Encounter

I summarized what I'd just been through in three lines.

Finally met an otherworlder. Nearly got raped out of nowhere. Got pissed off, beat the shit out of him, and stole his money.

I'd acted like a thug on purpose because I didn't want to seem like an easy target, but a crime was still a crime. Still, as if in exchange for it, I'd tossed the man a stone that looked expensive. I'd grabbed it without thinking because it seemed valuable, but it was bulkier than expected and its asset value was plummeting in real time. Naturally, I had no idea what the market price was. But the way the man's face—which had been twisted like he'd eaten shit after having his money pouch forcibly taken—brightened up in an instant gave me a rough idea of the answer.

It would be a lie to say I didn't feel any regret, but I remembered the old folks' saying that holding onto something beyond your station would definitely get you fucked. On top of that, I had this eye-catching red hair. A girl carrying a jewel that might be worth a fortune in both arms? It was the perfect target for thieves. It wasn't that I hadn't considered looking for somewhere like an exchange office, but wandering around asking questions without any information would only create unnecessary aggro.

More than that, what the hell was with that farewell? "Have a good day! I'm sorry! And thank you!" Was that how a gatekeeper was supposed to treat an unauthorized intruder? Even after getting beaten up? Sure, I knew I'd done something wrong, but if he was a proper soldier, shouldn't he have detained me and reported it up the chain?

Come to think of it, that sex offender bastard hadn't paid attention to anything except me from the very beginning. And seeing how no one else even showed their face at the scene despite all that commotion, it meant they didn't have a proper emergency communication network, let alone any surveillance system. It was a complete disaster.

Anyway, thanks to that, I had safely passed the outpost the man had been guarding, gone through a passage with low stairs, beyond the firmly closed iron gate, and arrived inside what I assumed was the interior of the massive castle walls.

I took a deep breath at the otherworldly scenery unfolding before my eyes. Unlike outside, the fairly fresh air filling my lungs didn't feel bad at all. But...

“...What is this backwater village?”

A giant robot centipede. A magic wand(?) that could be summoned and dismissed at will. An incredibly majestic castle wall. An elevator that seemed to incorporate advanced technology. And a massive magic circle spread across the sky.

Normally, witnessing such things would lead one to imagine a splendid city created by an ancient super-magical civilization, right? But reality was harsh. Even after a quick look around, there were no landmarks like glamorous high-rise buildings or mysterious magic towers. In fact, it was hard to find any building taller than two stories. Most of the houses were built with red-toned bricks, and there were plenty of shabby single-story shacks made by weaving planks together here and there.

The clothing of the people walking the streets was also uniformly retro monochrome, giving the impression of looking at a scene from late nineteenth-century Earth. The main means of transportation passing by were, disappointingly, ordinary horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws. Beyond the plausibly paved roads made of flat stones, it seemed sewers had been installed. With streetlights dotted around, nighttime travel looked somewhat feasible.

To be honest, the village was quite large. Following the rows of buildings constructed on artificially leveled ground with a slight slope and raising my gaze, I could see a tall black structure that appeared to be the opposite castle wall several kilometers away. It was a town large enough for hundreds of thousands to a million people to live in.

However, there was one thing that stood out as alien amid all that ordinariness. Floating in the air was a giant magic circle. Seen from directly below, the circle—with an even more overwhelming presence—shone a mysterious white light as if blessing the entire street.

I wondered if it stayed lit like that even at night. It made me curious, but there was still some time before the sun set... As I absentmindedly continued that thought, I suddenly froze.

That's right. Night. What am I going to do when night comes?

…Snap out of it. This wasn't the time to leisurely sightsee. The sun was still hanging in the sky beyond the magic circle. But night would definitely come. Since I didn't know the level of public safety here, it was a time when I needed to be thoroughly cautious. But I didn't know a single person here, and naturally, I had no place to sleep.

Strangely, my body wasn't tired and I wasn't hungry, but my throat had been incredibly dry for a while now. It was a moment when I desperately wanted a cool glass of water. Since this was a populated area, there had to be some inns. I also had the money I'd taken from the sex offender. I didn't know how much it was, but it was quite heavy in a pouch bigger than my palm, so I figured I could manage for a day or so.

