Lord of Avalon : Lost in Another World

The midday sun shone brightly over Minori Village, casting a warm golden light over the flourishing farmlands. Ardi and Yui walked toward the fields, enjoying the cool breeze carrying the scent of fresh soil and new crops.

When they reached the Fairy Spring of Abundance, they saw something odd—villagers were gathered together, whispering excitedly and glancing at the magical spring where the water rippled with an unusual shimmer.

Ardi and Yui exchanged a look before stepping forward. Kaede, a hard-working farmer, and Chiyo, a skilled carpenter, were the first to notice them. When they saw their lord and lady, they quickly bowed.

"Good day, My Lord. My Lady," Kaede greeted respectfully.

The other villagers straightened up and then quickly went back to their work.

"That looked strange," Ardi murmured to Yui, then turned to Kaede and Chiyo. "What's going on here? You all seemed a bit spooked."

Kaede hesitated and exchanged a look with Chiyo. Finally, she whispered, "Some villagers said they heard a child's laughter near the spring… but as you know, My Lord, there aren't any children here yet."

Ardi kept a neutral expression, though Yui stifled a knowing laugh. "Maybe some of the women are expecting... but it's too early for—!"

"Right, right," Ardi interrupted with a chuckle. "Let's focus on the laughter. Did anyone see where it came from?"

Chiyo leaned in and whispered, "Someone said they saw a small, glowing figure flying, kind of like Lady Yui."

Yui's eyes twinkled. "A fairy, maybe?"

Ardi nodded. "With all this natural energy here, it's no surprise that fairies or other nature spirits would be drawn to the spring."

Yui placed her hand on her chin, thinking. "But if there are fairies here, we should check them out. Fairies can be playful tricksters, and I wouldn't want our villagers to fall for any pranks."

Ardi exhaled. "Agreed. We need to make sure they're harmless." He then smiled at Kaede and Chiyo. "Thank you both for reporting this. You can go back to work. We'll handle the rest."

The two women nodded and left, and Ardi and Yui headed over to investigate the spring.

They searched around the edge of the spring for any signs of movement. After a few minutes, Yui's sharp eyes spotted something—tiny figures fluttering above a berry bush near the treeline.

"Over there," Yui whispered, pointing.

Ardi followed her gaze and saw five small fairies, no bigger than a human hand, hovering above the bush, plucking berries and giggling. Their delicate wings shimmered like stained glass in the sunlight.

"Adorable," Yui murmured with a smile.

As Ardi stepped forward, the fairies noticed him. Four of them quickly flew away, leaving only one—a small, golden-haired fairy frozen mid-air, her eyes fixed on Yui.

"She's... not running?" Ardi whispered.

The fairy hesitated, then cautiously fluttered closer, her bright blue eyes studying Yui. It seemed she was trying to decide if Yui was friendly or something else.

Finally, in a soft, melodic voice she said, "You... you're not one of us, but you're like us. Who are you? And why are you with a human?"

Yui smiled gently. "I'm Yui, a Fairy Assistant bonded to Master Ardi. And this human beside me—" she paused with a giggle, "—is my beloved."

The golden-haired fairy's eyes widened, and her tiny hands trembled. "A fairy with a hyuma? That's impossible!"

"Is it?" Ardi said, smiling warmly. "We're right here, aren't we?"

In the distance, the other fairies peeked nervously from behind leaves, upset that their friend hadn't flown away.

After a moment, the golden-haired fairy spoke again. "I'm Vivian. I... have never seen a fairy choose to stay with a hyuma. That's... unusual."

Ardi chuckled. "I hear that a lot."

Vivian looked at Yui for confirmation, and Yui nodded.

Vivian frowned. "That can't be. This land was untouched by any Hyuma kingdom."

"That's because I'm not from a Hyuma kingdom. I'm Ardi Yuniarsyah, Human Lord from Minori Village, Lord of Avalon Archipelago " Ardi explained. "We're human, but not from this world."

Vivian gasped. "Dimensional travelers?! That sounds like an invasion!"

Ardi sighed, scratching his head. "Not an invasion—more like a migration. We're here to build a new home. Even Gaia, the Mother Earth, has noticed us."

Vivian looked shocked. Before she could ask more, a sudden gust of wind swept by, and a larger, older fairy emerged from the trees.

"Vivian!" The new fairy, with elegant silver wings and a regal presence, quickly embraced her. "You foolish child! Running off like that—do you know how worried I was?"

