Iris had finally arrived at the much-anticipated Magic Palace. Today, she was dressed simply in a light long-sleeved blouse and a flared skirt. Her hair was styled to flow to one side, tied with a thin silver thread to keep it from being too flamboyant. Her bouncy vertical curls danced above her chest. She thought such modest attire would help her blend in at her workplace, the Magic Palace.
Citis found her modest outfit appealing.
The building, part of the royal palace’s complex, was a heavy yet old-fashioned brick structure shaped like a pentagonal prism. Inside, it overflowed with intelligence and magic, which excited Iris. However, the building had neither doors nor windows, ensuring that only those who were truly permitted could enter.
Iris looked at Citis, who smiled back at her from behind his monocle.
Citis casually drew a wand from his pocket and traced a magic circle on the wall of the Magic Palace, which began to sparkle.
“May I have your hand,” he said.
As he spoke, Citis took Iris’s hand and placed both of their hands on the magic circle.
“Ugyaa!?” Iris exclaimed in surprise.
Just then, the world seemed to twist as if turning inside out. A tingling sensation, like falling or being sucked in, engulfed her.
This feels so weird! Woaaah!
Iris squeezed her eyes shut.
“Miss Iris, please open your eyes. It appears you have passed,” Citis announced.
“Passed?”
“Those who are unscrupulous are repelled by the magic circle and barriers.”
With trepidation, Iris slowly opened her eyes.
Beneath her feet was grass, the sky was blue, and there were white table sets and benches around, the scene resembling a garden. Despite the lack of walls, there stood several doors.
This is lovely!
Seeing Citis smile, Iris couldn’t help but feel a burst of joy.
“This place can be confusing, so please be careful. I will accompany you, but if you ever find yourself lost, aim for the blue door. It leads to me.”
“The blue door, got it.”
“The white door is accessible to magicians who have permission. It leads to shared spaces like the library and this garden.”
“Understood.”
“Let us head to the library,” Citis said, leading her through a white door into a dimly lit corridor where doors of various colors floated. Iris quickly grabbed her neck bell, afraid its sound might echo in the silence.
Creatures resembling tiny winged humans flitted around her. Their wings sparkled like dragonflies’, transparent and colored vividly. They looked just like the fairies from the games she knew, always fluttering around heroines.
The fairies whispered to each other, “How strange, how odd.”
What’s so strange?
Iris wondered but hesitated to speak. As Citis moved forward without a word, she followed.
What to do, it’s so weird, I don’t understand, there’s no Magic power, but the air is strange, it’s mysterious, it’s really odd—
As the fairies whispered, they stared intently at Iris. Then, a fairy with purple translucent wings tugged sharply at Iris’s ribbon, and a strand of her mint green hair came loose as the silver thread untied.
“Ouch!” Iris cried out, and Citis turned to look.
“What are you doing, fairies?”
The fairies kept tugging at her hair.
“Why did you bring her here, Citis?”
They whispered louder.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s a knight’s daughter.”
“Yes, a knight’s daughter.”
“And she carries a sword.”
“Yes, she has a dagger.”
Citis looked at Iris.
“Do you have a dagger?”
Iris nodded. Her father had insisted she always carry the small dagger he gave her.
“Yet, she passed through the barrier.”
“Passed through.”
“And we can see her.”
“She hears us.”
Iris was surprised.
“Eh? Aren’t you usually invisible?”
Usually, they’re invisible.”
“They can’t be heard.”
The fairies’ voices returned.
Citis adjusted his monocle, observing Iris.
“Miss Iris, the existence of fairies is kept secret. Most fairies are protected within the Magic Palace. Those living outside who aren’t employed by the palace usually can’t be seen by people without significant Magic power.”
Hearing this, Iris understood. She had never seen fairies outside, only in games.
“I gather you don’t possess much Magic power…”
“Yes, it’s rare for those in knight families to have Magic abilities.”
“That’s curious…”
Citis seemed thoughtful.
“Could you show me the dagger?”
Upon his request, Iris presented her dagger. The handle and sheath were simply sealed with a piece of paper.
“What’s this seal?”
“I thought it shouldn’t be used carelessly, so it’s a reminder that it’s for self-defense.”
“For self-defense, I see.”
Citis repeated, understanding.
“That’s why you passed through the barrier. It was judged not as a weapon but as a form of protection. The Magic Palace and fairies dislike conflict. Normally, members of knight families can’t pass through. I granted permission this time, but I didn’t expect the weapon to be neutralized. I was surprised.”
