Volume 1: The Fourth Holy Grail War
Chapter 5: A Child Loved by Nature
The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the emerald canopy, scattering countless golden specks across the quiet forest.
The village slowly stirred awake.
Small fairy children chased one another between enormous roots, their cheerful laughter echoing beneath the ancient trees.
To them, another peaceful day had begun.
Near the edge of the village, a young boy sat quietly beside a clear stream.
His black hair swayed gently with the breeze, while his dark eyes reflected the flowing water before him.
Ren.
Nearly ten years had passed since he had awakened within this ancient age.
To everyone around him, he was simply another child of the village.
Yet only Ren knew the truth.
“Nine years already…”
Sometimes it still felt unreal.
The memories of Fuyuki…
Artoria…
Astra Horizon…
None of them had faded.
If anything, they had become even more vivid.
This world was not an illusion.
Every passing year reminded him that the Fantasy Life Simulation was a genuine life.
He smiled faintly as he dipped a hand into the cool water.
Ripples spread across the stream.
Then…
Something unexpected happened.
Tiny fish that had been hiding beneath the rocks slowly emerged.
Instead of fleeing, they gathered around his fingers as though greeting an old friend.
Ren blinked.
“…Again?”
It wasn’t the first time.
Birds frequently landed on his shoulders without fear.
Wild rabbits often approached him while he wandered through the forest.
Even creatures that the fairies considered cautious seemed unusually comfortable in his presence.
At first, he had dismissed it as coincidence.
After several years…
Coincidences had become far too frequent.
He looked toward the forest beyond the river.
The towering trees swayed gently despite the absence of wind.
Leaves drifted lazily through the air before settling around him.
“…”
Ren simply watched in silence. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
He never tried to command nature.
Yet nature often seemed eager to answer him.
Deep within his heart…
He already suspected the reason.
Gaia’s Embrace.
The mysterious blessing chosen during the Simulation.
Even now, Astra Horizon had never explained what it truly was.
Perhaps…
It couldn’t.
A soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
“There you are!”
Ren turned.
A young fairy girl waved energetically as she ran toward him.
“Everyone’s been looking for you!”
He chuckled.
“I only came here for a while.”
“You always say that.”
She placed her hands on her hips, pretending to be upset.
“Then you disappear into the forest until sunset.”
“I don’t disappear.”
“You do!”
Ren laughed softly before standing.
Compared to the other children his age, he was noticeably calmer.
The older fairies often joked that he thought more like an adult than a child.
Only Ren knew how close that joke was to the truth.
As they walked back toward the village, several fairies greeted him warmly.
“Morning, Ren.”
“Going to Elder Rowan again?”
“We’ve prepared breakfast.”
He returned every greeting with a smile.
Nine years had passed.
This village had become his home.
These fairies…
His family.
Despite knowing that this was a Simulation, Ren had long since stopped treating it like one.
Because every laugh…
Every conversation…
Every farewell…
Felt real.
As they reached the center of the village, the elderly fairy who had raised him looked up from her work.
“I was beginning to think the forest had stolen you again.”
Ren rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
“Sorry.”
She sighed dramatically before smiling.
“You’ve always loved wandering.”
“It isn’t a bad thing.”
“But don’t forget.”
“The outside world is much larger than this forest.”
“There are many places where even fairies tread carefully.”
Ren nodded.
“I understand.”
The elder studied him quietly for a moment.
There was something different about this child.
She had noticed it since the day he was found beside the river.
Animals adored him.
Plants flourished wherever he spent long periods of time.
Even the oldest trees seemed unusually peaceful whenever he approached.
No one could explain it.
Not even the wisest among them.
Perhaps…
The forest itself had simply accepted him.
Far beyond the village…
Beneath the crystal-clear waters of an ancient river…
A pair of golden eyes slowly opened.
The current flowed gently around a graceful figure concealed within the depths.
She watched the distant village without making a sound.
More specifically…
She watched one particular child.
A faint smile curved across her lips.
“So…”
“The child has grown.”
Her voice was as gentle as flowing water.
“Our meeting draws closer.”
The river continued its endless journey through Fairy Britain.
Carrying with it…
The quiet promise of a destined encounter.
End of Chapter 5