Chapter 162
Puhuhu.
What wish should I make?
As expected, the challenge for the world's greatest wealth and power is once again...!
Gasp, come to think of it, this isn't it.
Right now, getting that captured demonkind to open his mouth is more important!
Pastel lightly slapped both her cheeks. She felt her sharp, constructive thinking returning.
—Have you thought of your wish?
The Fairy, sitting on the edge of a flowerpot, swung her legs.
"Yes!"
Pastel tightly clasped her hands together.
"I will wish for absolutely everything I want right now, as much as the Unlimited Wish Granting Right allows!"
Eue?
Now that I say it, it doesn't seem very related to the demonkind, does it?
No, no!
Thinking about it again, I just need to wish for everything I want to do!
Give me this and that too!
Gasp, I'm totally super ultra smart.
—Uh? Uh? It's not exactly unlimited...
The Fairy looked flustered. Then, she rolled her eyes around, remembered something, and put on a confident expression.
—There's a wish condition I forgot to mention!
"Eue?"
—Don't tell me you think I'll just grant any wish you make half-heartedly?
Shock.
"That wasn't it?! You said immortality was possible as long as there was budget and time!"
—As if!
The Fairy crossed her arms and looked solemn.
—Originally, the heart of the one praying is also important for a wish! No matter how great a Fairy I am, if your earnest desire is lacking, it's bound to fail!
Meonggameongga, it makes sense.
It's basic common sense that if you want to make a wish, you have to pray sincerely every dawn or something.
A level of sincerity completely different from just calling the Fairy and conveniently making a wish.
But, but.
Pastel, who was smarter than anyone, could also think of the dark truth.
"Fairy, aren't you just making up conditions hastily right now?"
Pink eyes glared suspiciously.
"Because it seems like I'm going to keep making huge wishes, you're planning to pretend to grant them if they're too difficult, and then make the excuse that they failed because my sincerity was lacking, right?"
A totally smart point.
Silence flowed.
The Fairy remained silent for a moment, maintaining her solemn expression.
Then, she shook her head vigorously as if she had never heard such a thing.
—No? What I said is right?
Pink eyes went round.
Gasp, guess not.
It seems I thought wrong.
"Ugh. Understood. I suppose sincerity is needed after all. I will pray with all my heart!"
—You understood well! Now try it!
Pastel squeezed her eyes shut and clasped her hands together tightly.
Sincere prayer...!
"Please make that demonkind open his mouth, making him undeniably admit his connection to the Church. And please give me a chance to teach the Radical Faction a lesson. While you're at it, it would be great if you could also give me a chance for a round-up of the Church. But it'll be a hassle for me if you grant them one by one, so I'd like you to grant it as a one-stop service so I can handle it all at once."
And.
As the world's greatest wealth and power came to mind immediately, Pastel went "Hut!" and snapped back to her senses, wrapping up her wish for now.
When she opened her eyes, the Fairy looked dumbfounded.
—You're absolutely brimming with greed.
"How could you say that!"
—Whatever. I don't know about the one-stop service, but the rest doesn't seem completely impossible! I'll try wishing for them one by one.
Thump, thump.
The Fairy closed her eyes and clasped her hands together.
—God. Please make the demonkind Nathaniel, whom this girl spoke of, open his mou—
As if her words were being cut off, a bolt from the blue struck.
Oing.
—What the?
The Fairy looked puzzled.
Pastel went to the terrace railing and looked down at the ground.
A passing old man had unluckily been struck by lightning and had fallen down with a thud. Smoke was billowing from his suit.
"Uwa?! Are you okay?!"
Pastel was about to jump down right then and there but hesitated. The rather high altitude was dizzying.
Then, she spotted the hotel's exterior wall decorations and rapidly descended by stepping on them in succession. Her feet touched the ground.
"Phew!"
I forgot because I've been making others do the fighting lately, but I have good reflexes!
Pastel ran hurriedly over.
"Are you okay?!"
When she supported him, the old man, who was surprisingly intact, groaned in a voice that sounded as if he would faint at any moment.
"To fall down like this without being able to tell the missing Young Master Nathaniel to stop getting involved with the Church..."
Fainted.
Gasp.
Pink eyes went round.
"Fairy, you're amazing!"
I'm going to live with the Fairy for the rest of my life!
The Fairy, who was flying over while checking if there were any pedestrians around, looked back, flustered.
—Uh? Uh? I haven't wished for it yet?
Oing.
"Didn't you grant it, Fairy?"
Come to think of it, the Fairy hadn't even finished her sentence.
"Eue?"
Then why did this old man get struck by lightning?
The Fairy tilted her head.
—Something's strange? I couldn't even make the wish, but there's a feeling that God responded. As if someone else made the wish, not me.
