Fairy Round Table Realm, Poem of Eternal Mist

The mercenary captain kept his head down in silence, his nails digging deep into his palms.

"Seal off the entire area immediately!" the commander roared. "Even if we have to turn every inch of land upside down, we must find her!"

'yes!'

The order was quickly relayed, and the mercenaries who had been searching the ruins began to assemble and conduct a thorough search. They kicked open every remaining door and window, and searched every possible hiding place. Whether it was an elderly person hiding, a child, or a frightened cat or dog, they all perished under the blades.

The sun still shone brightly, but its light fell upon the desolate ruins. Blood stained the streets, pooling into small streams that slowly seeped into the soil. The heavy stench of blood attracted flocks of crows, which landed on the crumbling walls, cawing shrilly.

-

Inside the secret passage, Liliana's breathing grew increasingly rapid. The pain from her wounds burned like fire in her nerves, and the dizziness from blood loss kept washing over her. She clung to the damp wall, struggling to move forward, each step feeling like walking on a knife's edge.

Just when she was about to give up, a point of light suddenly appeared in front of her. The light grew brighter and brighter, eventually turning into a blinding beam that illuminated her face, which was covered in sweat and blood.

At the end of the secret passage, a dazzling sea of ​​trees suddenly came into view.

Thousands of points of light shimmered among the branches and leaves of the towering ancient trees, like stars fallen from the night sky to earth. Although it was daytime, the spirits of light dwelling on the treetops still emitted a soft and enduring glow, enveloping the entire forest in a dreamlike veil.

Liliana, who had grown up in the Rain Clan's royal palace, had never seen such a breathtaking sight. Staring blankly at this magnificent, hidden realm, she suddenly felt a pang of pain—why did the Fairy Kingdom, possessing such pure beauty, nurture so many greedy and cruel people?

A thought flashed through my mind like lightning: Did they hate the fairies of Paradise simply because we were different? Or was it because they could never reach that ideal land that they poured all their jealousy and resentment on us?

Sofia's blood-stained face at the moment of her death reappeared in her mind's eye. Liliana gripped her clothes tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms. She could not let such a tragedy repeat itself, she could not let anyone else sacrifice themselves because of her.

'I will change all of this…' she whispered, a determined flame burning in her eyes. 'Not only will I save the Fairy Kingdom, but I will also make them willingly accept me.'

But just then, a wave of dizziness from blood loss washed over her. She staggered forward a few steps, finally collapsing helplessly beneath the giant tree radiating a gentle glow. Before losing consciousness, she seemed to see Sophia smiling at her in the light.

Side Quest: The Holy Lance Stained with Blood - Fairy Round Table Realm, The Poem of Eternal Mist

Fairy Calendar 2994, deep in a certain forest

A soft touch came from beneath her, the warm blankets enveloping her body. Liliana regained consciousness in a daze, her first thought being surprise—she was still alive?

She slowly opened her eyes, and what came into view was a wooden roof, with sunlight streaming in through the cracks in the windows. She was lying on a clean bed, her wounds carefully bandaged, and the scent of herbs wafting from under the white gauze.

'Squeak—'

The door was gently pushed open, and a young-looking boy and girl entered. Seeing Liliana awake, the girl rushed over excitedly: 'Great! You're finally awake! We were so worried about you these past five days!'

"Five days?" Liliana propped herself up, her voice still weak. "I've been unconscious for that long?"

“Yes,” the boy replied, “five days ago I went to the woods to chop wood and found you lying under a tree, covered in blood. It’s a miracle you survived…”

Liliana scrutinized her saviors. They looked like twelve-year-old children, but she immediately recognized them as halflings—a race that stopped growing at the age of twelve, their bodies remaining youthful while their inner selves aged with time.

'Aren't halflings usually associated with earth clans?' she couldn't help but ask, 'Why would they live in seclusion deep in this dense forest?'

The boy and girl exchanged a glance, and the boy gently explained, "That's true. But my wife and I left the clan long ago, weary of the strife, and have come here to live a peaceful life."

"To my shame," the girl sat down on the edge of the bed, "when I rescued you, I sensed your identity was extraordinary. What exactly happened?"

Sensing their goodwill, Liliana finally lowered her guard. She lowered her eyes, her voice low: 'If the royal clan finds out I'm still alive... you'll all be implicated.'

"The royal clan?" the two asked in unison, their faces showing confusion.

Liliana then recounted the massacre of the Rain Clan. At first, the two were skeptical, but when they saw the Rain Clan emblem she produced, they finally believed this horrifying truth.

"I never imagined..." the boy sighed, shaking his head. "Those self-proclaimed righteous royal clans would commit such atrocities. So the legendary Paradise Fairies are actually from the Rain Clan? Why such prejudice against Paradise Fairies?"

