Sugar Apple Fairytale Vol 1 Chapter 3

Chapter 3. Attack
Seated next to Ann on the driver‟s seat was Shall, wearing a sleepy-looking
face. Then, as if trying to wedge himself into the crack between Shall and Ann,
lay Mythrill curled up sleeping.
Together with the break of day, the box-shaped wagon driven by Ann
departed the rest stop.
The night before, Mythrill had continued shrieking all night long. As could be
expected, both Ann and Shall had hardly slept at all.
Ann had been soothing a shrieking Mythrill as they departed that morning.
Mythrill shrewdly climbed onto the driver‟s seat. Ann and Shall, both
suffering from a lack of sleep, were silent, and Mythrill, perhaps tired from
staying up all night, fell deep asleep, rocked pleasantly by the movement of
the wagon.
Looking down at a seemingly comfortable Mythrill, Shall said hatefully,
“Should I throw him out while he‟s sleeping?”
“That‟s too excessive, don‟t do it. Besides, even if you throw him out, he‟ll
come back, probably. He was saying he‟d follow me to the depths of h.e.l.l,
remember? Until he repays the favor in a way he‟s satisfied with, we might
never be able to get him to let us sleep~~ That is troublesome, but… Now that
you mention it, the matter with Jonas is troublesome, too…”
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Jonas followed along behind them with a matter-of-fact look on his face.
After being rocked by the carriage for a short while, Ann checked the location
of the sun.
It was about time to take a break, which they‟d use to eat lunch at the same
time. A small, clear river flowing through the forest that ran alongside the
road caught Ann‟s eye. Spotting an opening in the trees, she drove the wagon
through it, into the woods.
Jonas also silently stopped his wagon.
In order to store up water in the barrels lashed to the sides of her wagon, Ann
began to arduously scoop water from the river with a bucket.
Jonas watched her doing this for a while, and then seemed to notice that he
also needed to stock up on water. He grabbed a bucket and headed towards the
stream.
Beside Ann, who leaned over the stream to scoop up water, Jonas likewise
bent over.
Noticing his presence, Ann turned her face towards Jonas.
Jonas gazed back at Ann with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his
face. Then he said to her hesitantly, “Ann… Can‟t you understand? I was 
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worried about you. That‟s all.”
Jonas put his hand into the stream, and touched Ann‟s hand that was gripping
the bucket.
Ann was startled, and reflexively yanked the bucket out of the stream. Even if
he treated her like this, she was unsure how to respond and only ended up
being troubled by it. However, he was in his own way kindly doing his best
for her.
“Ann.”
As he called her name, a light sigh leaked from Ann‟s mouth.
Jonas was a good person. His reckless behavior was also for her sake.
“We‟ve already come 300 caron since entering the b.l.o.o.d.y highway. That
means we‟ve already made it about 1/4th of the way across. At this point, it‟s
more dangerous for you to turn back alone. In that case, it‟s safer for you to
travel the rest of the way to Lewiston with us. Come with us.”
At this, a smile flashed across Jonas‟s face.
“You do understand!”
“In exchange, please understand this: travelling is dangerous.”
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“But aren‟t you using a warrior fairy, Ann? I don‟t think we‟ll be in any
danger…”
“A warrior fairy isn‟t necessarily invincible. Don‟t rely on Shall too much and
get careless.”
“I know that…”
Ann couldn‟t perceive any concern whatsoever in Jonas‟s expression as he
said this.
Jonas had probably hardly ever left Knoxberry village. At most, he‟d probably
gone to Redington occasionally to buy things and attend festivals. Perhaps it
couldn‟t be helped that a person like him was ignorant about traveling.
But he‟d just been attacked by bandits yesterday. She wished he would act a
bit more concerned.
Shall had chased away the bandits yesterday incredibly easily. Perhaps that
was why such a carefree thought like „If there‟s a warrior fairy, we‟ve got
nothing to worry about!‟ had taken root in Jonas‟s mind.
After they finished scooping the water, they ate lunch and then departed once
again.
According to plan, they arrived safely at the rest stop that Ann had chosen as 
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the place they‟d spend the 3rd night of the journey.
For dinner that evening, Ann invited Jonas to eat with them.
As always, she built a small campfire.
Spreading out leather mats beside the fire, Ann called out to Shall, Jonas and
Kathy.
Mythrill showed up by himself, even though she hadn‟t called for him. Then,
as if observing, he walked slowly in a circle around them.
