"Don't celebrate just yet," Cyrene's smile grew even brighter. "Lady Aglaea's actual arrangement is—you, Phainon, and Castorice! The three of you, packaged together, are going to the Grove for advanced studies!"
"Wha—at?!" Phaethon tried to sit up abruptly. "Wh-Why me?! I said I'm not the Deliverer! And if it's knowledge..."
His eyes lit up. "Cyrene! Can you help me recollect a few more of the former Grove sages—"
"recollect?!" Cyrene's pitch shot up. She strode to the bedside, her finger pointing without any pity at his still-swollen knee. "Look at the state of you! Phaethon! Do you really think you're invincible now?! Huh?!"
"Your life essence has barely reached the threshold of an ordinary Golden Descendant! Do you think you're an eternal, immortal Demigod like Aglaea? Or a uniquely gifted Golden Descendant like Phainon?"
Cyrene grew angrier as she spoke. "This leg injury of yours—a torn ligament and broken bone needs a hundred days to heal! Even a Golden Descendant relying on self-recovery would need to rest for a month!"
"Or are you counting on using your half-baked spells to heal yourself? Do you think you can just piece shattered bones and damaged meridians back together perfectly with that flashy bag of tricks of yours? Without any aftereffects?"
"Dream on! Do you want to walk with a limp for the rest of your life?! Hmm?!"
Phaethon shrank back under the covers.
Cyrene took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and said seriously, "Lady Aglaea said that the top-tier healer she knows is currently at the Grove!"
"You're going to the Grove for two reasons! First, to let her completely heal this useless leg of yours properly, so there are no aftereffects!"
"Second, to behave yourself there, learn something useful, make a few friends, and not spend all your free time cooking up trouble with Phainon! Understood?"
Seeing Phaethon's deflated expression and Phainon's look of "dodged a bullet but the future looks bleak," Cyrene paused, remembering another of Aglaea's comments. Her tone softened slightly.
"Also, Lady Aglaea specifically mentioned that she remembers her promise. Once your leg is fully healed, she will personally oversee the tailoring of a new set of clothes for you."
***
*Knock, knock, knock—*
A crisp, slightly urgent knocking sound broke the quiet of the infirmary room.
Phaethon, who had been staring boredly at the ceiling, Phainon, who was sitting by the bed peeling an apple, and Cyrene, who was supervising them both, all looked up simultaneously.
"Coming!" Cyrene called out, quickly walking over to open the door.
When the door cracked open and she saw who was standing outside, her beautiful eyes instantly lit up, and the corners of her mouth lifted uncontrollably into a wide smile.
"Well! If it isn't Teacher Tribbie, Teacher Trianne, and Teacher Trinnon!" Cyrene's voice instantly shot up in sweetness, filled with unconcealed delight. "Please, come in, come in! ♪"
She enthusiastically opened the door fully, as if welcoming the most honored guests.
Standing at the doorway were three small figures, each with a distinct presence.
"Little Cyrene~" Tribbie spoke in her milky voice, trying to make her small frame seem more dependable. "We came to see how Little Snowy and Little Little Whitey are doing!"
"Come in, sit down!" The smile on Cyrene's face could practically bloom flowers. She quickly stepped aside to clear the path, her gaze practically glued to the three little cuties, especially when it landed on the unfamiliar, timid Trinnon. The light in her eyes could melt ice and snow.
Trianne rushed in like a little whirlwind, heading straight for Phaethon's bedside with clear purpose.
"Little Little Whitey!" She presented the basket in her hands like a treasure, standing on tiptoe to place it on the bedside table within Phaethon's reach. "Trianne bought you the winner's cake she promised!" A tempting, sweet aroma wafted from the basket.
"Wow, thank you, Teacher Trianne!" Phaethon's mood lifted considerably looking at the vibrant little sunbeam before him, a genuine smile appearing on his face.
He couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch Trianne's soft, chubby cheek. "Teacher Trianne is the one who really cares about me."
Trianne giggled, not dodging away.
Tribbie walked over to Phainon with steady steps and patted his arm.
"Little Snowy," her small face full of serious concern, "you mustn't fight with Little Little Whitey like this again. It's too dangerous! Look at your nose, and Little Little Whitey is practically a wooden puppet now." She pointed at Phaethon, her tone like a little adult.
Phainon scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Looking at Tribbie's earnest little face, he could only nod clumsily. "Uh... Got it, Teacher Tribbie."
Cyrene's attention was now completely captured by the last of the trio, Trinnon. She crouched down, using her gentlest tone. "Teacher Trinnon, come here, don't be afraid. Come sit over here, okay? ♪" She held out her hand.
Trinnon hesitated for a moment, seeming a little scared.
But soon, under Cyrene's "offensive," Trinnon obediently leaned into Cyrene's warm embrace.
The three little teachers fussed over the injured patients for a good while. The room was filled with Tribbie's serious admonitions, Trianne's chirping shares, and Cyrene's soft, comforting words to Trinnon.
It wasn't until the admonition was winding down that Trinnon, who had been quietly snuggled in Cyrene's arms, finally tugged lightly on Tribbie's sleeve with a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:
"Tribbie... don't forget... we... came to find Little Little Whitey... to open the Infinity Gate..." Her voice was tiny, carrying a hint of embarrassment, as if she felt bad for interrupting the caring atmosphere.
"Ah! That's right!" Trianne was the first to react, smacking her little head. "Almost forgot the main task! Little Little Whitey!"
She immediately turned to Phaethon, her big eyes sparkling. "We need your help! We need... to open the Infinity Gate!"
Phaethon looked at their eager and adorable expressions and couldn't help but laugh. "Is that all? No problem, Teacher Trianne. Just tell me the time and place."
"Once you're done using it, just send me a message via the communication slate. I'll close the gate immediately." His tone was light, as if opening a spatial teleportation gate was as simple as opening a regular door.
"Waaah—!!!" Trianne was so excited she nearly jumped, her little face flushed with excitement. "Little Little Whitey, you're so amazing! So amazing! You can open and close the door without even being there!" She waved her little hands, gesturing.
[System: I'm finally acting a bit normal! Yes! Actually, Phaethon is just the one pressing the skill icons! The one actually using the skills is me! (Proudly puffs out a seemingly non-existent chest)]
[Author: Shh~ It's a tsundere System today. Don't tell it.]
The corner of Phaethon's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He automatically filtered out the tsundere notification and the author's mischievous joked running through his mind, offering a reliable smile to the three little teachers. "Don't worry, leave it to me. Time and location?"