That's one.

Beneath the table, Ian clenched his fist.

“Sema. Next.”

“Yes!”

The next bronze mirror rippled, revealing the Fairy Kingdom.

The Fairy Queen, with hair curled like a rolled cake, was circling the enormous World Tree.

She gazed at it in rapture, hugged it, spun around it again, and let out delighted sighs.

Ian immediately felt his motivation for work increase.

“Your Majesty.”

[Eek?! W-Where is Ian's voice coming from...? An elemental?!]

The elemental Ian had sent to the Fairy Kingdom nodded proudly.

The Fairy Queen stared at it in wonder.

[An elemental! If they are friends of the elves, then they are friends of ours as well! To see them again after all this time! Oh? Wait a moment. If that's true...]

“Yes.”

[You've become friends with the elves, Ian! How did you ever find those sisters who hide themselves away?]

As the Fairy Queen hopped excitedly in place, her rolled curls bounced up and down with her.

“Never mind that. Has anything happened in the kingdom?”

[Ah! It has.]

The Fairy Queen covered her mouth with both hands.

Ian immediately became serious as well.

Monsters reached the Fairy Kingdom too?

The kingdom was isolated on an island.

Even in the game, the Fairy Kingdom was usually safe.

As long as you didn't dispatch fairy warriors to the dungeon.

The kingdom and the dungeon lay in completely opposite directions, so there was no reason to divide monster forces if the goal was to destroy the dungeon.

Do fairy warriors trigger some sort of grudge mechanic?

Ian guessed.

Perhaps the moment they helped the dungeon, they became classified as part of the same dungeon faction, causing the system to cut off potential assistance.

But why now?

The Fairy Queen clasped her hands together.

[Many new fairies have been born in the kingdom! Wrapped within the tender leaves of the World Tree, sleeping peacefully... they're so adorable. You absolutely must come see them, Ian!]

Oh. That.

Ian wanted to see them too.

Unfortunately, now was not the time.

“Your Majesty. The dungeon is in danger.”

He finally got to the point.

The Fairy Queen's already enormous eyes somehow grew even larger.

[Ian is in danger?!]

That wasn't what Ian had said.

Still, the misunderstanding proved useful.

The sleeping fairies began poking their heads out from between flower petals.

[Ian?]

[Who's in danger?]

[Apparently Ian, who's going to marry me.]

[Ian is going to marry me.]

[No, me.]

The fairies squeezed themselves out of flower buds.

After stretching and fluttering their wings, they proudly announced,

[Naptime is over!]

[Did everyone hear? Ian, who saved us, is in trouble!]

[Your Majesty. We shall march to battle.]

[Leave the rescue of our benefactor to us.]

The fairy warriors who normally played trumpets during the Fairy Queen's appearances stepped forward.

Wearing full armor and helmets, they thumped their chests proudly.

[I trust all of you, but... no. I cannot allow that.]

The Fairy Queen raised her head resolutely.

[I shall go myself.]

[Your Majesty?!]

[Ian is the benefactor who saved our kingdom. He even secured our future. How could I spare my own life when he risked his for ours?]

[Waaaah! Long live the Queen!]

[Let's go save Ian!] 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The fairies flew around punching the air.

Ding!

[You have witnessed the Fairies' "Warrior Dance."]

[Warrior Dance]

The courageous dance sets your blood ablaze.

Stamina Recovery Speed: +10%

Energy Recovery Speed: +10%

Remaining Time: 02:59:59

Let's make them do that again before the battle starts.

Ian nodded in satisfaction.

[Ian. Wait for us. We'll be there soon.]

The Fairy Queen clenched her tiny fists and trembled with determination.

Ian fought desperately not to grin.

If he did, he might have to compliment Keith another five times.

“Next.”

The third bronze mirror revealed the Underwater Kingdom.

Ian immediately leaned across the table.

What is this?

The Underwater Kingdom was in ruins.

“Princess— No, Your Majesty!”

Ian called out to the Mermaid Queen.

She had been rubbing her chest anxiously behind a wooden wall, but jumped in surprise when she heard his voice.

[I-Ian? When did you arrive?!]

“I didn't. Look at the elemental in front of you.”

[An elemental?!]

The Mermaid Queen gasped.

[I've never seen that elemental before. Elementals... certainly adopt unusual postures, don't they?]

Unusual posture?

Looking closer, the elemental really was standing strangely.

It had thrust its body far forward with a tense expression.

