Ryo sighed hard, dragging a hand down his face. The fact that he had just slept for two full days again made him feel like he’d wasted too much time. He knew Fairy Greatmother had been deeply worried about Cinderella’s disappearance… and yet here she was, speaking as if it were perfectly fine to resume investigating tonight—the same night the Royal Ball was set to begin at 9 p.m.

  Of course, Ryo had already planned to investigate the castle ever since he learned that Cinderella had disappeared from her bedroom there. But now, with the Royal Herald’s unexpected announcement of a second Royal Ball, he finally had the perfect opportunity.

  But still… he had hoped for a little more time. Just one full day to chase extra leads, find loopholes, or uncover suspects—because he knew this case didn’t involve just one criminal. And out of the four suspects Aurelia had given him, he only recognized one: that creepy Petyr Pann, who might just be a Vrakul in human form.

  But now that Fairy Greatmother wanted him to come along to her cottage first, he figured she had something important to show him. Something critical.

  Fairy Greatmother gave him a gentle look. “We’ll depart for my cottage in two hours, Mr. Detective.”

  Ryo deadpanned, raising an eyebrow. “Really, ma’am? You sound so relaxed. Aren’t you supposed to be worried about finding Cinderella as soon as possible?”

  She chuckled softly. “There’s no need to worry. I’ve found something—evidence that may help you. It could lead you to Cinderella… or help explain the mistreatment she suffered from her stepfamily.”

  Ryo exhaled and rubbed his temple. “I see… Yeah. I really do need to see that. Well… I’ll finish breakfast and get ready.”

  With that, Fairy Greatmother gave a warm nod, and she and the two servants exited the room.

  The moment they were gone, Ryo’s animal agents woke up, rushing in with joyful chirps, squeaks, flaps, and wagging tails. They were thrilled their commander had finally woken from his long sleep. They huddled close, rubbing up against him affectionately. Ryo chuckled and patted each of their heads in turn.

  Soon after, Sophie and Elise returned with food for the animals—tiny trays filled with nuts, berries, and biscuits—each portion neatly arranged beside their own breakfast. Ryo watched them eat, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.

  Once he’d finished his meal, Ryo returned to the attic room he treated like a hotel. He sighed in disappointment. That smug boy had broken Cinderella’s legendary, iconic attic door.

  Ryo clenched his fist, thought. “Next time I see that moron, I’m beating him up. No one messes with Cinderella’s attic door.”

  He headed down the stairs, showered at the garden well, then returned to the bottom-floor room. After drying off, he changed into his dark orange T-shirt, slipped on his signature trench coat, adjusted the collar, packed his detective tools into his backpack, and strapped it across his back.

  Then, he stepped out of the manor.

  The time in Evendelle was now 11 AM

  Fairy Greatmother was already waiting in front of the manor. Before they left, Ryo told his animal agents he’d pick them up later that night—just before the Royal Ball began. The agents all saluted, ready to await their commander’s return for the Royal Ball night mission.

  And so, he and Fairy Greatmother began their journey to her cottage. But then, Ryo noticed something odd.

  Sophie and Elise followed, each carrying a wide wicker basket filled with goods, neatly covered with folded cloth.

  He blinked, confused. “Wait… why are you two coming with us?”

  Sophie perked up. “No one’s home now. Madam Rosalind asked us to watch over you—she’s still worried you might pass out again.”

  Elise nodded firmly. “That’s right, Sir Holmes.” She clenched her left fist with determination. “And we’ll take good care of you all throughout your investigation—until tonight!”

  Ryo chuckled awkwardly. “Well… thanks. Though you didn’t have to do that much for me. As you can see…” He stretched his arms out dramatically. “Fully charged. Rested up.”

  But Sophie shook her head. “No, Sir Holmes. You saved us that night. If it weren’t for you… we wouldn’t be standing here now.”

  She looked directly at him, eyes sincere. “So please let us do this—to thank you properly.”

  In front of them, Fairy Greatmother sighed softly and muttered under her breath.

  “He always attracts attention from women… first the stepsisters, then Cinderella’s mother, and now the manor’s servants. One wonders who shall be next… Cinderella herself?”

  Her tone was half amused, half exasperated.

