Ascendance of a Bookworm

The next morning, I got out of bed for the first time and looked around the room.

Wow, it’s just like a hotel.

One corner of the roughly eight-tatami-mat room held a canopy bed, and apart from that, there was just a round table with three chairs and a hearth—such a simple room.

However, a thick carpet covered the floor, and curtains fluttered at the window. To block outside views, wavy patterned glass was fitted, which gave the room a stylish touch.

Though simple in appearance, this room must have cost quite a bit.

Near the door, a maid was already waiting by a chair.

“Good morning. Please wash your face here. After you change, I will guide you to the dining hall.”

“Y-yes.”

She briskly prepared warm water for washing my face and handed me a clean cloth. The attentive care made me a bit nervous.

“Please change here. I apologize for the inconvenience, but it would be inappropriate for you to move about the house in your own clothes.”

“I understand.”

The clothes she brought out were apparently hand-me-downs from Frieda. They were clean and well-made without patches, and my heart leapt with joy.

She brushed my hair, but I put my own hairpin in by myself.

The maid looked at my hairpin with curiosity but said nothing, finishing my preparations silently.

When I was led to the dining hall, Frieda and the Guild Master were already waiting for me. I hadn’t yet thanked the Guild Master for all the help.

“Good morning, Guild Master. Thank you very much for everything this time.”

The Guild Master gave a slight nod in response.

Frieda quickly approached and patted my forehead and neck. I shrank back at her slightly cold hands, but she didn’t mind.

“Good morning, Myne. It looks like your fever has completely gone down?”

“Good morning, Frieda. I feel great—really refreshed.”

I realized she was checking my temperature, and understanding her sudden actions, I smiled softly. Frieda smiled back happily, and as we headed to the table together, the Guild Master snorted.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, but this is the last aid you’ll receive with magic tools. I want to keep some in reserve in case anything happens to Frieda.”

“Grandfather!”

“The Guild Master isn’t wrong. These were gathered for Frieda’s sake. Thank you, Guild Master, for generously giving us these precious magic tools.”

They were rare items obtained by the Guild Master through connections and money. Even though we paid, it was truly lucky to have been given them.

“Myne, think carefully about what you’ll do from now on.”

“Yes.”

“Well then, I must report to your family that you’ve woken up. I’ll send a messenger, but is there anything you want me to tell them?”

I was momentarily startled by the word “messenger,” but logically, it wouldn’t make sense for the Guild Master to visit my family directly. Sending someone was the usual way.

A young man was summoned as the messenger and asked to confirm the location of my home.

“Um, I’d like to thank Frieda by having you bring ‘Simple-chan Rinshan,’ if you could pass that along.”

At home, we still called it Simple-chan Rinshan, but it seemed not to be an easy name to remember. The messenger’s face twitched as he tried to recall the message.

“Kanichan…? Excuse me, could you repeat that?”

“If you say it as ‘the liquid that makes your hair silky smooth,’ my family will understand. Sorry for the trouble, but please convey that.”

“The liquid that makes hair silky smooth, understood.”

After seeing the messenger off, I noticed the Guild Master stroking his chin as he looked at me. That smile of his gave me a bad feeling—I think I’d seen it before.

“Myne, you seem to have all sorts of interesting things.”

“Yes, I was planning to exchange them for magic tools, but my plans have fallen through. What a disappointment.”

Without Benno or Lutz here, being surrounded by these two was scary. I felt like I might get swallowed up before I knew it.

“The money for the magic tools! I’ll pay upfront.”