"... This can't be possible."
I was in a fetal position clutching my legs and trembling because of the terrible truth I had just discovered.
First, I am a reincarnate. That is, I died at a young age and my soul was sent to another world.
I didn't know that the soul was really a real thing!
But that's not what scares me, what really terrifies me is the fact that I'm trapped in a video game world.
And that world is that of an otome game. A dating simulator for girls.
A world created to make a lucky girl able to conquer attractive guys and have her happy ending.
DON'T FUCK MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I'M A MAN! I'M SORRY I'M DEAD, BUT.... BUT!
WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE A GAME FOR GIRLS?!
I mean, couldn't it be a normal game like a normal simulator? Or even an erotic game?
Why should I care about a bunch of attractive guys?
I'd rather see beautiful young girls or mature women with huge breasts than hunks!
But that's not the worst of it.
"Of all the otome games out there.... why did it have to be just 'that one'?"
The latest otome game was certainly a rarity among rarities.
Despite having romantic elements, the strong factor was not that but its gameplay.
Its RPG style was its real appeal.
And that's what scares me more than anything else.
"The enemies in this world are something to cry about!"
It's just as I say.
In this game, the normal enemies, sub bosses, bosses, and especially the final bosses, the four great demon kings, were the true horror I didn't want to witness.
Even a goblin or a slime are enemies to be feared, all monsters belong to the demonic race found on the dark continent.
How they got here was never explained in the game. Their continent is in the center of the world, so the distance would be equivalent to going almost halfway around the world.
"Hey commoner, have you been acting weird for a while?"
In this continent, called Ixion, there are several countries; from big and small. Poor and rich. Powers and oppressed by them.
"Hey, don't ignore me."
To my fortune, this country is the ultimate embodiment of economic, labor and magical prosperity in the world. So I don't have to worry about starving or being robbed.
"... Hey, what did I tell you?"
As a major power, he is envied by many so he has enemies everywhere. It's because of something strange like that that it's still in the system of feudalism, that's what they said in the game, so in this reality I consider it very strange.
"Stop ignoring me!"
I was kicked by a small foot and my face smashed into the ground.
As I picked it up and spat dirt, I remembered who I was with.
The cruel and despicable villainess, Elize.
She was a beautiful girl on my age; her hair was long to the small of her back, silky like fine imported cloth, the color of her hair was a light blonde which was very golden, it shone in the little light the sun gave it.
Her eyes were a bright red like cherries, matching her dress.
Despite being a very pretty girl, as she grows up she will become a pain in the ass.
Her attitude will be so horrible that she will make everyone hate her.
She will be so arrogant and presumptuous that no one will get close to her, only her entourage, and that's because their families are vassals of the duke's house.
For that reason, her fiancé, the righteous and peace-loving third imperial prince Regulux, will get fed up with her and in a key event will put an end to their relationship and start his happy life with the protagonist.
In the end, this horrible girl sees three possible endings depending on her heinous acts uncovered.
Life imprisonment with torture.
Banishment to some faraway place.
Death by hanging.
Any of those three endings she will always get, whether you reveal all her atrocities, she will lose.
Personally, I don't care.
I mean, she may be a spoiled brat now. But isn't she already horrible from this age?
She hit me for disrespecting her, well, I got what I deserved, but it's still horrible.
She threw herself from a very high place and if it wasn't for me using magic to resist her fall, we would have both died.
Besides, now that I remember that almost every day I come here, she uses me as her personal plaything.
All in all, she's a hateful girl.
"Commoner, stop acting like you don't know where you are."
I looked at her annoyed since she doesn't know that I'm annoyed with her. It's easy to not pay attention to your surroundings when you're a spoiled brat.
"Anyway, let's go inside and play."
She grabbed my hand and forcibly made me stand up to run all the way to the mansion.
I didn't notice, but her hands like mine are small.
That means I really woke up in a child's body.
A very ugly one.
In my previous life I was also ugly, but I think this is a punishment.
Sorry Buddha, or whoever was in control of my world. I'm sorry to be so lazy, but... why did you make me so ugly?
◇
We walked for at least five minutes to reach the mansion.
