Chapter 79: Riven and the Sleeping Princess

At first, I thought she was just asleep.

It didn’t take long to realize that wasn’t the case.

No matter how much I called or shook her, there was no response. Her breathing was rough, and she kept mumbling incoherently.

If it had been nothing more than a nightmare, I might have left her be. But she was thrashing, arching her body, clinging desperately to the blanket as if in fear.

I couldn’t say with confidence that this was normal.

I had no knowledge of magic, nor any training in medicine.

So I had no way of knowing what was happening to her. And if I didn’t know, the only option was to bring in someone who did.

If it turned out I was overreacting, then I’d be the one laughed at. That was fine.

So, I told Neil and had him summon someone.

Someone who looked like they might know what to do.

"Sorry to trouble you for coming. Are you the same receptionist this one spoke to this morning?"

"…It’s been a while, Mr. Riven."

Been a while? Hm, so we’ve met before.

When was it… Ah, I remember. I hadn’t paid her much mind, but she was the receptionist he often chatted with at the Guild.

Noticing my brief lapse in recognition, she let out a soft sigh. Can’t be helped.

"I was surprised to be called away from work over an emergency."

"Again, my apologies. My comrade’s condition is strange. I wanted an informed opinion."

The reason I called her here was that I couldn’t decide whether it was safe to move him in this state.

If it were some illness, moving him carelessly might make things worse.

With my limited knowledge, I judged it best not to do anything rash.

That was also why I had the receptionist come all the way here from the Guild. If we couldn’t move him, we had to bring someone instead.

"Can you tell me how he seemed this morning?"

"Well, he looked a little sleepy, but otherwise perfectly normal. We even chatted a bit, but nothing stood out…"

Hm. Sleepy. I saw that myself.

And now he’s asleep for real. Not much difference.

The real problem is that even after enough rest, he’s sleeping so deeply he won’t wake no matter what.

To put it mildly, this situation is abnormal.

After proper sleep, drowsiness usually only leads to light slumber.

But to be out cold like this, not waking to anything—that’s hard to imagine.

"Hm. Anything else at all? No matter how small."

"Mm. He seemed fine. Walked to the Guild on his own this morning, bright and early."

If he could walk from the Stray Cat Inn to the Guild at dawn, it’s unlikely he was sick. And since he also made it back here afterward, even more so.

If it were an infectious disease, the timing would be suspicious—almost too convenient.

No, wait. If it were infectious, the girl who apparently sleeps beside him should be showing the same symptoms. She isn’t. That rules that out.

Which leaves only magic, or perhaps a curse.

"Ah, yes. He did say, ‘It feels like I’m seeing the same nightmare over and over.’ This is a secret though, alright? It was related to his request."

"A nightmare?"

"Yes. He felt like he kept seeing the same one. Though once awake, he couldn’t recall the details."

That sounds exactly like something a curse would cause.

If that’s the case, then the next person I need to see is obvious.

"Thanks for the information. Hey, see her out properly."

"Wait!"

I had Neil, who was waiting in the corner, prepare to escort her back to the Guild with protection, and to give her payment for her information. But she suddenly raised her voice, stopping me.

I remembered her curious gaze from earlier, and for a moment it annoyed me. But when I looked into her eyes, I realized it wasn’t that.

"This kid—well, she brought this on herself in some ways—but she’s really unlucky when it comes to men. So if things get bad, please… be there for her!"

What came from her mouth was concern.

That surprised me. Judging by her expression, she was truly worried.

Well then. Seems she has at least one person who genuinely cares for her.

"…Yeah. Understood. Thanks. As her comrade, I’ll do everything I can."

With a final bow, she left the room.

I let out a quiet breath.

"What do you think? Didn’t seem like she was lying."

Neil came closer and poured me some tea.

I downed it in one gulp, letting the warmth calm me.

"Agreed. She was the one who glared at me the first time she saw me with him in bed. No doubt she cares about him."

It was unlikely she’d planted anything harmful. She didn’t strike me as capable of that.

So then, the next step is…

"…Hah. I’ve no right to complain about others."

"What do you mean?"

"Contact Crimson Bell. Call for Trichel."

When it comes to magic, we need a mage.

Especially one knowledgeable about curses. She should know about things like this.

"Hey."

"I thought I asked for Trichel?"

"She’s been away a lot lately, so… I’m here in her place."

The one who showed up wasn’t Trichel at all, but Reynard.

I shot Neil a glare.

He averted his eyes almost immediately.

So he got talked into this, huh?

"Now, now. So? I hear Charlotte’s in a strange state?"

"Yeah. She won’t wake, no matter what I try."

"Hmm. That’s odd. She’s normally so wary that her sleep outside of base is always incredibly light."

"Is that so?"

"Mm. Back in the days of Crimson Sword, we took on a lot of overnight requests. She’d always be the first to wake, and the last to go to bed."

