“Mmm, this is nice!” Frey, the Queen of Alfheim, murmured lazily as she soaked in the warm hot springs.
Thanks to Kyu-seong, who had recently discovered the existence of the hot springs, Frey often came here to relax in this way.
“Wow! I can’t believe there’s such a wonderful place!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty! We appreciate you not keeping it all to yourself and sharing it with us!”
“No, no! Let’s be honest, we only found out because we followed the Queen here! Hehehe!”
Beside Frey, many Alfheims were enjoying the hot springs in their own ways.
“Ah, so refreshing!”
“Try this! It tastes weird!”
“Ugh! What a strange taste!”
Frey, who wanted to enjoy some quiet time alone, felt a vein throb on her temple.
“This is why I wanted to come alone! I wasn’t being selfish!”
Frey eventually started to voice her complaints and pointed her finger.
“Did you all finish your work before coming here to play?!”
“Of course, Your Majesty!”
“We hurried and finished our tasks when we heard you were going somewhere mysterious!”
While Frey was trembling with frustration at the fairies who left her speechless, someone urgently approached.
“Your Majesty!!”
“What is it?”
“His Highness, the Archlord, is coming!”
“What?! The Archlord is coming here?!”
Frey quickly glanced around.
Fairies were floating and splashing noisily in the crowded hot springs.
“Oh no!”
This was the healing spot of Archlord Lee Kyu-seong. Frey had been secretly using the place while he was away, and she feared what might happen if he saw this scene.
“Everyone, hide!”
“Hide!”
Despite the urgent shouts from Frey and the messenger, the fairies barely listened. Having been fooled by Frey once before, they thought she was again trying to enjoy the hot springs alone.
“The Archlord is coming!”
“The Archlord?!”
However, reactions started to come from the fairies closer to Kyu-seong’s approaching direction.
“?!?”
“His Highness is here!”
“Everyone run! I mean, hide!”
The fairies, feeling guilty about using the place known to be Kyu-seong’s, scattered in all directions, causing even more chaos in the hot springs. Frey muttered as she watched the chaotic scene.
“We’re doomed.”
* * *
“Hmm?”
As we reached the hot springs, we saw something bustling. Though not clear due to the steam, it was evident that a commotion was underway.
“What’s going on?”
Seon-ah shrunk back, looking cautious. My parents also hesitated and looked at me.
“Not sure. What is it?”
“They’re fairies!”
“Fairies?”
As I squinted and focused my vision through the steam, I began to see something faintly. When Ara mentioned fairies, I realized that indeed, they looked like fairies, confirming my thoughts.
“They must be here for fun.”
Previously, Frey had also come to enjoy the hot springs and must have informed other Alfheims about it. Imagining the cute fairies enjoying the hot springs made me smile.
“But why are they so frantic?”
I wondered if something had happened. Sensing the uneasy atmosphere, I reassured my family.
“They’re tiny fairies. There’s no need to worry.”
“Fairies?”
“Yes, like those in fairy tales. They’re very gentle and cute, and you’ll probably like them.”
My parents, still puzzled, seemed to doubt it, while Seon-ah, who had been tense, relaxed and her eyes sparkled.
“Cute… fairies…?”
Hmm. I think I shouldn’t have mentioned it to Seon-ah. She quickly moved forward with her switch flipped. Ara and Gomgom followed right behind her.
“I’m coming!”
Ara beamed brightly as she rushed toward the hot springs. It was clear that she was eager to greet the fairies.
ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ!!
(☍д⁰)
However, for some reason, the fairies were panicking and running away.
“Why are they doing that?”
Realizing something was odd, I hurriedly approached. Then I saw Frey, partially hidden behind a small rock, with only her head poking out. Anyone could tell it was Frey because of her wings.
“Frey? What are you doing there?”
Flinch!
Frey shivered slightly but didn’t respond, still believing she hadn’t been discovered. Then, Ara, oblivious to the situation, approached Frey and poked her with a finger.
“Eek!”
“I found her! Frey is the seeker!” Ara exclaimed, raising her nose proudly as if seeking approval from Seon-ah and me.
“Oh, you’re here?”
“Oh! Frey, how have you been? What’s going on? Why are the kids running around like that?”
“Huh? Oh, the kids? Where?”
Frey stammered like a broken machine. Couldn’t she see the fairies running wild everywhere? Her eyes were spinning, clearly overwhelmed.
I took a strawberry from my backpack and forcibly handed it to Frey.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“It’s a fruit… or maybe a vegetable? Anyway, it’s a strawberry. Eat it to clear your head.”
Frey, holding a strawberry almost as big as her body, tilted her head and looked up at us. Her expression seemed to hit Seon-ah directly, who was now taking photos of Frey holding the strawberry with an intense focus.
Click! Click!
Watching Seon-ah silently engrossed in taking pictures was starting to feel a bit unsettling. Meanwhile, my parents approached and observed Frey and the fairies.
“They really are fairies!”
“Wow, it feels like I’m in a dream.”
The fairies, who had calmed down a bit, peeked out from behind the rocks, curiously watching Seon-ah and my parents. My mother, seemingly enchanted by their sparkling eyes, crouched down and gestured.
“Come here.”
Though they didn’t understand her words, the fairies seemed to grasp her meaning and slowly revealed themselves.
“Aren’t they just adorable?!”
Seon-ah, now filming a video, had eyes that sparkled with determination.
“I must post this on my vlog and share this cuteness with the world. Keeping this to yourself, brother, is a major crime!”