  Ryo cast a sideways glance at them, his brows drawing together.

  “…Since I was out for two days, I need to know everything that happened while I was unconscious—especially about Clarisse and Seraphine. How are they doing? Are they still… lashing out from the curse?”

  Fairy Greatmother, Sophie, and Elise all exchanged looks. Then they nodded.

  And so, they began explaining…

  Right after Ryo collapsed from exhaustion and his injuries, Fairy Greatmother defeated the Volto-masked man—but he disappeared shortly after, likely fleeing before he could be harmed further. Ryo was then sent back to the manor using Fairy Greatmother’s levitation spell. The unconscious stepsisters, Clarisse and Seraphine, floated behind him, gently carried by the same magic.

  And not long after their arrival—

  Edmund appeared.

  He came rushing into the manor’s parlor, looking panicked and shaken, claiming he’d seen the explosion of light from afar and feared something terrible had happened.

  Ryo stopped in his tracks, pausing their backstory.

  His eyes widened like saucers.

  “WAIT, WHAT?!” he shouted. “EDMUND WAS BACK?!”

  Elise blinked, a bit startled by his reaction. “That’s right, Sir Holmes. Was… was that a problem? He said he was worried after witnessing the light, so he rushed back to check on his family.”

  Ryo clenched his teeth, still suspicious of Edmund. But for now… he let it slide.

  And they continued walking.

  He rubbed his temple. “Never mind… understandable. Family first, I guess.” Then he asked, “Where is he now?”

  Elise replied. “He left yesterday. He had urgent business in Scarlethyde. He said he needed to leave early to catch up with a shipment.”

  At that moment, Fairy Greatmother—still walking ahead—glanced back at Ryo.

  Her eyes narrowed slightly.

  Ryo noticed it. That look.

  There was more to the story. And Fairy Greatmother knew it.

  He gave her the faintest nod.

  “…Alright,” Ryo said. “You can continue.”

  They explained that Edmund had claimed to be devastated over the state of his stepdaughters. He cried for them and checked on them repeatedly, afraid the curse might be permanent.

  But the next morning—both Clarisse and Seraphine woke up.

  Their eyes were still dark. Empty. Cold.

  They screamed. Thrashed in their beds. They shouted, over and over, that they wanted to kill sherlock.

  Fortunately, they were still tightly bound by the ironwood vines when they were brought to the manor.

  Edmund said he wanted to stay and look after them longer. But his words contradicted his actions—he insisted his business in Scarlethyde was too important to miss. He claimed there was a breakthrough waiting for him there—a major deal. His red hood trade was gaining momentum, and buyers in Scarlethyde were already showing strong interest, even before he arrived.

  Rosalind understood.

  Business was business. Opportunities lost might never return.

  But still… it stung. Deeply.

  He was their stepfather—yet he chose profit over staying with his suffering daughters.

  Even so, Rosalind let him go. Bitterly. Quietly.

  After Edmund’s departure, Fairy Greatmother offered to take the cursed sisters to her own cottage. She believed she could study their condition more thoroughly and, perhaps, find a way to lift the curse.

  Rosalind didn’t hesitate. She gave her full consent.

  That same evening, Fairy Greatmother cast a sleeping spell on Clarisse and Seraphine, sending them into a deep, peaceful slumber. Then, with a gentle wave of her magic, she levitated them and transported them to her home.

  With the girls gone, Rosalind dismissed her servants for the night. Sophie and Elise returned to visit their families in the nearby village.

  But… they came back the next morning.

  That was today.

  They insisted on returning—not just for Rosalind, but because they were worried about sherlock.

  Rosalind was touched.

  She’d cried endlessly over her daughters since yesterday. But to stop herself from falling into despair, she decided to go to her store and work today. She needed the distraction. The numbness.

  Now that she knew Roselia—Fairy Greatmother—was a magical being who could possibly save her daughters, Rosalind placed her faith in her completely.

  She entrusted the cursed girls to Roselia.

  She entrusted the investigation to Sherlock.

  And she entrusted her heart to the hope that maybe, just maybe, everything might still be saved.

  And that… was their story.

