Chapter 4 – Relief

After experiencing that heartrending event of being run away from by both bandits and their victim, I stood stock still for a while, but I pulled byself together and decided to have a look at what was inside the bag that was flung at me earlier.
Just as I had guessed from that painful experience earlier, the inside of the bag was stuffed with gold coins.
I don’t know what the currency in this world is worth, but there are quite a lot inside, and I think it might be a fair amount.
…The pain was proportional though.

When I counted the contents more carefully, I found that there were 5 gold coins, 48 silver coins, and 114 copper coins.
To be hit in the face with such a heavy thing, you did well in getting out unscathed, me.
I’m not sure, but it’s probably that the carriage owner from before was just about to beg the bandits for his life with this money.
And then I appeared, and he threw it at me without checking what was inside…
Thinking about it again, I’m really getting a little irritated.
Though it wasn’t intention, I was his saviour, but he threw something at me and ran away, so my anger is justified.

And so, I’ve decided to keep this money as reparations.
It doesn’t seem like I’ll have a chance to give it back after all.
Having tidied this matter up in my mind, I put a few silver and copper coins into the pocket of my robe, and toss the rest into my item box leather bag and all.

Now then, what am I going to do from now on.
From what I saw of the reactions earlier, even if I arrive at a town, I think the possibility of them letting me in is low.
It’s still better if they just get scared and run; if things go badly, I might even get attacked.
But staying away from civilisation like this is impossible.
I don’t have any survival skills, and even if I did, it’s dubious as to whether they would work in this other world.
In the end, I have no choice but to get to a town somehow in order to survive.
Can’t I control these annoying skills somehow…?

Wait, hang on?
The bandits and the carriage owner looked scared after they met eyes with me.
In other words, can’t we say that the fear is limited to the effect of the mystic eyes, and the aura alone doesn’t have that much of an effect?
I accidentally thought of them as a set, but the weakened effect against humans was only written for the Evil God Aura, and it didn’t necessarily affect the Mystic Eyes of Wicked Authority.
If the Evil God Aura doesn’t seem like it’ll be that much of a problem, and only the Mystic Eyes of Wicked Authority are an issue, then there are still ways I can cope.
Since making eye contact is the activation condition, the effect won’t activate if I make it so that our eyes don’t meet.
Fortunately the robe has a hood, so if I pull it down enough that it hides my eyes, I’ll just be a person with a slightly eerie atmosphere… at least I hope that’s how it is.

I can’t deny that there’s a lot of wishful thinking mixed up into there, but given that I don’t have any other choices, I’ve decided to follow my original plan and look for a town.
First of all is the problem of which way I should head for now, but────

“…Let’s go this way.”

I’ve decided to go not in the direction that the carriage escaped in earlier, but to go the opposite way.
I think there should be human settlements in the direction that the carriage came from as well as where it was going, but I don’t know which is closer.
The probability is an even 50:50.
In that case, considering just in case that I meet with that carriage owner again, it seems like it would be nothing but trouble, so let’s go in the opposite direction.

And like that, I once again began to walk.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

I don’t have a watch so I can’t tell the time accurately, but I think after walking for about two hours, the forest ended and I reached a wide grass plain.
If it was the me from before, then I would have been unable to move from the exhaustion long ago, but because of the reinforcement of my physical abilities I’m not even sweating.
The highway stretched out through the plain, and in the far distance I could see a town.
It was surrounded by a wall, and seemed to be quite a big town.
It’s just what I can see, but it seems that I’ll need to walk for another hour to get there.
After looking about the plain and confirming that there weren’t any dangerous looking animals, I headed to the town.

When I got close to the town, I could see that at the end of the highway was a small building set as the entrance, and in front of it stood a few people and their carriages.
I quietly added myself to the end of the line, and listened as best I could for information.
Since I know nothing about this world’s common sense, I don’t even know the procedures of how to get into town after all.
The merchants riding their carriages showed the gate guards a card, and their carriage underwent a check before passing through.
As for those walking on foot, some of them showed a card just like the merchants, and some of them paid money and received a wooden card.
Those cards are probably identification papers of some sort.
But though there seem to be those that don’t have them, in that case it seems that they pay a silver coin before being let through.
I’m worried as to whether this flawed system will be alright, but to me it’s convenient.
While squeezing a silver coin I had in my robe pocket, I waited for my turn to come.

