D-Day, Five.

A morning breeze swept refreshingly through the forest. Though the sky was still dim, a faint mist lingered beneath the clear blue, and dew clung to the blades of grass—signs that dawn had passed and morning was just around the corner.

Perhaps stirred by the fresh air drifting through the round opening above, Erwin’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he lay nestled in a bed of fallen leaves. Just as his fingers began to twitch gently, a soft knock came from outside.

“Erwin, it’s time to get up.”

At the sound of that beautiful voice, his closed eyes snapped open. Stretching leisurely, Erwin propped himself up and fixed his gaze on the door.

“Erwin?”

“Yes.”

He pressed a hand to his chest, then gathered his tousled hair with both hands before rising. After straightening his clothes briefly, he stepped outside to find a mature woman and an adorable boy bowing politely. Both had pointed ears.

“Good morning.”

“Did you sleep well?”

Erwin smiled softly.

“I feel especially at ease today. Bao, did you sleep well?”

When he gently poked the chubby, rosy cheek of the boy called Bao, the child blinked his large eyes and clung to Erwin’s calf with a curious expression. The woman wore a stern look, but when Erwin gave a reassuring nod, she turned away with a resigned smile.

A moment later, as Erwin quietly took a seat at the table, Bao began shaking his calf with his tiny hands.

“Erwin, Erwin.”

“What is it, Bao?”

“You know… the day is coming soon, right?”

Erwin’s face stiffened for a brief instant.

“Bao!”

But a sharp voice called from the kitchen, and his expression softened again.

“That’s right. Why? Are you curious about something?”

“Er, Erwin…”

“It’s okay. It’s probably common knowledge by now.”

“But…”

Bao’s voice, which had grown louder, softened cautiously. Feeling more at ease, he launched into a barrage of questions.

“Is it true that we’re really getting a new queen?”

“Hmm. Well, nothing’s been decided yet.”

“Yeah, but I heard it’s already been decided…”

“Bao, even if that’s true, the queen won’t be chosen right away. There’s still the final meeting, the strict evaluations led by the High Ones, and the ceremony before Yggdrasil. Do you think all that can happen in just a short time?”

Erwin’s explanation went on at length, and Bao shook his head. Yet the innocent curiosity in his eyes hadn’t faded—almost as if that wasn’t the real question on his mind.

“Why?”

“Hm?”

Suddenly, Bao turned to gaze out the window. His wide, innocent eyes fixed on a massive tree rising tall in the distance, visible from anywhere in the forest. Its branches were bursting with vibrant blossoms, radiating a breathtaking beauty.

“The flowers have bloomed.”

His voice was tinged with a hint of sadness. Erwin instinctively pressed his lips together.

“The blooming of Yggdrasil’s flowers means…”

“That only happens when the true queen, recognized by the Thorned Coffin, is born. By the way, Bao, you like fairy tales, don’t you? You read them every night before bed. Do you still?”

Erwin asked, and Bao’s face brightened with a smile.

“Yes. I can almost recite the story of Margarita, who saved the world. Except for the part where she’s captured by the evil human wizard—I don’t like reading that part.”

“That part was really heartbreaking. Anyway, the new queen might be chosen today. Are you unhappy about that?”

Bao’s expression turned sulky again, his pointed ears drooping. Erwin chuckled at the boy’s vivid reactions.

“Actually, I knew. I don’t know the details, but I understand why we need a new queen now. There were similar rumors before, after all.”

But when Bao finally spoke after a pause, Erwin stopped smiling and listened carefully.

“But… I still feel like something’s not right.”

“What do you mean?”

Bao glanced around nervously, and Erwin gently encouraged him.

“Nimue is definitely a good person, but strictly speaking, she’s not the queen. When she was around, the flowers hadn’t bloomed, and the Thorned Coffin wouldn’t have recognized her.”

“Yeah.”

“I just want the real queen—the one we’ve been waiting for all this time—to sit on the throne, even if it takes a little longer.”

“…”

Though his words were a bit clumsy, the meaning was clear. It might even be considered disrespectful, but Erwin didn’t scold him. Instead, he smiled warmly, looking at Bao with pride.

“I see. So, what kind of queen do you imagine?”

Bao’s face lit up again as he spread his arms wide.

“Just like in the myths!”

“Oh? Like what?”

“Well, first, she’d be revered by all the spirits, even the light and dark spirits that have disappeared now!”

“No, that can’t happen.”

A fairy woman emerged from the kitchen, setting a dish on the table and cutting in.

“Of course the great spirits would revere her from birth. But the light and dark spirits? That’s impossible.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t be silly. What are you confusing? Have the light and dark spirits appeared since the first queen?”

“…Ah!”

Bao suddenly realized and exclaimed belatedly.

“Right! The first queen sealed them in the Crystal of Chaos because she recognized the danger…”

“More precisely, she couldn’t control them. They were so powerful they corrupted the Thorned Coffin and even threatened to consume the queen herself. Though they were incredibly strong spirits.”

“But maybe the new queen could handle them…”

“The strongest queen ever was Alceste, the first queen. I doubt anyone could surpass her.”

Bao pouted, clearly disappointed by the negative outlook. The fairy woman chuckled.

“Well, who knows? Maybe someone will come along who surpasses even the queen.”

Bao tilted his head in confusion.

“Like someone with twelve pairs of wings instead of just one?”

She shrugged and joked, tapping the dishes on the table. Erwin scooped up the dazed Bao and settled him on his lap, soothing him gently.

