Hakushaku to Yousei - Volume 25 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 ♦ ​The awakened power and the fairy's riddle

Lightning struck across the night sky from time to time, and although the window curtains were shut, it was still able to pass through the eyelids. It wasn’t long before the violent rumbles of thunder came though, and even the building seemed to shake in result. The sound of rain echoed more intensely as well.
Because she couldn’t sleep, Lydia slipped away from the bed, raised the curtains slightly, and looked outside.
The ocean couldn’t be seen from the hotel’s direction. Even though there was intermittent lightning, the town still appeared very hazy amidst the rain. Although the deafening echoes of thunder came through once again, Lota, who was sleeping in the neighboring bed, as well as Kelly, who was further inside, showed no signs of waking up.
Lydia turned her gaze back to the window once more.
I wonder if Edgar is gazing at this lightning from somewhere too. While thinking about this matter blankly, Lydia suddenly realized that something was moving in front of her eyes. She took a glance; it appeared that someone was passing through the front courtyard of the hotel.
It was Raven. During this time, where was his completely drenched body headed to?
Hearing the sound of the hotel door creak open, Lydia draped her morning gown over her shoulders and quietly left the room.
She went down the stairs, and just happened to come across Raven on the platform of the steps. Realizing that he had been noticed by Lydia, he seemed to feel slightly embarrassed as he looked away.
“You will catch a cold like this.”
Although he obediently took the towel that was handed by Lydia, he merely stood in place silently. 
“Raven, you’re really worried about Edgar, right?”
The organization’s stronghold might be located in the Isles of Scilly. It ought to have been this opinion that prompted Raven to take action. He must have gone to investigate in order to obtain more information.
“So, did you find anything?”
He shook his head faintly.
“My Lady, my mission ought to be to protect you. ......However, I acted on my own.”
He seemed to speak apologetically.
“Raven, it’s only natural that you would worry. If you want to go with Edgar, then I will allow it.”
He appeared quite astonished, and looked straight at Lydia’s face.
“Ermine might be in the organization as well. In the past, you and your sister have always fought for Edgar, isn’t that so?”
“No, I don’t intend on abandoning the commands given to me by Lord Edgar.”
Raven forcefully shook his head.
“That’s true as well, I truly apologize. However, I can understand your frame of mind. Even I want to go and see Edgar directly more than heading for the fairy kingdom. Because I truly cannot help wanting to confirm whether or not he is safe.”
Lydia gently held Raven’s hand. His hand was wet and cold. On this kind of stormy night, perhaps there wouldn’t even be many villagers gathering at the pub.  Finding people who know about rumours pertaining to the Isles of Scilly must have been considerably difficult.
“Rather than carrying out orders, it’s only natural that you would want to see the person precious to you first.”
Raven still stared straight at Lydia, blinking slowly. In the past, in order to accomplish Edgar’s commands, he wasn’t afraid of any danger. Regardless of what cruel things were done, he wouldn’t hesitate to any extent, and was practically like a weapon. When carrying out tasks, he wouldn’t feel lonely, and would never think about the situations of his master or comrades at the time.
But now, he became someone who would actively ponder about whether or not it was appropriate to obey commands unconditionally. Even if it was only slightly, it was good, as he wanted to know a little more about Edgar’s situation.
Raven had completely become like a human.
The droplets which had previously fallen from his hair remained on his brown cheeks.
Changes in mood really did exist in his heart, yet he was unable to properly express it, and could only sigh dejectedly.
In Lydia’s view, he seemed to be crying, and so she wrapped her arms around his back.
“It’s okay, Raven. It’s okay to say that you want to see Edgar.”
Because he was apprehensive of Edgar’s desire to monopolize, Raven had always refrained from having contact with Lydia’s limbs as much as possible, but now, he unimaginably loosened his strength. Like a family member, Lydia embraced Raven.
He was clearly a male around the same age as her, yet Raven’s body was still slender like a teenager’s. But using this kind of body, he fought for Edgar all the way through. He was a formidable, perfect soldier compared to anyone else.
This kind of Raven was trembling slightly because of the fear and hesitation towards her.
The most difficult time for Edgar was when he wasn’t able to stay by his side, nor could he do anything for him. Lydia also sympathized with such pain. So it was fine even if it was only slightly, in order to be able to share these feelings, she gently stroked his back.
“I seem to slightly understand the reason why Lord Edgar would want to touch Madam Lydia.”
“I--Is that so?”
“Because Madam Lydia, you can make people feel calm.”
The one who was healed due to sharing feelings might have been Lydia instead.
“Thank you.”
She loosened her arms and smiled at him, and he seemingly revealed a slight smile as well.

“Lydia, where are you running off to in the middle of the night?”
At this time, Nico’s voice came from the top of the steps.
Looking up, Nico used his tail perfectly to maintain his balance, and slid down the handrails.
“I went to the room to find you, and found an empty bed in the end. What, so Raven is here too. Just in time, the Pixies were saying how they wanted to meet the fairy doctor.”
Nico stood on his hind legs in front of Lydia, raising his head to look. Nico wasn’t seen at mealtime, it turned out that he ran over to the nearby fairies to deepen the good relations.
“You said Pixies, you’re referring to the goblins here in Cornwall, right? Where are they?”
