Meanwhile, in the summoning chamber of the Northern Continent…
“Huh? A request to temporarily lift the binding clause just came through?”
Gabriel, who had been lying on the altar, raised an eyebrow as if to say, “What’s with the sudden fuss in the middle of the night?” The angel standing before him tilted their head in confusion and continued.
“Yes. It says Remiel personally made the request…”
“Remiel? That’s the one overseeing the Southern Continent, right? Wait—Remiel personally requested it?”
“Yes, that’s confirmed.”
“Wow, that’s unusual. I get it if it were the Western Continent, but the Southern Continent usually listens well, don’t they? Though, I guess their pride can be a problem.”
The angel shook their head, clearly unsure. Gabriel clicked his tongue and sat up.
“Should we approve the request?”
“Absolutely not. Remiel has this subtle tendency to look down on humans—not as bad as Uriel, but still.”
Gabriel chuckled, and the angel gave a wry smile.
“Still, if Remiel is going this far… maybe we should at least review it.”
“Hmm. Is something going on in the Southern Continent?”
“I heard they summoned all the angels and even called the Guardians to Heaven.”
“Heaven? And the Guardians… Ah, the Eldorain, right?”
“They’re probably still in progress.”
“Then patch it through. Let’s see what’s going on.”
The conversation ended in an instant, and the angel deftly moved their hands as if expecting this.
But—
“Uh, uh?”
They stretched and yawned, but no matter how long they waited, there was no sign of a successful connection.
“What are you doing? I said connect!”
Gabriel, growing impatient, approached with a slightly annoyed expression.
“G-Gabriel-sama.”
The angel stammered, clearly flustered.
“I-It won’t connect.”
“What? Could it be interference?”
“No, it’s not interference or jamming. We just can’t establish a connection at all.”
“What did you say?”
Moments later, the angel hurriedly reported with a look of disbelief.
“…”
A cold shadow passed over Gabriel’s face.
“Isn’t this serious?”
A dispassionate voice came from the right.
“An ancient magical city… I heard Margarita’s end was pretty gruesome.”
I turned to see Heo Jun-young glancing at me.
“Magia? Why?”
“The fairy just said that wing transplantation involves not only the essence and knowledge but also the actual experiences lived through.”
“…?”
“So, the things experienced in Magia too…”
Heo Jun-young trailed off cautiously but then seemed to realize something. I had a feeling I knew where he was going, and it made sense.
“Hmph. Not bad. You even think about that.”
At that moment, a clear voice countered Heo Jun-young’s claim.
“Well, I’ll give you credit for that. But your worries are unfounded.”
The woman sitting cross-legged, speaking with a calm confidence, was none other than Vivian. She propped her chin on her hand, looking smug, until Heo Jun-young reached for his longsword, prompting her to straighten up quickly. I glanced discreetly at Nimue because…
“Sure, it’s true that Margarita’s mind was shattered after centuries of training. But it’s hard to say that experience was absorbed into the wings. And why are you drawing your sword again! It was written in Mavolo’s diary! After capturing Margarita, the first thing they did was tear her wings off…”
Crash!
Before Vivian could finish, the sound of a table violently toppling filled the room.
“What did you say?”
Nimue shouted angrily, and at the same moment, the sound of a sword being drawn echoed as a violet coat fluttered before us. As the coat settled, a chilling sight came into view: the longsword pressed against Nimue’s throat, gleaming with a deadly light.
“Sit down before you get reckless.”
Heo Jun-young’s commanding voice made Nimue grit her teeth.
“No, I—”
“Sit.”
Reluctantly, Nimue sat quietly but soon looked at me with pleading eyes. I sighed and shook my hand slightly. Heo Jun-young slowly, very slowly, sheathed his sword, though his glare remained sharp.
“Why so sensitive?”
“Because I don’t like it.”
He spoke as if to be heard loud and clear.
“You sound like you’re saying you want to take Mar away.”
Just as I was about to ask what was so upsetting, I suddenly clamped my mouth shut. This was a delicate matter.
I wasn’t the only one feeling it; the atmosphere around us turned cold. It wasn’t blind hostility, but certainly not friendly either. Only Mar looked around, startled.
It was definitely a sensitive issue, but since we were all forcibly summoned here, I felt a bit sorry.
“Maybe we should move somewhere else. We need to talk privately.”
“…Yes. I apologize for earlier.”
Nimue nodded quietly, a little sad.
In the end, we moved back to the office, accompanied by Mar and Vivian. We started from the ancient magical city of Magia and recounted everything about the forced transplantation of Margarita’s wings.
I didn’t hold anything back and tried to be as detailed as possible. If Mar’s condition was truly dangerous, I believed only the fairy before us would know the solution.
Contrary to her graceful first impression, Nimue reacted with a wide range of emotions throughout the story—anger at the discovery of Margarita, gratitude when I said Mavolo was dealt with, awe when I described seeing newborn Mar, and confusion during the explanation of the wing transplantation.