…Is that so.

I’d heard dungeon expeditions could sometimes last several nights. It makes sense.

We never had the chance ourselves, though.

Interesting story, but that’s not the main point right now.

"Even when she did relax, she’d still wake easily. Someone tugging her cheek like this would never leave her out cold."

"Hey."

"Sorry, sorry. But I agree—it’s clearly unnatural."

Even with her cheek lightly pulled, Charlotte showed no signs of waking. Just restless muttering, the same as before.

Her complexion looked worse than earlier, too.

"Alright, let’s try a few things. Come in."

"You brought others?"

"Trichel would be best for this sort of thing, sure. But she isn’t here, so I had to make do."

Two women entered.

Judging by their outfits, one was a mage, the other a healer.

"Allow me to introduce Wam, a mage with Crimson Bell, and Tico, a healer."

At Reynard’s introduction, both women gave a polite bow.

"You’ve heard the situation? What do you think?"

"There are spells that can induce sleep, but… there are a lot of things here that don’t add up."

"May we examine her more closely?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

They’d asked me for permission. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t really mine to give, but since I was part of her party, I supposed it was.

The two of them approached her side, taking her hand, peering at her face, running small checks. Meanwhile, Reynard spoke up again.

"By the way, Riven—no idea what might’ve caused this?"

"None. She said she hadn’t eaten, so I fed her. Then this happened."

"Aftereffects of a dungeon?"

"She hasn’t been in one for several days. The timing doesn’t fit."

He was clearly confirming things for their benefit as well, pitching his voice loud enough for the two women to hear.

"『Awaken—Clear Sleep』."

As we were talking, the healer began casting a spell.

Judging by the sound of it, some sort of wake-up incantation.

"A spell to rouse the sleeping. Handy in dungeons, where some monsters use sleeping incense."

"So it works against things like sleeping drugs as well? Useful."

Unfortunately, the spell had no effect.

From her expression, she’d been confident in it. Now she looked stunned.

"No way…! It didn’t rebound, but she still won’t wake!?"

"Her breathing and pulse are steady… Try again."

"『Awaken—Clear Sleep』!"

She cast it again, but the mage beside her only shook her head in silence.

"She tried checking herself earlier and found nothing. Doesn’t that suggest this isn’t in a healer’s domain?"

"True. Put like that, it does sound more natural."

Unfazed, even though he’d been the one to bring them here… Reynard was as unruffled as ever.

Look—now the healer’s pouting a little after hearing that.

"It’s not like I think she’s more skilled than me or anything…"

So it was a different kind of jealousy after all.

"How about you, Wam? Anything you’ve figured out?"

"…I don’t know. But at the same time, I do know something."

"And what’s that?"

"I believe she’s under the influence of some kind of magic. But as to what exactly it is…"

"That’s awfully vague. What do you mean?"

The mage hesitated, reluctant to speak aloud.

From her expression, it wasn’t a matter of lacking certainty. Rather, she didn’t want to believe it. It looked like she simply couldn’t accept it.

"This is magic I don’t know. It’s not a spell that induces sleep. It’s not one that forces nightmares. But I can clearly see the flow of mana—it’s being influenced by magic."

"…I see. Sorry for making you say it out loud."

"No… it’s just my own lack of ability."

So that was it. She didn’t want to admit her own limits.

But being able to admit them meant she could still grow. In that sense, she truly was Reynard’s comrade.

"An unknown magic, then."

"Since it isn’t a curse, maybe it’s a little less troublesome? What about dispelling it—can you?"

"Not me. Honestly, I have no idea what method could have tied it together so seamlessly. It’s so natural that if someone told me she cast it on herself, I might believe it."

So whoever cast it was a skilled mage—well beyond this woman’s level, at least.

Was it some grudge from her past? Or something else entirely…

"Hmm. That’s a problem. Wam’s no slouch herself. If it takes someone stronger than her, that’s not going to be easy."

"What about the request we submitted to the Guild?"

"Even with that, it’ll be difficult. Don’t forget—we’re one of the top clans. There aren’t many people out there who can match that level, let alone surpass it."

I see.

So we needed someone who could rival even a top clan mage.

And… there was one person who came to mind. One. But… too much, perhaps.

"What I can say is this—this is probably a far more serious situation than you think."

"What?"

"Because I’ve never seen work like this before. If even I can’t identify it, that means it’s a high-level, finely crafted magic. Not knowing what’s being done to you—there’s no worse danger in the world of magic."

Coming from a specialist, that carried weight.

Even Reynard’s expression sharpened. It was clear he trusted her judgment.

"…There’s one person who comes to mind. Whether we can catch them, though, is another matter."

It seemed this wasn’t the time to be picky about methods.

I had no choice but to steel myself.

On the bed, Charlotte let out another pained groan.