Nico beckoned her, bent down by the side of the wall, and pointed to a gap in the mortar.
“Follow me.”
“Right now? We had better make Raven change his clothes first.”
“No, I am fine like this.”
Raven used the towel that Lydia gave him and briefly wiped his hair. After taking off his rain-soaked coat and hanging it on top of the handrail, he stood by the wall as well. It seemed that his vest and shirt weren’t wet somehow.
“Then, let’s go.”
In the moment that Nico said this, Lydia arrived at the other side of the wall.
However, there was no feeling of passing through the wall. It was merely a split second, then they entered the fairies’ dwelling.
That place was like the inside of a cabin where everything could be seen clearly. Next to the furnace in the middle of the cabin sat three people, whose heights were similar to that of a child’s, and with faces full of wrinkles.
(So you’re the fairy doctor?)
One among the three people spoke. Because they all had red hair and green clothes, it was quite difficult for Lydia to tell them apart.
“That’s right. Have you encountered any troubles?”
In order to speak face to face with them, Lydia sat down on the cushion as well.
(Our son hasn’t returned after going to the island.)
(In the past, there were many seal fairies that would come and go between the island and the mainland, but since several years ago, they have been practically unseen.)
(Something bad seems to have happened on the island.)
(My son was very worried about his relatives there, so he asked a fairy he knew to bring him to the island, but since then, his whereabouts have been unclear.)
“The island you spoke of, are you referring to the Isles of Scilly?”
(It seems to be called by that name.)
(We aren’t quite sure about the name the humans gave the island. Speaking of the island, isn’t it referring to those islands at Land’s end? 
Lydia and Raven exchanged glances. The human side also had strange rumours concerning a village in the Isles of Scilly. If the reason was the Unseelie Courts gathered there by the Prince’s organization, then with regards to the fairies on this side, it was only natural that there was an evil influence.
“Excuse me, the fairy that brought your son to the island, did they not return afterwards as well?”
(No, sometimes we still see him.)
(He said that after he delivered our son to the island, he doesn’t know about what happened after.”
“What race is that fairy?”
Nico raised a question that Lydia also wanted to know. That fairy still seemed to be able to come and go between the island and the mainland, it might possess some kind of special ability.
(I don’t know which race it is. But it is a very strange fairy.)
(It is probably a relative of the Selkies.)
Another one spoke.
(Is that so? I’ve never seen him wear a fur coat, nor have I ever heard of a Selkie having silver hair that almost looks cyan.)
(No no, that fairy might be the Selkies’ ancestor. Legend has it that when a seal swallows the tears of a blue fairy, or when the soul of a human drifting in the sea is swallowed, the crystallized tears will become a heart, and a Selkie will be born. This must be talking about that fairy.)
Oh-- the other Pixies made a sound of approval one after another.
“This region unexpectedly has such an ancient fairy.”
Lydia said with a sigh. This was her first time hearing about a legend concerning the birth of a Selkie.
“Then, what are the bad things happening on the island referring to?”
Nico pulled back the topic which had deviated.
(Ahh that’s right, according to what that silver-blue haired fairy said, it seems that evil fairies are gathered on the island, and many of the good fairies have been eaten. The ones that are still alive are hiding in the shadows of the rocks, and have no way to escape from the island.)
(Our son might have no way to leave that island either.)
(Thus, fairy doctor, we have something to request of you.)
“Do you want me to help you find your son?” 
(No, our son dislikes being seen by humans. Even though you are a fairy doctor, he isn’t willing to show himself in front of a human.)
(That fairy, which seems like the Selkies’ ancestor said that if a fairy doctor is brought over, then he would be willing to help us find our son.)
(But they couldn’t be found up until now, so we were very worried.)
“The fairy doctor couldn’t be found up until now? “In the region of Cornwall, fairy doctors shouldn’t be so uncommon, right?”
(There aren’t that many fairy doctors holding a Selkie’s heart.)
A Selkie’s heart. Lydia unconsciously put her hand on her chest. It was the sapphire pendant that she wore underneath her gown.
Lydia inherited it from her Mother’s side, and was a gem that a Selkie gave as a commemorative gift to a human that they trusted. The human that held this could obtain the help of a Selkie at any time. Indeed, humans that possessed a Selkie heart were extremely rare.
“Nico, was it you that told them?”
“Since they were trying to find you, they ought to be given a hand.”
“However, the person they were looking for might not have been me.”
“They would know if it is after meeting. Even if they got the wrong person, there wouldn’t be much harm.”
It’s still the same, truly an irresponsible cat. Lydia sighed. However, helping fairies was the mission of the fairy doctor as well.
Furthermore, if she could see an ancient fairy living in this era, perhaps she might be able to ask about information regarding Lyonesse. 
“Hey, would that be the only fairy that can slip out from the Unseelie Court island? Would they be able to move about when they aren’t paying attention?”
(That seems to be because of the island’s fairies. Although he lingered in the sea of this region since the beginning, I heard that he was from Lyonesse.)
“Lyonesse! Where is that place?”
Upon hearing that name unexpectedly, she couldn’t help but raise her voice.
(I don’t know, we aren’t sure of the human world’s toponyms.)
(Although I don’t know of that place, the Blue Knight Earl should be there, right?)
“Ah! Is what you’re saying now true?”
