“First tale,” Fray clapped his hands and the chandelier went off. In an instant, their surroundings changed to a vast meadow covered in flowers of all varieties.

 

Rakna raised an eyebrow as he could still feel the wall behind him; just that it was invisible. His three companions were looking around in wonder and after a few seconds, they all spotted a peculiar white flower in the middle of the field. It exuded an attractive aura that they just couldn’t ignore.

 

“There was once a flower of legend,” Fray began with his fan over his mouth. “It was said to hold the world’s beauty within its petals. The one who would pluck it would become the most beautiful man or woman to have ever existed.”

 

“One day, an ordinary farm girl found the flower,” he said as a tattered woman appeared in the scenery that was being projected in the room. “She was destitute, had no talent or special feature whatsoever, and lived her life day to day. But, like everyone else, she dreamed of grandeur and if given the opportunity, how could she renounce the opportunity?”

 

“Thus, she approached the flower. She reached for the stem and… it spoke to her.”

 

- What do you wish beauty for? -

 

A voice echoed in the room and everyone’s attention was caught by the image of the girl crouching by the shining flower, releasing waves of pure energy.

 

- I want to live a good life. I want the beauty that others have had the chance to possess. I wish to be treated as I deserve. -

 

- What makes you think that you deserve beauty more than others? -

 

- Because I am here and not them! -

 

- Well said! Grab me and your wish will be granted. -

 

“As such, the woman picked the flower,” Fray told and the image followed. “The petals detached themselves and cloaked her body. Her long blond hair became glossier and as soft as silk. Her skin became as exquisite as jade and her face was modeled as if she was the incarnation of the Goddess of Beauty herself.”

 

- You now have the beauty you sought. But there is a price. You will be cursed to never be able to be with your soul mate. This can still be revoked within a solar cycle. What do you choose? -

 

“Charmed by her own beauty, the woman didn’t even think before choosing,” Fray said and waved his hand, changing the image to a bustling city. “She decided to keep this appearance. She walked to the city, eager to display herself to the world. Everything she did, people would watch. All she asked, would be granted. All men she met, would fall for her.”

 

“She won over the hearts of nobles, princes, and kings. They fought for her and shed blood over her affection. But she was not naïve nor was she unwise. Taking advantage of those that wanted to woe her, she built her own reign. She made pacts, built businesses, amassed wealth, power, and fame. She sat on a throne, taking control of all below her as her beauty entranced all that laid eyes upon her.”

 

“Years later, she had become an untouchable figure. She had become something that they revered but never dared to touch. Then, she met the one person that would shake the very foundation of her being,” Fray declared and a man, handsome beyond words, was projected on the image.

 

“This man also had everything; a prince with immense influence. When the two of them met, they instantly became enamored of each other. The young girl readily pursued a relationship and the feeling was mutual. But… she had forgotten the flower’s words.”

 

“Every advance they made, every date they planned, every meeting, would end up in disaster. Rain would pour, lightning would strike, the earth would quake, people would fall ill, and in due course even the prince became bedridden.”

 

“It was only then that she remembered the curse. She became desperate. The fact that she was forced to stay away from her beloved and unwillingly causing his sufferings afflicted her with a heartache that she could not have imagined. She restlessly returned to the place where she had found the flower in hope of finding a solution. There, she found the flower back in the ground but without petals.”

 

- You came back. Are you satisfied with your beauty? -

 

- I am! But I implore you, tell me how to dispel the curse! -

 

- …so, you are satisfied but complain about a risk you voluntarily agreed to? -

 

- Please, I will do anything! -

 

“The flower considered her request,” Fray said solemnly. “And it replied.”

 

- I will dispel the curse. However, instead, you will now become unable to bear children. -

 

“The girl hesitated but she ultimately accepted,” Fray said. “As long as she could be together with the one that she loved, even if they wanted children, they could just adopt them. That’s what she believed as a former commoner; blood wasn’t everything.”

 

“When she returned from her trip, her beloved was healed and they were finally able to properly love each other. They married happily and several years later, she became pregnant. At first, she was bewildered but after months, she concluded that the curse had been foiled somehow. Sadly, when the day of labor came… she had a miscarriage.”

