I wanted to taste the drink.
Badly.
Just one sip. That was all I wanted. I had been carrying the glass around for what felt like an eternity, and after everything that had happened tonight, I was beginning to think the fairies had somehow made it their personal mission to prevent me from drinking it.
I raised the glass toward my lips.
And then something happened.
The King suddenly lifted his own glass and stood from his throne.
The movement was small.
But the entire hall reacted to it.
Almost instantly, the nobles began moving. Conversations ended. Servants stepped aside. People who had been standing comfortably in their little groups started making their way toward the exits.
I lowered my glass.
"Huh?"
I looked toward Bell.
"What is happening?"
Before she could answer, Zeon walked past us. He didn't even spare me a glance. He simply headed toward another group of nobles, apparently having something important to discuss with them.
I stared after him.
Then at my drink.
"Fuck it all."
I raised the glass again.
Just one sip.
Suddenly, Bell grabbed my hand.
"Huh?! What is it?"
Before I could understand what was happening, Gray and Alysa followed us as Bell began pulling me toward the exit.
I looked around.
Everyone was leaving.
The enormous banquet hall that had been filled with nobles only moments ago was rapidly emptying. People were heading outside the palace in groups, their elegant clothes mixing with the colorful clothing of servants and civilians who were apparently already gathering beyond the royal grounds.
Bell was still holding my hand.
She was smiling.
I didn't understand why.
More importantly, I noticed people looking at us.
Quite a lot of people.
I suddenly stopped.
Bell almost stumbled.
I gently pulled my hand free from hers.
"What is this?"
My voice came out sharper than I intended.
"You can speak, right?"
The words were a little rude.
I knew that.
But perhaps I was still irritated.
Fiancé.
The word had been sitting inside my head ever since she said it.
Bell looked at me for a moment.
Then her smile became brighter.
"It's the best part of the ceremony!"
Gray looked around.
"So we're going outside because the ceremony is over?"
"No," he said to himself a moment later.
His eyes widened slightly.
"It looks like the real one is just beginning."
Bell nodded.
"This is the second phase."
She looked toward the enormous palace gates.
"Now the royals, nobles, and commoners celebrate the announcement together."
She paused.
"Like fairies without titles or authority."
I blinked.
"Does this kind of thing actually happen?"
I looked outside.
Nobles were walking among civilians.
Children of noble families were running around with ordinary children.
Families from completely different social positions were eating together, laughing together, and talking as if none of those differences existed.
Some nobles were even speaking to commoners as equals.
There were no guards separating them.
No walls.
No obvious hierarchy.
I stared.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
It was like watching the sun rise in the middle of the night.
"How?"
The word escaped me without permission.
Bell heard it.
She laughed softly.
Then she looked at me with a strange gentleness.
"The Exil Tree doesn't see commoners and nobles differently."
She looked toward the celebration.
"That's why this is the beginning of a new era."
Her voice became quieter.
"A new turning point. A new journey for the young ones."
I listened.
"This tournament is for those who are going to make a name for themselves. With the blessing of our Guardian, the Exil Tree."
The Exil Tree.
I looked toward the distant decorations surrounding the palace.
So this was what it represented.
Not just a tournament.
Not just some ancient tradition.
Something much greater.
Bell suddenly reached for my hand again.
This time, I didn't pull away.
"So let's forget all the titles and enjoy tonight."
She smiled.
"Just for tonight."
Gray suddenly raised his hand.
"How long are you going to let the princess wait?"
He grinned.
"Or should I say... she's just Bell now?"
Bell turned toward him.
Her eyes narrowed.
"You are the same as ever, Gray."
Gray laughed proudly.
For some reason, he looked genuinely pleased with himself.
I shook my head.
Then I followed them.
Toward the beginning of a new era.
The celebration outside the palace was unlike anything I had expected.
The moment we entered the streets, the atmosphere changed completely. The elegant silence of the banquet hall disappeared, replaced by music, laughter, footsteps, voices, and the smell of countless unfamiliar foods. Lanterns hung above the streets, illuminating the night in different colors, while fairies of all ages moved freely through the crowded roads.