“I‟ll make introductions for Jonas and Kathy. This is Shall Fenn Shall. He‟s a
warrior fairy. I bought him in Redington in order to have him be my guard.
I‟ve been calling him Shall.”
“What about his name? Haven‟t you give him one?”
“What I said just now is his name.”
At being introduced to a fairy, Jonas made a perplexed expression. Fairies
were the same as tools. It was normal not to be introduced to them.
Furthermore, it seemed he was completely unable to comprehend the concept
of a master not naming their fairy. 
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Kathy was looking at Shall curiously, but he had his gaze averted, as if he
didn‟t even see her.
Jonas gazed at Shall fixedly once again.
“You‟re so pretty that it‟s a shame to make you a warrior fairy, eh? You look
like you‟d sell well as a pet fairy.”
At this, Shall answered icily, “If you like me so much, why don‟t you buy me
from this Scarecrow? In terms of idiocy you‟re evenly matched, so it doesn‟t
make any difference to me which of you I‟m used by.”
“Shall!”
Ann got fl.u.s.tered and tried to shut him up, but there was no taking back the
words that had already flown out of his mouth.
“I-idiocy…?”
There was no way he‟d ever had an experience like being called an idiot by a
fairy before. Jonas was more astounded than he was angry.
Ann felt as if she herself had said something bad, and began to explain.
“I‟m sorry, Jonas! Shall has a foul mouth, which seems to be why he couldn‟t
be sold as a pet fairy. Even as a warrior fairy, because of his foul mouth he 
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was sold off at a low price. „Block-head,‟ „Idiot,‟ and so on, I‟m also being
called all of these things, so don‟t take it to heart! You too, Shall, don‟t say
such things to people other than me. Other people don‟t have an immunity to
it!”
“Yeah. Well… You didn‟t do anything wrong, Ann, so don‟t worry about it.
More importantly, what about that fairy over there?”
Regaining his wits, Jonas turned his gaze to Mythrill.
As his turn came up, Mythril entered the center of the circle without hesitation.
“Me? My name is Mythrill Reed Pod-sama!! Don‟t forget to put „sama‟ on the
end!”[1]
“P-put „sama‟ on the end?!”
As if saying that he didn‟t understand what what was being said to him, Jonas
blinked his eyes several times in confusion.
“Shall and Mythrill Reed Pod, the two of you----!! Why do you have to act
like that?! Say, Mythrill Reed Pod, how do you think people are going to feel,
being told „put „sama‟ on the end of my name‟? Obviously they are not going
to be happy to hear that!”
At Ann‟s chiding words, Mythrill hung his head, disheartened. Then he 
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staggered off towards Ann‟s wagon.
Jonas neglected to introduce Kathy, as if it were only natural not to.
For dinner, Ann had water. Additionally, she layered dried meat between
thinly cut slices of black bread to make sandwiches. She gave some to Shall as
well.
Glancing over at Mythrill, Ann saw him sitting on top of the roof of the wagon
with his knees purposefully[2] drawn up to his chest, doodling absently with
the tip of his finger.
Mythrill was extremely noisy, so since the night before she‟d been thinking of
him as a bother.
However, if she thought carefully, his willingness to „repay the favor‟ was
admirable. He was probably just putting up a front by coming out with a
strange monologue like that because the person he was trying to repay a favor
to was one of those hated humans.
---- When he’s not talking, he’s really cute. His eyes are so big and round.
Ann divided her own sandwich in half, then beckoned to Mythrill.
“Come here, Mythrill. This is for you.”
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With a joyful expression appearing suddenly on his face, Mythrill bounced
towards Ann and s.n.a.t.c.hed the sandwich from her hand.
Then, with a serious expression, he said simply, “My name is Mythrill Reed
Pod. Don‟t shorten it.”
“That‟s right. Sorry, Mythrill Reed Pod.”
Ann went to ration out a portion for Jonas as well, but he said that he had his
own food, and brought it out from his wagon.
Jonas‟s food was unthinkably extravagant by Ann‟s standards.
Grape wine. Apple juice. Pear jam sandwiched between slices of white bread.
A slice of pie stuffed with meat. His mother had put her whole heart into
packing a tremendous amount of food and had him take it with him. It was
like some little master‟s picnic.
Seeing this, Ann didn‟t have a hard time believing that Jonas‟s parents had
consented to his going on a journey.