 

“The sorrow she felt that day, the cries she shared with her husband, brought her back once more to the flower. She implored for a solution for the second time and it answered.”

 

- I will dispel the curse. However, your children will never love you. -

 

“This time, she accepted without hesitation. All she wanted was to atone for the unborn life that she had unwillingly denied and soothe her beloved. In the two following decades, she gave birth to two children. And as the flower had told her, they never loved her. They couldn’t. Hence, there was only one thing they could possibly do; loathe her. They, in turn, envied her wealth and power and worked to dethrone her.”

 

“In their machinations, many lives were lost, assassinations were attempted, and her husband was almost kidnapped. As such, for the third time, she returned to the flower.”

 

- I will dispel the curse. However, your beauty will become eternal. -

 

“She didn’t understand what it meant. But this was the best deal she had heard yet from the flower and happily agreed to it. When she did so, the traces of time that had begun to blemish her godly appearance disappeared. She was ecstatic and she returned to her family. Her children could now fully express their love and they lived in harmony.”

 

“Time passed. A year, five years, ten years, twenty years, thirty years… and she never aged. Beauty that would not surrender to the erode of time. She watched her loved ones get older and older as she remained as young as the day she found the flower. The sight of her elderly husband close to death compelled her to return to the flower.”

 

- I cannot do anything for you. -

 

“The flower answered negatively for the first time.”

 

- Then take my beauty back! I don’t need it! -

 

- That is not possible. The blessing that was given to you cannot be taken back. -

 

- Why?! Why did you do this to me?! -

 

- It was your choice. You wanted to erase the curses. I did so. -

 

- There is obviously still one! -

 

- There is not. The curses were made to keep the balance. The perfect beauty does not exist. As such, it is needed a flaw. The three curses were made to protect you. However, once the flaws disappeared, a distorted perfection befell you. Your beauty will never die. But beauty is ephemeral. A beauty that is eternal, is a flaw within perfection itself. -

 

“She listened to the flower’s words and left the meadow distraught, never to come back. When she arrived at her house, she was told that her husband had breathed his last while she was away. Her usual self-assurance shattered as she saw her deceased husband. She continued to live in despair without a way to end her life. After the death of her children, the country began to accuse her of witchery and she was forced to exile herself.”

 

“As she walked on empty roads, through forests and seas, she asked herself.”

 

- Where was I wrong? -

 

With that last line, the room returned to normal and Fray looked at Rakna. “The End. That is the question I ask you; where was she wrong?”

 

Rakna’s raised an eyebrow as everyone turned toward him. ‘Where was she wrong? She shouldn’t have sought beauty in the first place. She shouldn’t have accepted a deal that would lead to a path of self-annihilation. Worse, she went further on that path until there was no way to turn back.’

 

‘But what should I answer? He said the opposite of the correct answer. In this case, what is the correct answer in the first place? Should she have chosen to live as a farm girl? Should she have relented to seek fame and power? Should she have ignored her feelings and never bear children? Should she have let her children abhor her forever?’

 

‘She was wrong on every turn. But taking the literal opposite of each one of them cannot possibly constitute an answer to a question worded that way,’ he thought and glanced at Fray. ‘I also don’t believe that he told me those rules about the answers I should give for no reason. Why ask me to say the opposite? Does he want me to-… ah, I see… this guy already knew what I was going to think about all of this, huh?’

 

“Nowhere,” he eventually said and the storyteller smiled.

 

“Tell me more. I need to hear your explanation to accept this answer.”

 

“She was never wrong. Like everyone, she looked up to grandeur. Like everyone, she yearned to be free. Like everyone, she wished to be respected and acknowledged. Is it wrong to take chances when they are offered to you? No. Is it wrong to yearn for love? No. Is it wrong to attempt and fix your faults out of guilt and grief? No. Is it wrong to save your family and others? No. Is it wrong to wish to die alongside your loved ones? No.”

 

“She made mistakes. Took wrong turns and roads. Made wrong choices out of foolishness. But that foolishness wasn’t wrong. Her decisions weren’t wrong in nature. Her paths were wrong but her drive wasn’t. She played with fate and fate played with her. That’s all there is to it.”