“All right, that’s enough questions for now. Eat your breakfast well, and maybe I’ll answer more later?”

“Yes!”

Bao shouted enthusiastically, reaching for the dish filled with a delicious aroma.

Meanwhile, at the same time—

“Wooooaaaah!”

“Ooooooh!”

At the Mercenary Castle on the Northern Continent, unexpected cheers echoed from all corners. No, it wasn’t just cheers—it was the breathtaking spectacle unfolding in the garden, where sea-blue and molten lava hues clashed in stark contrast.

“This is incredible.”

Kim Soo-hyun smiled in awe.

“I never thought I’d see the spirit army again like this…”

Surrounding Kim Soo-hyun, about a hundred mermaid-shaped spirits swayed gracefully. Each shimmered with deep aquatic hues, like gentle waves rolling across the sea.

“It’s still not enough. We can’t even attempt to summon the Spirit King yet.”

Jung Ha-yeon, standing nearby, answered modestly.

“Not enough? You’ve grown this much in such a short time.”

“Ha ha. Sara would be upset to hear that. We’ve all worked hard together.”

As Jung Ha-yeon trailed off shyly, Kim Soo-hyun glanced sideways but shook his head. Indeed, the fire spirit army Sara summoned, resembling eagles, was almost as spectacular. Yet, for some reason—

“Kiiiyooh!”

“Oh my god! Why all of a sudden?!”

“Kiiiyooh!”

“Stop it! I said stop!”

The spirits were going wild, flapping their wings and taking off like an erupting volcano. Sara struggled desperately to calm them down.

What was most notable was that all those gazes, numbering in the hundreds, were fixed intently on Kim Soo-hyun. At this point, one might suspect something had gone wrong during the affinity training with Hwajeong. Kim Soo-hyun cleared his throat and looked away.

“Anyway, this is truly amazing. You’ve done a great job.”

“Oh, come on. Enough with the compliments. It’s nothing special…”

Still, Jung Ha-yeon smiled faintly, clearly pleased.

“Hmph. Yeah, the spirit army lost to the beast army anyway. So it’s really nothing.”

Just then, as if irritated by Kim Soo-hyun’s praise, a twisted voice sneered from one side. Jung Ha-yeon turned her head sharply, still smiling, while Vivian, standing on one leg, startled and quickly stared off into the distance. Then, with a solemn expression, she spoke.

“Hmph. I appreciate you thinking so highly of me. But isn’t it a bit rude to say it like that, Baek Han-gyeol?”

“…Pardon?”

Baek Han-gyeol, who had been quietly admiring Vivian’s words beside her, blinked in surprise.

“Of course, I don’t recall ever hearing Kim Su-hyun praise me during all the times I’ve summoned various legions. But still, the fact that a mere human managed to summon across dimensions is incredible. So, hurry up and apologize.”

“W-what? No, that’s not what I meant! I didn’t say—!”

Vivian shot him a sharp glare, clearly unimpressed, while Baek Han-gyeol was left speechless, overwhelmed by frustration.

“What was that? You’re saying you won’t apologize? You really are a naughty child, aren’t you? Right, Kim Su-hyun?”

“Hmm. Vivian? I don’t really care, so just stay right there.”

Kim Su-hyun nodded calmly, then tilted his head from side to side as he took a threatening step forward. Vivian screamed and bolted away.

After watching them with a look of utter disdain for a while, Kim Su-hyun sighed deeply and turned his gaze toward the water spirits.

A moment later.

“Hmm…”

Noticing the clear worry etched on his face, Jung Ha-yeon blinked and stepped closer.

“Su-hyun? Why the sudden… Ah.”

But when Jung Ha-yeon followed his gaze, she let out a short sigh.

Before them was a truly astonishing sight. Mar was bouncing around happily with a unicorn and a baby pegasus, while the water spirits, who had been standing quietly, gathered around Mar in layers, almost reverently. Their movements weren’t threatening at all—in fact, they all seemed genuinely fond of, if not in awe of, Mar.

It was extremely rare for spirits to break free from their summoner’s control, so Jung Ha-yeon couldn’t help but be surprised.

However, there was a hint as to why they were reacting this way.

“Has Mar shown any changes yet?”

Kim Su-hyun asked, breaking his silent observation with a thoughtful lick of his lips.

“No. While you were out on the glacier’s snowy plains, I heard she bonded with a crystal inside her body. But beyond that…,” Jung Ha-yeon said cautiously, trailing off as if unsure.

“Judging by their reaction, something must be going on… Could it be the influence of the taboo from that time?”

The thought flashed through Kim Su-hyun’s mind, and at the same moment, he activated his Third Eye.

• This is currently an undefined entity. Originally, it should not exist, but it is a miraculous presence formed by the combination of its own will and strange phenomena.

• It has absorbed most of the power and knowledge of the previous fairy queen but cannot yet fully utilize them. However, once it undergoes the awakening process common to all fairies, it will become a definable entity.

Kim Su-hyun soon closed the resident information window but kept his eyes fixed on Mar for a while longer. More precisely, his gaze was locked on the thirteen pairs of beautiful wings sprouting from Mar’s back.

The maximum number of wings allowed for a fairy is twelve pairs. Throughout history, every fairy queen—without exception—has had exactly twelve pairs of wings. The first queen, Alcheste, was no different, nor was the last queen, Margarita.

But Mar—

‘Then what kind of being is Mar, exactly?’

---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------

I apologize for the recent delays in updates.

Starting today, I will return to daily serialization. Thank you for your patience. (__)