestier. Though she should have long since surpassed the eight-hundred-year lifespan of our kind, she remains a “Dark Forest-Dweller,” still wearing the face of a young girl.
Everyone feared and loathed her, branding her a traitor. But I couldn’t bring myself to join them. She was a tragic princess, forever yearning for someone who would never return. I didn’t know what drove her to survive, but to me, trapped in the stagnant Void, she seemed radiant.
—
**Age Thirty**
”When I become Queen, I’m going to liberate the Void,” Avery said.
One day, my sister and I were talking about the future. It was rare for us to escape the eyes of the court, but Avery had managed to sneak us away so we could be alone.
”Everyone is sick of being trapped. No matter how many petitions the people send, she ignores them. The Queen has lost her way,” Avery continued.
”But they say it’s dangerous outside,” I replied.
”If you’re worried about danger, the Fairies inside the Void are dangerous enough. You’ve heard about the brainless corpses, haven’t you, Flavia? That’s the work of the Forbidden Witch.”
Avery was suffocating in this isolation. Most of the public felt the same. Despite being royalty, she spoke often with the commoners and shared their frustrations. I rarely spoke to anyone, but I was easily swayed by her conviction.
”Flavia, I’m the one in the spotlight, so people might overlook you, but I know the truth. When it comes to magic, no one can touch you. Some people in the village speak ill of you, but they’re just blind to your talent,” Avery said.
My sister was brilliant – a master of both the arts and the blade. The people pinned their hopes on her. Conversely, no one cared about me. Because I was quiet and stayed in her shadow, many mocked me, sneering that the younger sister was a pale imitation of the elder.
That is the darkness born of a closed society. Having traded stimulation for an unchanging, peaceful routine, the Forest People were rotting. We were once known as a gentle race, but over the years, the entire species had begun to change. A “human” social order was festering – one where people looked down on other races and bullied the weak.
”I need your power, Flavia. I’ll protect you. So, please… stand by me,” Avery said.
”Okay. I love you, Avery. I’ll do whatever I can to support you,” I promised.
Even in a world like this, I had my sister. For someone like me, living a life without peaks or valleys, she was my sun. I would work hard for her. As long as she was there, I could endure anything.
But soon after, we were torn apart. We are of Forestier. Not just Avery, the heir, but even a younger sister like me had a role to play for the royal house.
—
**Age Fifty**
”So, you’re the new attendant?” the woman asked.
She was a colossus, standing well over two meters tall. Her breasts were massive, dwarfing my own head. Her eyes were sharper and more intimidating than a leopard’s; I felt my spirit wither the moment she looked at me.
It was my first time entering the Fairy Forest. The woman sat upon a throne, surrounded by Fairies who didn’t even reach my knees. Some were clinging to her, nursing. The wet sound of their suckling filled the room.
However –
”They call you an ‘attendant,’ but you’re just a hostage, little girl. Royalty or not, if you make a mistake, I will punish you. Work hard so I don’t have to send your head back to Isabella,” the Queen said.
As she spoke these reasonable words, she reached down and plucked up one of the Fairies nursing at her breast. The little creature fluttered its lovely wings frantically.
In the next heartbeat, the Fairy’s upper body was gone.
The Queen’s dress and mouth were instantly smeared crimson. As if she were snacking on a piece of fruit, she had devoured the suckling child.
The room was filled with giggles.
Milk dripped from the Queen’s now-vacant breast. Seeing this, other Fairies scrambled to take the spot, fighting to feed. Ignoring them, the Fairy Queen chewed the rest of the infant and swallowed.
It was a ghastly society – a fairytale of pure horror. They say the Fairy Forest is built on the “strange and mysterious.” Even as a resident of the same Void, the world of the Fairies was beyond my comprehension.
”First, you will watch and learn how we live. Oh, and don’t you dare disrupt the order. If you break a house, you will become the house. If you interfere with a meal, you will find yourself served on a plate,” the Queen warned.
I suppose this was the “valley” of my life. A mother who eats her children; Fairies who watch their friends die with total indifference. From that day on, this was Flavia’s home. My terrifying service in the Fairy Forest had begun.
—
**Age Sixty**
I never did truly understand the Fairies. I kept my distance – not too close, not too far. I grew used to them, but no matter how much time passed, I never gained any real insight.
The Fairies were “adorable.” Most of them were lovely to look at, and many were quite kind. But they were also monstrous. They would rip each other apart or catch animals just to tear them into a bloody mess for fun. They acted like children who knew no fear. To them, that was just “play.”
I was often the target of their pranks. They tried to urinate on me from the trees, gave me flowers, piled dead bugs at my feet, or followed me to nap in the shade. Whether it was luck or fate that I never suffered a truly cruel prank, I cannot say. I heard some children pranked the Queen; those children were never seen again. This was a world where cannibalism was a law of nature.