Preparing such a detailed spread of food like this was an art that probably only
the lady of the house would be capable of. There was no doubt that he‟d been
given the wagon and food supplies, and even the money to hire a guard, by his
parents, who‟d prepared everything for him before he left. 
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But why did the Anders family support their son‟s reckless behavior? Ann
didn‟t understand it at all.
“If you had such a feast prepared for you, I guess you really didn‟t need my
soup after all,” Ann muttered without thinking.
At this Kathy, who was pouring wine into Jonas‟s cup said with a mocking
laugh, “Of course not.”
Jonas glared at Kathy.
“Shut up, Kathy. I won‟t allow you to speak to Ann so disrespectfully.”
Kathy‟s face suddenly went pale. As if trying to smooth things over, she said
hesitantly, “Ah, I‟m sorry, Jonas-sama. I was just…”
“Disappear.”
Kathy hung her head in shame. Starting from the tips of her toes and spreading
upwards, her body lost color and then turned transparent. Before long, her
entire body had disappeared.
It appeared as if the wine bottle that she was holding braced against her body
was simply floating in mid-air.
Fairies each had their own special abilities. It seemed Kathy‟s special ability 
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was the ability to disappear.
Jonas said apologetically, “Sorry, Ann, it appears that my labor fairy hasn‟t
been taught to mind her manners properly. Your soup was delicious, really. It
made me very happy.”
Perhaps Jonas‟s behavior was only natural as a master. However, Ann felt bad
for Kathy. Just before disappearing, Kathy‟s expression had been very sad.
The next morning, the two wagons set out once again.
Mythrill sat happily in between Shall and Ann. He was in a good mood, and
chattering non-stop.
“Ann, if there‟s something I can do to repay the favor, tell me without holding
back. But don‟t make up some odd jobs, or something. Let me repay the favor
in a more outstanding way.”
“An outstanding favor… I‟ll try to think of something, but while we‟re at it,
perhaps a favor that utilizes your special abilities is best, Mythrill Reed Pod.
What kind of abilities do you have?”
At her question, Mythrill puffed out his chest as if he‟d been waiting for her to
ask.
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“My abilities, eh? Don‟t be shocked! Listen carefully---- You see, I am the
great lake in the northernmost part of the kingdom of Highland, Lake Loess!
…That is, a drop of its water, clinging to a leaf. I was born from that drop of
water.”
“You were born from a drop of water? Are all fairies born from drops of
water?”
Ann tilted her head to the side. At this, Mythrill waved his pointer finger at
her chiddingly.
“Ann, you really don‟t know anything, do you? Fairies are born from all kinds
of things. Blades of gra.s.s, pinecones, drops of water and morning dew, rocks
and gems… Something‟s energy condenses and forms a fairy. However, for
the energy to condense, a living creature‟s gaze is required. A human or a
fairy or an animal or a bird. Even a fish or a bug is fine. The energy will take
form by being gazed at and become a fairy. A fairy‟s lifespan is about as long
as that of the item that became the source of their birth.”
“So, if Mythrill Reed Pod was born from a drop of water, what were you born
from, Shall?”
At this question, Shall merely glanced towards her and didn‟t respond.
Instead, Mythrill answered.
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“You can tell just by looking, this guy‟s an obsidian. n.o.ble gem fairies [3]
have the ability to create sharp items. Because I was born from a drop of water,
I have the ability to control water. That‟s my ability.”
“Control water?! That‟s amazing! Let me see.”
“Okay!”
Mythrill held out both hands in front of his chest.
He stared fixedly at his tiny palms, and water began to well up in the hollow
between them.
Mythrill rolled that water into a ball, just as if he were kneading dough, then
tossed it lightly into the air. It connected with the back of Ann‟s hand with a
splash, and burst open. It was just a bit, but Ann felt the coldness of the water.
“Incredible! Since you can control water, if there‟s a flash flood you can alter
the course of the water, right?!”
“Don‟t say such scary things! As if I could do something like that.”
“Then what can you do?”
“I just showed you, didn‟t I?”
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“Eh… That‟s it?”
“That‟s right… What, do you have a problem with that?”
Depressed, Ann‟s shoulders slumped. It seemed that Mythrill‟s ability was no
big deal after all.
At this, Shall said with heavy sarcasm, “That will come in handy if you want
to give water to a little birdy.”
“Sh-sh-sh-shut up!! What do you mean by that comment?! Are you trying to
make fun of me?! I won‟t forgive your att.i.tude! I‟ll say this in advance, but
Shall Fenn Shall, you should improve your att.i.tude towards Ann, too. It‟s too
rude!”