  Ryo remained silent, eyes forward, mind busy. Edmund’s early departure still bothered him—why leave when your stepdaughters are still cursed? Business or not, something didn’t add up. The glance Fairy Greatmother had given him earlier only confirmed it…

  There’s more to the story, and she knows it.

  He decided he’d ask her later—alone.

  But for now, another mystery drew his focus. The stepsisters—Clarisse and Seraphine. Cursed, violent, their eyes swirling with darkness. And now being treated at Fairy Greatmother’s cottage—a place they were finally nearing.

  After a 30-minute walk southwest from the edges of Evendelle, the group stopped.

  They hadn’t reached the cottage yet.

  They stood before a wide swamp filled with twisted trees and tangled roots, giving off both a magical and uneasy feeling. The midday sun barely shone through the thick branches above, casting dim green light over the muddy ground.

  Soft, glowing spores floated in the heavy air like slow fireflies. Above them, the trees curved overhead, their long moss hanging down like mourning veils. The path ahead wasn’t a real trail—just a mix of roots, lily pads, and glowing stones stuck in the wet earth.

  A low mist clung to their ankles.

  Even the birds had gone quiet.

  Elise yelped, eyes wide, and quickly hid behind Ryo.

  Sophie clung tightly to his left arm, her voice trembling. “U-uhm… Are we really going in there, Ms. Roselia…?”

  Elise whimpered, pressing into Ryo’s back. “It looks terrifying… Shouldn’t we just turn back…?”

  Ryo watched the mist swirl and muttered in his head.

  “Yeah… can’t blame them. This swamp’s basically Mother Nature’s haunted house.”

  Meanwhile, Fairy Greatmother gave the girls a baffled look.

  “How does this man keep attracting women? Honestly… it’s like he’s catching hearts across the kingdom without even trying,” she thought.

  At this rate, she was starting to wonder—every time girls came to him or clung to him, it felt like the detective was turning into some kind of harem protagonist. Even though that wasn’t Elise’s or Sophie’s intention—they were just scared. And Fairy Greatmother was simply misunderstanding.

  She turned and chuckled lightly. “Oh, don’t fret, you two. This swamp is safe—I guarantee it.”

  That didn’t reassure anyone.

  Ryo raised an eyebrow. “Right… it’s one of those classic lines. ‘Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe’—right before something jumps out and eats us.”

  He patted both girls gently on the shoulders. “Relax. Ms. Roselia’s basically an overpowered granny with unknown maxed-out stats. If something does jump out, it’ll probably apologize to her.”

  “…Unknown… maxed-out stats?” Elise and Sophie repeated in unison, completely lost in the unfamiliar isekai gaming terms.

  Fairy Greatmother blinked, tilting her head. “Are those terms from your big village of Tokyo, Mr. Detective?”

  Ryo sighed, eyes half-lidded.

  “Yes… from my very BIG, totally REAL village of Tokyo,” he muttered, not even bothering to ever correct her.

  With that, they stepped into the mist.

  The swamp felt like a forgotten story come to life. Every step on the glowing stones and twisted roots made soft echoes, as if the ground itself was listening. The deeper they walked, the more the sounds of the outside world faded away—replaced by bubbling water and glowing insects.

  Sometimes, they had trouble moving forward.

  Far ahead, the air seemed to shimmer with an eerie stillness—like wind chimes that had lost their sound. Tall willow trees stood around them, their long branches hanging low like curtains hiding secrets.

  And then, at last, it appeared.

  Fairy Greatmother’s cottage.

  Stood on wooden stilts above the dark swamp water, partly hidden by mist. The house looked a little crooked, but strong, with ivy growing up the stilts. A narrow wooden bridge, old and slippery with moss, stretched through the swamp to the front porch.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Warm golden light shone from the round windows, casting a soft glow on the mist below. A floating lantern hovered above the water, its light dancing across the surface between lily pads. Overhead, the sky was a foggy blue-gray—maybe because of the mist, or maybe because of magic. The air was still, filled with quiet enchantment.

  [This is an AI-generated image of Fairy Greatmother’s cottage—a personal vision shaped by fairytale warmth, hidden magic, and quiet mystery. For reference]

  And beneath the walkway…

  Snakes.

  Sleek, silent, and eerily calm—dozens of them coiled lazily in the water, their eyes glinting just above the surface.