"I-I'm sorry, Mother..." Vivian mumbled.

Ardi and Yui exchanged glances as the older fairy. She turned her sharp gaze on them. Her golden eyes examined the pair—a hyuma Man and a powerful fairy side by side.

Vivian quickly whispered something to her mother. Her's face hardened. "Dimensional travelers... The last time this happened, Orcs, Nether Demons, and Abyssal Creatures arrived in this world."

Ardi noticed her wariness. This was no simple misunderstanding—history was repeating itself.

Before he could speak, Vivian's Mother pulled Vivian away, distancing them from Ardi and Yui.

Ardi blinked. "Do I really look that threatening?" he whispered to Yui.

Yui giggled, playfully poking his cheek. "Well, Anata, you are a mysterious lord from another world, partnered with a fairy. That does sound a bit ominous."

Ardi sighed dramatically. "Great. I was hoping to make friends, not scare them off."

Yui smiled. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."

Yui flew off gracefully to talk with Amanda and Vivian while Ardi watched her wings glimmer in the sunlight. A wry smile formed on his lips. "She really knows how to take charge, huh?" he murmured.

Instead of waiting, Ardi turned to the Fairy Spring of Abundance, its shimmering water like a jewel in the sun. The air was thick with magic—a perfect spot for his next challenge: his first try at Reinforcement Magecraft.

He had learned this skill through the Gacha System, and now it was time to put that knowledge to the test. Taking a small stone from the ground, he examined its rough texture.

"Alright," he muttered. "Step one—analyze."

Ardi closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting his mind sync with the stone. A faint pulse of mana spread from his fingertips, revealing the stone's structure in glowing blue lines—tiny cracks and weak spots were visible.

"Huh... it's more fragile than it looks," he murmured.

Now came the hard part—Reinforcement.

Ardi carefully channeled his mana along the stone's natural lines, strengthening its weak points without overloading it. Golden lines spread over the surface like pulsing veins.

"...So far, so good," he whispered.

With steady breathing, Ardi added a bit more mana. The glow intensified and then faded, leaving the stone looking unchanged on the outside. Curious, he squeezed the stone. Instead of crumbling, it held firm.

"It worked," Ardi said with a grin. He tossed the stone a few feet; it hit the ground with a solid thunk and didn't crumble.

"Reinforcement success," he murmured, satisfaction filling him.

Encouraged, he picked up a small twig next. He analyzed its fibers and directed his mana along its grain. The golden glow followed the natural lines of the wood. He lifted the twig and snapped it in half.

"...Damn it."

He had miscalculated the mana flow—this time the twig became brittle instead of stronger.

"Well, I expected some failures," he muttered, tossing the broken pieces aside.

Determined, he adjusted his technique and tried again. By the fifth attempt, the twig no longer broke under pressure. It bent slightly but held firm, stronger than before.

Ardi rubbed his temples. "This takes a lot of precision."

Just as he was about to try another object, a familiar giggle came from behind him.

"Anataaa~"

Ardi didn't even need to turn around.

"Yui?" he said.

Yui's playful voice floated close as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her chin near his neck.

"Practicing magic alone? And not inviting your cute, talented assistant?" she teased.

Ardi sighed. "I was waiting for you to finish talking with Amanda and Vivian."

Yui pouted, poking his cheek. "Hmph. You could've told me beforehand! What if you accidentally blew something up?"

Ardi rolled his eyes. "It's Reinforcement, Yui, not Destruction magic."

"But still," Yui said as she turned to face him, her blue eyes curious, "how did it go?"

Ardi held up the reinforced stone. "Look at this. Try breaking it."

Intrigued, Yui took the stone and squeezed it lightly. Her eyes widened in surprise at its unexpected strength.

"Oooh, impressive!" she clapped her hands. "Not bad for a beginner, Anata!"

"Beginner?" Ardi raised an eyebrow.

Yui smirked. "Well, you did break a bunch of twigs, didn't you?"

Ardi groaned. "You were watching, weren't you?"

Yui giggled. "Maybe."

Seeing his slightly annoyed face, she leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "But I'm proud of you."

Ardi's frustration melted, and he shook his head. "…You're impossible."

After a few more moments of playful banter, Yui asked, "So, what's next, Anata?"

Ardi took a deep breath, looking at the remaining materials. "Now that I've got the basics down, I think it's time to try Reinforcement on myself."

Yui's playful look vanished. "…Wait, you're what?!"