-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Bipera's Request
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the whirlwind of the ball, Daphne dismissed all the maids, saying she needed to rest.
She had to recover from the muscle aches first.
So she lay in bed, groaning in pain, for three days.
“Ugh, I thought I was going to die.”
Her throbbing forearms were the only things still bothering her, but Daphne was otherwise recovered and could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“To think I had to lie in bed for three whole days. This body is just so damn fragile.”
For a child who had been on death's door to be swinging a wooden sword, being bedridden for only three days was a good outcome. But Daphne didn't see it so optimistically. After all, the standard of comparison in her mind was Seluseu, back when she was a dragon.
For that reason, Daphne was eager to regain her strength quickly.
To do that, she needed to break the curse of the Black Butterfly Disease and recover her stamina at the same time.
“That Teiti fellow still hasn't contacted me.”
Daphne muttered, grinding her teeth.
“I don't see what's so difficult about making a mere potion. In my original form, I could have made a ten-year supply in a single day.”
Hmph. Daphne counted on her fingers.
She would give him two more days. If Teiti didn't show up in two days, she would chop that damned Tree of Life in half and brew it for herself.
Having made up her mind, Daphne used a detection spell.
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 75 Charm: 300
Strength: 11 Mana: 9
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 75 Charm: 300
Strength: 11 Mana: 9
Her mana and stamina had both increased from the mana breathing she'd done while lying in bed, determined to survive.
“In that case, it should be fine to swing my sword today.”
Daphne muttered, cracking her neck.
“And while I'm at it, I should find a human who knows this body well.”
She could say that now, as she no longer had the kind of stamina that would make her faint after walking for a few hours.
Daphne grinned and tightly gripped the wooden sword leaning against her nightstand.
“This is all for the sake of defeating the Hero!”
Kwahaha!
Daphne's wicked laughter filled the room.
***
Inhale, exhale.
Breathing the outside air for the first time in a while, Daphne took a deep breath and spread her arms wide.
The best place for mana training is a forest brimming with natural energy.
The next best is the outdoors, and the least effective place is indoors. This is because the flow of mana is stagnant there.
Having spent days doing mana breathing in such a place, Daphne was delighted to be circulating her mana in the fresh outside air.
‘I'd better not take any more of those performance-enhancing drugs, or whatever they're called.’
If I'm stuck in bed for days like that again, I might just die of frustration.
“Alright, first, a light jog around the training grounds...”
Just then, as Daphne was muttering to herself, something caught her eye.
“Hmm?”
Daphne stared down at something lying on the ground.
She didn't need to look closely to know what it was. A mana stone, filled with magical power.
‘Why is something this good just lying here?’
If I chew on this, my mana will increase significantly.
For Daphne, whose mana growth had stagnated, there could be nothing better!
Daphne hurriedly whipped her head around, scanning her surroundings.
The knights jogging in the distance hadn't noticed her yet.
“Ahem!”
Daphne sidled up to the mana stone, casually lifted her right foot, and covered it. Then she whistled, clasping her hands behind her back.
She checked her surroundings again, and after confirming no one was looking, she snatched up the mana stone.
“Khuhuhu!”
Letting out a strange laugh, Daphne slipped the mana stone into her pocket. She planned to go back to her room in the evening and chew on it.
‘It would be great if I could find a couple more.’
It's like they say, your tune changes once you've gotten what you want. Daphne seemed to have forgotten how her eyes had widened at the sight of a single mana stone, now wishing for a few more.
Of course, this was just wishful thinking.
She didn't know why a mana stone was rolling around on the ground, but this had to be a stroke of incredible luck.
She shouldn't hope for anything more than this... huh?
“There's another one?”
About ten steps away lay another mana stone.
No, that wasn't all. Looking closely, she saw several more mana stones leading toward the back of the building.
It seemed someone had been carrying them and dropped them without realizing it.
‘My lucky day.’
Daphne grinned and ran toward the mana stones.
One, two, three... Like Hansel and Gretel from the classic fairytale, Daphne's face was brighter than ever as she picked up mana stones instead of cookies. All the while unaware that she was approaching the witch's house.
By the time she picked up the fifth mana stone, Daphne had rounded the building and reached a deserted area.
It was a gloomy space, untouched by sunlight.
Daphne frowned slightly. Only now did she sense that something was amiss.
“Something's strange...”
“H-Hey. H-Hello?”
“Gah!”
And then, *thwack!*
Daphne instinctively smacked the head that had popped out and screamed.
She had hit it so hard that her fist was tingling.
“Agh! That hurts!”
The child, struck by Daphne's fist, clutched their head and rolled around on the ground. Only then did Daphne relax her fist and let out a tense breath.
“Who are you? Who are you to lure me here? Answer me properly, or you won't leave this place alive.”
