Bloodstained Things

"Hmm, in terms of language learning, you actually have quite a talent."

"To think that despite never having been exposed to human language before, you are already capable of conversation and writing after only about a year—truly impressive!"

By the banks of the Holy Lake, Merlin looked at the words written on the paper, a happy expression on his face.

"Merlin, tell me my next target."

Although he had received praise from the magician, Anno had no extra words to offer; he simply washed the bloodstains from his body in the lake water and spoke to the magician on his own accord.

In the lake, the Fairy sighed as she looked at the unusually dull-witted Anno.

What kind of life was this, exactly? She herself did not know whether to call it pathetic or something else entirely.

But at the very least, right now, she did not like the aura emanating from Anno.

Throughout this past year, besides learning language, writing, and some court etiquette that might never even be useful, Anno had spent his time following Merlin's guidance to kill those fairies.

Fairies that were harmful to humans.

As a knight who had never been formally knighted, Anno had become a figure of legend.

Some said he was a fairy disguised as a human—kind, powerful, close to humanity, and exceptionally shy.

Others said he was the child of a human and a fairy, unable to speak human language, who had followed his parents' footsteps into the human world to save his kin.

Still others claimed he was merely a powerful knight from a foreign land, noble and towering, using his own calamity to redeem those suffering in misery.

Opinions varied wildly.

But as for the truth, no one knew.

Anno would simply appear, kill the fairy, and then depart without a word, returning to the banks of the Holy Lake.

Because of this fellow, this rather unlikable magician had been loitering by the Holy Lake for a very long time.

"Do you really need his guidance?"

The Fairy could not help but speak up to Anno.

"Perhaps you could do something else—something other than killing certain things."

She did not want to keep watching this pure white cloth being stained with blood, bit by bit.

"But, Fairy, I do not know how to do anything else."

Anno's eyes were devoid of ripples.

Just like the lake water beneath the Fairy's feet.

"Hmm, then do as you please."

The Fairy rolled her eyes helplessly, stuck her tongue out at him, and then dove into the water, disappearing to who knows where.

"She has a point, you know. So, Anno, is there anything you want to do yourself?"

Merlin said with a smile, handing the iron sword, now wiped clean of blood, back to Anno.

Anno shook his head blankly and gently.

"Then—how about this."

"For the time being, I will no longer guide you."

Standing up, the magician took a step back.

"...Why?"

"Because that would be interesting."

Beautiful flowers bloomed beneath the magician's feet, and his figure gradually began to turn illusory.

The look in his eyes as he watched Anno was filled with anticipation and playfulness.

"Go, Anno, I won't stay here any longer."

"Use your own eyes to look at the things you consider beautiful—when you feel confused, come back and find me."

"By then, I will continue to guide your path."

Splash—

The magician transformed into flowers and vanished, leaving behind a somewhat bewildered Anno.

—That said.

In reality, Anno truly did not know how to do anything other than kill fairies.

With the magician's voice no longer in his mind, he wandered alone along the border between the human world and the Fairy Realm, acting on instinct.

He went to kill those fairies, continuing to save humans.

But as he walked, Anno gradually stopped seeing things like himself.

He walked deep into the Fairy Realm.

The depths of the Fairy Realm were home to all sorts of powerful fairies and various Phantasmal Species; driven by desire, many curious or greedy beings reached out with their sharp claws toward Anno.

Fortunately, however, although Anno was not a true knight, he was more powerful than any knight.

Stabbing the Fang Clan chieftain to death with an iron sword, crushing the bones of the Earth Clan chieftain, tearing off the wings of the Wind Clan, and snapping the neck of a wyvern with his bare hands.

No life could halt Anno's stride.

He fell into a state of panic.

Perhaps he was afraid because he had not seen a human for so long, or perhaps he was agitated because he could no longer hear the voice of the mage.

Anno's methods gradually became more terrifying and more cruel.

The fairies and phantasmal species would no longer attack him on their own; instead, they began to avoid him, fleeing the moment they caught sight of Anno's shadow.

Yet, perhaps the act of fleeing triggered that instinct for the hunt, leading everything toward the worst possible outcome.

However—Anno had not failed to encounter a true opponent.

After rampaging through the Fairy Realm for an unknown amount of time, Anno's sword collided with another, a blade of water.

"In this state, can you truly be considered human?"

Anno was questioned by the fairy standing opposite him.

He froze, astonishment filling his blood-red eyes.

"What did you say?"

He asked back involuntarily.

But these words seemed to make the powerful blue fairy before him even angrier, and the fairy's sword clashed with Anno's twice more.

BANG!!!

The sound of steel snapping rang out, and Anno looked down—his iron sword had broken.

"I said—in this state, can you truly be considered human?"

The fairy's voice rose in pitch, containing clear indignation.

I am a human, am I not? Why would this evil fairy ask such a thing?

In Anno's understanding, fairies were evil and had to be purged.

But the question this fairy posed... Could it be that I am not human?

He instinctively looked toward the water's surface to his side—the water acted as a mirror, allowing him to see his own face.

Yet, this time, Anno was startled by the image in the water.

Is that really a human?

His scarlet eyes held a brutality and madness that should not exist in a human being; he was bathed in blood, his long hair and unkempt beard matted together. If one did not look closely, it was indeed impossible to tell that Anno was actually a human.

"The way you look now, you are no different from a fairy."

The blue fairy standing on the water mocked him, then clenched a fist, manifesting another blue longsword.

"Why invade my territory? Why slaughter innocent fairies?"

"For what you are doing now, I can think of no other word to describe you than a madman."

As the fairy spoke, he walked toward Anno.

"Tyrannical monster. I will kill you, just as you killed the fairies."

Far away on the shores of the Holy Lake, the mage finally revealed a smile.

Something interesting was finally about to happen.