The Second Destination
After a night spent in a mood I couldn't begin to put into words, I quietly opened my mouth as morning sunlight filtered in through the window.
"...I want to die."
What the hell had possessed me?
The mere memory of last night's half-deranged self—grinding my crotch against the edge of the table, rocking my hips—made me want to crawl into a hole.
"I seriously want to die…."
It was so pathetic I couldn't even lift my head in front of myself.
"Haa."
And to do it while imagining a man rubbing my stomach, no less. At this rate I was just a female….
"Ah, whatever. As long as I don't do it again."
Unable to bear the self-loathing that swelled the more I thought about it, I stopped thinking altogether, shook my head, and rationalized it away.
And as I shook my head, the egg basket caught my eye.
"It's a little weird, but it tastes good, so whatever."
Subconsciously looking forward to breakfast, I got up to at least loosen my body a little.
"Hup."
Cradling the egg basket carefully in both wings, I made my way downstairs—
"Why are you up at this hour?"
"…Morning."
—and found Huey, looking a bit worn out, reading through Osmon's journal.
"Ahaha. Had a little something come up."
For some reason, he was avoiding my gaze.
Wait a second. Don't tell me….
"…Hey."
"Y-yeah!?"
When I called him, he visibly flinched and looked away even harder. And on top of that, his face was somehow flushed.
That was when I remembered his room was right next to mine. And also the fact that last night, I'd been so absorbed in that… self-pleasure that I hadn't even noticed someone entering the room next door.
"Forget it."
"……"
"Forget it before I make you forget."
Watching Huey turn his back completely and break out in a cold sweat, I set the egg basket down in front of him with a sigh.
"Haa… Explaining it would just exhaust both of us. Let's just move on."
"…Yeah."
Being embarrassed about something like this at this point was pretty ridiculous anyway. Watching Huey close the journal, quietly stand, pick up the egg basket, and head for the kitchen, I slumped face-down on the table.
"Ugh. What kind of life is this…."
I prayed I could return to my original body as soon as possible.
Oh my, oh my.
…I wasn't praying to you.
Aww, how mean. After all we've been through.
The voice that had been quiet all night suddenly popped out, chattering away in a strangely excited mood compared to yesterday.
Hey, hey. What were you thinking when you handed over those eggs?
Thinking? Nothing. I just gave them to him so he'd cook something.
Ufufu. How youthful.
You're in high spirits today.
Well, watching you court that otherworlder is just so adorable.
…What?
Hmm? You didn't know?
As I floundered at the sudden remark, the voice whispered as if puzzled.
Handing over the unfertilized eggs you laid is something you only do for someone you want to spend your whole life with, you know?
Adding that people usually just dispose of them somehow, I protested that that couldn't be—that I hadn't known any such thing in the first place—
Even if your body was originally human, you'd have felt at least an instinctive aversion, wouldn't you?
At those words that followed, I finally lost the ability to speak.
Come to think of it. With the first egg I'd laid, I'd felt all day that I shouldn't just hand it over like that—it had been so uncomfortable. The second time, the situation was already over by the time I woke up, before I even had a chance to do anything about it.
…Of course, the fact that it tasted fine once I ate it was part of it. But clearly, even up through the second time, I'd felt a faint sense of aversion about Huey touching the eggs I'd laid.
But now? Far from any aversion, I'd handed the eggs over while looking forward to what he'd cook.
That's it, right? The mouth says no but the body is honest… W-wait, hang on—!
I shoved the voice deep into the recesses of my mind so I wouldn't hear any more of it.
"…Damn it."
At this rate, the day when I'd see myself surrendering to this uncomfortable, fragile body and accepting that I'd become a woman wasn't far off.
"Hoo."
I steeled my resolve. No matter what happened from here on out—the day I submit to this body will never come. I tightened my loosened spirit. I discarded the complacency that said I'd be fine. And I honed the dulled blade in my heart sharp once more.
I will reclaim my original body. Without fail.
Anyway, reclaiming my body was one thing.
