BSGE 85

“T-That couldn’t be…”

A droplet of sweat trickled down his neck as Count Zealot stammered his response.

‘How absurd, to be unnerved by a mere little girl.’

Ashamed of being momentarily overwhelmed, Count Zealot plastered his characteristic benevolent smile across his face.

“I was merely seeking His Grace’s approval for trade negotiations regarding tax-challenged regions,” he explained, deliberately using complex terminology that a child would struggle to comprehend.

“Hmm.”

Just as he expected—or so he thought. The young lady’s bright eyes turned to the map and… wait, what?

‘Surely she can’t read maps at her age?’

Count Zealot found himself tensing involuntarily as he watched the young lady examine the precisely marked locations.

“You’re trying to sell this area?”

“…Indeed. As it’s a region without any value, now seems the optimal time to sell, given the rare appearance of a buyer.”

“Why do you think a buyer appeared?”

“Pardon?”

While Count Zealot faltered at her pointed question, Beatty continued.

“If it truly has no value, why would anyone want to buy it?”

Meeting those sharp, intelligent black eyes, Count Zealot felt as though she could see right through him.

‘Impossible…! My plans couldn’t have been exposed. She must have just read about fairy stones in some children’s book.’

There was no way anyone could have seriously considered this previously overlooked mineral, especially not now.

Shaking off his ominous premonition, Count Zealot donned his mask of rationality once more.

“Well, you see, researchers are often eccentric folk who do things ordinary people can’t comprehend.”

He glanced at those who had previously agreed with him, seeking validation.

“If there was anything of value there, wouldn’t it have been discovered by now? We’ve conducted several surveys over the decades of holding the region.”

“That’s true… Nothing has ever been found there.”

“Still, as the young lady says, isn’t it strange that someone wants to buy land that supposedly has nothing?”

“Maybe it’s just a scholar’s peculiar fascination.”

“But would anyone pay that much money just for curiosity’s sake?”

The retainers wore uncertain expressions.

Tip-tap.

Beatty’s small feet carried her along the length of the lengthy office desk to the pile of books she had brought. She opened them to previously marked sections, displaying them for everyone to see.

“Here, I’ve found information about the effects of fairy stones.”

“It can completely transform soil quality…”

“My word, it guarantees exceptional growth for any challenging plant?”

Voices of amazement rose at the effects that seemed possible only through fairy blessings.

“With this, we could transform all our territory’s soil into fertile land, couldn’t we?”

“Young lady…! You researched this for our territory’s people!”

“How deeply she must have worried about our farming troubles, as if they were her own!”

The retainers were moved by the young lady’s thoughtful concern for the territory’s residents.

While some of the more sensitive individuals were wiping away tears, the aide who had first recognized the fairy stones wore a hesitant expression.

“However…”

Unable to bear disappointing the kind young lady, and knowing his life would be in danger if he caused any sadness to cross her face, the aide kept his remaining thoughts to himself.

‘Fairy stones are practically a lost mineral, their very existence now uncertain. Even if their effects are remarkable, could we really find something that hasn’t been discovered in hundreds of years?’

As if reading the aide’s mind, the young lady addressed the matter of the fairy stones’ location.

“Finding where they are would be the real challenge, wouldn’t it?”

Seeing all eyes turn to her questioningly, Beatty nodded.

‘Actually, that was the real problem. That braggart Ritter never mentioned any specific locations in his boasting. But…’

She had planned to first inform everyone about the fairy stones’ benefits, then investigate the suspicious conversations between Ritter and Count Zealot to discover the location.

‘I never expected him to deliver it right to my doorstep.’

Beatty grinned as she looked at the map Count Zealot had laid before her.

She noticed Count Zealot, who had been wearing a sour expression, belatedly forcing a smile as he became aware of her gaze.

‘They probably never dreamed their scheme would be exposed. Lucky for me.’

Imagining Ritter’s crumpled expression when he realized he’d lost the fairy stones he’d been scheming to acquire, Beatty spoke up.

“But coincidentally, we have someone trying to buy this supposedly worthless land.”

“That’s…”

“Why don’t we investigate it again?”

“Is-Is that really necessary, my lady? Wouldn’t it be a waste of your precious time…?”