“Next… Just one person?”

“Yes.”

It was my turn now so I walked before the guard.
Inside, my heart was pounding, but I didn’t let it show.
Thankfully, because the hood was pulled down enough to cover my eyes, it seems that they didn’t get scared.

“A woman huh. Do you have ID?”

“I don’t.”

“Then pay a deposit, and we’ll issue you a temporary ID. The deposit is 1 silver coin.”

Not a toll, but a deposit huh?
I wonder if they’ll give it back when I leave.
I took out a silver coin from my robe pocket, and handed it over.

“We have certainly received it. When you leave the city, return the temporary ID and we’ll return the deposit. Even if you get an official ID when you’re in time, don’t throw away your temporary one.”

“Got it… How would I go about getting an official ID?”

“Did you just come from a country village or something? The fastest way should be to register at the Adventurers Guild and get an Adventurers Card. There’s also the church, and the Merchants Guild, but the former is no good unless you’re a resident or a believer. As for the latter, only merchants can enter so it probably doesn’t have anything to do with you, miss.”

Well, no matter how you look at it, I doubt I look like a merchant.
Since our eyes aren’t meeting I don’t know what kind of expression he’s making, but this guard is quite kind.
The Adventurers Guild, the church, and the Merchants Guild; for now I know that the town has at least these establishments.

“Well then, this is your temporary ID. Make sure not to lose it.”

“Yes.”

Putting the wooden card away in my robe pocket, I went through the gate.

The town was mostly round in shape, and the road stretched from the gate I entered, through to the central plaza, then all the way to the gate at the opposite side.
I don’t know what map direction it is, but from the words of the people walking around me, the gate I entered through was the eastern gate, and there were apparently also western and southern gates.
The northern side doesn’t have a gate, but the estate of this town’s────which seems to be named Riemel────governing lord.
The road I’m walking down now, and the one that perpendicularly intersects it at the central plaza seem to be this town’s main roads.
There are stalls and shops lined up along the main roads, and most residences are a little further in from the main roads than the shops are.

While walking I had a peek at the stalls and shops, and checked the value of the currency.
The items in the street stalls didn’t have price tags, and it seems that you need to ask the owner for the price.
On the other hand, the prices in the stores are displayed on wooden tags.

Two of this fruit that’s about the size of my fist is one copper coin.
One piece of bread ranges from one to two copper coins.
The dress-type clothing that’s worn by the people walking around in town is 15 copper coins.
A longsword about a metre long is 1 silver and 50 copper.
Wooden shields are 50 copper, while bronze shields are about 1 silver, marked down to 90 copper.

It seems that 100 copper coins has the same value as 1 silver coin.
Right now I haven’t seen a place that uses gold coins yet, so I don’t know how much it’s worth.
The things at the front of the shops are probably cheap goods, and the more expensive goods that would use a gold coin are probably further in the store.
Just looking at the foods sold, 1 copper coin seems to be worth about 100 Yen, but because the prices are varied, it would probably be better just to avoid thinking about how to simply convert it.

Concluding my price investigation, I entered a clothing shop to buy the things that I needed to buy before anything else.

High waisted panties were 6 coppers each.
Babydoll-like underwear were 10 coppers each.
Low-heeled boots were 9 coppers a pair.

I bought three of each underwear type, and a pair of boots, so in total it was 57 coppers altogether, and when I paid with a silver coin, I got 43 coppers in return.
I couldn’t find a bra.
In order to defend my honour I should say this to let you know, but what I couldn’t find wasn’t just my size, but bras altogether.
Let’s pretend that I didn’t see those bustier-type underwear hanging in the store.
Since I couldn’t put on the underwear in a place like this, I patiently bore with this breezy sensation for a while longer, and put on only the boots.
Between “not wearing them” and “getting found out that I wasn’t wearing them”, which is better I wonder… It’s a hard question, but I’ll go with not being found out.

