[Reberu] ga Arunara Agerudesho? Mobukyara ni Tensei Shita Ore wa Gēmu Chishiki o Ikashi, Hitasura Reberu o Age Tsudzukeru - CH 127

[Backstory]

There aren’t that many books designated as forbidden books. As a result, this room made to store them isn’t that big, either.

That said, it is still a separate section inside of the great library, and the bookshelves lining the walls were packed with books.

There isn’t a single window here because it’s underground, and the only source of light is a tool that lights up when you insert magic power into it.

There’s a reading table in the center of the room, but it’s currently used as an improvised bed for the unconscious Cordelia-san to lie down.

“U…gh…”

“Mom… you’re going to be okay, I’m here with you…” Ethel gently calls out to her mother who growled in pain while lying face-down and holds her hand over the wound on her back.

After which, particles of light pour down from the palm of her hand into the wound—it’s the elementary healing skill called ‘Sacred Magic: Recovery’.

Coupled with the potions I’ve handed over, that level of injury should heal without a problem… or so I thought, but reality turns out different from what I imagined.

(Come to think of it, potions become less effective on you as you get older…)

It was a kind of meaningless backstory back in the game, but looks like it’s a real pain in the neck for the people living in this world.

I mean, that backstory not only concerning potion but also healing by means of magic. To me, cheap potions are enough for first aid treatment, on the other hand, expensive potions used on Cordelia-san, who looks like in her 30’s but is actually 70, weren’t even close enough to close the wound and only managed to stop the bleeding.

In the wound caused by the chain ripping off her flesh, her spine can be faintly seen.

Even an amateur in medical care like me knows what kind of result damage to the spine can cause.

Even if we do manage to escape, I’m not sure if she can go about her life as usual anymore. All I can do is to bet on the efforts of Ethel and Cordelia-san.

For the time being, I put the ‘Knight’s Steel Sword’ in Cordelia-san’s hand.

It’s because this weapon has a trait called ‘Small Regeneration’, of which effect is ‘recovering 1% of one’s maximum HP at the beginning of each turn’.

Theoretically, 1 turn is equal to 10 seconds, so she’s supposed to recover completely in about 15 minutes, but I think the healing effect may be greatly diminished on her as it is also categorized as magic.

To be honest, I gave it to her just to ease my mind, but it’s better than nothing.

“Thanks, Tōru.”

“Mm. I’m going to look around, so call me if Cordelia-san wakes up. Iris, I’ll leave the two to you.”

“Yes, I’ve got it.”

After asking Iris to look after Ethel, I go away from them.

Cordelia-san’s condition has no need to be mentioned, but Ethel has also gone pale before the fact that her mother got attacked and injured.

I asked Iris not to look after Cordelia-san but to act as a stopper for Ethel because she’s been using healing skills nonstop.

If her magic power runs out and she still tries to use a healing skill, there’s a risk she may fall into a vicious cycle of she getting more and more impatient because the skill doesn’t activate.

If Iris is next to her at such time, she will be able to gently persuade her to rest.

I can’t possibly play that role because I’d probably just give up or immediately rob her of her consciousness.

“Oh, yeah! The ‘Nexus Crystal Ball’! We may be able to use it to call for help!”

“Well, it’d be no use, I bet.”

“Why would it!?”

I hear Ethel’s voice as I’m trying to pull out a book from the bookshelf in front of me.

She seems to find hope remembering the existence of the crystal ball in her pocket, but I shoot it down without hesitation.

“Well, if you calmly think about it, it’s highly likely the knights guarding aboveground at the time of the attack were those guys’ allies. Besides… whop,” I take out the crystal ball I’ve received and smash it on the ground.

After I did, Ethel seems to sense something, she then puts her shivering hand in her own pocket and takes out something from inside.

“…Those jerks!”

“I see, so that’s the case.”

“That’s the case, indeed.”

What Ethel threw on the floor in a fit of anger was the shattered ‘Nexus Crystal Ball’, its remains. Seeing it, Iris lets out voice of understanding.

Judging from the timing when Ethel’s crystal ball broke, her ‘Nexus Crystal Ball’ was likely linked with mine.

And I’m sure that Iris’s is linked with Cordelia-san’s crystal ball.

Simply put, our means to notify an abnormality happening to those aboveground itself was sealed from the very start. We can’t even call for help.

“Then what should we do… seriously, what’s the deal with those jerks…!”

“Ethel, just focus on healing your mother for now. I’ve ran out of potions, so the only one that can heal her wound is you.”

“…You don’t need to tell me that!”

What should we do from now? Who is the mastermind behind the attack?

Ethel shakes her head to forget about those questions and regains her spirit, then continues to cast magic on her mother.

Seeing that, I take my eyes off her and reach out my hand to a book tightly fit in the bookshelf.

When it comes to the mastermind and what we should do from now, I already have answers for both, so it’s not a matter of concern; although I don’t know what is the goal of the mastermind.

However, my very own original purpose in coming here is to search for information that may give us a clue on how to solve the dungeon blockage problem from the books here in this forbidden book section.

(It’d be a real pain if she were to argue and ask about this and that, so though I feel bad for Ethel, I’ll have to prioritize my purpose.)

And besides, we’ll have to wait for Cordelia-san to recover to escape from here, so no one would complain if I make effective use of the time until then.

Hence, I set aside the matter of the attack and decide to focus on gathering information.

Fortunately, we’re protected from the outside by the barrier, so I have plenty of time to look up the books contained here.

And so, I begin to work on the puzzle of changing the order of books so as to reveal the hidden door that exists here in this forbidden book section.