The Fairies remained a total mystery. I never learned how they were born or where they lived. Even after decades, so much remained opaque. But I was afraid to pry. Even then, I knew they were not beings you should ever look into too deeply.
The Queen was different. She summoned me occasionally to kill time. Her voice carried a bottomless authority. The stories she told me made me feel the vastness of a world I had never seen.
”Daughter of Isabella. Do you know of the Fragments³?” the Queen asked one afternoon.
”Fragments? You mean the alternate dimensions? One of the Nine Worlds that connect the wasteland,” I replied.
”Indeed. About two hundred and fifty years ago, our world was carved out and tethered to the wasteland. A ‘Fragment’ is a function of a world separate from this one we call the Void.”
”I know the history,” I said. “Lady Teekua connected these worlds to save the dying wasteland. By placing the wasteland in the gap between them, she preserved existence itself.”
”The Nine Worlds are the machinery that keeps the wasteland alive,” the Queen explained. “If the wasteland is a house, it’s the living room. The other worlds are the functional rooms – the kitchen, the salon, the studio, the library. Our Void brought the forest to that ruined world. So… what function do you think the Fragments serve?”
It was a fascinating analogy, but answering it required knowledge I didn’t have. Even in the Void, scholars debated the Nine Worlds, but they always said there was no information regarding the Fragments.
”…Regarding the Fragments, I know nothing at all,” I admitted.
”They are the Hallway,” the Queen said. “The Fragments are the mechanism that connects the wasteland to other worlds, overlapping them to create the ‘Otherworlds.’ It seems the wasteland no longer has the laws of ‘boundaries’ left. Without these Fragments, the Otherworlds would vanish. The world would revert to a cylinder, and this time, the wasteland would truly perish.”
The fireless wasteland⁴ recovered its heat by connecting with the Fort. The parched wasteland reclaimed its mother sea by linking with the Sanctum. Yet, even among these miracles, the Fragments stand apart. While every realm provides an essential function, the Fragments are the very pillars of the world.
”The Nine Realms… Among them, the Fragment worlds-the corridors-have always been called ‘the void.’ Unlike the Forest of Vacuity or the Mountain of the Fort, people believed nothing could thrive in the Fragments’ endless sky or the Abyss’s eternal dark. But there is a legend about the Fragments. A story of a civilization flourishing in the heavens.”
”Prosperity… in the clouds?”
Without soil, crops cannot grow. Without a sea, fish cannot be caught. How could life take root in the Fragments, a world of nothing but air? Even birds cannot stay aloft forever.
”For years, there have been sightings of a strange woman in the wasteland. They describe a naked figure with white wings and a single cloth wrapped around her waist, riding upon a bull.”
”Wings… and a bull? A Harpy?”
”That’s what they thought. But the reports say she had arms in addition to her wings. Harpies have wings as arms. If the rumors are true, she’s something else entirely.”
The first sighting was in the southern Human Continent, in the “Feather of the Continent.” From there, similar reports trickled in from across the globe.
”Some believe she is a legend made flesh-the Angel Soldiers, long thought to be a myth.”
”Angels…!”
”If it’s true, a new race is about to join the world’s stage. Though lately, the wasteland is too busy gossiping about the Phantasmal Beasts, even as they fade into extinction.”
The world is vast. Staggeringly vast. My birthplace is a mere “different world”; the wasteland is hundreds of times larger than this “Vacuity”; and there are dozens of other realms just like it.
As knowledge piles up, curiosity naturally reaches for the next horizon. The more I learned of the world outside, the more I yearned to see it. “Why can’t I leave?” The question gnawed at me, a smoldering fire that scorched my heart.
—
**Age Seventy**
”Go and check on that cursed girl,” Queen Palze commanded. “There’s no telling what she might pull. Word is she’s been making herself scarce lately. Go find her.”
The order felt like a death sentence. I had heard the rumors for years: a loathsome witch lived among the fairies. A hideous, repulsive creature with the horns of a dragon.
I set out for the orchard, where she was said to dwell. When I questioned the local fairies, they called her the “Apple Fairy.”
”Heh-heh! You came looking for Kupira, didn’t you? ♡”
The “abomination.” The “dragon-horned horror.” As soon as I entered the orchard, I encountered a fairy who fit the description-or so I thought.
”I’m Kupu, the Apple Fairy. You can just call me Kupu!”
I expected a monster, but this girl was different. She had the horns, and her aura was far more intense than any fairy I’d met, but she wasn’t the one.
”Are you… not Kupira?” I asked.
”If you want Kupira, go talk to Lizamis!” Kupu replied, pointing deeper into the trees.
She shrugged me off, but I felt a chill of recognition. Kupu was “close” to Kupira. Perhaps they shared the same roots.
In the Fairy Clan of the Vacuity, no two members look alike. However, they share traits within their specific communities. Just as there are different races of humans, there are different types of fairies. The fairies who serve the Queen are so different from those who live in the deep woods that they might as well be a different species. The orchard was no exception. These fairies looked nothing like any I had ever seen.
