[System notification: You have received a special coin (5/5). The quest "Let's Play Hide and Seek" has been completed.]
The system flashed a new message, and a sense of relief filled my chest.
—Finally!
Fritte immediately jumped off my shoulder, flew towards the coin, carefully picked it up, and, holding it tightly to his chest, burst into tears... but these were tears of happiness.
—You... you did it! You've brought everything back! I never dreamed that someone would help me in this damn city.
I held out my hand, and the fairy carefully poured all five coins into it. They shimmered with a soft blue light, like little drops of stars. But then he abruptly snatched them back, laughed, and shook the tiny pouch.
—I'm sorry, I just need to make sure they're with me. Now... now I'm not lost.
He took a deep breath, then extended his wooden wand.
—For saving me and returning what was stolen, I will give you a chance that mortals do not have.
Fritte waved his wand three times, and the air ahead of us shimmered. The brick wall of the old alley seemed to come to life, revealing green patterns of intertwined vines and buds. In the center, a door appeared, opening outward and exuding the cool breath of a spring garden.
The scent of flowers filled my face, sweet and thick, unlike the musty air of Iakreumor. Beyond the door, you could see the crowns of strange trees covered in lights, and the distant voices of fairies, like the whisper of the wind.
[System notification: You have received a new unique offer.]
[Unique Offer: Audience with the Queen of Fairies and Flowers]
Recommended Level: ???
Reward: ???
Description: The Queen of Fairies is ready to receive you. This is an honor that only happens once in a few hundred players.
—Come with me. You have earned the right to meet my mother, the Queen of Fairies.
Without hesitation, I stepped through the emerald door. Instantly, my body was enveloped in moonlight, as if I had passed through a waterfall of shining petals.
The door disappeared behind him, giving way to a new space that was light and transparent, as if it had been created from dreams.
It was a portal to the Fairy Kingdom. Blue light poured down from above, the air was filled with the scent of flowers, and a path of soft grass led to a city where the walls were made of vines and living plants.
But the beauty of the world couldn't overpower the simple human weakness of hunger. After a long search for coins and a difficult battle with the Veil's Thief, my knees were trembling.
—Fritte... Is there a place where I can rest? A guest room?
The fairy flared with joy, spinning around. His voice rang out like a silver bell:
Of course! You are a guest of honor! You are the conqueror of demons and the guardian of treasures. You deserve rest and care.
He waved his wand three times, and a small portal to the Kingdom's chambers opened up in the shape of a portal. It was a spacious, cozy, and fresh-smelling dwelling.
I barely contained a smile, but my exhaustion prevailed.
— Thank you... I said, turning off the game, and the world disappeared. I found myself in reality: my room, where I had moved my brother's gaming machine and the soft light of the monitor.
I quickly ate my meal, finally feeling truly full, and almost immediately returned to the game.
The golden glow of the portal flared before my eyes once again, and my body seemed to dissolve into the shimmering air.
This time, the first thing I saw was a tiny figure hovering directly above my face. Small, transparent wings glimmered with light, leaving a trail of sparks in their wake.
It was Fritte, he was waiting for my return, and when he noticed me opening eyes, he was filled with joy.
—You're here again! I thought your sleep would last a long time!
Fritte, beaming with joy, couldn't contain his emotions. His small wings trembled, leaving trails of light as he spoke:
—You have no idea what's going on in the Fairy Kingdom! Everyone is talking about you!
I frowned slightly, not understanding what he was referring to.
—What are you talking about?
—Word has spread like wildfire. Everyone knows that you helped me recover the stolen coins. But this is just the beginning! The fairies whisper that you are the hero who challenged the Legendary Metal Barnadat!
At the mention of Barnadate's name, a chill ran down my spine. I didn't need to be told how legendary this adversary was, as I could see Fritte's own excitement shining through.
—Do you understand? It's like the predictions of the four Fates! They always said that a man would appear who resembled the hero of their ancient prophecies. And you... you're like the embodiment of those words!"/
I looked down at my hand, automatically touching the place where the strange mark left by Barnadat was hidden. Fritte suddenly became serious and lowered his voice, as if he was afraid of being overheard.
—While you were sleeping, one of the Fates came to your room. Can you imagine? A real one! Her footsteps were as quiet as the whisper of the wind, and her eyes glowed so brightly that I was afraid to breathe... She approached you and saw the mark... and... she almost fainted!
He paused, hovering in front of my face, as if waiting for my reaction. I clenched my fists to conceal my trembling. My heart sank as I realized that my accidental encounter with Barnadat was not an accident, but a game hook.
—This is a sign! You're not just an Explorer. You're a chosen one!
Fritte, hovering near her shoulder, slowly clasped his tiny hands together and said almost solemnly:
—Disava... the mark that remains on your arm after your encounter with Barnadat is fateful. It is not just a sign of pain or a memory of battle. It is a symbol that will not be touched by chance. My mother... or rather, the Queen of the Fairies... has heard about you and wishes to meet you. That is why I have been waiting for you to wake up so that I can take you to her.
The fairy's words sounded too serious for a "simple" game NPC. I felt an invisible weight pressing down on me as she spoke.
The Queen of Fairies? An audience? flashed through his mind. It's like a high-level story quest. But what if it's deeper than it seems?
Or maybe... it's a hidden trigger. The system is designed in such a way that when you trigger a specific element, everything around you starts to change.
Perhaps it was the battle with Barnadat and the unique offer with the coins that "unlocked" him in a different way. In this world, everything is tied to a sequence of events. If you move one thing, everything else falls into place like gears.
I looked at Fritte more closely. Just a short while ago, he had seemed like an ordinary game character to me: cute, timid, and predictable. But now he was speaking to me directly, like a living companion.
Was this the effect of the trigger? I wondered, feeling a slight chill in my chest. Or was the game itself changing in response to my choices? Fritte gently touched my shoulder, as if to encourage me:
—Let's go. My mother is waiting.