 

Fray nodded twice whilst clapping lightly, his fan clasped close. “You’re right. You found out pretty quickly, as expected. A tale is meant to convey teachings and you did well unraveling their material.”

 

Rakna snorted. “Whatever you say… move on with the next. I don’t have all day.”

 

“Of course,” the writer chuckled and played with his fan. “All right. Second tale,” he announced and the room changed again.

 

This time, they appeared in a sort of drill ground for trainee knights. There were numerous people in armor sparring around them but the image seemed to be focused on a certain youth.

 

“There was once a young and inexperienced boy. With fervent determination and honor, he swore to give everything to his country. With his village overrun and destroyed from the war against the demons, his resolve was like none other.”

 

“His name was Leos. His talents for the blade and magic arts were immense. He was enrolled into the royal knights without delay where he endured harsh training for years,” Fray told as they all watched images of the boy going through all sorts of exercises.

 

“His first battle took place four years after joining the knights. It was a fierce battle where demons launched a coordinated attack on an important hub city of the country. He was part of the army’s reinforcements that day. When he arrived at the city, he saw the outer walls broken, houses on fire, and countless soldiers and knights fighting within the city against the invaders.”

 

“The cries of pain and hurt from both fighters and civilians sent him in a rage. He stormed through the battlefield, swinging his sword with wild abandon. He had no mercy for demons. He was filled with hatred and revenge.”

 

“In his fit of madness, he spear-headed the army and decimated countless demons by himself. As the conflict neared its end, he spotted one of his dearest friends in the knight corps attacked from behind by a demon. He screamed at him to dodge and reached for him as fast he could. But he was helpless as he saw his friend’s life being taken away right in front of his eyes.”

 

“He slew the demon and held his bloodied brother in arms. His hatred turned into sorrow and he cried to the heavens. Miraculously, his calls were answered,” Fray said and looked up, everyone imitating him. The ceiling was displaying a cloudy sky before a streak of light divided it.

 

“The skies split and a pillar of holy energy fell on Leos. His body and soul were branded by God and he obtained the necessary power to save his friend from near death. When he returned to the capital, he was personally welcomed by the King and he was promoted to Paladin by the Church.”

 

“On a peaceful night, Leos, who had come to learn to have faith in his God, prayed to him. His mind was one plagued by hatred and war. But, there was something he needed to know. Something that would always keep him awake. And so, he asked,” Fray said as they watched the armored man kneel in the hall of the Church whilst illuminated by a ray of moonlight.

 

- My Lord, why have you created demons? Why are they so evil? -

 

- My Child, I have created naught. I planted your seeds. I am your Father, not your Maker. -

 

“The God’s answer only served to confuse him more.”

 

- But… if we share the same seedling bed, why are they so different? Why do they seek war? -

 

- My Child… do you really wish to know? -

 

“Leos was first surprised by this answer. He was suddenly gripped by anxiousness. Something was telling him that he wouldn’t like the truth. But he was not turning back now.”

 

- Yes. Please tell me. -

 

- As a Father, I gave life, but I have no control over their growth. I have no say in their progress and development. This war is not due to the evil of demonkind. It is due to the evil of mankind. -

 

“The young Paladin was flustered by the revelation. His thoughts in shambles, he struggled to form a reply but before he could, his God spoke again.”

 

- I will guide you. Follow the light and you will see the truth. -

 

“As such, a path of light appeared behind Leos and he braced himself before following it.” They all watched as the Paladin followed the light across the Church. “The light ultimately led him to the inner spaces of the Church where he found a staircase leading underground.”

 

“With a heavy heart, he descended and illuminated the dark underground with his magic. What he saw was a long corridor of murky cells. He looked into one and…”

 

Rakna snarled under his breath as the image showed chained-up demons of all ages. Men, women, children, elderly. All of them were bruised and were connected to several medical-like tubes.

 

Evelyn gasped and covered her mouth while the two pets made a quiet sound. The image was even enough to bring a reaction from Ganymede, something that both Fray and Rakna noticed. The star entity’s empty eyes glanced once at the image before becoming still and emotionless again.

 

“Leos stepped back in shock,” the author resumed. “Overcome by panic, he ran down the corridor looking right and left in terror. These couldn’t be prisoners of war, he thought. An afflux of people of this extent to the Church would have been noticed. And it was obvious that these people were here for a long time.”

