Vol 1 Chapter 7 (1/2)
Chapter 7 The Path of the Royal Medal
On top of a low hill surrounded by a moat sat the enormous royal castle
As if to gather eyes to the royals that dwelled within, the city streets extended
out fros constructed from stone
filled every inch of space between the streets
The eight giant avenues leading to the royal castle were paved, spread with
stones
The sugar sculpture festival was held on one of these eight streets, the widest
of theate of the royal castle: the Boulevard of
Triumphant Return In the plaza located directly in front of the castle gate a
tent was pitched, and underneath it chairs were arranged on a raised platform
These were the seats for the members of the royal family ould attend
the festival
The people of the imperial city loved festivals
For no other reason than to catch a glimpse of the royal family, the citizens
had flocked to the plaza
Closest to the gazes of the onlookers sat the King and Queen in the seats
reserved for the royal family Behind them were the royal princes and
princesses Their dazzling vestal appearance took Ann‟s breath
away
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
In front of the royal family‟s chairs, a number of tables draped hite
tablecloths were lined up side-by-side On top of these tables, sugar sculptures
as big as a person‟s arms‟ width were placed in a row
All of them should be richly colored and display fine workmanshi+p
However, at the ar sculptures were covered with cloth,
so it was iar
sculpture stood the crafts in
front of the king, everyone was decked out in their finest clothing
Jonas was there as well, wearing a splendid fur vest
The sugar sculpture festival was presided over by Earl Downing He was an
elderly man who‟d displayed an uncommon shrewdness as the Minister of the
Interior during the reign of the previous king He‟d retired from that post
already, but even so he was an old retainer who enjoyed the trust of the current
king as well
The retainer confirar craftsmen were all lined up, and that the
royal family were all in their seats
Earl Downing had just stood up to say the opening proclamation which would
begin the exaar sculptures
Suddenly, there was a great commotion in one part of the audience
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The sight that reached the old retainer‟s eyes as he glanced up with brows
furrowed to see as going on was that of a box-shaped wagon charging
through the crowd
“Watch out!!”
“Stop that wagon!!”
As the guards charged the wagon, the slender girl driving it yanked on the
reins, bringing the wagon to a halt Then she jumped down from the driver‟s
seat and ran into the plaza, slipping through the guards‟ outstretched arms
A black-haired youngher
The girl was headed for the tent where Earl Downing stood
“Catch her!!”
One of the guards grabbed the girl‟s ar
uard in the stouard
went flying backwards
To the girl whose arm had been released, he shouted, “Go!”
She was already running
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
The youngspears,
preventing the after her
That‟s when the onlookers finally noticed the single, beautiful wing on the
young man‟s back
“I won‟t let you lay a hand on that girl!”
“You‟re… a fairy?!”
The girl as running full-speed towards the tent where Earl Downing
stood tripped just as she reached it She lost her balance and pitched forward,
falling to the ground
Even so, she raised her head and shouted desperately between pants, “I‟ve
observed that the sugar sculpture festival‟s opening proclamation has yet to be
made In that case, it should still be possible to enter I would like to
participate in the coar craftswoman My name is Ann
Halford I don‟t have a hometown to declare”
The guards who ca out of the tent pinned Ann dohere she‟d
fallen and shouted, “You‟ve got a lot of nerve!!”
Froe ide eyes,
ca voice
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
“My, ht that you wouldn‟t come, what a flashy
entrance!! You‟re an endless source of amusement, Ann!”
Ann‟s eyes opened wide in recognition of the familiar voice
Behind Earl Downing stood the figure of a young nobleman He wore formal
clothing adorned with silver embroidery This ithout doubt the costume
of the Silver Sugar Viscount
The person wearing it was a fa man ild brown eyes
“Hugh?!”
“Mercury You know this girl?” Earl Downing asked Hugh
---- Mercury?
Ann couldn‟t take her eyes off of Hugh‟s face
---- Hugh Mercury?! The leader of the Mercury guild, and the current Silver
Sugar Viscount?!
“Yes That girl is, as she says, a siar craftswoman There‟s no need to
worry That fairy over there is this girl‟s bodyguard”
At this, Earl Downing turned to the guards brandishi+ng spears and raised his
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
hand
“Stand down, all of you This girl is a potential participant”
The guards surrounding Shall and the guards pinning Ann down obeyed his
order, and stepped back
Ann got up and knelt where she was
Earl Downing turned his gaze to Ann and said, “I can tell just by looking that
you‟re quite young Yet in spite of your youth, you‟ve announced your intent
to participate in the competition You must be quite sure of yourself Who was
your teacher?”
