Fairy Pain or Fairy Bloom.
This annual affliction experienced by fairies is categorized into three major symptoms.
The first symptom is an extremely high fever accompanied by excruciating pain.
"Ugh!"
The Deputy Tower Master groaned heavily as he entered Sasha's room.
Her body, lying on the bed, radiated a heat so intense it felt like touching a furnace.
"Please step back for a moment,"
Oscar said as he gently pushed the Deputy Tower Master away.
Approaching Sasha, he placed his palm on her forehead.
Sssss!
The sound that filled the room resembled meat searing on a hot grill.
"Oscar!"
"I'm fine,"
He reassured, stopping the Deputy Tower Master from rushing forward in alarm.
The heat emanating from her was beyond imagination.
Without the gloves he wore on both hands, the intense heat would have left severe burns.
Oscar's expression grew grave as he realized the severity of the situation.
‘The symptoms are far worse than when she was a child.’
She had endured this pain alone until now.
The thought made him bite his lip.
Then Sasha's groans reached his ears.
"Ugh... it hurts..."
Tears streamed down Sasha's cheeks, reflecting her pain.
Her fragile image overlapped with the memories of her childhood.
Back then, she would cry and cling to him, seeking comfort.
But now, she endured it alone, shedding silent tears.
‘This isn’t the time to be sentimental.’
Oscar regained his composure, scanning Sasha’s condition.
The second symptom of Fairy Pain was mana outburst.
Indeed, her seven mana circuits squirmed ominously, as if they were bombs on the verge of exploding.
‘As I thought... even though she's a half-blood, the fairy blood is stronger in her.’
If it were measured, the ratio would likely be about 7:3.
Her petite build alone was enough evidence; if her human blood had been dominant, she would have been larger in stature.
‘And if the human blood were stronger, she wouldn't suffer this intensely from Fairy Pain.’
But Sasha had always experienced excruciating pain during these episodes, even as a child.
To think he had completely forgotten about this.
Despite yearning to reunite with her, he had failed to remember the most crucial detail.
‘I need to suppress the mana outburst first.’
Oscar activated his unique mana.
Typically, during these episodes, fairies were cared for by their parents.
The method was surprisingly simple.
‘The mana of someone the fairy instinctively recognizes as a parent.’
All it took was to infuse that mana into the fairy's body and merge it with their own.
Sitting at the edge of the bed, Oscar channeled his mana through his hand resting on Sasha’s forehead.
Woooom.
Normally, two distinct types of mana wouldn’t mix, but here, they intertwined like blended colors.
At the same time, the visions Sasha was experiencing in her pain began flowing into Oscar’s mind.
Sasha Maestro slowly opened her eyes.
She felt groggy, as if under the influence of a potent drug.
Looking around, she recognized where she was.
‘Ah... that’s right. I’m in the middle of Fairy Pain.’
The final symptom of Fairy Bloom was falling into a deep sleep and dreaming.
Most fairies had a different dream every year, but that didn’t apply to her.
Ever since a certain point, Sasha had always dreamed the same dream.
Lifting her head, she gazed out the window.
The dark night sky was illuminated by countless fireballs pouring down from the clouds.
She watched the crimson-stained sky and let out a faint, bitter smile.
‘No matter how many times I see this sight, I never get used to it.’
But it didn’t matter.
She could endure it this time as well.
She was no longer the child who cried herself to sleep every night.
‘I’ll be okay. Definitely...’
Boom!
However, a massive tremor shook the entire magic tower, instinctively causing her shoulders to tense.
Cold sweat began to pour from her body.
"Deploy the defensive magic circles at maximum power!"
"It’s fine! We just need to hold out until reinforcements from the royal family arrive!"
On the 45th floor of the White Tower, frantic voices of magicians echoed through the conference hall.
Sasha’s breathing quickened.
“Haah, haaah...”
This was the night the Great Demon Emperor was assassinated.
While humanity celebrated this day as a joyous anniversary, for her, it was nothing of the sort.
“Damn it! They're coming! The demons are attacking!”
“First, calm the civilians. Stop them from rioting and trying to flee the tower!”
For Sasha, that night, those hours were only remembered as the day she lost countless loved ones before her eyes.
“Sasha! Sasha!”
At that moment, hearing a voice calling her name, Sasha slowly turned her head.
Three familiar children stood there.
“Don’t ever let go of my hand. Got it?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Gilly, don’t even think about wandering off. Stay right by my side.”
Lloyd Schultz.
Despite his young age, he comforted his siblings as best as he could, acting far more mature than expected.
“...Big brother, I’m scared too.”
“Then take my hand too.”
The usually mischievous Gilliott, frightened by the situation, obediently followed his brother’s lead.
The three children held hands and huddled in a corner of the conference hall, waiting for the nightmare to end.
Boom!
Once again, massive fireballs struck the tower, shaking it violently.