  Ryo froze.

  He stared down at them, eye twitching, and let out an internal groan.

  "Great… snakes. Because nothing says 'fun family hike' like venom and panic. Yep—turning back with the girls sounds like a good idea."

  Suddenly, Elise shrieked, dropped her basket, and leapt onto his back, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

  AAAAHHH!! I’M AFRAID OF SNAKES!!”

  Ryo tensed with a grunt. “Gah—hey! That’s my spine you’re crushing!”

  Sophie, eyes wide with panic, squeezed tighter on his arm. “Me too! Let’s go back, please! This place is cursed!!”

  Fairy Greatmother simply smiled as she walked confidently across the narrow bridge, stopping in the middle above the snakes. Then she turned around.

  “Oh, my dears,” she said sweetly, “this is why it’s hidden—and why it’s safe. No one dares cross this swamp… let alone risk walking this bridge. Not even the foolish.”

  She didn’t so much as glance down as snakes slithered beneath her feet.

  And then gestured for them to follow. “Come now, you three. Cross quickly.”

  The three stood frozen for a second. Then, hesitantly, they nodded.

  Sophie gulped, voice trembling. “S-S-Sir Holmes… c-c-can I hold your hand while we cross?”

  Ryo sighed, raising his hand for her to take. “Alright, alright—just hold tight.”

  Then he glanced behind him—Elise was still clinging to his back like a frightened koala, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

  “You want to hold my other hand too, kid?” he asked.

  “NOOOOOOOOOO!!! I’m staying up here!!” Elise screeched, burying her face in his shoulder.

  Ryo sarcastically groaned inwardly.

  “Wonderful. I’m piggybacking a servant kid across a bridge suspended over snake-infested waters. Totally normal. Just your everyday, zero-risk nature hike.”

  With Sophie clutching his hand, Elise clinging to his back, and Elise’s basket in Sophie’s other arm, Ryo braced himself.

  “Alright. Ready?”

  Both girls nodded nervously.

  They took one step forward onto the old wooden bridge…

  And then—

  “TRESPASSERS! DON’T YOU DARE SET FOOT ON THIS BRIDGE!”

  A thunderous voice exploded from the treetops.

  All three froze.

  Ryo’s heart jumped. “What the hell—?!” he shouted, eyes darting.

  Something massive leapt from tree to tree behind the cottage—its form just a blur—and then SLAMMED onto the earth in front of them.

  A blast of dust shot into the air from the impact. The shockwave knocked Ryo and the girls backward, landing them flat on the ground.

  “W-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!” Ryo yelped.

  “AAAHHHHHH!!!” Elise shrieked, trembling as she clung tighter to him.

  “W-WE’RE GOING TO DIE!!!” Sophie screamed, squeezing his arm for dear life.

  The dust began to clear…

  And then they saw it.

  A hulking wolf-like beast, fur the color of wet moss and shadowed stone, with thick muscles shifting beneath its fur. It was the size of a horse—maybe larger. Its broad chest heaved with every breath, and its glowing pale green eyes burned with fury.

  It bared its fangs, and then—it spoke.

  “I am the Cu Sith… guardian of this swamp and protector of this cottage. Humans are NOT permitted to enter!!”

  It raised one massive claw, curved like a scythe. “Leave now—or be CUT DOWN by my WRATH!”

  Ryo’s eyes widened in disbelief as he whispered. “No way… the Cu Sith? From that forgotten folklore…?”

  What is something like that doing in a fairytale world like this?

  From the bridge, Fairy Greatmother shouted, eyes wide. “SITH, PLEASE! They’re not here to attack my cottage! That is the Mr. detective I hired!”

  The beast snarled, turning toward her.

  “SILENCE, ROSELIA! You made a grave error bringing those cursed sisters here yesterday! They howled and spat threats—threatened to KILL us all!”

  Fairy Greatmother sighed, dragging a hand down her face.

  “They were cursed, you fool! That wasn’t them—it was the dark magic controlling their minds!”

  The Cu Sith flinched… but his rage held. “I DO NOT CARE! Humans bring nothing but ruin. These ones must DIE!”

  The beast turned back, claw already raised. “NOW… MEET YOUR CREATOR!!”