 

- Demons are powerful from birth. Humans were jealous and with it came envy. Which gave birth to malicious greed. They abducted many demons and drained their life force so that they could perform fake blessings, empower themselves, and prolong their life. -

 

“Shaken by these words, Leos reached the end of the corridor where he found a large room full of containers with liquid life force inside them. This quantity was simply horrifying. It was obvious that more than one life was sacrificed for this. He felt sick and he couldn’t help but flee. He ran out of the Church and out of the city.”

 

“He collapsed on his knees and slammed the ground with his fists.”

 

- Why? Why? My Lord, why?! -

 

- This is the truth, Leos. Evil brews evil. -

 

- Why, how have you allowed this to happen? -

 

- I never allowed anything. I could just not do anything. You are the first of my children that I was capable of offering my power. The choice is yours now. I will give you strength and help you with whatever decision you make. -

 

“Leos fell silent. He did not speak for the rest of the night and returned home. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes had been watching him from the darkness. The next day, he was deployed to the battlefield once more. His fighting drive that was once full of fire became cold. Every time he slew an enemy, his sword trembled and his eyes became hollower.”

 

“He was lost. He could have rebelled… no; every fiber of his being was demanding him to turn his sword toward his country. But he couldn’t. He was scared. He didn’t dare to betray his own and acting on his emotions during a time of war would only cause more unrest and deaths. Therefore, he fought. He fought, and fought, and fought. Until the Demon King himself fell to his blade while clutching it with his hand.”

 

- I… will never… forgive you… my daughter… -

 

“The Demon King was no more. The demons had lost. Leos could not even sigh in relief. His loyalty was no longer for humanity. That is when…”

 

- You know too much. -

 

A shadow appeared behind the image of Leos and stabbed him with a dagger through his armor’s gaps. “An assassin sent by the Church backstabbed him. As he lost strength in his body, he heard the last words of his Lord.”

 

- I am sorry, My Child. As a farewell, I will tell you the answer to your question. Why are you so unalike although you share the same seedling bed? That is because plants are inclined to changes in growth and the majority will cannibalize the fewer ones to bolster their fertilizer. -

 

“The End,” Fray finished and the room reverted to its normal state.

 

Evelyn shook her head to clear herself of what she had seen and Rakna leveled a stare at the author calmly waving his fan around. “Your stories are not even sweet. They’re only bitter and dark. Are you sure you even write fairy tales?”

 

“Haha, to each his own,” he replied merrily. “More importantly… here comes the question; what should have Leos done?”

 

Rakna clicked his tongue. “What an infuriating man you are…” He muttered but nonetheless began to think of an answer. ‘This time, it’s the smartest answer instead of the right answer…’

 

‘The correct answer would be, without a doubt, to have dissented. Regardless of consequences or damages, is it not by hesitating that change will come. It will only worsen it. He should have freed the prisoners, confronted the King, tried to negotiate with the demons, punished the ones responsible, even if it meant to betray his country or cause an internal fray. But the smartest answer…’

 

“Hah,” he let out a single humorless chuckle. Evelyn’s eyes instantly widened and Fray also seemed hesitant to admit if what he had just seen and heard was real or not. “The smartest answer is to join the enemy. That’s what he should have done; changed sides.”

 

Fray blinked and recovered from his momentary shock. “Go on…”

 

“While rebellion is the most human and ethically right thing he could and should have done. It was not the solution that would solve the problems. Though, there are many other things he could have done. He could have deserted; this constitutes the smartest answer if he was selfish. He could have killed himself; this constitutes the smartest answer if he was a coward. He could have killed the culprits; this constitutes the smartest answer if he was a cold-blooded killer.”

 

“But being none of those and more, he had either fight, surrender, or switch sides as options. The last one is the most sensible choice for the fact that it would reduce the number of deaths by simply reducing the duration of the war and spread confusion to the public; a good thing in fact. After that? Well, up to him. Whether he begins to hate his own or strive for a world where the two races coexist, I wouldn’t care.”

 

“Oh my, oh my… correct again. And even faster than the previous one,” Fray remarked. “You have now answered two of them. There is only one left. Ready?”

