Arc 2 Chapter 4: Trouble Seeker
The tall trees observe their small group of four like quiet sentinels, gently swaying with the cool night breeze. A pretty half-moon hangs high in a sky full of bright stars. Sitting on a soft pillow supplied by her husband, Arie is in a rather pleasant mood. A cozy atmosphere like this makes fulfilling Rei’s request almost seem too easy. She doesn’t mind watching the brunette build camp with the lone knight Clad sent with them in his place. Her legs still burn from all that riding, so she’s not inclined to move another muscle anyway.
‘Go down to the lake.’
‘What a surprise, look who’s finally willing to break their silence.’ Her expression doesn’t change on the outside, but Eren can hear the smirk in her tone.
‘Don’t get cheeky, you would have done worse if that happened to you.’
‘You’re right, I would have.’ She nods and hides her odd state by pulling her legs up to her chin. ‘Why do I have to go down to the lake again? As you can see, I’m patiently waiting for my handsome hubby to return.’
‘Ugh, please spare me. I’m not trying to intrude on your love bubble. I just remembered there’s something special about that lake.’ He already got an unwanted eyeful of their pubescent awkwardness on the horse ride here.
‘Something special, you say…now that does sound intriguing.’ Ariellia glances at the rest of her busy party members, then back to the inconspicuous lake below. She bites her bottom lip, seriously considering if it's worth Rei’s predictable displeasure.
‘It shouldn’t take long. If you go now, we might get back before they even complete the tent.’ Eren recalls that the game clearly states that what happens at the lake doesn’t affect the outside world. The time at that spot is frozen, so they can complete the mini side quest and return with the rewards before anyone even notices their absence.
‘Will it be dangerous?’ If it were before the events of the past month, Arie might have jumped at the chance to experience something special without asking any questions. Now, after so many close calls and Meti’s memories, her impulsive nature has cooled down quite a bit.
‘It shouldn’t be.’
‘Okay…I trust you…and if Rei gets too angry, you take over. It was your suggestion, so I’m not taking the blame.’ True to her bratty nature, Arie is quick to state who's to take the blame if they’re caught.
‘Agreed.’
Eren knows her well enough now to know she means no harm. She likely just wants to avoid another misunderstanding with Rei and any potential setback to their relationship.
With that matter settled, she takes one last look at her distracted companions before slowly getting up. She frowns as her heavy, stinging legs cause her to stumble. Perhaps a dip in the cool lake will also give her some relief.
‘Where are you off to master? Your husband told you to wait here.’ Mori-Fae gives her a warning neigh.
‘Don’t worry great ancestor, I will be back soon. I just want to take a dip in the lake.’
‘Why do I get the feeling it's never that simple with you two.’ Even with a horse's face, he still manages to convey his disbelief with his eyes.
Ariellia doesn’t have time to refute. She simply pats his side before making her way down the hill to the lake. There, she takes off her boots, rolls up her riding slacks, and dips her bare legs into the cool water. She lets out a short hiss at the sudden cold but satisfying plunge. Her muscle aches finally begin to ease up. She’s almost tempted to discard her clothes and dive right in to treat the rest of her body. It’s only the drilled habits from her etiquette training that stop her from doing something so vulgar.
‘Do you know how to sing, Arie?’
‘Of course I do. A proper lady must be well trained in the Arts to uphold the honor of her house at court.’ She chuckles, finding Eren’s shallow understanding of noble customs to be amusing. Sometimes, it makes her wonder what his world is like for him to be so woefully unaware of such common knowledge.
‘It’s nowhere as grand as yours, that is for sure. I asked because you’ll need to sing to get their attention.’
‘Their attention?’ Now she’s curious; she knows he isn’t talking about Rei and the rest. It’s been a long time since she sang for anyone, so she goes through the normal warm-ups, loosening her throat before releasing the first tone. Her voice is so crystal clear and hypnotic that even Eren is shocked. He never expected her singing voice to sound this sweet. It’s more than enough to attract their attention.
“What a lovely voice!”
“Yes, yes, I told you she’s beautiful!”
“Look how pretty her eyes are…”
Before long, she begins to hear different voices gathering around her. They keep babbling in unison, so at times it’s hard to pick them apart, but their soft, bell-like voices sound very childlike. She suddenly spots several glowing dots appearing by her side on the lake like fireflies. She gently pokes one, surprised to hear a bubbly giggle as a little person with four iridescent wings settles onto her finger. The small creature is hardly the size of her thumb.
“Fairies!” She’s amazed, having only ever read about the rare race in her lessons.
‘Yes, Fairies. They can be mischievous little things, but they won’t harm you.’ Eren recalls that in the game, when players first begin their journey to the capital, some encounter fairies at this lake. It’s an open secret that these little sisters are easily swayed by looks; the more beautiful or handsome they find you, the more likely they are to gift away several items. These little fairies are so cute that many players delay the main quest just to keep re-running this mini side quest for the heartwarming visual experience.
“Don’t you think the Fairy Queen will like her too?”
“Of course she will!”
“She sings so beautifully too.”
“Come on, let’s take her with us!” Their excited babbling continues, like a bunch of kids plotting a prank.
‘Take what? Wait-this never happened before…Arie, get away from here now!’ Eren realizes the severity of the situation a step too late. In the game, players receive their gifts on the lake. The fairies never mention taking them back to see the Fairy Queen. This too, is likely a change caused by his existence. For Arie, even though she heard his warning in her head, she can’t seem to find the strength to move her limbs. Her finger, where one of the little fairies is currently sitting, feels especially numb.
“Ariellia!”
She slowly turns her head with great difficulty to see the rising dust cloud as Rei races down the hill towards her.
“Rei!” She can barely scream his name before she feels the space around her warping and bending unnaturally. It’s a similar experience to Uncle Jasper’s fire jumps.
“Got you.”
She feels a firm hand grab her wrist before her vision goes completely dark. Frustrated by the strange turn of events, she can’t help but huff in dismay.
‘You said it was safe!’
‘…’
Eren knows saying something as irresponsible as ‘this never happened in the game’ is a far cry from a solid defense. He only wanted to get an item from the Fairies. How did this end up becoming another case of kidnapping!
[New Title: Trouble Seeker acquired!]
This shitty good-for-nothing status window!
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