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[FT: O King of the Fairies] Chapter 106
🕑 Added 2025-06-18 14:27:28 +0000 UTCAfter spending another hour going through Mayor Hendrick's records and getting directions to the ruins, we thanked him and headed back to the Regalia. The entrance to the ancient site was apparently a few miles up the mountain, accessible by what used to be a road but was now more like a hiking trail.
"I still think this is insane," the mayor had said as we left his office. "But if anyone can figure out what's down there, it's probably you three."
Now, standing at the edge of what looked like a gaping wound in the mountainside, I had to admit the guy had a point about the insane part. The entrance was massive—easily fifty feet wide and twice as tall, carved into the rock.
The Ishgar Empire definitely didn't mess around.
The opening descends into darkness, but I can make out carved steps leading down into the depths.
"The energy density is thick," Astra says "It's like the entire mountain is soaked with energy."
Irene nods, her hand moving to her staff. "I can feel it too. This isn't just leftover magic. There is a massive spell that's been running for millennias."
I whistled. I was excited to learn about the truth about the ruins, and clearly it was connected to the history of the world.
Standing here, staring into this entrance, I realize just how much I still don't know about Earthland. The anime and manga only scratched the surface, really. They focused on Fairy Tail's adventures, the immediate threats, the guild drama. But the deeper lore? The real history of this world? That was barely touched.
Dragons, gods, ancient empires that spanned continents—there's a whole universe of secrets buried under what I thought I knew. And honestly? That's exactly what I was hoping for.
"Concerning? Are you kidding?" I grin at her. "This is the best part. Real exploration, real discovery. I realize there are still many things I don’t know about this world.”
I saw Irene smile at me. Then my heart skipped.
Damn.
“And I'm really glad you're here with me.” I continued.
She looked at me with those eyes. “Me too…”
"Ahem," Astra clears her throat from behind us. "Perhaps we could save the intimate moments for after the quest?"
I blink, suddenly remembering where we are. Right.
"Good point,"
"Priorities," Irene says with a small laugh.
We start our descent into the ruins, our footsteps echoing in the vast stone corridor. The walls are covered in those flowing Ishgar runes, mixed with the more angular Divine script that pulse with light.
Irene runs her hand along the wall. "These runes are amazing.”
"Look at this," I say, stopping at a section where the runes seem to form a pattern. "NIMO, can you translate any of this?"
My AI companion materializes and begins scanning. "Partial translation available. This appears to be a warning... something about 'the sleeper beneath' and 'price of awakening.'"
"Cheerful," I mutter.
We keep moving deeper. The corridor slopes down at a steady angle, and I can feel the weight of the mountain pressing overhead. Every few hundred feet, there are side passages branching off into darkness, but the main path is clear enough.
"How deep do you think this goes?" Irene asks.
"Deep," I say. "The Ishgar Empire built things to last. If they wanted to hide something down here, they made sure it would stay hidden."
Astra floats beside us, her eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. "The energy is getting stronger. Whatever's down here, we're getting close."
After what feels like half an hour of walking, the corridor opens into a huge chamber. I stop at the threshold and whistle.
"Whoa."
"This wasn't in the records," Irene says, her voice echoing in the vast space.
"No kidding." I pull out the notes we got from Mayor Hendrick and flip through them. "He said the ruins were 'extensive' but this..." I gesture at the massive room. "This is way beyond what anyone reported."
The room is massive. Cathedral-huge. The ceiling disappears into shadows above us, supported by columns that look like they were carved from single pieces of stone. Each pillar is covered in those flowing runes, and they pulse with a soft blue light that gives the whole place an underwater feel.
But that's not what makes me stop and stare.
It's the pool in the center.
The water is perfectly still, like black glass. And floating just above the surface, suspended in some kind of stasis field, is a person.
"Is that..." Irene starts.
"A body," I finish. "Yeah."
We approach slowly. The figure is tall, maybe seven feet, wearing robes that look like they were made from starlight. Their face is peaceful, eyes closed, hands folded across their chest. But there's something wrong with the proportions. Too tall, limbs too long, features too sharp.
