I don't want to be an elf!

"Oh......"

Chtholly originally wanted to ask what had happened, but seeing William's cold face, she obediently went out.

William, Nigoran, and Yatogami Tohka were left behind.

After the dormitory door closed, William immediately asked, "How many Golden Fairies are there in total, along with Chtholly?"

"If I remember correctly, it was ten people."

"How many golden fairies are there that can bloom?"

"There are five people. Besides Chtholly and the others, there are two others who are out on a mission."

"So what about the remaining five?" William took a deep breath and asked, "Where did the five who didn't bloom go?"

"Oh, so that's the problem."

Nigolan smiled and replied in a relaxed tone, "The previous representative of the Chamber of Commerce said before he left that the children whose talents had not blossomed would be taken away by the military and placed on the first floating island to live ordinary lives."

“The first floating island?” William frowned. “The floating island where the Great Sage resides? Isn’t that an uninhabited island?”

"Golden fairies can't openly live on other inhabited islands, since they are a secret race. This is probably the only way to arrange it."

"I see......"

William's expression softened upon hearing Nigolan's reply.

Tohka Yatogami behind her had been listening the whole time, but she didn't easily believe the reason.

As one of the few people in this world who knew the truth about the world, she instinctively rejected this seemingly happy reason.

Golden fairies are a special race.

They were not born through traditional reproduction, but rather as a species born from the combination of necromancy and a substance called "Star God Fragments".

If the talents of the young golden fairies do not blossom, it is equivalent to them not activating the Star God fragments within them.

Unable to use magic or holy swords, they are naturally unqualified weapons.

The number of Star God Fragments is limited, and they can be reused.

Even a fool could imagine what fate awaited those underage golden fairies who were sent away.

However, seeing William seemingly believe her story, she sighed inwardly.

Although he was a potential hero from 500 years ago, he was only eighteen years old in reality, which was indeed too young.

After struggling with her conscience for a moment, she decided to risk ruining her image and asked, "Has anyone seen the children who were taken to the first floating island?"

“This…” Nigolan hesitated for a moment, “No, it’s probably because the First Floating Island is a restricted area.”

"So, have any of those children ever come back?"

"No......"

"That's really strange." Tohka Yatogami put on a curious expression. "This is the hometown of those children. They must have deep feelings for this place, so why hasn't any of them come back?"

“Probably because this place is also a restricted area,” Nigolan replied.

“This place is a forbidden zone because the existence of the Golden Fairies is unknown to other races, but why can’t even the Golden Fairies return after they leave?” William’s expression turned serious again. “Nigolan, you’re a smart man. You must have wondered about the whereabouts of those Golden Fairies whose talents didn’t blossom, right? Why did you still accept the military’s explanation?”

Faced with William's questioning, Nigolan put down her needlework and fabric.

His expression also dimmed slightly.

As William said, after she became the manager here and gradually learned about everything about the Golden Fairy, she would occasionally have doubts about this explanation.

However, whenever she thought about this problem, she tried her best to distract herself and not delve into it.

"Because that's the only thing I can believe, William."

Nigolan bit her lip and lowered her eyes.

"Otherwise, how am I supposed to face the next time I send away a child whose talent hasn't blossomed?"

Chapter Eighteen: The Invisible Hand

This was the first time William had seen this woman so vulnerable.

It's hard to believe that the cannibal who was as warlike as a berserker in the scavenging team and the gentle, motherly manager of the Fourth Fairy Warehouse would show such an expression.

Perhaps she isn't as strong as she seems.

William closed his eyes and remained silent, unwilling to press the matter further.

He was seeking the truth, but had no intention of hurting others.

When he opened his eyes again, a smile appeared on his face, and he returned to his usual self.

"Yeah, the military wouldn't lie to us, would they?"

William abruptly changed his tone, completely abandoning his previous questioning attitude: "I suppose those children who were sent away are now living peaceful and stable lives, no longer having to fight on the battlefield. That's a good thing."

"That's it..."

“That must be it,” William said seriously. “Sorry for asking you a strange question, let’s just pretend this conversation never happened.”

