The Sorrow of the Young Berber
The sage Huerin who crafted the verse that warped the world—this is called Yeong (Chanting). The fool Myurin who added melody to that language—this is called Chang (Singing). Thus, reciting incantations and singing to wield magic is collectively known as Yeongchang (Chanting).
A crude steel door, scarred here and there with flecks of rust. A hand encased in pitch-black gloves rapped against it a couple of times. My left hand now—something I'd grown used to.
Ah, you might find that phrasing a bit odd. Who wouldn't be used to their own left hand? But that's just how it was for me. The reason was simple: this really hadn't been my hand before.
The fingers in my memories had been far thicker, rougher, lumpier. Right up until about three years ago.
"Second Lieutenant Yura Konstantia here. May I come in?"
The voice rumbling from my throat, spilling from my lips—it was nothing like the one from long ago. A touch low and husky, sure, but unmistakably feminine all the same.
Yeah. Feminine. The opposite of male. A gender I'd finally grown accustomed to, but one that hadn't originally been mine.
I—Second Lieutenant Yura Konstantia of the Imperial 2nd Combat Military Band—was a woman with memories not of this body or this world, but of a previous life.
To put it bluntly, three years ago, I'd gone and done the whole "TS Isekai Reincarnation" thing.
"Uh, come in."
The voice from beyond the door. I turned the knob carefully.
"Pardon the intrusion."
Truth be told, my past self had been a avid reader of TS stories. The kind who could boldly call themselves a connoisseur.
And that goddess—or whatever she was—I'd met that day knew my tastes perfectly. She'd gifted me accordingly. No need to spell out the details. My current body said it all.
A gift? Hell yeah, it was. At least three out of ten TS fans have thought, If it were me, I could suck even more honey out of this spot. Applies to isekai readers too, for the record. As someone who'd devoured both genres healthily, I can vouch for it.
Every otaku fantasizes about reincarnating into another world and achieving this or that, right? And that generous goddess decided to throw that in as a bonus gift too.
Lord almighty. TS isekai reincarnation? Mixing my two favorites—how could I not love it? She didn't just dump me in naked; she hooked me up with decent abilities to boot.
"Long live His Imperial Majesty. Second Lieutenant Yura Konstantia, reporting as summoned by Major Eski Jeongnyeong."
"Long live His Imperial Majesty."
So why was someone who'd achieved such an epic dream stuck doing military life—something I'd never even touched in my past life? Fuck if I know. Life's a bitch.
If that goddess hadn't tacked on "Gender Reversal" as her "final perk," I never would've enlisted. Like handing someone a steel axe and then smashing their head with gold and silver ones. Terrifying woman...
Anyway, yeah. This was an isekai reeking of fantasy, but also a "gender-reversed" world. And naturally, in a place like this, it was women—not men—who went into the military.
And what was my gender again? ...
Yeah, that's how it shook out. Born into nobility, I should've been exempt from service... but nope, out of all the noble houses, I landed in a military family.
This barbaric isekai was intensely matriarchal. Parents dictating kids' careers? In a world where family trumped the individual, that was everyday stuff.
The moment my mother (this world's version) said, "A girl needs to serve in the military," I gave up resisting. Kicking and screaming wouldn't help anyway.
Run away and disown myself? No safety net like 21st-century Korea here. In this pseudo-premodern society, getting struck from the family registry was a disaster.
So I'd enlisted reluctantly... but honestly, the life wasn't all bad.
I lowered the hand I'd raised to my chest in salute and gazed at the woman before me.
Brown skin. White hair that looked stunning, with no hint of age. Emerald eyes exuding an eerie aura. And the most alien feature: ears pointed sharply sideways.
Major Eski Jeongnyeong—one of only two dark elves in the Imperial Army's officer corps, and my superior.
Damn, what a face. How does a person even look like that? Three years in, and just seeing her still calmed my heart.
Not just her—this world's humans were all gorgeous. Military life with all these beauties (※no "girls" here). Eye candy was guaranteed, at least.
And... where else could you get verbally flogged and rewarded by these rough, sweaty big sisters? Hell yeah.