By the time I left the clothing store, the sun had set a lot, and the beautiful evening sun lit up the town.
The stores in the area were beginning to close up sa well, and people were leaving for the road home.
It seems that this is a town that has an early night.
Thinking about it, there are no street lights, so once the sun sets the town will become dark.
The only places that do business at night are probably only taverns and slightly indecent shops.
I’d better quietly find myself a place to sleep or else.
Having decided that, I began walking down the main road as I searched for an inn.

While I was relying on the pictures on the signboards to search, I found a few inns.
Most of them seemed to have taverns on the first floor and guest rooms on the second, and most of them had a signboard with a bed and a signboard with a mug lined up alongside each other.
Amongst those I… didn’t choose one, and instead decided to try and find an inn without a tavern.
It’s just that taverns and the like just kind of smell of trouble, after all.

“Oh, a guest? Welcome, this is an inn.”

An obasan around 40 years old spoke to me after I opened the dor.
Speaking of which, I haven’t really noticed it up until now, but for some reason it seems that we can understand each other.

“How much is one night?”

“One night is 1 silver, breakfast is 5 coppers, dinner is 10 coppers, and a tub of hot water is 5 coppers.”

Hot water?
Ahh, in place of a bath?
I wonder if getting in the water isn’t mainstream.
It’s a bit of a shock.

“Five nights, with the food and water too please.”

Saying that, I handed over 6 silver coins.

“Got it, your room is on the second floor, the final door on the right. This is the key. Do you want to eat straight away?”

“Yes, if that’s possible.”

“Right away. I’ll prepare it now so wait in whichever seat you’d like.”

After I received the key with a wooden plate attached, I sat in a sat to the side of the dining room and waited for the food to come.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

After I finished eating, I received the tub of hot water, and climbing the stairs, I entered the room they gave me.
By the way, dinner was bread, stew with plenty of vegetables, and fruit for dessert.
It was simple, but delicious.
Opening the door with the key I received, I found that it was a room about 6 tatami, with a bed and a table set.
After entering and locking the door, I placed the hot water tub on the floor, and flopped onto the bed face up.
The ceiling with its wood grain entered my vision, and this unfamiliar sight really drove home that I was in another world.
Because of how desolate I was feeling, tears involuntarily blurred my vision… is not what happened, but it’s a fact that my heart is filled to the brim with anxiety.
It seemed that I would fall into an endless loop of depression, so I got up because I felt like I would fall asleep if I continued lying there, and after checking once more that the door was locked, I took off the robe and dress I was wearing, and placed them on the bed.
I soaked the cloth that I received alongside the tub of water, and then wrang it out, and wiped myself clean starting with my hair, then my upper body, and finally my lower body.
Once I was more or less refreshed, I put on the underwear that I just bought, and put on the dress that I had tossed onto the bed.
I’m about to go to sleep, so it should be fine even if I don’t put the robe on. The blanket is thin and it’s a little cold, so I draped the robe on top though.

It’s an hour where the sun has only just set, but perhaps because lots of things happened and I was tired, my eyelids felt heavy. There’s nothing to do anyway, so I should just hurry up and sleep already. Thinking this, I crawled into bed.

 

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Chapter 3 – A Common Development

A suspicious girl clad from head to toe in pitch black walked wordlessly through the forest… It’s me though.
I experienced various shocks, but dwelling on them won’t get me anywhere, so I decided to do something else for now.
At any rate, what I really want right now is reach a human settlement.
Based on what I’ve seen from the skills earlier, I can’t really feel hopeful. But even so, if I stay here, my only choice is to starve to death so there’s no helping it.
In the skill explanation it said “the effect on humans is lower” so I have no choice but to bet on that.

Moreover, I was worried about the curse of the tantou and robe, but what they meant was “if you drop it, it’ll return to you after certain amount of time” and “even if you try to equip something else, it’ll fly off”.
I gave putting the tantou in my item box for a try, and found that the putting away part was possible.
But after thirty minutes it flew out on its own and settled itself into my right hand.
And moreover, while my hand was empty I tried to pick up a branch about the size of a wooden sword, but this time the tantou immediately flew out and knocked the branch out of my hand.
…Because it looked like it was jealous, I ended up finding it a little cute.
Also, it was fine if I picked up a small branch that wouldn’t become a weapon.

