“Lodging is ten silver coins a day. Meals are five silver coins per person. Hot water around the clock, and a private bathroom.”

I sat on the inn’s big bed, looking over the room’s decor as I rubbed my jawbone.

“The inn that young lady recommended isn’t bad.”

I heard water splashing. Eileen was taking a bath.

I glanced toward the steamy bathroom and couldn’t help marveling that this world had things like faucets and running water!

It even had water heaters!!

“Eileen said it’s some kind of rune technology. Looks like this world’s tech tree has advanced further than I thought.”

【Runes are created by storing various forms of magic in energy carriers through special methods.】

Paper-chan suddenly went into lecture mode, so I listened while unpacking.

【The rune industry in this world is fully industrialized. There are rune lamps that store light magic, rune heaters and geothermal systems that use fire magic, and faucets powered by wind and water magic.】

［Sounds pretty convenient.］

【But these things are only available in big cities and major urban centers, and ordinary people can’t afford them.】

“Hmm...”

So, judging by all that, being reincarnated near this city was... lucky?

［Does this world have transportation like trains or airplanes?］

【It has rune trains, but the fares are sky-high. Only some nobles and businesses use them.】

【Private vehicles and spacecraft are almost completely undeveloped. For now, most long-distance transportation still relies on horse-drawn carriages and cargo ships.】

After hearing Paper-chan explain all that, a strange idea came to me. My jaw shifted back and forth as I put on a somewhat creepy grin.

“Looks like this is an untapped blue-ocean market. Heh heh heh...”

【What are you planning to do?】

［I can’t do anything about it yet. I’ll think about it later.］

Well, it was something to consider after I had money and reached a certain level, anyway.

The splashing in the bathroom stopped, replaced by a girl’s light humming. I could hear her rubbing a towel covered in suds over her smooth, pale skin, and my mind immediately started wandering.

I shook my head, turned my back to the bathroom, and tried to clear my mind of all those improper images. Then I calmed down and took stock of my current situation.

“Ascertain.”

【Ojer】

【Race: Undead】

【Hidden Race: Life-and-Death Spirit】

【Class: Necromancer】

【Level: LV17 (Becoming a squad leader wouldn’t be difficult for you.)】

【Combat Power: Unlock the ［Combat Power Assessment］ system to view.】

【Current Status: Enhanced physical strength; constant body temperature; immune to temperature changes; Steadfast Will; night vision; no need for sleep; soul flame; etc.】

【Note: User No. 001, you are a man destined to become a god.】

“Hmm...”

Level 17, huh...

The most important thing right now was to sort through the information I’d gathered.

I already had proof of identity, and my financial problems were taken care of.

I never expected the gold coins I’d found while rummaging through a box to be worth so much... I should go rummage around again sometime.

I’d found a place to stay for now. Next, I had to make long-term plans for the future.

Oh, right.

There was also the question of Paper-chan’s true identity, and why it was in my head.

Why was it in my head? Why had I been dragged into this strange other world? What was its true purpose...?

［Paper-chan, are you there?］

【This system is here.】

I took a deep breath, sat up cross-legged, and spoke with utmost seriousness.

［I know it’s a little late to ask, but why did you choose me as your mission executor? There are so many people stronger than I am.］

［And becoming a god and all that... After retiring, I was just an ordinary college student. Aren’t you worried I’ll get myself killed trying to handle a mission this difficult?］

【An ordinary college student ordinarily flees. An ordinary army ordinarily gives chase. An ordinary Wutong ordinarily carries ordinary C4 and ordinarily blows it up right on top of an ordinary tank.】

［......］

【If all the college students in China were like you, history books would say the Sakura Empire’s army spent eight years trying to escape back to its homeland from a bunch of ordinary college students. China wouldn’t just be a developing country, either. Wouldn’t it be great if it toppled the Federation and became the world’s superpower?】

［Emmmmmm... Looks like you know my background pretty well. How much do you know, exactly?］

I sighed. I didn’t argue or bother asking how it had learned all that about me.

Things were complicated enough as it was. Making them even more complicated was the sort of thing politicians did. I’d rather focus on practical matters.

【Wutong, age 22. Currently a college student studying mathematics in China. In reality, a miserable, hopelessly fat shut-in who spends every day at home.】

［...I’m not fat at all, okay? And I’m really tall.］

【Oh, that was this system’s mistake.】

【A miserable, hopelessly tall shut-in.】

［You little...］

【You’re also a virgin.】

［......］

【And now you’ll have to be a virgin for the rest of your life.】

［You son of a...］

But what it said next killed any desire I had to joke around.