At that, the child rolling on the ground snapped their head up. It was a girl with bangs long enough to cover her eyes and a scrawny, emaciated body.
“N-No... I mean... I know I was in the wrong too, but... i-isn't it wrong to just hit an innocent person like this?”
“You're the one who summoned an innocent person here. You're also the one who jumped out suddenly. Therefore, you getting angry for being hit by me is like setting fire to oil and then bitching about why there's a fire.”
“W-Wow...”
The child's mouth fell half-open.
“Y-You're really... really weird...”
“You're plenty weird yourself right now.”
Daphne frowned at the child, who flinched with a gasp, hunched her shoulders, and ducked her head.
“Who are you?”
The child flinched again. Then she began to mumble in a small voice.
“Yeah... you m-might not remember me... I-I haven't left my room in a while... B-But I thought that you, Daphne, w-would remember me...”
“I can't understand a single word you're saying, so speak clearly!”
“I-I'm saying!”
The child shouted, squeezing her eyes shut.
“I-I'm your older sister!”
The child was Bipera Akion.
The second child of the Akion family.
***
Back in her room, Daphne stared intently at the child before her.
Bipera, now nine years old, had deep green hair like pine needles and sparkling, jet-black eyes like obsidian. With her upturned eyes and smooth, egg-shaped face, she gave off the impression of a sleek snake at first glance.
But one could only see these features if Bipera actually lifted her head. Her long, unkempt bangs reached the tip of her nose, obscuring half her face.
Daphne gazed at Bipera and tilted her head.
“You.”
“Eek!”
“...If you're going to be that startled, why did you seek me out?”
Startled the moment Daphne spoke, Bipera, who had shrunk back, pulled her neck in like a turtle and darted her eyes around.
“S-S-S-Sorry. I-I have trouble interacting with people... That's why I've been s-staying in my room. A-Anyway, no one likes me... so i-it's just better for everyone if I stay in my room...”
Oh, good grief.
Daphne groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead.
Why isn't there a single normal person in this damned Hero's family?
Arius has his head in the clouds, and Bipera is a socially awkward shut-in. Oh, what am I supposed to do with this?
Daphne quietly discarded her plan to meet this body's family members and dig for information. At this rate, it seemed far better to just go outside and investigate on her own.
“I asked why you came to see me. If you don't answer by the count of three, I'm kicking you out. One, two...”
“I-I have a favor to ask!”
Bipera shouted, barely holding back her welling tears.
“I know you h-hate the sight of me... S-Sorry. I-I came because... I wanted to ask a favor.”
Daphne tilted her head to one side.
“If you had a favor to ask, you could have just said so. Why lure me out with mana stones as bait?”
“Uh, um... that's...”
Bipera answered, her eyes darting back and forth.
“I d-don't like the sunlight... S-Sorry. To play a trick on you f-for a reason like this... I'm sorry.”
Cowering and trembling, Bipera looked like a mouse before a predator. Daphne sighed and shook her head.
“If you don't like the sun, that's fine. You can come at night next time, so don't do something like that again. It's a waste of good mana stones.”
“...Huh?”
“What if someone else had snatched up all those mana stones you scattered? Next time, just bring them to me. I'll put them to good use.”
Bipera was completely taken aback by Daphne's nonchalant words.
Why is Daphne acting like this...? This isn't like her at all...?
Instead of hitting me for tricking her for such a stupid reason, she's telling me I can visit at night instead.
And she's actually listening to me. Without hitting me even once!
‘...Has she really changed?’
Bipera had been cooped up in her room, but she had heard the rumors that Daphne had changed.
They said she had stopped her delinquent behavior and started training instead. That she ran laps around the training grounds and swung a wooden sword every day. Not only that, but she had apparently taken down a group of bandits recently. Something about seventeen to one.
Of course, Bipera didn't believe all these rumors surrounding Daphne.
For starters, the very idea that Daphne had stopped being a delinquent seemed like a lie. The memory of Daphne tormenting her was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.
Wasn't that why Bipera had started finding it difficult to meet people, why she had started staying in her room?
‘No. There's no way she could have changed so suddenly.’
She must have some ulterior motive.
Daphne... was truly a devil of a child.
Don't fall for it. Don't be fooled.
Bipera steeled her resolve, inwardly chastising herself.
“You said you had a favor to ask?”
“Oh? Ah, y-yeah.”
“Let's hear it.”
*Gulp.*
Bipera swallowed nervously.
“A-An elf...”
And she revealed the reason she had sought Daphne out.
“C-Could you let me m-meet an elf...?”
She'll obviously say no.
But I've prepared for that. I've planned out how to respond if she says this, and how to answer if she says that!
So I can't back down! Absolutely not...!
“That's hardly a difficult request. I'll do it.”
...Huh?
This isn't how it was supposed to go.
