~Chapter 2~
“Where am I?”
When Rosedale opened her eyes again, she was standing in a white space she had never seen before.
Thankfully, there was no trace of that sticky, filthy swamp on her body, and the new space was so clean it felt sacred.
So this isnāt inside the swamp.
Thenā¦ did she make it to the human world safely?
Rosedale cautiously walked forward and took in her surroundings.
A towering ceiling, so high she had to crane her neck, was painted with a scene straight out of mythology.
A pristine marble floor stretched endlessly, and at its far end stood a statue so massive it was hard to take in at onceāa bow armed with a golden arrow.
“This is…”
“My temple.”
Startled by the sudden male voice behind her, Rosedale whipped around.
But all she saw was the same endless white space.
“Down here.”
“…?”
When she looked down toward the voice, she found a small bird standing on the floorāa pink fluffball that resembled a wren.
The bird moved its beak and spoke.
“Welcome, my dear. It’s been a long time.”
“…Lord Eros?”
She asked, half in disbelief, and the pink bird flapped its delicate wings. It looked so soft, like it could be blown away by the wind.
Seeing the tiny bird trembling as if happy to see her, Rosedale’s clear eyes welled up with tears.
“How did youā¦ how did you get so small?”
She had heard that as human belief waned, so too did the gods’ power. Had Eros lost so much strength that he had become this tiny bird?
My god is a bird. And such a tiny bird at that!
Feeling pity for the diminished deity, Rosedale covered her mouth and tried to hold back tears.
“I’ll do my best, Lord Eros.”
She couldn’t cry. If she did, this small god might feel even sadder about himself.
Rosedale forced her lips into a smile, swallowing her tears.
“I’ll work hard so that you can return to your original form.”
“Hahaha.”
To her words, the small bird laughed heartily.
Puzzled, she sniffled as the bird fluttered up in front of her.
“This bird is my messenger. I really have grown weaker and can’t go to the human world myself, so I sent this little one instead.”
“Then you’re still in the divine realm…”
“Yes. I’m still the same as when you last saw me.”
“That’s a relief…”
The moment she felt relieved, tears spilled down like beads. She quickly wiped them away, and the little bird tried to comfort her.
“Were you disappointed, thinking I turned into a tiny bird?”
“Not at all. I was just sad thinking your power had faded.”
As she reassured him and held out her hands, the bird gently landed in her palms.
“So it’s true that human faith has weakenedāso much that you can’t even manifest in person.”
After the war with the demon race a thousand years ago, humans gradually forgot the gods. Their faith waned, temples were abandoned, and belief turned to legend.
Rosedale had read about it in books, but now she was witnessing it herself.
“Yes.”
The small bird sighed, like a puff of down.
“A thousand years ago, I created messengers because I couldn’t be everywhere. Now, I create them because I can’t even be here.”
Rosedale looked down, somber.
“You can’t imagine how long Iāve waited for you, my child.”
The bird gently nuzzled her hand, its fluffy feathers warm against her skin.
Her racing heart from fleeing now began to calm.
“Elphis didn’t permit it, did he? You came through the swamp, didn’t you?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I anticipated this long ago and linked the swamp’s gate to my temple. Seeing you here means I was right. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.”
The bird gave her a wink, and Rosedale smiled.
Her god was as kind as ever.
Perhaps this warmth was why she longed for the human world so deeply.
Back in the fairy realm, all she had was a strict father who only wanted her to be queen and the constant gaze of her watchers. But here, there was her loving god and fascinating humans she had only read about in books.
Here, she could be useful. She could matter.
“What should I do now, Lord Eros?”
Eagerly, she looked to the small bird, whose eyes curved into a smile.
“First, you should conceal your fairy aura and take on a human form. That will help you evade Elphis and avoid alarming the humans. They fear anything different from themselves.”
“Got it.”
She was about to cast her spell when she paused.
“But… what do humans look like? Iāve only seen them in picture books, so Iām not sure I can imitate them properly.”
Do they really resemble the gods? She had heard they werenāt so different from fairies.
The books said humans dressed themselves like peacocks, unlike fairies who wore plant-woven dresses.