”I take it you are the Princess of the Forest People, sent by Queen Isabella,” a raspy voice called out.
I jumped. Perched inside a tree trunk was a spider. A spider that… talked.
”A talking spider…” I muttered.
”Pardon me. I didn’t mean to startle you,” the spider said. “You may think of me as Kupira’s mentor… or perhaps her guardian knight.”
”A knight?”
The self-proclaimed knight was a bizarre spider with ribbons tied to each of its eight legs. It was absurd. I had never heard of an insect that dressed up, let alone one that spoke. Was this also a fairy?
The spider drifted out from the tree. What had looked like a flat image became a three-dimensional creature crawling toward me.
”Diver Parasite⁵. That is my unique ability,” he explained. “I can sink into any surface. To an onlooker, I simply look like a pattern or a drawing on a wall.”
”That is an incredible skill,” I whispered.
The spider spoke with the friendly tone of an old man. He offered to guide me, and I accepted. I was curious, but I lacked the courage to do more than give short answers.
The Vacuity is a boundless forest, but this orchard felt truly infinite. It was a surreal sight: being led by a spider through swarms of fairies. They ranged from the size of a palm to the size of a human child, peeking from behind leaves with intense curiosity. And then… I saw them. Fairies eating fruit… and fairies eating other fairies.
Despite our symbiotic relationship, very few fairies actually interact with the Forest People. I had never seen so many in one place-swarms of them hanging from the branches like overripe fruit.
”Look at this apron! A masterpiece of tailoring!” the spider exclaimed, stopping before a figure in the clearing. “It balances utility with beauty perfectly. It’s the finest work of my life!”
”Good for you,” a girl’s voice replied flatly. “It’ll just get dirty the first time you trip anyway. Why obsess over one piece? You should just mass-produce them.”
”Don’t be ridiculous! I’ll run dry if I try that!” the spider barked.
The girl’s face looked like shattered porcelain. She had deep purple dragon horns and eyes that glowed like smoldering stars. Her appearance was beyond anything a human could imagine. Only her human shape and her black dress allowed her to be classified as a person; otherwise, she would have seemed a monster.
”With this, even those arrogant cats will bow to my glory!” the spider added.
”The cats will probably try to eat you regardless of your sewing skills,” the girl said.
”Nonsense! Those wretched cats can’t tear this apron. I’ll just hide underneath it!”
”They’ll just stomp on you through the cloth,” she countered. “Then, after they crawl under and eat you, they’ll use the apron to keep warm.”
”Are cats… actually demons?” the spider asked, sounding wounded.
The spider sank into the black dress, swimming through the fabric until it became a mere pattern. Having finished the conversation, the girl-Kupira-turned those burning eyes toward me.
”What do you think a ghost is?” she asked.
”…A ghost?”
”A ghost is a soul made manifest,” she said, pacing slowly. “Lingering regrets or powerful obsessions cause the spirit to cling to this world. Apparently, when magic power interacts with the soul, it creates this effect. That’s why ghosts appear in high-mana zones.”
Kupira stood tall. Her presence was on a different level entirely. Not since the Fairy Queen had I felt so overwhelmed. It made sense now-though they looked nothing alike, she was clearly the Queen’s daughter.
”The fairies of the orchard are spiritual bodies. You could say we’re similar to the ghosts or Succubi of the wasteland. A ghost is a stain left behind by a lost body, while a Succubus keeps her true form in the Crimson Spire. So, what about us fairies? If we have physical bodies, do you know where they are?”
”…Could it be…?”
It wasn’t that I was quick-witted. It was the fact that she was clutching an apple.
”Smart girl,” she said, poking the fruit. “Exactly. These are the ‘true bodies’ of the orchard fairies.”
I remembered Kupu calling herself an “Apple Fairy.” The orchard was overflowing with fruit and fairies for a reason.
”There are many kinds of fairies. I am a ‘Human Fairy’ born from the Queen, but most of those in the orchard are ‘Fruit Fairies.’”
She tossed the apple to me. As I caught it, she finally smiled.
”Welcome to my orchard. I’m the Kupiria you’ve been looking for.”
The “abomination.” The “witch.” The terror of the forest was a slender girl in a haunting form. And yet, she was far more human than I could have ever imagined.
As we became friends, I spent more time with the orchard fairies. That friendship spanned decades.
”Flavia, carry a sword in your heart,” the old spider told me during our training. “Form matters; the shape of a weapon ignites the spirit. Don’t just throw fire and lightning-master the blade, and you will truly be strong.”
”Flavia, the Demon Continent has entered an age of chaos,” Kupira warned me. “The Forest People are caught in the crossfire. Even the Vacuity might be swallowed by war. You’re still young. Before the tide reaches you, make sure you have the strength to stand against any adult.”
