Chapter 6

It was a fine day, the kind that makes you want a straw hat. It might be a bit too warm to wander around in a long-sleeved tracksuit, but if I took it off, I'd turn into a pervert, so there was nothing I could do. If I were still in my old man's body, I could get away with just a running shirt. I wonder if I'll ever be back to normal.

Most of the people walking around the town were dressed in medieval-style outfits, typical of a fantasy world. In contrast, I, the red-tracksuited old man, or rather, the dark elf, stood out like a sore thumb. Naturally, I drew attention and gathered stares. Having lived my life without drawing much attention, I felt extremely uncomfortable.

As I walked through the town, I could sense that the living standards of the people were not uniform. There were happy families dressed neatly, and there were also people walking with vacant eyes. I wondered if I could lead a normal life. Even if I were to live by my own strength, what could I possibly do? Seeing someone sitting listlessly on the ground in a back alley, I felt anxious, imagining myself in their position tomorrow.

The children, oblivious to my inner turmoil, were running around energetically in this world as well. Before adolescence, it might be fun just to run around with friends. I tried to recall my own youth, which was now a vague memory. Did I play like that when I was young? No, I don't think I was that type.

I might be too old in spirit to run around innocently like that, but I'm still young enough to watch them with a smile. Or maybe I'm just old enough to smile at them.

The boys ran towards me, their eyes fixed on their friends, and they were about to collide with me. I moved a half-step to the side to let them pass, and they brushed past me, fumbling with their baggy tracksuits. When you're absorbed in something, you tend to lose awareness of your surroundings. I hoped they wouldn't bump into someone and get scolded.

As I was thinking this, one of them was roughly grabbed by Ralph. Had he done something to offend him? I didn't think he was a violent person, but I remembered that he had threatened me with a weapon when we first met and seemed quite excited.

Could he suddenly snap and attack a child? Are adventurers like the delinquents or the tough guys in this world? If so, could he be in trouble with dangerous people?

No, I had to help the child first. As I was mustering the courage to say, "Hey, young man, let him go," Ralph spoke to the boy in a surprisingly calm tone.

"Give that back to her."

"Damn it! I don't need this crap!"

He threw something at me. Without thinking, I caught it—a black leather-bound notebook, about the size of my palm. Flipping through it, I recognized the words I had written last night.

The boy roughly freed himself from Ralph's grip and disappeared into the crowd.

"Should I have held onto him?"

"...No, thank you for getting it back."

I bowed to Ralph, feeling both apologetic and grateful. I tried to show my most apologetic face, but I'm not good at expressing emotions. I might look angry when I'm just trying to be kind, as my facial muscles are quite stiff.

What innocent boys, what ignorance of my inner turmoil. Who are the delinquents, the tough guys, the dangerous people? The dangerous fool is me.

"That notebook looked like a wallet because of its leather cover. Pockets are convenient, but they're easy to pick. Be careful."

I'll keep that in mind. I'm a naive old man who had my new item stolen right away. Feeling embarrassed and ashamed, I asked as I watched the child leave.

"Is it normal for children to pickpocket?"

"Yes, children target women. They're more likely to be let off if something happens. Pickpocketing is... a valuable source of income for children living in the slums."

He explained the details more thoroughly than I expected. Despite his current neat appearance, he might not have had an easy life.

"Maybe I should have given him a bit of a scare. With that skill, he might lose an arm or worse, get killed someday."

It's a dangerous world. Listening to the stories, it seems like a typical fantasy world, but the harsh reality is evident. The lack of realism made me feel like I was watching this world through a screen.

It's different from video games and novels. Everyone I see is alive.

As long as the profession of adventurer exists, there must be unimaginable dangers lurking in the streets. Living safely and normally must be difficult. The boys I saw earlier are already thrown into a harsh society at that age.

If I'm not careful, I might be devoured by this world in no time. Even if I'm careful, it might not make a difference.

As we walked through the town, Ralph was called out by people here and there.

I, the woman, was being teased by adventurers and spoken to in a flirtatious tone by other women. Ralph seemed to be quite popular. Some people called me a "beautiful lady," but unfortunately, I'm an old man inside. Don't be deceived by appearances.

His gentle tone and kind face made sense. I didn't feel jealous, but I muttered to myself:

"He wet the bed yesterday."

I felt empty and started to dislike myself, so I stopped. It was too disrespectful to someone who was being kind to me. Not mentioning that incident was supposed to be a gentleman's agreement, though it was one I made in my own mind.

We stopped in front of a large building, and Ralph halted.

"This is the Oranz Adventurer's Guild. Let's go inside and complete the procedures."

I stopped and looked at Ralph's back. Before we finished the procedures, I wanted to ask him something.

"Wait. This might be a rude question, but why are you being so kind to me? I intend to repay you in kind eventually. However, I don't think I have anything that warrants such kindness."

"Um..."

Ralph stopped and headed towards a nearby bench. From his "ah" and "um," it seemed he might just be being kind.

He gestured for me to sit next to him, but I shook my head. I felt it was better to stand and listen, though I wasn't sure why.

"I'm not that good at fighting. I've survived through careful preparation and intuition. My intuition tells me that our connection is important. Does that make sense?"

It sounded forced.

It wouldn't be right to force him to say something he didn't want to, but I was afraid that if I kept relying on him, I might not be able to disagree with him eventually.

My intuition told me to have this conversation now. As I waited silently for his next words, Ralph sighed and spoke in a low voice.

"When we first met, I was affected by your magic and... I had an accident."

"Accident" probably meant he wet himself. The way he avoided the topic suggested he felt embarrassed. Good, he didn't seem to enjoy it. Just clearing that up was a significant gain. I felt I had broken down one wall between us.

"But more than that, you looked incredibly beautiful when you used magic. It was like love at first sight."

Goosebumps ran down my arms, and a chill ran down my spine. Imagine a handsome young man in his twenties saying this to a middle-aged man. If it were someone else, I might have brushed it off, but it was hard to do so in my own situation. Despite my new appearance, my heart was still that of an old man.

Still, he had been kind to me. Kindness is kindness, regardless of the motivation. The favor I received was real.

"So, I'm trying to earn points. I want to be the cool guy in your eyes someday."

"Don't get your hopes up."

I chose my words carefully. I didn't want to give him false hope or hurt him. I hadn't been involved in romance since my mid-teens. I was too old to start now.

Ralph, who seemed to be quite popular with women, should focus on healthy relationships instead of worrying about me.

"No, no, I'm doing this on my own, so don't worry about it, Yamagishi."

He looked a bit dejected but didn't give up. I would probably take a while to recover if I were in his shoes, so I admired his resilience.

Still, I hadn't expected this kind of complication from my new appearance. I had envied the good-looking people in the world, but now my perspective might change.