Chapter 24
âEarning Pocket Money with Fairiesâ
âThis level of accessory is fine,â Ruri said.
âThat tiny bean is supposed to be a gemstone? How pitiful,â Licia said, shaking her head in disbelief.
âOn this planet, yes. Theyâre mined from the ground and then polished. Itâs not like with you fairies, where they just pop out of magic. And each piece of jewelry is made by human hands, one by one.â
âHow troublesome,â Bron muttered in amazement.
âHey, whatâs a mine?â Pure asked, glancing at her smartphone.
âItâll be faster if I just show you a video.â
Ruri opened a mining video.
The fairies all gasped, mouths wide open in shock.
âThey climb those rocky mountains? And whatâthose stones become jewels?â Lemon said, her face full of disbelief.
âSo inconvenient without magic. Humans really are such a pitiful species,â Nell said, unable to take her eyes off the video.
âSee? Thatâs why even the little âbeanâ you mentioned is made from limited natural resourcesâitâs something precious.â
As Ruri explained, Lapis was scrolling through images of accessories.
âHey, is this also an accessory? Itâs so cute,â she asked.
âOh, that one? I made it myself.â
âWhat?!â
The fairies all looked at Ruri in shock.
âI used natural stones and preserved flowers, and sealed them in resin,â Ruri explained.
âItâs cheap-looking, but itâs beautiful and cute,â one fairy said.
âDonât call it cheap! Youâre so rude. Itâs affordable jewelry,â Ruri said, frowning.
âGemstones are expensive, so for everyday use, accessories like these are popular. People make them themselves and wear them.â
âJewels are expensive?â
âOf course. Even you fairies said that other nations come seeking gemstones, right? Itâs the same here. And since you never know where thieves might be, jewelry stores even train for robbery defense.â
âNon-warriors fight? Without magic?â Flare asked, astonished.
âThen, Ruri, do you fight too?â Lemon asked, tilting her head curiously.
âI donât own any jewelry, but yes, we still do robbery-prevention drills.â
Ruri explained, then glanced over at Forth, who was napping in the tatami room.
She couldnât just keep the prince locked up forever.
Since tomorrow was a day off, maybe sheâd take him on a little outing to the park.
They wouldnât run into anyone she knew, and it shouldnât cause any problems.
Turning back to the fairies, Ruri said,
âSo, about those gemstone accessories you mentionedâcan you actually make them? If you can, I was thinking we could sell them at a handmade craft event and earn a little pocket money.â
âIf itâs something simple-looking but fits this countryâs tasteâŚâ
âI told you, donât call it simple!â
As Ruri scolded Fane, in the blink of an eye, a row of tiny necklaces was laid out before her.