NOVEL NEXT Chapter 302: Chapter 22. Small is Nice Too
[Arc5] - 22. Small is Nice Too
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A greedy thief, in pursuit of eternal life, killed the Holy Maiden guarding the Fountain of Life and set the Fairy King's forest ablaze.
This is the version everyone is willing to believe, and it's the version he admits to.
But the real story is far simpler.
He wasn't some great sinner. He wanted the Fountain of Life just to taste it... no, his desire was even more restrained. He thought that if his meaningless life could be extended just a little, maybe something good would happen. It was a sad reason, and with it, he embarked on his journey.
It began without much thought and ended just as casually. If the Fountain of Life ceased to exist, the Fairy King's forest would wither, and without the wild berries from the forest, there would be no more ale brewed from them. And without that, one of the few remaining joys in life would disappear. So, that was that.
Then he met the Holy Maiden who guarded the Fountain of Life. Despite being a Holy Maiden, the thief initially mistook her for a lost little girl. And then she beat him... many times.
The thief, who thought living longer might bring him good fortune, learned from her that even if one lived long, they might not encounter good things. In fact, a long life filled with duty could become unbearably tedious.
He couldn't endure that, so he left and later returned with his treasure to find the Holy Maiden again.
Rather than treasure, it was more like the product of childish behavior. He had collected many labels from ale bottles, and each label held a story of his own. No one understood his joy in this, so he figured that perhaps this girl, who had spent hundreds of years in the forest, might understand.
Indeed, she listened to every word, staring at him attentively.
Despite usually feeling miserable if he didn't drink for a day, he went seven days drinking only dew, yet he felt utterly content. It was a happiness that even dulled nerves couldn't bring.
And it seemed he wasn't the only one feeling happiness. This was wonderful. A worthless guy like him could bring happiness to someone else. His life, for a moment, had meaning.
But he wasn't one to express his feelings with elegant words. He was just a thief, so he expressed his feelings in a thief's way.
"I'll steal you."
After all, he didn't get along with humans, so why not be with a fairy instead? The issue of lifespan faded from his mind.
Unfortunately, the girl couldn't leave with him. She had to stay and guard the forest in place of the absent Fairy King. So, if he could just drag back that lazy guy who abandoned his duties, then everything would be fine.
It seemed like his once pointless life could suddenly become perfect, filled with purpose and with someone to love, and… someone who loved him.
But then… everything changed. A red demon stole his future, stole the one he loved, stole the one who loved him.
The fairy king's forest was devoured by hellish flames, and his careless happiness led him to a fatal mistake. He thought the enemy only had one heart, and his misjudgment got the girl killed too.
The only way to survive was through the Fountain of Life. One of them could live, and wasn't that the best possible outcome? A meaningless life could allow this wonderful girl, who even loved someone like him, to live on. But in the end…
He survived. The girl fed him the Fountain of Life with her lips.
He roared like a defeated wild dog, seeking mutual destruction with the enemy... But how could he die? He was now immortal.
He defeated the enemy, but he had nothing left.
"This is the [Sin of Greed], Ban's sin of immortality," Cyd said, looking at the sky with squinted eyes, his back to Ban.
Ban looked down at the girl lying among the petals, as if still alive but never to open her eyes again. A smile, long forgotten, appeared on his face as he knelt down and gently touched her cheek.
"It's been a while, Elaine."
The future the girl entrusted to him—the Fairy King's forest, now just a small patch—would someday return to the vibrant place it once was, where she had lived.
"Lord Ban, you're back." A fairy with a hat covering her right eye flew out from the bushes.
Cyd glanced at the fairy, her legs wrapped in a spherical garment. When she appeared, she glanced at him with a not-so-friendly look, and the way she gazed at Ban wasn't much friendlier either.
"Yeah," Ban nodded coldly, raising his hand and positioning his wrist near the tree roots, pulling out a dagger to slash his wrist.
"Snap—"
Cyd grabbed Ban's wrist.
"I say, you're not planning to turn yourself into a new Fountain of Life, nourishing this new fairy forest with your blood, are you?"
"Not bad, Vice-Captain. But since I'm immortal, a little blood won't kill me, right?" Ban's tone was as light as ever, as if his life was the cheapest thing in the world.
"Could you please stop interfering with Lord Ban?" the fairy showed hostility.
"This isn't interference. I just want to understand the situation. Who are you, for instance?"
"My name is Gerheade, the caretaker of the fairy king's forest in his absence."
"A caretaker, huh? You should know that the destruction of the forest had nothing to do with Ban, right?" Cyd tightened his grip on Ban's wrist, even though Ban's immortality didn't mean Cyd would allow him to harm his own body.
"Of course I know. Lord Ban not only defeated the Demon Clan but also helped the forest's seeds sprout. To the fairies, he is undoubtedly a benefactor." Gerheade wasn't lying, but the slight squint in her eyes betrayed some falsehood.
It was indeed the truth, but that was merely the official stance. Her personal thoughts remained unspoken.
"It's fine, Vice-Captain," Ban pressed down Cyd's hand and nudged him out of the forest's central tree.
"This was my promise to Elaine. I'm already happy you came with me to hear all this."
"For someone with the Sin of Greed, you're too easily satisfied. If you want, I can help restore the forest to its original state. You don't need to nourish it with your own blood."
Using the blessing of Demeter, reviving the forest would only take a thought.
"Forget it, Vice-Captain. No need to be perfect. I'm doing this for myself." Ban flashed a bright smile, giving a thumbs-up. "So that one day I can take her away from this forest."
"Do as you wish. I respect personal choices," Cyd said helplessly, lowering his head as he sat on a stump with Medusa, waving Ban away.
"Go do what you want to do."
"Yes." Ban returned to the tree roots, and soon, the entire tree began to grow rapidly, as if time itself had sped up. The once small forest steadily expanded.
"What a fool... It's exhausting to think there's another fool like him," Cyd muttered.
Medusa tapped Cyd's head, tilting her head and whispering, "I'm tired too."
"That's really~ Thank you for your trouble."