"Not human," Astra says.
"No kidding." I circle the pool, studying the setup. "Look at this."
The stasis field isn't just holding the figure up. It's connected to lines of energy that run through the floor, up the walls, across the ceiling. The entire chamber is one big magic circle, with the sleeping figure at the center.
"This is incredible," Irene breathes. "The level of magic required to maintain something like this for thousands of years..."
"NIMO, what do you make of this?"
My AI appears again, scanning rapidly. "Energy readings are off the charts. This appears to be some form of suspended animation, but the power source is unlike anything in my databases. The magical signature suggests... divine origin."
"Divine?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Possibly. The energy patterns match theoretical models for divine magic, but I cannot be certain without more data."
I lean closer to the pool's edge. The water is so clear it might as well be air, but I can feel more energy radiating from it. Whatever this liquid is, it's not normal water.
"Aiden," Irene's voice carries a warning. "Maybe we shouldn't get too close."
"I'm just looking." I crouch down, studying the sleeping figure's face.
"You know what's weird? It looks familiar."
"Familiar how?"
"I don't know. Like I've seen it somewhere before, but that's impossible." I frown, trying to place the feeling.
A shadow moves at the edge of my vision.
I spin around. Behind us, near one of the massive pillars, a figure materializes. Not solid, but translucent, like a projection made of starlight and shadow.
"I mean no harm." The figure says, raising a hand. Their voice echoes strangely, like it's coming from underwater.
Irene's staff is already crackling with magic. "Who are you?"
The figure looks down at their own translucent form and lets out a bitter laugh. "I am what remains of Emperor Valerius Ishgar. Last ruler of the Ishgar Empire." He gestures toward the pool. "And that is my prison."
"Prison?" Astra floats closer, studying the projection.
Valerius walks closer to the pool's edge, staring down at his own sleeping form. "I was cursed. By the gods. I am trapped in eternal sleep while only my spirit can manifest."
Like Mavis.
"Why?" Irene lowers her staff slightly but keeps it ready. "What did you do to earn a god's curse?"
Valerius is quiet for a long moment, his projection flickering like a candle flame.
"I tried to save my people. My empire was dying. Plagues, wars, famines. I couldn’t let it end in my rule, so I sought forbidden knowledge."
“That doesn’t end happily.” Irene solemnly said.
“I was a fool.” Valerius lamented. “In doing so, I have earned the ire of the gods. They cursed me and my empire.”
“My citizens, my soldiers, my family." His voice breaks. "They became something else. Something horrible."His voice breaks.
"Transformed?" I ask.
"Into creatures that can't be described. Mindless monsters driven by hunger and rage. The entire capital became a nightmare of twisted flesh and screaming voices."
The chamber falls silent except for the soft humming of the stasis field.
"The gods intervened," Valerius continues. "They couldn't undo what I had done, but they could contain it. They cursed me to eternal sleep and sealed the city beneath layers of stone and magic."
"The entire city is down here?" Irene's voice is barely a whisper.
"Miles below us. Thousands of my people, trapped in forms that mock what they once were." He looks directly at me. "And I have been their jailer for over a thousand years, using what remains of my power to keep them sealed."
Something cold settles in my stomach. "What do you mean, what remains of your power?"
Valerius's projection flickers more violently. "My magic is running out." He gestures to the energy lines running through the chamber. "This entire complex is a containment spell, powered by my life force. But after a millennium..."
"It's failing,"
"Within days, perhaps hours, the seals will break. And when they do..." He trails off, but we all know what he means.
"How many?" Astra asks quietly.
"A hundred thousand souls. Maybe more." Valerius looks at each of us in turn. "They will not stop at this mountain. They will spread across the land like a plague, consuming everything in their path."
I run a hand through my hair. "Okay. So what do we do? How do we fix this?"
"There are only two ways to stop what's coming," Valerius says. "Restore the seals with fresh power, which would require sacrificing dozens of powerful mages."
"And the other way?"
His projection grows dimmer. "Destroy them all. Every last creature. Put an end to their suffering and ensure they can never escape."
