Chapter 159
Pastel clasped her hands together, squeezed her eyes shut, and made a quiet wish.
"Please don't let Alcier's heart get hurt too much."
Not getting hurt at all is too unrealistic.
It was a reverent attitude, unlike the Immortality wish she had blurted out while slightly blinded by desire.
—God, please don't let the heart of the friend this girl mentioned get hurt too much.
The Fairy matched the mood and reverently issued a subcontract from the Wish Granting Subcontracting.
It was a seriousness quite different from the half-hearted attitude from last time.
This was a tenant's sense of indebtedness.
Yeah, yeah.
Pastel finished her Wish-Making and opened her eyes.
She saw the Fairy slumped over on the carriage cushion.
—Haa.
Oing.
"Fairy? Are you sick anywhere?"
—No. It seems this wish was within my capabilities, so I'm just exhausted from consuming my power. I'll be fine if I rest.
Gasp, it wasn't Infinite Power.
The Fairy weakly waved an arm. They were so drained that even the Black Aura that usually fluttered around them was in a slightly weakened state.
—Still, it feels like my power is draining a bit too much, so there might be a problem.
"What?!"
How could this be!
The Fairy, who hadn't even granted her the world's greatest wealth and power or immortality yet, was already having health problems?!
"Fai-ry! Don't die!"
Pastel looked ready to cry out of pity for the Fairy.
Uwaah!
—I won't die. What this feels like is... it's like someone stuck a needle in me and is sucking out my Soul Power.
"Really? Isn't that a serious problem?!"
Pastel was shocked, her complexion glossy, smooth, and full of life on a whole different level than before she met the Fairy, her soul slightly fulfilled after being empty even when she nom-nomed Meat Pudding in the Grand Mansion and nom-nomed magic stones on the Sky Island.
The Fairy looked at Pastel; then her eyes widened as if realizing something.
—Could the cause of this be...
The Fairy muttered.
—The Church?
"It's the Church!"
Evil Church!
Pastel did some punching in mid-air.
Hiya! Hiya!
"Evil Church! Evil Church!"
—I didn't really know what kind of organization it was, but if your guess is right, its name must be the Church.
The Fairy lay limply on the cushion.
—It seems they used some trick. Since they went as far as putting me in confinement inside a wooden box, there must have been a failsafe for if I escaped, such as my power being continuously drained if I leave the Church's control, just like now.
Uwaah.
To put such an evil device on the Good Fairy.
The Fairy subtly gauged her reaction.
—We Artificial Spirits, no, Fairies, are actually beings created by extracting the Soul Power possessed by the Great Fairy.
Eueh?
—I didn't know where the main body, no, no, the Great Fairy was, but logically, it must be trapped by the Church. Then the Church could probably instigate the Great Fairy to recall its power or something. That's why I feel like I have a needle stuck in me right now. Right, this makes sense.
The Fairy seemed moved by her own smart deduction and put on an expression that said this had to be right.
Pastel was thoroughly impressed.
The Fairy seemed to have made a few slips of the tongue while explaining, but she could understand that there was some stuttering in the process of translating the language of the Fairy Realm into the language of the Human Realm.
This level of detail meant the Fairy World really existed!
Whoa! An incredible discovery!
"Then, then! In order to save the Fairy World, do we have to rescue the Great Fairy who has been captured by the Church?"
The Fairy thought for a moment as if weighing the costs and benefits, then readily agreed.
—Exactly! As the chosen one, you must rescue the Great Fairy who is likely imprisoned!
Gasp, so that was it!
Pastel realized her sense of duty.
The reason I was born Pink-Pink and Pink-Pink was to experience the magnificent Great Fairy Rescue Epic to save the Fairy World!
No wonder! No wonder!
Honestly, if my appearance wasn't Pink-Pink, I probably would have fallen into power corruption and lived in dazzling luxury a long time ago, but strangely enough, I was Pink-Pink!
Lately, I'd slowly been having thoughts like, 'When will I undergo Borabora Corruption? Lord Demon doesn't seem to have any thoughts about it, does he?' but those were the wrong thoughts!
Her pink eyes sparkled.
"What kind of person is the Great Fairy we're going to rescue?"
—Uh? Uh...
The Fairy had an unconfident expression.
—I haven't met the Great Fairy either. From what I've heard, God... no, not the God the Great Temple talks about, but what should I say, an ancient god? A Fairy God? Right. I know it as a being sent to arrive in This World by the Fairy God. It isn't originally a being of This World.
Oing.
I'm not a being of This World either!
Such common ground?
I really must have been born for the Fairy World!
Pastel's sense of duty was bursting forth!
"I'll work really, really hard for the beautiful Fairy World!"
Let's go!
#
Pastel arrived in front of the Royal Palace of the Demon Realm United Kingdom.
Unlike the city center piled high with tall buildings, the vast Plains, the white Royal Palace, and the surrounding green trees were charming.
"Originally, there were a few tall buildings around here, but the development of firearms was quite threatening, so they were all removed to prevent sniping."
Ellie gave a rough explanation.
"Heh."
Turning her head, she saw the Royal Family procession that had come out to meet them. The King at the front smiled and welcomed her.
"Governor-General Kraft, you have come a long way."
Hehe.
I wasn't going into the Royal Palace to greet them; the other party came out to greet me.
What should I say? What should I say?
It was a formality where the hierarchical relationship between the Empire and the United Kingdom could be felt, so I felt a bit sorry, but as the person involved, I guess you could say it felt good.
But, but, the other party was Ellie's father, so acting like this toward a friend's father gave me a feeling of... gasp, immorality.
