The Fairy King.

He was a few inches taller than the rest of the Fairies, though still considerably smaller than a human child. Garbed in pure-white apparel, he was adorned with silver decor and had a golden crown floating over his head.

The crown had many different crystals decorating it, giving it a grand appearance.

It wasn't just the crown too.

His entire body was decorated with gems, and even his eyes were crystal-like. He had a glistening skin, and his face shone very brightly—enough to illuminate the whole forest if he desired.

However, despite all of these unique features he had, there was one major thing that anyone seeing the King would pay most attention to.

—His glorious wings.

His wings were about five times larger than his body, and they radiated a host of colors at the same time—almost like an amalgamation of all the precious stones in the world, shining as bright as possible.

In simple words, the King was simply glorious.

"Welcome, both of you…" He spoke, his voice calm and deep. There was a certain kind of maturity in his tone, and it was well complemented by the deep gaze he placed on both Ater and Esme.

Perfect silence followed his words.

"We greet you, Fairy King!" Ater raised his voice, placing a hand on his chest and bowing his head in order to show his sincerity. Esme said the same, placing both hands on her legs as she bowed lightly.

"What a marvel… this deviation from my vision." He muttered, almost ecstatically. "Should I be worried or joyous to see your faces? I have yet to decide."

Ater and Esme raised their heads at this point and found the Fairy King beaming at them. Unlike the snobbish Oracle, the glorious man before them had a more humble vibe around him—a contrast to the luxurious appearance he presented.

It was quite ironic.

"In any case, I hear you defeated Fae in battle… Ater. You must be a very competent individual, and you… you have the touch of The Oracle, so you're quite special as well." He spoke with a casual tone.

Esme and Ater remained silent as they heard all of these.

"Simply fascinating."

"Right? I told you that you would be amazed when you saw him—I mean, them!" Fae burst out with a blushing smile. "Not just anyone can defeat me, you know?"

"I am well aware of that, Fae." "Hmph!"

"In any case… I certainly hope Fae was not very rude to you, my guests. She can be a little eccentric at times."

"H-hey!"

"No, Fairy King." Ater replied with a broad smile. "She was most polite." "Really? That doesn't sound like the Fae I know…"

"H-hey!"

Ignoring the Fairy's words, her King proceeded to focus solely on his two visitors. "And what of my subjects? I certainly hope they did not in any way treat you negatively. I mean… we haven't had any visitors since the creation of the Forest, so I wouldn't be surprised if they acted a little ill-mannered."

The images of the many Fairies who glared or looked in fear at both of them when they were on their way to the Royal Court flashed in Ater's mind, but he shrugged them off instantly.

"Not at all, Fairy King. They were all courteous."

"Haha! Is that so?" He chuckled, his gaze narrowing on Ater. "What a good liar you are."

Despite hearing such a statement, Ater's face did not show any change. He remained calm, though his mind was a little bothered by the King's astute observation.

"I apologize for—"

"Don't worry about it." He stooped Ater, who was about to bow his head. "I'm not offended in any way, so it's fine."

Ater stopped his bowing attempts and smiled at the ruler.

They had just met, and they hardly knew anything about each other… but Ater already liked the Fairy King. He was an easy person to talk with—something that was a rarity when it came to those with authority in H'Trae.

'If it's him, I should be able to have a reasonable conversation here…' He thought to himself in relief.

"You must have sensed it already, but my influence spreads all over this entire forest. I see everything that happens here, and so I was aware of your presence the moment you entered this place." The King spoke again. "I certainly hope you don't mind me spying on you before your arrival at the Court."

"Not at all." Ater said.

"You're lying again."

"Well… I can't help it, Fairy King." Ater smiled wryly. "It is in my nature."

"Hm." The Fairy King rubbed his chin, almost as if he didn't understand what Ater meant by those words. "I suppose that's fine."

His eyes turned to Esme, who had been silent the whole time.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind. Do you have something you want to say to me?"

"A-ah!" Esme was caught off guard by the question, causing her to shriek slightly. Not only had all eyes fallen on her at once, but the great and powerful Fairy King was addressing her personally.

It felt incredibly overwhelming.

Still, she was able to pull herself together and ask the first thing that came to her mind.

"W-well… I think you look stunning, Fairy King!"

"Really? Thank you very much."

"Y-you're welcome!"

The Fairy King smiled at the stuttering Esme, his expression genuine and kind. It was akin to a father looking warmly at a young child. "If you don't mind me asking, you mentioned being able to see everything in the Forest. Is it similar to The Oracle's [Clairvoyance]?" Ater's question caused the Fairy King's gaze to finally leave the mortified Esme.

Much to her relief, all of the stares she received finally fell on Ater.

"[Clairvoyance]? No… not at all. I possess another Primeval Skill…" He replied. "I created the whole forest and everything within it with that Skill, which allows me full dominion over it."

Since it was his creation, he could control every aspect of it.

"Everything? Does that mean—?"

"Yes. That includes the Fairies that dwell in the Forest." The King responded, his warm smile spreading even more. "I am the progenitor of all that exists in this place, and the creator of all Fairies you see before you."

He was proud of every single one of his creations, and the beam on his face as he spoke about them made it clear how he felt on the matter.

"Fae here is my masterpiece." He gestured at her, and she looked proud once her name was mentioned. "It's unfortunate that her personality has become more perverted as the centuries pass, but that can't be helped…"

"H-hey!"

"That's what happens when you give your creation a consciousness."

"So… even if you made them, they have free will?" Esme asked without even thinking, her eyes beamed with even more marvel.

"Free will?" At this point, the Fairy King chuckled to himself.

"How can I give something that I myself do not possess. Even a Primeval Skill as potent as the [Architect] has its limits."

Ater was silent and calm, but Esme looked even more confused by those words.

"I-I don't quite understand…"

"Listen to my words carefully, Esme…" The Fairy King said, his smile now completely gone, replaced by a stern face.

"There exists no such thing as Free Will in this world—not for you, and not for me."