As the carriage traveled along streets overgrown with vines, the lively sounds and rich scents of daily life drifted from the scattered treehouses and village settlements in the distance.
Sitting at the front of the carriage with her chin propped on one hand, Muryan lifted the curtain and offered a mysterious warning.
"We're almost at Gloucester. You'd better disguise yourselves so you don't accidentally reveal that you're human."
"Why?"
Morgan frowned slightly and asked without thinking.
"Because they tend to be rather... enthusiastic about humans."
Muryan considered her words, then answered with a cheerful smile and a suggestive look.
Were humans particularly popular here?
Samael pondered this as his vertical pupils turned toward the fairy settlement shrouded in mist, a thoughtful gleam flickering in his eyes.
Since it was friendly advice from their host, Samael naturally accepted it.
Thus, the expert at fleeing, picking locks, and casting illusions, who usually did as little work as possible, finally had a chance to prove useful.
Mari casually waved her staff, and dreamlike flower petals drifted down around the group.
In an instant, Samael, Morgan, Nock and Dail, and even Barghest in her swaddling clothes appeared completely different in the eyes of the three Wing Clan fairies.
The three curious girls circled them several times and examined them closely. Unable to find the slightest flaw, they chattered excitedly in amazement.
"See? Big Sister is quite dependable after all."
Mari patted her chest and proudly sought praise from Samael.
"All right, I'll give you credit for this. Let's enter the city."
Samael answered with a quiet snort, showing the troublesome white-haired Succubus a rare trace of approval.
With everything prepared, the carriage entered Gloucester under the escort of the three little fairies and passed through without obstruction.
This district was home to members of several of the Six Great Clans. Since the Earth Clan had been hired to construct the city's main framework, the overall layout was fairly orderly, but the residential buildings came in every imaginable style.
The Earth Clan favored low, sturdy workshops. The Rain Clan preferred a peaceful pastoral life near streams and meadows. The Wing Clan adored treehouses and flower gardens, while the Mirror Clan loved collecting anything that sparkled.
In short, the architecture along the road was wildly diverse.
As Samael's group entered the city, fairies from the various clans poked their heads out one after another and curiously studied the newcomers.
Once they confirmed that the visitors appeared to be ordinary fairies without any notable traits, they quickly lost interest and returned to their work, chattering among themselves.
Born from Mystery, nearly every fairy was a natural spellcaster capable of using certain forms of Magecraft with ease.
As Samael traveled through the city, pausing now and then to observe, he combined what he saw with his past knowledge and gradually formed a basic understanding of the temperaments and abilities of the Six Great Clans.
The [Rain] Clan was relatively peaceful and could control the weather and summon rain clouds. The [Mirror] Clan was somewhat mysterious, possessing remarkable powers of prophecy and perception, along with a degree of spatial manipulation. The [Wing] Clan was the gentlest in temperament, small and lively, with an impressive affinity for nature.
These three clans had similar dispositions and generally got along well, making them the main residents of Gloucester's mixed district.
Among them, the Wing Clan had the largest population.
The [Wind] Clan was concentrated mainly around the Great Cathedral. They pursued a refined standard of living, excelled at creating exquisite works of art, and possessed considerable skill in Magecraft and potion-making.
Most members of the [Fang] Clan they had encountered earlier possessed animal heads and humanoid bodies. Though simple-minded, short-tempered, and savage, they had immense strength and strong resistance to Magecraft and poison. They appeared to be the most dangerous clan and were concentrated in the hunting grounds they called the [Great Dining Hall].
Because of the Fang Clan's appetite and brutality, all five of the other clans had suffered attacks from them. Yet their strength and numbers made the others reluctant to confront them, so most could only avoid them and endure their anger in silence.
Muryan, Habetrot, and Freya had accidentally entered the Fang Clan's hunting grounds, which was why they had been pursued.
Fortunately, Samael and Morgan had arrived in time to save them.
Finally, the [Earth] Clan, which Samael and the others cared about most, consisted of dwarf-like fairies capable of controlling earth and soil. They resembled the dwarves of the Nine Realms in Norse mythology, loved crafting, and were fiercely devoted to their workshops. They were true reclusive artisans.
To avoid being disturbed, they had built the fortress city of Norwich deep within the Nameless Forest, where most members of the Earth Clan lived.
The deeper one traveled into the Nameless Forest, the more complex the terrain became. The pervasive white mist also seemed capable of blocking perception.
Without a reliable guide, finding the Earth Clan's settlement would indeed be difficult.
Through indirect questioning along the way, Samael also learned that reaching the fortress city of Norwich first required crossing the Fang Clan's hunting grounds, the [Great Dining Hall].
From the [Great Dining Hall], they would have to travel east, cross the River of Tears, then continue east for a considerable distance before reaching their destination.
Worse still, various monsters apparently lived along that route. Whether fairy, Magical Beast, or human, anyone captured could become their food.
For example, fairies disappeared in the River of Tears every year. It was said that a water fairy named Duraken lived there. When outsiders passed the river, they would see whatever they desired most reflected in the water. Anyone lured into reaching for it would be dragged beneath the surface and drowned by the water fairy so they could keep it company.
As Freya described this, her face turned pale. She repeatedly warned Samael to be careful and never wander recklessly into dangerous places.
The Ancient Serpent naturally agreed.
After all, they had not yet confirmed the whereabouts of the Earth Clan Chief they sought. The Nameless Forest itself also possessed a high concentration of Ether, making it rich in Mystery and far from safe.
Charging blindly through unfamiliar territory would accomplish nothing.
Furthermore, Gloucester had successfully hired the Earth Clan to carry out construction work, which proved that the Wing Clan maintained some connection, and likely some friendship, with the dwarf fairies.
Samael happened to know that Muryan was apparently a Chief of the Wing Clan.
He simply did not know whether she already held that position or would only obtain it in the future.
Either way, the most useful tool available to them was standing right in front of him.
Now that they had established a connection with the girl, staying in Gloucester to gather information was far better than searching blindly outside. There was no reason to rush around like headless flies.
Once they had settled on this plan, the caravan followed their host, Muryan, to the side of the street and stopped before a spacious woodland-style treehouse.
Before anyone could disembark and begin unloading, Muryan summoned a group of winged fairies to help. They carried down the supplies and tended to the carriages and horses with remarkable enthusiasm.
After the travelers had rested for a while, Muryan brought them food, mead, and fruit.
These specialties of the Nameless Forest were somewhat plain, but each had a distinctive flavor. The high-purity Ether contained within them also made the food extremely filling.
Halfway through dinner, Nock and Dail were already too full to continue eating, so they got up to walk around and help their digestion.
As their host, Muryan immediately fluttered after them and enthusiastically led the two human guests out for a stroll.
The girl seemed especially fond of staying close to those two ordinary people.
Samael watched Muryan gradually disappear into the distance, and a thought occurred to him.
She had been remarkably willing to leave him and Morgan to her two companions. Had she already realized that only Nock and Dail were genuine humans?
Tsk. What a clever little thing. She seemed rather calculating too.
Using her as a tool suddenly felt somewhat unsettling.
The Ancient Serpent shook his head and muttered to himself. Then he looked around and frowned slightly.
Come to think of it, where were Habetrot and Freya? Where had they gone?
***
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (50 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***