  Ryo’s breath hitched. “SHOULDN’T YOU LET US LEAVE FIRST—SINCE THAT’S WHAT YOU SAID YOU WANTED, DAMN IT?!”

  But it was too late.

  The Cu Sith’s claw came down.

  The girls screamed.

  Fairy Greatmother’s wand lit with a golden flash, ready to cast a shield over the three—“NO—STOP!!” but she was too slow.

  Ryo didn’t hesitate.

  With a fierce grunt, Ryo grabbed both girls by the shoulders and pulled them in close—then rolled backward with them just as the claw came crashing down. The ground where they’d stood exploded with dirt and force, but all three now lay safely on the earth behind it.

  Ryo let go of the girls, came to a stop in a kneel, then pushed himself upright—panting, heart pounding.

  “GET TO COVER, YOU TWO!” he shouted. “RUN AND HIDE!”

  But the Cu Sith roared and lunged, jaws opening wide.

  The world moved in slow motion.

  Ryo’s thoughts went silent.

  Memories returned—police cases gone wrong, bodies he had to step over, names he never forgot. The days when his hands were still too weak to protect anyone.

  Ryo’s pupils shrank. His ears rang—not from sound, but from sirens, from blood, from failure.

  He still remembered the victims he couldn’t save back then—faces burned into memory.

  Ever since, he had sworn to become the greatest policeman—to make sure no one else had to die.

  That vow had sharpened his deduction skills, and even now, as a detective, they remained razor-sharp. His instincts had saved countless lives since… despite his weaknesses.

  The Cu Sith was now only three meters away.

  Two meters.

  One.

  And then—SNAP.

  Ryo’s eyes flared with a deadly gleam. Something inside him snapped—his inner sense of justice roaring to life.

  “BEAT THE SH*T OUT OF THIS FANTASY WOLF!”

  The words thundered in his head like instinct—louder than thought, louder than reason.

  His right hand shot into his coat pocket and pulled out an item.

  “BZZZZT!” A taser flickered to life in his grip, crackling like thunder.

  As the Cu Sith’s jaws closed in, Ryo lunged forward and rammed the taser into the roof of the creature’s mouth.

  BZZZZZZZZZZZZZTT!!!

  The beast’s scream was guttural and wild. “AAAAAAAAARRRRGHHHHHH!!”

  Electricity exploded in its mouth, spreading through its bones and lighting up its entire skull. The Cu Sith stumbled back, choking, pawing at its bleeding jaw.

  Then it collapsed to both knees. “…Wha… how…?” it rasped.

  Fairy Greatmother lowered her wand, wide-eyed. “…Oh my.”

  But Ryo was far from finished.

  His tonfas sprang from his sleeves into both hands with twin metallic clicks, his grip tightening around them.

  His expression darkened with a deathly glare.

  He dashed forward and slammed the tip of his right tonfa into the beast’s chin with a fierce uppercut, snapping its head back.

  Then—left. Right.

  WHAM! WHAM!

  He pounded its jaw again and again, adrenaline surging, fury building with every blow.

  “You wanna attack before asking questions?!”

  “You wanna scare innocent girls?!”

  Ryo spun, his tonfa whirling in his grip—then struck both of Cu Sith’s shoulders, one after the other.

  SNAP! SNAP!

  The beast howled as both arms dislocated from their joints, sending it crashing chin-first into the earth.

  The once-mighty Cu Sith… was trembling.

  “N-No… it can’t be…” it stammered, muttering weakly.

  Ryo stood over it, his shadow looming. One of his eyes glinted. His wide-eyed expression was pure fury.

  The Cu Sith lifted its trembling head. “W-wait… I… I apologiz—”

  Ryo cut him off coldly, voice low and deathly.

  “Apologize my FOOT! You were about to bite us to death without hearing us out… your misunderstanding trope is as bad as this kingdom’s protagonist’s ghost mom.”

  Of course, back in the grove, Aurelia flinched again—then sneezed, as if the universe knew she’d just been roasted.

  “HAACHOOO!”

  She rubbed her ghostly nose. “Why am I sneezing? I’m a ghost…”

  Then she sighed, arms going limp. “And why does it feel like someone’s talking rudely about me?”