For the first time since entering the Fairy Kingdom, I wasn't looking at titles.
I wasn't thinking about nobles.
I wasn't wondering which person held more authority than the other.
I simply watched.
And somehow...
It wasn't bad.
We moved from one place to another, trying different foods and seeing things I had never encountered before. Gray complained about some of the food before eating it anyway. Alysa, on the other hand, seemed to have forgotten the concept of moderation entirely.
She was eating so much that eventually I wondered whether she had been starving herself for the last several days.
I laughed.
She glared at me with a mouth full of food.
Gray laughed even harder.
The four of us continued through the celebration, talking, joking, and occasionally getting separated by the crowd before finding one another again.
It felt strangely normal.
Almost peaceful.
Then, while we were walking through one of the busier streets, a young girl passed by us.
Something caught my attention.
I stopped.
Not because of her appearance.
Because of something I felt.
A strange sensation brushed against me.
I turned my head.
The girl had already walked several steps away.
For a brief moment, she glanced toward me from the corner of her eye.
Our gazes almost met.
Then she turned away and continued walking.
I frowned.
What was that?
There had been something about her.
Something I couldn't identify.
But after a moment, I simply ignored it.
There was no reason to chase every strange feeling.
I turned back toward the others.
And immediately walked into someone.
"Ah—"
A girl stumbled backward.
I instinctively reached out to catch her.
But before I could, another boy around her age grabbed her arm and steadied her.
She didn't even look at me.
Neither did the boy.
They were both already running toward something in the distance.
As they passed, the girl called out hurriedly.
"Sorry!"
I stood there for a moment.
"...What?"
They were already gone.
I looked after them.
"Everyone here has their own race of problems."
I shook my head.
Then Bell's voice came from ahead.
"Zaraf!"
I turned and walked toward her.
And then I saw the woman standing beside her.
My footsteps slowed.
No.
Calling her merely beautiful would have been an insult to the word.
She stood beside Bell with an elegance that immediately separated her from the crowd. Her long white hair reflected the lantern light, almost appearing to shine beneath the night sky. Her posture was calm and dignified, but there was no arrogance in it.
She looked close to Bell's age.
Yet she seemed more composed.
More mature.
More difficult to read.
My eyes remained on her.
She noticed.
Her gaze met mine.
Warm eyes.
A gentle expression.
Then she smiled.
Not widely.
Not excessively.
Just enough.
Something fluttered strangely inside my chest.
What is this?
I looked away for a moment.
Why was my heart reacting like that?
Bell noticed.
Of course she did.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Meet my friend."
I looked back.
"Your friend?"
The words escaped before I could stop them.
The white-haired girl blinked.
Then bell asked,
"What do you mean by 'your friend'?"
Gray immediately smirked.
"It means she actually has a friend."
He laughed.
Bell's expression changed instantly.
She looked angry.
"No! That wasn't my intention!"
I raised my hands.
"I didn't mean it like that!"
Gray's laughter only made things worse.
Alysa was too busy eating to participate in the disaster.
The white-haired girl watched all of us for a moment.
Then she smiled.
"They're different from the rumors."
Her voice was gentle.
"It's nice to meet you all."
She placed a hand lightly against her chest.
"I am Elfaria Astraea."
Elfaria.
The name itself sounded elegant.
I wanted to say something.
Anything.
But for some reason, no words came out.
Bell spoke instead.
"I met her when we were children."
She looked at Elfaria with a faint smile.
"She's a genius when it comes to studies."
I looked at her.
That explained the composed expression.
Gray, however, immediately asked,
"I'm Gray."
He paused.
"Are you going to participate in the tournament?"
Elfaria looked at him.
"No... I—"
"Look!"
Alysa suddenly pointed toward the distance.
"Something is happening over there!"
We all turned.
The King had arrived.
Zeon stood beside him.
And Royan was there as well.
The moment the King appeared, something changed.
Light began to emerge around us.
It appeared in the air without warning, surrounding the King and spreading outward through the crowd. A similar radiance appeared before him, illuminating the entire area.
The noise disappeared.
