Chapter 56
It had been a long time since I’d last returned to the dormitory.
The room looked exactly the same as before.
Considering how long I’d been away, you’d think some dust would have gathered—but not a speck in sight.
“Right, they said the cleaning magic doll sweeps and wipes once a day, didn’t they?”
I’d never actually seen it in person, but I always imagined it to be something like a modern robotic vacuum cleaner with a mopping function.
Just as I was about to head straight for my room, something unusual caught my eye—something that didn’t belong in the familiar scene.
It was my roommate, Rena, sprawled face-down on the sofa.
She was wearing a white nightgown trimmed with lace, one leg hooked over the sofa’s backrest as she lay there completely limp.
It was a shocking sight.
If I had been lying like that, it would’ve been nothing out of the ordinary.
But Rena? That was practically a world-shattering event.
My roommate was the type who never lay down unless she was going to bed for the night—unlike me, who’d flop down at every opportunity.
At most, when she was tired, she’d lean back on the sofa and sit blankly for a while.
But to see her like this, utterly unguarded…
“She must’ve really been exhausted from the trip. Or maybe she just missed the dorms that much?”
As I decided to quietly slip away to my room, Rena suddenly jerked upright, cheeks flushing red.
Maybe she hadn’t been asleep after all—or maybe my footsteps had woken her.
“Ah, uh, when did you get here? You should’ve said something!”
“Oh, sorry. I thought you were asleep…”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly, and she folded her arms, giving me a once-over from head to toe.
“What’s with your appearance? Did you roll around in the woods or something?”
She looked puzzled—when we’d parted at the fountain plaza earlier, my clothes had been spotless. Now, I was covered in dirt and leaves.
“Ah, I just did a combat simulation. With the instructors.”
“Seriously? How was it? I’ve never seen Master fight for real before. Is she strong?”
The fatigue from moments ago was gone, replaced by sparkling curiosity in her eyes.
“Come sit down and tell me—no, wait, don’t sit. Not like that.”
She patted the sofa, then frowned after another glance at my dirt-stained clothes.
Yeah, even I had to agree—I shouldn’t be sitting anywhere near furniture like this.
“I’ll go wash up first.”
“…Right.”
So I headed to the dorm bathroom for a long-overdue, thorough scrub.
While drying my hair, we chatted casually.
Ah, this—this was the kind of cozy dorm life I’d always imagined.
It struck me how far our relationship had come.
Considering how things were when we first met, this level of friendliness was practically a miracle.
Even in the game, I’d never gotten this close to Rena!
“Master’s that strong? Wow, I want to go with you next time!”
Her eyes gleamed with excitement as I described how Johanna had summoned a fire spirit to incinerate the wooden monster.
Seeing her like that, I decided to finally ask a question that had been on my mind.
“By the way, about Lady Johanna—what is she, exactly? She said she’s been alive for over a hundred years…”
“Oh, our master? I only know what I’ve heard. Apparently, when Darron first came to this island at seven years old, she already looked exactly the same. Never aging. Some even say she’s not human…”
I blinked slowly.
Not human? Then what was she? A demon?
If she was a demon, that ageless appearance would make sense.
“So Johanna’s the secret villain NPC? No… she’s too obviously suspicious for that.”
My head was spinning.
“Well, Leo did ask her directly once,” Rena continued. “She said she accidentally drank one of her own experimental potions when she was little and stopped aging. But she insists she’s a normal human.”
No matter how I looked at it, that explanation made zero sense.
What kind of kid accidentally brews and drinks an immortality elixir?
The confusion made my head ache.
Maybe I should’ve waited until after seeing the game’s ending before getting dragged into this world.
Then I wouldn’t be dealing with this chaos.
Our conversation ended there—leaving nothing but confusion behind.
After returning to my room, I finally pulled up my achievement system for the first time in a while.
“…Haven’t settled my rewards in ages.”
I hadn’t needed Rainbow Stones lately, and there hadn’t been much privacy in the Sylvagrove Forest anyway.
