EP.2 Lina Estelle (1)

Ding-!

What? Quest completed?

Before I could process the sudden quest completion alert, the waitress's voice snapped me out of my daze.

"Excuse me!"

"Ah... sorry."

"I kept calling, but you weren't responding... You're not still feeling unwell, are you?"

"Pardon? Oh, no... I'm fine."

Hearing her ask if I was still unwell made me realize the original owner of this body must have been holed up in the inn for days.

Hold on. Maybe she knows something about me? She'd have seen me around for the past few days, so she might have some info on my situation. Just as I was about to ask—

Tap.

Her hand touched my forehead.

"...?!"

My mind went blank. My body froze at the sudden contact.

The first human warmth I'd felt since arriving in this world. Actually, even before that, I hadn't been touched like this by a woman since elementary school.

And the girl in front of me was stunning enough to make my heart race—maybe it was the dim lighting, or maybe she was just that beautiful.

C-Calm down. This is just checking my temperature.

This was medical procedure. Medical. Procedure. She was just a kind soul checking on my dazed state.

Yeah. Just a temperature check. Perfectly normal behavior.

...That's what my brain understood, but my imagination was already painting a rosy future with her.

When do we start dating? Who confesses first? Simple wedding or grand? Kids... five. Yeah, five with a beauty like her—for gene preservation, five's the minimum. Three girls, two boys. Actually, honestly, more girls would be nice. Five girls... I'd be up all night worrying about them every evening.

"Whoa... you've got a serious fever..."

"......"

Reality crashed back in. What the hell was I thinking? Medical procedure. Med-i-cal pro-ce-dure.

Planning marriage and kids with someone I just met today? My stats weren't the only thing broken—my mind was shattered too.

"Ahem..."

I cleared my throat awkwardly and averted my eyes.

Dreaming of a bright future with her sounded great, but surviving in this world came first. No woman wants to marry a guy with zero skills, right?

So, build some power first, then confess. Yeah. Baby plans can wait until after I hunt some Blood Rabbits.

"Why don't you sit over there and wait a bit? I'll grab some medicine and a light meal for you."

"Pardon? Oh... yeah. Thank you."

How perfect was this woman? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It wasn't just her looks. Her movements were graceful, her voice warm and caring.

I was just your average bottom-tier adventurer. Pathetic stats, beginner gear, and a nuisance yelling in the inn. Yet she was taking care of me like this? Even as an inn waitress, this went beyond professional duty. You had to be innately kind for this.

...Speaking of which, what was that quest completion about?

As I sat down, a thought crossed my mind.

Quest completed. What the hell triggered it? Everything Starts with One Step—the name screamed tutorial. But what did I do? I just came down from my room to the first floor.

Was opening the door and heading downstairs the condition? Or talking to someone? Either way, this game's standards were way too basic... One step, literally.

No reward? You gotta give something for clearing a tutorial quest—EXP, items, a few coins at least.

I glanced around hopefully, but nothing. Not even a speck of dust.

...A trait maybe?

New trait. Possible. Tutorials set you up from the starting line—no one runs naked.

Thinking that, I muttered quietly to myself.

Status Window.

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Ding-!

The familiar sound rang out, and the window appeared.

"...Huh?"

I blinked a few times. Did that just say S-rank?

S-rank trait as a tutorial reward? Was this game this generous?

"Ha, haha..."

I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. The guy who'd been cursing the world until he passed out—was that really me, grinning like an idiot?

Possession perk? Or a sliver of conscience from whatever dragged me here? My anger at the mysterious entity that shoved me into this world dropped by about 0.001%. Barely noticeable.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Observer's Eye. Suspicious name from the start. Usually means peeking at others' status windows—stats, levels, traits, skills you couldn't normally see.

I naturally shifted my gaze to her—bustling in the kitchen, preparing my food.

What if... I stared intently, carefully enough not to get caught.

Ding-!

A cheerful sound, and her status window popped up.

"...Huh?"

My breath caught. Familiar. Her name, traits, skills—all of it.

Divine Archer. Wind's Blessing. Woman of Misfortune.

This combo—I'd seen it. The character who shone in the late main story.

Lina Estelle.

But something was off. The girl before me... didn't match my memory at all.

Hair color, length, vibe—all different. The Lina I knew had soft, shoulder-length golden hair that gleamed like sunlight.

But this one had calm brown hair in a neat chin-length bob. And her aura was worlds apart. Not the sharp edge of a battlefield archer.

She was prim, gentle. Like a childhood friend you'd known forever.

Same name. Same surname. Same traits and skills. But looks and vibe? Totally different.

People change, sure. If this was pre-main story, hair dye, cuts, expressions—all could shift.

But the Lina Estelle I knew wouldn't be working at some inn.

A girl who couldn't cook to save her life, slinging food at customers...?

The Lina I knew was a disaster in the kitchen. No exaggeration—natural disaster level. That's why she always begged the player for food.

Even a bit into the game, she'd whine, "I'm hungry..." hinting for a meal. Still fresh in my mind.

Problem was, most players weren't much better. No cooking skills or traits—useless for combat. So we whipped up half-assed survival grub. Questionable looks, worse taste. Stuff a real chef would scoff at.

Players didn't care—they weren't eating it, just feeding the avatar.

But Lina? A native of that world, she'd nod and scarf it down every time. That "This is edible" face.

And her working at an inn? Serving meals to guests? Unimaginable.

Nah... probably not.

I shook my head. Could just be a namesake. Common enough.

But a nagging doubt lingered. In this world, surnames meant nobility. Rare exceptions for commoners earning titles through feats—but countable on one hand.

And crucially: no duplicate surnames. Family-exclusive. No overlaps.

So, a Lina Estelle? Only the one I knew.

"Hey. How long are you gonna stare?"

"Eek...! S-Sorry."

Damn. Lost in memories of game-Lina, I'd been drilling holes into the real one.

From her perspective? A feverish sketchy guy who'd been invisible all night, now gawking blankly. Not romance—horror movie intro.

Her face said it all. Stiff smile, guarded eyes. Even I could read the discomfort bordering on disgust.

Makes sense. I'd be creeped out too if some weirdo stared.

...Wait. If it were me, I'd ask for her number.

Can't judge a weird girl till you taste her, right? Hmm. Can't judge the world by my standards. I veer off the beaten path sometimes.

I shook my head lightly. Anyway, gotta be careful. Peeking status is fine, but staring invites misunderstandings. Especially from a sketchy guy like me.

"Phew... Eat slowly, and don't forget your medicine. Just leave the dishes on the table—I'll handle them."

"...Thank you."

Lina Estelle still eyed me warily, but she did her job. Taking care of a suspicious dude to the end. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠What a good soul.

...Or just stellar work ethic.

"Oh, and... the guest bath is closed. If you want to wash up, come to the lobby in an hour."

"Pardon...?"

"I need to bathe first. Come after. And if you try peeking..."

Glare—

The air chilled. Oh, she's serious. No need to finish the sentence—those eyes said it all.

Bow. Arrows.

"Ha, haha... No peeking, promise. I'm a gentleman."

"......"

Glare— Why harder? I said I won't!

Indignant. I'm a gentleman. Self-proclaimed, but still.

"......"

Wait... But real gentlemen peep in situations like this, right?

Tempting thought, but acting on it? Arrow straight to the forehead. With her skills, one-shot on trash like me.

Fine. Patience today. Blood Rabbits first.