Chapter 84
Chapter 84
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: What Was Needed, What Must Be Faced
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hoo."
A white puff of breath escaped with my sigh.
The weather was chilly.
The trees lining the street had shed their leaves and were beginning to prepare for winter.
Slowly, the season in South Korea was turning to winter.
Has it almost been a year?
Time had passed quickly since I'd reunited with the Astria Continent.
My body still hadn't grown.
Technically, according to the identity I was given in this world, I'd be an adult this year. But since this body was created as a girl of about six or seven, even I don't know my exact age.
If I had to guess, my body's age is about seventeen? Eighteen?
In any case, I thought I might grow a little more, but it seemed my growth had stopped here.
My frail body complained of the cold even in this merely chilly weather. Even with a coat draped over me, I could definitely feel the chill.
Gently.
The hands pushing my wheelchair from behind draped another coat over me.
I buried my face in the collar of the coat.
It smelled comforting.
Chris's scent.
I turned my head to look at Chris.
She held a bag of groceries we'd bought today in one hand, pushing my wheelchair with a bright smile.
It's a motorized wheelchair, so I'm fine, but she insists she likes pushing it for me.
"Chris, aren't you cold?"
"Hmm? Not at all."
I stared at Chris.
She had come to get me right after work and was still in her office clothes.
The white blouse she wore on top stood out. It contrasted nicely with her straight red hair. Her hair was quite long, too, though not as long as mine, which reached my waist.
Her nice figure was accentuated by the light-colored blouse. It was different from my own frail body. Hers was the body of a beautiful woman.
Chris had said she liked the color white. A researcher at a capsule company, was it? She would look amazing with a white lab coat over that blouse.
She looked like some female scientist who defies the laws of spacetime.
"Chris. Do you know of 'Christina'?"
"What's that?"
"I-It's just something."
Recalling a classic sci-fi anime for a moment, I blushed slightly.
Certainly, memories of my past life remained, however faint.
But now, I no longer had the sense that that person had been me.
When did that feeling disappear from within me?
Looking back, it was actually quite a long time ago.
This body, created on the Astria Continent.
Rain, newly born into the body of a small, six- or seven-year-old girl.
A soul and memories crammed into an underdeveloped body and brain.
Inside that little girl, who was suffering from an identity crisis, the consciousness of being 'that person' from a past life gradually faded.
And what remained was just a frail little girl of six or seven.
Perhaps the abstract memories of a soul couldn't overcome a tangible body and brain. It certainly seems that the human body has the greatest influence on the formation of self. Not that I know anything about neuroscience.
While my body was growing up in the church, what did I need to establish my identity?
The priests and sword masters, always disappearing and being replaced as they were drafted to fight the demons.
In a colorless upbringing without a single person for emotional support, I suffered from an identity crisis while simultaneously pushing my body to its limits to accumulate mana.
Until the church where I grew up was annihilated by the demons, the Hero's growth remained incomplete.
Both mentally and physically.
And then, the Hero who finally began to grow alongside the companions she met later...
...died there, with her companions.
And what was left was the dregs of a failed Hero.
Just a frail girl.
"Rain?"
"Ah, yes!"
I shook my head vigorously and looked at Chris.
Being in this world really makes my mind wander.
Still, the reason I haven't lost myself, shattered and scattered like fragments...
...is probably because of the Astria Continent, which I found again, and this woman I met within it.
The gentle, red warmth that grounds my unstable self.
Gently.
A hand approached. My head.
I narrowed my eyes and accepted the touch.
Stroke, stroke.
The hand stroking my hair made my chest feel ticklish.
My mind went blank, and my torn and tattered heart began to mend.
Is this what I needed?
"Ahh~"
"...Ah."
Chomp, munch munch.
I looked at Chris with a slightly grumpy expression.
"Chris... I told you I can eat by myself."
"I told you, didn't I? Just think of it as me spoiling you."
Chris smiled brightly and put another piece of rolled omelet into my mouth.
Chomp.
I complained, but I still happily ate the omelet she placed in my mouth.
The seasoning was perfect, and the texture of the green onions mixed in was wonderful.
She's really good at making rolled omelets.
"Here, you eat meat just fine now, right?"
"Yes. I like meat."
I scooped up the beef Chris had placed on my rice, along with some rice, and took a bite.
My eyes widened.
It's delicious.
I don't know what cut of beef it is, but it must be an expensive one, right?