**Age One Hundred**
”Flavia. I hear you’ve grown quite close to Kupira lately.”
One day, Queen Palze summoned me. Sitting upon her throne, she was visibly displeased.
”I told you to watch her, not to join her.”
”I… I don’t understand…?”
She had never explicitly forbidden me from speaking to her. I realized then that she had simply expected me to be repulsed.
”I am sending you back to Valder,” the Queen declared. “Give my regards to Isabella.”
In an instant, I was stripped of my position. Because I had befriended the “witch,” I was sent back to my family without explanation. I was cast out, given no chance to even say goodbye to Kupira.
”Welcome home, Flavia.”
In the forty years I had been gone, my people had softened. They welcomed me back with warmth. To them, my service had been short, but time had smoothed the jagged edges of my past.
”Flavia! Oh, thank goodness!” my sister cried, rushing toward me. “I thought I’d never see you again. You’re finally home!”
Having finally crossed the century mark, my sisters and I were reunited at last.
Avery, who had grown a tiny bit taller, and I were able to hold hands just like before.
To me, it was a forty years that still felt long, but she remained just as she was before.
What happened after that.
We spent time together as if to recover the lost time.
It was only thirty years later that another turning point in life arrived.
One hundred and thirty-two years old.
”I cannot accept this. Why must Flavia-sama marry into those Humans…!!”
Avery-san, whose anger was at its peak, and Queen Isabella-sama, with a solemn look on her face.
Beside my big sis, I was quietly accepting my fate.
As if I had been waiting longingly for it.
”It is a necessary thing to carve out the future for us Forest People⁶. Flavia, please protect the world with that body of yours.”
Although I am still only a height that looks up to my mother, they say I am already of an age to become a wife.
If so, I will simply do exactly that.
A role only for me.
A duty only I can perform.
Avery-san got angry for me about being separated again.
I thought that was very happy, but more than anything, my interest was──.
”The number needed is five. Namely, the Chaser. The Challenger. The Guide. The Chain Binder. The one who shoots down. You shall become the power of the Chain Binder, and from there, protect the Void⁷.”
”I have understood, Queen Your Majesty. No matter how far apart we are, I will overcome all difficulties and protect the Void.”
I was, finally decided to go outside of the Void. My heart was throbbing.
”Since it has turned out like this, it can’t be helped. But Flavia. At least, at least become happy. If that doesn’t come true, at that time I will surely──”
”It’s okay. Thank you, Avery-san. …Take care, big sis.”
* * *
”Mm-good mohnin’, chuh, Otachi-sama⁸.”
The master who wakes up, and the girl who possesses the mark of a servant.
The girl, who had taken the p**is out of her mouth to greet him, immediately took it back into her mouth and trailed her tongue over it.
”…You’re full of energy from the morning. Was that Kispe-san’s suggestion?”
”Yes. I was taught that Otachi-sama prefers to be woken up like this.”
That was probably a conclusion reached by assuming that most men are like that, rather than it being Klock-san specifically.
Actually being pleasing or not depends on the mood of the day, but perhaps it’s best to quietly accept her efforts here.
Chupo chupo sounds echo atop the bed.
As if to fill the gap of last night’s unworthiness, Flavia-san desperately licks with her tongue and performs service.
”Hey, Flavia. Why is it that you want to devote yourself to me?”
It might not be the kind of thing to ask at a time like this.
But combined with having nothing to do, the words just sort of come out.
”To you, I should have been a different race from who-knows-where. Having your marriage decided arbitrarily, coming all the way out to the wasteland. You could be a bit more reluctant about it, you know. Or do you really intend to devote yourself that much just because your parents told you to?”
Marrying a different race whose face you didn’t even know is the height of being pitiful.
Furthermore, Klock-san is in a situation where there are other women.
He isn’t a prince from somewhere, and he’s in a situation where you don’t know what will happen in the future.
Normally, it would be fine to be shrouded in sadness.
No matter if she’s a princess, it wouldn’t be strange for her to run away, and there probably aren’t many people who would take things positively in Flavia-san’s position.
”Is it strange?”
”Well, it is strange.”
And yet Flavia-san has never once made a displeased face. Probably.
From Klock-san’s perspective, her behavior is the very definition of bizarre. He only accepts it because of the reason that she is a princess of the Forest People, a strange race he doesn’t know; if not for that, he would think Flavia-san is just a weirdo.
”When I was told by the Queen to serve Otachi-sama, what budded inside me was exhilaration.”
”…Exhilaration?”
Flavia-san floats a gentle expression while masturbating the d**k shiko shiko.
As expected, it wasn’t the kind of thing to ask at a time like this.
”I thought I would end my life inside that boring forest. When I learned I would leave the country, leave the Void, and follow a gentleman I didn’t know, my heart throbbed with more excitement than anxiety.”
Flavia-san’s hand gripped Klock-san’s hand.
