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It wasn’t exactly a story that one could easily believe, especially for mages, who tended to trust only in phenomena they could observe with their own eyes. I couldn’t blame Axel if he didn’t believe me—after all, I hadn’t believed in reincarnation myself until I experienced it firsthand.

*Still…*  

I had a strange sense of trust. Despite our constant bickering, we had fought side by side, protecting each other’s lives. I felt that if anyone could recognize me for who I truly was, it would be Axel.  

*And besides,* if I recalled Lady Jesper’s words correctly, it seemed like Axel might already believe in my innocence.

Having made up my mind, I carefully began to speak.

“Hey.”

Axel’s eyes widened slightly at the informal address—a tiny reaction by most standards, but for him, it was a significant display of surprise. I sighed deeply and pointed at the book he was holding.

“It’s all nonsense. Hazen didn’t die.”

I tried hard not to let my speech come out too childlike, which only made Axel’s eyes widen even more.  

“We need to gather the expedition again. The Mad Dragon is still alive.”

“You…”

Axel started to say something but quickly closed his mouth, looking around warily before tucking the book under his arm and lifting me up as if I weighed nothing.

“Ugh.”

This was ridiculous. Even though I was in a child’s body, being held like this by Axel was unbearable. I couldn’t see my face, but I was certain I was grimacing in disgust. Axel, however, remained as calm and composed as ever, unaffected by my reaction.

“So, the Saint has received a divine revelation?”

“…”

So much for expecting him to recognize me. Apparently, the bond I thought we shared wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped. Not that I had really expected much in the first place—really, I hadn’t.

I let out another sigh, resigning myself to the situation.  

*Well… considering the circumstances, thinking it’s a divine revelation makes more sense than assuming it’s reincarnation.*

As I began to organize my thoughts on how to explain the situation, I suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. My head spun, and my vision started to blur.

*Huh…? What’s happening…?*  

But before I could even finish the thought, my world went dark.

The last thing I realized was that I had fainted.  

*Yes, I had indeed pushed this young body too far today.*  

And with that, my thoughts were cut off.

***

Axel frowned as he held Reshia, who had gone limp and unconscious in his arms.

When Axel first encountered Reshia in the storage room, he hadn’t paid much attention to her condition. But now, seeing her up close, it was clear that she was in a terrible state. He hadn’t shown it, but when he first picked her up, he had been shocked by how light she was—almost weightless. Her hair was dull and brittle, her skin was rough, and her dress, which hung loosely on her small frame, was filthy. It was obvious that this wasn’t just the result of a punishment; the hem of her skirt and the sleeves were frayed and worn, signs of long-term neglect.

Anyone could see that this child had not been properly cared for.  

‘And this is supposed to be the Saint sent by the central church?’  

It seemed that no one had truly looked after her.

Axel had heard that his father had formally adopted the Saint recognized by the central church as his daughter, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it. The adoption was clearly a formality, a way to protect the Saint, and he never considered her as part of the family. In fact, he had barely interacted with her.

For the past five years—ever since Greslin disappeared and was branded a murderer—Axel had been completely focused on uncovering the truth of that incident. Despite constant complaints from all sides that the master of the Mage Tower was neglecting his duties, Axel had relentlessly pursued Greslin’s trail. In such circumstances, the formal adoption of a Saint by his father had hardly registered in his mind.

Perhaps the Duke of Elpinar had similarly neglected the child, leaving her to fend for herself. Axel’s brother, the heir to the Elpinar dukedom, certainly wasn’t the type to concern himself with such trivial matters, which meant that this child had likely been a duchess in name only.  

‘When the master treats her this way, it’s no surprise the servants didn’t take proper care of her either.’

The past few years flashed before Axel’s eyes, and a deep sense of displeasure welled up within him.  

After all, this child was an “Elpinard” now. Whatever the reason, if she had been given that name, she deserved to be treated with respect both within and outside the family. The name “Elpinard” carried that kind of weight.

The central church likely understood this as well, which was why they specifically requested that the Saint be adopted into this family. With the issue of royal succession in mind, they couldn’t integrate her into the royal family, so they chose the next most powerful and reputable family—the Elpinard dukedom.

‘If the central church found out she was being treated like this, they wouldn’t sit quietly.’  

Especially not Priest Bael, the quack cleric who had recognized this child as the Saint. He would seize the opportunity to demand hefty donations. Axel had seen Bael’s skill in extracting money firsthand during their time together in the expedition. Back then, Axel had thought that being a priest wasn’t about serving the gods but rather about fleecing people.

If this situation came to Bael’s attention, the Elpinard family’s coffers would be thoroughly drained. It was understandable that the ignorant servants might have acted this way, but for someone as discerning as Lady Jesper to go along with such nonsense…  

‘Perhaps it’s time for her to retire.’

Axel calmly moved forward, carrying the unconscious child in his arms, without a hint of concern about the thoughts that would have made anyone else jump if they knew.

***

“Ugh…”

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling as if my entire body was weighed down like a soggy piece of cotton. Even in my previous life as Greslin, I hadn’t been particularly strong, but now, as a child, I found myself missing that old level of endurance.

‘What happened after I fainted?’

The last thing I remembered was losing consciousness in Axel’s arms. My eyes darted around, taking in the familiar surroundings. I was back in the room where Reshia had been staying ever since arriving at the Elpinard duchy.

‘Is it early morning?’

The soft light filtering in suggested that dawn was just breaking. As I scanned the room, I noticed a large pitcher and a cup sitting on the nightstand not far from the bed. The moment I saw them, an intense thirst hit me that I hadn’t even realized I had.

Groaning, I slowly climbed down from the high bed, my legs shaky beneath me. The bouncing around I had done in the library had clearly taken its toll. My legs trembled with the effort, and I realized I was also dealing with muscle soreness.

‘Times like this make me miss Bael.’

Even if he was a money-grubbing quack, his holy power was the real deal. With a strength far surpassing that of the Pope, he could heal any wound as long as you were still breathing. I mostly used it to get rid of muscle aches after long marches, though. Of course, every time he would charge me a gold coin for the service, so I didn’t feel too guilty about it.

I managed to steady my wobbly legs as I approached the nightstand, only to be confronted with another problem.

‘It’s too high!’

The nightstand was ridiculously tall. Standing on my tiptoes and stretching my hand as far as I could, I barely touched the lip of the pitcher. If I couldn’t reach it at all, I might have given up, but the fact that I could just barely touch it made it impossible to simply walk away. I strained, thinking, ‘Just a little more!’

Suddenly, the pitcher lifted into the air. Startled, I looked around and noticed Axel sitting in a chair in the corner of the dim room, resting his chin on his hand, looking utterly bored.

‘You scared me…’

How long had he been there?

As I blinked at him in surprise, the pitcher floated over to the cup and began pouring water. The heavy silence of the room was broken only by the sound of water trickling into the cup. Once the cup was filled, the pitcher returned to its place on the nightstand.

Without a word, Axel, who had been sitting motionless, stood up with a graceful movement and walked over to the nightstand where I stood.