“Haha.”
As I laughed awkwardly, Ara took out another strawberry from the backpack and handed it to Gomgom. She then sat next to Frey and popped a strawberry into her mouth.
“Mmm!”
Frey, seeing Ara enjoy the strawberry, cautiously took a bite herself.
“Mmm!”
Frey’s eyes widened in surprise, and she began eating the strawberry earnestly. Although she usually only nourished herself with Meluca honey, it was clear she could taste and enjoy the strawberry.
(оﾟдﾟо)?
( ･ω･)ﾉ
Seeing Frey’s reaction, the fairies approached with curious expressions. Ara, noticing a few of them sucking their fingers, took out more strawberries and shared them.
“Let’s all eat together!”
A spontaneous strawberry party started at the hot springs.
My parents, forgetting they were at the hot springs, were engrossed in observing these tiny beings.
“Excuse me, Archlord.”
“Yes?”
“Are these new friends of yours?”
“Oh, this is my sister, and these are my parents.”
“Gasp?! The Archlord’s family!!”
Frey, speaking while eating a strawberry, gasped, causing the strawberry juice to dribble down her chin.
This scene felt oddly familiar…
“I… I didn’t recognize the Archlord’s family…!”
“Why do you always treat me so formally? Just be comfortable.”
“As expected, the Archlord’s heart is as vast as the sea!”
Every time I said something, they praised me so much that I felt confused. I didn’t dislike it, but it felt like I was being teased?
“By the way, why were you all so frantic earlier? Were you really playing hide and seek?”
“Well… that is…”
Frey, looking troubled, still clutched the strawberry tightly. Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.
“I’m sorry! We dared to use the Archlord’s private hot spring without permission!”
“What? My hot spring?”
Frey, eyes still closed, trembled but continued to munch on the strawberry. The sight of her eating despite apologizing was quite amusing.
“This isn’t my private spot. Anyone can use it. Nothing here belongs solely to me; it’s for everyone to share.”
“!?”
Frey, chewing on her strawberry, looked shocked again, her jaw dropping. Was she going to waste another strawberry?
“…What a generous Archlord! We are truly blessed!”
“I don’t care what you think, but since we’re here, we’ll enjoy the hot springs too. Is that okay?”
“Of course!”
“Don’t feel guilty. Just enjoy it. I was wondering why you were making such a fuss.”
It seemed they thought they were using the hot springs without permission. No wonder they panicked when I showed up.
When Frey relayed my message to the fairies, they cheered in their own way. Watching this adorable scene made me feel quite content.
“Oh my, oh my. Yes, come on up.”
The fairies, now feeling reassured, interacted freely with my parents and Seon-ah. Some of the fairies climbed up my parents and Seon-ah, chattering in a language we couldn’t understand.
“So cute!”
“Haha.”
Seon-ah had put her phone down and was now engaging with the fairies, while my father, usually reserved, was smiling broadly as he tickled the fairies.
Splash!
“Phew.”
Already familiar with the fairies, I got into the hot spring first. It was a bath known for its restorative properties. Although I wasn’t particularly tired, this bath was my favorite.
“Ah, this is nice!”
Murmuring like an old man, I leaned back and looked up at the sky. Then, I noticed fairies peeking out and looking down at me.
“Want to bath together?”
-(≧∇≦)!!
I didn’t understand what they said, but soon the fairies were floating around in the bath. They seemed light enough to float on the water.
“This feels refreshing.”
My father followed me into the bath, grinning as he looked around.
“How about we plant some trees and stack some stones to make it look like a real hot spring?”
“Dad, that’s your occupational habit talking.”
I joked, but I had to admit it would look much nicer if we decorated it as he suggested.
Soon, my mother, Seon-ah, Ara, and Gomgom joined us in the hot spring. Frey, observing cautiously, eventually approached Ara and Gomgom to join them.
“It’s like a perfect picture.”
Seon-ah watched the scene with a smile.
A bit too transparent with your intentions, little sister.
As we enjoyed the hot spring, my father mumbled.
“If I’d known, I would have brought some beer.”
“Drinking while in a hot spring is dangerous.”
“Even so…”
Alcohol, huh?
Speaking of which, I wondered how Young-seong was doing with the alcohol-related project I had entrusted him with. I hoped it was going well.
* * *
Young-seong was currently in Japan.
Specifically, he was at Junichi Ino’s brewery.
“This is the first batch.”
“Ooh.”
When Choi Young-seong poured out the sweet potatoes Kyu-seong had given him, Junichi was impressed.
“…It’s a bit of a shame to use these delicious sweet potatoes for alcohol-making experiments.”
Junichi said, licking his lips.
“But aren’t you curious? What will sweet potato liquor taste like?”
“As you know, the key to making good alcohol is not just the raw ingredients but how they taste when made into spirits.”
“That’s true. We’ll have to try making spirits and see how it turns out. If it’s not good, I’ll have to report back to Kyu-seong. But this is just the beginning.”
“Just the beginning? What do you mean?”
“Kyu-seong can cultivate many crops. Sweet potatoes are just one of them.”
“Hmm! So, even if sweet potatoes fail, there are other options to try.”
“Exactly. And for some reason, I have a good feeling about this. I think the liquor made from these sweet potatoes will be a success.”
Junichi nodded at Young-seong’s words.
“I agree.”
“Alright, let’s get started.”
The project, which could become a storm in the alcohol industry, was taking its first step.
Cliche Novel 