"Hmm." Nigolan forced a smile.

William then turned around, gave Tohka Yatogami a look, opened the door, and left Nigoran's bedroom.

Chtholly, who was waiting outside against the wall, saw the two of them come out and noticed that William's expression had improved a lot. She couldn't help but smile and ask, "Is the problem solved?"

"Ah, it's solved."

"That's great."

"Sorry for interrupting your and Nigolan's studies."

"It's alright, it's nothing serious." William patted Chtholly's head. "Go inside quickly, don't keep Nigolan waiting."

"Ah."

Chtholly went into the bedroom to continue her bride training.

Having indirectly obtained the information they wanted from Nigoran, William and Tohka Yatogami embarked on their journey back to the library.

"Tohka, do you believe what the military says?" William suddenly asked as they walked.

"Yes, the lizard is a good person, so I believe him."

"But not all military officers are like Gray Rock Skin. Rather, officers like Gray Rock Skin who care about the Golden Fairy are in the minority."

After saying goodbye to Nigolan, William's smile vanished, and he bit his lip in frustration, muttering to himself, "Damn it, if only I still had my strength..."

If he could return to his heyday five hundred years ago, he would probably be confronting the military of the floating islands with a sword by now.

However, he is now a useless person.

Five hundred years ago, in the battle with the Black Candle Lord, he squeezed out every drop of potential, almost losing his life in the process.

Even though the petrification curse has been lifted, the chronic ailments left behind cannot be cured.

With his bones cracked and his internal organs damaged, he can no longer use magic, and even running like a normal person is difficult for him.

The feeling of being powerless made him feel resentful and helpless from the bottom of his heart.

However, he had no way to change the situation.

He wanted to do something for the Golden Fairy, but he lacked the power to do so.

"strength......"

As if he had suddenly thought of something, he turned to look at the girl beside him.

Yes, he indeed has no power.

But Tohka Yatogami does.

Moreover, he possesses power no weaker than he did at his peak, and perhaps even stronger.

If we could harness this power...

William opened his mouth, as if to say something.

"Tohka, you..."

He only got halfway through his sentence, the other half stuck in his throat.

Just as he comforted Nigoran with a white lie, not intending to involve her, he also didn't want to involve an outsider like Tohka Yatogami in his plans.

Seeing William's hesitant behavior, Yatogami Tohka showed a slightly puzzled expression.

But deep down, he felt helpless.

"Does this guy have to be so nice?" she sighed inwardly.

This guy was able to think of this step entirely because of her guidance from the shadows.

At the same time, the girl also calculated that William was now severely injured and had lost most of his former strength. If he wanted to make changes for the Golden Fairy, he would need her support.

However, she didn't expect that even in this situation, William was still hesitating about whether to involve her.

All I can say is that my acting skills as Yatogami Tohka during this period really fooled William, making him think of me as a naive and innocent girl who doesn't know anything.

So, the girl had no choice but to give him another push.

“William, even though I’m not a Gold Fairy, the people at the Fourth Fairy Warehouse still accepted me. They are all good people,” Tohka Yatogami said solemnly. “If you want me to do anything, as long as it’s beneficial to the Gold Fairy, I will lend you my power without hesitation.”

"I understand."

Seeing Yatogami Tohka's determination, William nodded slowly and said gratefully, "I have some ideas right now, but I still know too little about the Golden Fairy race. In the coming period, I will try my best to learn about the Golden Fairy in all aspects. If I really want to do something afterward, I will tell you."

"Ok."

The seeds of resistance were finally sown.

Next, all we have to do is wait for it to sprout.

"Then I'll go find Athena and Nephren to play with in a bit. Be sure to come find me if you need anything!"

After saying goodbye to William, Tohka Yatogami walked down the stairs.

Watching the girl's departing figure, William lowered his waving hand.

"Although she's an idiot, I have to thank her this time," William thought. "If Tohka hadn't casually brought up the issue of talent blossoming, I probably wouldn't have noticed the predicament the Golden Fairies are facing."