  She floated off, grumbling under her breath.

  “Mmmmmm… Honestly, it feels like I’ve been flinching a lot at the most unexpected and nonexistent things. Can’t I get any peace in death?”

  Ryo’s tonfa spun in his hand like a blade of judgment.

  The Cu Sith’s eyes widened, trying to crawl away—but its limbs wouldn’t respond.

  Ryo raised his arm. “This is for trying to attack us without hearing us out—and for stubbornly clinging to your misunderstanding, a**hole.”

  The tonfa came down like a hammer.

  SMACK!

  The tonfa slammed down on its skull.

  The Cu Sith’s eyes rolled back. And it collapsed—unconscious.

  The monster was down.

  Ryo panted heavily, his shoulders rising and falling with the weight of the battle just passed. He’d gone all out—and he hated that he had to. But everything had been calculated in his head: the beast’s anatomy, the angles, the momentum.

  He’d learned online that wolves’ shoulders were pressure points—and the Cu Sith, monstrous as it was, shared the same physiology.

  He wiped sweat from his brow and turned to the girls. Sophie and Elise were still huddled on the damp ground, their faces pale from shock. Ryo helped them up gently, and both whispered shaky thanks.

  But just as Ryo exhaled, something massive whistled down from above, tearing through the swamp trees. Branches snapped. The ground trembled—and with a thunderous BOOM!, a figure landed before the unconscious Cu Sith, stirring a cloud of dust and swamp mist.

  Ryo’s instincts kicked in—he spun around, drawing his gun and aiming it right up close to the figure’s face.

  But the figure raised a curled hand in return—also pointing it close and squarely at Ryo’s face.

  A golden beam of magic formed in her palm, humming with radiant power, just inches from him.

  For a few heartbeats, they stood off. Dust drifted slowly down like ash. Then the mist cleared.

  The figure was a woman—tall and graceful, yet grounded in an unnatural stillness. She looked about 35 years old, with long twilight-purple hair streaked with silver. Her silver-blue eyes were calm, her expression unreadable. She wore a flowing silver cloak over a deep green gown embroidered with runes and vinework. Behind her shimmered fairy wings, and pointed ears peeked through her hair.

  Ryo’s gun remained steady, but his tone was cool and cautious.

  “…Now who the hell are you?”

  The woman narrowed her eyes slightly, tilting her head with judgmental elegance.

  “I owe you no answer, strange foreign man,” she replied, her voice like ancient marble. “And how dare you strike down my guardian beast. Such a crime, in older days, would have meant death.”

  Ryo exhaled slowly through his nose, groaning inwardly.

  “Great. Another fantasy character with trust issues and a habit of being dramatically over-the-top. Am I actually in that rat’s enchanted fairytale kingdom… or a bad anime script?”

  “TITANIA!!” Fairy Greatmother’s voice suddenly rang out across the bridge, stern but familiar.

  The woman flinched—actually flinched—then slowly turned her head toward the voice.

  “M-Mother…!” she snapped, face reddening. “Please don’t call my name out so casually!”

  Ryo blinked.

  “Titania?” he thought. “Wait… like THAT Titania? From old myths and forgotten folklore? The Queen of Fairies?”

  “And did she just call Ma’am… ‘mother’?”

  [This is an AI-generated image of Titania, Queen of Fairies—a personal interpretation drawn from forgotten folklore, mythic grace, and ancient weight. For reference]

  Fairy Greatmother stepped forward, clearly unimpressed with the theatrics, and placed a firm hand on Titania’s extended arm, lowering it gently.

  “That man is Mr. Detective,” Fairy Greatmother said calmly. “He’s the one I hired to help me find Cinderella. He never meant to harm Sith.”

  Titania’s silver-blue eyes widened.

  “Really, Mother?!” she gasped, then spun to Ryo with sudden panic, bowing deeply, hands flailing.

  “OH MY FAIRIES—FORGIVE ME, STRANGE FOREIGN MAN!”

  Ryo then slowly lowered his gun, muttering dryly.

  “No worries. This now-world-famous ‘Strange Foreign Man’ accepts your apology.”