“My ar master”
“I see Then your petition to participate is in accordance with the guidelines
However, you do realize that there is a procedure that must be followed in
order to apply?”
“Yes I , and then
the Silver Sugar Viscount will have me perform a simple demonstration in
order to verify whether or not I am a craftswoman whose skill is fit to appear
before hisIf I receive his approval, I will be allowed to
participate”
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
“That is correct Those procedures were completed yesterday Furthermore,
his ar sculpture festival is about
to begin There isn‟t time to test your ability now”
“I will conment as quickly as possible Please!”
Seeh as if to
consult with him
“What should we do, Mercury?”
“There isn‟t tinment now”
Turned down flat Ann chewed her lip and hung her head
But Hugh continued on, grinning wickedly
“However, Earl Downing In a fortunate turn of events, I had the opportunity
to test this girl‟s skill the other day I believe she is fit to appear before his
”
At these words, Ann raised her head When their eyes h winked
Earl Downing nodded
“Very well If the Silver Sugar Viscount has acknowledged you, I will allow
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
you to participate”
Then he pointed to the table where the sugar sculptures were lined up
“Have the guards carry your three barrels of silver sugar to the edge of the
plaza Then add the sculpture you made to the others, stand behind it, and
await the judgement of the royal family”
“Yes, sir Thank you very much”
Ann rose to her feet, bowed curtly, then brushed the dust off her clothes
The curious gazes of both audience and festival participants alike were all
fixed on Ann, who stood in the center of the plaza
All of the sugar craftsar sculpture festival were
decked out in their finest clothes
When it ca men‟s
clothing and her face and hair were both filthy Her slender body appeared
excessively scrawny, and she looked far younger than her age Furthermore,
she was accompanied by the most beautiful fairy any of them had ever seen
Who on Earth is she? their eyes inquired, shi+ning with curiosity
Incidentally, the position where Ann was ordered to line up was right next to
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
Jonas
Jonas watched the entire scene unfold with a tense expression on his face
When Ann came to stand beside him, he put up a front of false bravado and
laughed scornfully
“My, ly well In any case, do you
even have a sugar sculpture?”
Ann glared at Jonas spitefully
“You have my thanks These clothes came in handy And you needn‟t worry
for ar sculpture”
“Then quickly line it up on the table Where is it?”
“Here”
Ann took a step forward and placed a small, cloth-covered mass on the white
table
Bursts of laughter leaked out froar
craftsman itnessed this
Jonas, too, snorted derisively
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
“Well, I suppose that‟s the best you could have done with the time you had
I‟ar sculpture
the size of a child‟s toy”
Looking straight forward at the royal family‟s tent, Ann replied, “I‟m
i a sculpture that someone else
made You‟d think that there would be a limit even to your shamelessness, but
apparently not”
“I have no idea what you‟re talking about”
“The Silver Sugar Viscount Do you honestly think you can deceive Hugh?
You should already kno sharp his eyes are froht at the
doctor‟s inn”
Jonas‟s expression faltered just a bit But then he sneered and said with a
laugh, “I was surprised to learn that Hugh was the Silver Sugar Viscount when
I applied to participate in the festival He just becaar Viscount
half a year ago I bet he was just acting haughty that night at the doctor‟s inn
because he‟s a newly-appointed Silver Sugar Viscount This time, when he
saw ”
“There‟s no way he doesn‟t know”
“I wonder”
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
Seeing that Ann had placed her sugar sculpture in line with the others, Earl
Downing raised his hand and proclaiar sculpture festival
coar Master will be
awarded to the dom”
The official in charge of overseeing the coar
craftsmen
“Crafts”
As these words were spoken, each of the sugar craftsmen removed the cloth
covering their sugar sculpture
The onlookers let out a collective gasp at the sight of the gorgeous sugar
sculptures on display
The king rested his weight on the arly
fro to be particularly interested
Then the king‟s gaze stopped He stood up
His gaze was focused in Ann and Jonas‟s direction
---- Could it be, ht his eye?!