As you’d expect, even if nobody was around I didn’t feel like stripping, so I haven’t tested the robe yet but it’s probably the same.
But this means that I won’t be able to wear other clothing.
I don’t have a habit of dressing up, but I’m against having only the one suit.
Let’s sincerely pray that there’s a way of dispelling the curse.

Because I didn’t have shoes, I had no choice but to walk barefoot.
At first I walked timidly, afraid that rocks or sticks would cut my feet, but mysteriously there was no pain.
It might be that the physical ability that the evil god spoke about isn’t just athletic ability, but includes toughness and stuff as well.
Once I considered that this unknown body of mine might not be human, the dread surged forth, but I’ve decided not to think about it for now.

But wow, my field of vision sure is terrible.
Because of all the thickly grown trees, there’s nothing but blind spots.
I don’t show it on my face, but inside I’m scared that an animal will suddenly jump out from the shade of a tree and attack me.
No, if it’s just a normal animal then that might still be better.
From the fantasy-ness of this world, it’s plenty possible that a monster or something will appear instead.

The aimlessly wandering girl is suddenly surrounded by a pack of orcs and goblins.
The pitiful and unfortunate bishoujo was made into their plaything and… Mn, impossible, huh?
Despite myself, I accidentally thought up such an impossible delusion.
If I could have such a heroine-like development, to begin with, it wouldn’t have been odd for me to have had a steamy romance in my old life.
But I’ve never even gotten close to getting a boyfriend, and it was all underlings arbitrarily pledging their loyalty to me.
Mn, thinking about it again, it’s impossible, right?
Even considering my skills, I can’t imagine anything except a scene of orcs and goblins waiting upon me.
I don’t want to experience such a shocking event either, so let’s hurry up and get out of the forest.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

I was making good progress through the foliage when suddenly the trees around me disappeared.
I could see a roughly 20 metre clearing between the trees.
Though it wasn’t paved, it was probably a road, and along the flattened dirt of this road that stretched to my left and right were a number of wheel, hoof and foot prints.

And on the right hand side was a carriage that had stopp-… stopped?
Feeling doubt about a carriage that went out of its way to stop in the middle of the forest, I looked more closely and found that around the carriage were about ten men, clearly nobody decent, surrounding the carriage with swords and clubs in hand.
Wai-, could that carriage possibly be in the middle of being attacked by bandits?
And of all things, right here, right now, as I leave the forest?
Why do I have to encounter such a cliched development? It couldn’t be that this is some scheme of that evil god, could it?

There are still a lot of things I don’t understand, but for now I have to think about what I’m going to do.
For now, I have three choices────

(1) Anri-chan with her strong sense of justice, rushes to the aid of the carriage, driven by her sense of righteous indignation.
(2) Anri-chan who obeys the strong, butters up the bandits and attacks the carriage together with them.
(3) Anri-chan who follows the creed of letting sleeping dogs lie, decides that she didn’t see a thing, and runs away.

Before I knew it I was using my revised name… Incidentally, I’m picking choice (3) of course.
Eh? Isn’t this where you’re supposed to pick (1), you ask?
Don’t joke around, I have absolutely no intention of fighting.
As a cultural clubs-type person right down to the bone, I really wish that you wouldn’t hope for such sports clubs-type stuff from me.
And moreover, nonchalantly strolling in front of that group of brutes would be like a sheep jumping into a pack of wolves.
For the same reason I’ll say no to (2), and to begin with, I’m not so inhumane that I’d support the bandits.
Even (3) is inhumane, you say? No, no, telling a feeble level 1 girl to fight more than 10 bandits should be what’s inhumane.
To you inside the carriage────probably a princess, or a merchant or something────sorry, but please just accept this as your own bad luck, and don’t get me wrapped up in this.

I quietly began moving back into the forest so that the bandits and the person in the carriage wouldn’t notice.
Going by novel cliches, right now would be the moment that I step on a branch and draw attention to myself due to the sound, but I’m not going to make such a mistake.
Even while keeping my eyes in their direction, I’m paying attention to my feet… Geh-, our eyes met.

