DTBTHS Chapter 23

Axel Valentine had never once tried to win his comrades' favor.

He was always imperious, never properly explained anything, showed no mercy with harsh words when someone displayed weakness, and if they still whined after that, he kicked or struck them until they shut up.

When comrades refused to move and sat down, he held a blade to their throats, or sometimes actually stabbed them.

If they kept holding him back, he simply abandoned them. Comrades who continued resisting or betraying him, he killed.

'Now that I think about it, that's pretty messed up.'

Yet even behaving that way, most of his comrades acknowledged the protagonist as their leader and followed his orders.

Axel Valentine harbored no personal greed, and his instructions and judgments were almost never wrong.

His goal was clear, and when he treated people roughly, there was always a definite reason.

'He was someone who sacrificed even himself for the single goal of conquering the Great Labyrinth.'

When goals align, people follow the competent person with a terrible personality rather than the incompetent one with a good heart. The more dangerous the situation, the more true this becomes.

Competent and good-natured would be ideal, but she had no confidence she could be such a perfect person.

A leader whom all comrades liked and followed sincerely?

If that were possible just by wanting it, she could have become a child loved by her past-life grandmother or her current-life father too.

Winning favor is vague and difficult. The path to earning trust is far more clear and rational.

'I know all the original story's content, and my innate spirit magic talent is tremendous—it would be harder not to earn trust. There will be plenty of opportunities ahead.'

"Hey! Skeleton!"

Just as she was leaving the garden, Erich, who had somehow followed her, blocked her path.

Unlike before, his expression was quite serious.

"That place you were just at—it's the contaminated plant quarantine zone."

"I know."

"I just looked and there's a daffodil I haven't seen before in there. It's a flower bed where only contaminated plants are planted."

Even if his behavior seemed childish, a mage was still a mage. To think he'd already found something strange.

Ariadne replied calmly.

"So?"

"What do you mean 'so?' That was your doing, wasn't it? Your experiment—is it related to contaminated plants? Are you studying botany? Are you some kind of botany genius who came to Weaver because of the contaminated plants?"

"I don't know what you're asking a child like me. Botany, really."

"You don't even act like a child, stop with the fake innocence. Don't lie—"

Erich's irritated words trailed off. The boy pointed at her in confusion.

"Uh, hey, you, your, your, nose, nose."

"If you have something to say, please say it clearly."

"Nose, nose."

Erich couldn't properly continue his words and just kept pointing at her nose.

Come to think of it, her nose felt a bit hot. The moment she thought this, something trickled down from her nose.

When she wiped it with her hand, it was bright red blood. She looked down at her blood-covered hand and frowned without realizing it. Again.

'Making the Elixir and then coming all the way to the garden must have been too much.'

"Hey, you, are, are you o—"

Erich's stammering face had gone pale. Ariadne roughly covered her nose with a handkerchief and nodded.

"I'm fine."

"It, it's still coming out."

Why is he so scared? She looked at him questioningly, then suddenly realized. Ah, he's under three months of confinement because of me.

"It's not the Young Count's fault, so don't worry."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just say you were passing by and found me like this. Then you won't be wrongly suspected."

"Suspected? What suspicion?"

"You're worried about being suspected of making my nose bleed, right? I'll make it clear it's not your fault, so don't worry about that."

Ariadne spoke clearly in a nasal voice while covering her nose, then turned around.

Erich watched the child, not even half his size, stagger away.

The handkerchief turned bright red in an instant. It was frightening enough just to watch, but Ariadne seemed used to it.

Far from asking for help, she just told him not to worry because it wasn't his fault.

And in the process, she naturally treated him like a terrible person who only cared about his own punishment whether or not a child was bleeding right in front of him.

Honestly, it was true he'd worried about getting in trouble first, but still.

'What kind of person is this?'

Erich stood there dumbfounded watching Ariadne, then strode forward and caught up with her.

"You—"

He grabbed her tiny shoulder and turned her around, then swallowed his words.

The blue eyes of Ariadne looking back had lost focus. Already, cold sweat covered her small forehead.

Just moments ago she'd been acting cheeky with bright, clear eyes, and now this—it was genuinely unnerving.

'Father just said she has a weak body, but this doesn't seem like just weak.'

