WTBFCY Chapter 36

"Black fairies? So these star fragments are made from black fairies?"

"I don't know all the details, but it's highly likely. Noah's blood only reacts to fairies, and light fairies don't disintegrate into powder like this. These star fragments aren't something humans can create in the first place. They're not minerals, and they don't follow any physical laws."

Regina asked incredulously at those words.

"That's impossible. I heard these star fragments were distributed throughout the entire capital. Then how many black fairies would have to..."

Died. A chill ran down her spine. Goosebumps rose all over her body, and she couldn't finish her sentence. Noah shook his head at Regina, who stood unable to complete her words.

"No, fairies aren't numerous enough for that to begin with. It's hard to imagine they killed enough fairies to match the number of star fragments flooding the capital."

"Yes, Noah's right. Killing black fairies is difficult enough—hunting this many fairies is realistically impossible. Even if it were possible, processing them individually would be extremely inefficient."

"Then how were the star fragments made?"

"The answer's simple. If you can't capture small things one by one, you carve up the biggest mass."

"I knew it! You thought so too, Noah. Same here."

Maverick nodded vigorously at Noah's words, his agreement enthusiastic. Regina was the only one who couldn't follow the conversation's thread.

"What are you both talking about? So are these star fragments made from black fairies or not?"

To her frustrated question, Noah answered briefly.

"The black faerie with the greatest power. You don't understand?"

"...!"

Regina's face filled with shock as understanding came late. Noah continued, watching her.

"Right. The star fragments are made from the Faerie King."

Noah recalled the wide water tank that occupied most of Ezra's laboratory. The deep water with no visible bottom and the bubbles that occasionally rose from that glowing blue water. Something he'd sensed existed within but couldn't identify.

Just as small black fairies were contained alive in cylindrical glass, what had been in that enormous tank was probably the black Faerie King. Of course this was speculation, but Noah believed this answer was close to the truth. All the given clues pointed in one direction.

"I see—the Royal Research Institute secured the black Faerie King to harvest black star fragments and use them to create various technologies and machines! I've been wondering about the abnormal technological advancement, but to think there was this background. Remarkable."

Maverick nodded as if it all made sense now.

"I can't believe it."

"Miss Regina, as I just said, the only thing that reacts to Noah's blood is fairies. Because he's a half-blood faerie..."

Maverick explained again as if addressing a student with poor comprehension. Then Noah beside him took a step toward Regina.

"Seeing it directly would be faster. Hold out your palm."

When Noah extended his hand and spoke, she made a puzzled expression but obediently followed his words.

Noah approached Maverick, received a beaker, and poured all the powder inside onto Regina's outstretched palm.

"Ah!"

She startled at the suddenly poured black powder, but fortunately didn't pull her hand away or brush it off.

Fwaaah!

What existed as powder on Regina's hand for a moment soon scattered lightly into the air, then soaked into her in an instant.

A faint wind blew, scattering Regina's hair lightly. In the breath she drew in—whoosh—Regina absorbed a very small amount of power and looked up at him with round eyes.

Noah smiled faintly at that.

"Now it's certain."

Something that reacted to Noah's blood and was absorbed by Regina. It was definitely a black faerie.

"Maverick, so what does this star fragment being a black faerie have to do with my weapons? First give me the bullets and pistol. I really need to go now."

"That's not the issue—what just...? How can she absorb this? Noah, what Regina just absorbed..."

"Stop. There's no time now. I'll explain next time."

Maverick couldn't hide his surprise as he pointed at Regina with his hand and turned to look at Noah. But Noah shook his head. The meaning was he couldn't tell him now. After briefly struggling with that firm refusal, Maverick soon set aside his curiosity.

"Right, Noah. You're busy, so I'll explain while packing. What I discovered is that these star fragments not only react to your blood but amplify explosive force."

"Amplify?"

"Yes, if you fire it with ordinary bullets, you'll notice the difference immediately. First, I made this revolving chamber from black star fragments. I actually wanted to make the entire pistol from star fragments, but it's still in the experimental stage and nothing's complete."

The pistol he handed over as he spoke had only its chamber in jet black. When Noah rubbed the surface with his finger, the cold, smooth texture was the same as the black star fragments.

"I'll pack you several more of the same type as the pistol I gave you before. And ammunition made from the blood you gave me last time too. Could you visit me again within a month if possible? I'll show you something more complete than now."

"I will."

Noah handed over a coin purse as usual and received Maverick's weapons to pack them.

"Maverick, see you next time."

"Yes, Miss Regina."

Regina, who had been looking down at both her palms because of the sensation of absorbed power, hurriedly followed Noah out and greeted Maverick as he left the laboratory.

"And, I'd like to have a more detailed conversation next time."

