Chapter 157
With a Fairy who grants wishes, you can achieve anything!
Oh my.
A fairy who grants wishes?
Gasp, I know a fairy tale like this.
What was it called?
Fairy lamp! No, magic lamp?
Anyway, a wish-granting lamp!
It was a fairy tale where a prince, driven out after a cowardly power struggle, accidentally picked up a magic lamp in the desert that granted wishes, returned to the capital, defeated his rivals with bizarre and cunning schemes, and seized power!
Gasp, Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!
It's exactly what I want!
Lord Demon couldn't do things like a Demon's Contract, but the fairy is different!
Could it be that the fairy and I are a match made in heaven?
But since the fairy said the world's greatest wealth and power were beyond their capabilities, it feels a little disappointing. It seems to fall just a tiny bit short of a match made in heaven.
Sniff.
I'm sorry, fairy. I know you're disappointed. But the seat next to a Popular Person can't be given to just anyone! Not that the fairy I'll be close friends with for thousands of years is just anyone, though!
"Pastel seems to be in an excessively good mood. Could there be some good news that we don't know about?"
Melissa whispered to Ellie.
But since the sharp-eared Pastel heard everything, she pricked up her ears as she walked ahead.
"That's good news, huh?"
Ellie pondered seriously.
Then, as a senior who had learned through much experience, she earnestly advised her junior.
"Being quick-witted isn't always a good thing. Even if you're curious, pretend you don't know. Pastel herself said that if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
Gasp, if anyone heard that, they'd think Governor-General Pastel had secretly plotted a wicked scheme and was in high spirits after succeeding.
"Is that so?"
Melissa tilted her head. Then, after some thought, she approached with the confidence of being number one in the Friend Ranking.
"Pastel. You've seemed to be in a good mood for the past few days. Did something good happen?"
"I don't know either!"
Ever since meeting the fairy, I strangely feel like I've taken some kind of drug!
But wasn't the Popular Person Pastel always in a good mood anyway?
Then being in a good mood isn't anything special.
Wow, I think that's the right answer!
Pastel hummed as she walked.
The end of the Airship Corridor came into view. She had taken the train as per her original schedule for a business inspection, but since there was a suspicious group that dared to commit a massacre in front of the Governor-General, she had quickly moved via airship.
They were gradually approaching the capital of the Demon Realm United Kingdom, though they still had a bit further to go since the Docking Bay was on the outskirts of the capital due to security issues.
"Somehow, I think I know why you're in a good mood, Pastel."
Melissa trotted over with her hands behind her back and smiled.
"Oh, really?"
To think she knows a reason even I don't know!
"It's because of Bellamont, right? I left instructions that if a letter of greeting arrived at Sky Island, it should be transported to the Demon World capital in advance, so Bellamont's letter should be here by now, given the timing. Right? Popular Person Pastel?"
Pastel's eyes went wide.
Alcier!
I had completely forgotten about her existence.
Gasp.
Since Alcier had returned to the Northern Ducal Family due to the succession issue, Pastel, who tended to be forgetful when someone wasn't right next to her, had forgotten she existed.
Oh my.
But-But.
Alcier originally had no presence anyway, so even if she hadn't left, I probably would have forgotten she existed!
Which means I didn't specifically forget her~!
Yeah, yeah!
"Right?"
Melissa stared at her. Her eyes were sparkling, curious for the answer.
"Gasp."
Pastel covered her mouth and made a surprised expression.
"How did you know!"
The Popular Person Pastel was in high spirits because she was looking forward to Alcier's letter~!
"I knew it."
Melissa, having guessed the right answer, looked proud.
"I'm also looking forward to seeing what kind of letter it is. I'm worried about how the Succession Struggle has been progressing too, even though I was the one who pushed her into it."
Melissa looked worried, her expression showing a slight twinge of conscience. Even though she had given very noble advice about it being a duty of nobles, sending a friend into a deadly situation seemed to weigh on her mind.
Melissa is so sweet...
"Alcier will do just fine! After all, Alcier is none other than Melissa's and my friend! She won't die from tripping unluckily on the stairs!"
"That's surprising. I thought you would be more worried, Pastel."
Melissa looked back at the window in the Airship Corridor. White feathery clouds brushed past in the blue sky.
"I suppose if you believe in Alcier, that's how it should be. Pastel, I've learned another lesson today."
"Yeah, yeah!"
Pastel followed Melissa's gaze and looked out the window. At a glance, Demon Realm architecture could be seen on the ground.
"Whoa! We're here! We're here! It's the United Kingdom!"
"We crossed the border a while ago, though."
Ellie, who had been quiet, bluntly corrected her.
"Ack! Ellie, way to ruin the mood!"
Pastel let out a playful cry and dashed down the corridor.
"We're here! We're here!"
Swoosh, swoosh.
Reaching the end of the corridor, she forcefully threw open the door to the deck. Piercing sunlight could be felt.
As she endured the glare and opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was Lord Demon leaning against the railing, looking down at the ground.
