There was a heavy silence after Rin’s question. Even Serena looked taken aback by how boldly he had asked it, and for a second, her mask slipped.

Instead of the composed woman she usually presented herself as, Rin caught a glimpse of the insecure child he had once met, and his feelings about the matter became even stronger.

But the moment he saw that glimpse, Serena shut down her expression again, and her smile faded into a frown.

"I don’t know why you would assume something like that. And I also don’t understand why you would want to know something this personal about me. As far as I know, we don’t have much of a relationship. Don’t you think you’re asking questions that are too personal?"

Serena looked uncomfortable, but Rin felt like he had to keep pushing if he wanted an answer.

Unlike Shelly, who would distract him with a smile and change the subject, Serena was actively avoiding the topic. That made it easier for Rin to continue pressing her.

"I don’t want to assume anything, but we’re currently in the same boat. So if something is bothering you—"

"Nothing is bothering me. And even if something is, it’s none of your business. Also, it’s not your place to ask me those kinds of questions."

Serena walked past Rin, not giving him much choice except to follow after her...

Or at least, that had been his intention before the system reared its ugly head.

[Rookie, I don’t usually advise you on how to handle your relationships, but it would be better to back down this time. Otherwise, the course of Serena’s destiny will go off track.]

This was the first time Rin had received a message like this, and he looked surprised.

He was not sure what it meant, nor was he sure the system would continue explaining. But surprisingly, it did.

[Due to your ’death’ and ’resurrection,’ there is currently a glitch in the system where your data cannot be processed. Any involvement you have in current events cannot be calculated within fate’s database.]

[Therefore, this system advises the Rookie to limit his interactions with important characters in order to preserve the data.]

The system’s words sounded ominous, though Rin tried to take them positively. But was there even anything positive about his situation?

"What does that even mean?"

Rin asked, and the system continued answering him.

[User data is usually protected. However, since Rookie is an employee, your data was moved from the protected section to the employee section. Since the transfer was still in progress when Rookie died, the reset became confused and corrupted the files.]

[Currently, Rookie is classified as an ’unknown’ within the system files. Please limit your interactions with the main cast until this issue is resolved.]

Rin felt a headache coming on. He did not understand half of what the system was saying, but at the same time, he felt like he understood far too much.

It only fueled his desire to learn more about the system. Where did its powers come from?

More importantly—what would happen to him?

The system seemed to read his thoughts and immediately reassured him.

[There is no need to worry, Rookie. Your data may be corrupted, but it is not completely gone. Your future may be uncertain, but rest assured that we are doing everything we can to ensure your safety.]

Was that supposed to reassure him? Rin did not feel reassured at all.

But there was little he could do about it right now. So he decided to return to his room and take a nap.

...

The next morning was a little awkward.

Serena pretended that nothing had happened as she interacted with Rin and the others, and Rin did the same. But he could not stop watching her as she moved around.

That did not go unnoticed by Shelly or Albus. While Albus merely observed in silence, Shelly decided to confront him about it.

"Rin, is something wrong? You look pale and worried. Are your injuries still bothering you?"

Shelly asked in a concerned voice, and Rin shook his head. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but even he could not find the energy to look happy.

Alex chose that exact moment to flap his wings and land on Rin’s shoulder, causing Shelly to glare at the bird. The silence turned awkward as everyone watched Rin’s killer settle comfortably on his shoulder.

The atmosphere only grew more uncomfortable, so Rin decided to pet Alex to show that he was not a threat.

Alex leaned into the touch and let out a pleased chirp, but it did nothing to ease the tension in the air.

"Well, should we start heading back home? Round Six will begin soon, and I want to rest before it starts."

Rin pointed out, and everyone awkwardly agreed. The ride back was mostly silent, and even Rin did not contribute much to break the tension.

Collin and the others were waiting for them outside the settlement, and Shelly immediately grabbed Rin’s arm and dragged him toward Reina.

Rin could only follow awkwardly as everyone watched Shelly shove him toward Reina with a blank expression.

Even Reina looked shocked by Shelly’s actions before she caught Rin as he stumbled forward.

"What is this about—"

"Give him a full-body check and tie him to the bed. I’ll explain the details later."

Shelly’s voice was so cold that no one questioned her decision. They simply looked toward Albus and Serena, who both turned their faces away but appeared to agree.

Reina got the message, and before Rin could struggle, he was knocked unconscious.

’This is...not fair. It’s not my fault I died, so why do I have to go through this?’

Rin complained internally, but no one answered him. Even the system stayed silent instead of comforting him.

And that was how he ended up tied to the bed once again. This time, however, it did not seem like he would be able to talk his way out of it.

On the bright side, Madam Yao and everyone else were in his room when he woke up.

That was a good thing...right?