“You‟re the rude one,” Shall responded coldly.
“What part of me is rude?!”
“The whole thing.”
“What did you say?!”
Glancing sideways at the the two quarreling fairies, Ann declared, “There‟s no
need to fight. You‟re both equally rude.”
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Ann earned a favorable amount of distance.
If they were able to arrive that night at the rest stop than Ann had chosen as
they place they‟d sleep on the 4th day of the trip, they‟d have progressed a
total of 400 caron along the b.l.o.o.d.y highway. That was 1/3rd of the b.l.o.o.d.y
highway‟s total length of 1200 caron.
The sun was slowly and steadily beginning to descend, dyeing the tips of the
mountains with s.h.i.+mmering orange light.
They‟d probably be able to reach the rest stop without any problems tonight as
well. Just as Ann was thinking this…
Harsh, slanting rays of light were slas.h.i.+ng towards the wagon, as if pus.h.i.+ng it
forward, but suddenly they were blotted out.
Shall looked up at the sky, and knit his brows. Mythrill, too, looked up at the
sky, as if drawn by an invisible thread, and then he went pale.
“Hey, Shall Fenn Shall, those are…”
Because Mythrill was suddenly speaking in a gravely serious voice, Ann tilted
her head.
“What? What is it?”
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At the same time, Jonas‟s wagon, which had been following behind Ann‟s,
picked up speed and his driver‟s seat drew up even with hers.
“Hey, Ann. Ann! Look up!”
From Jonas‟s frightened expression, Ann finally realized that something was
wrong.
She looked up at the sky where Jonas pointed.
Ann was startled. The sky was pitch black.
Since the light of the sun had been blocked out since earlier, she‟d figured that
clouds had come out.
However, the things blocking out the light of the sun were not clouds.
It was a flock of wild crows, as many as several hundred. The giant, black
birds had formed a flock and without letting out a since cry were flying as if
chasing after them.
“This is… An attack…”
Ann had heard rumors of something like this. Wild crows were the clean-up
crew of the wilderness, foraging for carrion. However, it was said that in the
event that they couldn‟t find any dead animals to feed on, wild crows would 
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form flocks to attack, kill, and devour living creatures.
It was said that if you were attacked by one of these flocks, there was no hope
for you.
The crows would begin by targeting their prey‟s eyeb.a.l.l.s with their sharp
beaks. They‟d inhibit their prey‟s movements, and then begin to feast on their
flesh. Even if they hid inside the wagon, it was no use. The crows were
intelligent. They would patiently peck at the roof s.h.i.+ngles until they‟d opened
a hole and then go rus.h.i.+ng in.
Ann shuddered, looking up at the flock of black birds covering the sky.
If they were attacked by a flock of this size, there was no hope for them. They
couldn‟t handle such numbers.
Ann looked at Shall. This time for sure, she would have to order him. Her life
was also on the line. „If you don‟t want your wing to be destroyed, save us
from the wild crows.‟ Now was the time for her to order him like that.
However…
“Shall, please…”
Against her better judgement, she began to speak. But, at the word „please,‟
Shall‟s eyes lit up fleetingly. Ann felt him wordlessly rebuffing her, „Are you
trying to play at being friends again?‟
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Understanding his unspoken message, Ann resolved herself.
“Shall, this is an order. Protect us from the wild crows. I‟m holding your wing.
You know what that means, right?” Ann ordered. But she couldn‟t wipe away
a feeling of uneasiness.
She was thinking that she didn‟t want to do something horrible like pretending
she would destroy Shall‟s wing. But if those thoughts were seen through by
Shall, he probably wouldn‟t obey her order.
Just as she thought, Shall‟s eyes narrowed as if he found something amusing.
If he told her „No,‟ Ann didn‟t know what she would do. She might have no
choice but to take his wing out from where it was concealed at her breast and
act as if she intended to tear it.
But Shall nodded. Then…
“Stop the wagon.”
Leaving her with only this instruction, he jumped down from the driver‟s seat.
Ann frantically stopped the horses and looked back to where Shall had gotten
off. Making the sword made of condensed light appear in his hand, he called
nonchalantly back over his shoulder, “Hide in the wagon.”
---- He’s going to obey me? Why?
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The wild crows, seeing that they‟d stopped, began to descend towards at them.
“Ann!”
Jonas had also stopped his wagon, and was looking up at the sky with a face
white with fear.
“Jonas, you get inside the wagon too! Hurry!”