By the time the long tale ended, the sun, once high overhead, was already dipping toward the horizon.
“So… it was a miracle that made it happen.”
“Do you have any clues?”
Nimue shook her head but then nodded suddenly.
“No. I know nothing about this so-called miracle power. But I sensed truth in Kim Soo-hyun’s and Vivian’s words, so it can’t be a lie.”
Her voice was soft and pleasant to hear. But then?
“Still, Mar’s danger hasn’t changed.”
I had hoped otherwise, but her opinion was the same. Still, since Mar’s life was at stake, I couldn’t just take it at face value.
“Why? After that incident, Mar fully recovered and has been living normally.”
“That’s only on the surface. At least, her current state can’t be considered normal. Absolutely not.”
The certainty in her voice sent a chill down my spine.
“Long ago, there were cases where wings were transplanted out of necessity. And twice, it was temporarily successful—but only among blood relatives.”
“So Mar too?”
“Of course, Mar is related by blood. That probably saved her life that day. But that’s all.”
“Wait. Temporary success means there were side effects later?”
The straw-stuffed sack beside me asked.
“…Yes.”
“Heh, even though it was successful, there were side effects? Can you tell us exactly what happened?”
Vivian’s eyes sparkled, but Nimue closed hers gently, clearly reluctant to say more. Probably not something to discuss in front of Mar. Vivian seemed to get the hint and stopped pressing.
“Come on, just tell us everything in detail. I told you everything earlier! I’m curious!”
“Get out, you.”
After kicking Vivian’s twitching backside out, I sat back down. I heard Vivian yelling outside the door but ignored it and spoke again.
“I understand such cases exist. But just because it happened in the past doesn’t mean it applies fully now. Above all, Mar is… a special child.”
Nimue, who had been smiling awkwardly, suddenly stiffened.
“Yes. That’s true, but…”
“…”
“You don’t know.”
“…What?”
“Mar doesn’t fully understand her own condition. No, she barely has any awareness as the Fairy Queen. That’s why I think she’s in danger, and it’s the most solid evidence.”
“Dad…”
Mar gripped my sleeve tightly as her name came up repeatedly. I patted her head and looked at Nimue silently, signaling her to explain more.
“Think about it. If everything was restored by that miracle power, wouldn’t the essence and knowledge in Margarita’s wings have been absorbed normally afterward?”
“That’s…”
“Then by now, she should have learned to use some of that power or at least have some knowledge. But instead…”
“…”
Suddenly, I was at a loss for words. Nimue hesitated but I understood what she meant perfectly.
“Wait, I’m going to smoke one.”
Nimue’s eyes widened but she nodded. Looking troubled, she already pulled out a cigarette. Lighting it with a flint, she fell into deep thought.
Come to think of it, Margarita was a former queen, so the essence accumulated in her wings must have been immense. So why does Mar still know nothing? A considerable amount of time has passed since the incident.
No, the essence absorption might have happened. I remember confirming that when I read it with the Third Eye recently.
“Phew…”
So the only conclusion is that something went wrong during the absorption process.
So in the end, Nymue was right. Mar hadn’t truly returned to normal. She’d only narrowly escaped death, a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment. And I hadn’t even realized it.
That was when it happened.
“But there is a way.”
Just as self-doubt was about to take hold, a voice of salvation cut through. Nymue looked at me with a strangely resolute expression.
“There’s a way?”
“Yes. Actually, I believe it’s the only way to solve Mar’s problem.”
Carefully, Nymue lifted what she’d been holding in her hand—a crown made of thorns. It still looked rough and unrefined, but desperate to grasp at any hope, I immediately activated my Third Eye. And then—
『Thorned Crown』
The name appeared in midair, and at that moment, memories flooded back all at once:
Only a fairy with the qualities of a queen can undergo two awakenings; the second awakening requires a sacred relic…
But when the day comes that one can master their power through awakening, they will transform into a definable being…
I recalled the records I’d read during my first cycle and the information I’d previously confirmed with my Third Eye.
“Oh.”
My eyes widened involuntarily.
“No way…”
“That’s right. If the problem lies with the ‘core,’ then you just have to control that core. Through a new awakening, you can bring order to the scattered core.”
“So this crown is…”
“The Thorned Crown. A sacred relic made by the queen, for the queen, and only the queen. With this Thorned Crown, you can achieve the second awakening reserved solely for the queen.”
Nymue said this, then paused.
“No wonder I kept having the same dream…”
She slowly rose to her feet.
“…Now, now I think I finally understand.”
Cradling the Thorned Crown gently in both hands, she took slow, deliberate steps forward.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Apparently, I caught a bad cold.
I took a day off, but since I wasn’t getting any better, I ended up going to the hospital for an injection and a prescription.
Thanks to the shot and medicine, I felt okay through the morning, but by evening, the chills started creeping back in.
I guess it’s because my body finally started to relax.
Anyway, it’s not too serious, so please don’t worry too much. :)
P.S. I still don’t think it’s time for the Third Loli War. Not yet, not just yet…