Intertwining finger with finger, Flavia-san gives a kusuri smile.
”There is no room for my loyalty to Otachi-sama to waver. I intend to devote myself with my whole soul to Otachi-sama, who led me out to the outside of the forest. Please, take this Flavia anywhere.”
Saying so, Flavia-san kisses the tip of the rod.
Probably, after those lines, kissing the lips would be more appropriate.
She was smiling as if she couldn’t be having any more fun.
If she’s the princess of a different race, she is quite a distant existence to Klock-san.
But she herself might have had the sensation of a country girl longing for the city.
Flavia-san’s age is what you would call a sensitive age in Humans. Roughly about the same as Tiet-san.
If that’s the case, it’s no wonder her heart would throb if she’s leaving her hometown to go on an adventure.
”Flavia. You’re free to be grateful to me, but I’m no good person. Don’t go misunderstanding that I’m pure and honest just because I’m an associate of the Hero. I might treat you horribly. If you’re going to run, now’s your chance.”
”I don’t mind whatever is done to me, if it’s by Otachi-sama.”
Flavia-san stares straight at him.
That refined face and those eyes. Looking at her face which showed no sign of hesitation, even the likes of Klock-san becomes a tiny bit embarrassed and averts his face.
No, if she’s going to take that kind of attitude, he can’t exactly keep quiet.
The man, who sat up, reaches his hand out to her and pulls her close as if to give her a carry.
When he rolls goron and gets on top of her,
”Open your legs.”
”Otachi-sama…♡♡”
Is there any man who wouldn’t violate her after being told he could do whatever he wanted?
Into that fragile body, the thick rod is pushed in and the bouncing traditional Forest Person Princess.
If he strikes against her buttocks with a pan pan, her belly, which has become softer than last night, welcomes the d**k.
It turned out that waking up would take a little while longer.
—
”It has been confirmed that an unidentified enemy army is taking up positions ahead of us.”
It was the middle of the day when the sky was cloudy with fog.
The captain’s tent where Klock-san was alone.
Klock-san nods at the report from Primlena-san who came there.
”The people of Barreith will also be passing the foot of the mountain very soon.”
Continuing, he hears the report from Meina-san and strokes her head yoshi yoshi.
The Golden Cat girl who closes her eyes and accepts the embrace.
When he suddenly notices, the orange Merfolk is averting her eyes with a slightly mussu expression.
When he reaches his hand out to her, he pulls her close, kisses her, and holds the women in both arms.
”It’s a matter of what happens after this. If Barreith is their ally, they might merge, but if not, it will be a fight.”
”I reckon it’ll be a standoff. It would be best if we could pass by their side while they’re unable to move and return to Conro.”
As expected, it’s a bit too convenient a development for Barreith and the Demon Lord’s Army to clash.
Barreith is a de facto enemy. He’d like to welcome it if the enemies fought each other, but things probably won’t go that conveniently.
They will probably stop their march before they collide, and before it becomes a fight, they will likely try to make contact with each other and start exchanging information.
”Meina. Sorry for always leaving the scouting to you.”
”Uh-uh, because Mī knows that Mī is the most suited for it.”
”It must have been hard coming back in the thick fog. Come here, Meina, onto my lap. Let me hold you.”
”Nyaaaa…♡”
The man who begins flirting with the Cat Girl while holding the Merfolk princess in his arm.
”Look here, Meina. If you don’t run away, the d**k’s gonna go in.”
”Nyaa, nooo…”
Serious talk is only for a little bit.
The time spent flirting with the women is ten times longer.
With minimal movement, he skillfully begins ko-bi⁹ with the Cat Girl.
”Ah—, it went in.”
”Geez, Sir Klock is a pervert…. Mī is already pregnant, you know.”
”I can’t tell ’cause your belly hasn’t gotten big yet.”
He rubs and strokes the belly that is still soft and concave.
”Geez. Once my belly gets big, ko-bi with Mī is off-limits. Until then— mugu!!”
”Hey. Is this the time for that?”
Primlena-san offers a complaint to the sweet talk that started right next to her.
Crossing her arms, tilting her head slightly, she heaves a sigh with exasperated eyes.
”A war is about to begin. The situation will move as early as tonight. Even though the Brigante must immediately prepare and take a battle stance, do you intend to indulge in s** with the women you’ve brought along starting now?”
Even though she says that, the man was unresponsive, burying his face in the Cat Girl’s hair.
The goldfish princess pinches his side and squeezes with a little bit of force.
”Ow ow ow?! Hey, don’t get mad. Rather, it’s precisely because there’s an exchange of lives on the line.”
With his free hand, he pulls Primlena-san into his arms.
While the cat girl moves her hips back and forth on his lap, he reached his hand out to the other woman while surrendering himself to that.
While pouting angry, the goldfish princess doesn’t run away or refuse while being held in his arm.