At this, Jonas nearly tripped over himself fleeing into the wagon.
“That‟s it! This is how I‟ll repay the favor! I‟ll also chase off those birds.”
Mythrill abruptly snapped his fingers and stood up, rolling up his sleeves with
sudden enthusiasm.
Ann paled.
“No, no, no! It‟s impossible, you‟ll die. Come on!”
“What do you mean, „Impossible‟?! Don‟t be so ungracious towards my
repayment of the favor… Whoa!!”
s.n.a.t.c.hing up a grumbling Mythrill by the collar, Ann jumped down from the
driver‟s seat and flew into the back of the wagon. 
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“Don‟t go out there. If you die repaying the favor, there will be no meaning to
my having saved you in the first place.”
Sitting on the floor of the wagon, Ann hugged Mythrill tightly to her.
“...I… I‟m going to… repay… the favor…!”
While being embraced, Mythrill‟s voice dwindled out, and his cheeks grew
steadily redder. Finally, he fell silent.
Ann tilted her head, listening to the noises outside.
The crows, who until now had been silent, began to caw loudly all at once, as
if letting out a battle cry.
a.s.sailed by the sensation that that cry was suddenly coming cras.h.i.+ng down
upon her head, Ann unconsciously covered her ears with both hands. The
noise and vibration of the wild crows‟ bodies incessantly hitting the wagon
a.s.saulted her senses.
It took all her strength to keep from screaming.
---- Help me… Shall!
The wagon rocked as the horses s.h.i.+ed in apparent terror.
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The wild crows‟ cries rained down all around them as if to engulf the wagon
whole.
Ann couldn‟t suppress the shaking of her body. She drew her knees up to her
chest protectively and stayed as still as possible.
At this, Mythrill‟s tiny hand gently touched Ann‟s cheek.
“Don‟t be afraid, Ann. It‟s okay. Shall Fenn Shall is an obsidian. He‟s
different from us. He won‟t get hurt, and he won‟t break. Even among fairies,
he‟s exceptionally strong.”
After a considerable amount of time had pa.s.sed, at last Ann got the feeling
that the number of impacts from crows cras.h.i.+ng into the wagon had lessened.
The ear-splitting cries of the crows lessened as well, until bit by bit, all
became quiet outside the wagon.
Complete silence had returned. Ann and Mythrill looked at each other.
“I wonder if it‟s over?”
“Yeah… I don‟t know…”
Ann raised her head, set Mythrill on the floor, and stood up. Fearfully,
fearfully, she opened the door. 
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Just at that moment, something black dropped to the ground with a thud, right
before her eyes.
“Wah!!”
Ann lept back, falling on her rear.
What had slid down off the roof of the wagon and landed on the steps was the
dead body of a wild crow. After confirming this, Ann returned her eyes to the
scene before her.
What she saw on the other side of the open door was a highway paved pitch
black.
The highway was covered with the dead bodies of crows, appearing as if it
had been spread with black feathers.
Shall stood still on top of that pitch black carpet, his white cheeks splattered
with blood.
“...Shall.”
At her call, he turned his gaze towards Ann.
His eyes were sharp, as if simultaneously repulsed and spellbound by the
scene around him. At this moment he truly appear to be a sword chiselled out 
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of polished obsidian.
Swinging the sword in his hand, Shall let it dissipate, then wiped nonchalantly
at the blood on his cheek. Then he slowly made his way across the black
carpet towards Ann.
At the sight of Ann collapsed in a pile, Shall laughed brusquely, as if making
fun of her.
“Did your legs give out on you?”
“N-no!!”
Ann tried to stand up and refute him firmly, but her legs couldn‟t hold her, and
she staggered.
Just when it appeared that Ann was in danger of tumbling out of the wagon,
Shall caught her in his arms.
At just that moment, Shall‟s wing, fluttering in the wind, brushed across
Ann‟s cheek. At that sensation, smoother than the most luxurious silk,
something sweet ran up her back with a jolt.
When Ann looked up, black eyes were looking down at her. Unthinkingly, she
gazed back in fascination.
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That blackness threatened to suck her in. How beautiful… she thought once
again. The eyes gazing at her were so l.u.s.trous, it seemed as if her entire body
would melt.
“What is it, Scarecrow. Do you want a „bonus‟?”
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Having the mocking question whispered to her in such a sweet voice, Ann
suddenly became angry.
“Who would?!”
She frantically removed herself from Shall‟s grip, then turned her back on him.
