Chương 192: Raising a Daughter
"Eriri… did you bring me to this world?" Myne asked eagerly, disregarding any concern about revealing her reincarnator identity. Right now, all she wanted was confirmation of her suspicion.
From Eriri's mannerisms and attire, Myne was over ninety percent certain Eriri wasn't from this world. Yet her question wasn't meant to blame Eriri, for she'd already considered herself lucky to have been given a second life after her previous one had ended, tragically crushed by books. Although, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for "taking over" the body of this world's "Myne."
The miserable reality of her new world had stirred up a deep longing in her heart—she missed her previous life, her mother's cooking, and her room full of books. If Eriri was the one who'd brought her here, perhaps she could plead to be sent back.
"Nope," Eriri said with a gentle smile, breaking Myne's assumption.
But just as Myne began to look disappointed, Eriri continued, "But I do know where you came from, Myne… or should I say, Urano."
Hearing her old name leave Eriri's lips, Myne's golden eyes went wide with surprise.
If her certainty about Eriri's otherworldly origins had been over ninety percent before, she was now absolutely sure. And before Myne could say a word, Eriri spoke again, explaining the truth of Myne's reincarnation without any intention of being cryptic.
"You're saying I was always Myne, not an outsider who took over her body?" Myne asked, her voice dazed.
Eriri's explanation directly contradicted Myne's deeply held assumption that her arrival had displaced the original "Myne."
"That's right. You were reincarnated naturally, not summoned. You're just a little special, retaining your past-life memories as 'Urano Motosu.' They were dormant in your mind until three days ago, when they awakened as you hovered on the brink of death due to mana buildup—the 'Devouring.'"
"Oh, I see…" Myne murmured, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Suddenly, she remembered an unfamiliar term from Eriri's explanation and hurriedly asked, "Wait, what's the 'Devouring?' Is it some kind of illness?"
Her face lit up with anticipation. She knew all too well how frail her body was. Every few hours, a strange heat would flare up within her, which had made her faint multiple times in just the past three days. If this condition had a name, it might also have a cure. She was beyond tired of her body being too weak to even stand for long.
"The Devouring isn't a disease. It's an excess of mana in your body that can't be released, causing deadly heat buildup. It can be easily managed if you acquire a magical device or learn spells to release the excess mana.
"But here, magic and mana are privileges of the nobility. Ordinary people usually don't possess mana, so peasants like you with mana from a genetic mutation are extremely rare. And when commoners are born with it, they typically die of the Devouring by the age of two or three. You've held out till five because you've been unconsciously compressing your mana again and again—a remarkable feat—but you won't be able to hold out much longer."
"This world really has magic? That's amazing!" Myne said, marveling aloud. She'd thought this place was just a typical medieval world, not a fantasy world.
Thinking about how her frail condition was caused by mana also suggested that she could perhaps become a mage. Growing excited, she asked, "So would learning magic from a noble solve the Devouring?"
"Didn't I just say magic is a privilege for nobles?" Eriri replied with a smile. "For a commoner to obtain a magic device or learn magic to suppress the Devouring, they'd have to sign a servitude contract to become a noble's servant or concubine. Even then, you'd only be given a magic tool to survive, with little chance to actually learn magic.
"Could you accept that?"
Myne hesitated. She couldn't bring herself to agree to being anyone's servant or concubine, even if it meant learning magic. If relying on a noble was out of the question, her only choice was the mysterious girl in front of her, whose kindness she could feel.
But first, she needed to figure out who exactly Eriri was, so she fired off questions one after another without pause.
"Eriri, you're not from this world either, are you? Are you a reincarnator too? If you weren't the one who brought me here, why do you know so much about me? And… can you use magic?"
"First, I'm indeed not from this world. Second, I'm not a reincarnator; I arrived here just half an hour ago. And as for why I know about you…"
Eriri paused, then continued, "Myne, did you know that the universe isn't the only one of its kind? The multiverse contains countless universes, and both the world you're living in now and the Earth from your past life exist within the same one.
"In some cases, events in one universe can 'reflect' onto others, inspiring people across universes to depict those events in novels, manga, and other forms."
