Capítulo 191: Myne
Myne, five years old, is a reincarnator who awakened memories of her past life three days ago after nearly dying. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of those memories—far more than her mere five years of life here—she felt her previous identity dominating her present self, convincing her she was an outsider occupying "Myne's" body.
In her past life, Myne had been a university student named Urano Motosu, a young woman with a passion for reading that could only be described as obsessive. Her greatest dream had been to become a librarian and spend her days surrounded by books—a paradise of happiness, in her eyes.
But fate played a cruel joke on her.
Just after she finally secured her dream job as a librarian, an earthquake caused the bookshelves to collapse, and she was crushed beneath the very books she loved.
When she regained consciousness, she found herself in another world as a frail, five-year-old girl who was so weak that even walking a few steps left her breathless and on the verge of collapse. This world's living conditions were terrible, lacking any concept of hygiene; her home was filled with dust, even the blankets were dirty and smelled strange. Adjusting was far from easy.
If there had been any books around, she would've tolerated the surroundings, but after searching the entire house, she found nothing resembling a book, not even a scrap with writing on it.
This combination of physical weakness and spiritual emptiness weighed heavily on her. She missed her former life dearly—her previous home and her room full of books.
But there was nothing to be done. Having lost her former life under that pile of books, she could now only live on as "Myne."
Since she couldn't find books or writing at home, she resolved to look outside, planning to accompany her mother to the market today in hopes of finding a bookstore with the treasured books she missed so much.
Due to her feeble body, Myne couldn't even go down the stairs alone, let alone walk the distance to the market. So, she would be riding on her mother's back.
It was nearing winter, and the weather had already turned chilly, so for her first outing, her mother had dressed her in several layers of clothing. Though old and worn, they were warm enough. Given how frail she was, even a slight chill could be fatal.
Perched on her mother Effa's back, Myne eagerly surveyed her surroundings, thrilled by the quaint, medieval European-style streets. But the further they walked, the more she noticed something serious.
Throughout the journey, Myne had seen no writing anywhere. Even shop signs were only marked with simple pictures carved into wooden boards, no text at all.
A disturbing thought crossed her mind: did this world lack writing entirely? No writing meant no books, and a world without books was a hopeless world.
A moment of despair washed over her; a life without books might as well be no life at all.
Fortunately, her anxiety didn't last long.
Upon reaching the market, she finally saw writing.
Each stall had wooden price boards with unfamiliar script etched on them. The language might be foreign to her, but the sight of writing itself filled her with joy.
Writing existed here, so books must exist as well. Hope bloomed anew within her. Living another life suddenly didn't seem so bad.
Her next goal was clear: find a bookstore.
As Effa explained the numbers on the boards to her, they kept moving through the market. Effa stopped at some vegetable stands, buying a few items, while Myne looked around from her mother's back, eagerly taking in the stalls and their wooden price boards.
When they reached a meat vendor, however, Myne saw the butcher slaughtering animals. Unprepared for the sight of blood, she immediately fainted.
Her frail body was a real burden!
…
Invisible to others, Eriri watched over Myne and Effa from a short distance.
When she'd first arrived on this planet, she'd focused her attention on Myne, observing her every move. From the descent down the stairs to the market visit, their conversation, and Myne's reaction to the butcher—all of it unfolded under Eriri's gaze.
Eriri didn't plan on revealing herself to Myne just yet, but she knew the time for her entrance was close.
In a less than pristine corner of the market, Effa was sitting on a worn bench, Myne lying on her lap with her golden eyes closed.
Effa looked to be in her twenties, with green hair tied up under a kerchief. She had the sort of beauty that would make her a "goddess" in 21st-century Earth. But with her unkempt appearance and a bit of dirt on her face and clothes, that beauty was largely obscured.
"Myne! Myne!" Effa gently shook her daughter, her face etched with worry.
Under her mother's persistent shaking, Myne finally woke and sat up groggily.
Relieved, Effa immediately embraced her.
"Myne, are you alright? Can you go with me to buy the meat?"
"Mom." Myne muttered, still half-lost in the hug. Then, remembering the gory sight that had caused her to faint, she said, "No, I don't think I can handle the meat stalls. It's too much for me."
"Oh dear, this will make shopping difficult," Effa sighed in concern.
Just then, a soft, clear voice called out nearby.