(That fairy said it as such. It said that the Blue Knight Earl is looking after Lyonesse. Although it isn’t known how it is now. After all, it was a matter from several decades ago.)
What did they mean by ‘looking after’? Lyonesse did not belong to the Earl family’s territory at all, so was it a temporary stay? In any case, the Blue Knight Earl he referred to wasn’t Edgar.
The last Blue Knight Earl that lost his life at London Bridge was approximately a century ago. In saying that, it would mean that the person called the Blue Knight Earl after that would have existed. 
There was also the possibility that he still existed up until now.
Before leaving for the fairy kingdom, would Lydia and the others encounter the genuine Blue Knight Earl? The real one?
If so, would that mean they themselves weren’t the real thing?
Edgar intended on becoming the genuine Blue Knight Earl and confronting the Prince. If the genuine Blue Knight Earl existed, then what should be done? And would that person be able to save Edgar? Being unable to simply feel happy from obtaining information about Lyonesse, Lydia’s unease increased instead.
The Pixies told them that the fairy frequently appeared at the seacoast. If it was said that the things about him were what they heard, that fairy would probably appear from his hiding place.
Afterwards, Lydia and Raven returned to the hotel in a split second under Nico’s guidance.
Standing on the same flat steps as before, Lydia was deep in her own thoughts, and Raven mumbled.
“I’m worried about whether or not this would be a trap set up by the Prince’s organization. Ulysses is able to control Selkies.”
The key fairy isn’t the Selkie, but if it is a race quite close to the Selkies, then she could understand Raven’s worries.
“A trap to lure in Lydia? But the contact between the Pixies and that fairy of Lyonesse should be a matter from longer ago than before the Prince returned to Britain.”
“Even though this matter is unrelated to the Prince, I have a bad feeling. If he is a fairy that serves the Blue Knight Earl, he might think of us as impostors. There is a need to stay alert.”
“That’s true.”
Lydia cared about this the most.
“In short, everything has to wait until the weather improves. After discussing this with everyone, let’s try to pay a visit to that seacoast.”
Because it was an existence related to Lyonesse, there was no other alternative, and they could only get in contact with him.

Please read this chapter at Daydream Translations
It was a time when even the sky wasn’t bright yet. As soon as he received Ermine’s notification, Teran disregarded the storm and urged the carriage to the mansion where Edgar was located.
While taking care to not wake Ulysses, who was still resting, Ermine quietly brought him to the reception room.
“What about his Majesty?”
Although Teran’s voice was quite calm compared to the action of him rushing over here, he wanted to confirm the Prince’s condition sooner than anyone else; this was without a doubt.
“He has already awakened.”
“Then bring me to his room.”
“His Majesty wanted me to bring the two of you together.”
“Two of us--”
“He is referring to Lord Teran as well as Lord Ulysses.”
Teran revealed an expression as if there wasn’t anything more unpleasant than this, along with a frown.
“Didn’t I tell you to arrange for me to see the Prince first?”
“Yes, however this was His Majesty’s wish. If you wanted to do so regardless, then may I ask you to break off your restraint on me?”
Teran’s face twisted in frustration, trying his best to speak sarcastically towards Ermine.
“If the new Prince fancies you, then it would be great, huh.”
The reason why Ermine was able to be by Edgar’s side was because Edgar had given the order in the past.
Not long after collapsing, although it was like he was in a nightmare, Edgar still remained conscious for a brief moment.
With regards to this instruction, Teran was quite welcoming, but although Ulysses was unwilling, the “Prince’s” will couldn’t be disobeyed by anyone. Despite Edgar sinking into a coma quite quickly, Ermine continued to protect him in this way.
For Teran, having no choice but to hand Edgar over to Ulysses’ mansion made him fairly reluctant, so he had an even stronger desire to be able to see the Prince first when he awakens. Clearly, three of the five commands were told to Ermine, yet having to wait for Ulysses, with regards to him, was something that completely went against his real intentions even more.
Even so, he still tried to grasp the situation calmly.
“In the end, which side is it. Is he our Prince, perhaps...... since he still remembers about Ulysses’--”
For Ermine herself, this was her fate more or less.
“Originally, Earl Edgar Ashenbert obtained the Prince’s memories under the circumstances of not being brainwashed, so even though the Prince obtained his body, there is also the possibility that his memories have been fused together. This kind of situation, Lord Teran has considered in the past as well, right?”
“Of course, memory confusion to some extent isn’t a problem at all. What’s more important is the side that his inner nature belongs to.”
For Ermine, regardless of the outcome, she had probably decided long ago on what to tell Teran.
“Please confirm it in person.”
Teran clicked his tongue and pushed Ermine away; in the end, it seemed that he had the appearance of deciding if he was going to rush over before Ulysses.
However, he suddenly stopped at the door of the room. The reason why he didn’t proceed was because Ulysses appeared across the hallway.
“You came in uninvited during this time, and didn’t even say a word of greeting to me?”
Ulysses stood in front of Teran and blocked his way, while aiming a glare at Ermine.
“I wanted to find only His Majesty.”
“But this is my mansion. Furthermore, I had already known all along that you had been looking for an opportunity to keep me in the dark and rush to be the first. It isn’t only Ermine that knows His Majesty has already awakened.”
“That matter is simple after discussing it. His Majesty had called us over.”
