My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

"What!?"

Ronald's words struck Elisa like a thunderbolt. Her hands, which had been holding onto him, began to tremble, and her beautiful red eyes welled up with tears.

"Uncle Ronald… Are you joking? How could Mother be in danger? She was fine just a few hours ago!"

Her voice faltered, revealing the sorrow and panic building inside her.

Ronald let out a soft sigh, his face still clouded with confusion and distress.

"I don't know, Princess," he said. "Earlier, Her Majesty went to the spring near the World Tree for something. But when she didn't return after an hour, we started to panic."

He bit his lower lip before continuing. "We sent two wind fairies to search for her, and they found Her Majesty unconscious by the spring's edge."

"We've investigated several places to find the culprit, but we haven't found anything yet. For now, the search continues, and we've requested assistance from Queen Zelda."

Elisa listened intently, her anxiety growing with every word.

"Then let's go. I want to see her. I'll check on her myself," she said, her voice laced with urgency.

Ronald gave a small nod and turned to leave but paused when he noticed Elisa had stopped and turned toward Leon and Elina.

"Fated One, Elina… I'm sorry. My mother's fallen ill and is unconscious. It looks like you won't be able to meet her today," she said, her voice heavy with sadness and guilt.

Leon's brows furrowed slightly at her words. He was surprised to learn that Elisa was a princess.

Her friendly and open demeanor with the other fairies didn't match the usual image of royalty.

Still, considering how the fairy race lived in close-knit communities that valued harmony over status, it wasn't entirely unexpected.

"Young Master, what should we do? Are we going back or staying to help the Fairy Queen?"

Elina's worried voice came from beside him. Leon turned his head and saw the anxiety clearly written on her face.

"Do you think we should help the Fairy Queen?"

Leon's sudden question took Elina by surprise, but she didn't hesitate. She gave a firm nod.

"Of course! We have to help her."

The Elf and Fairy races had coexisted peacefully for thousands of years, sharing a long history of mutual respect and cooperation.

More than that, Elina had a contract with Sophia, one of the fairies, and viewed the fairy race as part of her extended family.

So to her, the answer was obvious.

Leon nodded in approval. "Good."

He turned to Elisa, gently patted her shoulder, and said calmly, "Take us to your mother. I might have a way to save her."

Earlier, he had overheard parts of Elisa and Ronald's conversation—how the Fairy Queen had visited the spring near the World Tree and lost consciousness shortly after.

If his memory served him right, the First Elder had warned that the dark energy corrupting the World Tree had begun to spread—seeping into the springs, rivers, and even the air around them.

He had a strong suspicion that this incident was connected to that same dark energy.

Elisa was startled by his words. But then, she suddenly remembered Leon's true identity—the Fated One.

"Maybe he really does have a solution!"

The thought filled her with hope. Her sorrowful, worried expression vanished, replaced by a bright, joyful smile.

"Then come with me, Fated One! Let's go see my mother!"

With enthusiasm, she grabbed Leon and Elina's hands and led them toward the palace.

Ronald stood frozen, stunned by her sudden action. He hadn't expected her to leave so quickly—let alone bring along two strangers he didn't recognize.

Snapping out of his shock, he quickly chased after Elisa, heading straight to the Queen's chamber.

***

"How is the Queen's condition, Syra?"

Beside the large bed, a graceful, sea-blue-haired fairy looked anxiously at a green-haired fairy who was examining the Fairy Queen's unconscious body.

Syra furrowed her brows and slowly pulled her hand away from the Queen's chest. She turned to Sia and gave a small shake of her head.

"I'm sorry, Sia. I couldn't find anything unusual. Her body is in perfect condition, and her mana flow is stable."

She paused, her voice lowering with concern. "But for some reason, she won't wake up. It's like an unknown, invisible force is keeping her unconscious. I'm sorry… this is beyond me."

Sia's expression darkened, her anxiety deepening with every word.

She clasped her hands tightly, her eyes filled with worry as she gazed at the Queen, who lay weak and motionless on the bed.

"Your Majesty… What else can I do to wake you?" She murmured, her voice low and laced with sadness and confusion.

