Chapter 62: Sleeping Potion

“What took you so long? Why are you only just arriving now?”

In the pitch-black room, Sifne, draped in a cloth, finally saw Liami and Colin arrive. She had no idea what the two had been doing, coming so slowly. Even when Sifne asked them, they just turned their heads away in silence, leaving her completely baffled.

But she knew something must have happened judging by their expressions. Seeing the way they looked, Sifne had a bad feeling and tucked the suspicion away in her heart, hoping it was only a guess.

Liami and Colin stepped onto the teleportation array together, and Sifne gulped down the magic potion in her hand all at once.

After finishing, she wiped her mouth with her hand, tossed the bottle aside, and began channeling mana into the teleportation array.

Soon, the array lit up, running smoothly as expected.

In an instant, as the light from the array flashed by, the three of them reappeared in the mansion’s main hall. Since they were returning from elsewhere this time, there was no need to hide their movements.

However, the sudden appearance of three figures startled Lora, who was checking the hall for places that needed cleaning.

Nervously, Lora stared at the three who had just appeared, only putting down the broom in her hand after recognizing Colin.

What puzzled her a bit was that the two friends of the knight were inexplicably dressed only in rough cloths, looking like exhibitionists ready to baring their chests at any moment.

Still, Lora kept her thoughts to herself. Although she didn’t understand human matters well, she wasn’t stupid—she could sense the atmosphere at least. At the very least, those two women didn’t seem to be exhibitionists by choice.

Liami quickly returned to her room to change clothes, while Sifne yawned lazily and strolled back to her own room, seemingly indifferent to her near half-naked state.

Colin stayed behind to explain the situation to Lora so she wouldn’t misunderstand.

Soon, Liami and Sifne changed clothes and came back to the hall.

Sifne yawned and gestured for the two to come closer; she wanted to share what she had read earlier in the book with them.

Liami eagerly moved next to Sifne, waiting for her to speak.

Colin, after sending Lora off to clean the courtyard behind the door, also quietly settled down to listen.

Once both were ready, Sifne slowly opened her mouth. But instead of words, there came… snoring?

In the stunned and shocked eyes of Liami and Colin, Sifne stood rooted in place—and then she fell asleep, letting out loud snores, clearly in a deep sleep from which she would be hard to rouse.

Liami couldn’t understand what had just happened. How could someone who was fine moments ago suddenly fall asleep like that?!

Colin, after his shock, lowered his head to think. He seemed to have an idea why Sifne was like this.

At the same time, Liami also came to her senses and formed a theory.

She remembered the magic potions in Alec’s labyrinth, and the potions in the underground storage of Alec’s residence—all without exception had effects inducing sleep!

The potion Sifne had drunk earlier, which restored mana, had come from that storage room. Among so many sleep-inducing potions, that one was supposed to restore mana!

So why would Alec, who liked sleep-inducing potions so much, keep a potion that only restored mana? The potion Sifne drank not only restored mana but also caused deep sleep! She wouldn’t wake until the effect wore off!

Haha, what kind of genius makes a potion like this?!

Oh right, it was Alec. Well, that explains everything.

No, that doesn’t explain anything! Now Sifne is asleep—who’s going to tell me what that book in the lab said?!

Liami felt like she was about to pass out from frustration. She was already ranking Alec’s terrifyingness above the Demon Lord. At least the Demon Lord wasn’t a lunatic who messed around with weird magic and potions like this.

While Liami was getting angrier at Alec’s “brilliant” ideas, Colin carefully lifted Sifne and laid her on the big bed in her room, thoughtfully pulling the covers over her, hoping she would sleep well.

Coming downstairs and seeing Liami still not fully calmed, Colin tried to comfort her. “Don’t be so upset. Who could have predicted this? Anyway, once she wakes up, it won’t take long.”

Listening to Colin’s reassurance, Liami gradually cooled down. She grumbled in her mind: Colin’s right, no need to be so angry. It’s just going to take some extra time. As long as Sifne wakes up… Wait! Wakes up?!

Liami had a bad feeling. Knowing Alec as she did, she suspected Sifne wouldn’t wake easily. Maybe it would take a prince’s kiss or something?

Speaking of princes, Liami glanced at Colin. Not that Colin was any prince—he was just a very strong Paladin. But to Sifne, maybe he was close enough to a prince?

Shaking her head hard, Liami dispelled those wild thoughts. Lately, she’d been thinking about things like that too often. She couldn’t afford to think that way—what if it actually happened? That wouldn’t be something she wanted to see.

Seeing Liami still anxious, Colin suggested she go out for a walk to calm her mind.

At his words, Liami stopped her restless thoughts and looked at Colin slowly. “Then, will you come with me?”

Colin was caught off guard, not expecting her to say that.

“Why not? I remember before I changed like this, we often went for walks together. Does becoming like this mean I can’t anymore?”

Liami’s tone was somewhat confrontational, as if wanting a firm answer from Colin. But if she really got an answer, she might not know how to react.

“Uh, no, not now. Maybe next time. I-I still have to teach Lora literacy soon and don’t have the time. You should… go by yourself. How about that?”

But Colin didn’t have the courage to reply honestly, so he used teaching Lora to read and write as an excuse to turn down Liami’s invitation.

Seeing Colin refuse to go with her, Liami said nothing more and left the mansion alone.

In fact, the moment Colin heard her words, he regretted his response. He was a little annoyed with himself for refusing the invitation. It was just a walk together—what harm could there be?

But having already said no, how could he backtrack now? Besides, it was only one walk; if not this time, then next time. It wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime chance; there would be more opportunities.

Comforting himself, Colin watched Liami leave the mansion and then went to find Lora in the backyard, ready to start teaching her literacy.

At this moment, Colin had no idea that in just a few days, he would face a severe trial.