Ann‟s pulse sped up
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
The king gestured to Earl Downing, then whispered so into his ear
Earl Downing nodded then turned to Ann and Jonas
“The two crafts your
sugar sculptures with you; you ”
Ann and Jonas‟s eyes met
The onlookers tilted their heads and began to whisper to each other
“That large, splendid one is appropriate Its workmanshi+p is far better than any
of the others But why has his ar sculpture like
that be brought before him?”
“Well, we can‟t see it very well from here”
Jonas got the guards to assist hiar sculpture up onto the
dais where the king waited Then he knelt, his face stiff with nervousness
Ann nodded to Shall, who stood behind her
“I‟ll be back”
Shall nodded in return
Ann gently picked up the sugar sculpture, wrapping her hands around it, and
approached the king Placing the sugar sculpture on a table set up on the dais,
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
she knelt as well
The king rose sar sculptures on the table
“It‟s strange Co called to the
Silver Sugar Viscount in a low voice
Appearing at the king‟s side as suh nodded
“The nuances of these two sculptures are so similar, it‟s as if they were both
ar craftsman”
At these words, Jonas flinched back in shock Hugh‟s eyes lit up
“Which sculpture do you prefer, your majesty?”
The king‟s eyes narrowed in response to Hugh‟s question He gazed at the tiny
fairy
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
“I like this one better It looks ethereal As if it‟s about to break at any moment
It‟s full of life I‟ve never seen such a beautiful sugar sculpture”
“Yes”
“I think it‟s the best What do you think? I think the sugar craftsman who
created this is fit to be a silver sugar master”
Although she kept her face down-turned, Ann‟s pulse was racing, whispering
“Can it be? Can it be?”
However…
“That sugar sculpture is indeed nificent, your majesty But…”
The regal voice of the queen resounded fro
“But, your e, spectacular sugar
sculpture that could serve as the focal point for a celebration I am uncertain
whether the sugar craftsman who made this small sculpture also possesses the
ability to ht about
what qualities are necessary for silver sugar master”
“That is true…”
There was a moment of silence Ann‟s pulse increased in speed
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
“It‟s decided,” the king declared
“I‟ve chosen This sugar craftsar master
What is his name?”
Earl Downing replied, “His name is Jonas Anders”
“Very well I hereby decree: I award the royal ar sculpture
presented by Jonas Anders The creator of this sugar sculpture will be this
year‟s silver sugar master”
The croild
Sensing Jonas raise his head beside her, Ann‟s whole body slumped
---- I should have known
“Ann Halford, you are dismissed Jonas Anders, you are to remain here
Guards, bring the three barrels of silver sugar that Anders distilled to me
Those three barrels of silver sugar will be presented for the king‟s inspection,
after which the three barrels and your sugar sculpture will becoift to the
royal family”
“Yes sir”
Jonas‟s cheeks flushed red with excitement, and his chest puffed out with
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
pride
Stealing a sideways glance at Jonas, Ann bowed once to the royal family and
picked up her sugar sculpture
Jonas‟s three barrels of silver sugar were brought before the king
Just as Ann turned to leave…
“Wh-what?! What is this?!” Jonas shrieked in a manner not appropriate in the
presence of the king
Without thinking, Ann turned back around
So leapt forcefully out of one of the barrels that been carried onto the
dais and placed in front of Jonas At the sight of it, the king, Earl Downing
and Jonas all widened their eyes
What had jumped out of the barrel was a fairy the size of the palm of a
human‟s hand The fairy had silver hair and blue eyes It was Mythrill Reed
Pod
Ann sucked in a breath
“What is therecovered
fro into the barrel Mythrill had jumped out
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
of
“One of these barrels is completely empty!”
“Th-that‟s ridiculous--”
In contrast with Jonas, as flustered and confused, Mythrill prostrated
hi‟s feet
“Ahhhhhhh!! Forgive hness!! I am a worthless labor
fairy employed by Master Jonas Anders My
silver sugar, and when he ar sculpture for the competition, he
was short of the required three barrels So, since I have the ability to perform
minor optical illusions, he ordered me to make the barrel appear full I was put
inside the barrel and brought here But I was too afraid to deceive you, your
hness, and couldn‟t carry through with it!!”
With intensely exaggerated movements, Mythrill twisted his body pathetically
and broke into hysterical sobs He even pulled out a tiny handkerchief that he
must have prepared so dramatically
Ann was dumbfounded
---- Why is Mythrill here? What is he doing?!
