Reverse Dungeon

“You two will surely defeat the Demon King someday,” the Fairy Queen said with conviction.

“Mm,” Keith answered, sounding as if he agreed.

Ian didn’t bother correcting her. After all, Keith would be the one to defeat the Demon King.

“We do not know whether it was a servant of the Demon King or someone else, but a suspicious figure once visited this island.”

“A suspicious figure?”

Ian had never encountered this dialogue in the game before. His interest sharpened. What special condition had he fulfilled to trigger this conversation?

“Yes. Someone with their face concealed came to survey the far side of the island. After that, the island began to wither, and monsters started settling in that area.”

“You believe someone deliberately left the monsters behind?” Keith asked.

“That is what I suspect.” The Fairy Queen gave a small nod.

“Thank you for telling us. That is useful information,” Keith replied.

Ian opened the quest window, but no new quest appeared.

What’s going on?

Was this one of those quests that required him to piece together hints before it unlocked? But as far as Ian knew, the main event on the Fairy Queen’s Island ended here. Everything else was just minor side content.

He wondered whether he should stay on the island a few more days and question the fairies for more information. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

“Oh, and... I have something to give you both.”

The Fairy Queen stopped them.

She removed the pearl necklace from around her neck. It was tiny, sized perfectly for her delicate frame. But when Ian received it, the necklace magically resized to fit him.

Ding!

[Fairy Queen’s Necklace (A)]

A necklace made from the Fairy Queen’s tears. It can bind opponents.

This was another reason to visit the Fairy Queen’s Island. Clearing the quest rewarded one of the best non-lethal weapons: the Fairy Queen’s Necklace.

The Fairy Queen really was a giving tree. Especially compared to how stingy other quest rewards became later on.

“I don’t know if we deserve such a precious gift,” Ian said, swiftly tucking the necklace into his inventory.

“This is nothing compared to what you have done for us. Our kingdom has fallen, and this is all I can offer. Please visit us again in the future. I will nurture the World Tree you returned to us, and many new fairies will be born in our village. When that day comes, I will have more gifts to give you.”

The Fairy Queen smiled warmly.

Ian found her utterly endearing.

Keith watched them.

The sight of the warrior and the fairy he had saved smiling at each other was heartwarming.

It reminded Keith of what he had once sought when he first wandered the continent.

In his youth, he had quickly risen to the position of Holy Knight Captain and naturally taken on a central role within the Vatican. He had wanted to extend the salvation he had received to others. To give them the same relief and joy he had felt in his own moment of despair.

But all Keith found was more despair.

The survivors asked why their loved ones had not been saved as well. They blamed him for arriving too late. Some of the people he had risked his life to save later ended their own lives, cursing God as they did.

Of course, not everyone reacted that way.

But enough did.

Keith learned to adapt quickly.

He told himself that he was merely following God’s will, and that such resentment was born from ignorance of divine intent.

Even so, he hoped Ian would not have to endure the same trials. He hoped Ian would receive the recognition and gratitude he deserved for the salvation he brought.

Perhaps what he seeks from defeating the Demon King is the smiles of the weak he protects.

The thought brought Keith a measure of peace.

Before he realized it, his gaze had settled on Ian’s back. He had been avoiding Ian’s eyes throughout their journey here, but now that his attention had landed on him, he could not help taking in the sight.

Ian was still wearing the cloak Keith had given him. The Fairy Kingdom had no clothes that fit Ian, and there had been no time to find new ones. The oversized cloak dragged slightly along the ground, concealing most of Ian’s body. Even so, the way the fabric shifted revealed glimpses of his frame.

His narrow shoulders were almost skeletal, yet his hips were soft and rounded.

Had Keith gripped that fragile body too roughly yesterday?

He worried Ian might still be in pain. He had used healing magic, but had it been enough for the places he had overstrained? Had those delicate bruises fully healed?

Shameless bastard.

