Look At Yourself

By himself, Uncle Fern brought the child to an open area where she sat on a prepared and polished stump as a seat for an individual, private talk before she spoke to her Uncle hesitantly, "Uncle Fern, have those guys done anything else that could possibly have or already have harmed the fairies in this area? My father was ready to send someone from the royal guards over when he noticed you have not kept him updated for the last two years. Had the situation at home have not been so urgent, he would've sent a squad over to check on the well being of everyone here."

Uncle Fern sighed, "Those people in black were so mysterious and powerful. I had wanted to send someone to bring your father a letter or back up. However, once I saw that they subdued a blot phantom, I feared for the safety of our fairies and didn't dare to send even one of them out, much less leave them unattended. We do not have many guards in the forests and lakes, so we were not prepared for their arrival when they came. Had somethings happened in the capital next to the borders of Briar Valley?"

Lotus nodded with a grimace, "Not long after you and Aunt Ripple left, those people came to the outskirts of Briar Valley and harmed the civilians of that kingdom. Apparently, they were looking for me and wanted my life ever since I was an infant."

She quickly explained what happened in the past and how it had led to the people coming to this world. Uncle Fern grew both pale and red upon hearing her words but quickly became worried not long after as she continued, "After that injury, I have stayed in Night Raven College as a male student. Everything was calm and quite interesting. I also tried really hard to relax with the books in the library until the string of overblots have been occuring and Brother Yuu and Grim, whom I told you about, showed up. The Shroud family's eldest son has finally regained his clarity and the youngest's soul will awaken in a decade. With this, there won't be another problem with the gates to the Underworld for a long time. However, when the gala began, I discovered that those assassins have turned to the taboo ways that I've told you about and they've taken mother's mental and phyiscal health hostage with a curse. I can free my mom from the curse, but all of these events have drained me from most of my mana. I'm afraid if I attempt to do this, I may lose my life before I can free mom."

"They've taken things too far!" Uncle Fern roared angrily, "Can they even be considered a living being?! And I thought our condition was terrible."

After changing into a tall human adult size, he took a deep breath and sat back down on the stump table, "It was a lucky coincidence that you came here when you did. After the village recovers, Chieftain Ripple and I will head straight for the castle! If they are willing to harm even a feeble newborn with such cruelty, who knows what they'll do for the other races as well. Forget fairies, dark faes and humans. People like them will treat all the races cruelly with far more fairness than all the races combined can! This world will fall into chaos just as they wanted!"

"Thank you, Uncle." Peony wore a dry smile, "Is everyone in the village unharmed?"

"They are." Uncle Fern responded with a sigh of relief, "I was fortunate to have followed my instinct and stayed with my people two years ago. Otherwise, I would've returned to an empty village by the time Chieftain Ripple and I returned. Luckily, she also felt the same omnious feeling that I had and told me that she wishes to stay behind for a few more days. Since the discovery, the two villages have managed to survive from our exchange of resources thus far."

Uncle Fern's village has skilled doctors and harvesters while Aunt Ripple's village underwater has clear waters and powerful warriors. During the spat back then, it was her father who suggested for them to trade their knowledge and resources to sustain the plants and cure the people. Since then, they agreed to work together and combat any problems they faced together. Luckily, this was what helped save them from this catastrophe this time.

"But, where are you going to gather so much mana? And, just how much is required to help the queen?" Uncle looked to her with a frown, "Girl, even if it would save the queen, you should hold off giving up your life. Do you know how much you mean to everyone? How much you mean to us and your mother? Even if she lives, I fear she would fall into a deep depression if she loses you, especially if she learned that you gave up your life for her. Nobody wants to bury their own child. Blood related or not. None of us will recover mentally."

"I thought the same." Peony gave a dry smile, "However, mother's condition is not getting any better. Had she not been eating the spiritual fruits with father for a long time, I fear she would've already lost her mind under the curse and my father and I absolutely can't bare to see mother not being herself."

"Tell me that you have another idea to save her without risking your life." Uncle Fern said nervously.

"There is." Lotus responded, "To be honest, Uncle. I can't say it doesn't have its risks still, but the chances I survive the process is much higher than the one that practically gives my life."

"What is it?" Uncle Fern questioned curiously and eagerly.

"Aside from father, you and Aunt will be the only ones that knows this, Uncle." She clarified solemnly, "You must've heard that the crown prince of Briar Valley is attending the school that mother and I are currently at. I've just discovered that he recently attained so much mana that he worries he would not be able to attend the gala without disturbing the guests with his magic first before getting the chance to interact with them. After evaluating his mana, I found that he has twice as much mana than he used to have. With father's hard to obtain permission for this, I've requested the Queen of Briar Valley and the prince to allow us to use that mana to save mother. Now, before you point out that mana from a dark fae is very likely to affect mother who is a light fae. I have learned that my mother in my birthworld is a direct descendants of a race akin to dark fae and my father is descendants of a race with powerful mana akin to that of mana. With my body and soul, I can purify the mana used by dark fae and revert them back into its purfied state. In that state, I can use it to break the curse and rescue mother from the backlash from forcefully breaking it. In exchange, I will create an artifact that can mask the remainder of his mana to pure mana so he can attend the gala without disturbing the guests more than he would've normally."

"Child..." The uncle frowned rather upset.

"Um, perhaps you're not too happy that we're asking a dark fae-"

"Please don't tell me you have anything akin to a crush on that child!"

"Wha-?!"

"I absolutely refuse to accept such a relationship between the two of you!" He stated stubbornly before Lotus could say another word.

"Wait! Uncle, it's not like that! Malleus and-"

"MALLEUS?! You're even mentioning him so informally?!"

"Uncle... Oh no..."

Oh god... Someone save her uncle before he says something stupid!

"Any man who dares to approach you must first get past me and your aunt-! Gah!"

He was suddenly cut off when a splash of water rained down over him.

"Get. Past. Who. Now..."

Hearing the cold tone of a feminine voice, a shudder ran down their spine as Lotus glanced over to a blue aquatic figure with beautifully transparent and glittering wings flying into the clearing. As her uncle grumbled with a frown, Lotus's eyes lit up as she smiled wide, "Aunt Ripple!"

Seeing the figure turn into an adult woman size, Lotus was ready to jump up when Ripple glared at her with a disatisfied frown and scolded, "Princess, no matter where you go, as long as you are before others, you are required to display appropriate etiquette before others. Perhaps, I should notify the queen that the princess may require a review of proper etiquette with her tutor again."

"Y-yes, Chieftain Ripple..." Lotus responded as formally as she could.

As Ripple got a fairy to speedily deliver their cheiftain a spare change of clothes to magically change into, she turned to the man, "As a fellow chieftain, I expected you to be as calm and patient are you were before. Look at you acting so out of character before the princess. You did not even give her the time to explain herself."