“Is that so…”
But you’re the one who set the capital ablaze!
Did they sweep it because they dislike conflict? Is that not considered conflict? Iris was unconvinced as she stared at Citis.
“It’s strange that you can see fairies.”
Probably because I knew about them from the game. I naturally thought they’d be here… But I can’t tell that to Lord Citis.
Seeing something when you believe it’s there versus not seeing it because you don’t think it exists—same principle.
“I’m also surprised,” Iris replied vaguely, laughing.
“Hey, hey, Iris, can I have this?”
A fairy begged for the silver thread that had come undone.
“Sure, what will you use it for?”
“To make a ribbon because it’s cute.”
“To make a ribbon because it’s beautiful.”
“Thank you, I’m glad you think it’s pretty. If there are others who want some, please share.”
“Thank you, Iris!”
“Iris is kind!”
“Who wants Iris’s ribbon?”
At one fairy’s call, others raised their hands.
“Iris said to share!”
The fairy with purple wings waved the silver thread, which split into pieces for each fairy with a burst of light.
The tiny fairies shared the thread, each giving Iris a kiss on the head in thanks.
Iris found the sensation rather ticklish.
“Miss Iris…”
Citis’s voice brought her back to reality.
“You might benefit from learning about fairies.”
“Is that okay? I thought it was a secret.”
“Yes, it’s a secret. But since you’ve been blessed by so many fairies, it can’t stay that way.”
“Blessed?”
Iris tilted her head as the last fairy kissed her on the head.
“Blessing!”
“That was a blessing?”
“Blessed!”
“I did too!”
Citis smiled wryly.
“I haven’t received nearly as many blessings.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s rare.”
“That’s… nice! Thank you.”
As Iris thanked the fairies, they beamed with joy.
“Now, let’s head to the library.”
The library they arrived at had a very high ceiling. It seemed impossible for such a structure to exist inside the Magic Palace, likely due to Magic construction.
The center was open to below, and the surrounding walls were lined with books. Balconies like corridors ran around the bookshelves, with ladders for accessing the upper shelves. Fairies darted among the books, flying over them.
“How wonderful!!”
Iris was deeply moved, and as she did, her neck bell jingled. She quickly grabbed it to silence the sound.
“What would you like to know, Iris?”
One of the fairies asked.
Iris had been thinking.
It didn’t seem coincidental that both Lezard’s brother and Citis’s lover would die within the next two years. It might just be a convenience for the game, but at the same time, the power of the Holy Maiden was dwindling. There had to be something significant happening.
Likely disasters or wars, but there was no sign of damaged townscapes. That left a widespread outbreak of a contagious disease. And if it was a disease that took many lives, it would be the smallpox that had scarred Iris’s arm.
But the last major outbreak had been a hundred years ago…
And still, no effective treatments or prevention methods had been established.
“I want to know the history of smallpox.”
“Understood!”
The fairies dashed toward the bookshelves.
“Aren’t you interested in how to remove the scars?”
Citis seemed surprised.
“Well, of course, I’d like to know that too. But if we can understand the trends and avoidance methods for smallpox outbreaks, perhaps fewer young ladies like me will suffer.”
Citis narrowed his eyes at Iris’s response.
Smallpox, a disease everyone had given up on. There were no known cures, and those around the infected could only isolate them to avoid transmission. Citis had been separated from his mother as a child. One day, he suddenly couldn’t see her anymore, and even at her funeral, he wasn’t allowed to see her face. It was just the way things were.
The possibility of avoiding it had never crossed anyone’s mind in this country. They had resigned themselves to it as a divine punishment.
But Iris wanted to prevent it.
It was a difficult task, but Citis found her determination admirable.
“That would be wonderful. I would like to assist you in this.”
Citis’s words made Iris happy.
In a flash, fairies straddled the spines of the books, bringing them to Iris and landing gently on the table.
“Oh, that’s enough! I can’t read all these today!”
“Is that so?”
“What will you do?”
“There’s so much more—”
The fairies looked troubled.
“I’ll come back. Save them for when I return.”
“Will you come back?”
“Come back, okay?”
“She said she’ll come back!”
The fairies seemed satisfied and disappeared among the books.
Seeing the multitude of books, Citis chuckled.
Afterward, Citis taught her how to use the library and how to research. She borrowed a few books that could be taken out, and Iris left the Magic Palace.