Keith quickly turned his gaze away.

What was he even thinking?

It was the curse’s influence.

The way his mouth went dry when he looked at Ian, the inexplicable anxiety, the loss of calm—every bit of it was the demon’s doing.

Keith did not harbor lust.

That was not an emotion he should feel toward someone chosen by God.

His heart belonged with the divine, in a place of eternal serenity and tranquility.

“What are you doing? Hurry up. They said they’re preparing a banquet for us.”

“...Yes. I’m coming.”

Keith steadied his voice and followed Ian.

Fairies swarmed around Ian, giggling as they darted through the air. By contrast, the ones around Keith merely glanced at him with curiosity while keeping their distance.

“Marry me!” one fairy shouted at Ian.

“No, marry me!” another chimed in.

“Don’t bother me,” Ian muttered.

Even so, he did not try to push them away.

“If you marry me, I won’t bother you,” one fairy offered.

“I’ll think about it. Come back in ten years.”

Ian’s offhand reply made Keith frown.

“Do you always make promises so casually?”

“...?”

“What will you do if that fairy actually comes to find you in ten years? Will you marry them?”

Keith swatted at a fairy hovering near Ian, shooing it away.

Annoying pests.

He doubted Ian had any real intention of marrying a fairy. Still, Ian was the kind of person who treated other species as equals.

Not that Keith believed Ian had any bizarre preferences, of course.

The fairy Keith had swatted away giggled and tried to land on his shoulder again. Keith ignored it and grabbed another fairy that had just proposed to Ian, tossing it into the air. The fairies, delighted, began swarming around Keith as if they had found a new toy.

Ian frowned.

“Are you serious? Is the curse really still not broken?”

“Promises carry weight. It is inappropriate for someone chosen by God to make light of them.”

“Fine, fine! I won’t marry any of you! Now go away! You’re too tiny to even consider marriage!”

“Rejected! So mean!”

The fairies ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) burst into laughter and scattered through the air.

Good. That’s more like it.

Keith felt satisfied.

Satisfied?

What was there for him to feel satisfied about?

Yes, it was important to correct Ian’s habit of making promises too casually, but still...

The banquet began shortly afterward.

Fairy banquets were different from human ones. They were held in open fields, with a large bonfire burning at the center. Fairies played music on grass flutes while others, dressed in flowing white robes, danced above the flames.

Under the moonlight, the soft fabric, glittering wings, laughter, and music wove together into an atmosphere that felt almost otherworldly.

Even Ian, who was usually preoccupied, smiled as he watched the scene.

Keith felt calm.

Of course, Ian was not smiling because of the atmosphere alone.

Ding!

[You have attended the Fairy Banquet.]

The effect will last for 3 days.

Stamina: +3%

Luck: +7%

Nice. My experience points went up too.

Ian casually scooted closer to Keith. Keith flinched slightly, making the mood a little awkward, but Ian decided to ignore it.

After all, what happened yesterday had not actually happened.

It did not exist.

Ian had completely forgotten about it.

Perfect.

After completing his self-hypnosis, Ian smiled and asked, “Keith, will you teach me swordsmanship?”

“Swordsmanship?”

Keith’s expression grew complicated. Clearly, he was remembering the disaster that had been their last “lesson.”

Ian pressed on.

“I’ve gotten stronger since then. You’ve seen what I can do now, so you can adjust, right?”

Keith hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

“...All right. Fine.”

Ian beamed.

Finally, I’m getting a melee skill.

The recent battle had made him realize just how difficult it was to rely on ranged skills alone. In the game, he could get by with good controls, but controlling an actual body was much harder. Without Keith, he might not have survived.

At the very least, Ian wanted to be able to run away on his own two feet.

Keith stared at Ian’s smiling face for a moment, then turned his eyes back to the dancing fairies.

He felt nothing because of that smile.

The music was beautiful.

Yes.

That was why he felt good.