19. Believe

Piles of books lied on the desk, his head resting in between them. If only he had known that there was such a vast private library in the mansion, Bao would have done a thorough research of Nelenia before getting himself nearly killed by some slimes, not that he would've any influence on what the AI does in the first place. The wounds on his back and thigh closed themselves after drinking one of the many healing potions lying around in the bedroom, a maid even organized him new clothes without he could wear until the holes were repaired.

Exhausted from the long study of titles like "Players, a world-changing event" and "The Chronicles of a Player", he allowed himself to take a quick nap, disregarding the seriousness of the situation. A simple chandelier standing on the table was the only light source he had while the melted wax had already filled the plates on which it stood. The cold hardwood pressed against his arms which they again pressed against his cheek, marking a long red line.

"Sigh... Now that I think about it, why did this game put so much effort into realism that I even need to sleep? What kind of bullshit is that, no one wants to spend their time in a game sleeping!" The creaking sound of a door opening interrupted his thoughts.

A maid entered the library holding a small candle in her hand. A gust of air that slipped through the now open door let the flames flicker causing the shadows to dance with the rhythm of the draught until it abruptly stopped with the sound of the closing door.

"Is there anything I could help you with?" The maid who begged him to save Elincia asked.

"I have no idea what even I should do, let alone knowing what you could do. Hah"- he laughed bitterly-"Is there even anything I can do?"

"It... it might be me overstepping my boundaries but if the miss said you could do it then..."

"She said that IF someone can do it than me, that doesn't necessarily mean that it IS possible. Not to mention that it only means that I meet the requirements, not that I am capable to do such a thing." Bao interrupted her sentence.

"So you say. But you wouldn't be here if that's what you really think or are you currently researching for something else, rather than a way to save the miss?"

"I... no, I am..., sigh yes I am searching for a way to cure her but I can't find anything that could be of help. We don't know the exact cause or symptoms, nothing! From what we know it could even be a whole other sickness everything rests upon speculations, for example, how do you know that she is still awake despite being in a dead-like state? Did someone ever wake up from eternal slumber to confirm that?"

The maid shook her head.

"Thought so."

"You should try to believe a bit more."

"Believe? In what should I even believe in? In gods? Pah, if they even exist then they are laughing down on my miserable life." Bao's voice turned bitter once again.

"What about believing in yourself? That you can do it. That you can do whatever you set your mind on?"

"Tha... that is... I don't know." He stuttered.

The maid took the empty plates and replaced them with a folded blanket she brought.

"See, exactly that is what I meant" - the maid pointed her finger at him- "I think you could need a bit more confidence, you even let a maid talk back to you in a harsh way."

Bao stared in the servants face with a baffled look on his face.

"Well, I'll leave it at that and let you continue with your research."

With the clacking sound of her heels hitting the wooden floor, the girl left the room closing the door behind her.

"A rather strange maid if you ask me." He said to himself.

The conversation left him with even more questions and doubts rather than giving him confidence in what he was doing. With a solution still far from being found, he wrapped himself in the blanket before sinking his head once again on the table. Annoyed and immersed in thoughts he opened the status window on a reflex. Once again he read through it but what interested him the most were his skills, especially after the incident during the shopping tour. The skill "World Traveller" piqued his interest. It was clear to him what the effects of the other ones were but he had no idea what "World Traveller" would do. Suddenly it struck him like a bolt hitting a tree, he jumped up and threw the blanket on the floor, slamming the door wide open he stormed up the stairs at full speed, running past several surprised servants. With heavy breathing, he arrived at Elincia's bedroom and sat down on her bed on which the elf laid, untouched like when he entered the first time.

Only two words left his mouth before falling into slumber:

"World travel."