6. Sneaking into the Forbidden Archives
“Shh! Miu, hold your breath! Don’t let your snoring wake the guard soldiers!” Mile whispered, her voice hushed as if she were carrying out a secret mission.
Mile crawled along the Cloud Palace corridor, clutching Miu tightly. The chubby brown cat simply surrendered his doughy body to her grip, though his round eyes blinked warily from time to time.
For all seven years of her life, Mile had always thought she was just a unique human child growing up among fairies. She had never questioned why she didn’t have wings or why she loved eating rice so much more than morning dew. To Mile, Mama Dari was her whole world, and the Cloud Kingdom was her home.
But tonight, the compass on Miu’s collar had shattered all those certainties.
“You hid this compass from me on purpose, didn’t you, Miu?” Mile accused, stopping behind a cloud pillar. She squinted at her cat as if staring him down. “Based on my logical analysis, you’re not just a lazy chubby cat. You must be... a furry secret agent!”
Miu stared blankly at Mile, looking bored.
“Meow,” he replied shortly, then suddenly began licking his own paw in complete relaxation, as if to say, “As usual, you’re just blurting out whatever pops into your head, Mile.”
“Careful. That casual answer of yours is actually suspicious!” Mile muttered, acting like a know-it-all.
Mile’s destination tonight was the Forbidden Archives, where Mama Dari kept all the kingdom’s important documents. Mile was certain that if there was anywhere the answers to the compass mystery and Mama Dari’s fear could be found, this was it.
With her extraordinary sensitivity, Mile managed to avoid three fairy night patrols. She took advantage of a gap in the lower ventilation system, which was normally used to circulate pink chewing gum steam. The moment she slipped into the Archives, the scent of old paper and cinnamon greeted her nose.
Rows of enormous wooden cabinets towered all the way to the ceiling. On the table in the center sat a tin box engraved with a strange emblem: two crossed crayons.
“Look at this, Miu!” Mile whispered excitedly as she approached the table.
As if by magic, the compass pendant on Miu’s collar suddenly gave off another soft golden glow the moment Mile drew near. The tin box, which had been tightly locked, suddenly popped open on its own with a delicate click.
“Wow!”
Mile’s eyes widened in surprise in the dim light. Her tiny hand reached into the box and pulled out a small roll of animal hide covered in golden writing. Her sharp sensitivity let her quickly make out the sentences on the sheet.
“Human Baby Rescue Report—Nathan & Mira (Cartographer Explorer Duo). Trapped in the Eternal Recipe Dimension beyond the Dark Cloud Forest. Baby named Milea Nanira secured at the Cloud Palace under the direct supervision of Head Fairy Dari.”
Mile froze, her eyes wide with disbelief, her little heart pounding like the drums of war.
“Nathan... Mira... My parents?” Mile’s voice trembled softly.
All this time, she had thought she’d been born without any special background, just a little girl raised by Mama Dari. But this record changed everything. Her parents hadn’t disappeared because they had abandoned her—they had become trapped while adventuring! And Mama Dari... had kept it all secret to protect her.
Miu leaped out of Mile’s arms and stood on the table, then rubbed his head against Mile’s cheek.
“Meow,” Miu murmured softly, his lazy attitude melting away for the first time.
Mile drew a deep breath. The shock didn’t make her cry or feel sad. On the contrary, her eyes suddenly sparkled, radiating enormous determination. Her never-give-up spirit and know-it-all attitude sprang back to life several times stronger in an instant.
“So my parents were amazing explorers?” Mile whispered, a broad smile returning to her face. “And they’re trapped? That means... Detective Mile has a main mission!”
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The sound of highly rhythmic footsteps suddenly echoed from the corridor outside. Mama Dari’s footsteps!
“Oh no! Miu, secure the evidence!” Mile cried in panic. She also snatched the map showing the location of the Dark Cloud Forest from inside the box and quickly shut it again. She hugged Miu, then leaped behind a velvet curtain just as the main door to the Forbidden Archives swung open.