My Insomnia Is Killing You - Chapter 22 Breakfast At Shalmoons

It was in the early morning when he came back, so everyone was still asleep. Even the guard at the front of the mansion was probably still dozing off.

A blue box holding a plus 25 energy message was in front of his eyes as he opened them.

‘So every trip I gain 25 energy. Every time I use the system for a task I lose energy.’ He deduced from things he managed to observe so far.

He checked the energy status, and it was 52/100.

Getting out of his pajamas, he looked at his clothes and put the shirt into his inventory. As he by now expected, even putting stuff in and getting them out took energy. Either action cost him 1 energy.

‘My original energy storage capacity was probably 100, and I gained one with learning meditation. If I get better with meditation, I can probably expand the capacity.’ Harrison contemplated.

‘It’s more troublesome but considering I can gain half back just by going back to the other world, it’s not a world ending change. But how did I get the energy just by walking on the stairs? ‘

He quickly got dressed and went to the bathroom to wash up.

‘Ahhh, damn I forgot there is no running water here.’ Harrison grumbled as he looked at the by now empty and clean bathtubs.

All he could do was leave it. As he came out, he met Englin. He wanted to ask him how he should wash up and gave him the second sphere.

“A basin of warm water and a towel will be delivered to your room shortly. We didn’t expect you to be such an early bird.”

As if he expected this situation Englin responded even without being asked.

Harrison thanked him and went to his room and waited. After he cleaned himself up, he came downstairs.

“They will serve breakfast in two hours when his lordship and miss Sheina usually come downstairs. Feel free to look around until then.” Englin informed him before returning the sphere.

Harrison went back to the library and took the bestiary book again. He looked around to see if no one was watching him and put it into his inventory.

‘Even though it will cost me energy, it’s worth it for the attributes upgrade that happens after level five.’ he justified his actions to himself.

He clicked on the learn button and the usual boxes appeared.

Zoology skill LVL. 5 acquired.Bonus Wisdom +1

Zoology skill LVL. 6 acquired.

It stopped after that.

Additional boxes informing him of energy expenditure also appeared. Inserting the book into his inventory cost him one unit. Learning the skill cost him five and six energy units, respectively. After he took out the book and placed it in place, he lost another energy unit.

‘So to summarize this the higher the skill, the bigger the expenditure of energy while learning it. It’s a good thing I can continue where it stops.’ Harrison deduced.

As he was thinking the door to the library opened, and Sheina walked in.

“Did you sleep well?” she asked, but Harrison could not understand her. All he could get from her words was the word sleep which was subtitled by the system.

Harrison turned around and looked at the girl in a turquoise green dress, looking pretty as a flower who overdressed for a simple breakfast.

He offered her one of the spheres.

She took it and smiled.

“I keep forgetting you don’t understand me without it. Did you sleep well?” She said and smiled.

“I did. I… slept well.” he replied stuttering a bit while looking at her smiling face.

“Maybe you should teach me your language so I don’t need those spheres anymore,” Harrison came out with an idea.

“Hmmm. I will try my best in the coming week to teach you the basics, but then I have to go back to school,” she apologetically replied.

“Is your school far away? Do you have some old textbooks? Those would help a lot.” Harrison showered her with questions.

“The school is a four-hour carriage drive from here in the provincial capital so I need to stay there with my aunt when I have classes. It’s too far to come home every day or even every week since it’s dangerous because of the bandits. I can only go there and back with a larger group of carriages once in a while. I do have some old primary school textbooks in my room if you think those will help you.” Sheina explained.

“I understand. A week will at least give me some basic knowledge. We can start with your alphabet at least and continue from there. Please get them for me.” Harrison urged her.

She went back to upstairs, and after a while came back with a stack of books. When they started with the alphabet Sheina expected to be long and tedious process and was amazed that only after two repetitions of writing and saying the sounds corresponding the characters Harrison was fluent in it.

After he recited and wrote it for the third time Englin came and informed them it’s time for breakfast.

As they came to the table, Shalmoon was already sitting at it and was reading a scroll.

He greeted them both, but since he didn’t have a sphere on hand, he continued to read the scroll.

“Aka sha!” Harrison greeted back.

“You taught him how to day good day?” he asked Sheina.

“No. He must have picked it up himself. I taught him writing and saying our alphabet this morning. He is a genius. He learned it fluently after two repetitions.” Sheina enthusiastically explained.

Shalmoon gave a weird look towards Harrison and smiled at Sheina.

“Are you sure he didn’t know it before?” he asked.

“I am quite sure. He made a lot of mistakes after the first pass. He was perfect on his third try.” she replied proudly.

Their alphabet had 46 sounds, and it was no easy feat remembering all of them and corresponding written characters.

“You know you have to go to school next week but until then teach him as much as you can. He can’t rely on the spheres as I might need them if any guests from foreign should lands arrive. If he really is a genius, he might even get a chance to join you in your school when you are sure he can handle it.” Shalmoon told her.

“He should also be good with weapons so find him a weapons instructor when I am gone.” Shaina implored.

“I will see what I can do. Are you sure he is worthy of your trust in him?” Shalmoon asked suddenly after thinking for a while.

She had the urge to tell him she was helpless in front of Harrison while she was naked and she still found her virginity intact after he saved her from those beasts. She doubted she would ever again find a male more worthy of trust than him and have the proof at the same time. Her trust in Harrison after the incident was on the level of her trust in her father.

“I am sure.” She said after thinking about it.

“All right, then. I will make sure he gets everything a boy his age needs in terms of education.” Shalmoon said with a smile.

He knew his daughter was not one who would easily trust people, especially after what happened to her mother. His wife disappeared after visiting their relatives on the way home. They had no word from her for a year. Their parents blamed Shalmoon for not ensuring her protection and not being with her when the attack happened. They found all the guards and the drivers dead and all the cargo still in the carriages. Only the baroness was missing, and it has been a mystery for a year what happened to her.

“You should eat. Your food is getting cold.” Shalmoon said.

Sheina nodded, and Harrison was already munching away after being ignored. He could string together a few words from their conversation but not enough to know what they were talking about. He could guess by the occasional looks they both gave him it was about him.

Today’s breakfast was some kind of sweet porridge. They sweetened it with something resembling honey, and there were bits of fresh fruits floating in it. It was not bad by any means.

“Father says he will find you a weapons instructor and I will teach you until I have to leave. We discussed this now.” Sheina said with embarrassment for ignoring him.

“Thank you and tell him I said thank you as well.” Harrison said.

“We should thank you! This is the least we can do for what you have done for me.” Sheina said with her cheeks blushing once again remembering her state after the incident.

‘Your can thank your butt cheeks. They were too pretty to for those wolves to munch on.’ Harrison teased her without opening his mouth and she blushed even more.