O-i-ing.
The Fairy's eyes suddenly widened.
—Could this be!
Her gaze turned toward Pastel.
The Fairy was shocked.
—Did my subconscious make the wish?!
Gasp, so that was it!
—To grant your wish without even being conscious of it! This is a level only possible if my Soul Power has become overwhelmingly strong, isn't it?!
The Fairy looked down at her own hands with a shocked expression. Both her hands were trembling.
—I... could do something like this?
The Fairy gulped dryly.
—Could I be... a Fairy who truly grants wishes...?
Uwaa!
Pink eyes sparkled.
The Fairy suddenly started boasting.
Her shoulders puffed up with pride.
With an arrogant expression, she pointed her finger.
—Since I am such an amazing Fairy, you had better listen to me well from now on!
"Yes!"
Fairy, you're amazing!
#
Pastel moved the fainted old man to a hotel room. The knight was flustered but checked the old man's health condition for the time being.
"It seems he just fainted. It's fascinating that he fainted so cleanly without any injuries even though he's at the Semi-Knight Level. How did this happen?"
"A bolt from the blue fell on him."
"Pardon?"
After that, a sudden sense of hunger washed over her, so she briefly munched and crunched on a whole magic stone.
Renard came over to her side.
"Who is that?"
Mumbling/Chewing Sound, gulp.
"I don't know!"
A dumbfounded gaze.
Puhuhu.
"But it was a plan inside the great Governor Pastel's head!"
It's true!
Pastel received earplugs from the knight. She went "Puhuhu~!" with an evil expression and popped them into the old man's ears.
She had them carry the old man on their backs and headed to the corner room.
When she opened the door, it smelled of mackerel fishiness. The patriot who absolutely wouldn't open his mouth, Nathaniel, was tied tightly to a pillar.
His eyes glared fiercely.
"I have nothing to tell the likes of Kraft, so give up!"
"Ahaha! Is that really so?"
Pastel became full of confidence.
She cleared the table neatly, covered it with a soft blanket, and carefully laid the old man down.
Nathaniel's eyes widened.
"What! Why is the old man here?!"
"Pu! Pu! Pu!"
Pastel just laughed evilly.
"You bastard! What did you do to our old man! He's usually a very sturdy old man. So what kind of cruel things did you do to make him look dead like that...!"
She placed her palm near her ear.
"Are you curious? Are you curious?"
Pink lips whispered evilly.
"I did this and that."
Nathaniel glared with wide eyes.
"This and that...!"
The wings of imagination spread within his eyes.
"You bastard...! I won't forgive you!"
Nathaniel struggled violently.
But unlike his fierce words, his physical strength must not have been much, as the ropes didn't even budge.
"Ahaha!"
Pastel felt the thrill of power and shivered with excitement.
This secretly seems to suit my aptitude.
"Is it okay for you to speak so arrogantly?"
The corners of her mouth curled up, and she smiled naturally.
She pointed at the old man.
"Or else he might end up like such and such."
Nathaniel glared with wide eyes.
"Such and such...!"
Pastel clasped her hands leisurely behind her back and walked around the room. Pink eyes became indifferent, as if showing no interest in a small fry like him.
"Confess now. The game is over."
"You bastard...!"
#
Pastel sat on the sofa and crossed her legs.
Nathaniel, freed from his restraints, crossed his arms and glared at her.
"Your sins will surely be punished by the Demon King someday."
"Well. I don't think that's something you guys, who denied the very Demon King you found, should be saying."
As she flicked her finger, the Knight placed a confession on the table. Pastel pressed down on the confession and slid it in front of Nathaniel.
"It's nothing much. I've already figured out that you guys have a connection with the Church. Riding the Church's monstrous bird to the Meeting Place in the first place was undeniable proof."
Nathaniel snorted.
"That's our family's bird."
"Eue, what nonsense."
Pastel shook her head.
"Since the Church committed a massacre right before my eyes—mine, the Plenipotentiary Ambassador and Diplomat who received His Imperial Majesty's Sword—you Hawks connected to the Church just need to take responsibility. You aren't planning to go to war with the Empire right this instant, are you?"
Nathaniel, his mouth shut tight, stared intently down at the confession. Then, a sneer that looked as if he had forced the corners of his mouth up hung on his face.
"I don't want to."
"Eue."
Nathaniel swallowed his saliva and looked back at the old man lying on the sofa. Then he squeezed his eyes shut before glaring at Pastel.
"Threaten me all you want! I'd rather die here than let the Council fall into the hands of traitors! The old man would want that too!"
Uwaa!
We can't communicate!
Someone, please change this good vs. evil dynamic!
