Kays Translations

Chapter 19 

“Yes, it really is such short notice… I’m sorry. There’s no need to refund the payment—when the new girl arrives, I’ll have her pay again. Please take care of her.”

“It’s fine, really. Same already paid for a whole month. If the replacement girl uses the room, that’s no problem at all.”

“Really? Thank you, I really appreciate it. I’m in a bit of a rush now, so I’ll take my leave. But my friend will arrive today, so please look after her.”

“Sure thing. Good luck with the request.”

As planned, I used the excuse of an urgent assignment to head out on an expedition for the sake of a character change.

Next, I’ll set up a teleportation bell in a secluded area outside the city. Then, I’ll travel a good distance away, teleport back to the marked spot, change characters, and re-enter the city.

It’s a bit of a hassle, but I have to be extra cautious. Someone might be tailing me. This ability to change appearances must never be discovered—ideally, at least.

Besides, in just one day, I might’ve drawn enough attention to make someone suspicious. Better safe than sorry.

“Okay, Melt. We’ll be going separate ways for a bit, but be careful. Don’t go anywhere dangerous, and don’t take any risky jobs, alright?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, really. I think I’ll try some easy gathering quests starting tomorrow. Also looks like there are some errands I can run in the city too~”

Nice and natural acting, Melt.

So, I quickly left through a different city gate than the one I entered through, and headed toward a nearby forest.

“Haa… So this is the main gathering area, huh. There are more people here than I thought.”

I kept walking deeper into the sunlit forest.

On the way, I saw several people who looked like young adventurers. They were all intensely staring at the ground.

They must be looking for something—probably medicinal herbs or something similar.

“There’s a river too, huh… If I go upstream, there should be fewer people.”

I followed the river upstream and eventually came across a cave.

There were no signs of habitation—no sign that anyone had been there either.

It could be a monster den, but since it’s deserted, I went ahead and set the bell there.

“Alright… Now I’ll just follow the river back downstream. If I keep to the path, I should run into another campsite or something.”

I planned to disappear in a crowded area.

There’s always a shadowy spot or two around a campsite. If I sneak into an empty tent and ring the bell, I’ll teleport and vanish from there.

Putting the plan into action, I headed back to the main road and looked for a campsite.

“This is bad… It’s later than I thought…”

The campsite was farther from the city than expected. Even running at full speed using Same’s stats, it took me around three hours.

Fortunately, there were no signs of pursuers, and the crowd at the campsite made it easy to blend in. I can safely say no one followed me this time. Though I can’t completely rule out having shaken someone off mid-route.

I slipped into a large tent that looked like it was used for storing supplies, rang the bell, and teleported back to the cave upstream.

But the sun was already setting. At this rate, it’ll be night by the time I return to the city, so I hurried to change characters.

“Let’s see… ‘Sheele’…”

The name? It’s derived from “Silent,” if you couldn’t tell.

Sounds kinda feminine, right?

‘Sheele’ is one of the older characters I created.

You know how in online games female characters often get better perks? There are some powerful female-only gear items.

[Ring of Broken Vows]

MP regeneration +100%

Auto HP recovery (5% per second)

All-element resistance +15%

Seriously, how is this just one accessory? No offensive boosts, but still.

Because of that, I made this female character—she’s a ranged attacker/support type, with the job ‘Hunter’ and sub-job ‘Scholar.’

Build-wise, she’s a “ranged physical attacker with elemental buff spells for targeting weaknesses”—a classic back line role with support buffs.

Thanks to the accessory, she can use skills and spells freely without worrying about MP, and she can heal while attacking from range—an endurance-focused build.

“Let’s see… She’s about the same height as Melt… body shape’s almost identical too?”

No, she’s not busty. Average height too.

But… will the race be a problem? This character is an elf, and I don’t recall seeing many elves in the city.

They’re not nonexistent, but they’re probably rare.

Still, I should be fine in combat. With this equipment, she’s stronger than Same anyway.

“…Didn’t I have some gear with a deep hood or something?”