The only luxury I used to afford was delivery food, but since living with Chris, I've started eating high-end seafood and expensive meat more often.
We had dinner quite late today because we went for a walk in the park after grocery shopping.
After eating, I should probably wash up once my food settles and go straight to bed.
Chris, who was eating and chatting lightly with me, suddenly mentioned in a casual tone.
"This is only if you're okay with it, Rain, but I'd like to go on a trip with you sometime."
"A trip?"
I stopped eating, surprised by the word 'trip' that Chris had brought up out of the blue.
"Yeah. To a city with lots to see, or the seaside, or a famous resort in the country. Oh, an overseas trip would be nice too."
"Hmm..."
A trip.
In Iseulbi's body?
The Astria Continent has many places with beautiful scenery.
I don't have to travel in this inconvenient body in this world.
"I..."
I opened my mouth to refuse, but then swallowed my words.
As Rain with 100% synchronization, I can vividly feel every sensation in that world.
The pleasant sensation of water on my feet, the feeling of a refreshing breeze, even the changes in temperature with the seasons.
But what about Chris?
Unlike me, regular users probably feel that the 'Astria Continent' is more like a game than reality.
No matter how well-crafted the world is, the limitations of the synchronization rate must be a significant factor for Chris.
If I think about Chris, I can't just insist on the Astria Continent.
I can't only think about myself.
Even with my inconvenient body in this world, maybe it would be okay if I'm with Chris.
I steeled my resolve and opened my mouth.
"...Okay."
"Huh? Really!?"
Chris's face, which had turned sullen as she scooped her rice after seeing my hesitant expression, now lit up with joy.
I stated my conditions with a firm expression.
"But it can't overlap with the early days of a dungeon when the bus fees are high, or with a new dungeon progression schedule."
"Yeah, yeah! Of course! I'm busy after a new dungeon opens, too!"
Chris clenched her fists and nodded enthusiastically.
I chuckled at her childlike reaction.
Is she really that happy about going on a trip with me?
"So, when should we go? Hmm~ You get cold easily, Rain, so winter is definitely... How about the sea in summer? Or we could travel abroad to a warm country in the winter, that would be nice too."
"Going abroad is a little..."
I shrank back slightly.
Traveling far is a bit much for me.
"R-Right? It would be better to go in the spring, then! Hmm, the mountains would be a little inconvenient, right? I guess the sea is..."
"You can choose, Chris. As long as I'm with you, anywhere is fine."
"Okay! Don't you worry!"
"It's getting late, so I'll go to my room now."
"Okay! Hehe, sleep well! I'm sure there's a resort owned by the Klaus Capsule Corporation on the southern coast..."
Whirr.
Leaving behind a happily smiling Chris who was already searching for travel destinations on her smartphone, I moved my wheelchair to my room.
"Hah."
I let out a small sigh and prepared to wash up.
Even though it was just a walk while sitting in my wheelchair, my body felt a little exhausted.
Iseulbi's body really is too weak.
If only I could use Rain's body here, too.
I took off my clothes and entered the bathroom attached to my room.
Shwaaa.
After switching the wheelchair to shower mode and letting the warm stream of water fall on my bare skin, I glanced at the bathtub.
The spacious bathroom in my room has both a shower stall and a bathtub.
I want to fill that tub to the brim with water, sink my body into it, and take a full bath with just my head sticking out.
A half-bath is meaningless. I wanted to submerge my whole body in the water.
But my body is small and inconvenient.
Since I have no strength in my lower body, if my upper body were to slip, I'd plunge right into the bathtub, which is bigger than me.
I could probably hold onto the edge with my arms, but it would definitely be awkward.
Should I ask Chris to help me with my bath?
After a quick shower, I lay down on my soft bed and checked my smartphone.
The only messenger app I have is the one linked to 'Astria Online'.
This is enough. The most important communication, with Chris, is possible through this.
[Yin-Yang Master 'Chris' (Offline)]
- Rain, sleep well! Let's run some buses together tomorrow!
- Yes, thank you. You sleep well too, Chris :)
I exchanged a brief conversation with Chris with a smile on my lips, then closed the chat window.
The main page of the messenger was flooded with friend requests.
Shaking my head, I hit 'decline all'.
But.
"Huh."
One of them wasn't deleted.
[Direct Message]
[Hana Games Corp. Team Leader Han]
[To: 'Drizzle Rain']
Thump.
My heart pounded.
The company that services the game 'Astria Online'.
From them, to Rain.
They had sent a message.