There an elegant old butler with his long hair tied in a bun was waiting for us.
"Miss Elize, you mustn't do that."
"Yes~"
The little villainess seemed to rather accept that what she did was wrong but didn't make a big deal of it.
The butler saw me and told me to go take a bath.
A large Japanese style bathhouse was near the mansion.
It seems to have been built for employees who don't come in dirty.
I went straight there.
◇
The bath was very refreshing and I was given used clothes until the clothes I came in were dry.
Once I left the bathhouse, the little villainess was waiting for me. She was showing an obvious spoiled child pout.
"So slow!"
I apologized so she wouldn't bother anymore.
"I'm so sorry, but I had to wait for the healing wizard to arrive so he could close the wound."
It was an advanced world and country for the most part, but the role of healers was the almost only means of healing wounds and illnesses, it was known as healing magic, people thought it was only good for that until she showed up.
We entered the mansion.
The place was huge, not only from a child's point of view, but from an adult's as well.
The front door was about the same size as the back of a cargo truck.
The little villainess didn't let go of my hand and we headed for the stairs, there was a small elevator.
It seems that the staircase is just a large and numerous ornaments.
From the elevator I could see the numerous mirrors, vases, furniture and marble statues.
Everything was very elegant and for sure expensive.
After going up to the destined floor, we got off and walked to a small vehicle.
We got in it and she drove it.
Actually the situation leaves me more intrigued than amazed.
What kind of strange and surreal fantasy world was this?
◇
We went around the same floor several times and then arrived at the destined place.
It was a normal door, but it was made with gold and the knob was a diamond, she opened and the door and we entered her room.
It was the equivalent of a party room.
We sat at a table and she served me tea.
No kidding, real tea.
It was iced and tasted horrible.
◇
Hours passed and the sun was setting.
My dad probably must have finished with his work.
"I think it's time for me to go?"
The little villainess heard me and stopped.
We were playing doctor, she was putting gelatinous things on my back and then saying they were leeches.
"Hey, but are you still at risk of death?"
It's scary that, for a game, it really feels like one.
"My father must have already finished his work so he must be waiting for me at the door."
She looked annoyed.
"Okay, but next time I'll operate on you."
I'm scared.
◇
After getting off the elevator, standing in the large doorway were two men having a conversation.
One of them was my father who was dirty, that's because he is the gardener.
He is one of the best apparently since we have been serving the duke's family pro almost 100 years.
The man next to him noticed our presence and said.
"Did you have fun beautiful?"
The man was tall, thin, wavy blond hair, thin mustache covering almost all of his mouth, blue eyes and wore a very elegant and expensive brown suit.
He was the head of this house, one of the seven dukes of the empire. Alvin von Rosenberg.
He didn't even ask me if I had fun.
This was the difference of social classes.
If the high status one is not interested in you, it's the best thing for you.
The duke said to my father.
"I will contact you soon."
My father bowed rather than say anything, I did too and we both proceeded to leave.
Before I stepped on the magic escalator, the little villainess called out to me from behind.
I turned to see what she wanted and she said.
"I'll be waiting for you this Thursday."
I didn't want to answer, so I just nodded.
Apparently, she grimaced with pride at the sight of me.
As we walked down the stairs, my father said to me.
"Tomorrow you will go to the Principality Adventurer's Guild. It's about time you registered as one."
My father didn't say anything else until we got home.
◇
The next morning my father said he had some business to attend to, so I had to go alone to the adventurer's guild.
As in any RPG game, it was normal for there to be one.
In every territory there is a headquarters, which are connected to each other like a spider's web.
I had to come by carriage cab. It sounds weird to say, but that's what it sounds like.
I am outside a large building, it looks like a luxurious mansion as it occupies several streets in size.
Upon entering, the view was definitely that of a medieval but modern place.
The chairs were wooden, but the tables were metal.
There were wooden glasses covered with silver which had alcohol in them.
Silver and gold spoons and forks.
There were men and women wearing different clothes.
Some had copper or silver chain mail.
Others had expensive armor made of monster parts or precious minerals.
Weapons were simple; sword, spears, axes, bows and rifles.
Those who used rifles were undoubtedly nobles.