“Hii!?”

The bandit furthest back; in other words, the man closest to me, looked in my direction and let out a shriek.
Hey-, oi.

“W-, What is it?”

“A-, A woman? No…”

Like a chain effect, the other men who looked in my direction backed away.

“No…”, you say? You know, I am technically a woman you know? Biologically speaking.

“…”

“…”

At about 30 metres in between, the bandits and I wordlessly faced each other.
A strained silence filled the area.

“…”

Unable to bear the silence, I unconsciously thought ‘anything is fine, just say something‘ so I opened my mouth.
But that instant, the strained tension erupted.

“UWAHHHHHHHHHHH―――――!!!”

“S-, SAAAVE MEEEEEEEEE―――――!!!”

“W-, WAIT FOR MEEEE!”

At that moment, the bandits fled in all directions.
Completely dumbfounded, I just gazed at their retreating figures.

..*

When I snapped out of it, the bandits were already long gone, and only the stopped carriage was there.
Wait, I didn’t notice earlier, but looking closely there’s still one man by the carriage.
I thought that it might have been a bandit who was late to escape, but he was wearing clothing different from the bandits I just saw.
He was probably the owner of the carriage, and was just about to be attacked by the bandits.
It was just barely in time, but it seems that things ended without him being killed.

Unexpectedly, I ended up saving him. But I wonder what’s wrong with him.
From what I saw of the bandits’ response from earlier, there’s no doubt that the skill works just fine on humans as well.
Meaning that the chance that this man is afraid as well is high.
Honestly speaking I just want to pass on anything that’ll gouge at my heart any more, but I might be able to come into contact with him amiably, so passing up this chance is a waste.
Indeed. I didn’t do a thing and the bandits just ran on their own, but you could say that to this guy I’m his saviour.
If I speak to him amicably, I’m sure it’ll be okay.
Thinking this, I approached the man.
Oops, I’d better put this tantou in my item box so that I don’t accidentally provoke him.
Also, smiling is important for developing friendly relations. Smile, smile.

However, when I desperately put on a smile, the already pale man’s complexion grew noticeably worse.
Did I fail somehow?
Tilting my head in confusion, the man flung the leather bag in his hand towards m-…HEBU-!?

“S-, SAVE ME GOD―――――!!!”

It seems that something metal was inside the leather bag, so something hard and heavy smacked into my face.
While I was confused at this sudden abuse, the man frantically jumped onto the coachman’s spot and pulled the reins, and hurried the carriage away.
The carriage ran away like it was sliding, and travelled down the forest road just like that, before finally disappearing.

Still holding the leather bag that dropped from my face into my hands, I just stood frozen there.

… … … … … …It hurts.

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Chapter 2 – An Average Conclusion

Before I knew it, I was in a forest.
The surrounding thick trees and flowering plants grew densely, and although I could tell from the light seeping between the leaves of the trees that it was daytime, the place was still dim and dark.
After finding myself face down on the ground, I lifted my face and looked around. Confirming that I was alone, I stood up.
I brushed away the dirt and leaves that were stuck to the front of my body.

In the end, that god(provisional) didn’t give me clothes.
Would you normally throw out a naked maiden even as a joke?
There are lots of stories about being thrown into another world in manga and novels, but I’ve never heard of treatment as terrible as this.
I can’t even enter a town like this, and I can’t carelessly use the highway either.
Or more like, I’m really glad that I’m in the middle of the forest.

For now, even if there’s nobody around, I’d like to at least find something to cover myself up with, but I clearly have nothing on me.
Even when I looked around, I couldn’t even find a leaf big enough to cover up with.
While I was at a loss, I suddenly recalled what that god(provisional) said.
If I remember correctly, besides my wish, he gave me physical abilities, the power of magic, and an item box… item box?
If it has storehouse powers like the things you often see in games, then mightn’t there be something inside?
But, I don’t know how to use it.
Well, for now…

“Item box.”

When I gave chanting the name a try, I found a half-transparent display screen appear before my eyes.

