Chapter 384: Chapter 292 Fairy Queen Titania Chapter 384: Chapter 292 Fairy Queen Titania To meet the Fairy Queen, one must either possess the affinity for the Path of Beauty or need the help of other fairies to lead the way.
Even Merlin, who could transport himself directly to the Fairy Kingdom, had to follow this fundamental principle.
—Because the Fairy Queen does not reside in the mere Material Realm.
She more closely exists within a particular painting, a song, an artistic creation.
Only those with eyes for “beauty” can find the path to meet the Fairy Queen.
But Merlin had a good relationship with the fairies, as he often played with them.
So he could also employ a sort of cheating method, letting the fairies take him there.
Since the Fairy Queen did not oppose this, it was as good as an implicit approval.
The fairies clustered around Merlin and moved forward.
The Fairy Kingdom was as beautiful as a dream.
Fantastic colors unimaginable in the Material Realm were everywhere—giant mushrooms over twenty meters tall serving as houses, pumpkin carriages drifting swiftly on the ground, wheat fields flowing like liquid gold, perpetual bright sunshine, and large panes of blue, purple, and green glass on every building.
These fairies were only about ten centimeters tall, roughly the same height as an adult’s palm.
They had no gender, but all had delicate and lovely appearances.
The fairies wore uniquely colored and styled clothes.
Some wore nearly transparent miniskirts, others pure white dresses, and some sported stylish shirts and trousers…
They dressed however they wished.
What the fairies had in common were the crystal-like glowing wings on their backs.
When flying, they would sprinkle a luminous dust known as “fairy dust.”
These little creatures were beings of the Path of Beauty.
Although they looked cute and beautiful, they were actually as dangerous as Gryphons.
A large group of fairies gathered around Merlin, singing an impromptu a cappella with a good rhythm.
There were at least eight parts, and without any training or sheet music, they simply sang to express their jubilant mood.
As the music played, streams of rainbow-like light wrapped around them, carrying Merlin through the air in free flight, tracing beautiful arcs of rainbow light like a roller coaster, sometimes descending close to the ground, eliciting giggles from the fairies.
Merlin was not nervous or scolding them; he even joined the a cappella choir.
On the roadside, one could see fairies painting, writing poetry, sculpting, and they, too, happily joined the singing or added a few more strokes to their artwork.
And as Merlin progressed, more fairies joined in.
The original unaccompanied choir finally turned into a true chorus when the first fairy with a violin joined in.
Then, as more and more fairies with instruments joined in, the song without lyrics or set form gradually grew grander.
Merlin smiled, conducting the fairies around him with his staff, like an inspired maestro.
Soon, a fairy conjured a real conductor’s baton and handed it to Merlin.
Thus, an orchestra flying through clouds finally took shape.
A strange tapestry unfolded amidst the clouds and sunlight, and beneath their feet, the rainbow light transformed into a herd of running donkeys, then into a flock of crows.
Each fairy laughed merrily, whimsically altering everything around them.
Finally, as the chorus reached its climax, Merlin on a silver carriage pulled by pure white Pegasus landed on a floating island.
The fairies had intentionally flown Merlin in circles in the sky, just to complete the song and reach their destination on cue.
If one were to anger the fairies or repeatedly hurry them along and dampen their spirits, perhaps the fairies would toss their “passenger” from high above—not to their death but into a rift in the world; or they might pretend to drop someone and then suddenly pull them back up again.
After all, the fairies were just looking for fun; in the Fairy Kingdom, they could almost do anything they wished, it was like their desires had no bounds.
It was precisely because of Merlin’s carefree nature that he could play with the fairies without any pressure and even relax.
As long as he could have fun with them, he would become friends with the fairies, and they were willing to do anything for a friend.
And when Merlin reached his destination, the fairies spontaneously dispersed to play on their own.
In an instant, there was not a single fairy left by Merlin’s side.
In front of Merlin was a palace so huge it was almost comical.
The walls were as high as city ramparts, and the doors were four to five meters tall.
But they were not made of brick, stone, or metal…they were all made of transparent candy.
A long red carpet rolled out from a distance and unfurled in front of Merlin.
Looking up, it seemed like several hundred meters just to the palace doors.
——Now that I’m here, I can teleport inside.
“…A candy house today, huh.”
Merlin smacked his lips, feeling a bit peckish.
He adjusted his hat and waved his wand.
In a flash, he had crossed through the walls and arrived inside the palace.
Cookie soldiers stood tall and proud, lined up on both sides.
They were all holding transparent weapons made of candy…both the cookies and the candies were in their normal proportions, as if he had shrunk to a tenth of his size.
Or perhaps it was I who had shrunk by a factor of ten.
The typically palm-sized fairies now looked like giants——the Fairy Queen seemed to be more than three meters tall, seated on an exaggeratedly-large throne made of pure white marshmallow.
Merlin bowed respectfully, “Her Majesty Titania.”
“It’s been a long time, Merlin.”
The Fairy Queen’s voice was nothing like those little girl-like fairies—it was elegant and rational, like a polite young lady or a young noblewoman.
She had marshmallow-white curly hair, pupils the color of honey, and the pointed ears of an elf.
Dressed in a pure white gown and crystal heels, she also held an odd scepter—its head was not a gemstone but a silver birdcage.
Within the birdcage was a small bird made of blue and red jewels that appeared to be a Mockingbird.
“I have a few matters to discuss.
One is to ask about those who have recently acquired fairy abilities; another is that I want to know which guests you have currently invited…and one more thing, I wish to borrow the Fairy Hole.”
Merlin inquired politely.
“I can look into the first and the third matter for you in a bit…
There aren’t many guests at the moment, just the usual few.”
Fairy Queen Titania thought for a moment, then smiled and spoke to the bird inside the cage, “Right, James?”
No sooner had she finished speaking than the Jewel Bird transformed into an old man.