Tap. Regina, who had been running up the stairs, stopped at Maverick's words and turned her head. Was he speaking to her? she wondered, but Maverick's gaze looking up from below the stairs was directed at Noah.

"Yeah, next time."

When Regina turned her head back toward Noah, he answered briefly and strode up. When Regina looked at Maverick again, this time he smiled brightly at her too. At that smile, Regina nodded lightly and hurried her steps to follow Noah, already leaving the mansion far ahead.

"The appearance of the Faerie King and black fairies whose identity is unknown..."

This phenomenon must be connected to the black fairies that had suddenly begun appearing in various places recently.

Maverick looked at the beaker on his desk with eyes sunk in deep thought. The one that had contained black powder, now completely empty—he stared at it for a long while.

"...Haah."

Noah, who had been walking toward the train station, finally stopped at the third audible sigh. When he turned around, he saw Regina following with her head down, not even making eye contact with him. She belatedly realized Noah had stopped and halted as well. Noah returned to where she stood at a distance of about ten steps away.

"...Why?"

"The pocket watch. Give it back."

To Noah extending his hand as he stood before her, Regina pulled the watch from her skirt pocket and handed it over with a thunk. Noah silently received it and turned to go back, then hesitated when he saw her eyes had reddened.

"...But I saved you, Noah."

"What?"

When Regina happened to speak at that moment, he reflexively asked back.

"If it weren't for me, you might have died, but not even a word of thanks..."

To Regina's grumbling words, Noah answered as if incredulous.

"...Who asked to be saved?"

Really, she should have just run away—why did she come back? Noah clicked his tongue lightly at the thought. And Regina, who received a completely unexpected answer, looked at him with a shocked face.

"What? How can you say that? That's too much!"

The moment she spat out the words, Regina's transparent violet eyes instantly filled with tears. She looked straight up at Noah as if pouring out the grievance she'd been holding back all along.

"I wanted to run away too! But I came back because I thought you'd die if I left you! So you could at least say thank you!"

"So why did you..."

Before he could finish saying 'come back,' Regina cut off his words, tears falling plop plop. Noah, who had opened his mouth, found himself speechless at that sight.

"Do you know how hard, how hard this is for me? I wake up and suddenly I'm not human, strange monsters keep appearing. The only person I'm traveling with threatens to kill me at every opportunity!"

"When did I threaten to..."

"You did! Always, like you'd kill me any time!"

She began crying with even her shoulders heaving as she spoke, becoming more upset. Noah swallowed dryly watching that. It was absurd that she'd been quiet all along and suddenly acted like this.

"Hic, sob! I didn't do anything wrong..."

"......"

"Threatening to get rid of me at every turn."

"...Next time."

"What?"

When Noah suddenly spoke, Regina, who hadn't heard his words while crying, swallowed her sobs with a hiccup and asked back.

"Next time, just go."

What was he saying now? Regina, who had been wiping falling tears with the back of her hand, looked up at him in surprise. But Noah, who had actually spoken the words, flinched in greater surprise. He hadn't intended to say that. He'd only meant to tell her to stop crying since they needed to leave soon.

"...If I get hurt and lose consciousness like this time, just run away."

But his mouth was spitting out words on its own.

Regina, who had been looking up at Noah with a slightly dazed expression, wiped away the still-falling tears alternately with the back of her hand and palm, then asked again.

"...Really?"

"Yeah."

"What about the pocket watch? You can chase me with it."

"......"

Noah silently pulled out the pocket watch from his coat. Then he opened it and placed his hand on the hour hand. With a stinging pain, a drop of blood flowed from Noah's index finger and was absorbed into the pocket watch.

Regina watched with wide eyes as the pocket watch emitted a faint blue light.

"Now the watch will look for me, not you. I fed it my blood again."

Noah looked at her as if asking if that was enough now. But Regina said nothing, lips pressed firmly together. Seeing that she'd stopped crying, Noah shrugged and started walking.

"...I won't save you next time. I'll definitely run away."

Regina walked alongside him, speaking as if making a threat. Noah, who had been about to say he didn't know if there'd be a next time, saw Regina trying hard to make a scary expression and smiled faintly instead.

"...Okay."

"Really! I'll really leave you and run away, understand?"

"I understand."

Regina speaking so desperately was even pitiful. It was ambiguous whether she was even speaking to Noah or making a resolution to herself. Noah inwardly shook his head, wondering if growing up too sheltered made people like this.

The shackles binding Regina had disappeared. She could run away anytime, and Noah, knowing this, had removed the shackles with his own hands. That fact alone lightened one corner of Regina's heart. Though nothing had actually been resolved, she could smile again.

"I'm really going to run away!"

"......"

Noah suddenly felt the road to the train station was unusually long. Long enough to feel the impulse to truly run away from Regina, who walked alongside him endlessly saying she would run away.