【Those are all false identities. Your real identity is as an employee of Black Rock International (BlackRock Worldwide). You served as a PMC in Syria, Central Africa, South Asia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos. Your largest payment was $400,000. You were captured twice, wounded seven times, and shot three times. Your codename was ［Firmiana］, which means—】

［Wutong tree, in Latin...］

［So you know quite a lot about me. Leaving aside how you found out, you still haven’t answered my question.］

【This system doesn’t have permission to access the main system’s decision-making process. Regardless, you accepted the mission.】

Tch. It was dodging the question.

［...What if I hadn’t accepted?］

【If you had refused... After refusing the mission, this system would have deleted all its data and performed a factory reset within five minutes. All access rights for User No. 001 would have been frozen until the next suitable candidate arrived.】

【Also, to ensure an adequate reserve of backup energy, this system would have reclaimed all of User No. 001’s Life energy.】

I froze for a moment.

［Uh... So you mean...］

【You would have died immediately.】

［Paper-bro, I’m sorry. I was only joking.］

【It’s good to admit your mistake and mend your ways.】

Heh...

Could I return it now? This AI didn’t seem intelligent at all... It was a whole artificial idiot!

Whatever... I’d make do with it. At least it could work like a computer.

“Mr. Ojer?”

A delicate young girl’s voice came from in front of me. I raised my head and looked straight ahead.

“Oh, Eileen, you’re done bathing... Holy—!”

I looked toward the bathroom, my mouth falling open so wide my jaw nearly dropped off.

The midday sunlight streamed through the window and fell across the towel wrapped around the girl. The lingering mist made the scene look even more hazy and serene.

Her slender frame was not voluptuous, yet it was gracefully curved, lithe, soft, and brimming with youthful charm. Her long silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, enveloping her entire body and making her exposed fair skin appear all the more alluring. Water dripped from her still-damp hair, falling drop by drop from her jade-like form.

Her two slender, alluring legs were fully exposed to the air, her toned thighs impossible to look away from, and her calves, without an ounce of excess fat, led down to the girl's delicate bare feet, which stepped on the floor, leaving behind tiny wet marks.

The girl herself stood right in front of me, toweling off her silver hair without the slightest awareness of my shock.

A few moments passed.

“Aaaaaaagh!!”

I yelled, nearly choking, and hurriedly covered my eyes and turned away.

“Mr. Ojer?”

Eileen stared at me blankly and tilted her head.

“E-E-E-E-Eileen, what are you doing?! Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?!”

She thought about it for a moment, then answered as if it were perfectly obvious:

“I was really hot after my bath, so I didn’t put any on...”

I nearly toppled over!

Did this girl have no sense of caution at all?!

“I’m right here, you know! And no matter how you look at it, I’m a man! Eileen, show a little modesty!!”

“A man...”

The girl repeated the words instinctively. Her arm froze in midair as she dried her hair. A moment later, it clicked. Her little face turned bright red, steam practically bursting from it, and she hurriedly covered herself.

“W-W-Wait, Mr. Ojer is a man?!”

“Isn’t that obvious?! You can tell from my voice!!”

“But you’re a skeleton! No, a Life-and-Death Spirit...”

“That doesn’t matter! Just go put some clothes on!!”

“Ah! I-I’m sorry!!”

With that, Eileen fled back into the bathroom. I instinctively glanced over my shoulder, but she was already gone.

“Cough!”

I was done for. I’d taken internal damage.

【Hey, pervert.】

Paper-chan’s cold, mechanical voice rang out.

［Huh... What is it...?］

I still hadn’t recovered from the unexpected sight, and answered in a daze.

【Your nose is bleeding.】

［Huh? Oh, right... Thanks...］

I hurriedly wiped my nose, but after rubbing for a while, I realized there was nothing there.

“Ah... Wait... I don’t think I can bleed...”

I stood there, staring at the ceiling and contemplating life.

“Ahem. Anyway, I’m a man—or at least, that’s what I think.”

Eileen had gotten dressed and was sitting in the chair across from me. She lowered her head, her cute little face bright red with embarrassment.

【No, you’re not. You don’t have male anatomy.】

［Shut up...］

Damn it. It was this stupid system’s fault I’d ended up in this body in the first place...!

“I... I understand...”

Eileen answered timidly and looked up at me, but closed her eyes again from embarrassment.

I awkwardly scratched my jawbone.

It was about time I told her what was going on with me...

That’s right. I still hadn’t told Eileen that I was reincarnated, or even mentioned Paper-chan.

“Ahem. Eileen, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“O-Okay...”

【Please don’t reveal this system’s existence for now.】

［Why?］

I didn’t quite understand.

