Chapter 17
After the ball story passed in a flurry, Daphne dismissed all the maids with the words that she would rest now.
Because she needed to get rid of the muscle pain first.
On the third day of groaning in bed like that.
“Ugh, I almost died, kuna.”
Daphne, who had almost recovered except for her throbbing forearms, could finally catch her breath.
“Having to lie down for a full three days. This body is truly pathetically fragile.”
The child who had been hovering between life and death swung a wooden sword around, and if lying down for just three days could be considered holding up well, but Daphne did not think so optimistically.
After all, the subject Daphne was comparing to was Sellus when he was a dragon.
For that reason, Daphne wanted to regain her strength quickly.
To do that, she needed to break the curse of the Black Butterfly disease and restore her physical stamina at the same time.
“Tayti hasn’t contacted yet, kuna.”
Daphne muttered while grinding her teeth.
“I don’t know what the big deal is about making the medicine. If it were the original me, I would have made ten years’ worth in a day.”
Hmph. Daphne counted on her fingers.
She would give two more days’ time. If Tayti does not come in two days, she would cut that guy’s life water in half and brew it to drink.
Having made up her mind like that, Daphne tried using detection magic.
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 75 Charm: 300
Strength: 11 Magic Power: 9
During the time lying down, she did mana breathing thinking at least she would survive, so magic power rose and stamina rose too.
“Then today, it should be fine to swing the sword, kuna.”
Daphne muttered while cracking her neck.
“As a bonus, it would be good to find a human who knows well about this body.
Now it was not stamina that would make her faint even after a few hours, so it was sufficient to say.
Daphne grinned and gripped tightly the wooden sword leaning against the nightstand.
“All of this is to defeat the hero!”
Kuhaha!
Daphne’s wicked laughter filled the room.
***
Sigh, haa.
Daphne, who had inhaled the outside air after a long time, took a deep breath and spread both hands wide.
The best place for mana training is a forest full of vitality.
Next is outside, and the place where the effect appears the least is inside the room. Because the flow of mana is stagnant there.
Since Daphne had continued mana breathing for several days in such a place, she was glad for this moment of circulating magic power while facing the outside air.
‘From now on, it would be better not to take doping or whatever medicine that has an effect.’
If she lies down like this for several days again, she might end up dying from frustration.
“Well then, for now, lightly run around the training ground and……”
At that moment, something entered Daphne’s view as she muttered.
“Hmm?”
Daphne stared fixedly at something fallen on the ground.
This, even without examining it closely, she could tell what it was. A mana stone containing magic power.
‘Why is this good thing here?’
If she chews and eats this, her magic power would rise much more than now.
For Daphne, whose magic power is at a standstill, there would be nothing better than this!
Daphne hurriedly turned her head this way and that to look around.
The knights running at a distance had not yet discovered Daphne.
“Ahem!”
Daphne slyly approached the mana stone and casually lifted her right foot to cover the mana stone. Then she whistled while clasping her hands behind her back.
She looked around again, confirmed that no one was there, and then gripped the mana stone firmly.
“Kuhuhuhu!”
Daphne let out a bizarre laughing sound and put the mana stone into her pocket. Planning to chew and eat it when she returns to her room in the evening.
‘It would be really great if there were two or three more.’
As the saying goes, going into the bathroom and coming out are different. Daphne, who had forgotten how her eyes widened at seeing one mana stone, was thinking that it would be good if there were a few more.
Of course, this was just wishful thinking.
She didn’t know for what reason mana stones were rolling around on the roadside, but this must be truly heavenly luck.
She shouldn’t hope for anything more than this…… Hm?
“There’s another one?”
At a distance of about ten steps, another mana stone was fallen.
No, not just that, but upon looking closely, there were a few more mana stones scattered toward the back of the building.
Probably someone carrying mana stones dropped them without realizing.
‘This is heavenly luck.’
Daphne grinned and ran toward the mana stone.
One, two, three…… Like Hansel and Gretel in the classic fairy tale picking up mana stones instead of cookies, Daphne’s face was brighter than at any other time. Unaware that she might be reaching the witch’s house.
When she picked up the fifth mana stone, Daphne had gone around the building and reached a place with no sign of people.
It was a space so gloomy without sunlight that it was eerily dark.
Daphne slightly furrowed her brows. Now she felt the suspiciousness.
“Something feels off……”
“Th-there. Ah, hello?”
“Pyaak!”
And then pow!
Daphne reflexively struck the head that popped out and screamed.
She had hit so hard that her fist tingled.
“Aaak! It hurts!”
The child hit by Daphne’s fist clutched their head and rolled around on the ground. Daphne finally relaxed the strength in her hand and exhaled a breath mixed with tension.
“Who are you? Who are you to lure me out? If you don’t answer properly, you won’t be able to leave here alive.”
Then the child rolling on the ground suddenly raised their head. It was a girl with bangs so long they covered her eyes and a gaunt body that looked skeletal.
