Chapter 53
‘The Fairy Forest… How long has it been?’
The barrier around the forest didn’t block Philly. Instead, it gently welcomed her.
In the next moment, she easily stepped through and entered the forest.
This was her birthplace, the home where she had grown up. The forest’s unique energy wrapped around her like a warm embrace.
Under the blessing of the World Tree, this land overflowed with life. It was familiar, comforting, and nostalgic all at once.
But Philly’s heart wasn’t entirely at ease.
‘The home I had to leave behind…’
She never thought she’d come back here. Not like this.
If anyone else had asked her to return, she would’ve refused.
But Ariella had saved the library from collapsing. To Philly, Ariella was a precious benefactor.
And on top of that, Ariella had made her a promise:
She would gather more citizens for their land and turn the library into something truly beautiful.
‘I trust Lady Ariella.’
Philly’s respect and trust toward Ariella, the Demon King’s contractor, grew deeper each day.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
“Isn’t that the bookworm? Why did she come back?”
Philly hadn’t even reached her village yet when she sensed fairies flying toward her.
‘Oh no. Not now!’
Her expression darkened.
Four fairies surrounded her.
They blocked her path and started laughing mockingly.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Philly—the one who ran away because she hated the forest!”
“Bookworm! Bookworm!”
“You left before, so why are you sneaking back now?”
There was no way Philly could forget those faces.
These were the same bullies who had tormented her when she lived in the forest.
She had already admitted she never fit well into fairy society; her personality was just too different.
And some fairies didn’t just ignore her—they actively bullied her.
This group was the worst of them all.
“What’s in that big bundle you’re carrying?”
“Hahaha! I get it. You must’ve been kicked out of the Demon King’s land too, right? Figures. Someone as useless as you, what else could’ve happened?”
“Did you pack up everything and come crawling back here?”
The fairies laughed and jeered just like old times. Hearing their mocking voices made Philly’s body stiffen up.
“No place to go, huh? How can you even show your face here?”
“Look at her stupid expression. She’s so annoying to look at.”
“She’s terrible at gathering honey, bad at magic, and all she does is read books. Who would want her around?”
“Exactly! No one will take you in anymore. Get out right now!”
In the Demon Realm, fairies loved doing anything they found entertaining.
Even bullying a weak member of their own race was considered fun.
Philly’s magic was weaker than most fairies, and that had been another reason for their teasing.
Her heart pounded, just like in the past.
Her body shrank back, and all she wanted to do was run.
“Philly! Remember this.”
Ariella’s voice echoed in her mind.
“You’re representing Ludwig’s Demon King’s Domain right now. You’re a diplomatic envoy. Even if our land is small, you’re here to deliver the Demon King’s will. You have every right to stand tall.”
“But… I’m scared of other fairies.”
“Trust yourself. You wouldn’t want to make us look weak, would you?”
“…I’ll try, Lady Ariella.”
Philly recalled Ariella’s confident demeanor.
Even when she had fallen into a completely different world with no one from her own race, Ariella never flinched or cowered.
She had fended off attacks, taken control of situations, and always achieved what she wanted.
‘If I want to be like Lady Ariella, I need to act like her.’
Philly’s eyes locked onto the fairy at the front—Robenia.
Robenia was the leader of this group and the worst of her bullies in the past.
“Robenia. Move. I’m here for important business. I don’t have time to waste with you.”
“…What?”
Silence fell for a moment.
The fairies froze, caught off guard by her unexpected response.
‘What? Did I hear her wrong?’
They were so surprised they didn’t react immediately.
Meanwhile, Philly straightened her back and lifted her chin high.
Back then, she never dared to resist. Talking back was unthinkable.
But once she did it, she realized… it was surprisingly easy.
‘Lady Ariella stood her ground against that scary vampire.’
When Bephar came to the library’s construction site and tried to pick a fight, Ariella didn’t back down. She calmly refuted him point by point.
‘And when that dragon visited, she didn’t waver at all.’
If Philly could be even a little like Ariella…
‘I have to do this!’
The fear in her eyes disappeared.
Expressionless, she declared,
“I haven’t returned to the Fairy Forest. Today, I’ve come as a representative of Ludwig’s Demon King’s Domain.”
“What?”
The fairies’ voices were full of disbelief.
“No way. Someone like you? Representing anything?”
“You’ve been living with demons and now you’re lying too?”
Their brief shock turned into more mockery.
Philly shook her head.
They’d always been like this. Talking to them was pointless.
“I’m leaving.”
She spread her wings again, hoisting up her heavy bundle. She planned to ignore them and pass by.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”
Their reaction was completely different now.
‘Is she crazy? What’s wrong with her?’
The fairies were taken aback.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
Robenia bit her lip in anger.
To her, Philly was the pathetic fairy who always froze and trembled whenever they teased her.
‘What, did she already forget? Did she forget how scary we are?’
Malice gleamed in Robenia’s eyes. She glared at Philly’s back and made up her mind.
‘She doesn’t know her place. I’ll put her back where she belongs.’
Yes, she would remind Philly of her place—just like before.
Robenia began chanting a spell.
“■■■!”
Magic surged around her hand, forming a glowing whip.
She aimed it straight at Philly’s back as the fairy tried to walk away.
‘She’s not even a resident of the forest anymore.’
Among fairies, there were certain unspoken rules.
Even in their cruelest pranks, one rule was clear: never harm another fairy’s wings, which were considered their very life.
But Philly was practically an outsider now.
‘Let’s see how she flies with a torn wing.’
If even a small tear formed, Philly wouldn’t be able to fly properly until it healed.
Just imagining her writhing in pain filled Robenia with vicious delight.
‘She should’ve never dared to talk back.’
The moment Robenia finished her spell, the magic whip shot forward.
Whoosh!
It sliced through the air with a sharp sound.
Robenia grinned with satisfaction.
She could already imagine Philly rolling on the ground, clutching her ruined wings, sobbing pitifully.
Boom!
A loud sound rang out, like a drum being struck.
“…What?”
Robenia’s smug smile vanished. Her face went stiff.
“Huh?”
The air around them grew icy cold. The other fairies froze in shock.
“What the—?!”
The spell Robenia had cast didn’t even touch Philly. It hung in midair, completely stopped.
Blocking it was a magical barrier Philly had created in an instant.
It wrapped around her tightly, its threads interwoven with no gaps at all.
The structure was both intricate and incredibly strong.
‘All that training really paid off!’
Admiring Ariella, Philly had once asked her how she’d trained her magic so precisely, especially her ability to weave her Hold spells so tightly.
Even though Ariella was busy, she had kindly taught Philly her methods. And Philly had practiced tirelessly.
Now, while not on Ariella’s level yet, she had improved drastically.
“This… this is impossible!”
Robenia screamed in disbelief.
‘She was the weakest among us! How…?’
She couldn’t accept it. Her face flushed with anger.
‘Hmph! She must’ve gotten lucky.’
Convincing herself of that, Robenia started chanting again.
She must have made a mistake, she thought. She could fix it.
‘She’s really trying to fight me? That pathetic girl? I’ll tear those wings off and make her crawl in the dirt.’
But that plan would never come true.
Flash!
Before she could even finish chanting, Robenia’s mind went blank.
