Fairy Neelim

The next morning, after getting up, Iver took Lily to the place written on the letter of commission.

They circled most of the Fifth Ring before finally reaching their destination.

It was a rather secluded villa, tucked away in a rather remote corner. It didn't look very large, but its exterior showed that it had been meticulously maintained. Vines climbed all over the walls, and the house was enveloped by a grove of Chestnut Tree that hadn't yet blossomed. The sunlight streaming in from above appeared dim as a result.

Iver walked along the jungle path, where the soil was damp and black, and the ground was covered with pebbles. The feeling of walking on it was quite different from the springy texture of walking on the main road.

In Avalon, these cobblestone paths are common in the countryside. But in the Giant Tree Country, they are a rarity.

"This is probably the place."

Iver checked the nearby landmarks again to confirm the exact location.

Suddenly, the leaves rustled softly. A cool spring breeze brushed against her cheek, and Iver's hair, which had returned to shoulder length, moved with the wind.

The cold wind here seemed to have a life of its own, playfully trying to slip into Iver's collar...

—The next moment, Iver keenly reached out and pulled a strange creature out from inside his collar.

After being picked up by Iver, it gradually detached from its invisible state.

"How rude!"

It cried out loudly, its voice so shrill it sounded like a child whose gender was indistinguishable, "Let me see what's wrong!"

"This is..."

Lily leaned closer, somewhat curious.

Then the thing gradually emerged. It looked to be only about the height of Iver's index finger, with transparent wings covered in colored membranes like a dragonfly, and an overall appearance of slightly greenish-gold. It had a body similar to a human's and a beautiful and delicate appearance.

"They are 'our kind neighbors'."

Iver gently pinched it with two fingers and said with a smile, "It's still a little guy."

"Who's a little guy!"

It had been struggling in Iver's hand, trying to push his fingers away with Iver palms, when suddenly it stopped struggling and placed its hands on Iver's fingers. "I am a mature lady now!"

Fairies are genderless creatures because they do not reproduce through sexual reproduction... They are all "grown" by the Fairy Queen, and their lifespan is much shorter than that of humans, who are Short-lived Races.

Conversely, fairies can also freely choose how they address themselves. They can use terms like "Mr," "Miss," "Lady," or even "Grandma," "Uncle," or "Sister."

Who knows, maybe one of the fairy uncles will come back after a while and become a fairy grandmother. That's all possible—fairies are such free creatures.

Even so, fairies generally decide how to address themselves based on their "age"...

"... It's too early for you to be called 'Lady'."

Iver released her, cradling her in his hands and bringing her closer to his face. "You're still too young, little miss. What should I call you?"

Just by looking at her size, Iver knew that she was a newly born fairy.

Fairies do not age or grow up normally. They only have two states after birth: when they have wings, they are as young as seventeen or eighteen-year-old boys and girls, regardless of their age; but after losing their wings, they quickly become middle-aged or elderly people who are about half a meter tall, and then quickly become old men and women who are half a meter tall...

It's like a beautiful flower turning into fruit, and the fruit rotting and becoming a pit.

For fairies, age only determines their size. A newly adult fairy is about the size of an adult male's palm, while a newborn fairy can even sit on a flower. When a fairy is old enough to lose its wings, it will have grown to about half an arm's length tall.

The little fairy in front of me is probably only three months old. Or maybe even younger.

Fairies reach adulthood in just two years, live for twenty years before losing their wings, and then can live for another twenty years.

But many fairies never lose their wings until they die. They would rather die in their beautiful state, even if it means losing half their lifespan.

"My name is Neelim!"

The golden fairy exclaimed, "I'm a year and a half old now, a mature lady!"

Although she seemed somewhat displeased, she neither became invisible nor flew away. It was as if she was anticipating something.

Clearly, she felt more favorably toward Iver after Iver called her "our kind neighbor."

The Fairy Queen herself didn't care about such titles, but the fairies were different. Like children, they cared deeply about how they were addressed and whether they were respected. Therefore, their "scientific names" were a form of disrespect to them. If people called them friendly or respectful terms like "our kind neighbor" or "Joy Spirit," they would try their best to show their kindness and joy in front of others.

Conversely, if people call them "fairies," "winged creatures," or even "witches" or "monsters," they will throw tantrums, try to demonstrate their power to retaliate and intimidate, thus instilling genuine fear in those people.

It's usually fine in the early stages... but once the wings are lost, beauty turns into ugliness, and it easily arouses people's fear, disgust, and wariness.

At this stage, they can easily become monsters that need to be defeated. Although there is no difference or change in essence, fairies have the habit of retaliating many times over when they suffer from malice, discrimination, contempt, or other treatment that damages their dignity. This means that as soon as they lose their beautiful appearance, they will immediately become monsters.

In any case, fairies have no complicated thoughts; they are as simple as a blank sheet of paper or a mirror. Therefore, as long as you master the techniques, fairies are actually very easy to control.

Those who are particularly skilled at communicating with fairies are called "Fairy Scholar." This is not a profession, but rather a title similar to "ritualist," "Curse Master," or "healer."

They will be surrounded by many powerful fairies, and may even receive magical spells from them.

Janet Platinumman, the rogue journalist Iver had met during his advancement ceremony, was a renowned Fairy Scholar. She had accidentally stumbled into the Fairy Hole and, using her silver tongue to deceive a fairy, received the healing spell as a gift from him.

"Very well, Your Excellency, Ms. Neelim."

Iver readily complied, bowing slightly in respect—he could have addressed her as "Madam" from the start. However, he deliberately called her "Miss" and immediately addressed her as "Madam" after she expressed her dissatisfaction, thus giving Neelim a sense of satisfaction that her attitude and opinions were respected.

Sure enough, Neelim immediately became as if she had drunk too much, and started to feel dizzy and unsteady.

She exclaimed, "I like you so much, beautiful human! I want to be your friend!"

"OK."

Iver smiled and agreed.

He thought for a moment, then plucked a long leaf from the Chestnut Tree next to him and folded it into a circle.

"Then this is my gift to you."

As he spoke, he handed it to Neelim.

Neelim made an "Oh—" sound, happily took the leaf ring with both hands, and hugged it to her chest.

"What is this, human friend!" she exclaimed.

"It's a crown. Or Princess's crown, or even a hat... What do you like?"

"I like the Princess crown, the kind that's silver and sparkly with pearls!"

Neelim said happily, "Thank you, human friend! I love your gift!"

As she spoke, she placed the leaf crown on her head.

A green light swirled around it, and in an instant it transformed into a real Princess crown.

Lily, who was standing to the side, immediately widened her eyes.

—Is this even allowed?!