"Are you really okay? Do you have some illness?"

"No, I'm just a bit tire—"

The head Ariadne had been shaking suddenly dropped forward. Erich caught the child in alarm.

'Why is she so light—wait, her body's burning up!'

"Hey, hey, Skeleton? Stay conscious."

He hurriedly lifted her, and the child went completely limp. The nosebleed still hadn't stopped.

'Is she dying?'

Fear gripped him. He hoisted the child onto his back and ran frantically toward the physician's quarters.

When she opened her eyes, she was inside the Phantom Library.

'When did I enter the Phantom Library?'

Someone stopped Ariadne as she tried to sit up.

"Ariadne, rest. Rest necessary."

"Hm?"

"Inside Phantom Library, Ariadne not hurt. Rest place. Shelter."

Pie spoke with a worried face, then pulled her close. Making her use a book as a pillow, then covering her with the blanket brought here before.

"Ariadne, rest."

Pie smiled brightly and patted her with small hands.

Between white hair, amber-like beautiful golden eyes looked down at her.

Even as drowsiness overwhelmed her, a question arose. Ariadne asked in a sleep-drunk voice.

"Pie... did you call me into the Phantom Library?"

"Yes. Pain scheduled. Ariadne dislikes hurting. Pie called Ariadne. Summon. Call. Invite."

"Before... you sent me out on your own, but now..."

Now you can call me in too?

What are you, Pie? How is this possible? Is it because you're a high-rank spirit?

She wanted to ask, but was too sleepy to speak. She was swept away by the pouring sleep. It was a comfortable, peaceful sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw the familiar bedroom ceiling.

Her body felt much lighter. As she tried to get up, she met golden eyes looking down at her.

'Pie?'

She blinked her blurred eyes once and could tell it was someone else.

The owner of the golden eyes wasn't the white-haired child, but a young man with a gentle, neat impression.

The man who had been looking at her smiled slightly, then turned around.

"She's awake."

"Miss!"

"Ariadne!"

The one with tears welling up was Lucy, the one sighing in relief was the Countess, and the one who grabbed her hand with a fierce exclamation was the Margrave.

It seemed everyone except the Archmage, who had left for the capital recently, and Erich, who was confined, had gathered.

Zailyn approached the bed with her instruments.

"Thank you for your service, Priest. May I examine the young miss?"

"Of course."

The man stepped back slightly, and Zailyn held her arm and examined her. The physician soon smiled faintly.

"You've almost completely recovered. Enough that you could build stamina through exercise."

At those words, the Margrave now grasped the priest's hand.

"Thank you. Truly."

"Not at all—I merely bestowed the divine power that the gods granted me. Rather, I apologize for arriving so late."

"Weaver is a place even knights find difficult to travel to and from in winter. It's natural that priests would find it difficult to come. Let's move elsewhere to discuss the details."

The Margrave gestured toward the door.

The priest bowed silently to Ariadne with a smile, then stood up.

Behind the departing priest, a white robe embroidered with gold thread fluttered. He followed the Margrave out of the room.

'A priest... right, all the priests here have golden eyes. They say when you become able to use divine power, your eyes turn gold...'

Ariadne blankly recalled the original story's setting. In the meantime, the Countess approached and met her gaze.

"Are you feeling more alert, Ariadne?"

"Ah... yes."

"You were lying down for two days. Aren't you hungry?"

She asked gently. Just as Ariadne was about to nod that she was fine, her stomach loudly rumbled.

Ariadne's face flushed red.

"I suppose we should start with a meal after all."

The Countess smiled faintly.

"I'll bring something warm right away, Miss!"

Lucy wiped away tears and rushed outside.

In the meantime, Zailyn, who had packed away her examination tools, cleared her throat and spoke.

"Miss Ariadne."

"Yes."

"This is something I tried to tell you before but didn't... After examining you this time, I'm certain, so I'll tell you now. I've already informed the Count and Countess."

The Countess crossed her arms with a bitter expression.

Zailyn hesitated briefly while touching her glasses, then carefully continued.

"It appears your pain sensation has been somewhat damaged."

"What does that mean?"

"That is, well, it means even with the same injury, you feel far less pain than others."