No wonder masochists like me don't bother with afterlife heavens. Eden was right here.
Still, the military grind was real. But after years of service, I'd adapted, built a career... I figured I'd just coast from here—
"Second Lieutenant Konstantia, you're going on long-term dispatch to the Imperial Academy."
"Pardon?"
"Pardon?' That's what you said? Second Lieutenant, have you lost your mind?"
"Ah, no, I—my apologies...!"
The shock made it slip out. I gripped my cane tighter without thinking.
Just when I'd settled in—what the hell? Exile cliché? I'd enjoyed those stories, sure... but the goddess hadn't mentioned this as a bonus.
I stared at my superior with wide eyes, suddenly flashing back.
Right around when I'd first joined the unit—freshly enlisted, three years ago. When Yura Konstantia had just awakened to her past-life memories.
"Uh......"
An endlessly vast black void. No sense of front, back, left, right—up or down. Like being hurled into space, maybe...
I stood there. Before me, a bizarre, shimmering light in no recognizable form. Hard to call it alive, let alone human... but it gave off a feminine vibe, somehow.
I stared for a bit, then cautiously spoke.
"Usually, it's a truck for isekai reincarnations, right?"
"Why ask me? You jumped onto the tracks to save that kid. Don't complain now that it was a train instead of a truck..."
"Tch... Fair enough......"
No comeback for that. Like ordering spicy chicken and whining it wasn't what you meant.
I wasn't that kind of entitled mortal, so I reflected humbly.
"Anyway, you're giving me cheat reincarnation just for saving one kid?"
"Think of it as reward for your good life. That's just extra points."
"Good life? ...Me?"
Her next words made me tilt my head.
"You were posting about religious nutjobs on the gallery right up until you jumped."
"That's fine. You were slamming ugly Protestant heretics, right?"
"Uh... old-school Catholic, then? Oh, and I was spewing hate posts about the chinks too."
"Those northern barbarians—like Assyrians or Babylonians."
Ah, desert faith, not Catholic? Eyes wide, I gawked. (I'd trashed Islam too... but predicted her response, so I shut up.)
"Kidding."
Suddenly, the goddess burst out laughing. No readable expression, but the mirth came through clear.
"Cursing in private's no big deal. Not ideal, but your merits cover it."
"You're not mixing me up with someone else, right?"
"So what if I am? Gladly take the gift."
Fair point. I nodded.
"Pick one of three."
"Three options?"
"Pulled the best matches from your browser history. First: superior physique with TS reincarnation."
"Ooh......"
Someone saw my history? Mortifying... but the gift details blew it away.
"Second: insane stamina in a gender-reversal world. Third: translation ability plus minor buffs for isekai."
"Wow... tough choice."
No options, and I'd pray to her daily. For real.
"And since these gifts don't fully match your deeds... one simple wish too. Name it."
Administrative glitch for sure, but no point arguing freebies.
"Oh, right. Can you tell my parents and friends I'm off to another world, living well? Hearing their son died in a subway accident abroad would crush them..."
"Easy. But too simple—name another."
"More? Uh......"
Nothing sprang to mind. Only pipe dreams she'd nix...
"......Ah."
Then it hit me.
"Wait—the kid? I vaguely remember putting her on the platform before impact..."
"She's alive. Ankle's wrecked from a slight delay, but better than dead."
"I... see......"
I nodded, then pressed.
"Any chance to fix it with my last wish?"
"...Fix it?"
"Too big? Trim my perks a bit...?"
Silence. Let the leg grow back too much, huh? I grinned awkwardly.
"Aaaah!"
"...?!"
Her form thrashed wildly. I stared, startled.
"How can you think of that even now?! My god, I misjudged! Giving a child like you just this?"
"Uh... your voice is echoing too loud—can't hear..."
"No! One gift won't cut it! Take all three!"
"All three? What do you m—"
A blinding white flash swallowed my vision—and mind—
"Fuck."
Reincarnator Lady Yura Konstantia of the Konstantia Viscountcy glared at the enlistment notice in her hand and spat a curse.