Completely.
Thousands of people had been talking moments ago.
Now there wasn't a sound.
Not even a whisper.
Everyone stopped what they were doing.
Everyone looked toward the King.
I stood among them.
Silent.
Was it power?
Respect?
Perhaps both.
There was something about the King that made even the loudest celebration become quiet.
Bell stepped beside me.
She looked toward the King.
Then, slowly, she glanced at me.
There was warmth in her eyes.
But she quickly turned away and followed everyone else's gaze toward the King.
I noticed.
Yet I didn't look at her.
I didn't know why.
Even I didn't understand myself.
The King raised his voice.
"Has it already become time for the next era?"
His voice carried throughout the streets.
"It passed quite quickly."
He smiled.
"But the young ones must take hold of the future."
The light around him grew stronger.
"And to prepare them for that future..."
He raised his glass.
"I, the thirty-seventh King of the Fairy Realm, hereby announce that the one-hundred-and-twenty-third Exil Tree Tournament will officially begin."
The crowd remained silent.
"There are six thousand three hundred and ninety participants who have taken part."
A murmur threatened to rise.
But nobody interrupted.
"The climb will begin tomorrow."
His gaze moved toward the distant horizon.
"The gate to the Exil Tree will open."
Then he continued.
"And the winner shall receive the promised rewards."
I listened carefully.
"The first prize shall be the Elixir of the Exil Tree."
The crowd reacted.
Even I could feel the change.
"The Awakening Elixir."
People's eyes widened.
Hope appeared on their faces.
The King continued.
"The second prize shall be the right to choose one item from the Royal Treasury."
At that, the excitement became even more obvious.
"Choose according to your own will."
I looked around.
The reactions were genuine.
These people truly respected their history.
Their treasures.
Their traditions.
Maybe it was only what I could see on the surface.
But even if it was...
It was real.
I couldn't help but wonder.
What exactly is the Exil Tree?
The King continued his speech.
"I hope to witness remarkable young ones rise during this tournament."
"The rules and routes shall be given to all participants tomorrow, at the gate."
He lowered his glass.
"But for tonight..."
A smile appeared on his face.
"Forget the battles."
"Forget your titles."
"Forget your ambitions."
"Enjoy this night to the fullest."
His voice became louder.
"That is all."
He raised his glass.
"For this era..."
A pause.
"The Radix Era begins now!"
The silence broke.
A massive roar erupted from the crowd.
To me, it was almost unbearable noise.
But to them...
It was a cheer.
A promise.
A thousand hopes being shouted into the night.
Bell quietly muttered something.
"It's noise..."
I turned toward her.
"Huh?"
She froze.
She hadn't expected me to hear.
I stared at her.
"What did you say?"
She slowly looked away.
"What are you talking about?"
I narrowed my eyes.
What kind of princess are you?
Before I could ask again, Elfaria spoke.
"I must go now."
She smiled at us.
"It was nice meeting you all in person."
She glanced toward Bell.
"And now I'm relieved to know what kind of people she spends her time with."
I smiled awkwardly.
Elfaria looked at me.
"She may be a little rude."
Bell's eyes widened.
"But she's a good person."
Elfaria smiled.
"So don't hurt her."
Then she turned around and walked away with the servant who had been waiting nearby.
Bell remained silent.
Then I noticed something.
Her face was red.
She was blushing.
I stared.
Look at her.
Apparently, simply being told that she was a good person was enough to make the princess blush.
Gray noticed it too.
"So?"
He stretched his arms.
"What now? We gonna enjoy the night?"
Bell's expression darkened for a moment.
Then she looked at me.
"I need to go."
She paused.
"But before that..."
Her gaze remained on mine.
"Can we talk, Zaraf?"
It was about damn time.
I nodded.
"Yes."
I looked toward Gray and Alysa.
"I wanted to talk to you too."
They immediately understood.
They went ahead while I told them I'd catch up later.
Bell and I walked away from the celebration.
The further we went, the quieter it became.
The lights of the festival slowly faded behind us until only the distant sounds of laughter remained.