In the game, only those who could afford the maintenance of firearms and buy bullets, which were not normal bullets but magic bullets with different elements, could acquire them.
Of course, I am talking about the non-playable characters according to the lore of the game.
There was also talk of nobles disowning adventurer work. Which is very strange since when the empire was still a kingdom, the most profitable profession and the one that boosted your status as a noble was being an adventurer.
It seems that this is influenced by that game from which several things were inspired.
As nobles are very self-centered and petty, many create pseudonyms to come and do adventuring jobs.
So there's nothing wrong with being one if no one catches you, even if they are acquaintances they don't say anything.
I approached the lady at the reception desk.
I was amazed due to a beauty attending me, she wasn't just any beauty, she was a cat eared beauty.
"Very good morning nya. how can I help you nya?"
(She said it!)
(She said a super cliché gaming phrase, but my virgin heart feels glad to hear that!)
In this country, I don't know if it's worldwide since the game never said it. It seems that demi-humans are treated coldly by various nobles. There are laws protecting them, such as humane treatment of commoners, but only as appearances to presume they are better than other countries.
"H-Hello, good morning. I would like to register as an adventurer. I'm seven years old as of a couple of weeks ago and my father signed all this."
The age at which you can join the guild as an adventurer is from seven and your parents approve.
The legal age to live alone is at twelve, while at thirteen you can already start working if you wish in something other than adventuring.
At fifteen you are officially recognized as an adult. You can drink alcohol, smoke and even do things you shouldn't do with women who charge for a special service.
In the game this was never said, but on the forums they managed to find out things the developers didn't want you to know.
"Understood. Everything seems to be in order, please your signature here."
The cute cat-eared receptionist made me sign a sheet in which I agreed that the guild would not be held responsible if I ever died during a mission or after collecting my reward.
How frightening it was.
The language of this world was a mix between English and Kanji.
Since everything is written horizontally it is easier to read and write.
"Ready, now to finish, please spill a drop of your blood."
The receptionist was doing something, I couldn't see her as she was very small, but she came out of her place to approach me.
She had a brown laminated credential.
With a small knife I cut my thumb and then as if putting my fingerprints on it I pressed it down.
A glowing magic circle appeared as she said.
"Congratulations. You are now a young member of the adventurer's guild. You can visit any guild in the entire empire. Since you are very young, you can only start with quests within your limits."
Beside my name was a big golden letter, it was my rank as an adventurer. I'm at the lowest of all, rank E.
There are five ranks in total. Rank E is for newbies and children.
Rank D is for those who have finished the tutorial and are starting their adventure.
Rank C is for more skilled and missions ranging from protection as escorts to bodyguards.
Rank B is for experts and ranges from killing extremely dangerous monsters to being personal captains of a nobleman.
The most difficult to achieve is rank A, only those who are at the level of a knight of the empire can be recognized as such.
In fact, they say that a saint of the sword comes to check whether or not you are worthy of rising to that A rank as the country may ask you for help.
It's a bit hypocritical if you think about it and at the same time very awesome.
As an E rank, it means I have to complete missions like fetching cats, walking dogs, picking weeds, etc.
The tasks no one wants. Funnily enough, I remember watching an anime where some adventurers refused to kill goblins, but D-ranks are the ones who request it the most.
Now that I have my adventurer credentials, I proceeded to leave the place, but not before overhearing a certain conversation.
"Hey did you hear what happened to Klein?"
"No. What thing?"
"The poor idiot went into the lawless city to capture the king of eternal night."
"That guy must be one hell of an idiot if he thinks that spawn fortress can be penetrated by a B-rank. Is he alive at least?"
"As you think. He's good and dead, hahaha. They found his dismembered body at the entrance."
"Uwahh, how disgusting. Good thing the empire doesn't stick its business in that place. Who knows how many of us would be treated like cannon fodder if we went in."
"Hahaha, you're right."
The night king... just hearing his name gives me the creeps, but it's not something I need to worry about since the protagonists will take care of it sooner or later.
My real reason for being an adventurer is something else, so I absolutely cannot die for anything in this world.
◇
On Thursday I had already arrived without any problem.