Then she realized
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
As he cried and carried on, Mythrill‟s sto so far that it
looked like it was about to burst
---- Don’t tell ar?!
Ann couldn‟t figure out what Mythrill was doing inside the barrel of silver
sugar that Jonas had brought with him
However, she could think of only one reason for the charade he was carrying
on
He was doing it for Ann‟s sake
He was trying to do soar sculpture had been
stolen
Jonas stood up and, seeotten that he was in the presence of
the king, and shouted, “This is a conspiracy!! It‟s that sugar craftswoman, Ann
Halford! She‟s the one using this labor fairy The Silver Sugar Viscount
should also be able to verify this!! She and I are acquaintances She‟s obsessed
with beco to thwart me at every
turn! This has got to be part of her plan, too!”
Jonas roughly grabbed Ann‟s arm as she stared at him wordlessly, astounded
by his absurd claims
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
“Come here, you coward!!”
“Ow!!”
Seeing Ann let out a cry of pain, Mythrill‟s face changed color and he leapt up
suddenly
“Who are you calling a coward?! Let go of Ann, you bastard!!” Mythrill
shouted indignantly, co to cry
At this, Jonas pointed a finger at Mythrill with a look of s victory on his
face
“Just look at that!! This woether since
the beginning! Before anything else, we should kill this insolent fairy”
“I won‟t let you do so like that!”
Infuriated by Jonas‟s words, Ann shook her arrasp
Then she turned to face the royal family‟s tent
Jonas saying that Mythrill should be killed had been the last straw; Ann
couldn‟t bear to stand by silently watching his acts of cowardice any longer
“It‟s true that this fairy is a friend of mine It‟s also true that he did all of this
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
for ar sculpture that this person,
Jonas Anders, entered into the competition as his oas made by me He
stoleto stop Jonas fro a
stolen sugar sculpture to becoar master”
“That‟s a lie! I never stole anything!”
“You‟re going to continue to lie, even when it‟s come to this?!”
“Shut up!! You‟re the liar here!”
Ann and Jonas glared at each other intensely
The onlookers, the king, and Earl Downing; everyone present was shocked
and bewildered by Ann and Jonas‟s words
Which of them was the liar?
Only Hugh had an a on his lips
“Well then, shall we deterh
said to the king, as looking at Ann and Jonas with his face twisted in
confusion
“We don‟t knohich of these sugar craftsar sculpture
Whoever ar master, correct? In that case, let us
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
test and see who made it”
“Hmm Is there really a way to determine who made it? Mercury, if there
exists a way, go ahead and let‟s see”
“Yes, your majesty”
Hugh turned to abeside him who appeared to be his servant, and
gave hi‟s tent, he approached Ann and
Jonas
“I‟ht at the doctor‟s inn The
only difference is that this tinment”
A s Two types of vessels
filled with cold water and the spatulas, rulers, and rolling pins of various sizes
that were necessary for ar sculptures were quickly laid out on top
of the table
“This is the sugar sculpture that hishas chosen It has little
butterflies on it, right? These ones that are attached to the flowers You will
ht now, before his majesty‟s eyes If we compare the
characteristics of the butterflies you make now to the ones on this sculpture,
we‟ll knoho made it”
“Understood I‟ll do it”
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
This was just what she was hoping for Ann nodded immediately, but Jonas
went pale
“What do you say, Jonas?”
When asked directly, Jonas nodded reluctantly
Ann and Jonas lined up in front of the table
Froazes of the audience were focused on them
From directly in front of thearded them
with regal, subdued expressions
Focusing on the silver sugar in front of her, Ann closed her eyes and took a
deep breath
Suddenly, Ann felt a hot gaze on her back Somehow, she knew that it was
Shall‟s gaze
---- I’ll make the butterfly An unbelievably beautiful butterfly that will make
Shall happy
“Begin!”
Sih‟s command, Ann opened her eyes She added cold
water to the silver sugar
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale Vol 1 - Ginzatoushi+ to Kuro no Yousei
Ann began to knead the silver sugar to add glossiness to the dough
---- I’ll knead it even ht, I want to make
beautiful wings, just like Shall’s
As soon as her hands touched the silver sugar, the clumsy noises that Jonas
wasbeside her mysteriously faded from her consciousness