Chapter 35: Chapter 35

The Emerald Branches and Leaves

Mo Ying had already witnessed just how terrifying the price of a fairy contract could be.

But it didn't matter. The contract stated it very clearly: as long as she didn't use that ability, Anlus would not reclaim the price.

"Anlus, can you tell me how your previous forty-three contractors died?"

Mo Ying walked along the small path in the land of fairies.

With Anlus's guidance, she already knew the way back.

"Their wills were too weak. They couldn't bear the price they should pay, couldn't endure that pain, and all of them killed themselves."

"As long as life perishes, there's no need to fulfill the contract. In that sense, it seems like I've lost out forty-three times already."

Anlus gently caressed Mo Ying's face.

"Mo Ying, after using the ability again, you must completely repay the price."

"I certainly will repay the cost. But, can your ability really do what you promise in the contract?"

"Absolutely. We never lie in contracts."

Anlus flew up to a tall branch.

"But every ability has its limits—just as healing magic cannot revive the dead, or spatial movement can't be used several times in a row. If you reach the limit of my ability, there's nothing more I can do for you."

Fairy abilities, at the end of the day, were still magic.

Mo Ying looked like she wanted to ask more.

"This is my first time in the land of fairies—can you introduce me to it?"

"And I heard that one person can contract with multiple fairies at the same time?"

"As long as you can pay the price, and the other fairy agrees, that's fine."

Anlus descended from the tree and fluttered beside Mo Ying.

"Some fairies need to be paid periodically, too—even if you don't use their powers, you still have to pay."

"For example, every ten days, you have to provide a certain amount of magic to a fairy, otherwise, it's a breach of contract."

"If you made contracts with more than three fairies , you'd be drained dry in an instant."

"Can someone really contract that many fairies?"

Mo Ying asked curiously.

"Humans at most can contract three, maybe four, but surpassing five is nearly impossible."

"But gods can do it."

Since coming to this world, Mo Ying had already heard plenty about gods.

"The God of Order signed contracts with tens of thousands of fairies."

"This isn't a legend—it really happened, right here in the Sea of Fairies,"

Anlus said seriously.

"As for the land of fairies itself, there's not really much to introduce."

"The land of fairies is ruled by seven fairy queens, each ruling a different region."

"Each area ruled by a fairy queen is called a 'branch.'"

"For example, the Meiyas you just saw is the queen of one such branch; the region she rules is called the Emerald."

"The place where we met is the Emerald Branch. Each branch has special means of protection."

Special protective measures?

Mo Ying looked at the Return Prism in her hand.

That must be why it hadn't activated.

"The territory outside the branches is called the New Leaf, and outside that is the Single Branch."

"The branches are where the higher-ranked fairies live—like me."

"Middle- and lower-ranked fairies live in the New Leaf, and only strays dwell in Single Branch."

Mo Ying suddenly recalled something Liushu had said about the hunting grounds.

The hunting grounds were split into three parts: the outer ring, the center, and the depths.

When they first entered the hunting grounds, it was into the Fallen Leaves region—the outer ring.

And she had been brought by that white mist to the depths, into the branch territory.

"There are eight branches in total, but only seven queens."

"Because one fairy queen left the land of fairies."

Mo Ying spoke the fairy queen's name.

She seemed to have seen this event play out in the mist.

Anlus wasn't surprised that Mo Ying knew this—maybe her teacher told her, or perhaps it was Meiyas.

"The branch Lizayira ruled was called Bramble. She was extremely, extremely, extremely strict and had a severe obsession with cleanliness; she couldn't tolerate even the slightest bit of dust on her clothes."

"Why did she abandon her territory?"

Mo Ying was puzzled—since Lizayira was the queen, why would she give up her people?

"A long time ago, the land of fairies was an anomalous space, almost inaccessible."

"Until one day, an uninvited guest arrived."

"That guest took Lizayira away."

"I don't know any more specifics."

"But Lizayira's departure wasn't agreed upon by all the queens; four queens remained neutral, three refused."

"So they fought, and in the end... Lizayira still left."

"What price did that guest pay to contract that queen?"

"Compare today's sameness to tomorrow's unforgettable memory I can give you. That was the condition."

"There was no price at all. The queen simply left with her."

"In the past, once a fairy left the land of fairies, there was no coming back."

"After thousands of years, that queen never returned."

"'Bramble' was divided between the remaining five queens. There always have to be rulers."

Anlus resumed walking.

"Then, Anlus, are you a resident of the Emerald branch?"

"Yes, I'm a fairy of Emerald."

Emerald was ruled by Meiyas.

Out of the eight branches, Mo Ying knew of only two: Emerald and Bramble.

Mo Ying nodded, continuing forward.

The moment she stepped out of Emerald, the Return Prism activated.

She instantly returned to her starting point.

"I thought you'd bought the farm."

The person Mo Ying saw as she opened her eyes was Liushu, holding a cigarette case.

"Can't you say something nicer, teacher Liushu?"

Mo Ying said, sweating.

"Just a joke. Is this the fairy you contracted?"

Liushu pointed at Anlus.

"Yes, this is Anlus, the fairy I contracted."

Anlus, who was about the same height as Mo Ying, slowly touched down on the ground, folding away her transparent wings.

"God Slayer. [KNSZLMS]"

Anlus said something in fairy tongue to Liushu.

"Wei should have given all of you her advice, right?"

Liushu clearly didn't understand Anlus, nor did anyone else—including Mo Ying.

"It's fine—Anlus told me as long as I don't use her powers, there's no price."

"You should know, most who were devoured by their contract's price started out thinking just like you,"

"Fairies under contract are supposed to be able to speak the common tongue, so why can't I understand what she's saying?"

Liushu took out a cigarette from the case.

Anlus approached Liushu.

"See? She can speak. But don't come too close—my constitution might hurt you."

"There are even fairies very interested in your 'constitution,' Mr. Liushu."

"And are you among them?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelFɪre.net

"I'm fond of novelty, but my tastes aren't that extreme, and besides, I already have a contractor."

Anlus retreated behind Mo Ying.

"So this is a fairy?!"

The students crowded around Anlus as soon as they saw her.

"Let me touch her wings!"

"What kind of fairy is this? What's the price?"

The students' enthusiasm made even Shuang Yun and Xiya, who'd wanted to come greet Anlus, hesitate.

"By the way, teacher Liushu,"

Mo Ying suddenly looked at Liushu.

*Smack.* Mo Ying snatched the cigarette from Liushu's hand and set it on fire.

"Sorry, that's the contract! You can't blame me! If you want to blame someone, blame Director Wei!"

Liushu's face was full of confusion.