My father took me to the Duke's mansion, it seems he had something to talk to him about.
Once I arrived, the little villainess did the same thing as the other time.
"Cooooommooooneeeer~!"
She swooped down from the heights again to land on me.
This time I came prepared.
I took out a magic toy made out of slime.
It's like some kind of inflated armchair, but it's actually a beach ball.
Very weird this whole world.
The little villainess landed sinking into the slime. It had a little button that you could deflate it.
As she did so, the slime ball would shrink and get more and more wrinkled.
The little villainess stood up before it deflated all the way and said to me.
"Looks like you really amused me more this time, ufufu."
She made that strange sound while looking at me.
◇
Today we had a better time than last time.
Now the tea was customer and there were rice crackers to eat.
The sun was setting. Soon it would be time for me to go home.
"Hey, commoner."
The little villainess called out to me, as I watched her, I noticed that her eyes were looking down at her plate and she seemed to be red in the face.
Is she sick by any chance?
Don't infect me if she is.
"Yes?"
She was giving little glances at her plate and my face, then, in a shy voice she said.
"...Y-You have something to do this weekend?"
I replied with a simple, "No."
She brightened and gave a slight bounce for her raised shoulders.
Now her tone toward me was more humbler for some reason.
"I-if you don't mind and don't have any unfinished business.... would you mind coming to my party?"
A party, huh?
"It's a tea party. So your friends should come instead of-"
"You're wrong."
She suddenly cut off my words.
Her look was getting more and more embarrassed and shy.
"It's not a tea party-it's my birthday."
My eyes widened in surprise.
"If so, it's my very answer."
"It's just..."
She looked down at her plate as she answered me.
"I don't have anyone else to celebrate with but my family."
Now this is a surprise.
"I can't socialize with other girls until I'm twelve as my mother indicates."
"That's why my father asked your father if he had a son or daughter to be my playmate."
I think I'm getting the hang of it now.
"And... since we've been playing together for months, I'd like to be able to celebrate with you too."
This spoiled little girl is all alone.
She has no one to play with... I think, that's the reason for being the way she was during the bullying events.
But since none of this was ever revealed, no one could guess what she was hiding.
"I would like to come. But I don't have money for even a gift."
Her eyes widened like saucers at my words. Her cheeks were red and her mouth showed her teeth covered with cookie scraps.
"No need for that, just you attending is enough!"
"In that case, I'd be very happy to come, Miss Elize."
"Eli..."
"Excuse me?"
I made a confused expression at what she said.
She touched her fingertips awkwardly as she turned her head to the opposite side of mine.
"I let you call me Eli. That's what my parents call me when they want to spoil me."
I find it very odd that I call her that, but what can you do.
"Miss Eli."
"Honorifics are superfluous."
"It's okay.... Eli."
"Yes?"
I called her name, feeling very embarrassed for some reason. She looked at me expecting something.
"You can call me Razel if you wish."
She nodded and said. "Nice to meet you, Razel."
Wow, I can't believe this villainess is so cute.
Maybe... I should help her so she can avoid becoming a horrible girl in the future?
Well, I'll find out over the weekend.
◇
"See you this weekend Razel~"
Eli was waving goodbye to me from the big door.
Her little hand stretched as far as she could afford.
I waved goodbye to her too.
As we walked down the magical stairs, my dad said to me.
"What do you mean, the weekend? Do you have plans, by any chance?"
"Yes. I actually-"
My dad killed the good mood I was in with the next thing he said.
"As of today we have finished our 100 years of service as a gentleman's household. The imperial palace sent me a document that says we are recognized as a baronial house without territory. Razel, we will move to the imperial capital tomorrow itself."
I could express absolutely nothing at what he said.
"If you have any business with her, you should go up and tell her. It would be bad for a girl, even if she is from the house of a duke. I already spoke to him and he gave me a letter of recommendation."
I should go up and tell her, but that would end up much worse.
It's better if she learns what deception means from an early age, so when the event happens where Prince Regulux breaks off his engagement to her, she won't do the crazy thing of attacking the protagonist with her magic.
I hope it won't upset her as well.
Goodbye Eli, our paths will never meet again.