Liliana was slightly taken aback. This was the first time in so many years that an outsider had spoken so calmly about the fairies of Paradise.

Why...why would you think that?

"Isn't this a very simple principle?" The girl tilted her head, her eyes clear. "Aren't the fairies in Paradise also living beings? Living under the same sky, why discriminate against each other? Is it all for those vague and intangible benefits?"

Liliana gazed at the two, a long-lost warmth welling up within her. (If only the people of the Fairy Kingdom were like them... Why must they kill each other?)

But just then, a familiar warning echoed from the depths of my memory:

Remember, Liliana, your mission is this: never trust fairies too much, or you will end up alone.

Seven days have passed since the horrific massacre by the Rain Clan.

The once prosperous clan territory is now nothing but ruins, weeping in the wind. Men, women, children, nobles, commoners, merchants, beggars... none survived. Blood soaked every inch of the land, and even though the bodies have been cleared away, the heavy stench of blood lingers like a curse. The dark red stained floor tiles and walls silently testify to the atrocities that once took place here.

Deep within the royal clan's territory, an old man paced anxiously in the dimly lit council hall. Although the Rain Clan had been completely eradicated, their most crucial target—the paradise fairy Liliana—had vanished without a trace, as if evaporated into thin air. The secret passage she had escaped into remained unopenable, and all related records had long been destroyed. The only person who knew the truth, the clan leader Sophia, was already beheaded.

"Is Master still troubled by that fairy from the paradise?" the young strategist asked softly.

"Impossible... This is absolutely impossible!" The old man slammed his fist on the table. "How could that bastard have vanished into thin air! If I had known this would happen, I should have had the mercenaries bring Sophia back and torture her! Now look what's happened, all the leads are gone! If that scourge continues to live... how am I supposed to explain this to the other clans?!"

The strategist's gaze swept over the portrait of Liliana on the table, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: 'Why is Master so anxious? Even if that girl possesses extraordinary abilities, she can't escape the Fairy Kingdom. Since the secret passage is untraceable, let's try another method.'

"Go on."

"The Fairy Kingdom has a vast territory and a large population; surely someone knows her whereabouts." The strategist smirked coldly. "Why not issue a bounty: anyone who brings that girl's head will receive 500,000 gold coins."

"Brilliant!" The old man's cloudy eyes lit up instantly. "Who could resist such a huge sum of money? Immediately issue the order to post a reward notice throughout the entire Fairy Kingdom!"

This scheme, seemingly simple, precisely struck at the heart of the era's weakness. Five hundred thousand gold coins were enough to ensure a comfortable life for an ordinary family for generations, but in the fairy kingdom where laws were practically nonexistent and wealth was monopolized by nobles, this windfall was enough to drive anyone mad. One could imagine countless greedy eyes searching for the blonde girl's trail, the entire kingdom becoming a hunting ground.

From the depths of the shadows, a cold voice quietly rang out:

'You're still too naive, Liliana... Every day you live, I'll have more ways to torment you...'

The following day, wanted posters bearing Liliana's image swept across the entire Fairy Kingdom like a plague. From the intricately carved gates of noble mansions to the underpasses where vagrants huddled, the wanted posters bearing a reward of 500,000 gold coins were plastered everywhere. The entire kingdom was instantly abuzz, with greedy eyes turning to the frail girl in the portrait from all directions.

In a dimly lit tavern frequented by assassins, a one-eyed, burly man stroked a wanted poster, a sinister grin spreading across his face. He could almost see gold coins raining down into his pockets. Meanwhile, the other assassins in the tavern were also stirring, a dangerous aura filling the air—exactly the scenario the strategist had foreseen.

"Don't try to take it from me!" the one-eyed burly man slammed his fist on the table. "This girl's head is mine!"

"Why should I?" the tall, thin man at the next table sneered. "Is your name on a bounty poster?"

'Trying to take it all for yourself?' Another scarred man slowly drew a dagger from his waist. 'You think you're worthy?'

The burly man, enraged, drew his broadsword, the blade pointing directly at the two men: "You're asking for death!"

The tavern erupted into chaos, filled with insults and the clash of weapons. These professional assassins, before even seeing their target, were already turning on each other for the illusory bounty. And this farce was playing out repeatedly in every corner of the Fairy Kingdom.

Foolish fairies—you are forever repeating the ugly drama of greed. Let this laughable farce slowly corrode your souls!

-

In a cabin deep in the forest, Liliana had spent fourteen days under the care of the halfling couple. The couple treated her like family, and she gradually learned about their past: the husband, Pike, had been the foremost carpenter of the Earth Clan, crafting exquisite furniture for the nobility; the wife, Betty, had run a popular textile workshop.

'I never imagined the Earth Clan could be so pathetic...' Liliana sighed softly.