Just as he finished listening to that, Ulysses immediately turned on his heels and walked inside. Teran then walked behind him, and Ermine also followed along.
The bedroom was lit with a lamp, and the furnace had been continuously burning firewood.
After Edgar awakened, although Ermine acted in accordance with Teran’s instructions, there seemed to be someone among the servants that had informed Ulysses. However, only Teran was dissatisfied with this, and on the contrary, Ermine felt relieved because Ulysses wasn’t stupid enough to get to that point.
Edgar sat up against the wide bed. He draped a blood-like scarlet robe over his shoulders, yet upon facing his two trusted aides, those ash mauve eyes had an exceptionally ice-cold colour after eliminating his feelings.
The lightning flickering outside penetrated through the window curtains, causing the room to appear like it was shining. His quiet breathing wasn’t affected by the persistent thunder. His golden hair resembled the lightning just now, that remained from it, and whether it was that proper face or his tightly closed lips, it was completely Edgar in person.
However, was it truly Edgar over there, or was it not in this way? Ermine herself didn’t know the answer either, and felt shivers up her spine.
Ermine wasn’t familiar with the first Prince. But if it was the “Prince” before her eyes now, it should theoretically be the same person as the previous Prince, who even though aged backwards, was able to effortlessly suppress other people and make them shiver in fright. However, a calm temperament slowly as well as a feeling of quiet terror emitted from his body now, yet it wasn’t what the former Prince possessed.
Regardless of how much abuse Edgar suffered through, he had never lost his dignity and radiance as an aristocrat. The Edgar now seemed to be showing his face that had been polished until it was incomparably sharp.
Was this an illusion that brought out his beautiful and upright appearance? Nevertheless, even though the first Prince was only a bastard child, did he directly inherit the Stuart family’s blood, the direct bloodline of the royal family?
“Your Majesty, how are you feeling?”
Rushing before Ulysses, Teran uttered.
“Awful.”
Even Edgar’s frown appeared to be very graceful. He took the glass offered from Ermine and drank all the water in one breath.
“Seriously, that guy used up a lot of my strength. Making my head still hurt up until now.”
That guy, was he referring to the Prince’s memories, or was it Edgar’s self? It couldn’t be determined which side he was on. Although he used one hand to brush his messy bangs up, this action was very similar to Edgar’s habit.
“How is the Blue Knight Earl house’s ship?”
“We will definitely find it.”
Ulysses hastily replied.
“They were lost?”
Just his harsh tone made the temperature inside the room begin to fall.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, I believed that chasing after that ship was a mere waste of time. Compared to that matter, we ought to be more concentrated on the preparations to invade London......”
Halfway through speaking, Teran’s cheek was grazed by the glass that was sent flying. The sound of the glass hitting the wall and shattering into pieces overlapped with the sounds of fierce thunder outside the window.
“I have ought to have decided. After seizing control of Ibrazel and with the preparations put order are complete, to then initiate the decisive battle in Britain. Are you objecting to my decision?”
“No, there is absolutely no such thing.”
Although Teran lowered his head in honesty, he still inquired cautiously.
“Are you the first Majesty? Or......”
Edgar chuckled.
“You want to know that? Regardless of who, as long as it’s the “Prince of Calamity” who possesses Unseelie Court magic, then he is your Prince. It has been handled as such this past century, isn’t that so?”
“You’re right. Then, have you prepared to become the Prince that will lead us? ”
While beginning to smile again, he shot a sly look towards Teran.
“You guys as well, are you prepared to obey me? The first Prince that you originally placed your hopes on has already died.”
Although Teran’s expression didn’t change, he fell silent.
“His strength has been seized by me. That being said, my enemy has been informed.”
Following the rubbing sounds from getting dressed, Edgar stood up. His bare legs went down the bed, then approached Teran, using his forefinger to press the scar on his forehead. With just this, Teran twisted his face, as if he felt pain.
“And my other target of vengeance is that Britain. For this reason, I’m going to make use of you guys as well as this organization.”
“That is my expectation.”
Ulysses grinned.
“Sure enough, your hatred is deeply rooted, and your desires are endless. Just as his former Majesty expected.”
After obtaining the “power”, Edgar would subsequently transform.  Ermine knew that this had been Ulysses’ way of thinking up until now. And now, this had become reality. He, who had clearly abandoned his vengeance and chose to live with Lydia, but because he intended on seizing the power from the Prince, he might have been trapped by that power instead.
It couldn’t be seen whether or not Teran was happy with this situation, as he had been silent all along. Ermine didn’t know what that man was thinking about at all. Although Teran knew about the first Prince, it was quite difficult to imagine that they would have a friendship similar to that between humans between each other. Teran possessed the soul of a monster, and according to the environment that the first Prince was raised in, he wasn’t any ordinary human either.
The reason why Teran willingly served the Prince was because unless Britain was governed by the Unseelie Court powers, it would be impossible for him, who had the blood of a monster left in him, to obtain status otherwise.
“Your Majesty, may I ask you something?”
Teran’s manner of speaking was still cautious.
“How do you intend on handling the Earl family’s fairy doctor?”
It was a matter pertaining to Lydia. Ermine became tense. Wanting to know Edgar’s true thoughts, perhaps this was the only opportunity. Was he playing tricks to deceive the organization now, or had he truly been changed amongst the battle with the Prince?