When the hand that reached out covers her breasts and grabs them firmly, she heaved a haa.
”Because you don’t know when you’re gonna die, while things are at least peaceful──”
”I get it, so don’t knead my chest. Good grief, if you’re going to have s*x, concentrate on Meina.”
Saying so, she did not leave, but began observing the two’s sweet talk.
If he reaches his hand out, he gets swatted with a pashiri and glared at.
But when he finished his tryst with Meina, she approached him of her own accord, and this time she sat upon Klock’s lap.
He spends a little bit of leisure time while surrounded by the Cat Girl and the Merfolk princess.
Setting the word “self-restraint” aside in a corner, he had the fatigue of the journey healed by the women.
The Barreith military and the Demon Lord’s Army began a battle.
The report of that came in the middle of the night.
—
”Fufuffuu—. Did you hear, Master? It seems the witch Kupira is getting married.”
In the backlands of the orchard, the cursed girl cackles keta keta.
”The partner is none other than the Chosen Ones. What’s more, it’s the gentleman who welcomed Flavia. I was troubled over how to send a wedding gift to Flavia, but it seems there’s no longer a need to worry. Fufu, to think he’d welcome Fairies as a wife, he seems to be quite the lover of curiosities.”
”Why do you speak as if it were someone else’s business. It is about you, Kupira.”
A monster like a porcelain doll, dressed in a black dress.
The spider that had been swimming inside that dress returns to its actual form from the picture.
”I never thought the Fairies Queen would send you out of the Void.”
”The partner is the Chosen Ones. Surely he must have made her realize through power. After beating the Fairies Queen to a pulp, he said ‘Hand over Kupira as my wife’.”
The old spider skillfully begins peeling the skin of a fruit.
The cursed Fairies princess, who was watching that, pyoi picks up the spider and the fruit.
”The Chosen Ones do not necessarily possess strong power. I know not which role he bears, but if one becomes the wife of the Chosen Ones, they shall likely shoulder a fair bit of hardship.”
”As expected of Master. Even as a senior of the Chosen Ones, will you give your disciple a lesson?”
”I am no longer the master, and you are likely no longer the disciple. This is just the advice of an old-timer.”
”You’re the one who said it, Lizamis. Before being reborn by the Fairies Queen, I was your disciple.”
Once the skin of the fruit was peeled, Kupira offered the skin side to the spider.
Having a prank played on her, Lizamis swats it down with a beshi.
Seeing that and laughing kusu kusu, this time she offered the fruit part to the spider.
The spider begins eating the citrus fruit.
It looked exactly like someone tossing treats to a pet.
”By the way,” Kupira said, her voice airy. “From what I hear, these ‘Chosen Ones’¹⁰ are Humans. To a Human, I must look like a total freak of nature… so I wonder what kind of face he’ll make when he has to take me as his wife?”
”Who knows?” Lizamis replied, shifting his weight. “I can’t fathom why the Queen decided to send you out. Depending on the man, you might just get a look of pure revulsion, I s’pose.”
”Right? Totally,” Kupira said. “And here I was hoping to be like a princess in a book – you know, having my hand pulled a little roughly and all that. If he gives me a look like that after I’ve gone through the trouble of welcoming him, I might just have to strangle the life out of him.”
As she spoke, Kupira produced a book from thin air. It was no ordinary volume; it was large enough to shield her entire body. Upon its writhing cover, glimpses of landscapes from across the globe flickered and shifted in a restless, living cycle.
”You’re actually going to use that?” Lizamis asked.
”It’s not that I mind being a bride,” Kupira said, “but I already know exactly how he’ll react. Besides, being ‘Flavia’s husband’ doesn’t sit right with me. He’s one of the Chosen Ones. Maybe he’s like the Opener¹¹ and has a whole hoard of other wives, but I’d rather carve out a position that actually suits me.”
”And how do you plan to do that?” the spider asked.
Kupira swung the book open. The pages began to manifest shapes in three dimensions, the paper rising into a physical relief.
”Master? Back when you were Human, didn’t you say men had a thing for the whole ‘younger sister’ trope?”
”Guh – ?!” Lizamis choked out.
”According to the legends, that Great Sage was in love with his sister-in-law,” Kupira continued. “Apparently, human nature is such that they feel nothing for their actual sisters, but the moment it’s a ‘sister-in-law’ or a character in a story, their interest suddenly spikes. Honestly, the humanity of the Wasteland¹² has the strangest sensibilities. For us Fairies¹³, everyone is basically a sibling or a parent, so I don’t get the appeal at all.”
Lizamis, the palm-sized spider, scritched his head sheepishly with a foreleg. It was a bizarrely human gesture, met only by Kupira’s cracked face splitting into a twisted, mocking grin.
”Kupu!” Kupira called out.
”Present!” a voice chirped back.
A second Fairy appeared, one that shared Kupira’s likeness. She bore red horns, but unlike Kupira’s distorted form, she was an adorable creature with far fewer aberrations.