  At this point, he figured he’d be called that no matter where he went or who he talked to in this fairytale world. Hardly anyone had called him by his real name since he became a detective—and maybe they never would bother to. In fact, his real name was rarely mentioned by anyone in this story… except by “Sherlock,” which was just an alias to hide it.

  But for some reason… calling him ‘Ryo’ felt strangely difficult for almost everyone.

  Then Titania turned—absolutely furious—toward the very “unconscious” Cu Sith.

  “AWAKEN, SITH. YOU FOOLISH, MISUNDERSTANDING DOG!!”

  The Cu Sith’s massive body jerked upright in panic, yelping despite the pain. “Y-Y-YES, MY LADY?!”

  “APOLOGIZE TO THE STRANGE FOREIGN MAN AT ONCE!!!” Titania shouted again.

  The beast bowed dramatically, nearly flattening its own snout to the earth.

  “THIS FOOLISH DOG IS VERY SORRY FOR MISUNDERSTANDING YOU, STRANGE FOREIGN MAN!!”

  Ryo narrowed his eyes, skeptical.

  “…Wait a minute, Mr. Fantasy Talking Wolf. I dislocated both your shoulders, smashed your face into the ground, and bashed your skull in. You were howling like a dying cow. So how are you suddenly fine?”

  The Cu Sith tilted his massive head. “Mr. Fantasy… talking wolf?” he repeated, utterly baffled.

  He didn’t quite understand the words—but what really threw him off was that this strange foreign man was calling him a ‘talking wolf…’ like that was the weird part. To the beast, though, being a talking wolf was perfectly normal.

  Then, without a beat, his body glowed with vibrant green light, shimmering with magical energy. With a low rumble, his muscles straightened, wounds vanished, and joints popped back into place.

  “As you can see,” he said plainly, “my body can heal itself. I repaired my shoulders while you weren’t looking.”

  “Riiiiiight…” Ryo muttered, giving the Cu Sith a final squint before turning to Fairy Greatmother.

  “Ma’am,” he began with a raised brow, “I thought you already had a daughter—Vesmyra, right? The turquoise-haired fairy?”

  “Why yes,” Fairy Greatmother nodded kindly. Then she gestured toward Titania with one hand and continued, “Actually… Titania isn’t my daughter. She’s my mentor. She adopted me when I was just a child.”

  Ryo’s entire expression stiffened. His eye twitched.

  “…Hold up.” He raised a hand. “Then why does she keep calling you ‘Mother’? How old are you two?!”

  Fairy Greatmother smiled with warm composure. “I am 70 years old. And Titania i—”

  “WAAAAAAHHH—WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!!” Titania flailed her arms like a flustered schoolgirl, her voice cracking into panic. “REVEALING A WOMAN’S AGE IS A DESPICABLE CRIME AGAINST THE ENTIRE FAIRY RACE!!”

  But Fairy Greatmother—utterly unbothered—finished the sentence anyway, like a mother casually embarrassing her daughter in front of her crush without even realizing it.

  “—is 898 years old.”

  Titania let out a pained, broken whimper as she slumped, hiding her face behind her hands.

  “HUUUUU HUUUUUUUU!! You’re so cruel, Mother…”

  Ryo crossed his arms and squinted at the trembling Fairy Queen.

  “Ahhh… so you’re one of those characters—the classic ‘centuries-old but still looks young and elegant’ type.”

  He nodded slowly, then added with a straight face.

  “But hey, at least you’re not one of those 8000-year-old fantasy lolis. You really dodged a bullet there. I mean, imagine the questionable fan arts online. Totally not normal.”

  Titania peeked through her fingers, confused. “…Pardon?”

  Ryo went on without mercy. “But you? Solid design. Dignified presence. You look like you’re in your mid-thirties, even though you’re in the triple digits.

  “There’s definitely some decent fan art of you out there. Maybe a few questionable ones, too…

  But hey—at least it appeals to a mature audience.”

  Titania turned slowly to Fairy Greatmother, raised a brow. “Mother… what exactly is this strange foreign man speaking of?”

  Fairy Greatmother chuckled softly, patting her shoulder. “I have no idea, my dear Titania. But I think he just said something wonderful about you.”

  Now comes the real question—why are Titania and the Cu Sith here in this Fairytale world?