“A-anyways, thanks for saving us.”
She hoped he didn‟t realize that her cheeks were bright red.
“What an incredible number. We really shouldn‟t have had any chance, being
attacked by this many.”
Holding up the hem of her dress and wading through the dead bodies of the
wild crows, Ann made her way to the driver‟s seat of the wagon.
Jonas climbed out of his wagon as well, and came up next next to Ann.
“You really saved us, Ann. Good thing you‟re using Shall.”
Being told this, Ann glanced over her shoulder at Shall with a troubled look
on her face.
“Eh… Y-yeah, I guess.”
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Watching Ann from behind as she began walking again, Shall laughed bitterly.
Ann had ordered Shall with all her might, in order to try and use him.
However, her order held none of the cruelness of a master. Even if she
threatened to destroy his wing, Shall was well aware that she could never
follow through with it.
However, Shall had protected them. It wasn‟t that he‟d obeyed because he‟d
been ordered to do so. If Ann had been pecked to death by wild crows, Shall‟s
wing that she carried would also have been in danger.
That was the only reason he‟d protected her.
Ann was aware of the weakness of her own orders, and of the fact that Shall
had seen through it. She had an inkling that Shall wasn‟t acting because of her
orders.
Her perception about those types of things seemed to be good.
---- You’re holding my wing in your hands.[4] Keep your wits about you,
Scarecrow.
Rather than a master, Ann was more like luggage. Since she was clutching his
wing to her and wouldn‟t let go, he certainly couldn‟t treat her roughly. He
couldn‟t let her leave his side.
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From Shall‟s perspective, it was as if he had a living jewelry box following
him around, one which he‟d lost the key to and couldn‟t open.
Why was a helpless girl like this travelling around all by herself? It was a
mystery.
After calming the frightened horses down, Ann took them by the bit and
slowly lead them across the ground strewn the the dead bodies of wild crows.
There were a terrifying number of corpses. Even though their lives would
have been in danger if they hadn‟t done this, getting a first-hand experience of
just how many lives that had been lost as they crunched beneath her feet made
her spirits sink.
---- Among these wild crows, there might have been some that left behind
chicks in their nests…
But, she would need to find a way to compromise her feelings with acts like
this in the future, should they be necessary to survive.
That was unavoidable, because Emma, who‟d always covered Ann‟s eyes and
protected her from unpleasant and scary things, was no longer here.
After a while, the horses regained their composure and the wagon returned to
traveling as usual. 
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At last, Ann was able to sit back and rest on the driver‟s seat.
However, she looked up at the sky and knit her brows.
“This isn‟t good.”
The sun was half hidden in the shadow of the mountains. The sky in the east
was already growing a shade of dark indigo blue.
Because of the wild crows‟ attack, they‟d lost too much time.
The way things stood now, it would be very difficult to reach the rest stop
before the sun set.
“It looks like we‟ve lept out of the frying pan and into the fire.”[5]
“What will you do? Are you going to wait out the night sleeping in the back of
the wagon?”
It seemed that Shall had caught on to the danger immediately. He said this
from where he sat beside her on the driver‟s seat.
“If we did that, I‟d have to ask you to stay up all night keeping watch, Shall.
You just chased the wild crows away for us, I couldn‟t put such a burden on
you…”
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“Leave it to me! I‟ll stay up all night and keep watch! This time, for sure, is
my chance to s.h.i.+ne!”
Seated between Ann and Shall, Mythrill waved his hand enthusiastically, as if
waiting to be called on.
Ann smiled wryly.
“If there‟s no other way, I‟ll ask you. But wait a minute.”
Pulling the map out from under the driver‟s seat, Ann traced the highway‟s
path on the map with her finger.
The rest stop she‟d plan to spend the 4th night of the journey at was still far
ahead.
However, before the rest stop… Just a bit further than where they were now,
there was a different marking than the one for „rest stop.‟
It was a „doctor‟s inn.‟
Jonas pulled his wagon up beside Ann‟s, and looked up at the sky anxiously as
well.
“Ann, it‟s going to be dark soon. We might not have any choice but to run the
rest of the way to the rest stop.”
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“As soon as it gets dark, wild beasts come out. It‟s dangerous to travel after
night falls. We have to get to a safe place before then. If we travel a bit further,
there‟s a doctor‟s inn. Let‟s take shelter there. If it turns out that this doctor‟s
inn is closed, then it can‟t be helped. We can either run the rest of the way to
the rest stop or we can stop the wagons on the side of the road and spend the
night in the back.”