The pages of the book began to flutter violently. As a page fell open, a 3D forest sprouted from the binding. The printed text whipped into waves of wind, and paper apples tumbled from the boughs of paper trees.
”Stellar Skill: The Great Library’s Crimson Graffiti!¹⁴“
A paper ship set sail, plowing through a splashing sea of ink and letters. Swoosh. The next page turned, and a castle rose from a meadow of flowers. On the following page, a hero brandished a sword against a looming dragon.
This was no mere collection of wisdom. Every single page was a sprawling epic of a life lived – an archive of every soul’s story. It held the trajectory of the warrior who took up the sword, the mage who ignited the flame, and the king who built the castle. It held the fables of those who crawled the earth, those who ran on four legs, and those who took to the skies. It showed a single tree growing tall, bearing fruit, and the birth of a young girl-like Fairy.
It was a Great Library contained within a single spine – a celestial star in the shape of a book, reflecting the world in miniature. Across those pages, a mischievous Fairy’s pen began to dance.
”What are you up to now?” Lizamis asked, his voice low. “If you overdo it, you’ll leave a sour taste in Goddess Teekua’s mouth.”
”I doubt a Goddess cares about what someone like me does,” Kupira replied. “Besides, it’s not like I’m going to get in the way of a Hero’s duty. I just want my ‘Lord Groom’ to understand, just a little bit, that I’ve got a mean streak.”
Crimson ink splattered onto the page. The pen scratched away – skritch, skritch – weaving patterns according to the witch’s whim.
”Come on, Master,” Kupira said. “The Witch Kupira is about to marry into your apprentice’s family. Let’s lay down a wedding road so spectacular that no one’s ever seen the like. Oh, I can’t wait! Why is being bad always so much fun?”
”Don’t come crying to me when it blows up in your face, mind you…”
—
Summary:
The chapter traces Flavia’s life in the isolationist society of the Void through key ages. From her childhood encounter with the legendary Parl Forestier to her sister Avery’s political ambitions, and finally her traumatic service as a hostage in the cannibalistic Fairy Forest. The scenes concludes with the Fairy Queen explaining the cosmic structure of the Fragments as the ‘Hallway’ connecting worlds.
After that, Flavia, a Princess of the Forest People, is sent to the Fairy territory to monitor the ‘cursed’ Kupira. Instead of a monster, she finds a lonely girl and her spider mentor, forming a decades-long friendship. Eventually, the Fairy Queen discovers their bond and exiles Flavia back to her homeland.
Flavia reflects on her departure from the forest and her arranged marriage to Klock, revealing she viewed it as an escape from boredom. Meanwhile, Klock balances s*xual encounters with his growing harem while tracking military movements between Barreith and the Demon Lord. Finally, the cursed witch Kupira and her mentor Lizamis discuss Kupira’s impending marriage to Klock.
Kupira prepares for her arranged marriage to a human ‘Chosen One’ while discussing human fetishes with her spider master, Lizamis. She activates her ‘Stellar Skill’ book to rewrite or influence the upcoming events, showing her mischievous and powerful nature. The chapter establishes her complex feelings about her physical appearance and her desire to control her own destiny.
—
Trivia:
- Forest People who leave the Void are executed upon return.
- Parl Forestier is biologically ancient (800+) but appears as a child.
- Avery suspects the Forbidden Witch is responsible for brainless corpses.
- Fairies are naturally cannibalistic and view it as ‘play’.
- The wasteland world is structurally reliant on the Nine Worlds to exist.
- The Nine Realms are interconnected, and the Fragments serve as corridors.
- The orchard fairies’ physical bodies are actually the fruit growing on the trees.
- Flavia is actually 100 years old by the end of the chapter, despite her ‘youthful’ interactions.
- The ‘spider knight’ is Kupira’s primary protector and a skilled tailor.
- Kupira’s eyes are compared to ‘smoldering stars.’
- Flavia is actually much older than she looks (132 years old).
- Meina is currently pregnant.
- The ‘Void’ is the sheltered forest home of the Forest People.
- Klock is part of the ‘Chosen Ones’ or ‘Hero’s associates’ group.
- There are five specific roles for the Chosen Ones: Chaser, Challenger, Guide, Chain Binder, and the one who shoots down.
- Kupira considers herself ‘monstrous’ or ‘aberrant’ in comparison to other Fairies.
- Lizamis used to be a human before becoming a spider.
- The ‘Stellar Skill’ book is literally a miniature version of the entire world and its history.
- Kupira is marrying the ‘junior/apprentice’ of her own Master.
- Fairies perceive familial relationships (siblings/parents) as a universal baseline, making human fetishes seem illogical to them
—
Character Insight:
Flavia is revealed as a latent magic prodigy, though she lacks the ambition of her sister Avery. Her primary motivation has been supporting Avery, but her transfer to the Fairy Forest marks a significant downward spiral in her quality of life, moving from a royal shadow to a literal hostage in a horror landscape.