I want to hide my face as much as possible. I only glanced at this character’s face once, but she’s probably the most beautiful one I’ve made.

If I had to compare—Melt is “a girl who will definitely grow up to be a beauty,” but Sheele is “a girl who already is a beauty.”

Definitely a recipe for trouble. No doubt about it.

“Ah, here we go. Alright, let’s hide the face… and bring a knife for self-defense.”

This character uses knives too, so that works out. I plan to give similar gear to Melt later.

A hunter who enchants arrows and knives with elements. Not a top-tier build, but a very handy combo.

“…Whoa, that’s adorable…”

I used the moonlight to look at my reflection in a polished knife.

Rose-pink eyes, pale skin.

Delicate expression, thin pink lips.

Long, neat lashes and brows. Hair shimmering silver in the moonlight.

She even looks a bit like Melt.

No doubt—even a complete stranger would say “she’s a beauty.”

With a sigh, I headed back to Lindblum.

“This is bad… unfamiliar memories and visions are surfacing in my mind…”

As I ran through the night, memories that shouldn’t exist flashed in my head.

A fleeing elven woman running under the moon.

She learned forbidden magic and used it in hunting—deemed a heretic, exiled from her homeland… That was her backstory.

And now, the emotions and experiences from that story are flooding into my mind.

“I… no, I mean I’m… crap, even my speech patterns are starting to slip.”

I’ve got to stay focused and keep my identity intact.

Once I learn to write, I’ll switch back to a male character ASAP. Yeah, that’s the plan.

Eventually, the city gate came into view.

The sun had completely set, and clouds even obscured the moon at times—it was pitch-black out.

At this hour, entry and exit were strictly controlled, and everyone was being asked to verify their identity.

This is a problem… I only have Same’s adventurer tag. No way I can show that.

Eventually, it was my—no, my turn.

“Next! You—are you an adventurer registered in this city?”

“No, I’m not.”

“I see. Do you have any identification?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t carry anything like that.”

“Hmm… Remove your hood. I need to check the wanted posters.”

I obeyed quietly.

“!? Y-You… Who are you? You appear to be an elf.”

“Yes. Actually, I heard from an acquaintance that someone in this city is very knowledgeable about forest lore. I came here to meet them. I’m a traveling scholar, seeking knowledge as I journey.”

“A scholar, huh? You look young… ah, but you’re an elf. I see. Normally, entering the city at this hour is strictly limited. But if you’re a scholar, are you affiliated with a guild? Do you have any credentials?”

“No… unfortunately, my homeland doesn’t have a system like a scholar’s guild. I was hoping to register with one here.”

“Hmm…”

Maybe it was thanks to the character’s appearance, but although I was still a suspicious individual, I could tell that the gatekeeper’s attitude had noticeably softened.

Just a little more push…

“I’m very sorry… If I can’t enter the city, would it be alright if I spent the night near this gate? I thought staying near the gatekeeper would help me avoid trouble with bandits.”

I lowered the backpack I was carrying to the ground, putting on a sorrowful expression.

As if to say I was too exhausted to carry it any longer.

In reality, I wasn’t tired at all, though.

“Ugh… What should we do, senpai?”

“…We can’t let a young girl like her sleep outside… Let her in. Also, miss, make sure to keep your hood up. And if you’re going to stay at an inn, choose the street not called the ‘Adventurers’ Den.’ Take the other one—it’s right past this gate. It’s relatively safer.”

Another gatekeeper gave me permission.

Looks like my appearance really played a big role here. He even kindly gave me advice about where to stay.

“Really? I won’t forget this favor. I’ll be sure to come thank you again another day.”

“N-No, it’s fine. I just couldn’t ignore someone in need.”

“Senpai, you’re such a gentleman.”

“S-Shut up! Alright, go on in.”

And so, I successfully made it back to the city, and despite their warning, I headed straight for the Hamusutei in the “Adventurers’ Den” district.

It’s fine. I’m keeping my hood up properly.

“Sorry for coming so late…”

“Hm? A guest?”