As she spoke, Ann quickly put away the map. Jonas tilted his head.
“What is a „doctor‟s inn‟?”
“Like the name says, it‟s the home of a doctor. Doctors working in remote
places often run an inn in their home where they let travelers spend the night.
Bandits also depend on doctors, right? So, doctors‟ homes are safe because
bandits will rarely do anything against them. However, if the doctor dies or
moves away, the inn will close. It‟s best not to rely too much on doctors‟ inns
while traveling, but… We‟ll just have to pray that it‟s still there. Anyways,
let‟s hurry!”
Ann applied the whip to the horses. Jonas set his face in a serious expression,
and drove his wagon forward as well.
The sun sank mercilessly lower and lower as they watched.
At the darkness that spread across the sky from the east, Ann felt a sense of
terror. 
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She applied the whip to the horses again, urging them even faster. However,
Ann‟s horses were old. She didn‟t want to handle them roughly.
If it were Emma, she would have been able to read the horses‟ level of
exhaustion based on their breathing, and gotten them to run right at their
maximum speed. Ann wasn‟t that skillful yet.
As the darkness drew closer, her agitation increased.
“Just a bit faster… I guess it‟s impossible? But, what should I do… It it were
mama, she‟d be able to do this right…” Ann muttered, gazing straight ahead.
Shall glanced over at Ann.
“What about your mother? Where is she?”
The question caused a jolt of pain to shoot through her chest. In order to
suppress that, Ann forced a smile. Then she said with fabricated cheerfulness,
“Mama died. I guess I forget to mention that.”
She saw a hint of surprise on Shall‟s normally expressionless face.
“My mother, who was a silver sugar master, died half a month ago. Because
mama and I were always traveling all throughout the kingdom, I have no
home to return to. I also don‟t have any relatives except for mama. After
mama died and I was thinking about how I should live from now on, I decided 
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to become a silver sugar master. I intend to enter my sugar sculpture in the
sugar sculpture festival that‟s held in Lewiston at the end of fall, and become a
silver sugar master. I want to become a silver sugar master this year. Do you
know why?”
Shall shrugged his shoulders. Of course he didn‟t know.
Ann continued on. In order to avoid thinking of anything unnecessary, she
fixed her eyes on the approaching darkness. She did her best to think only of
hurrying forward as she moved her lips.
“Soul Ascension Day[6] is in the winter, right? It‟s a day of celebration to
send off the souls of those who pa.s.sed away the previous year. During that
festival, I will create a magnificent sugar sculpture with my own hands as a
silver sugar master, and send mama‟s soul to heaven. With my own hands,
I‟ll make the best sugar sculpture in the entire kingdom. Don‟t you think that
mama will be able to go heaven without any worries when she sees it? It‟s a
good idea, right?”
Ann rambled on and on, speaking in a cheerful tone of voice. She had the
feeling that there was something in her chest that threatened to come
overflowing out if she didn‟t seal it up like this.
The reason why she wanted to make it in time for this year‟s sugar sculpture
festival.
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The reason why she wanted to become a silver sugar master this year.
It was all because she wanted to send her mother off to heaven by making the
world‟s best sugar sculpture with her own hands, which had been recognized
as the most skillful in the whole kingdom.
That was the only reason.
She was well aware that it was a sentimental reason.
But she was desperate. Right now, that was Ann‟s only desire.
Something right before her eyes. Something she could do for Emma. If she
didn‟t have that to cling onto and continue chasing after, Ann felt that the
ground would fall out from under her feet and she would fall into a bottomless
darkness.
Shall gazed at Ann as if searching for something. She‟d been told that he was
been born from an obsidian. Indeed, those eyes were as beautiful and as deep
as an obsidian.
Ann felt that under that gaze her heart would be laid bare, and so she couldn‟t
meet Shall‟s eyes.
“Since you‟re born from an object, that means fairies are born alone, right?
That might also be nice…”
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Without warning, a tiny fissure opened up in Ann‟s heart.
For a moment, the frantic need to hurry receded into the distance.
The only noise seemed to be be that of the wind rattling around inside her
empty chest.
“If you have a mother, it‟s hard once she‟s gone. It feels as if you‟ve lost your
heart. If you never had her in the first place, you could get by without
experiencing this kind of pain,” Ann muttered as if speaking to herself.