Short Dagger 　×１
Leather Robe     ×１

Ooh, it had things inside.
They clearly sound like beginners items, but at this point I don’t really care.
There was the clothing that I so desperately wanted.
I have to get it out no matter what.
I tried touching the corresponding area but it was only visible and untouchable.
It seems that I can’t interact with it like a touch panel.
When I tried thinking ‘Robe, come out~’ I found that a dark brown robe suddenly appeared from my shadow.
Huh? This shadow was my item box?
It seems like an incredibly villain-ey action, but let’s leave that aside for now and put on the robe.
It feels rough and cheap, and I’m still just as naked inside so it’s all breezy.
But for now I’ve managed to cover myself, so I let out a sigh of relief… In my mind.

Since I could calm down now, I decided to investigate the display before my eyes.
Because I took out the robe, the contents only listed the short dagger now.
As a test, I picked up a stone by my foot, and while thinking about putting it away, I dropped it above my shadow.
The stone was completely swallowed up by the shadow, and the display now had the addition of 『A normal stone×１』.

“…”

Next I thought about closing the item box, and the display suddenly vanished.
With the display closed, when I concentrated on bringing the stone out, the stone appeared from the shadow.
When I thought about putting the stone away again, the stone just sank into the shadow.
Hmm, it seems that even without the display open, as long as I know what’s inside, I can bring it out.
Since I don’t know what might happen, I decided to bring out the short dagger and hold it in my right hand.

From what’s happened so far, it looks like this is a world with a game-like system.
In that case…

“Status.”

Just as I expected, a display different from the one before appeared.

Name:  Anri
Race:    Human Race
Sex:       Female
Age:     17
Job:       Mage
Level:   1
Title:      Child of the Evil God
Mana:   3031504
Skills:
– Evil God Aura (Lv.5)
– Mystic Eyes of Wicked Authority (Lv.5)
– Divine Enchantment (Lv.7)
– Abnormal Status Resistance (Lv.6)
– Darkness Magic (Lv.6)
– Item Box (Lv.4)
Equipment:
– Short Dagger
– Fur Robe

There were so many things I wanted to tsukkomi that I didn’t know where to start, but first of all there’s one thing I’d like to say.

You got it wrong.
My name 安里 is the surname Yasuzato.
It’s not the given name Anri.

Wanting to do something about this unilaterally revised name of mine, I tried touching the area on the display, but just like the item box menu from before, I couldn’t touch it.
Even when I concentrated and thought ‘Change~’ nothing happened at all.
After some trial and error, I found that I couldn’t do anything about it, and giving up, I turned my gaze to the other entries.

My race and sex, and age are fine, and as for my level I haven’t really done anything so being Lv.1 is natural.
I was arbitrarily made into a mage, but I don’t think of myself as the physical type, so it’s not like I have a problem with this either.
But the value of my mana points or whatever is weird.
No, well, I don’t know the average value for this so I can’t say for sure, but it looks like the numbers are clearly abnormal.

And moreover, there’s something even more worrying.

“Child of the Evil God?”

Why do I have such a sinister title attached?
The only god I know is that god(provisional) that threw me into this world.
Was that guy an evil god?
Well, the guy had even more stagnant looking eyes than me, so no matter how you look at him he doesn’t seem to be something holy, so if you told me that I’d believe it.

When I turned my eyes to the title, that area went into a close-up and showed an additional explanation.

<Child of the Evil God>
By the power of the Evil God, a divine child who has been conferred the blessings of darkness.

…*

…*

What the heck does that evil god want to do by giving me such a chuunibyou setting?

…*

…*

Now then, let’s leave the escapism at that, since it’s about time to turn my eyes to the problematic area.
Under the skills column are “Evil God Aura” and “Mystic Eyes of Wicked Authority”.

Taking ‘mystic eyes’ to be a change to my eyes, and ‘aura’ as ‘atmosphere’, I could tell that these corresponded to the things I wished for.
But I’m sure that I asked him to make it “normal”.
And despite that, for some reason it ended up like this, so I can’t accept it.
Turning my eyes to the skills column, I had the additional explanation appear.