“You never know.”

Beatty curved her lips into a smile, cutting off Count Zealot’s attempts to divert attention from the land he had been so eager to sell.

“Those fairy stones we haven’t found yet might be there, in that supposedly useless land.”

Her chubby cheeks lifted in a confident smile.

*

Swoosh.

Before a waterfall in a valley, its rushing waters echoing through the air.

The usually deserted valley, hidden deep in the dense mountains, was now teeming with unexpected visitors.

“Little one, are your legs not tired?”

“No, I’m fine, Papa!”

Delighted to hear the word ‘papa’ again today, the Duke watched as Beatty dismounted from her gifted Alipe horse with his help. She looked around the area.

“So this is a waterfall…”

It was her first time seeing such a massive cascade of water falling from heights.

The sound of water crashing against the surface was almost intimidating.

“Yes. This is the only waterfall in this region.”

“I see.”

The Duke nodded at his child’s observation, having decided to explore the area at her request.

‘Then this must be the place!’

Beatty nodded along with her father, pleased with her deduction.

‘He definitely mentioned a cave behind a waterfall.’

Though Ritter hadn’t named the location specifically, his story had included how he obtained the fairy stones.

He had sneered at the rumors circulating about him meeting fairies, and revealed the true story.

‘The Fairy Stone Guardian must be in there…!’

While Beatty gulped at the thought of confronting the fierce gatekeeper ahead, the knights also swallowed nervously.

“We’re… going in there?”

“Y-Yeah. What, are you scared?”

“What? M-Me, scared? I who survived crossing swords with ten Imperial soldiers?”

The terrified knights put up brave fronts for each other.

‘Good heavens! We used to cross puddles carefully, but now we’re diving into a waterfall. Mother…!’

Those who boasted the loudest about nothing being able to frighten them were typically the most anxious inside.

The proud Golden Lion Knights of House Aslan.

While renowned as the Lion Knights whose name alone made Aslan’s enemies tremble, famous for their ability to charge into battle lines alone and unmatched in mounted combat…

‘I hate water!’

There was just one thing they despised: aquatic warfare.

Of course, they weren’t talking about actual naval battles, one would need to cross the entire kingdom southward just to see the adjacent sea.

‘Last time with those dark clouds was truly terrifying. We were lucky the rain came after the battle ended.’

They called fighting in the rain “aquatic warfare,” and what the lion knights hated most was rain before battle.

Rain-soaked ground turns to mud. This prevents proper cavalry charges, causes heavy magic cannons to sink into the ground, and makes post-battle cleanup incredibly troublesome, a perfect storm of everything knights despised.

‘Even rain makes the ground muddy… with that much water…?’

A knight shuddered as he imagined fighting on ground drenched by that waterfall.

‘I hate it so much!’

While some comrades were backing away in disgust, other knights bravely approached the boats launched in the valley.

“Phew.”

“Hey, are you really getting on that? It’s not a horse, looks like it could flip any moment.”

“I’m getting on. Because I…”

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, the knight turned to his fidgeting companion with a resolute expression.

“I will protect the young lady’s innocence!”

“You…”

Embarrassed by his companion’s moved response, the knight wiped his nose and thought to himself.

‘If the young lady believes in fairies, it’s a knight’s duty to help her keep believing!’

For that cause, he could endure plunging into those terrifying waters.

‘It seems the young lady believes there’s a door to the fairy realm behind that waterfall…’

Like those fairytales about dwarven treasures hidden at the end of rainbows, some fanciful author must have sparked children’s imaginations with strange stories.

But for the young lady’s sake, he would make that fantasy real!

The knight firmly resolved that even if they found nothing but cliff face behind the waterfall, he would tell a white lie about glimpsing the fairy realm’s door, though the rushing waters prevented them from opening it.

“Alright, are you all prepared?”

“Yes, Captain! We’re resolved!”

“Good. Even if the boats capsize, we’ve arranged rescue equipment and recruited good swimmers from the southern territory.”

The captain looked over his volunteer squad, united in their mission to protect the young lady’s dreams, and declared resolutely:

“Let’s go! To the fairy realm!”

“To the fairy realm!”

With their battle cry meant for one listener alone, their young lady, the determined squad boarded their boats.