What the hell is this!?
Are two worlds influencing each other?
Upon hearing the Fang Clan leader's words, Lot found himself puzzled.
Could this also be my own doing?
Judging from their previous conversation, the abnormalities among the fairy tribes began precisely when he had crossed over into this world.
[What the hell is this?! Could these changes in the fairies be related to me?]
[In this world, aside from the Magician Zelretch, I'm the only one capable of such interference.]
(Rest assured, the Jeweled Sword Old Man won't be appearing in this story.)
[He probably wouldn't do something like this. So, was it really me interfering unconsciously!?]
[After all, I still don't fully understand the workings of the River of Time.]
Beside him, Morgan couldn't help but glance sideways after hearing Lot's inner monologue.
"What's this husband of hers babbling about!?"
"Parallel world interference!?"
If this husband of hers really could do such a thing,
this would no longer fall under the domain of magecraft
it would be True Magic.
And Lot might actually be capable of it.
Morgan stared at Lot, her eyes filled not with doubt,
but with unmistakable anticipation.
At the same time, she pondered:
What exactly was this parallel world?
Was it a worldline where the normal Lot remained unaware of these events?
Or was it one of those worlds he called "Lostbelts"?
Morgan thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Lot and Morgan paid no further attention to the Fang Clan leader's speculations.
Seeing the expressions on Lot and Morgan's faces, the Fang Clan leader's face twisted in frustration.
What the
Wasn't my performance dramatic enough?
Shouldn't you be shocked by now?
Or at least show a little suspicion!
But you two after everything I've said, you're not even slightly surprised!?
This is a parallel world we're talking about.
A parallel world!
Do you even grasp the magnitude of this!?
This is something utterly terrifying!
At this point, Lot noticed the Fang Clan leader's aggrieved expression and quickly spoke up:
"Ah, please continue. We're still listening."
"Fine."
The Fang Clan leader nodded, then turned back to Lot and Morgan.
"You humans got off easy almost no impact. Well, no, actually, there were some effects. Certain things that shouldn't exist in human society have appeared."
Hearing this, Lot's lips twitched slightly.
[These changes have nothing to do with parallel worlds. Or rather, they're things I introduced myself to make life more comfortable.]
"And among you fairies?"
Lot pressed further.
"Among fairies, it resulted in the formation of our current six clans. Compared to before, our six clans have grown far stronger."
The Fang Clan leader smirked confidently.
"We're much more powerful than the fairies you know. And now, with aberrations like you appearing among humans, of course we must correct this deviation."
"We refuse to return to the Inner Sea of the Planet. We will establish our own fairy kingdom."
Watching the Fang Clan leader's expression, Lot and Morgan exchanged a glance.
Then, Lot called out to the outside:
"Someone! Serve this clan leader some 'pie'!"
With that,
Gawain strode in, wearing a 'ferocious' grin as she cracked her knuckles.
Her stance suggested she wouldn't stop until she'd beaten several lives out of him.
The Fang Clan leader paled instantly upon seeing Gawain charge in.
He frantically waved his hands, stammering:
"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!!!!!!!!"
Alas,
Little Gawain had no intention of listening.
She clenched her fist
and swung.
After the brutal beating,
Lot and Morgan were finally satisfied.
The guy had finally been pacified.
"Take him away and lock him up with the other fairies," Morgan ordered, looking down at the Fang Clan leader, who was now barely clinging to life.
"Once his injuries heal, send him to work in the coal mines with the rest."
"No! You can't do this! I'm still a leader of the fairy clans! I have my dignity!"
"Dignity? Seems you still don't understand your position. Gawain "
Before Gawain could even move,
the Fang Clan leader immediately cowered into submission.
Baobhan Sith happened to pass by, witnessing Gawain's overwhelming strength and Morgan's ruthless sentencing. The smile on her face froze.
"Wait, since when is Gawain this strong?"
She gasped.
In this state, Baobhan Sith felt she'd have a hard time resisting her.
"This is my true strength."
Gawain smirked at Baobhan Sith, clearly showing off.
Sure, it only lasts six hours a day
but this is my real power.
Anyone wanna object?
She could already tell: her mother's temperament hadn't changed one bit.
Whenever she encountered someone with exceptional strength and a tolerable personality, she'd try to recruit them.
According to her father, her mother deserved the nickname "Liangshan's Chief" always eager to recruit talent.
So, since Baobhan Sith was practically destined to become their subordinate, Gawain couldn't just beat her up.
But she could still flaunt her strength to vent the frustration she'd been holding back.
What?
You say this state only lasts six hours?
Then I'll just make sure all my fights happen within those six hours!
Baobhan Sith pursed her lips, refusing to engage.