<Evil God Aura>
The repulsive aura emitted by the Evil God.
Emitting this aura alone has no physical effects, but those within the area of effect will experience terror.
Lv.5 is the level of an average Evil God, and has enough power to send a dragon running frantically.
Additionally, because humans have a weaker sense than monsters, the effect on humans is lower.

Type:          Passive Skill
On/Off:      Unavailable
High/Low: Unavailable
However, the effectiveness will fluctuate based on the user’s mental condition.

…*

<Mystic Eyes of Wicked Authority>
Mystic eyes that confer terror upon those that meet its gaze.
Lv.5 is the level of an average Evil God, and has enough power to have a Demon King dogeza and beg for his life.

Type:          Passive Skill
On/Off:      Unavailable
High/Low: Unavailable
However, the effectiveness will fluctuate based on the user’s mental condition.

..*

Lv.5 is the level of an average Evil God────
an average Evil God────
average────

Wha-, who the heck said to make me normal “with an evil god as the standard”!?

Aren’t I done for?
This is obviously worse than in my old world.
Honestly, I’m afraid to look in a mirror.
Having come to this, considering that I’ll be kept at a distance by the people around me, it doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to live properly from now on.

My hands and knees collapsed to the ground… in my mind.

After being depressed for a while, I pulled myself together, and turned my eyes to the remaining skills.
I swore in my heart that one day I would smack that evil god though.

<Divine Enchantment>
Things touched will be granted the divine protection of the Evil God.
It’s a high level ‘mana bestowal’ skill, and though the mana bestowal is temporary, the divine protection is eternal.
The target can be both organic or inorganic, but in the case of enchanting a living being, the target is required to accept.
Lv.7 is the level of an intermediate god.

Type:          Passive Skill
On/Off:      Unavailable
High/Low: Available
When used consciously the target can be instantly enchanted, but the unconscious passive use requires contact for an hour.

..*

<Abnormal Status Resistance>
Grants high resistance to poisons, confusion and other such abnormal statuses.
At Lv.6 even a Demon King class attack can be rendered powerless.

…*

<Darkness Magic>
A system of magic that uses the great power of the darkness.
A system exceptional at reducing the power of the opponent and attacking.
The effectiveness will fluctuate based on time of day, and displays its maximum power at night.
Lv.6 is the level of a Great Demon King.

…*

<Item Box>
A storage space with enormous capacity.
Only non-living things can be placed inside.
Additionally, things stored in the item box will not be bestowed divine protection.
Lv. 4 has the storage space of a house.

…*

The item box is fine, but everyone else is as sinister as it gets.
The abnormal status resistance seems decent at a glance… but I can’t help but see this line-up of skills as things a boss monster would have.
I can’t really imagine ‘divine enchantment’ from the description, but the divine protection of an evil god is probably nothing decent.

I think I’ll have a look at my status again… What the heck is with all this? It screams ‘last boss’…

..*

『Fur Robe has been granted divine protection.』

..*

?

I suddenly heard a voice from somewhere, and in the next instant, my body was engulfed by darkness.
Well, more accurately speaking, not me but the robe I was wearing.
When the darkness cleared away as though being sucked in, what I found there wasn’t a dark brown robe but a jet black robe that gave off a feeling of being high class.
Moreover, under my robe there’s even a dress… As expected there’s no underwear though.

If I guess based on the voice from earlier, could this be the effect of the divine protection skill?
According to the skill explanation, when it’s used unconsciously I need to be in contact with something for an hour.
I don’t have a watch so I can’t accurately tell the time, but it seems like it’s been that long since I took the leather robe out of the item box.
At any rate, I’m thankful.
Thanks to that, I’ve gone from an exhibitionist naked-robe style to a more decent outfit.
I’m sorry for thinking that there was nothing dece────

..*

『Short Dagger has been granted divine protection.』

..*

Just like the time with the robe, darkness gathered around the dagger in my right hand.
When the darkness cleared, there in my hand was a sinister jet black tantou.

Equipment:
– Tantou of the Wicked Demon   [New]
– Black Clothes of the Evil God    [New]

<Tantou of the Wicked Demon> [New]
A tantou that possesses such terrifying cutting ability that it can tear through even steel armour like paper.
Additional effects of poison, paralysis, confusion, sleep, muteness, instant death.
Is a cursed equipment that can not be removed.