Flavia shows significant growth in her ability to see past rumors and prejudice, evolving from a fearful caretaker to a warrior-in-training and a loyal friend. Kupira’s motive is revealed to be companionship and protection from a world that fears her.
Flavia isn’t a victim of her marriage but an eager adventurer who sought exhilaration outside the forest. Klock’s cynicism about his own character contrasts with the absolute loyalty he receives from his partners.
Kupira uses mischief as a defense mechanism against potential rejection of her appearance. Her activation of the Stellar Skill shows she won’t be a passive bride.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author uses Flavia’s aging (15, 30, 50, 60) to contrast the stagnation of the Void with the rapid decay of her personal safety. The ‘Hallway’ analogy for Fragments suggests a meta-physical architecture to the story’s universe.
The concept of ‘spirit bodies’ tied to physical objects (fruit) is a common folklore trope adapted into a unique high-fantasy biological system here.
The ‘Forest People’ (Moribito) are a classic fantasy trope usually analogous to Elves, but with a specific cultural focus on isolation within the ‘Void’.
The ‘sister-in-law’ discussion is a meta-commentary on Otaku tropes common in Japanese light novels.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Isabella – Forestkin queen, appears after Klock meets the Phantasmal Beast. Leads peace talks with Humans. Mother of Avery, Flavia. Calm, strategic ruler.
• Flavia – Younger sister of Avery (132)—gentle yet resolute second daughter of Queen Isabella, Forestier royal family. Fragile/slender body, refined face, white skin, pointed ears, and servant’s mark; still looks up to her mother. Quiet personality with unrivaled magic talent often overlooked. Sent as marriage pledge to Klock the Chain Binder, symbolizing Void loyalty to Goddess Teekua; also caretaker to Fairy territory. Princess of Forest People (森人/Moribito, Vaulder).
• Ada – Female. Ada the Wild Wind. An A-rank adventurer. Her appearance is striking, with black hair mixed with fiery red, multiple earrings, and an axe spear as tall as she is. She is incredibly strong and fast, with a Unique Skill called the ‘Blessing of the Wind’ that enhances her speed and agility. Ada is ruthless in combat but shows a surprising willingness to negotiate. She is highly respected in adventurer circles and feared by criminals. Her relationship with Klock is adversarial, as he stole from her and escaped using trickery.
• Zol – An adventurer and drinking buddy of Klock. He appears with Heysl to intervene in the confrontation between Klock and Sylvia.
• Parl Forestier – First Princess of fallen Forestier city-state—Demon King’s strategist with sharp ears, high-pitched voice; known for annihilating resistant tribes. Dark Forest-Dweller appearing as young girl (over 800 years old), bronze skin, pointed ears, dark green eyes, snow-white hair with blue tint.
• Avery – Forestkin princess—Isabella’s eldest, Flavia’s elder sister, next-in-line Queen of Forestier royal family. Appears after Klock meets Phantasmal Beast, questioning her mother about the Chosen One. Calm, proud, analytical; excellent in literary/military arts. Ambitious liberation-seeker aiming to end Void isolationism and secure human peace, despite no direct Klock tie.
• Palze – Female character tied to Succubi and beastkin complexities—Fairy Queen, mother of Kupira, often displeased on her throne. (From prior context on Palze’s obsession yielding the cursed fairy daughter.)
• Kupira – A female Fairy outcast with white hair, porcelain skin, and cursed golden eyes, born from Palze’s (a Fairy Queen) obsession and abandonment, chosen by Kispe (a Succubus familiar) as a potential familiar for Klock (a male leader)
• Kupu – A Fairy similar to Kupira with red horns, but with an adorable appearance and fewer physical aberrations. An Apple Fairy. Has horns and an aura different from standard fairies. Smaller spirit entity.
• Lizamis – Palm-sized spider, Kupira’s cynical mentor/guardian/master—formerly human, old monster form that sinks into surfaces as patterns, emerges from pictures/dresses. Eight legs tied with ribbons; acts as talking spider knight and former human turned cynical mentor figure.
• Kispe – A Succubus and high-ranking demon known as Princess Asura. Has long black hair, amethyst eyes, and a history of extreme carnage. Currently Klock’s familiar. Wears a one-piece dress and black tights.
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
• Primlena – Orange-haired merfolk priestess, fierce yet elegant | First v8c3 | Sister of Sea General Primjune, subordinate to Primrity | Once captured and violated by Klock, now obsessed with reclaiming honor | Commands Obsidian Riders on giant fish, fights with trident | Seeks to drag Klock to Seabed Temple for marriage trial or execution | Unique note: revenge-driven siren bride who masks fury under ritual grace
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Goddess Teekua – The deity who saved Sylvia after her death and granted her rebirth as a hero.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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