Humans, Dwarves, Fairies, Nif, Demonic Creatures, and so on.
It’s necessary to explain—Nif is an ancient term on the continent, which actually refers to the Fairy race.
In the novel “Flower of Evil,” the continent is home to a remarkably diverse array of races, each with their own unique characteristics and customs, all living their lives in different ways.
The Nif are just one among them.
In the sub-world before the era of Humans arrived, the Nif lived as little Fairies among people, closely connected with the Human race.
Although Erica had a vague notion of their existence, to be honest, just a few seconds ago she thought they had nothing to do with her.
“You mean I’m a Half-Nif, a Half-Fairy?”
What a truly shocking truth—Half-Nif? That might be even rarer than a Half-Elf.
“That’s right! These discerning eyes, honed as a merchant, are as sharp as fire—Dainoy’s aesthetic judgment is at Golden-level Hero standards! To Dainoy, you are absolutely a Half-Nif!”
She was actually a Half-Fairy?
Yet another fact about herself she’d just learned.
So, how many more things about Erica are there that Erica herself doesn’t know?
She’d always thought the Enchantress was just an oddly attractive Human woman.
Who would have thought that the “traitorous minister” Erica would have such a background?
She remembered clearly—this person was just a fleeting villain, a supporting character with only the title “Enchantress Who Brings Calamity,” and little else noteworthy.
Could it be that “Enchantress” had long hinted at her Half-Fairy identity?
Was the reason she looked different from Humans not because she was a deformed, strange Enchantress, but because she actually carried half Nif blood in her veins?
“If Dainoy and she could put their foreheads together, I’d know even more details! But by the way, who is this little girl? Why does she keep tugging my ears!”
“See, her ears are pointed—not like a Human’s.”
Evelyn stared without blinking.
“If you keep pulling my ears like this, my petite and delicate Elf ears will become long and ugly like those Fairies!”
Just as Elf Dainoy tried to pull back Erica’s hood, Evelyn suddenly grabbed Dainoy’s ear, saving the girl’s life.
If her face was exposed, she would certainly be recognized by those present this afternoon.
To think she was a Half-Fairy—although, whether Half-Fairy or full Human, nothing about the current situation would change. How strange.
Dainoy nodded as if she too found it interesting.
“It’s been a long time since I, Dainoy, have seen a Half-Nif. Quite rare. When was the last time, I wonder?”
Her drifting thoughts were completely interrupted by the ever-chattering Fairy Store Manager.
“Back then, the world wasn’t ruled by the cunning Calista Spider Family, but by Demon King Noel! That was an age for gentle flocks of sheep, with countless Fairies and thriving Humans, so Half-Elves were plentiful too…”
A shimmer of reminiscent tears seemed to flash in the eyes of the Fairy girl.
As a long-lived Elf, perhaps reminiscing about the distant past is the inevitable spice of life.
“That’s a story best left untold.”
Indeed, there are some things in this world best left buried.
“Demon King?”
“That’s an ominous name.”
Sure enough, in various corners of the shop, people listening in on their conversation began to whisper in excitement and fear.
Demon King Noel—the very term was a kind of taboo.
It was said he possessed magic power unequaled in this world, but in the end, committed an irreparable crime.
That was why Humans had to build a colossal barrier.
Little was known about this Wall, but ah, right about now, that Tax Collector from earlier had probably already rushed off toward it.
In Erica’s mind appeared that towering Wall, the Seahorse Carriage speeding towards it, and the countless torches and Patrol Squad members illuminating the darkness.
They said that even at the brightest noon, or beneath the most dazzling starlight, it was as if eternal night shrouded that place, the entire world cloaked in an impenetrable, dense shadow.
Those sharp, elongated ears caught whispers from certain people.
“I know someone who went beyond the ‘Wall.’ Afterward, he went mad, completely mad! He killed his whole family—he used to be a decent citizen, volunteering at the church every day.”
“What made him like that? What’s on the other side of the ‘Wall,’ really?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Is it a corner of the Divine Realm or the lair of Demons in Hell? But maybe, just maybe, it’s the Forbidden Legacy and Curse Demon King Noel tried to hide…”
“Pa!”
Evelyn lightly slapped the table with her pale hand, as if hitting an invisible pause button.
The tavern fell silent.
“The Demon King is already dead—torn to pieces, no longer in this world. All that curse nonsense is just superstition. The Forbidden Legacy is a lie too—none of it exists.”
“That’s right! Now it’s the world of Six-legged Spiders and Lions!”
After Evelyn spoke those words, she fell silent.
There was a hint of sleepiness and fatigue at the corner of the girl’s eyes, her head nodding forward.
Indeed, it was time to rest.
Evelyn kept a strict routine and had to sleep every night.
Sigh, isn’t she still just a child after all?
If this is her weakness, then only a very few—including Erica—know it.
“Haa…”
She even yawned; now was the time to make a quiet exit without objection.
Although she hadn’t touched a single bite of food, it would be wisest to sneak away before anything else happened.
“Manager, it was a pleasure meeting you. We have some matters to attend to, so we’ll take our leave first.”
Erica stood, gathered her skirt, and gave a slight bow.
She pulled a gold coin from her bosom, but the Fairy Dainoy shook her head.
“No! I’m just as glad to meet a kinsman from centuries ago. You’re a Half-Fairy, which means your blood is tied to the Fairies—I won’t accept money! Absolutely not!”
Not taking money?
There’s no such thing as sweet, selfless kindness in this world; this just made her suspect the manager had some ulterior motive.
No need for the suspicion to last even a second—swish—Dainoy grabbed Erica’s hand, which was about the same size as hers, and added, “…But now I see, there’s something else mixed in your blood besides Fairy—a very foreign, very tempting thing.”
With that line and Dainoy’s intoxicated “sllrp” expression, Erica was thunderstruck.
Something foreign mixed in?
Did she discover Erica’s soul had transmigrated into Erica Angelina’s body?
No one had noticed it until now.
So, to keep Evelyn from hearing, the girl had no choice but to half-carry the sleepy Evelyn, making her escape from the shop.
She’d better hurry back to the palace now—should make it to her quarters before midnight.
Yet, when her sharp intuition sensed several people tailing her from behind, a wave of fatigue and helplessness washed over her.
“I knew this would happen.”
It really was impossible to control her own schedule today.