“Ah, my wife? What do you want to do, Teran?”
“I feel that she shouldn’t be kept alive. Although her abilities as a fairy doctor aren’t particularly outstanding, she has once exerted an unimaginable influence on the Unseelie Court. For us, she might be a fairly troublesome existence.”
“Then, deal with it as you please.”
Ermine couldn’t help but make a sound because she was very shocked, coughing reluctantly to cover it up. However, Edgar didn’t even glance at her, and spoke casually as if he found it to be quite troublesome.
“For me, there is already no need.”
“But Your Majesty, that fairy doctor holds information about the fairy kingdom. If she is killed---”
“I know that.”
Edgar quickly interrupted Ulysses’ words and sat down on the sofa. 
“The things that Lydia knows, I know completely as well. This is only natural, right? The fairy ship will likely head towards the western sea of Land’s End.”
Divulging such an important secret of the Earl family, Edgar had probably truly become the head of the organization.
“Then, we will deploy our personnel and ships in Land’s End and its surroundings as soon as possible.”
Teran gradually began to believe in Edgar’s words, and approved of his identity as the Prince more or less.
Ermine’s chest couldn’t calm down.
“But the next step is the problem. According to the fairy kingdom’s map, it seems that you must pass through Lyonesse, but it isn’t known where that place is at all. If we don’t catch them at Land’s End, then there will be a need to send someone to Lyonesse for surveillance.”
“If it’s Lyonesse, then I know.”
Ulysses took a step forward.
“Hehh, do you really know?”
“Because I have been there before.” 
He replied proudly.
“Then let us have a listen, but an hour later. Because I haven’t eaten anything in several days.”
Ulysses and Teran exchanged looks, which ought to have been very rarely seen. They left the room humbly.
“What would you like to eat?”
Throwing out a reply of “anything is fine” to Ermine, Edgar leaned his back against the sofa, then closed his eyes.
“Don’t take action against the fairy kingdom.”
As Ermine was intending on leaving, he, who was still closing his eyes, suddenly spoke.
“This is a warning towards your other master.”
“Lord Edgar, regarding Madam Lydia......”
“Abandoning the conflicts with the organization would be good for her. Because Teran seems to be truly intent on killing her.”
Edgar opened his eyes. Even though Lydia’s name was mentioned, those pupils were calm and still unwavering.
“I am already no longer the same as before.”
He asserted in this way.
“The Prince’s essence is the strength that can control Unseelie Courts. The Prince is still alive now. This has nothing to do with who the personality is. That’s the way it is.”

​*

The cape that the Pixies spoke of was located at the outskirts of Penzance. Three days had already passed since Lydia and the others visited them. The sun finally returned to the sky, and the sea eventually regained its early morning tranquility. The air was quite clear and open, revealing the mysterious features of Cornwall that had never been seen before.
Lydia and the others got off the carriage, walking along the cliff stones in the strong breeze of the coast. An island could be seen nearby at sea; it was an island with a castle built there.
“Sure enough, Cornwall and Brittany are quite similar. Ah, it’s called St Michael’s Mount, right?”
“In France, there is an island called Mont Saint-Michel too. Although I’ve only seen it in a painting.”
Paul gazed into the distance.
“Yes, both of them resemble castle-like islands in itself, and the names are both equivalent to Saint Michael......”
“That’s right, how is Francis?”
Lota seemed to have finally realized now that Francis wasn’t here.
“He seems to be unable to get out of bed due to a hangover.”
Raven replied.
“Now that you mention it, he drank heavily with the sailors at the hotel’s pub last yesterday.”
“That guy, truly useless.”
“In any case, he can’t be put to good use, since he said that he wanted to sleep a little longer, I made him continue sleeping that way.”
The reason why Raven, who never held back, didn’t wake up Francis was perhaps because he sincerely believed that Francis couldn’t be of any use.
“But Mr Nico doesn’t seem to be here either.”
“He also drank a lot. He said that he would catch up with us later.”
“Seriously, those two guys are truly unreliable.”
After Lota criticized them, Raven refuted, which was rare.
“Mr Nico is very reliable sometimes.”
“You truly are siding with Mr Nico, huh.”
Kelly muttered in amazement.
“Doesn’t Miss Kelly really like Mr Nico as well? You have rubbed your face against the sleeping Mr Nico before.”
Raven, who seemed somewhat impatient due to Francis’ unruly behaviour, suddenly targeted Kelly.
“Eh, th--that’s because...... it truly appeared to be extremely fluffy and soft, so I was a little careless and...... Hmph, you’re envious of me, right?”
Kelly changed her approach.
“......I treat Mr Nico as a gentleman all the time, so I cannot do that sort of shameless act.”
“Even the fur on the back of Mr Nico’s ears are soft and loose, and light as a feather!”
“I don’t find it quite envious at all.”
Ignoring their childish argument, Lota continued on ahead.
“No one is here. Do you want to go back?”
Although the weather was quite nice, the nearby coast didn’t have the presence of anyone at all. Naturally, they didn’t find anything that resembled a fairy’s figure either.
“Ah, this side also has a path. But yesterday, I definitely didn’t see anything there.”
“Is that true? How could you not see it.”
“There was still a brook on this side yesterday, but there is already no longer water flowing today.”