Why?

Then Ian realized he himself was doing exactly the same thing.

He had no idea why elementals copied his posture as well.

He didn't remember them doing that in the game.

Straightening himself, he calmly asked,

“What happened?”

[The kingdom was attacked.]

The Mermaid Queen bit her lip.

[Fortunately, we drove the monsters back... but the damage was severe. Many merfolk were injured and lost their homes. If Father had been here, he would have defended us much better. I was inadequate...]

“We don't know that.”

Ian stopped her before she could dig herself into another pit of self-recrimination.

If she reverted to her old indecisive self, this conversation would become difficult.

“Your Majesty did your best. So did your people. Isn't that true?”

[Th-That's right. Of course...]

“Then what are you doing out there? You're not inside the palace.”

[I was preparing a speech to comfort my subjects.]

Ian blinked.

The Mermaid Queen had made a decision like that?

“A speech could be delivered from the palace.”

[The royal palace is unharmed, but... I don't want to tell my people, 'Come stand in front of my palace and listen to me speak.']

The Mermaid Queen had changed.

Ian felt strangely emotional.

People didn't change easily.

A single event couldn't suddenly transform a timid person into a bold one.

Even if they changed through sheer determination, most eventually drifted back to who they had been before.

Just as he himself had.

"If you're going to work like this, get the hell out, you bastard!"

"Okay. I'm leaving."

Just as Ian had once thrown his resignation letter into his supervisor's face.

Damn it.

At the time, he'd thought his supervisor's threat—

"You'll never work in this industry again."

—was complete nonsense.

To his surprise, it hadn't been.

Unable to afford spending all his time job hunting, Ian had spent his days sending resumes and his nights working part-time jobs.

But the people inside the game were different from real humans.

When they decided to change, they actually changed.

The Mermaid Queen stared directly at the elemental.

Apparently she believed Ian was looking at her through it.

[But Ian. If you're contacting me so urgently through an elemental... have monsters attacked you too?]

“Yes.”

[Oh heavens. The day Mother foretold must finally have arrived! It has to be.]

The Mermaid Queen nervously chewed on her hair.

“That day?”

Ian repeated.

I've never heard of this setting.

[Yes. Among the Underwater Kingdom... among mermaids and merfolk, each king traditionally takes as a spouse someone blessed with the gift of prophecy. My mother was also a prophet. At the age of five, she predicted that the continent would one day belong to the demons, proving her gift. Before she passed away, she left one final prophecy.]

The Mermaid Queen swallowed.

[One day, a black hand will descend to extinguish even the last hope remaining in the Middle Realm!]

Why not just say everyone's going to die except the demons?

Ian never understood why prophecies were always so vague.

Why couldn't they just say things directly?

“I see.”

[Yes! Scholars have proposed many interpretations. Some believe the "last hope" refers to our kingdom. Others believe it refers to a merfolk hero destined to defeat the monster of the grave. Others say it refers to the Vatican, the light of the continent. Some claim it means Sir Keith, the Agent of God. After you visited our kingdom, however, a new theory was added. Personally, I strongly support the latest one.]

“Ah. Really.”

Ian had absolutely no desire to hear what that theory was.

[Of course. The "last hope" must be you, Ian!]

The Mermaid Queen's eyes sparkled.

[I have not forgotten the lesson you gave me. You brought courage and hope to both me and my people before departing. And now danger has come not only to us, but to you as well...]

[Your Majesty. You must come out now.]

A merfolk chamberlain whispered.

[Ah, right. I'll be there in a moment. Ian, I have to go. ...Don't worry. This time, we'll be the ones helping you.]

Ian tried to stop her.

But she disappeared before he could even explain why he had contacted her.

Wait.

Why wasn't she listening to the important part?

Then the Mermaid Queen stepped onto a platform and spoke.

[My people! We have endured a great crisis and overcome it. Let us observe a moment of silence for the brave warriors who sacrificed themselves to protect us.]

The trembling woman from moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

The merfolk solemnly closed their eyes.

[But our trial is not over. Ian, the one who saved us, now requires our aid.]

“...!”

[My people, let us protect Ian!]

[Ian! Ian!]

[Long live Her Majesty!]

That worked?

Ian stared in disbelief.

There hadn't been a single persuasive argument in that speech.

Then the Mermaid Queen added,

[And there are warm houses there.]

[WAAAAAH!]

[Warm houses!]

[Warm soup!]

“......”