Having finished the pleasantries, Pastel walked alongside the King.
"I invested in Railway Construction for the development of the Demon Realm, but it's a pity that there are many Demonkind who dislike it."
Pastel abruptly began her interrogation of responsibility.
A friend's father was a friend's father, and business was business.
"Haha."
The King laughed good-naturedly. Black eyes, just like Ellie's, leisurely observed the Royal Palace Garden.
"Isn't that something the Prime Minister should take care of? I am merely a playboy living in the Royal Palace, so I wouldn't know much about it."
Oing.
It wasn't an evasion of responsibility but a lack of authority?
Pastel became flustered. She subtly looked back at Ellie, who was following behind.
Ellie looked embarrassed yet awkward, then subtly explained using her Princess Status.
"Even if you doubt it, Governor-General, it is the truth. The King Father has long since washed his hands of state affairs, so please discuss that matter with the Prime Minister."
"Eueh? Really?"
The Council wasn't just there for show? It wasn't like the King was manipulating from behind the scenes through clandestine meetings or secret room decisions?
"Yeah, really. That's why I called you and the other important figures for a meeting. Everyone accepted it and moved on back then, so there's no need to go out of your way to persuade the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was at the Meeting Place too. Failing to stop the Radical Faction's terrorism was our mistake, but that couldn't be helped."
Eueheh.
Ellie's Father was unemployed.
"If you really want to discuss it with the Royal Family, you can discuss it with me. Since there is a prophecy, there are many opinions that the Royal Family should take the lead responsibly, so I am acting in its stead."
Ellie glared sharply at her father.
"Haha. Our family merely got lucky and sat in an empty seat, so it wouldn't do for us to act as we please."
Ellie's Father laughed good-naturedly.
The Royal Family of the United Kingdom was not of the Former Demon King's bloodline.
When the Former Demon King died after falling for Kraft's evil scheme, and great chaos and a Power Struggle broke out in the Demon Realm, the Royal Family's ancestor, as the Second-in-Command, managed the situation and served as the Acting Demon King as a temporary measure, which somehow just continued on.
It kind of made sense, but he seemed way too unmotivated.
"Then do you not know any information about the Church residing in the Demon Realm either?"
"Please discuss it with the Prime Minister, haha."
"Eueheh."
Pastel completed her meeting with the King.
After that, she met with the Prime Minister, whose face she seemed to have seen last time at the Secret Meeting Place on the Sky Island, and heard things like how the Radical Faction was doing, and that the negotiations were finished—so in principle there would be no Railway Terrorism—and so on.
"In principle?"
"Ahem."
The Prime Minister cleared his throat.
"If the Hawks Council Members act in secret and then feign ignorance, there is nothing we can do."
Ppuu?
What did that mean?
A faction that was blatantly a sponsor of terrorism was sitting in the Council, but the Monarch, no, the Prime Minister couldn't do anything?
Pastel marveled at the United Kingdom's haphazard, magic-lantern-like Political System.
Was this the Parliamentary Cabinet System based on a Constitutional Monarchy?
Even if it was the latest political system with no precedent yet in this world, and thus was going through trial and error.
Eueh.
Was this what Duke Nastasya of the Republican Faction, who dreamed of Imperial Subversion, was dreaming of?
Governor-General Pastel, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor's verified Loyal Subject, could not understand.
"Well, let's put that aside. I sent an urgent dispatch saying I was attacked by a suspicious group suspected to be the Church, so what happened with that? Have you finished investigating exactly what kind of group it is?"
"Ahem."
The Prime Minister cleared his throat again.
Ppu?
"The information network is managed by the Hawks, you see. Please understand, Governor-General."
Ppuu?
Ppuuu?
What kind of nonsense was this?
Pastel looked more and more ready to cry. She turned to look at Ellie, who had been quietly reading the room.
"Prince-ss."
Princess Ellie flinched.
"Why is this country's way of handling work like this?"
If this were the Student Council, everyone would be fired.
Princess Ellie Swallowed Dry Saliva.
She looked back and forth between the Prime Minister and Pastel, fiercely conflicted, then opened her mouth as if she had decided on her stance.
"I know well that you cannot understand, Governor-General. However, we are also doing our best—"
"Yes, I understand."
Pastel stood up from her seat.
"I enjoyed the tea. I'm busy, so I'll be going now."
She turned around and left the Prime Minister's Office.
As she came out of the Prime Minister's Residence, Princess Ellie hurriedly followed her.
"Pastel! Wait a minute! Listen to my explanation!"
When her arm was grabbed, Pastel softly narrowed her brow.
She looked back at the Princess.
"Princess, what is this commotion? Please maintain mutual courtesy."
Princess Ellie froze.
Pastel detached the hand holding her. She rubbed the back of her neck and turned around.
It seemed there were many bad Demonkind in this country following the evil Demon King after all.
Tremble.
As a Loyal Subject, I must do my best, since His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, overflowing with Foresight, had ordered the search for the Demon King. First... I should meet with Head of Inspection Renard, who must have arrived. The Emperor, overflowing with Foresight, had ordered the search for the Demon King. As a Loyal Subject, I must do my best.
First...
Should I meet with Head of Inspection Renard, who must have arrived a while ago, first?
Ah, right.
Pastel stopped walking. Looking back, Pastel saw Ellie staring blankly, frozen stiff.
"Ellie, you don't need to come to work for a while."
Ellie turned pale.
Pastel turned around.
I'm going to be busy for a while.
Her Pink Hair fluttered.