Pastel's mind became confused by the sentiment that this demonkind was a collaborator with the evil Church and a terrorist, yet somehow its side seemed like the side of justice.
She shrieked.
"Just admit that you guys are the bad guys! A massacre happened in front of a fragile girl, and the girl croaked, I tell you!"
And that girl is me...!
"No, you brat! Why would I do something good for you when you treated the old man so poorly! Go face divine punishment!!"
Heuyaak!
"If you keep doing that, I'll really, really, really transform into Kraft Mode and into a really, really, really, really evil mastermind!"
"I don't care!"
Nathaniel flipped her the middle finger.
Heuaa?!
This is the first time in my life I've been cursed at...!
Heuaang!
"Lord Demoooon!"
That person is a bad person!
Please scold him!
Pastel, who had left Lord Demon behind to play the Borabora Game, looked ready to cry.
"Ugh."
A groan came from the sofa.
The chaos stopped.
The old man pressed his temples, exhaled, and sat up. His gaze landed on the highly conspicuous pink girl.
"Ah, you must have saved me. I remember seeing you right before I was struck by lightning and fainted. Thank you."
The old man bowed his head.
"Ah, yes!"
Pastel bowed her head in return.
"Thank you too."
"What? Who saved you?"
Nathaniel was suddenly flustered.
The old man flinched and whipped his head around.
"Young Master?! You are here! Where have you been all this time! Did you go to the underground gambling den again?! Do you know how much I've been looking for you?!"
"No, I..."
Nathaniel hesitated.
"More importantly, what do you mean she saved you?"
Oing.
Oing-oing.
"Gasp."
Having finished her thoughts with Oing-oing, Pastel covered her mouth with both hands. She put on a surprised expression.
"You two knew each other?!"
I had no idea!
The Old Man calmed down somewhat.
"Ahem! Excuse me."
His eyes landed on her pink hair.
"By any chance, are you Governor-General Kraft who is said to be visiting this time?"
"Yes!"
The Old Man bowed his head.
"I don't know how you ended up crossing paths with our Young Master, but if the Young Master committed any rudeness, I will apologize on his behalf."
"No, Old Man! What did I even do!"
"Ey, it's okay!"
Pastel smiled and waved her hand.
"Rather, you must have been very worried because Mr. Nathaniel went missing, right?"
Uwa.
I'm starting to feel really sorry.
But worry not!
It can be resolved from now on!
"Since this is also fate, I can tell you the top secret that required Mr. Nathaniel even to act out a disappearance!"
"What acting."
Nathaniel looked bewildered.
Gasp, those were such amazing acting skills to hide the secret to the very end!
Pastel put on a stern expression like the Commander of a secret operation.
"Actually, Mr. Nathaniel received orders from Princess Ellie for a joint secret operation between the United Kingdom and the Empire! In order to eradicate the roots of the Church that was trying to invade even the Demon Realm, he was making contact with the Church and building a relationship with it! Then, as the situation gradually ripened and it became time to start the classified operation, he had to act out a disappearance to coincide with the visit by me, the Commander!"
"Is that true?!"
The Old Man's eyes widened.
"Of course! As a patriot, overthrowing the Mastermind forces eating away at the United Kingdom is a given! Stopping by the Gambling Den and such during that time was just acting for an alibi and proper reputation management! There's no way he would have just gone to the Gambling Den for no reason!"
Gasp, so that was it.
"Young Master...!"
The Old Man's eyes welled with tears.
"Huh? Huh?"
Nathaniel's hands were grabbed.
"So that was it! Putting the Mansion up as collateral at the Gambling Den, losing it all, and then running away from home was all for reputation management for the operation! Not knowing that, this Butler only mistreated the Young Master...!"
Tears fell drop by drop.
"To think you were working for the country under Princess Ellishita, rather than just talking about patriotism while going out to Faction meetings!"
A deeply moved gaze was directed at Nathaniel.
"Please blame me for not believing in you! Seeing the Young Master grow up so splendidly, this Butler has no regrets even if I die right now!"
"Huh?"
Nathaniel was flustered.
His head turned with a creak.
His awkward gaze landed on Pastel.
Pastel just laughed, hehe.
Putting the Mansion up as collateral while frequenting the Gambling Den, hanging out with bad people, even working as a messenger for the Radical Faction, and then being confined until now, is making the Butler shed tears of blood.
VS
He was turning out to be a secret agent whose actions were all for the sake of the country.
A drop of cold sweat fell from Nathaniel.
Hehe.
Innocent Pastel doesn't really know which one he should choose.
"Young Master...?"
Nathaniel hurriedly flashed a grin.
"Oh! Of course!"
He gave a thumbs up.
"I was a Secret Agent!"
Uwa, so that was it!