Chapter 3

0831 Revised

0916 Revised

1117 Revised

"…………"

I stood there, dumbfounded, looking down at what I had unearthed from the sand.

Even though I had somewhat braced myself for what I might find when I stepped on it—never in my wildest dreams did I expect a woman to emerge from beneath the robe. I had assumed it would be an older man, perhaps someone with a more intellectual and sophisticated appearance.

But it turned out to be a woman.

Gently lifting the hood, long, lustrous silver hair spilled out. The eyelashes framing her closed eyes were the same color and unusually long. Although I couldn't say for certain with her eyes closed, her features were so well-defined that I could confidently call her a stunning beauty with an exotic allure. If she walked down the street, eight out of ten people would turn to look at her.

Her smooth, coffee-milk-like brown skin contrasted erotically with her pale, pink-tinged lips.

Lying on her back, her chest was modestly pronounced. However, it wasn't completely flat, so I imagined she would have a decent size if she sat up. The fact that she wasn't overly voluptuous seemed rather elf-like, but I wondered if this was a reflection of the real older man or simply a result of character creation.

Only then did I finally think about my own appearance.

I had already noticed that my clothing matched what my character had been wearing, but what about my looks? In the game, I was a handsome, tough knight with black hair.

"Mirror, mirror…."

Of course, I didn't have one.

What about my inventory? In the game, I could open my inventory from the UI on the screen, but I didn't want to think I was just equipped and thrown into the desert. I had stored various valuable and useful items that I wanted to have on hand.

I tentatively opened the small leather bag hanging from my waist.

It looked like a simple small leather bag, but in the game, it was a convenient item with a capacity that depended on the character's level.

In RFC, all items except currency had weight, and the amount a character could carry depended on the capacity of the backpack-type items they were equipped with.

The limitation was based on weight rather than the number of items, which was convenient, but the capacity was quite low at lower levels.

Backpack-type items could be replaced with other items to change their appearance, but they couldn't be removed.

Peering into the leather bag...

"Whoa!"

I couldn't help but exclaim.

As soon as I opened the bag, a familiar interface appeared in my field of vision, floating holographically in pale lines. When I tried closing the bag, it disappeared as if nothing had happened.

I opened it again. Sure enough, the holographic interface reappeared, with items neatly arranged in a 5x5 grid.

"Wow..."

I couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration. Just like in VRMMO anime, I swiped my hand through the air and touched a random slot. I then tried to decide how many items to take out, but I was a bit puzzled. For a certain number of items, I could adjust the quantity by repeatedly touching the "↑" and "↓" buttons, but the thought of clicking "↑" 300 times to take out 300 healing items was incredibly tedious, even if I could hold the button down.

"Can't I use a keyboard...?"

I touched the number "1" directly. Next to my inventory, another interface with a calculator-like layout of numbers appeared, allowing direct input. This was convenient. Understanding how to operate it, I canceled the action. I didn't need the higher-level potions right now.

I swiped my finger to check my items, but I didn't have a mirror or anything that could serve as one.

The next thing that came to mind was a water mirror, but this was a desert.

There was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see.

There might be an oasis somewhere in this desert, but I decided not to pursue that possibility for now.

Then...

"Oh!"

I had an idea.

I drew the weapon hanging from my waist. My weapon was a broadsword, typical for a knight. The wide blade was clear and reflective, like a mirror, reflecting the surrounding scenery.

Yes, my idea was to use the broadsword's blade as a mirror. As a drop from a Crystal Dragon living in the middle of the Zauri Mountains, the blade was clear enough to reflect my image...

I saw a man with messy black short hair and slightly menacing three-white eyes.

It was me. No matter what anyone said, it was me. This inherent lack of a friendly gaze was me.

Disappointed by the result, I let my shoulders slump. My hair was black, and there was no change in my skin tone or facial features. While there were some suspicious aspects within the range reflected in the sword, I felt there was no difference in height or build.

If I had known this would happen, I should have chosen a more outrageous color for my character. Besides, I had recently dyed my hair and eyes black to match my black equipment. Before that, I had been a blonde, blue-eyed prince-like knight.

"…………"

I shifted my gaze to the older man, who still showed no signs of regaining consciousness.

Regardless of the color, the fact that I had inherited my real-world build and facial features in this world meant that...

The older man was a woman.

Indeed, the older man's inner self was a woman. In some isekai stories, the protagonist's gender is changed by some mischievous deity, but since I was here as myself, it made more sense to think that the older man was here as himself.

It made sense, but...

"…I can't quite accept it."

The idea that the older man, who always joked around and shared lewd jokes with me, was such a beautiful woman was hard to believe, even now that I was seeing it with my own eyes.