Eventually, we reached a secluded part of the palace grounds.
There was a bench beneath a large tree.
Bell walked toward it and sat down.
Then she gestured for me to join her.
I walked over.
But instead of sitting, I remained beside her.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
There were many things I wanted to ask.
Too many.
But I didn't know where to begin.
Then I finally asked the one question that had been bothering me since the banquet.
"Were you hiding the information about your fiancé on purpose?"
Bell's expression immediately became sad.
"No."
She looked down.
"It wasn't my intention to hide it."
She took a breath.
"I just never got the right moment to tell you."
She paused.
"If I suddenly told you that I had a fiancé..."
She gave a small, embarrassed smile.
"What kind of idiot would I look like?"
I remained silent.
Fair point.
We had never really talked about her life before.
I knew Bell as a fairy.
As a princess.
As someone connected to the royal family.
But I didn't know what kind of life she had lived before meeting me.
I didn't know what she wanted.
I didn't know why someone like her had chosen to come to the Imagery World as a contractor.
There were so many parts of her life that I had never asked about.
Maybe it wasn't too late.
"So..."
I finally spoke.
"No more hiding things between us, okay?"
Bell slowly nodded.
But somehow, the movement didn't look convincing.
I watched her for a moment.
Then I asked another question.
"By the way..."
I sat down beside her.
"It must have been difficult for you to come to the Imagery World while being a princess."
She looked at me.
"Why did you choose this path?"
The moment the words left my mouth, I wondered whether I had gone too far.
That was a personal question.
Perhaps too personal.
I was about to change the subject when Bell spoke.
"I came to continue what my father left behind."
I turned toward her.
"What?"
She stared into the distance.
"My father was supposed to become king."
I listened.
"But he left the throne."
She paused.
"He went to find something."
Her voice became quieter.
"Or someone."
I frowned.
So Bell wasn't simply another princess.
She was directly connected to the royal bloodline.
Bell took a deep breath.
"I don't talk about this very often."
She looked uncomfortable.
"So it's difficult..."
I interrupted gently.
"You don't need to tell me everything at once."
I looked at her.
"Whenever you feel like talking, I'm here."
Her shoulders relaxed slightly.
Then she spoke again.
"But in fairy realm, females can't become rulers."
I blinked.
"So..."
She looked down at her hands.
"This is the way."
She paused.
"Jure Uxoris."
I tilted my head.
"What?"
She noticed my confusion.
"Right."
She sighed.
"You wouldn't know."
Then she explained.
"It's basically called the Kingmaker system."
"The one who marries the princess becomes the next king and continues the bloodline."
I stared at her.
"So..."
She nodded.
"This is my responsibility as a princess."
I hated the system immediately.
But then something occurred to me.
"What about Nashira?"
Bell tilted her head.
"Hmm?"
"What does her position mean?"
Bell thought for a moment.
"Her father, my uncle, is the younger brother of my father."
She paused.
"But he refused to become king."
I stared at her.
"What?"
"He didn't want the throne."
"And because of that..."
Bell nodded.
"After my father, I needed to find someone who could become king."
I remained silent.
What a ridiculous situation.
Her uncle refused the throne, and somehow the burden fell onto her.
She had to sacrifice her future because someone else didn't want his responsibility.
I felt anger rising inside me.
But I stayed silent.
If I spoke while angry, I might say something I would regret.
Bell noticed my silence.
"It may look like a burden."
She smiled faintly.
"But..."
She looked at me.
"I was the one who agreed to become engaged with Zeon."
I blinked.
"What?"
She smiled awkwardly.
"You don't seem to like him."
I frowned.
"That gloomy guy?"
Bell laughed quietly.
"He didn't make a very good impression on you, did he?"
"Not exactly."
She looked away.
"It's nothing new."
Her expression changed slightly.
"He has changed a little."
She paused.
"But I know he used to be a good person."
She looked down.
"And even now..."
Her voice became quieter.
"I sometimes think he hates me."
She smiled weakly.
"Maybe that's just my imagination."
Then she shook her head.
"Anyway, let's forget about that for a moment."
I thought about Zeon.