At this point, Eriri fell silent, allowing Myne's eager anticipation to build. She began to squirm impatiently.
"And then? What else?" Myne tugged on Eriri's skirt, practically begging for the story to continue.
Eriri smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'm not just from another world—I'm from a different universe. The reason I know your story is because, in another universe, I watched an anime about your life. I know not only your past but also the future you were supposed to have."
A strange feeling crept over Myne at hearing this. Knowing that someone from another universe was aware of her life was more than a little unsettling. It was impossible to not feel self-conscious.
"So, what's my future?" she asked.
"Well, overall, it's a happy one," Eriri said. "You'll face some challenges, but nothing too serious. After all, you're the heroine of this world."
"Does that mean I'll have all the books I could ever want?" Any uneasiness Myne had melted into excitement at the mention of books. For her, endless books meant true happiness.
"You're really that crazy about books, huh? Don't you care about your health?" Eriri asked, half amused, knowing full well that Myne was a textbook bookworm.
"Books are humankind's greatest invention! They're the most important thing in the world," Myne declared, her small hands on her hips, her face smug and proud.
Her expression softened, and she took hold of Eriri's arm, giving it a gentle shake with a pleading look. "Sister… Since you can travel between universes, you must be really powerful, right? Can't you just, you know… 'poof' away my condition?"
Even though books were the priority, she cared about her health too.
At her earnest gaze, Eriri couldn't help but reach out and squeeze her cheeks affectionately.
"Fixing your condition would be easy. But would you rather live as a normal person, or grow stronger?"
The second the words left Eriri's mouth, Myne's answer was ready.
"I want to learn magic!"
Being in a fantasy world with the chance to become strong, Myne didn't want to live an ordinary life. Even if she was a dedicated bookworm, she had always dreamed of the magic described in fantasy novels. Who didn't want to be a magical girl?
"In that case, let's get started," Eriri said without hesitation. She'd come here for this reason after all. She'd adored the plucky, book-loving Myne ever since watching "Ascendance of a Bookworm" in her past life.
If Megumi and Utaha were her "wives," then Myne was surely her "daughter." She wouldn't mind raising Myne like one.
In this world, mana flowed abundantly through both earth and air, and plants needed it to grow. When the land lost its mana, it would become barren. But for all this mana, those with it lacked training, thanks to the restrictions set by the nobility.
For Myne, Eriri didn't plan on sticking to this world's mana progression. Why not give her a body that could infinitely absorb mana? The mana would slowly strengthen her physically and increase her reserves day by day, letting her grow stronger over time. Even though the growth would be small and slow—less than the boosts the chat group offered in mere points—it would be better than nothing.
"Right here?" Myne asked, glancing around at the nearby shops and stalls. It struck her as odd that no one seemed to notice Eriri, considering her appearance would normally draw every gaze.
"Relax. Except for your mother, no one can see us here. I'm about to pause time, so we'll have all we need to take care of you," Eriri replied.
With a snap of her fingers, time across the entire star system stopped. Aside from Eriri and Myne, everything was motionless: birds hung in midair, a child frozen mid-leap above the ground.
Myne stared around in awe. This was her first time witnessing such power, and over time itself, no less.
If her body weren't so weak, she would have sprinted around the marketplace in her excitement.
But now, she finally realized just how powerful Eriri was. Just manipulating time casually like this was enough to make her unbeatable here.
"Eriri… why are you being so kind to me? This is our first time meeting," Myne asked, calming down from her initial excitement. She may have loved books, but she wasn't naive. Strangers didn't offer something for nothing.
"Didn't you call me your sister?" Eriri said with a smile, ruffling Myne's hair. "Since when does a sister need a reason to take care of her little sister?"
In truth, Eriri thought of Myne as a daughter but didn't feel it was necessary to spell that out.
Thinking back, Eriri realized her relationships had gotten complicated: she now had little sisters like Rena, Schwi, and Sakura; a pet, Jibril; maids like Athena and Aoi; wives like Arifureta and Megumi…
And now, a daughter, Myne.
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