After having treated the students from the equestrian ranch and in the infirmary, Lotus was then dismissed before she received a notification from her phone and quietly made her way to the school gates and disappeared. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself before a fairy that was the size of her palm and shining radiantly before transforming larger.
"Once again, you've caused another ruckus." The tall figure in green sighed in dismay, "Peony..."
"Hehe..." Peony chuckled softly only to receive a harsh pinch to her nose, "Ow..."
"Seriously..." The man sighed, "To think that you would even cause a commotion in somewhere so populated by humans and beastmen."
Peony grumbled in reluctance as she pouted, "But, you knew that things will happen like this if I was involved..."
"And that's why I expected you to be more secretive about it." The man shook his head, "So, the reason you are here... is because the human world beckons you again?"
"Yup." Peony sighed disappointedly, "One of the nobles of humans have crossed the line. Even though it was unintentional, crossing the line is still crossing the line. Besides... they took my familiar away as well."
"Familiar?" The fairy looked up in surprise, "I've heard that you've begun gathering familiars from my wife, but..."
"This one is a demonic beast." Peony nodded, "However, that is not the reason why I contracted with him."
"Oh?" The man tilted his head curiously, "So, why did you contract with this beast?"
"Father isn't going to point out that I should contract with a monster?" Peony chuckled curiously much to the fairy's dismay, "Father, have you ever heard of a demonic beast that have lived so long and with so much power that it has gained self-awareness and speech?"
"You mean..." The fairy looked to her with wide eyes in shock.
"Thanks to some of his reckless behaviors and his current tamer's negligence, he's lost control of his own power. Since he was amnesiac to begin with, I felt pity and decided to take him in." Peony wore a bright smile.
"And that includes you knowing that he could get taken away." The king huffed coldly in dismay.
Hearing this, Peony pouted as she sat on the sofa made of cotton, "You knew that it would come to that. So, why ask in the first place?"
The king pinched her cheek this time as he scolded her coldly, "If not to know your state of mind, why else would I ask this?"
He released her and stepped back turning to the view of the luminescent forest in the distance of the open window, "Hah... You already knew that, if something were to happen to you, if would throw the queen into a state of distress. So, why can't you just stay at home?"
Peony stared at the back of the man across his office of wood and paperworks made of magic mixed with papers from other countries. Seeing the number of papers having increased, It wasn't hard for her to understand that diplomatic relations with the nearest kingdom have begun to become steadier with the number of papers.
However, he did not toss them out this time. As expected, he cares for the kingdom enough to put it second after family. Not even the relations with the outside can make him budge. If the ties with humans does hurt his kingdom and his family, he will definitely cut of all ties and support towards the humans again. This man who keeps his words even at the cost of his life is none other than the king of fairies, her adoptive father. King Oberon.
He is a man of many names or one with hardly one. He is not one to introduce himself to others and it even took her mother three weeks after Peony first saw him before her mother finally told her of her father's name. While others refer to him as king, only her parents call each other by their actual names in private.
Before everyone, he spoils her mother to a fairly good amount, but, when she and the fairies aren't around, it becomes overwhelmingly so... disgustingly... "Lovey-dovey"...
Hence, she prefers not to be around the moment either one takes the first step into that direction. Which is almost every time he returns from his office.
She thought for a while before responding, "I'm afraid I can't do that."
Her response did not surprise the fairy as he sighed, "As expected..."
"However, it seems that you are having trouble with diplomatic relations with humans again." Peony smirked, "It looks like daddy needs my help again when I return!"
The king turned to her with a glare that can hardly pierce her. After all, how could she not know that this guy only ever think about his wife when he is stuck in the office with papers that he'd rather not work on by himself.
Despite being annoyed to having been called daddy in such a casual manner, just the thought of his wife waiting for him depressed from the absence of their daughter outweighed the irritation that he has on the etiquette of this demi-human child. With this, he sighed, "When will you be back?"
"Two days and two night-"
"Take Maisley with you and send me that butterfly familiar you talked about before you arrive." He responded half-heartedly clearly not caring how long she would be gone.
"Right..." Peony sighed.
As she got up and sent a message with chili out the window, she turned around to return and added softly and solemnly, "Father... it seems that the outside's situation with the blot has gotten severe over the years."
Hearing these words, he sighed and sat down on the other sofa across. "How bad is it?"
"So much so that the world is calling upon people from a parallel world of no magic." Peony responded, "So far, there is only one person around me age with the innate talent of a beastmaster."
"A beastmaster?" Her father huffed in disgust, "I can't believe there's still those people around. How is this person, Peony?"
"Quite... interesting." Peony chuckled, "From the first day, the demonic beast broke into the orientation and made a mess of things even chasing him around. Despite nearly being thrown out, this human begged the headmaster to allow the cat to stay."
"So, the demonic beast is a cat. For what purpose?"
A smile rose from her face as she continued, "All because he pitied the cat, who broke into the school with the ambition to become the strongest wizard. As unrealistic as the dream sounds, he was very tenacious that he refused to leave the school. It seems that it moved the otherworldly individual and prompted him to plea for the cat's case."
"Plea for the cat?" The king sighed pushing back the gold locks of hair with a hand, "Do they not know of the origin of this cat?"
"Apparently not." Peony smiled widely, "The person is quite naive, but it seems that the cat is also as naive."
"What is the situation with the fairies in the area?" He questioned without glancing over to her.
"Quite calm, though the fire fairies are a bit annoyed when the staff is late delivering the wood for them. They are quite well. For fairies, they have the best patience to put up with the antics of the children from a distance. The children have also been taught well not to poke fun at the fairies or other creatures of magic." Peony explained, "The fairies there do not wish to worry of anything other than their duties and agreements and the children are too young to take the punishments from the fairies. As for their interaction with these two, they seem to find it quite interesting and not as malicious as we fear. However, it seems my familiar has been reckless and childish behind our backs."
"With the arrival of a foreigner, such events are bound to happen." He grumbled, "Trouble with overblot, I assume?"
"Father is knowledgeable as always." Peony nodded with a sigh as she saw her father's fairy retainer return with a set of jasmine tea, "The blot has been around for so many years. It's only a matter of time before it will start crying for help. For a long time, mother has been the one that has always heard their cries. This reaction was just one of its outcomes."
"Mixed with the wilting of nature, the world will become desperate." The fairy king sighed.
"As the world becomes desperate, so will the desires of those traveling across it." Peony noted with a huff, "With desires, who know which path they will take and whether this will plunge the world into darkness or not."
"Some more things your mother should not know of just yet." The king grumbled.
Peony nodded, "Mother already has a lot to worry over. The world's cries and the ties with the dark faes aren't something she enjoys experiencing on a daily basis."
"That's true." The king huffed coldly as he grumbled, "However, she had made it clear... If it was the general's daughter, she does not mind as much. To think you would know who to choose to interact with your mother amongst the other races."
"Well, I had a feeling that mother might prefer talking to teacher aside from the other faes." Peony responded, "Her father is also a former general, but what stood them out from the others they recommended is that her family has closer ties to the kingdom and the royal family. More importantly, they were the first faes mother communicated with. This will make it easier for mother before she meets with someone else. It would also be good if mother stays home more often with father and everyone too. The outside... is getting more chaotic..."