  From Ryo’s knowledge—based on the mythical books he’d read during his geeky childhood—these two magical beings were characters from folklore… and not just any folklore. More like “forgotten folklore”—stories so old and obscure, they barely got mentioned anymore. Honestly, they shouldn’t be in this world, where everything is fairytale-based. If we’re talking about Titania and the Cu Sith, they’d fit more in a classic high fantasy setting instead.

  He had seen these two characters appear in old anime, movies, and games before. But here? In a fairytale kingdom? It felt off—like they’d wandered into the wrong storybook.

  Moreover, Titania is the Queen of Fairies from European folklore—best known from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream—often portrayed as regal, proud, and stubborn… not like this childish version, who goes around calling Fairy Greatmother—her own student—“Mother,” even though she adopted her when she was still a child.

  And then there’s this talking Mr. Fantasy wolf, the Cu Sith—a creature from Scottish Highlands folklore. Its presence alone is supposed to bring dread. According to myths, the beast howls three times, and if you hear the third, you die—unless protected by magic. Fortunately, that didn’t happen when Ryo beat the thing down with a taser and his tonfa.

  And now here they are… together. These two beings have now collided, like a crossover between their two tales. Titania and the Cu Sith were never meant to be together. Just like how fairytale characters from different stories have been crossing over in this world, these old folklore beings are doing the same.

  Fairy Greatmother is a fairytale character… and now she’s connected to Titania and the Cu Sith from forgotten folklore?

  So it’s not just fairytales anymore… folklore is getting involved too. That’s strange. Very strange—for Ryo, at least.

  But what exactly is Fairy Greatmother’s relationship with Titania and the Cu Sith?

  She was once Titania’s student… before Titania started calling her Mother.

  And why doesn’t she have fairy wings or pointy ears like Titania?

  She’s a fairy too, isn’t she?

  He could ponder all day about this strange new lore—but for now, there’s something more pressing.

  Fairy Greatmother said she had evidence. And right now, Ryo needs to see it.

  So Ryo asked. “Alright, we’re here to see the evidence that ma’am has gathered—so is it really okay for me, Sophie, and Elise to enter the cottage now, Ms. Titania?”

  Sith began growling low. “Don’t even think abou—”

  SMACK!

  Before he could finish, Titania whacked him squarely on the head.

  Sith grunted, stumbling, clutching his head with both paws. He whimpered pitifully while Titania faced Ryo with regal poise and said.

  “Why of course, Strange Foreign Man. Don’t mind what this foolish dog says. You are Mother’s humble guests—please, come in. And do just call me Titania, no need for the ‘Ms.’ I want to feel young.”

  “Why, OF COURSE, YOUNG LADY! An 898-year-old fantasy character with a mature appearance who calls her student ‘Mother’? Totally young! As young as your average high school anime girl!” Ryo said sarcastically with a dramatic shrug, just to keep her happy.

  Titania, pleased by what she’d just heard—even if she didn’t understand the sarcasm or the tropes—nodded proudly and added.

  “I’ve also helped make sense of all the evidence Mother had gathered. She needed someone who truly understands ancient magic to delve into the dark curse possessing the sisters.”

  With that, they began stepping forward and started crossing the bridge…

  Well—everyone except Sophie and Elise.

  The two servants stopped short, wide-eyed, just before their feet touched the creaky wood—staring into the dark waters below, where snakes writhed.

  Sophie whimpered. “I-I-I… I can’t…”

  Elise clung to her sister, shaking her head furiously. “It’s going to break! We’re going to die!”

  Fairy Greatmother smiled warmly and raised her wand. “No worries, dears. You shall float towards the cottage.”

  With a flick and a sparkle of pale blue light, both girls yelped as their feet lifted off the ground. They hovered gently above the bridge, baskets floating beside them, arms flailing awkwardly in the air as they drifted beside Ryo.

  Moments later, they reached the front door of the cottage.

  Titania glanced back at them and said casually.

  “Inside. It is not as tidy as it once was… but you may consider yourselves home here, all three of you.”

  She opened the door—

  “DIE, SHERLOCK!!!”

  A violent shriek tore out from inside the cottage.

  A split-second later—

  FWOOOOOSH

  A knife flew at high speed straight toward Ryo’s face.