Having thought that far, I immediately looked around and quickly headed into a nearby alley.

I could feel the gazes of people passing by turning toward me. As expected, they were men's gazes. It was uncomfortable, but I told myself there was nothing I could do about it. Red hair stood out no matter where you went. Especially with an appearance like this… I didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠want to admit it, but it seemed the looks of my current body were quite appealing to men.

Although I was trying hard to ignore the blatant stares that were shot at me the moment I opened the firmly closed passage and came out, honestly, I didn't know how long I could endure it. If it was a sin to have lived a life as an unpopular person who'd never received attention, then so be it.

First, I'd solve my increasingly severe thirst and then look for a clothing store or something. I sighed and entered the alley, confirming that no one was there. I squatted down and opened the pouch I'd taken from the sex offender.

Let's see.

Ten gold coins, twenty silver, thirty copper?

Easy to understand. Nice. Obviously gold, silver, and copper coins respectively. I didn't know the cost of living or exchange rates, but I got the feeling I wouldn't have to worry about starving for a few days at least. It was a relief that I still wasn't hungry.

Anyway, my possessions were just this money and the iron pipe. The clothes I was wearing looked quite expensive too, so they'd probably help in a pinch. Especially this fluttery dress that looked hard to maintain—I should sell it as soon as possible.

Oh, speaking of which, I had the iron pipe too. After checking my funds, I lifted the iron pipe that I'd tucked horizontally between my knees and stomach while sitting, bringing it in front of my eyes.

The thought that came first wasn't whether I could sell it, but rather that this was something I absolutely shouldn't sell. In the first place, it might not even be possible to sell it. After all, it was an object that could appear and disappear at will. It was literally magic itself.

More than half of my awareness that I was in another world was thanks to this thing's existence. It had been a big help both when dealing with the giant centipede and when punishing that sex offender bastard earlier.

Come to think of it, this was the first time I was examining it so calmly. Just what was this thing's identity? I recalled that the original owner of this body, who had suddenly rushed at me suggesting we swap bodies, had been carrying something similar. The same item? Or a replica? Either way, I thought it might be the bare minimum of consideration from that crazy woman.

Putting aside who caused what, the fact that I'd received help was undeniable. So it would be polite to at least offer thanks. Though what thanks amounted to was just carefully looking it over.

…Is something written on it?

The small but elegant cursive, the traces of a skilled craftsman's hand—I could sense the faint affection between people. At the same time, it was the moment I realized that the iron pipe that had slaughtered a giant mechanical monster and sliced through metal floors was actually someone's birthday present.

Was this world so dangerous that they'd give something like this as a gift to a thirteen-year-old kid? It was like giving a heavy sniper rifle to a kid who'd just entered middle school.

I shuddered slightly at my own unrealistic analogy for a moment. Still, knowing that things would be tough without this, I gripped the iron pipe firmly. And the moment I stood up and tried to leave the narrow, dirty alley where I'd entered to count the money—

“Pulling someone all the way into a place like this makes it pretty clear.”

“See? I told you I was right.”

In front of me appeared two men who uttered those words.

“Whatever. Anyway, sis over there, how much for tonight?”

The ones who appeared as if blocking the alley entrance were a duo of young men. They had average physiques around 170 centimeters. But the clothes they wore were rather neat, and their faces had a slightly more refined air than the sex offender I'd met at the entrance.

“───.”

“What’s wrong, doll sis? Why aren’t you answering? Aren’t we customers?”

“──This is fucking bullshit.”

“……What did you say?”

At that moment, I realized. That the incident at the entrance was by no means a one-off event.

After kicking one between the legs, Lolicon No. 2 collapsed with a choking sound. I grabbed the other by the collar, lifted him, and threw him deeper into the alley, causing Pedo No. 3 to scream as if his soul was leaving his body. The titles sound weird? From now on, any bastard who gets horny for a 140-centimeter-tall teenage girl is unconditionally a pedo bastard.

───.

No, I don't know why they're looking at me with such wronged expressions, but I definitely gave a warning before using my hands. I don't like it! No! It feels bad! I'm not a doll! Please move aside! I said.