I remembered meeting him.
I hadn't sensed anything particularly kind from him.
But if Bell believed he had once been a good person...
Maybe there was something I hadn't seen.
Maybe his hatred had a reason.
Maybe that was the key to everything that would happen later.
I pushed the thought aside.
There was something else I needed to tell her.
"So..."
I looked at her.
"What are you going to do now?"
I paused.
"I presume you're no longer grounded?"
Bell nodded.
Then she looked toward the dark sky.
"I still want to finish what my father started."
She took a breath.
"I already asked the King to allow me to return to the Imagery World."
"And?"
"He refused."
She smiled faintly.
"But eventually, he agreed."
I raised an eyebrow.
He didn't agree for no reason.
She must have done something.
Or said something.
Something strong enough to make even the King change his mind.
Bell continued.
"I asked him what he thought about us being late for the marriage."
I waited.
She sighed.
"He said, 'When you feel ready, just tell the King.'"
She frowned.
"How rude."
I almost laughed.
She continued.
"I asked him how he felt about it, and he tells me that?"
Her cheeks puffed slightly.
"I'm going to beat him when I get the chance."
I stared at her.
Then I laughed.
Their relationship was strange.
Very strange.
But I couldn't judge it.
Not yet.
I still didn't know the whole story.
Only fragments.
Then I finally told her the reason I had come here.
"I came here to make a contract with you."
Bell froze.
"Huh?"
She looked at me.
"You didn't come here to participate in the Exil Tree Tournament?"
"No."
I shook my head.
"The tournament was just a way for me to meet you."
She stared at me.
Silence followed.
For quite some time.
Neither of us spoke.
Then she finally looked down.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
I hesitated.
"I wanted to."
I looked away.
"But after finding out about your fiancé..."
I sighed.
"I thought maybe you wouldn't want to go back with me."
Bell froze and then looked at me.
Her face became slightly red.
"Thank you..."
She smiled.
"But I don't think they'll allow me to go again after I broke the rules."
I stood up.
"If you want to go with me..."
I looked down at her.
"I'll get permission from the King himself."
Bell's eyes widened.
"What?"
My expression became serious.
"If you want to come back with me, I'll do everything I can to make it happen."
I clenched my fist.
"I'll win the Exil Tree Tournament."
Bell stared at me.
"And in return..."
I smiled.
"I'll ask the King to allow you to become my contractor again."
She remained silent for a moment.
Then she tilted her head.
"Why me?"
I blinked.
"You know that after drinking the Awakening Elixir, you'll awaken a new skill related to your element, Wind."
She continued.
"And the Royal Treasury contains high-level weapons."
Her gaze became serious.
"I also know they're probably going to appoint another fairy as your contractor."
She looked at me.
"So why me?"
I understood that question.
It wasn't about logic.
It was something deeper.
She wanted to know whether I actually needed her.
Whether there was a reason for me to choose her when there were probably countless stronger or more suitable fairies.
I knew that feeling better than anyone.
A smile slowly appeared on my face.
"Because you're my first friend from the fairies."
Bell stared at me.
"And..."
I laughed.
"I don't want someone else beside me."
I paused.
"Especially a royal."
Bell remained silent.
Then her expression softened.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"You?"
She shook her head.
"You also need to tell the truth sometimes."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
She only smiled.
I never got an answer.
The night continued around us.
The celebration was still going on somewhere beyond the palace walls. Thousands of voices were still cheering for the beginning of a new era.
But I barely heard them anymore.
Because now I knew what I had to do.
Tomorrow, the gate to the Exil Tree would open.
Six thousand three hundred and ninety participants would enter.
Among them would be nobles, commoners, geniuses, fools, future heroes, and people whose names might one day be remembered by the entire kingdom.
And me.
I had come to the Fairy Realm for one reason.
To make a contract.
Now I had another.
I would climb the Exil Tree.
I would win the tournament.
And if the King stood between Bell and the Imagery World...
Then I would simply have to convince the King himself.
That was how my night before the Exil Tree Tournament ended.
With the beginning of a new era.
And the beginning of my next journey.