【Until you’re completely sure she can be trusted, keep what you tell her to a minimum.】

【And if the worst happens, the less she knows, the better it is for her.】

The worst...

Would she be recognized as a half-elf and taken away?

［I understand.］

I looked up and gave a couple of affected coughs.

“Eileen, what I’m about to tell you might be hard to believe, but I hope you’ll listen carefully.”

The girl glanced at me, then nodded shyly.

And so, I told her everything.

I told her everything without holding back: about the world I’d lived in before I died, how I’d died, and some of my abilities.

Of course, I didn’t mention Paper-chan or the support it gives me.

After listening, Eileen was so shocked she could barely close her mouth.

“Mr. Ojer, you’re really not joking, are you...?”

I gave her a helpless smile.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“No, it’s just...”

The girl rested her chin in her hands, as if forcing herself to accept this shocking reality.

Watching her reaction, I felt a little down.

So this world doesn’t have a concept of reincarnators, huh...

Or at least, it wasn’t something everyone knew about.

I’d been hoping I might find someone from back home to talk about Earth with...

So all that stuff in light novels and anime about heroes being summoned from another world really is just wish-fulfillment, huh.

“Well, I didn’t expect you to accept what I told you right away. Most people would have a hard time believing a skeleton who says he came from another world.”

“Mm...”

Eileen nodded, then quickly shook her head. She took my hand, her crimson eyes seeming to glow.

“But I believe you, Mr. Ojer!”

“Huh?”

I tilted my skull.

“Why?”

“Because you believed me too, Mr. Ojer. And you accepted me!”

After saying that, the girl lowered her head. A glimmer like a falling star shone at the corner of her eye, and her voice turned desolate.

“Before, all I had was Mom. I’d never had any friends... and nobody was willing to believe us...”

“Even the occasional person who helped us or smiled kindly at us would make me so happy.”

“But once they found out I was a half-elf... I’ll never forget the way they looked at me like I was filth...”

Hearing something so heavy, I froze for a moment, unsure what to say. I could only pat her on the head.

Silence spread between us, weighing down an atmosphere that was already heavy.

After a while, Eileen raised her head. Layer upon layer of mist filled her eyes, as if tangled around an immeasurable sadness.

“Eileen?”

“Mr. Ojer... can I be selfish for a moment...?”

I paused.

“Of course. What do you want?”

She looked straight into my hollow eyes. Her voice was earnest, yet almost pleading.

“Um... you’ll turn back into a human eventually, right...?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan for now. A skeleton’s body is inconvenient in pretty much every way.”

“Then... when you do turn back... could you please not leave me behind...?”

“...”

I didn’t know how to answer. So the girl held on to my hand and kept talking, as if to herself.

“You’re my first friend, Mr. Ojer... We haven’t known each other long, but you feel like an older brother... You make me feel safe.”

“I have nothing to offer you, and I’m still making such a selfish request, but... please...”

“I don’t want to... Please...!”

Eileen’s voice grew quieter and quieter. At last, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She hugged her knees and began to sob softly, repeating “please” over and over. It was heartbreaking.

“Sigh...”

I let out a soft sigh, crouched down, and took her slender pinky in mine. My voice was gentle.

“Didn’t we make a promise? We’d protect each other’s secrets and keep each other hostage. Besides, it’ll be a long, long time before I turn human again. I won’t leave you before then.”

“I swear. Will you believe me?”

“Mm... I believe you!”

She nodded and smiled, looking a little happier.

“I’m going to buy some everyday necessities. Don’t go wandering off, okay?”

I ruffled her hair, then left the room as Eileen called after me, “Be careful out there!”

12:30 a.m.

Time flew by. I’d only meant to buy a few little things, but halfway there, I remembered Eileen needed underwear too.

So I had no choice but to take her along to an underwear store. The saleswoman stared daggers at me the whole time, as if I were some perverted creep.

By the time dinner rolled around, we finally made it back with armfuls of bags. Eileen was so tired that after eating and brushing her teeth, she climbed into bed and fell asleep at once.

[Come to think of it, shouldn’t you tell this system now?]

I sat beside Eileen’s bed, stroking her hair as I gazed at the girl’s delicate, adorable sleeping face. I felt a little down.

[What does this girl have to do with your younger sister? And who exactly is Karina?]

I paused for two seconds, then gave a bitter smile.

[Looks like you don’t know about my memories or the details of my mission...]

[Your memories are private. This system has no right to access them.]

[Private, huh... Never mind. You know where I was for my last job, right?]

[Afghanistan. The mission lasted three months.]

Afghanistan...

I wouldn’t go back there again, even if I died.

[Then I’ll tell you about it.]

[During those three months... a man named Wutong]

[What exactly did he do?]