When I returned to the inn, the husband, who always handles the late-night shift, was waiting as usual.

“Yes. Starting today, I’ll be staying in place of Same-san. My name is Sheele.”

“Hmm, so you’re the guest he mentioned. Take off your hood. I need to check your face against the wanted posters just in case.”

Now that I think about it, the gate also checked my face. Could there be a dangerous criminal on the loose?

Maybe I should stop hiding my face. That might actually cause more trouble.

I took off my hood and revealed my face.

“! Alright, you’re not on any wanted posters. Your room is on the third floor, at the far end. The other guest is probably asleep already, so keep it quiet.”

“Yes, thank you, sir.”

“…Right.”

…He usually has such a sour expression, but now he’s visibly blushing. Honestly, it’s complicated.

Still… I really might cause trouble with this appearance.

Because of the faintly sorrowful look I have, I end up looking a bit more mature too.

“Melt-san, are you still awake?”

I knocked on the door and called out softly.

After a moment of rustling blankets, I heard her voice through the door.

“Who is it?”

“Sorry for being late. It’s me, taking Same’s place.”

“! I’ll open it now!”

“Shh…”

“Ah, sorry, sorry.”

When I quietly entered the room, it looked like she had just been sleeping.

“Have you already eaten dinner? I left some money with you in advance.”

“Oh, yeah… I had dinner here at the inn. They said for one silver coin, you get dinner and breakfast.”

“I see, that makes sense.”

“…Are you really Same?”

“Yes, I am. I’m just adjusting my speech to match the character.”

Yes, I’m consciously changing my way of speaking… or at least I should be.

And yet, somehow, even my thoughts are sometimes slipping into a more feminine tone.

“Wow… Can I see your face?”

“Go ahead.”

When I took off my hood, Melt’s eyes sparkled.

“You look like an elven princess…! Wow… wow… You look just like someone from a picture book… So pretty…”

“You’re cute too, Melt.”

“Ehh? You’re making me blush.”

Honestly, if she kept her mouth shut, she could easily pass as a mature beauty.

But once she talks… she gives off a “young grade schooler, sometimes acting grown-up” vibe.

“Alright, let’s get some sleep for today, okay? We’ll start with reading and writing tomorrow, maybe at a library if we can find one.”

“Yes, I’m tired too. Well then… Good night, Melt.”

“Yeah, good night… What’s your name?”

“Sheele.”

“Okay, got it. Good night, Sheele.”

And with that, I lay down in bed.

It’s strange. Even though I’m not forcing it, my tone of speech has started to change on its own.

Is this what it means to become Sheele?

I wonder if this will actually help me learn to read and write…

No, before that… I really should give a little something to the gatekeeper… as a thank-you…

————————

“Wake up, Sheele. It’s morning already, wake up.”

“Mmm… Good morning, Melt.”

The next morning, perhaps because I was more exhausted than I’d realized, I had fallen into such a deep sleep that I didn’t even dream.

The bed had been more comfortable than I imagined, and once again I felt I really needed to thank the gatekeeper.

“Sheele, breakfast was sandwiches. I’ll give you half.”

“Is that alright?”

“Yeah, it was a pretty big portion.”

“Fufu, it seems that way. Then I’ll gladly accept.”

…Wha—!? Wait a second, wasn’t my internal monologue just now completely in Sheele mode!?

This is bad! My thoughts were super gentle and full of kindness—like a proper lady!

Thanking the gatekeeper and everything… No, but maybe I should give him a little energy drink or something at least…

“Perhaps I should be more alarmed… It’s already starting to affect me…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Sheele?”

“It’s nothing… really.”

Since Melt thinks this whole transformation is like becoming another soul, there’s no need to explain it again at this point.

I guess I just need to be more careful… or maybe I should start thinking manlier, cruder thoughts on purpose?

No way! That’s indecent! Ack! My sense of morality is definitely drifting away from Shizuma’s normal!

“…What should I do…?”

“Hmm? Then after we eat, let’s go to the bath again today, Sheele.”

“Wha—”

I seriously don’t know what to do…!

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