Chapter 36
“A Black Fairy? Are you saying these star fragments are made from Black Fairies?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but it’s highly likely. Noah’s blood only reacts to fairies, and Light Fairies don’t turn to powder like this. To begin with, these star fragments can’t be created by humans. They’re not minerals, and they don’t follow any physical laws.”
Regina responded in disbelief to this explanation.
“That’s impossible. I heard these star fragments were distributed throughout the capital. Then how many Black Fairies…”
Were killed? A chill ran down her spine. As Regina trailed off, goosebumps rising all over her body, Noah shook his head.
“No, fairies aren’t that abundant to begin with. It’s hard to believe they killed as many fairies as there are star fragments in the capital.”
“Yes, Mr. Noah is correct. Killing a Black Fairy itself is a challenging task, so hunting this many fairies is practically impossible. Even if it were possible, processing each one individually would be extremely inefficient.”
“Then how were these star fragments created?”
“The answer is simple. If it’s impossible to capture many small ones, you just need to cut up the largest chunk.”
“Exactly! So you thought the same, Noah. I agree.”
Maverick nodded vigorously, agreeing with Noah’s words. Regina was the only one who couldn’t follow the flow of the conversation.
“What are you both talking about? So, are these star fragments made from Black Fairies or not?”
Noah answered Regina’s frustrated question briefly.
“The Black Fairy with the most enormous power. Don’t you get it?”
“…!”
Regina’s face filled with shock as she belatedly realized. Noah continued, looking at her.
“Yes, the star fragments are made from the Fairy King.”
Noah recalled the large tank that occupied most of Ezra’s laboratory. The deep water with no visible bottom, and the bubbles that occasionally rose from the glowing blue liquid. Something he had sensed existing in there but couldn’t identify.
Just as small Black Fairies were kept alive in cylindrical glass containers, what was in that enormous tank was probably the Black Fairy King. Of course, this was just speculation, but Noah thought this answer was close to the truth. All the given clues pointed in one direction.
“As I thought, the Royal Institute secured the Black Fairy King, extracted these Black Star Fragments, and is using them to create various technologies and machines! I had been wondering about the abnormal technological advancements, but to think this was the background… it’s astonishing!”
Maverick nodded, seemingly understanding everything now.
“I-I can’t believe it.”
“Miss Regina, as I just said, only fairies react to Noah’s blood. It’s because he’s a half-fairy…”
Maverick explained again, as if addressing a student lacking in understanding. Noah then took a step towards Regina.
“It’ll be faster if you see it directly. Hold out your palm.”
As Noah spread his hand, Regina followed his instruction with a puzzled expression.
Noah approached Maverick, took the beaker from him, and poured all the powder onto Regina’s outstretched palm.
“Ah!”
She was startled by the sudden shower of black powder, but fortunately, she didn’t pull her hand away or shake it off.
-Whoosh!
The powder that had briefly existed on Regina’s hand soon dispersed lightly into the air and was instantly absorbed into her.
A faint breeze blew, gently ruffling Regina’s hair. As she inhaled sharply, Regina looked up at Noah with round eyes, having absorbed a tiny amount of power.
Noah smirked at this.
“Now it’s certain.”
Something that reacts to Noah’s blood and is absorbed by Regina. It was undoubtedly a Black Fairy.
“Maverick, so what’s the connection between these star fragments being Black Fairies and my weapons? Just give me the bullets and pistol first. We really need to go now.”
“That’s not the issue, what just…? How could she absorb that? Noah, what Regina just absorbed…”
“Enough, we don’t have time now. I’ll explain later.”
Maverick pointed at Regina in astonishment and turned to Noah. But Noah shook his head. He meant he couldn’t tell him now. After a moment of internal conflict at this firm refusal, Maverick brushed off his curiosity.
“Alright, Noah. Since you’re in a hurry, I’ll explain while I pack. What I discovered is that these star fragments not only react to your blood but also amplify explosive power.”
“Amplify?”
“Yes, you’ll notice the difference immediately if you fire with regular bullets. For now, I’ve made this revolving chamber with Black Star Fragments. I actually wanted to make the entire pistol from star fragments, but it’s still in the experimental stage, so nothing’s complete yet.”
The pistol he handed over had only its chamber in pitch-black color. When Noah ran his finger over the surface, it felt cold and smooth, just like the Black Star Fragments.
“I’ll pack a few more similar to the pistol I gave you before. And ammunition made with the blood you gave me last time. If possible, could you visit me again within a month? I’ll show you something more complete by then.”
“Sure.”
Noah handed over a pouch of silver coins as usual and received Maverick’s weapons.
“See you next time, Mr. Maverick.”
“Yes, Miss Regina.”
Regina, who had been looking down at her palms, feeling the absorbed power, hurriedly followed Noah out of the laboratory, bidding farewell to Maverick.
“And, I hope we can have a more detailed conversation next time.”