Paul’s words made Lydia remember. Indeed, they reached up to here then returned yesterday.
“Well, then we must take a look.”
Just as they planned on stepping onto this path, which had originally been underneath the river, and head upstream, a figure stood on top of a nearby stone. It was a black-haired girl that was around thirteen to fourteen years old.
“Hey, you can’t go to that side. Or else you will provoke the fairy’s anger, and it will pull pranks on you.”
“Fairy? There is a fairy dwelling here?”
“Yes, that’s why the villagers won’t come close to this side.”
“Did you see that fairy?”
“I’ve seen it.”
The girl replied, as if she was used to it.
“What kind of fairy is it? We’re trying to find a silver-blue haired fairy, and wanted to ask him about Lyonesse.”
“Lyonesse? I know about that place too.”
She jumped down from the rock, observing Lydia and the others. That girl had a head full of tangled hair, which seemed to have never been combed before, and her clothes were worn out as well.
“Lyonesse has a prince there.”
“Eh, a prince? The kingdom of Lyonesse no longer exists now. Did they leave behind descendants?”
The girl slowly nodded.
“He was a prince who is helpless, lazy, and unreliable, but he was pure. The descendant of the royal family left the kingdom, which had already been destroyed, and lived on the mainland. The prince was merely the last one remaining. So, the prince had always intended on getting married. He was fond of a beautiful girl, and despite his proposals being rejected, he never gave up, and forcefully brought her to Lyonesse. But that girl escaped, and the pure prince chased after her, leaving Lyonesse. Thus, Lyonesse became deserted in this way. Perhaps it was because the prince wasn’t able to obtain a partner in the end, as no one returned to Lyonesse anymore after that.”
In the end, she was talking about a tale from long ago. Her way of speaking was like she was talking about someone she knew, but it was also like she was talking about rumours.
“Lyonesse has already perished, no? Then where in Lyonesse did the Prince bring his lover to?”
“Lyonesse was submerged into sea by the waves, but the peak of the mountains still remain above sea. That is now the Isles of Scilly.”
She pointed towards the sea in the distance.
“So the Isles of Scilly are Lyonesse?”
“Lyonesse was once a very large country. It vastly spread across the Cornwall region and the territorial waters of Brittany.”
Speaking up to here, she added on, as if she suddenly remembered something.
“That girl also came from the fairy kingdom.”
Lydia didn’t have enough time to ask before she spoke again.
“That kid, in other words, the fairy you guys are trying to find, she won’t meet with humans.”
Then she turned around and planned to leave.
“Wait a minute, but we might be the humans that the fairy is looking for.”
This seemingly piqued her interest, as she stopped, turned around, and looked over slightly.
“Are you a fairy doctor?”
“That’s right, and I possess the aquamarine.”
Pulling out the pendant that she wore on her neck, Lydia took out a “Selkie’s heart”.
However, the girl, who took a glance at it, knitted her brows, as if she was angry.
“No, it’s not that.”
As soon as she said this, her figure disappeared.
Please read this chapter at Daydream Translations

After plunging himself into the water jug by the back door and immediately drinking directly from it in one gulp, Nico forcefully swung his head.
“Aahhhhh--- I’m finally awake this time.”
He stood on his hind legs and wiped his face with both paws.
“I wonder if Lydia and the others saw the fairy?”
Nico was thinking that it would be better to not go out since it was too late anyways, but then he suddenly saw Francis’ figure leaving from the inside of the hotel.
“What, that guy overslept too?”
Nico was planning on calling him out and catching up to him, but Francis went towards the forest, which completely lacked any signs of human habitation. As soon as Nico noticed a figure waiting there, he immediately concealed himself behind the shadows of the trees. The person that Francis stopped and spoke to was a woman wearing men’s clothing. Nico also knew quite well that it was Ermine.
“What’s going on? Francis and Ermine...... where did they get to know each other?”
In short, it wouldn’t have been in the Earl house. Furthermore, he had never heard Francis talk about Ermine.
Currently, Ermine was believed to be staying at the side of Edgar, who had already become the Prince. Perhaps Ermine might be reporting about Edgar towards this side, but if that was the case, then wouldn’t the person that she ought to contact be her younger brother, Raven?
Because they only spoke a few words, Ermine left immediately, so Nico wasn’t able to hear the dialogue between them. However, because he felt that Francis was very suspicious anyways, Nico continued to secretly tail behind Francis.
After coming out of the forest, Francis arrived at the main street and took a street carriage. Nico hurriedly jumped onto the top of that carriage. Afterwards, the carriage began to go along the coastal path. That was the direction where Lydia and the others were. Was he planning on going over and meeting up with everyone next? But it might simply be his own secret operation as well.
Nico relaxed, comfortably stretching his body and lying down. The sunshine, which hadn’t been seen in a long time, faintly shone through from between the clouds, both cheery and warm.
Finally, the carriage stopped, and Nico sat up. Although it was a coast filled with rocks as far as the eyes could see, he couldn’t see the figures of Lydia and the others. Even so, Francis still got off the carriage and walked towards the rocky field that deviated from the main road. Nico also chased after him in a flurry.
On the coastal rocks, which was practically beaten by the ocean waves, there was a girl sitting there alone. Francis stopped a short distance away, then greeted the girl with a “hey”.