Then those guys who staggered to their feet said: With a body like that, going around seducing people, and you say you're not a doll? Who'd believe that? Are you rejecting us because we look poor? Look, here are ten gold coins. We'll pay ten times the average rate, so let's do it once. Won't your master be happy if you earn a lot of money?

...Oh, thank you so much for treating me at ten times the average rate. But why are you arbitrarily hugging someone and secretly groping their butt while saying that? Seeing that you're thinking of doing that even while in pain, it seems you have a taste for getting beaten.

So I specially swung the iron pipe to present them with abdominal pain. When his friend got beaten like a dog, the other guy got angry late and charged, so I gave him a shoulder throw too. As a result, the two men rolled around together amicably. And what had just happened was me leaving those pedo bastards in the alley and bursting out onto the street in a huff.

…I'm screwed. I should have held back.

To be honest, I was full of regret. No matter how angry I was, using my hands should have been the last resort, but I just couldn't endure it. I could have just shaken them off moderately and run away, so why did I do that?

Actually, I wasn't originally the type to get angry so easily. It had been almost the first time since my school days that I'd hit someone. Was it because I kept holding onto the iron pipe that instilled a strange sense of elation, using translation as an excuse? Or perhaps, using the fact that I'd been dragged to an unfamiliar world and was mentally unstable as a pretext, I was letting my true nature run free.

Could a person who'd lived their life watching their eyes at home, school, work, and within the framework of social systems truly claim to understand their own nature properly? There was nothing here. No one knew me, and I didn't know anyone. On top of that, I had physical abilities that moved according to my will to an absurd degree. At this rate, wasn't I like a colt off its reins?

But there was no time for belated self-reflection. Because of the commotion earlier, people with an irrepressible curiosity had flocked around, making the gazes focused on me even more intense. And my ominous premonition hit the mark.

Even while walking down the street, the men's gazes continued. Teenage boys. Young men. Middle-aged men. Every single one of them turned to look at me as I passed, making heated expressions. It wasn't that there were no women on the street at all, but there were no noticeably pretty young women, and the gender ratio was abysmal. Maybe nine to one? If that was the actual sex ratio of this village, then it was understandable that everyone from kids to adults would indiscriminately go into heat upon seeing me…… As if I'd acknowledge that.

It was on a completely different level from hearing women say You're sexy from a man's perspective. Those were gazes filled with nothing but bottomless lust.

────Crazy bastards, insane lolicon pedo bastards. Don't come near me. If you touch me, I'll bite. I'll erase you. I'll kill you.

Thanks to repeating such thoughts, carrying the iron pipe on my shoulder with a frown, no one approached me as blatantly as before. No matter how much sexual desire took precedence, it was truly fortunate that it became powerless before survival instincts.

But the backlash was my burden. Because I'd kept my nerves sharp while wandering the streets, I felt fatigue rapidly building up. On top of that, I couldn't find any shops that looked like restaurants, let alone places to buy clothes. No, maybe I had found them but unconsciously avoided them. Not the shops, but the people.

It was fortunate that I still wasn't hungry, but as time passed, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my thirst only grew worse. My throat was dry. My stomach was churning. I felt sick. It even seemed like my head was starting to hurt.

Why was this happening? Why were they doing this to me? What did I do? Seduction? I didn't do anything. I was just walking, just sitting on a bench to rest for a moment, just accidentally making eye contact. So why──.

I let out a sigh and stopped walking aimlessly. I'd gone in circles and realized I'd somehow returned to the entrance where I'd first stepped into the village. It was probably because I'd avoided people's gazes and only sought out places with few people, forgetting my original purpose.

Still, why here of all places? Did it mean I should go out again? That would be a bit troublesome.

As if seeking an answer, I looked at the iron pipe in my hand. There was no way it would reply. As I thought that and let out another sigh, that was the moment.

Receiving the light from the magic circle shining in the sky, it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sparkled with a silver light. And then.

“—Um, are you okay?”

“……….”

“Is something wrong? Perhaps you’re not feeling well……”

A thin and soft voice like dandelion seeds that would fly away if blown on. A voice that tickled like a gentle breeze on a spring day. And with it came a warm word filled with sincere concern.