<Black Clothes of the Evil God> [New]
The robe granted to a high level priest of the Evil God.
Immune to four elements, absorbs dark element, and on top of having resistance against the light element, the physical defence is also high.
However, while equipped, user takes damange from healing magic.
Is a cursed equipment that can not be removed.

…*

It really was nothing decent.

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Chapter 1 – A Simple Wish

The part about my appearance that I like the most is my hair.
It’s black hair that’s common to Japanese people, but I don’t slack up on the maintainance, and when I comb through it it’s smooth too.
That it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the representative example of ‘glossy black like the wet feathers of a crow’ is something that I’m secretly proud of.

Then conversely, if you were to ask me what part of my appearance I hate the most, then I’d immediately reply that it’s my eyes.
I’m often told by the few friends I have that even though I’m a bishoujo in every way, the looks of my eyes completely wastes it.
But in my opinion────

“I quite like those eyes of yours.
They’re muddy… like they hold all the evils of the world, those eyes of yours.”

it’s not bad enough to warrant being told this… Probably.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Even though there wasn’t a single light in this pitch black place, I could clearly see this boy with long black hair.
He was a perfect bishounen, or so I’d like to say, but he had eyes as cruel────no, eyes even crueller-looking than mine.
Before I knew it, I had found myself in this place, and he who had appeared there one-sidedly declared to me,

“I’m going to have you go to another world”.

“…Don’t wanna.”

“I don’t care about your opinion.”

Jerk.
Inside, I’m annoyed enough that veins should be bulging, but my expression didn’t change.
I don’t really like my own lack of expressiveness if I do say so myself, but right now I’m thankful for it.
It’s obvious that picking a fight head on with somebody clearly abnormal is really too risky.
Being told “I’m going to have you go to another world.” in this clearly abnormal place, I wonder if this means that this boy is a god or something like that.
But still, I don’t get it.

“Why me?”

“I quite like those eyes of yours.
They’re muddy… like they hold all the evils of the world, those eyes of yours.”

They’re not bad enough to warrant being told this.
And I don’t want to hear that from you.
Another vein swelled up on my forehead. Only in my mind, though.

“But to think that you could stay sane even facing me directly. You really do have what I expected you did.”

Was there a possibility that I’d go insane?
It seems that it was a really casual close call.

“Well, since this is happening because of my own circumstances, I’ll help you out a little. Physical ability, the power of magic, and an item box are the default, so I’ll grant you one more wish aside from those.”

Leaving physical ability aside, “magic” and an “item box”?
Just where on earth am I being thrown into?
And moreover, even if you suddenly say “wish”────

“It can be anything, you know? For example, I could make your chest larger.”

Are you saying that I’m flat…? I can’t really deny it, but that’s none of your business.
Honestly speaking there was a part of me that was swayed by that, but I get the feeling that if I nod then I’ll have lost in various ways.
And moreover, asking to modify the body that I got from my parents is unfilial.

“Then, could it be you don’t wish for anything?”

“Make my eyes and atmosphere “normal” please.”

Eh? “Is it okay to do that to the body that you got from your parents?” you ask?
That’s that, and this is this.
Having a small chest isn’t really a good or bad thing, but my eyes and atmosphere have actually caused me harm.

Since I was small, because of these eyes and this atmosphere, people around me have been pointlessly afraid of me.
Even though it’s not like I was going to do anything to them, once our eyes met, everybody looked away.
Even when I approached a famous delinquent senpai, he bolted away.
There have even been times when yakuza-ey people with punch perms dogeza’d before me.

“”Normal”?”

“It’s fine even if it’s not special, but I’d like you to at least make it “average”.”

“Hm~mm, well whatever. I’ll grant that wish of yours. Well then, off you go.”

Together with that line, from the boy before my eyes came an aura of darkness that was so black that it swallowed everything else.
My body was enveloped by that aura, and I felt my consciousness receding.

Ahh, it’s too late now, but if possible I’d like one more thing.

At least give me some clothing.

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