 

Rakna sent him a blank look and he chuckled.

 

“Of course, you are. In that case, third and final tale.”

 

Darkness invaded the room before they found themselves inside a spacious room. With one look, you could see that it belonged to a high-class property. In the middle of the room, a very young boy, no more than twelve, laid on his bed with a book in hand.

 

“There was once a small boy. He was born in a wealthy family but was unfortunately afflicted with a frail body. He had no other choice but to live his life sheltered. Yet, the boy was bright and pure. His sickly body and pale complexion did nothing to veil the wisdom in his eyes.”

 

“The boy loved to read, write, draw, paint, compose, sing, study… He was a genius that was seen only once every millennium. His mind was ahead of the rest of the world by hundreds of years and his works and inventions were revolutionary.”

 

“One day, he was visited by a tiny being that called itself a fairy,” Fray said and a very small girl with translucent wings and glittery dust around her appeared in the image.

 

- Human, we acknowledge your intellect. You have received the Queen’s blessing to come with me to Faerie, our homeland. Do you agree? -

 

“She declared and the boy accepted. His curiosity and avidity for knowledge were too strong for him to refuse. The fairy brought him to a land where rivers flowed in the air and mountains floated amidst the clouds. He was then escorted to the Queen.”

 

- Child, you have earned the right to learn the fairies’ secrets. We will impart to you all the knowledge of the world. In exchange, you will act as our tie to the human world. -

 

“The boy, of course, agreed. He spent the next years learning from fairies about everything that was related to nature, life, and spiritual energies. He also learned their technology and they taught him Fae Magic. During his time in Faerie, his body never got older and when finally came time to return to his world, the Queen summoned him again.”

 

- Time flows differently in Faerie. When you will return to your world, barely a few hours will have passed since you left. We will call you whenever we need you. Before you go, I will give you two rules to follow. Do not reveal the fairies’ secrets to others and do not use Fae Magic. If you do not respect these rules, there will be grave consequences. Do you understand? -

 

- Yes, My Queen. -

 

“And so, the boy returned to his world. His sickly frame instantly weighed him down again. There was no such thing as illnesses in Faerie so he had gotten used to living without his impairment. That’s when he got an idea.”

 

- It won’t hurt if I use it just once, right? -

 

“The boy told himself and proceeded to use Fae Magic on his body to restore his health. Nothing happened afterward and he sighed in relief. He then went out in the world for the first time and commenced his journey. He used his knowledge to bring humans to a new era while obeying the fairies’ calls whenever they needed him.”

 

“When he was physically seventeen, he broke the Queen’s rule for a second time. He used it on a wounded man to save his life. After that day, the rate at which he used his magic began to increase more and more. At first, he only used it once every year, then it was once every half a year, which then turned into once a month until he was guilelessly using it every day.”

 

“As talented and clever as he was, he could easily hide that fact from the fairies. However, despite his incredible intelligence, he had put back the Queen’s warnings in the back of his mind. This was a transgression that caught up to him later on.”

 

“He woke up one day with his sheets stained in blood. He panicked and frantically washed them the best he could. It was only in the afternoon that he learned of a brutal crime that had occurred during the night. He convinced himself that it had nothing to do with him but in the back of his mind, he knew better.”

 

“As time passed, the incidents continued to happen. It escalated to the point where the victim count grew every night. The boy wasn’t stupid. He knew this most likely had something to do with his illicit use of Fae Magic. His only chance was to seek help from the Queen. But he had no way of contacting Faerie on his own and he could only wait for a fairy to come to him instead.”

 

“Hence, he made a gamble and sealed his sleep with Fae Magic. That way, he spent the following weeks without problems and he thought that he was saved. He had planned to meet the fairies in the next month. But sadly, it never happened.”

 

“For a split of a second, he lost control over his magic and he was knocked unconscious. When he woke up, an entire city was burning and his hands were covered in dried blood. He stood up with haste and ran back to his estate. There, he saw the lifeless bodies of his family.”

 

“The boy collapsed on his knees and wept. His cries gradually turned into growls and his tears into blood. His skin darkened until it was pure black and his eyes became as crimson as the blood they shed. He roared at the sky and transformed into the arch monster, Nightmare.”

