The Secret Within the Petals
I ended up pulling an all-nighter because of it, but I still dragged myself out for training anyway. My body felt heavy from the lack of sleep.
Still, I can't skip this.
Daily Quest: The Start of Serious Training
After finishing today's training... I was just about to catch a nap in the infirmary when I locked eyes with Sister Nensi. She scanned me up and down, fresh from my workout, and asked,
"On your way back from exercising?"
"...Y-yeah..."
For some reason, it felt like everyone already knew about my morning training routine.
"Hmm... You look fully recovered now, and you're even up for high-intensity workouts, so... I don't think you need to stay in the infirmary anymore."
"Ah..."
I was basically kicked out and had to head back to my room to go through the usual daily schedule. During worship, I could fake praying even while dozing off without getting caught, but in class, the supervising nun spotted me and scolded me for sleeping.
On the way to lunch after class, Marie asked,
"Something up?"
"...I didn't sleep much last night."
"Why not?"
"Well..."
Marie stared at me with a mix of worry and curiosity, but I couldn't exactly tell her I'd stayed up all night reading Asel.
As we entered the dining hall, some welcome faces caught my eye.
"Marie~, Teresa~"
They were the kids who'd collapsed from food poisoning not long ago. A few had visited me in the infirmary, and I'd bumped into some in passing, but this was the first time seeing the whole group together since then. There was Hilary... and Isaac too, after a while. He still looked a bit drained, but thankfully, the misunderstanding seemed resolved.
"...I heard Marco and his gang got kicked out of the monastery in the end."
"They deserved it. I don't get why the sisters kept them around this long."
"Those jerks almost got Teresa and James killed!"
"Thinking about what they did, I say they should've gone straight to prison, not just kicked out."
From the kids' perspective, without knowing about Annette, Marco's crew looked like the masterminds behind it all. Not that I had any urge to defend them. Even if they'd been under Annette's memory manipulation, what they'd shown that day was probably their true colors.
"Anyway, how's James doing? Anyone hear anything?"
While the others shook their heads, Isaac replied cautiously.
"James actually sent me a letter yesterday."
"A letter?"
"Seems he's started properly learning the herbalist's trade. It's tough, but he's doing okay."
"Oh..."
Hearing he was doing well eased my mind a bit.
"Oh, and he asked me to pass something on to you, Teresa."
"What?"
"Lemme think... Something about the full moon, and using the petals before they spoil?"
Full moon... Lunaris petals!
"Ah!!"
That's when I remembered James telling me to float the petals in a bath under the full moon.
I completely forgot!
Come to think of it, today marked five days since James left the monastery after that incident.
...He definitely said the Lunaris petals could spoil, so use them as soon as possible. And tonight's the full moon... so if I miss tonight, it's no good?!
⋯ ⋯ .
Today's practical was planting vegetable seeds in the monastery fields. It wasn't too hard, but to finish quickly, I pushed my body nonstop. My stomach churned from all the worrying in my head on top of that. But I had no choice...
When it came time to actually bathe, there was way more prep than I'd thought. The monastery had no private baths or facilities, and sneaking something like this in a crowded communal living space wasn't as easy as it sounded.
After finishing practicals, I looked up at the sky... and sure enough, the full moon hung there.
"Pretty..."
I moved fast as planned during practicals. First, I checked a few spots where I wouldn't be seen but could view the sky. And luckily... the door to the rooftop of the central bell tower wasn't locked. I grabbed a large wooden tub from the laundry area—the kind used for washing blankets—and hauled it up to the rooftop.
Next, I fetched water from the well and filled the tub. It was a hassle, sure, but considering the ordeal in the forest and the reward I'd earned... this was nothing.
A flower that only bloomed once every hundred years—how could I not try it?
And... it's supposed to affect my appearance.
From my experience, being pretty or handsome in life was nothing but a plus. Looks were one of the key stats in life.
Alright... let's do this.
Finally, I floated the Lunaris petals James had given me in the tub and stripped down. A sweet, slightly tangy scent wafted from the petal-filled water. Not bad. But as the chilly autumn wind hit my bare skin, a stark chill set in unlike when I was clothed. I couldn't help glancing around, paranoid someone might be watching—embarrassing as hell.
I dipped a foot in cautiously, and the cold water climbed up, pricking my skin like needles.
"Eek! So cold...!"
I regretted not heating the water... but remembering there was no way to do that, I just sighed deeply.
"Achoo!—"
While hesitating in front of the tub, the biting wind kept sweeping over me. Standing there naked, I already felt a cold coming on.
Ugh... might as well get it over with quick!
I squeezed my eyes shut... and plunged into the tub.
"Eek!!"
The icy water hit my skin, sending a bone-chilling frost through my whole body. The pleasant petal scent hovered faintly, but honestly, I was too freezing to appreciate it.
"...H-how... l-long... d-do I... h-have... to... stay... like this?"
I'd figured dunking in would trigger a notification right away with some trait or reward... but no alert came. Unlike what I'd expected, it stayed silent.
In the end, I endured the near-freezing cold for about five minutes submerged, but still nothing.
"...U-ugh... achoo!"
This was gonna give me a real cold.
Cold
That's when it happened.
Finally!
But the notification that appeared... was completely different from what I'd expected.
"..."
For a moment, I doubted my eyes.
Is this messing with me!?
I checked my status window just in case, but it was just a plain old cold—nothing special.
"Wh-why... u-ugh...?"
I was flustered, angry even. Then I shook it off, thinking that couldn't be it.
Maybe I need to dunk my head too?
Figuring that might be it, I held my breath and submerged completely this time. Still no alert, but I held out a bit longer. Ten seconds... twenty... glub, glub...—
Even after about thirty seconds... nothing.
"Phaaa!!! "
I couldn't hold my breath anymore and burst out, gasping raggedly.
"Haha! Ha, hahaha...!!!"
I couldn't make sense of it.
Did James scam me again?
Or maybe... the Lunaris flower had spoiled.
What's wrong with this!?
My chest burned like it might stop breathing, my head spun, and my stomach roiled.
"Ha... ha, heh..."
As my breathing steadied bit by bit, I decided to dry off and get dressed first.
I might freeze to death like this.
I hurried to stand and head to where I'd left my clothes...
"...My clothes...?"
But my clothes were gone from where I'd left them.
"...Huh?"
More precisely, the spot where I'd left them... was gone.
I turned slowly. Even the wooden tub I'd been in moments ago had vanished. In its place...
A gorgeous fountain I'd never seen before.
Was there a fountain like this in the monastery?
No, that wasn't the issue now.
What the hell...?
I cautiously looked around.
"Whoa..."
Confusion and shock tangled, choking me again. This wasn't the bell tower rooftop anymore.
"Where... is this?"
The surroundings were eerily still, like time had frozen, wrapped in a serene, ethereal haze.
"A castle?"
A softly glowing fountain was ringed by a lake mirroring the sky, rippling gently. In the distance, ancient towers and spires thrust toward the heavens. Flowers and vines wove naturally through the inner alleys, bridges floated midair, gardens bloomed, and light danced over quiet ponds— a dreamlike scene straight out of a painting.
"Whoa..."
Even as I took it in, I could only catch my breath.
"...So why am I here?"
One thing was clear: this was definitely not the monastery.