"Oh my, it seems you're in a bit of a bind, Miss. Would you like me to watch your child for a while?"
The comforting voice made both Myne and Effa turn in surprise.
When they saw Eriri standing only a few meters away, both were momentarily stunned.
Effa recovered first, fear seizing her heart as she took in Eriri's flawless beauty. Long, golden hair trailing to her waist, tied at the end with a red ribbon, and dressed in an elegant Lolita gown, Eriri looked almost like a goddess. Such a noble-looking person made Effa, a mere commoner, instinctively nervous.
Though she couldn't fathom why someone of such status was here in the market, she knew better than to ask.
"Milady…"
Effa bowed deeply, her voice quivering. But before she could say another word, Myne interrupted her, eyes wide with amazement as she looked at Eriri.
"Wow, you're so beautiful, Miss! How do you look like that?"
This was, in Myne's eyes, the most astonishing person she'd ever seen, in either life.
Though her mother, Effa, was lovely and her sister, Tuuli, adorably cute, both paled in comparison to Eriri.
"Myne, don't speak out of turn!"
Startled, Effa clamped a hand over her daughter's mouth. She was trembling, terrified of offending such a noble-looking woman.
But Myne, ignorant of the social gap between nobles and commoners, couldn't comprehend her mother's feelings.
"Now, am I really that frightening?" Eriri laughed softly, her tone playful.
"N-no, not at all!" Effa hastily shook her head. She wanted to flee from Eriri's presence but was too frightened to move.
"May I ask why someone as noble as you would approach us?"
"No need to be so nervous," Eriri replied casually. "Besides, I'm not a noble of this world."
Eriri paused, then added, "As for why I approached, I thought I'd offer to watch your daughter so you could shop with ease."
Eriri winked playfully at them.
Hearing that Eriri wasn't a noble relaxed Effa visibly. The ingrained social hierarchy had paralyzed her, but knowing Eriri wasn't a noble relieved her of some of that anxiety.
"Miss…"
"Just call me Eriri."
"Miss Eriri, isn't this too much trouble for you?" Effa asked cautiously.
Although she could sense Eriri's kindness, she was hesitant to leave her daughter with a stranger.
But before Eriri could respond, Myne wriggled in her mother's grasp, tapping Effa's hand to signal her release.
"Mmph…"
Seeing no harm, Effa released her daughter's mouth.
Finally freed, Myne eagerly looked up at her mother. "Mom, go ahead to the market. I'll wait here with Eriri."
Myne's curiosity about Eriri nearly rivaled her love of books. She was eager for some alone time with this mysterious stranger.
As for whether Eriri had ulterior motives, Myne didn't care. She trusted her instincts, and her life didn't seem valuable enough to be of much interest anyway.
Effa looked between Eriri and Myne, eventually giving in.
"…Alright, then I'll leave her with you. Myne, make sure you listen to Miss Eriri and don't cause her any trouble."
"I know," Myne replied cheerfully.
With that, Effa left for the nearby market, leaving Myne and Eriri alone.
The two stared at each other. Myne, with her long, light-blue hair and golden eyes, looked incredibly cute. Her skin was pale from her frequent illness, and due to her weakness and poor appetite, her body was stunted, making her five-year-old self appear no older than three, only about 80 centimeters tall.
"Eriri, is that a Lolita dress? This world has those too?" Myne asked excitedly, clutching Eriri's skirt. Oblivious to her slip of tongue, she came close to revealing her status as a reincarnator. If Eriri hadn't been the one listening, Myne's secret might have been obvious.
"That's right; I am wearing a Lolita dress, but it's not from this world," Eriri replied with a gentle laugh, reaching out to pat Myne's head.
Noticing how dull and untidy Myne's hair was, she paused briefly, then continued, casting a quick cleaning spell.
Immediately, Myne's hair turned glossy and soft, and her clothes and skin felt freshly clean. A momentary look of surprise crossed Myne's face, but she didn't shy away from the head pat.
As the refreshed feeling spread over her, Myne felt a rare sense of comfort she hadn't experienced in days.
With her knowledge from countless isekai novels, Myne suddenly arrived at an astonishing realization.
Why had she been reincarnated in this world after her death on Earth? Why had this otherworldly Eriri sought her out only three days after her arrival?
There was only one conclusion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder