Reverse Dungeon Chapter 62

“You two will surely defeat the Demon King soday,” the Fairy Queen said with conviction.

“Mm,” Keith answered, sounding as if he agreed.

Ian didn’t bother correcting her. After all, Keith would be the one to defeat the Demon King.

“We do not know whether it was a servant of the Demon King or soone else, but a suspicious figure once visited this island.”

“A suspicious figure?”

Ian had never encountered this dialogue in the ga before. His interest sharpened. What special condition had he fulfilled to trigger this conversation?

“Yes. Soone with their face concealed ca to survey the far side of the island. After that, the island began to wither, and monsters started settling in that area.”

“You believe soone deliberately left the monsters behind?” Keith asked.

“That is what I suspect.” The Fairy Queen gave a small nod.

“Thank you for telling us. That is useful information,” Keith replied.

Ian opened the quest window, but no new quest appeared.

What’s going on?

Was this one of those quests that required him to piece together hints before it unlocked? But as far as Ian knew, the main event on the Fairy Queen’s Island ended here. Everything else was just minor side content.

He wondered whether he should stay on the island a few more days and question the fairies for more information.

“Oh, and... I have sothing to give you both.”

The Fairy Queen stopped them.

She removed the pearl necklace from around her neck. It was tiny, sized perfectly for her delicate fra. But when Ian received it, the necklace magically resized to fit him.

Ding!

[Fairy Queen’s Necklace (A)]

A necklace made from the Fairy Queen’s tears. It can bind opponents.

This was another reason to visit the Fairy Queen’s Island. Clearing the quest rewarded one of the best non-lethal weapons: the Fairy Queen’s Necklace.

The Fairy Queen really was a giving tree. Especially compared to how stingy other quest rewards beca later on.

“I don’t know if we deserve such a precious gift,” Ian said, swiftly tucking the necklace into his inventory.

“This is nothing compared to what you have done for us. Our kingdom has fallen, and this is all I can offer. Please visit us again in the future. I will nurture the World Tree you returned to us, and many new fairies will be born in our village. When that day cos, I will have more gifts to give you.”

The Fairy Queen smiled warmly.

Ian found her utterly endearing.

Keith watched them.

The sight of the warrior and the fairy he had saved smiling at each other was heartwarming.

It reminded Keith of what he had once sought when he first wandered the continent.

In his youth, he had quickly risen to the position of Holy Knight Captain and naturally taken on a central role within the Vatican. He had wanted to extend the salvation he had received to others. To give them the sa relief and joy he had felt in his own mont of despair.

But all Keith found was more despair.

The survivors asked why their loved ones had not been saved as well. They blad him for arriving too late. So of the people he had risked his life to save later ended their own lives, cursing God as they did.

Of course, not everyone reacted that way.

But enough did.

Keith learned to adapt quickly.

He told himself that he was rely following God’s will, and that such resentnt was born from ignorance of divine intent.

Even so, he hoped Ian would not have to endure the sa trials. He hoped Ian would receive the recognition and gratitude he deserved for the salvation he brought.

Perhaps what he seeks from defeating the Demon King is the smiles of the weak he protects.

The thought brought Keith a asure of peace.

Before he realized it, his gaze had settled on Ian’s back. He had been avoiding Ian’s eyes throughout their journey here, but now that his attention had landed on him, he could not help taking in the sight.

Ian was still wearing the cloak Keith had given him. The Fairy Kingdom had no clothes that fit Ian, and there had been no ti to find new ones. The oversized cloak dragged slightly along the ground, concealing most of Ian’s body. Even so, the way the fabric shifted revealed glimpses of his fra.

His narrow shoulders were almost skeletal, yet his hips were soft and rounded.

Had Keith gripped that fragile body too roughly yesterday?

He worried Ian might still be in pain. He had used healing magic, but had it been enough for the places he had overstrained? Had those delicate bruises fully healed?

Shaless bastard.