“You can copy someone directly. Ah, perfect timing.”
The bird fluttered to her shoulder.
“Oh! Then I need to hide!”
“Shh. It’s fine. Watch.”
From the entrance Eros pointed to, about a dozen humans stepped in quietly.
A gray-haired man led them, followed by others carrying items.
They didnāt seem to notice Rosedale as they placed offerings before the statue and knelt.
“Unless you choose to reveal yourself, humans canāt see us.”
Hearing this, Rosedale watched her first humans with wide eyes.
The gray-haired man had a wrinkled face but moved with calm dignity.
“Thatās age. Unlike us, humans have short lifespans. Their hair turns white, their skin wrinkles, and they slowly die.”
“Itās amazing. Books donāt compare to seeing it in person.”
The humans bowed before the statue, looking no different from high fairies or gods.
The only difference: no wings and layered, colorful clothes.
Fairies are born with wings. Lower fairies have small, dragonfly-like ones. High fairies like Rosedale have large angelic wings.
But unlike free-flying lower fairies, high fairies kept theirs hidden. Flight was considered crude.
Even Elphis would frown whenever Rosedale spread her wings.
“Do you intend to flutter around like a lowborn fairy, without dignity?”
So after her early lessons, she never used them again.
And humans, born wingless, looked more like high fairies than she expected.
As she stared, a voice echoed.
“Lord Eros. I am Duke Frederick of the Iberia Empire. I beg you to bestow your blessing of love upon His Majesty, the Emperor.”
“Listen closely, child. This will be your first mission.”
The bird whispered softly. Rosedale gulped.
“In Iberia, heirs are scarce. Emperor Lucas Daniel de Iberia is the last of the royal line.”
So desperate was the duke that he pressed his forehead to the floor.
“Yet His Majesty has shown no interest in marriage or heirs. This has become the empireās greatest concern.”
Ugh. Just like Father…
Rosedale sighed at the similarity between the duke and her own father, obsessed with lineage.
The bird on her shoulder quivered silently with laughter.
“So please, we humbly ask for your grace.”
“So… heās asking us to shoot the emperor, Lucas of Iberia, with a golden arrow?”
She whispered to the bird, lowering her voice even though the humans couldnāt hear her.
“Exactly.”
As the prayer ended and the humans departed, Eros continued.
“Follow them to Iberia. You know how to summon your bow and arrows, right?”
“Of course. I’ve been practicing secretly.”
“Then go. Ah, remember to suppress your fairy aura.”
“Right!”
Rosedale almost dashed off before remembering.
Just then, she spotted a black-haired woman in priestess robes.
Lacking any other reference, she quickly copied her.
Her pink curls turned to sleek black, her pale skin deepened to a calm tone. She grew a bit taller, her lashes shortened, and her bunny-like cuteness shifted to a sly, cat-like grace.
Only one thing remained unchanged: her ruby-red eyes.
They couldnāt be altered. Eyes were vessels of the soul.
“Iāll be off now, Lord Eros!”
“Go, my child. We’ll meet again.”
“Oh, wait!”
Like a student forgetting her supplies, she turned back again.
“Is there anything I should know before shooting the arrow?”
“…No.”
The bird hesitated slightly, but Rosedale didnāt notice in her excitement.
She waved cheerfully and strode off toward her new future.
Eros watched her bright, determined figure with a bittersweet smile.
“Please… don’t hurt too much.”
Forgive this small god who can only pray for you.
Rosedale stepped into the human world at last.
Not out of fear, but anticipation.
Not by command, but by her own will.
And elsewhere…
A man stood with a sword in hand, unaware of what was about to come.
Jet-black hair. Eyes like emeralds glowing under a winter moon. A sharp jaw and chiseled features so flawless he could be mistaken for Apollo himself.
Yet the beautiful man looked down on the kneeling masses at his feet with a terrifyingly cold gaze.
A trembling voice pleaded:
“Your Majesty, please show mercy…”
He stood unmoved, as if it were only natural to rule.
His name was Lucas Daniel de Iberia.
Emperor of the Iberia Empire.
Ruler of the continent.