With shared quarters and constant company, I’d rarely been alone.
Ever since the attack from the followers of the demon Poneros, the others refused to leave me unattended.
It had been too awkward to open my status window in front of them, so I’d kept putting it off—until now.
“Let’s see… I’ve got exploration achievements from Sylvagrove…”
Two Rainbow Stones from today’s skill training, a few more from completed quests, plus some from achievements—
Ten in total.
“Not bad.”
Not that I needed them urgently anymore.
It’s not like I could use them to open a cash shop here, and wasting them on low-probability equipment draws felt foolish.
“…Funny how when you need them, they’re impossible to get, but now they just pile up.”
Shaking my head at human fickleness, I finished collecting my rewards.
At dinner, I had a tearfully joyful reunion with Beth in the cafeteria.
We chatted nonstop about everything that had happened in Sylvagrove Forest.
She reacted to every word with a cheerful, “Oh my goodness!” and “Really?”—her enthusiasm made talking all the more fun.
After that heartwarming evening, I finally slept soundly for the first time in ages.
“Nothing beats a dorm bed.”
Little did I know—that peaceful night would be my last moment of rest.
Because starting the next morning, hell awaited.
“Good morning, Chef!”
It was barely dawn, still too early to be called morning.
The moment I woke up, I washed my face and headed straight to the kitchen.
I had a packed schedule today: eat breakfast, pack lunch, then head out for a very busy day.
“Oh my, you’re here already? Breakfast isn’t ready yet…”
Beth looked flustered at my early arrival.
“That’s fine! I’ll help. We’ll be done faster that way!”
Rolling up my sleeves, I jumped right in.
Cooking alongside Beth not only helped her but also boosted my culinary proficiency.
After a hearty breakfast, it was time to tackle the day’s plan.
“I was supposed to take it easy after the renaming quest… why does nothing ever go according to plan?”
A wave of frustration hit me.
I’d meant to collect 30 Rainbow Stones, change my name, and then live a laid-back life while slowly progressing through the main quest.
But I’d learned the hard way—events would happen whether or not I advanced the story.
Which meant I had to prepare everything before the next region unlocked.
“The problem is… I never know when it’ll happen.”
It could be today, ten days from now—or months later.
In the original game, as soon as you finished Sylvagrove Forest, the next region’s incident would trigger instantly.
Of course, in the game you could ignore it and keep grinding levels.
But here in reality, there was no such option.
When it happened—you had to go.
“I’m not ready yet!” was just a pathetic excuse.
Sure, maybe I’d get another three-day grace period like last time—but…
“Three days? That’s nowhere near enough.”
My first objective today was to finally clear the long-postponed Midisle main quest.
In the game, it would’ve been unthinkable to head to Sylvagrove before finishing it.
“And yet that’s exactly what I did.”
I’d accepted the quest, kept putting it off, and then—whoosh!—teleported across the world to chase another crisis.
By now, Faber, the mage from the workshop who’d commissioned the job, was probably biting his handkerchief in despair waiting for me to finish it.
No matter how busy I was, I owed him that much.
Fortunately, the waterproof fabric from the textile shop was ready, so I could finally make the diving suit.
Add a few underwater-breathing potions, and then—splash! Into the sea.
That was the plan for the day.
When I arrived at Taylor’s Tailor Shop, she greeted me with a bright smile.
“Elaine! Long time no see! I heard all about it—you saved the Sylvagrove Forest, right? The Guardian of the Woods! How cool is that?”
“…”
Wait—was there literally a title floating over my head that said Guardian of the Woods?
Titles usually changed dialogue only when equipped, but I wasn’t even wearing one.
When in doubt, deflect.
If I had to feel embarrassed, I was dragging someone else into it with me.
“It’s been a while, Taylor. So, how are things with Tenor? Going well?”
“…! Th-that’s—uh…”
Her freckled face turned crimson in an instant.
Judging by that reaction, things were going just as well as before I’d left for Sylvagrove Forest.