Keith quickly turned his gaze away.

What was he even thinking?

It was the curse’s influence.

The way his mouth went dry when he looked at Ian, the inexplicable anxiety, the loss of calm—every bit of it was the demon’s doing.

Keith did not harbor lust.

That was not an emotion he should feel toward soone chosen by God.

His heart belonged with the divine, in a place of eternal serenity and tranquility.

“What are you doing? Hurry up. They said they’re preparing a banquet for us.”

“...Yes. I’m coming.”

Keith steadied his voice and followed Ian.

Fairies sward around Ian, giggling as they darted through the air. By contrast, the ones around Keith rely glanced at him with curiosity while keeping their distance.

“Marry !” one fairy shouted at Ian.

“No, marry !” another chid in.

“Don’t bother ,” Ian muttered.

Even so, he did not try to push them away.

“If you marry , I won’t bother you,” one fairy offered.

“I’ll think about it. Co back in ten years.”

Ian’s offhand reply made Keith frown.

“Do you always make promises so casually?”

“...?”

“What will you do if that fairy actually cos to find you in ten years? Will you marry them?”

Keith swatted at a fairy hovering near Ian, shooing it away.

Annoying pests.

He doubted Ian had any real intention of marrying a fairy. Still, Ian was the kind of person who treated other species as equals.

Not that Keith believed Ian had any bizarre preferences, of course.

The fairy Keith had swatted away giggled and tried to land on his shoulder again. Keith ignored it and grabbed another fairy that had just proposed to Ian, tossing it into the air. The fairies, delighted, began swarming around Keith as if they had found a new toy.

Ian frowned.

“Are you serious? Is the curse really still not broken?”

“Promises carry weight. It is inappropriate for soone chosen by God to make light of them.”

“Fine, fine! I won’t marry any of you! Now go away! You’re too tiny to even consider marriage!”

“Rejected! So an!”

The fairies ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) burst into laughter and scattered through the air.

Good. That’s more like it.

Keith felt satisfied.

Satisfied?

What was there for him to feel satisfied about?

Yes, it was important to correct Ian’s habit of making promises too casually, but still...

The banquet began shortly afterward.

Fairy banquets were different from human ones. They were held in open fields, with a large bonfire burning at the center. Fairies played music on grass flutes while others, dressed in flowing white robes, danced above the flas.

Under the moonlight, the soft fabric, glittering wings, laughter, and music wove together into an atmosphere that felt almost otherworldly.

Even Ian, who was usually preoccupied, smiled as he watched the scene.

Keith felt calm.

Of course, Ian was not smiling because of the atmosphere alone.

Ding!

[You have attended the Fairy Banquet.]

The effect will last for 3 days.

Stamina: 3%

Luck: 7%

Nice. My experience points went up too.

Ian casually scooted closer to Keith. Keith flinched slightly, making the mood a little awkward, but Ian decided to ignore it.

After all, what happened yesterday had not actually happened.

It did not exist.

Ian had completely forgotten about it.

Perfect.

After completing his self-hypnosis, Ian smiled and asked, “Keith, will you teach swordsmanship?”

“Swordsmanship?”

Keith’s expression grew complicated. Clearly, he was rembering the disaster that had been their last “lesson.”

Ian pressed on.

“I’ve gotten stronger since then. You’ve seen what I can do now, so you can adjust, right?”

Keith hesitated for a mont before finally nodding.

“...All right. Fine.”

Ian bead.

Finally, I’m getting a lee skill.

The recent battle had made him realize just how difficult it was to rely on ranged skills alone. In the ga, he could get by with good controls, but controlling an actual body was much harder. Without Keith, he might not have survived.

At the very least, Ian wanted to be able to run away on his own two feet.

Keith stared at Ian’s smiling face for a mont, then turned his eyes back to the dancing fairies.

He felt nothing because of that smile.

The music was beautiful.

Yes.

That was why he felt good.