"Lord Demon! Are we here?!"
The demon turned his head. The expression that had been steeped in the past faded, changing into a look that seemed to ponder what to feed this pink-haired girl for lunch.
"Yes, we have returned."
Befitting the capital of the kingdom, countless airships resembling whales were flying around in the surrounding sky. Massive fins flapped like wings.
"Wow, wow!"
An airship that looked like a warship hovered in the vicinity, observing the Archdemon through a telescope. When Ellie casually waved her hand, the soldier at the railing gave a salute and changed their course.
"Wow, wow!"
Pastel ran to the railing. Her view opened up, and the ground came into sight all at once.
High-rise buildings that seemed to be at least 10 stories tall covered the earth. The first skyscrapers towered over the sky, blocking the sunlight and forming a skyline. The magic circles on the building walls glowed.
As she turned her gaze to the side, factory chimneys lined up as if covering the horizon. Black soot created clouds. An airship fully loaded with commercial cargo flapped its wings, piercing through the soot clouds.
A high-level planned city characterized by divided development zones and aligned straight roads.
"Ehh?"
Pastel blinked slowly.
The worldview is completely different here.
Ellie approached the railing. Ellie's hand reached out and pulled the fountain pen that was tucked into Pastel's breast pocket.
The fountain pen pointed at the horizon.
"Now we are the empire."
A proud smile and a voice full of self-esteem.
It was pride she couldn't hide.
The Next Southern Commander, who had been quietly following behind, smiled with slight awkwardness. Her blue eyes rolled as if in thought; then she shifted her interest as if looking forward to Alcier's letter.
The airship flew through the city's black sky. Soot clouds covered the deck. The blue sky was nowhere to be found.
Ellie retrieved the fountain pen, looking embarrassed.
"The air is bad, though."
"Waaaah! Cough! Cough!"
Pastel's nose tingled and her eyes stung.
"It feels like my lifespan is being shaved away in real-time!"
It feels like I need to wish for immortality from the fairy right this instant!
"It would be best to return to the cabin."
Lord Demon pushed her back.
"Lord Demon! Please make a contract for immortality with meee!"
"What are you suddenly talking about? More importantly, don't rub your eyes just because they hurt. It will only get in your eyes and hurt more."
"Hwaaah! It's trueee!"
Pastel rubbed her eyes and ended up in even more pain. Her hands trembled and tears poured out.
Waaaah!
"Lord Demon! Lord Demoooon! immortalitaaay!"
"I said, "What are you suddenly talking about?""
While Pastel flailed and fled indoors, Ellie felt incredibly embarrassed by her friend's intense reaction.
"The air really is quite bad..."
The unreturned fountain pen was rubbed awkwardly.
"I think it's nice because it's unique. Rather than being good or bad, it's a cultural difference, I suppose."
Melissa comforted her.
"Is that so?"
Ellie, whose face had brightened slightly, looked back and then just stared blankly. Melissa was diligently covering her nose with a handkerchief.
Melissa corrected herself in embarrassment.
"The air really is bad, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
#
"Woooah! Demon Realm chicken skewers! As the great Governor-General who rules Sky Island, today I will compare how different this is from Sky Island's number one chicken skewer!"
Pastel sat on a bench behind the post office and raised the chicken skewers in both hands.
Melissa looked at her subtly.
"Isn't that Sky Island number one establishment a title they earned by offering you, Pastel, a lifetime supply of free chicken skewers as a bribe?"
Pastel pretended not to hear.
The Governor-General is hard of hearing~!
"I'll give it a try!"
Seasoned with magic stone dust.
"Yum!"
Her pink eyes went wide.
Oh.
This is it!
This is...!
Pastel hurriedly chewed the chicken with mumbling and chewing and swallowed it down.
And then she shouted.
"Cough!"
A cough full of the smell of soot.
I don't know about the taste, but the air is just bad...!
Pastel had only just arrived in the United Kingdom, but suddenly she wanted to skip sightseeing in the city and just hole up in a hotel.
Melissa was looking around frantically like a girl coming up to the city for the first time, and Ellie couldn't control her mouth like a girl showing someone around the city for the first time, but to Governor-General Pastel, 10-story buildings and industrial factories didn't really spark much curiosity.
The back door of the post office opened and Ellie came out.
Befitting the Demon World capital, the objective gaze toward pink hair wasn't very favorable, so Ellie went to receive Alcier's letter instead.
"There was one letter waiting."
"Yeah, yeah!"
Pastel swung her legs and received the letter.
"Alcier's exciting letter!"
The envelope was torn open and the letter paper was pulled out. Melissa, who was about to mention the wax seal, gave up, and they looked at the letter paper together.
"Let's seeee."
On the single sheet of letter paper, a short message befitting its length was written.
"Kraft, I ask for your advice. How should I win in Fratricidal Strife?"
Oing.
Kraft, whose succession rule was to murder blood relatives, entered a ppu-ppu state.
Ppu-ppu.