Screams erupted all around.
“Damn it! The power of the defensive magic circle is dropping! At this rate, it won’t hold much longer!”
“Damn it all. Deactivate the barriers below the fifth floor and reinforce the upper floors! Protect the archives first!”
“Form the first line of defense in the tower lobby! Do not let them climb higher!”
Fear spread like wildfire, consuming everyone in its path and leaving them trembling.
Sasha’s body began to shake uncontrollably.
Shiver, shiver.
Even young Sasha and Gilly couldn’t withstand the oppressive air and shook with fear.
“...Don’t tremble. Everything will be fine.”
Lloyd steadily comforted his younger siblings.
But now that Sasha had grown up, she understood.
Those words were as much for Lloyd to brainwash himself as they were to reassure them.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
At first glance, it seemed like his trembling hands were due to holding those of his shaking siblings, but that wasn’t it.
He was simply a child himself, hiding his fear in front of them.
“I need to go to the bathroom,”
Young Sasha whimpered.
Lloyd spoke softly, almost scolding.
“You just went a little while ago.”
“But... but I need to go again.”
“...Hold it for a bit. Right now, it’s better not to trouble the adults and just wait quietly.”
It was the right judgment.
But as time passed, the situation only worsened.
“Collapse of the 35th-floor archive! The magic barrier has been practically neutralized! The enemy is breaching the rooftop as well!”
“Damn it, split the main force into two!”
The crimson sky looked as though it foretold the world’s end.
But she knew.
It wasn’t the world that would end that day, but only the White Tower.
“Where are the reinforcements?! When will they get here?!”
“Support from the Western Red Tower and Eastern Yellow Tower has reported encountering demon troops and engaging in battle.”
“The royal army, which can come straight from the central region, is expected to arrive the fastest. Estimated time of arrival...”
“...Eight hours?”
Eight hours.
Under normal circumstances, it would seem fast.
But in this dire moment, every minute and second felt unbearably long.
“Sniffle.”
Even a child could sense the gravity of the situation.
Feeling anxious, young Sasha crouched down and began to sob.
“When is Master coming...?”
“Hey, crybaby, have you ever seen Master not show up? He’s just late sometimes. He’ll appear soon and take out all the bad guys!”
Gilliot, who had been boasting loudly to young Sasha, turned to ask Lloyd.
“Right, bro? Am I right?”
Lloyd, who would usually respond with an easy “of course,” stayed silent.
In the past few hours, he had grown noticeably quieter.
Boom!
The tower shook again, and screams echoed from everywhere.
He muttered under his breath.
“...He might not come.”
“What? What do you mean?”
Gilliot questioned him, his expression one of disbelief.
“That’s impossible. This is Master’s home, and all the people he cares about are here!”
“Y-Yeah... Master even said yesterday through communication, right? That he’d be here in a hundred nights...”
Lloyd didn’t respond to his siblings’ words.
He only gripped their hands tighter.
Boom!
“Kids!”
At that moment, Marlon, the vice tower master of the White Tower, approached and knelt to meet their eyes.
Wearing the most serious expression they’d ever seen, he began to speak.
“From now on, I’ll hide you in a rift in space. You must not make a sound there.”
“...A rift in space?”
“You’ve likely heard of it. The place created by the first tower master, its purpose unknown. For those unfamiliar, it’s imperceptible, making it the perfect place to hide.”
Sensing a farewell, young Sasha shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
“No, I don’t want to! If we go, Grandpa Deputy Tower Master has to come too!”
“...Sasha, the tower master entrusted me with protecting you—protecting the White Tower’s future.”
“But still...”
“Sasha, didn’t Master tell you? If he’s not here, you have to listen to the deputy tower master and me.”
Marlon exchanged a grateful look with Lloyd, who calmed Sasha down.
“And Gilly...”
“Huh? Why me?”
After a brief hesitation, Marlon muttered,
“I’m sorry.”
Snap!
With a snap of his fingers, he cast a Sleep spell, causing Gilliot to collapse instantly.
“Lloyd, I know it’s tough, but I’m counting on you. This one would run straight into danger otherwise.”
“...Understood.”
Realizing what that meant, Lloyd quickly hoisted Gilliot onto his back.
Then, bowing his head slightly toward Marlon, he said,
“...You must win.”
“Ha, that’s a given. I’ll survive, buy you kids candy, and brag about today for the rest of my life.”
Marlon patted Lloyd’s head affectionately before slowly rising.
With a wave of his fingers, he opened a hidden section of the wall, revealing the spatial rift.
He looked at the three of them and said firmly,
“Remember this: as long as you survive, the White Tower can always begin again.”
“So make sure to stay alive.”
Lloyd bit his lip hard, his head lowered.
Marlon pushed the three into the rift, an odd place of nothing but pure white, and then sealed the wall behind them.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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