“Long time no see.”
“What, it’s you.”
“The weather is quite nice today, so I thought that you would appear here.”
“So you’re still alive?”
Francis and the black-haired girl with ragged clothes seemed to know each other. It was the same with Ermine just now, and now it was the same with the girl here; what sort of relationship they had was beyond one’s imagination in the end. And perhaps this girl wasn’t human either.
“Due to certain reasons.”
“So, what is it?”
“You’re still as blunt as always.”
“Because I loathe weak men.”
“That truly is unfortunate. I, however, have matured somewhat.”
“I can’t tell.”
Because there was a distance in the gap between them, they both raised their voices and spoke loudly. Thus, Nico was able to hear their conversation quite clearly.
“Oh, forget about it. More importantly, I know you’re looking for a human that’s holding the aquamarine.”
“What did you say?”
“It’s a woman that I know.”
“A woman? Could it be the woman that appeared across the coast a moment ago? There were five people altogether, saying that they were looking for me.”
“What, so you’ve already met them. It’s definitely her without a doubt.”
As soon as Francis finished speaking, the girl stood up abruptly, turning her legs toward him.
“No! It’s not that woman’s aquamarine!”
“Hey, that can’t be it. She’s the Countess of the fairy kingdom.”
“Countess! Don’t take me as a fool! That couldn’t possibly exist.”
“You seem to know the Blue Knight Earl. But that guy is a fake. The words I say would definitely not be wrong.”
“Who could believe you?” 
Even though it was someone she knew in the past, it seemed that the evaluation towards Francis wasn’t anything different either. Nico endured the laughter while continuing to listen to their dialogue.
“However, she is wearing the key to the fairy kingdom on her. Please bring her to Lyonesse.”
“She has the key? ......Really?”
“The Merrow’s sword and the Selkie’s heart, these two distinct things, for you, are proof of the Blue Knight Earl, isn’t that so? But as long as one holds the key, it is sufficient proof that they are the master of the fairy kingdom, right? Now, the sword is with her husband, who is acting separately. I think that you have likely acknowledged her as someone from the Earl family.”
However, the girl shook her head stubbornly.
“Either way, it’s possible that it will be snatched away by other people. So I had to gather them for that Lord.”
“That Lord?”
“The genuine Blue Knight Earl.”
“As I said he is......”
“Ever since you were gone, it was me who found him myself. What you’re saying now is useless!”
Finishing her words, the girl leapt into the sea. That split second, her tangled black hair drifted apart in the waves, becoming a silver-blue colour that was similar to the tip of a sea wave. In this way, she was like a sea creature, quickly diving into the ocean and disappearing without a trace.
It was her. The one the Pixies spoke about, the fairy that knew of Lyonesse, was her without a doubt.
However, she seemed quite stubborn. She appeared to have rejected Lydia and the others, with Francis being no exception.
Yet Francis smiled in satisfaction, and began to head back on the path to where he came from. What on earth was that guy thinking?
Besides, he clearly knew that fairy, yet he chose to conceal this from Lydia and the others. Him concealing things about Ermine as well truly was increasingly incomprehensible.  Nico, who stayed alert while leaving that place, decided to speed on ahead and meet up with Lydia and the others.

​***

Located near the sea surface of Land’s End, the Isles of Scilly floated on the Atlantic Ocean, which was originally Lyonesse. In that case, they had no choice but to get there. Although the stronghold of the Prince’s organization might be there, it was an archipelago formed from several hundred small islands and shoal cliffs. Under the circumstances of not being discovered by them, it should be feasible to land on another island.
Lydia pondered, climbed to a high place and overlooked the sea.
That black-haired fairy from before was probably the silver-blue haired fairy that the Pixies spoke of, without a doubt. The reason why her hair was black was because she changed into a human’s appearance. According to her words, Lyonesse, in other words, the Isles of Scilly, has the existence of the Blue Knight Earl.
Although they knew where Lyonesse was, the problems increased instead. Looking at it in this way, it was impossible to try and head directly head to Ibrazel.
“However, it’s useless to worry. I can only go and take a look.”
Lydia spoke in this way to encourage herself. Then she turned around, planning to go back to where everyone was.
But in a split second, she was seemingly pushed forward by the strong wind, or she had the strange feeling of being bumped by someone, and stumbled.
She lost her balance and fell on the slope of the rock, but her body continued to slide down, so she hastily grabbed the weeds on the side.
When she lifted her face in desperation, some figure that quickly fled away came into view. 
It appeared to be that fairy girl, was it an illusion......?
Why......?
Although she couldn’t make sense of the situation, she could only try and climb up first, but one of the rocks beneath her feet crumbled. As she was desperately looking for another foothold, her body suddenly floated lightly.
It turned out that Kelpie held her and jumped away from the slope extremely quickly. After standing on steady ground, he gently put her down.
“Don’t go out by yourself. Aren’t you in a position where you’re very likely to be targeted by others?”
“Kelpie...... Thank you.”
Although Lydia barely managed to sigh in relief, she thought that if she continued to fall like that, she certainly would have suffered serious injuries; her legs were still trembling incessantly. She sat on a rock by the side, then suddenly felt strong doubts.
Did that fairy deliberately target me? But why?