 

Rakna’s group watched morosely as the Nightmare rampaged through the human world, leaving destruction and death in its wake.

 

“The Nightmare was unstopped until the Fairy Queen herself intervened.”

 

The image displayed the beautiful figure of the Queen bar the monster’s path. When she appeared, the Nightmare began to wail and cry even more blood.

 

- Poor child, you are still fighting, aren’t you? How ill-fated… you amassed the impurities of man and their twisted nature with Fae Craft. You became the embodiment of humanity’s wish of self-ruin. Faerie shouldn’t involve itself with the human world, after all. Farewell, human. -

 

“With just a flick of her finger, the Nightmare disappeared into the air like a bad dream. The Queen proceeded to restore the damage done by its carnage and returned to her realm where she forever sealed the path to the human world. The End.”

 

Rakna sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as the room was lighted again. “The question,” he demanded, feeling all too tired by this test.

 

“Was the boy smart?” Fray asked with a small smile and the therian scoffed.

 

“Sure… I guess he was,” he answered blandly and everyone other than the author was shocked by his reply that was nothing but dismissive.

 

“Correct.” They were even more so when Fray accepted the answer with a smile. “You successfully passed my test. Congratulations.”

 

“You’re not asking for a speech this time?” Rakna retorted sarcastically.

 

“No, that is not necessary. Now, it is time for you to receive your rewards,” he announced and shut his fan closed with which he tapped on the wall of the room. A mechanical sound resounded and a hidden passage appeared next to where he was standing. “I will wait for you there,” he added and vanished into thin air.

 

Rakna silently pushed himself away from the wall and headed for the passage when Higure spoke up in his mind, “{Um… devourer, could you explain the last answer? I cannot understand it.}”

 

Evelyn nodded, showing that she heard the lioness’ words and was agreeing with her.

 

He sighed and threw away the finished cigarette in his hand. “Remember what he said the third answer should be?”

 

“The wrong one,” Evelyn said.

 

“Yes, and that’s what I answered.”

 

“{But… no, wait, seriously? Was it that? You just had to answer wrongly? But the boy was smart, wasn’t he? No matter how he ended up.}”

 

“Yes and no. The boy was talented for sure but his demise clearly tells you that he was something other than that. Fray asked if the boy was smart. What would the correct answer be? Think about it.”

 

“If you were to say no, it could refer to his blatant disregard of the Queen’s warning. It could also refer to his recklessness when he tried to use more of it to stop himself from sleeping. Or, heck, it could even refer to him not asking the Queen what the consequences were or him not reporting that he broke the rule. In any case, saying that he wasn’t smart is a right answer.”

 

“If you were to say yes, it could refer to his incredible talent with magic and all mortal proficiencies in the world. It could also refer to his reckless but nonetheless astute decision to not fall asleep in order to save as many lives as he could before he could ask the help of fairies. It might have worked if he hadn’t slipped up. In conclusion, saying that he was smart is also a right answer.”

 

“Huh? But then if both are right, how could you get a wrong answer?” Evelyn asked.

 

“Basically? Double negation. It’s a trap question. All answers are wrong because the nature of the answer clashes with the nature of the reason. If you say yes, you admit he was smart although he actually wasn’t. Vice versa.”

 

“{In other words, any answer could have worked,}” Higure summarized.

 

“Yes. Coincidentally… or perhaps not, this is something that my uncle once developed upon when he got bored and decided to write a book. In it, he mentioned something he called ‘The Refutation of Opinions’. He said that while everyone has the right to an opinion of their own, he also said that two opinions that clash against each other have no right to be. Why? Because if an opinion seeks dominance over others, it is not worthy of being deliberated, whether they are right or wrong.”

 

 “{I see… Still, what a weird man he is, that Fray Brazwein. Spending so much time telling those tales only for the questions to be answered like this… He obviously tailored them to you personally as well, and they were not even that hard.}”

 

“Well, what do we know,” Rakna grunted. “Each of these three tales held a message. The pursuit of love, the pursuit of revenge, and the pursuit of knowledge. Perhaps he wanted to convey how badly each of these could end. A little life lesson.”

 

“{…if you say so.}”

 

The therian shrugged and quietly walked to the end of the hidden tunnel.