“In accordance with the rules, she should be eradicated, but the king felt sorry for her as she had become like that while cherishing a child. By continuously embracing her, the debt piled up, resulting in her transforming into an animal form.”

“Then how can the king reveal her true form?”

“At least for a hundred years, she won’t be able to return.”

Darn it. If the Fairy King was in this state, I couldn’t undo the magic. Despite coming all the way here, it turned out to be fruitless. I heard Cahilern making a low sound with his tongue beside me.

I turned my head while stroking the cat.

“Then, could you tell us what the origin of the fairy is?”
As if asking why I would be curious, I revealed everything I knew to Rain and Jane, who looked at me with expressions suggesting such curiosity. Rain narrowed her forehead, as if not understanding.

“Shanna wasn’t a child with ambitions for power… Moreover, she was weary of immortal life.”

Jane, who had her fists clenched in thought, exclaimed, “Ah,” with a sigh.

“Could it be that you’re thinking of reviving Rin?”

“Ah!”

At Jane’s words, Rain also sighed softly. I waited for them to tell the story, wondering what it was about.

“If it’s the former queen of the Helic Kingdom, she was the noblest and most powerful among our family. If she were here, the Fairy King would surely…”

While Rain was continuing her words, she suddenly made eye contact with the cat and cleared her throat with a cough. I patted the cat’s backside firmly, gazing intently at Rain. In response, the cat, which had turned its eyes away, stretched itself as if yawning.

With a resigned expression, Rain continued speaking.

“A fairy who takes her own life leaves behind a source. If it’s the source of the former queen, even a dead fairy can be revived.”

I thought that Shanna had attached herself to Floria’s side and entered the royal palace to regain the power she lost after being expelled from the fairy realm. However, it seemed that what she desired was for her cherished friend to come back to life so that she could seek revenge.

I felt sorry for Shanna, but my heart became a bit heavy.

“So, to revive a dead fairy, you only need the source of the former queen?”

Cahilern, who had been silently listening until now, asked, and Rain nodded her head, with Jane answering in her place.

“No, you also need Rin’s source. And we have been keeping Rin’s source.”

“If you were planning to strengthen the king with the source of the former queen and then come to find it…”

When Cahilern questioned, Rain raised her head, and Jane answered in her place.

“No, we need Rin’s source as well. And Rin’s source is with us.”

“Shanna must have planned to come back later after strengthening her power with the source of the former queen.”

At Jane’s words, Cahilern, who had been deep in thought, straightened his back.

“Hand over the source of that Rin.”

I couldn’t help but hit Cahilern’s thigh as if handing over an entrusted item. Soon, Cahilern looked down at me, raising his eyebrows. It was an expression that clearly indicated he didn’t know what he had done wrong.

The fairy folk and even the fairies themselves seemed dumbfounded, unable to utter a word. I felt embarrassed for no reason and cleared my throat with a cough.

“Later, can you protect it from that fairy who has the source of the former queen?”

“How do you view us…”

At that moment, the cat, or rather, the Fairy King, which had been quietly enjoying being petted, jumped off my lap. Then, with an elegant stride, it walked toward the fairies.

Rain and Jane, who met eyes with the Fairy King, turned their gaze toward us.

“Understood. Let’s hand over Rin’s source. Since Shanna was our family, it’s only natural for us to help, considering the harm she caused us.

“Communication seems possible.”

Cahilern nodded satisfactorily with a pleased expression.

“But that cat…”
I lightly poked Cahilern’s thigh. Cahilern looked down at me and spoke.

“It seems like there’s communication with the Fairy King. Is there no other way to undo my wife’s magic?”

“If the king can’t undo it, eventually only the one who cast the magic can dispel it.”

I had a faint hope, but it turned out as expected. However, there was a significant potential gain. If we had Rin’s source in our hands, we could use it to negotiate directly with Shanna.

Smiling at the thought of being alive, I lifted my head, and Cahilern, who was looking at me, made eye contact. He gently winked. Grateful for bringing me this far, I reached out to hold his hand, and he reciprocated.

At that moment, the cat that had gone to the fairies returned and, slipping between Cahilern and me, settled down. Cahilern shot a glance, and the cat looked up at him, swishing its tail.