Even Syra—the most skilled healer of their race—had failed to find a cure. Sia had run out of ideas, her hope slowly fading.

"If I'm not mistaken, Sophia has fortune-telling abilities, doesn't she? Maybe you could summon her and ask her to use it on the Queen to uncover the cause of her illness."

Syra's sudden suggestion made Sia pause. A flicker of hope flashed in her blue eyes, but it quickly faded once more.

"That won't work," she said with a long sigh. "Sophia is currently outside the barrier on an errand and won't return for a few days. Even if she were here, her fortune-telling wouldn't help. She can only see the future, not the past. If the Queen remains in this state in the days ahead, that's all she'll see—no clue about the cause."

Syra was left speechless. A heavy silence settled between them, thick with tension and helpless worry.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Moments later, Elisa appeared in the doorway, followed closely by Leon and Elina.

"Mother!" Elisa cried, her voice trembling as she rushed to the Queen's bedside.

She dropped to her knees and buried her face in her arms, sobbing quietly.

Syra and Sia exchanged a glance before both let out a long, weary sigh.

"Don't worry, Princess. The Queen's condition is stable—only her consciousness is in trouble. We'll do all we can to find a solution," Sia said softly, her tone gentle and reassuring.

Elisa lifted her head and wiped her eyes. "It's okay, Aunt Sia. I'm fine."

She then turned to Leon and asked softly, "What about my mother's condition? Do you think you can heal her?"

Leon didn't respond right away. He quietly stepped to the left side of the bed and gently took the Queen's hand.

Seeing this, Sia and Syra were visibly alarmed. They instinctively moved to stop him, but Elisa quickly stepped in and held them back.

"It's alright, Aunt Sia, Aunt Syra. He's a good person—he would never harm Mother. Please, trust me," she said, her voice steady but filled with emotion.

The two fairies opened their mouths to protest but fell silent when they saw the sincerity in Elisa's tear-streaked face.

In the end, they relented and allowed the young man to proceed—though both remained tense, ready to act at the slightest sign of danger.

Under the watchful eyes of Syra, Sia, Elisa, and Elina, Leon began to examine the Queen's condition. Slowly, his brow knit into a deep frown.

"Just as I thought… there's dark energy inside her," Leon muttered grimly.

Whether by coincidence or not, he seemed to have a natural ability to sense the presence of the Evil God's dark energy.

As he examined the Queen, he detected a trace of dark energy hidden within her mana channels.

The energy had intertwined with her mana, spreading negative effects throughout her veins, muscles, and tissues.

This caused the Queen to lose consciousness, as the dark forces slowly ravaged her from within.

In many ways, this situation was similar to that of the dragon ancestor.

However, there was a key difference: the dark energy overwhelming the dragon ancestor was far more powerful and ferocious.

Additionally, it carried the consciousness of the Evil God itself.

On the other hand, the dark energy within the Fairy Queen's body wasn't as intense, but it was still potent enough to paralyze someone as strong as her—proving just how dangerous the power was.

"Were you able to determine the cause? And can Mother be cured?" Elisa asked anxiously.

At this point, Leon was their only hope. If he couldn't save her, Elisa doubted any other fairy could.

Leon slowly withdrew his hand from the Queen's palm and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I can heal the Fairy Queen," he said, his tone calm but confident.

"Really!?" Elisa's eyes brightened with hope and joy.

Even Elina, Syra, and Sia were taken aback by his confident statement.

"Can you really heal Her Majesty?" Syra asked, her voice filled with doubt, unable to hide her skepticism.

As the greatest healer among the fairies, even she had been unable to cure the Queen's condition.

Yet this stranger—who wasn't even an elf or fairy—claimed he could save her.

It was hard to believe.

Just as Leon was about to answer, Elisa, who had been standing beside Syra, spoke up.

"Aunt Syra, there's no need to worry. He's no ordinary man—he's the Fated One, a figure whose name is written in our legends!"

The moment Syra and Sia heard her words, their eyes widened in disbelief.

"What did you say!? He's the Fated One!?"