She sensed something off about Gawain but couldn't pinpoint what.
"I'll go help the villagers," she said to Morgan before turning to leave.
As she walked away, she pulled a few candies from her pocket.
"Here, kids. Take these, then follow me to work. If any of you are sick, speak up now. If you take my money and slack off, I'll drain you dry."
She tossed the candies to the children, still muttering threats.
Behind her, Lot couldn't help but comment:
"This fairy is the epitome of 'a sharp tongue but a soft heart.'"
"Indeed."
Morgan nodded in agreement.
This fairy was doomed to fall into their hands.
"Though, speaking of which," Morgan mused,
"in another worldline, I granted this little fairy the title of 'Fairy Knight Tristan.' But in this world, Sir Tristan still exists, so I can't give her the same title."
Sometimes, forgetting the titles of her subordinates was a happy problem to have.
The Earth Clan and Wind Clan were captured.
The feared and despised fairy Baobhan Sith, after attacking, not only stayed behind but transformed into a 'good fairy' willing to help humans rebuild.
Finally, the Fang Clan suffered a crushing defeat against Camelot. Not only did they suffer heavy losses, but their leader was also captured by Lot and Morgan. Now, he was imprisoned and soon to be sent to the coal mines.
These three events, each more shocking than the last, left the fairies reeling.
What the hell was happening to this world!?
They had no clue.
But one thing was certain they were furious.
For years, the fairies had grown increasingly convinced of one thing:
They were meant to rule this era's Britain.
They were meant to establish their own fairy kingdom.
But now, reality had slapped them hard in the face.
The six fairy clans convened once more.
Aside from the Wind, Earth, Fang, and Mirror Clans, the leaders of the Wing and Rain Clans also attended.
The Fang Clan sent a proxy leader. Glaring at the other five clan leaders, he slammed the table.
"Our leader has been taken prisoner! This is an unbearable humiliation for the Fang Clan! We must rescue him at all costs! If our leader remains in human hands, forced into labor, our entire clan will become a laughingstock!"
"And all fairies will be mocked alongside us! So why hesitate? We must mobilize all forces and crush Lot and Morgan in one stroke! Only then can we reclaim our dignity!"
Though the Fang Clan had just been defeated, the losses were limited to the leader's personal forces. The rest of the clan's strength remained intact. With their leader captured, the Fang Clan's warriors were furious, rallying their troops.
As the strongest clan, even their proxy leader spoke with unshakable confidence.
The Earth Clan leader, a stout dwarf-like fairy, nodded angrily.
"These humans are unforgivable! We offered them kindness, and they repaid us with violence! This is outrageous!"
The other clan leaders exchanged glances but stayed silent.
They knew the Earth Clan leader was the only one here truly clueless.
When the Earth Clan branched off years ago, its members proved brilliant as craftsmen but utterly inept at everything else.
Since then, the Wind and Fang Clan leaders had taken advantage of their simplicity countless times.
"Yes, our goodwill was betrayed. They must pay," the Wind Clan leader said smoothly, eyes narrowing.
Then, she turned to the Fang Clan.
"This time, you'll take the lead again."
"If we're always the vanguard, doesn't that make the Fang Clan the strongest? Shouldn't you acknowledge us as your kings?" the proxy leader shot back.
He wasn't stupid he wouldn't let them use his clan as cannon fodder.
"All fairy clans are equals."
The Wind Clan leader backtracked with a smile.
"Hmph. If we're equals, then it's your turn to contribute. If you don't help rescue our prisoners, the blame falls on you."
The Fang Clan proxy glared, his eyes threatening.
"Fine."
The Wind Clan leader reluctantly agreed.
At this point, the Rain Clan leader timidly raised her hand.
"Um… are we sure we should oppose Lot? Maybe submitting to him would improve our lives."
The Rain Clan fairies primarily lived around Orkney Lot's core territory.
Having mingled with humans for so long, they'd witnessed Lot's governance firsthand and were deeply impressed.
If he became their king, perhaps he'd grant them the same prosperity.
Rather than struggling to build an uncertain future, why not pledge allegiance to a proven ruler?
"Do you hear yourself!?" the Earth Clan leader roared.
The Wing Clan leader hesitated but stayed silent.
"Enough." The Wind Clan leader soothingly intervened. "Let's vote on the rescue plan."
"I stand by my position."
With that, the Rain Clan leader left.
Her departure didn't deter the other five clans.
In the end, they unanimously declared all-out war on Lot.
As they watched the Rain Clan leader leave, the Wind and Fang Clan leaders exchanged a dark glance.
Meanwhile, the Rain Clan leader retreated to her territory.
"What advice would she give me now?"
The Rain Clan leader thought of a certain figure.