"Nom."
No matter how many times I thought about it, Huey was seriously good at cooking. Spearing a delicious-looking yellow piece with a fork held between my two wings and putting it in my mouth—
"Whoa, this is good too."
"Glad you like it."
Sweet yet fluffy egg texture, packed with the savory, sticky richness of minced meat and melted cheese. I savored every bite.
"So why, when you can cook this well, did you act like that when it was just the two of us traveling…."
"How many times do I have to tell you I wasn't used to the ingredients here yet…."
Rolled omelet… was it? According to Huey, you thoroughly mix the whites and yolks, spread them thin while cooking, and roll them up. Not like I was going to make it myself. Did I really need to know?
"Thanks for the meal."
After finishing breakfast, I stopped Huey and Lucy as they were about to get up.
"Ah, wait a second."
Honestly, from the southern tip to the northern tip—I didn't particularly want to go. But if it involved my body, that was a different story.
"What's up?"
"Did you have something to say?"
"I got a message from the captain last night."
I briefly glared at Huey, who openly flushed at the words "last night," then continued.
"This time it's information related to my body."
"Let's hear it, then."
"Finding information related to our goal isn't usually this easy—surprising how quickly it turned up."
Watching the two sit back down, I began.
"I'll start with the location. The northern tip."
"…That's way too far, isn't it?"
"Crossing the entire continent? Isn't the scale a bit much?"
Even I thought it was a bit much.
"Apparently one of our members discovered an anomaly while on a mission."
I relayed the information I'd received through the captain's letter last night to Huey and Lucy.
"So, like we discussed before, I was thinking we'd meet up with Frederica briefly and then head north."
Finally meeting their eyes, I asked for their opinions.
"Well, no reason not to. We already promised Violet, after all."
"Helping Ren reclaim her body is one of our goals, after all."
Huey nodded readily, saying he'd been thinking of moving the investigation area soon anyway. Obviously he was lying out of consideration for me, but—
"Then it's decided."
Given the nature of the matter, I gratefully accepted the consideration.
"By the way, how are we getting to the north?"
"Right. Just getting there would take months, wouldn't it?"
Well, fair enough to think that. I'd said it lightly, but it was basically going from one end of the continent to the other.
But.
"No need to worry about that. I may not look it, but I've got money."
I just don't carry luggage around right now. Doesn't mean I don't have funds.
"We're using a Transfer Gate."
"What?"
"A Transfer Gate? What's that?"
So Lucy could understand easily, I lifted both wings onto the table and explained, adding that each wing represented one end of the continent.
"Simply put, think of it as a door that connects two different places."
A means of transport the bigwigs had set up all over for summits and various other reasons. Of course, given its purpose, it wasn't something ordinary people like us could just casually use.
"The downside is it's ridiculously expensive—a single brief activation leaves dozens of mages unable to work for days."
But if you've got the money, you can cover a distance that would take months in an instant. That's the upside.
"I heard those are insanely expensive."
"Hmm? It's fine."
It's not like I'm the type to waste money on glass ornaments or paintings or other useless junk.
"I've got enough to activate a Transfer Gate once or twice."
Even for me, firing up a Transfer Gate is a big hit to the wallet. But if it means getting my body back, it's money I can earn again.
"Anyway, that work for you?"
"You're the one spending the money, so if you're fine with it."
"I'll just be following Master, as always."
If that's decided, then….
"Alright. We'll meet Frederica, then head to my place."
"We're getting off at Ennis anyway, so wouldn't it be better to just stop by on the way?"
"Right. No need to come back down just for that…."
Yeah, I thought so too. There's just one problem.
"…To get my money out right now, I need to bring the captain along."
Given how I look, proving to the Merchant Guild that I'm Ren of Esras would be a massive headache.
"Ah."
"Oh dear."
Watching the two finally understand why I was going through the trouble of making two trips, I sighed at the reality that I couldn't even handle something this minor on my own.
"Ugh."
The reasons I need to get back to my original body just keep piling up, seriously.