The aroma of fried shallots and warm, savory broth filled every corner of the Cloud Palace. The main courtyard, usually so quiet, had been transformed into an incredibly lively party arena. The fairies who had been panicking earlier were now busy circling bowls filled with sweet avocado juice, laughing as they enjoyed the festivities.
Even the Fairy Queen looked immensely proud as she showed off her curly fried-noodle hair. She sat on her throne, munching on cloud crackers dipped in the broth made by Bobi the Dwarf Dragon.
“My people! Today, we celebrate National Instant Noodle Day!” the Fairy Queen boomed, greeted by raucous cheers from every fairy in the palace.
In a corner of the garden, Mile sat cross-legged on the cotton-candy grass. Her chest puffed up high, radiating an extraordinary aura of victory over her spot-on instincts. Beside her, Miu, the chubby potato cat, was happily asleep, purring away after devouring three small bowls of chili-free broth.
“See, Miu?” Mile whispered in her signature know-it-all style. Her hand rubbed Miu’s increasingly round belly. “If it weren’t for Detective Mile, this savory party never would have happened. We really are the most brilliant kingdom-saving team ever!”
Miu merely swished his brown tail slowly. “Meooow,” he said lazily, as if to say, “I just want to sleep right now, Mile.”
“Milea Nanira.”
That deep, firm voice made Mile straighten her back at once. Mama Dari stood behind her, gazing at her foster child through her monocle. In her hand, the Head Fairy carried a small bowl of avocado juice topped with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk.
“Mama!” Mile grinned broadly, her eyes sparkling. “Well? What do you think, Mama? My prediction was one hundred percent right, wasn’t it?”
Mama Dari handed the bowl of juice to Mile, then sat gracefully beside the little girl. Her gentle hand stroked Mile’s ponytail.
“You managed to resolve today’s chaos very well, Mile,” Mama Dari said softly, her voice warm, without its usual chill. “Your sensitivity to small details really is extraordinary. But remember, becoming a true explorer and detective takes more than courage and that know-it-all attitude of yours, sweetheart.”
“I’m not a know-it-all, Mama! I really do know things!” Mile protested, pushing her lips out three inches.
Mama Dari merely chuckled, a rare sound that made several nearby fairies turn and stare in surprise. But the light laughter did not last long. Mama Dari’s eyes suddenly shifted toward the distant horizon in the north, where a dense Black Cloud appeared, drifting slowly across the sky and covering the clear blue expanse.
Mile, who was highly perceptive, noticed the change in her guardian’s expression. She stopped drinking her avocado juice and stared toward the billowing dark clouds in the distance.
“Mama... why is that cloud over there such a dark gray?” Mile asked softly. The curiosity in her eyes suddenly sharpened. “And the smell... why doesn’t it smell like candy rain? It smells like... rusty iron and old books?”
Mama Dari’s fingers, which were wrapped around Mile, suddenly tightened reflexively. “This child... she can even smell the Dark Cloud Forest from this far away,” Mama Dari thought uneasily.
“That is not your playground, Mile,” Mama Dari replied quickly, trying to make her voice firm again. “That is the boundary of a forbidden region. Do not ever go near it.”
But Mama Dari’s words only ignited a spark in Mile’s chest. Behind Miu’s chubby neck, a small copper object tied to his collar suddenly began to vibrate faintly and emit a thin golden glow, pointing straight toward the Black Cloud.