Pique shook his head with a wry smile: "We're just nobody here; we can't change anything."

"We'll never understand the mindset of those nobles," Betty said while mending clothes. "Out of sight, out of mind."

Liliana couldn't help but recall the warning she received when she left the Starry Sea. But the Rain Clan and the kind couple before her convinced her that the Fairy Kingdom wasn't entirely dark. However, the Holy Sword Project had failed, and she didn't know what lay ahead.

Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard rustling footsteps outside. Pick and Betty instantly became alert—these were the only visitors to this forest.

'What...' Liliana began to speak, but Betty covered her mouth.

Through the crack in the window, several fully armed soldiers could be seen approaching the hut. The insignia on their armor made Pike gasp.

"She's from the royal clan!" he whispered. "Quickly, hide Liliana!"

Betty quickly grabbed Liliana's hand: 'Quick, come with me!'

Upon hearing the words "Royal Clan," Liliana felt a chill run down her spine. Images of the Rain Clan's massacre flashed before her eyes, the scene of Sophia's beheading particularly vivid. Betty, disregarding her fear, hurriedly pushed her into a hidden compartment in the inner room, then nonchalantly returned to her workbench.

'Bang! Bang! Bang!'

After a loud knock, several burly soldiers burst in. The leading officer surveyed the dilapidated wooden hut and sneered, "Living in this monkey den, are you reclaiming land?"

"As you can see." Pique bowed respectfully.

'Halflings?' The officer sized them up, their youthful appearance 'You can tell from their eyes they're not real children.'

Betty, trying to remain calm, asked, "What important matter has brought you gentlemen to such a remote place?"

The officer gestured to his attendant to hand him a wanted poster, then slammed it heavily on the table: 'The whole Fairy Kingdom is abuzz with news—the wicked Paradise Fairy Liliana is wanted. You should all know this.'

Upon seeing the familiar portrait on the wanted poster, Pick and Betty's hearts leaped into their throats. They tried to remain calm, afraid of giving themselves away.

"Have you seen this woman while you're clearing this land?" the officer asked, taking a step closer. "A generous reward will be given for any clues!"

Pick and Betty exchanged a glance and said in unison, "We've lived here for ten years and never seen a stranger."

The officer rose in disappointment, issuing a menacing warning before leaving: 'You'd better not let me find out you're hiding anything. Otherwise, your heads will be hanging on the city walls for the crows to feast on tomorrow!'

Once the soldiers were out of sight, Pike breathed a sigh of relief. He noticed one of the soldiers behaving strangely—the man kept looking around the room, his gaze repeatedly sweeping over the hidden compartment where Liliana was concealed. Although he didn't report him, the inquisitive look in his eyes sent a chill down Pike's spine.

The girl was still trembling when the two helped Liliana out of the hidden compartment.

"Don't be afraid," Pique reassured softly, "we would never betray you."

"Though we are poor, we will not harm innocent people for money." Betty squeezed Liliana's hand. "We all know the true nature of the Royal Clan."

Liliana's eyes welled up with tears. The couple's kindness finally made her lower her guard, and she began to tell them the truth about 'divine punishment' and atonement.

'So the millennium of calamities was actually retribution for the sins of our ancestors...' Pik murmured.

'We are willing to atone!' Betty said firmly.

Piqué suddenly remembered something: 'Where is the holy sword forged by the Rain Clan? I can risk going to find it.'

'It's probably already destroyed.' Liliana shook her head. 'But there's another option—the Star Lance. It's just…'

She suddenly fell silent. Would using the Holy Lance betray the mission of the fairies of Paradise? Was it truly worth saving this corrupt kingdom?

At that moment, that familiar, mysterious voice echoed in my mind:

'Don't be bound by formalities, Liliana. As long as you hold the right path in your heart, that is the best way to fulfill your mission.'

Pique took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering as he looked ahead: 'Since we've chosen atonement, we won't just pay lip service. The journey to the Star Anchor is long and fraught with danger, but we'll walk it with you.'

'This hideout has been exposed.' Betty sighed softly, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of her apron. 'Those soldiers will come back to search sooner or later. Perhaps we should set off now; maybe we can buy some time.'

Seeing their unwavering support, Liliana's eyes reddened slightly. She thought of the companions she had lost along the way, of Sofia's last smile, and her voice choked with emotion: 'Thank you... thank you so much...'

***

Meanwhile, in the departing column of soldiers, the last soldier suddenly stopped and turned back to look at the small cabin deep in the forest. He removed his helmet, revealing a young face with an eerie smile. He whispered in a voice only he could hear:

'So you were hiding there, Liliana. You're like a frightened fawn, fleeing in panic from a hunter's pursuit. But how long do you think you can keep hiding like this?'

His fingertips gently caressed the sword hilt, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.