"Although I understand your intentions, I'm sorry, I can't join you," the petite Muryan said, flapping her wings as she flew in the air, addressing the people before her. "However, Gloucester can accept your requests. After all, this is a neutral trade city."
"Why?!" Ritsuka Fujimaru said, somewhat disappointed. "Aren't the fairies here also being oppressed by Queen Morgan, forced to pay an existence tax? If that's the case, then—"
"Hehe, as I said, we're a free-trade city," Muryan replied with a mischievous grin. "So, many of the fairies in our city are actually on the tax-exempt list!"
"!!"
Muryan's words shocked both Ritsuka and Da Vinci-chan. In the other cities they'd visited—like Norwich and Salisbury—they'd never heard of anything like a tax-exempt list, and Londinium was directly controlled by the Queen's army. "But, don't fairies love freedom the most?!"
Ritsuka protested. "Don't the Winged Clan feel their freedom is deprived under Queen Morgan's rule?"
"Hehehe, what is freedom?" Muryan stared intently at Ritsuka. "The freedom to be inexplicably attacked by the crude Fang Clan? Or perhaps the freedom for some random fairy to go mad and slaughter their kind?"
Ritsuka had no reply, while Da Vinci-chan seemed to gain some insight from the current head of the Winged Clan, Muryan, and fell silent in thought.
"Let's go, Ritsuka. On to our next destination," Da Vinci-chan urged. "Well then, we'll take our leave, Chief Muryan. If we get the chance, let's meet again."
"I won't join your so-called rebels, but Gloucester will always be open to you," Muryan said. "After all, this city survives on free trade. We even have auctions here—if you're interested, take a look before you leave~"
Ritsuka and Da Vinci-chan exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion and curiosity. The fairies of Gloucester were indeed different. Even the commercial activities of the manufacturing city Norwich weren't as developed as Gloucester's. Was this the work of their unusual chief?
…
Meanwhile, at Norwich, Pepe had already re-established the network he built in this city 2,400 years ago.
Although about half of the fairies he knew had died in the Great Calamity, with descendants taking their place, fairies typically live long lives, so 2,400 years isn't that long. The name "Count Pepe" still lingered in the city's memory.
Bringing with him a large selection of beautiful clothes designed by himself and woven by Habetrot, he quickly established a high-end boutique in the city, earning the admiration of the upper-class fairies and rapidly increasing his reputation as Count Pepe.
For a time, the legendary fairy Count Pepe, absent for 2,400 years, became the center of Norwich's attention. Even the city's ruler, the Wind Clan fairy Spriggan, heard about Count Pepe.
"My lord, it is my honor to welcome you," Count Pepe greeted Spriggan with the etiquette of European nobility. "May I ask what brings you here today?"
"Oh my, meeting a legendary fairy like Count Pepe is my honor," Spriggan said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I heard your shop has clothes of a kind never seen before. I was curious, so I came to see for myself~"
"Is that so?" Count Pepe smiled. "Please, let me introduce my shop's wares to you."
During his thousand years living in Europe, Pepe worked not only as a magus but also made his main income through trading in fashion and luxury goods. The level of his products was on an entirely different scale for the residents of Fairy Britain.
Spriggan seemed to listen respectfully to Count Pepe's explanation, but inside he was deeply shocked, now nearly certain: these goods must come from Proper Human History!
Spriggan had lived here long enough to know the capabilities of Fairy Britain's fairies. They simply didn't have the creativity to produce such clothes—not that their craftsmanship was lacking, but they lacked creativity.
As for Count Pepe… Spriggan had originally suspected, like himself, that Count Pepe was a human disguised as a fairy. But after investigation, he found that Count Pepe had been active here for 2,400 years, which disproved his theory.
So, how did Count Pepe acquire these goods? And why disappear for 2,400 years, only to reappear now?
Spriggan figured that if he could accidentally drift into this world, perhaps other humans or fairies could travel between worlds as well. He knew nothing about magus, but among the humans of Fairy Britain, some had special abilities.
Spriggan was nearly a hundred years old, using various methods to extend his life and alter his appearance, but he had reached his limits.
He wanted to live longer, even return to the human world, but couldn't part with the foundation he'd built in the past century. The powers of fairies were simply too extraordinary. If he could gain immortality and sell fairy-made goods in the human world, he'd be set for life.
For years, Spriggan sought someone with such power. If any fairy in Fairy Britain could do this, it would be Queen Morgan le Fay. But Morgan disliked him as Norwich's lord, and Norwich had rebelled in the last war.
Overthrowing Queen Morgan seemed impossible for now. He'd heard of the so-called rebels, but they were still too small to risk angering the Queen. His best option left was the mysterious Count Pepe before him.
Spriggan stared intently at Pepe, unaware that Pepe had already sent information about his objectives to Aoko Aozaki in the royal capital.