Chapter23
āFairy Accessoriesā
āHey, Fosu. How did you find the magic wand?ā
āGrandma said it was over there,ā
Fosu replied, pointing toward the cabinet.
āEh? Your grandmaās still around?ā
Ruri looked around the room.
āIs Grandma still here?ā
āNo. Sheās gone now,ā Fosu said, glancing at Ruri.
Then why didnāt she move on after telling us where the compact was?
Ruri sighed.
āMake sure you keep altering the video feed from this place from time to time, okay?ā
āWhy?ā
āBecause of Fosu⦠and because it would be a problem if people ever found out about you all.ā
āFor now, since we come from the Fairy Stone, humans shouldnāt be able to see us. But since Fosuās human, weāve covered him with a concealment veil.ā
āThen for Fosuās safety, keep it that way.ā
āā¦If thatās how it is, I suppose we have no choice,ā
Morga said, munching on sweets.
Exhausted from thinking, Ruri crawled over to the tatami room and lay down on her back.
Ishibashi watched the fake surveillance footage and muttered,
āCome to think of it, that woman was talking to herself, wasnāt she? Last time, she jumped into the tatami room and just rolled around. Even nowālookāsheās holding chopsticks and pretending to eat, but thereās nothing on them. Drinking beer and chatting with the air, laughing all alone⦠creepy, right?ā
He gave Takagi a wary look.
The current footage showed Ruri sitting in front of the TV.
āGuess you start going a little crazy after living alone for so long,ā Takagi said.
āSo youāre the same, huh, Takagi-san? Divorced and allādo you talk and laugh to yourself at home too?ā
āDonāt act so smug, Ishibashi-kun. Youāre single as well, arenāt you?ā
āI have a girlfriend, actually,ā Ishibashi said proudly and bit into a slice of delivery pizza.
āStill, where do you think those āThree Sacred Treasuresā are?ā
āNo idea. We donāt even know what they look like. But according to the higher-ups, the old man used them for fortune-telling.ā
āFortune-telling? Like with a crystal ball?ā Ishibashi leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.
āThey say he used some kind of gemāsomething like a precious stone. Supposedly, even the minister got his current position thanks to her divinations. Thatās why everyoneās after those Three Sacred Treasures.ā
āBut even if someone found them, theyād be useless unless they knew how to use them. Unless theyāre, like, magic stones or something. In that case, itās not just the ministerāeveryone would want them. I sure do; Iād love to be rich!ā
Ishibashi laughed loudly, washing down his pizza with cola.
On her next day off, Ruri had the fairies make gemstone accessories.
Since gems could pop out endlessly from her magic wand, she could produce as many as she wantedāreal treasures from the Kingdom of Jewels.
Because of traceability issues, they couldnāt make fine jewelry for sale, but accessories would be perfectly marketable as soon as they were finished.
The first thing Flare made was a crown.
āThis is impossible! Thatās like a national treasure-level piece!ā
Ruri stared, dazzled by the sparkling crown. Flare smiled and showed her an image on a smartphone.