Regina, who had been running up the stairs, stopped and turned at Maverick’s words. She thought he might be talking to her, but Maverick’s gaze from the bottom of the stairs was directed at Noah.
“Sure, next time.”
As Regina turned her head back towards Noah, he gave a brief reply and strode upstairs. When Regina looked back at Maverick, this time he smiled at her. Regina lightly bowed her head at his smile and hurried her steps to follow Noah, who was already leaving the mansion.
“The emergence of the Fairy King and a Black Fairy of unknown identity…”
This phenomenon must surely be related to the Black Fairies that have suddenly started appearing everywhere recently.
Maverick stared at the beaker on the desk with eyes deep in thought. He gazed for a long time at the now empty container that had held the black powder.
* * *
“…Sigh.”
Walking towards the train station, Noah finally stopped after hearing the third sigh. Turning around, he saw Regina following him with her head down, not even making eye contact. She belatedly realized Noah had stopped and halted as well. Noah walked back to her, who was standing about ten paces away.
“…What?”
“The pocket watch. Give it back.”
Regina took the watch out of her skirt pocket and handed it over with a thud to Noah, who was standing in front of her with his hand outstretched. Noah silently received it and was about to turn back when he noticed her reddened eyes and hesitated.
“…Still, I saved you, Mr. Noah.”
“What?”
Just then, as Regina spoke, he couldn’t help but ask back.
“If it weren’t for me, you might have died, but you don’t even say thank you…”
Noah replied incredulously to Regina’s sulky words.
“…Who asked you to save me?”
Why did you come back instead of just running away, he thought, clicking his tongue lightly. Regina looked at him with a shocked face, having heard a completely unexpected answer.
“What? How can you say that? That’s too much!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Regina’s transparent purple eyes instantly filled with tears. She looked straight up at Noah, speaking as if pouring out all the resentment she had been holding back.
“I wanted to run away too! But I came back because I thought you would die if I left you there! So you could at least say thank you!”
“Then why…”
Before he could finish saying ‘did you come back,’ Regina cut him off, tears falling. Noah, who had opened his mouth, was at a loss for words at the sight.
“Do you know how hard this is for me? I wake up suddenly and I’m told I’m not human, strange monsters keep appearing. The only person I’m with keeps threatening to kill me at the drop of a hat!”
“When did I threaten…”
“You did! Always, as if you’d kill me anytime!”
She seemed to become even more upset as she spoke, now sobbing with her shoulders heaving. Noah swallowed dryly watching her. He was also taken aback by her sudden outburst after staying quiet all this time.
“Sob, hic! I didn’t do anything wrong…”
“…”
“You keep scaring me, saying you’ll get rid of me.”
“…Next time.”
“What?”
When Noah suddenly spoke, Regina, who hadn’t heard him through her crying, swallowed her sobs and asked again.
“Next time, just go.”
What did he just say? Regina, who had been wiping her falling tears with the back of her hand, looked up at him in surprise. However, Noah, who had actually spoken the words, was even more startled. He hadn’t intended to say that. He had just meant to tell her to stop crying because they needed to leave soon.
“…If I’m injured and lose consciousness like this time, just run away.”
But his mouth was speaking on its own.
Regina, looking up at Noah with a slightly dazed expression, alternately wiped her still-falling tears with the back of her hand and her palm before asking again.
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
“What about the pocket watch? You can use it to chase me, can’t you?”
“…”
Noah silently took out the pocket watch from his pocket. Then he opened it and placed his hand on the hour hand. With a slight pain, a drop of blood flowed from Noah’s index finger and was absorbed into the pocket watch.
Regina watched with round eyes as the pocket watch emitted a faint blue light.
“Now the watch will find me, not you. Because I’ve fed it my blood again.”
Noah looked at her as if to ask if that was enough. However, Regina remained silent, her lips tightly closed. Seeing that she had stopped crying, Noah shrugged and started walking.
“…Next time, I won’t save you. I’ll definitely run away.”
Regina said, following alongside him, as if making a threat. Noah was about to say that he wasn’t sure if there would be a next time, but he ended up smirking at Regina, who was trying her best to look intimidating.
“…Alright.”
“I mean it! I’ll really leave you behind and run away, you understand?”
“I got it.”
Regina’s desperate words were almost pitiful. It was ambiguous whether she was saying this to Noah or making a promise to herself. Noah inwardly shook his head, wondering if this is what happens when someone is raised too gently.
The shackles binding Regina had disappeared. She could run away anytime, and Noah knew this but removed the shackles with his own hands. Just this fact made Regina feel lighter in a corner of her heart. Even though nothing had actually been resolved, she could smile again.
“I’ll really run away!”
“…”
Suddenly, Noah felt that the way to the train station was unusually long. So much so that he felt the urge to truly run away from Regina, who kept insisting she would run away as she walked alongside him.