“Anyways, what’s this all about? It’s a fairy race which I’ve never seen before...... it truly is a strange thing that you would be resented by a kindhearted fairy.”
Kelpie seemed to have witnessed the figure pushing Lydia as well.
“She’s a Seelie Court?”
“She probably is, right? At least, she doesn’t have the scent of an Unseelie Court.”
Since Kelpie said it as such, then it was probably right. Even though it was a Seelie Court, a good-natured fairy, it would do bad things. But they were different from Unseelie Courts, as they would have their own reasons for doing so. Could it be that Lydia did something that made her want to retaliate? She tried her best to recall, but she couldn’t find the answer.
“Kelpie, since when were you nearby?”
This dauntless-faced young man was a demonic fairy who possessed good looks, which made others despondent, when he changed into a human form. Even so, he was a trustworthy fairy to Lydia.
“I have always been nearby.”
“Is that so.”
Ever since Edgar collapsed, he had also disappeared for the time being. A long time had already passed since he appeared last time.
“If I follow too closely, you would have troubles as well. After all, you want to go to the kingdom of Seelie Court.”
Indeed, it wasn’t good to bring an Unseelie Court if they wanted to approach the fairy kingdom.
“I cannot always count on your assistance either.”
“And you shouldn’t count on my help.”
Previously, Lydia’s surroundings were always quite peaceful, yet Kelpie would always bring her all sorts of chaos and troubles. Recalling these matters, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“That’s true. I definitely didn’t think in that way, but I had always obtained unexpected help from your side, so I unwittingly began to believe that my luck was very good.”
Lydia had always received the fairies’ help in the past, so she couldn’t allow the Prince’s organization to disrupt the order of the fairy realm.
Unrelated from the standpoint as a member of the Earl family, or as a fairy doctor and so on, Lydia simply wanted to protect the fairies’ world from the bottom of her heart.
Because of this, she was afraid of something instead.
It would be good if protecting Edgar’s actions could be equal to protecting the order of the fairies. But if the two matters conflicted against each other......
She couldn’t help but think that the reason why she suffered the retaliation of Lyonnesse’s fairy was because she considered Lydia as the Prince’s wife. Naturally, that fairy wouldn’t know of this. Perhaps she did so due to other reasons, but after arriving at the fairy kingdom next, no one could guarantee that this wouldn’t be exposed.
As she thought about things, she dropped her gaze to her hands placed on her lap. Lydia stared at her wrists blankly, then suddenly raised her hand in shock.
“No......”
“Eh?”
Flustered, she checked the inside of her clothes.
“It’s gone!”  
“What is it?”
“Bracelet......”
The serpentine bracelet that she wore close to her and never left her hand was an important item handed to her by Her Majesty the Queen. At the same time, the key to the fairy kingdom was lodged inside it.
Lydia thought that it fell, and looked all over the ground, but she ended up empty handed.
“Don’t tell me, was it that green thing? The fairy that bumped into you took it away. Didn’t you notice?”
Originally, she still believed that she was merely pushed.
“It can’t be, so that was her goal?”
Lydia stood up, not knowing what should be done.
Sinking into a cloud of gloom and worry, Lydia sat down on the ground again, frozen.
“Hey Lydia, it’s only a bracelet.”
That bracelet was filled with Edgar’s thoughts. Engraved in it was a four-leaf clover that connected the two of them together, so it became the key to the fairy kingdom.
She felt that because the bracelet left her wrist, it seemed like bad things would happen to Edgar. Lydia suddenly began to feel doubtful about whether or not Edgar would forget her and turn into a completely different person.
“......It’s my fault for being too careless. Can I truly find a way to help Edgar become the Blue Knight Earl like this?”
It might not be only the Prince’s organization that will obstruct their way. The kind-hearted fairies might not believe that they are the genuine Earl family and view them as an enemy. They have considered it as well, the possibility of not being accepted by the inhabitants of the fairy kingdom.
Thus, in order to establish Lydia’s standpoint, it was crucial that she obtained the bracelet from Her Majesty the Queen.
She tried her best to hold back her feelings of wanting to cry. If Kelpie wasn’t by her side, she might have already cried at an earlier time.
She had already decided in her heart that tears weren’t something that were needed on the next path. Because now, she herself was the hope of Edgar, who was in the organization.
“Lydia, do you want to see the Earl?”
Kelpie stared at her quite worriedly.
It’s okay, Lydia.
If Edgar was here, he would definitely say that, then raise Lydia’s spirits. He was able to use ways that Lydia couldn’t even think of to solve all crises.
“I’ll help you meet him, okay?”
“Eh, what are you saying? Right now, we aren’t sure of Edgar’s circumstances, and according to the situation, doing so might even bring him trouble as well.”
“It’ll merely be taking a look from a distance, that’s all. You want to know if he’s okay now, right?”
But it was true.
“However, wouldn’t it be dangerous if you approached Edgar?”
“I will be careful not to approach him.”
Kelpie casually patted Lydia’s head. Although his technique was quite crude, Kelpie was very gentle.
But he was a bit of a troublemaker sometimes.
“Wait a minute, I’m okay. I have already regained my senses, so don’t mess around.”
“I won’t mess around. Don’t wait expectedly.”
Just as Raven came to verify the situation of a figure appearing at the other end of the road, Kelpie’s figure disappeared.