At this, Shall answered quietly, “Even if we‟re born alone, it doesn‟t mean
that we‟ll never have to part with anyone. It‟s not as if fairies don‟t also know
the pain of losing someone.”
After saying just that, Shall fell silent.
Inside of Shall, there was a feeling similar to the one in Ann‟s heart. His
silence confirmed it.
However, that silence was unbearable.
Ann felt that if she said anything more, the emotion that she was holding back
inside of herself would overflow.
That emotion that Ann was desperately holding back was unfathomable 
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loneliness. There was certainly loneliness inside of Shall as well. It seemed
that if those lonelinesses were ever to touch one another, they would overflow
as one, and no one would be able to hold them back.
Ann continued staring straight forward.
---- So that’s why. Her mother is gone.
Gazing at Ann‟s face in profile as she stared obstinately straight ahead, Shall
began to understand.
He was also able to understand that Ann was unconsciously searching for
someone to ease her loneliness.
She was lonely. This scrawny, 15 year old girl was all alone. She was so
terribly helpless. How terrible her sense of solitude must be.
An oppressive feeling of solitude, as if the darkness would permeate into
one‟s body. Shall also knew that feeling very well.
Perhaps Ann even believed that if she entered the sugar sculpture festival and
was able to become a silver sugar master, that loneliness would disappear.
Either that, or she believed that if she didn‟t dangle a target just out of reach to
chase after like this, she would fall apart. 
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Likely, it was the latter.
---- If that’s the case, then let her chase after it.
What he was recalling at that moment was the pain of having his wing torn off.
That, and the events that followed it.
The separation that was more painful than losing his wing.
----Liz...
At that time, to keep himself going, Shall had also continued running after
things that were just out of reach.
As long as he was doing that, he was able to get by without having to think
about anything.
That period was not a happy one for him, but neither was it unhappy.
If the alternative was to fall apart, he wanted to let her chase after something.
Even if the other person was a human, that‟s how he felt as someone who‟d
experienced the same feelings.
Mythrill was silent and gazed at Ann with a worried expression.
Just then… Ann‟s stern expression suddenly grew cheerful.
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“Ah! Look, lights!”
Off to the right side of the highway up ahead, where the entire sky was now
almost completely stained a deep indigo blue, a snug little house surrounded
by tall stone walls appeared, nestled in the shadow of the mountains. It was
the doctor‟s inn.
There was only a single opening in the stone walls, which were constructed
using rocks of uneven size and shape. That was the gate. The gate was
equipped with ma.s.sive wooden double doors.
Inside the gate, they could see a stone building with a wood-s.h.i.+ngled roof.
Warmly colored light was leaking out from the windows.
The ma.s.sive gate doors affixed to the stone wall were just now beginning to
close.
“Wait!” Ann shouted.
// Chapter 3, END
Notes:
[1] 様づけ - As many of you probably know, „sama‟ is an honorific added to
the end of a person‟s name to show respect. It is a level above „san‟ and
generally used only when speaking to business clients and people of a much 
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higher social rank than you. Mythrill demanding that Jonas add „sama‟ to the
end of his name is preposterous because in the kingdom of Highland fairies
are considered an inferior species to humans. Picture your dog demanding that
you call him „Sir Spot.‟
[2] わざとらしく - Mythrill knows Ann is looking at him and is playing up
the „my feelings are hurt‟ act on purpose.
[3] 貴石 - This is not a real word in j.a.panese, as far as I can tell. It‟s made up
from the characters for “n.o.ble” and “stone.” I believe it refers to precious
gems like obsidian, ruby, diamond, etc.
[4] 抱いている - This was hard to translate because in j.a.panese this word
means „to hold‟ but with the connotation of „embracing.‟ I also wanted to
reference a phrase I often hear used in English, „to hold someone‟s heart in the
palm of your hands,‟ since fairies wings are often described in this series as
being equivalent to their hearts.
[5] 一難去って、また一難 - Literally, this just translates as “Escape from
one problem and find yourself faced with another.” However, I chose to
subst.i.tute an English idiom with the same meaning.
[6]昇魂日 - In katakana, this is written as “pull soul day,” which was how it
was written in the English scanlation of the manga. I believe that this was the
author‟s attempt to create the name of a holiday using English translations of
the meanings of the individual kanji, but she didn‟t quite get it right. 昇 means
„to ascend, to go up‟ in the sense of something being pulled up by an outside
force. To make it sound less awkward in English, I chose to translate the name
of this holiday as “Soul Ascension Day.”