“Ah, no…… Th-that…… Of course I was wrong too, but h-hitting an innocent person like this is n-not right, right?”
“You’re the one who called out an innocent person. Also, you’re the one who suddenly popped out. So you getting hit by me and getting angry is like pouring oil on fire and then making a fuss about why the fire started.”
“W-wow……”
The child half-opened their mouth.
“You, you’re really strange, strange……”
“You’re plenty strange right now too.”
Daphne furrowed her brows while looking at the child, and the child flinched in fright, hunching their shoulders and bowing their head deeply.
“Who are you?”
The child hunched their shoulders again. Then they started mumbling in a small voice.
“Uh…… You might not re-remember me……. B-because I haven’t come out of the room for a while…… H-however, still, I thought Daphne you would remember me, me……”
“I can’t understand a single thing you’re saying, so speak properly!”
“S-so!”
The child squeezed their eyes shut and shouted.
“Y-your sister!”
The child was Viperra Akion.
The second of the Akion family.
***
Returning to her room, Daphne stared fixedly at the child in front of her.
Now 9 years old, Viperra had deep green hair like pine needles and eyes as black and sparkling as obsidian. Thanks to her upturned eye corners and smooth egg-shaped face without curves, at a glance she might feel like a sleek snake.
But such an appearance could only be seen if Viperra properly raised her head. Because her bangs long enough to reach the tip of her nose and uncombed hair covered half of her face.
Daphne stared fixedly at such Viperra and tilted her head.
“You.”
“Eek!”
“……If you’re going to be so startled, why did you come to find me?”
As soon as Daphne opened her mouth, Viperra, who had flinched in surprise and backed away, pulled in her neck like a turtle and slowly rolled her eyes.
“Th-that, s-sorry. I, I’m bad at interacting with pe-people……. So I’ve always stayed in the r-room. A-anyway, no one likes me…… S-so, just staying in the room is good for everyone……”
Aigoo, my head.
Daphne let out a groan while pressing her forehead.
Why does this hero’s family not have a single normal person.
Arius has a flower garden in his head, and Viperra is a shut-in with lacking social skills. Oh, what to do about this.
Daphne quietly shelved her thought of meeting this body’s family members to extract information. In this case, it seemed much better to just go outside and see.
“So I asked why you came to find me. If you don’t answer in three counts, I’ll chase you out. One, two……”
“B-because of a favor!”
Viperra shouted while barely holding back the welling tears.
“I know you h-hate seeing me…… S-sorry. I, I came because I have a f-favor…… to ask.”
Daphne tilted her head to one side.
“If you have a favor, you could just say it confidently, so why use mana stones as bait to lure me out?”
“Uh, uh…… That’s.”
Viperra rolled her eyes and answered.
“B-because I hate s-sunlight……. S-sorry. For tr-tricking you with such a reason…… Sorry.”
Viperra, completely shrunk and trembling, looked like a mouse before a predator. Daphne let out an “aigoo” sigh and shook her head.
“If you hate sunlight, that could be so. From next time, you can come at night, so don’t do such things. Wasting mana stones.”
“……Uh?”
“Scattering mana stones like that, what are you going to do if other guys pick them up? From next time, just bring them to me. I’ll use them usefully.”
At Daphne’s nonchalant words, Viperra was greatly flustered.
Why is Daphne doing this……? She’s not the type to……?
Instead of hitting her for playing a prank for a trivial reason, she says it’s fine to come at night.
Moreover, isn’t she continuing to listen to her story right now? Without hitting even once!
‘……Has she really changed?’
Viperra had been holed up in her room, but she had heard and knew the talk that Daphne had changed.
Instead of bully antics, she’s doing training. Running around the training ground every day and swinging a wooden sword. Not only that, but a while ago she even subjugated a band of thieves. 1 against 17 or whatever.
Of course, Viperra didn’t believe all the rumors surrounding Daphne.
First of all, the fact that Daphne had stopped her bully antics seemed like a lie in itself. Because the way Daphne had bullied her was vivid as if it were yesterday.
Wasn’t it because of that that Viperra started having trouble meeting people and began staying only in her room.
‘No. There’s no way she changed so suddenly.’
There must definitely be some ulterior motive.
Daphne was…… truly a devil-like child.
Don’t fall for it. Don’t get deceived.
Viperra whipped herself like that and steeled her mind.
“You said you have a favor?”
“Huh? Uh, yes.”
“Tell me.”
Gulp.
Viperra swallowed dryly.
“E-elf……”
And revealed the reason she came to find Daphne.
“C-can you make me m-meet an elf……?”
Of course, she’ll say no.
But she had prepared various countermeasures for that time. If Daphne says this, answer like that, if she says that, answer this way!
So she can’t back down! Absolutely……!
“It’s no big deal. I’ll do that.”
……Huh?
This isn’t it?
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By Anna 💓