Could it be that someone else in the room was summoned instead of the older man? Maybe his sister or girlfriend? I ignored the possibility of his girlfriend being a beautiful woman (a light novel title vibe).

"...Hmm, uh..."

The older man—no, not the older man, but the woman—let out a small groan. I repeated it for emphasis.

Her long eyelashes slowly trembled and lifted.

Her eyes, hidden behind her eyelids, were a honey-like amber color. Honestly, I had expected any color given her skin tone.

The woman—no, she—slowly blinked and looked up at me dazedly.

That's when I realized something important.

I still had the broadsword drawn.

A gentle beauty lying in the desert and a man with a menacing face standing beside her with a drawn broadsword.

No matter how I looked at it, I was the villain.

"No, no!"

Panicking, I tried to put away the weapon, but in my haste, the broadsword slipped from my hand.

"Ah...!?"

The broadsword spun through the air and, with a sharp slash, grazed the cheek of the dazed woman with its razor-sharp edge before embedding itself in the sand. Her long silver hair gently swayed from the sword's impact, and she slowly blinked as it fell across her cheek.

I had messed up. I had messed up royally.

If she turned out to be a woman, I would be a dangerous criminal.

Cold sweat trickled down my face as she slowly lifted her head.

"...What kind of funny dance are you doing, Aki?"

She spoke.

Ah, the older man is definitely a woman.

The older man was still a woman even after waking up.

Her large, double-lidded eyes, framed by long eyelashes, gave the impression of always looking down, even though they weren't exactly droopy. Her eyes had a sleepy, languid look, probably due to the long lashes.

She was probably around my age or a bit older, but it was hard for me to guess a woman's age.

The woman, like me earlier, was using the broadsword as a mirror to examine her appearance.

"...It's black and quite flashy."

"Ah, so it's not your own?"

"I'm Japanese, you know."

"……"

I was momentarily stunned by the masculine pronoun "I" coming from a beautiful woman.

There was no pretense of pretending to be a man; it came out naturally, as if she was used to using it.

...Am I a woman?

I knew there were women who preferred to use "I" as a pronoun, but... As if sensing my confusion, she waved her hand.

"Sorry, I startled you.

I usually use 'I' when talking to my online gaming friends.

You see, I use 'I' in the game, and switching pronouns in voice chat can cause confusion and make it hard to identify who's speaking.

I forgot that we've never spoken in person outside of RFC."

"Ah, I see."

I honestly couldn't think of any other response.

Should I treat her as the usual "older man" or as a woman I'm meeting for the first time?

"Hm. Your reaction isn't very good. Was it that surprising to find out I'm a woman?"

"...Very."

"Should I be pleased with my perfect deception, or lament my lack of femininity..."

She seemed to have her own thoughts, her gaze drifting away.

That's right.

As she said, there are many people who pretend to be a different gender in online games and on the internet.

However, with careful observation, it's often quite noticeable.

Especially when someone is pretending to be the same gender as you, you might feel a small sense of unease during conversations, leading to suspicions.

But I had felt none of that with the older man.

I truly believed the older man was a man.

"Do you know Alti?"

"Alti... the archer?"

"Right, that Alti.

I've talked to Alti in voice chat before...

Even though I had told her in advance that I was a woman, she still exclaimed, 'Really a woman!?' Later, Alti and I met in real life for tea, and apparently, she doubted whether I was really a woman until we met at the meeting place. That girl is a real pain."

"Ha ha!"

I laughed at the mention of our mutual friend, the elf archer girl.

She was a mascot-like girl who loved wearing a yellow bear costume called "Biribear" in RFC.

To me, she was just "the older man's friend," but I often saw her hanging around with him. At one point, I even suspected the older man was in a net-love relationship.

The older man had many male friends but was equally popular with girls. His gentle demeanor and ability to casually say charming things made him a hit with girls.

However, those suspicions had long disappeared in my mind, even before I found out the older man was a woman.

The older man was good at setting boundaries.

When girls tried to get close to him in a romantic way, he would draw a clear line. He would not only draw the line but also quickly and subtly avoid them. He only pampered girls who he knew would never see him as a romantic interest.

I had thought it was the confidence of a real-life socialite—probably a married man—but now I understood. It was because the person inside was a woman.

"But... why pretend to be a man?"

"In a previous game, I often got harassed by guys who were only interested in physical relationships."

"Ah, I see..."

"Physical relationship" guys.

These were troublesome men who, through the medium of online games, were only interested in finding women for physical relationships.

They were embarrassing and unappealing, even to me as a man. The older man was a charismatic person, and if I had known he was a woman, he would have surely been targeted by such men. It was easy to imagine.

"Still, if someone like Remone found out, they'd probably faint."

"……"

She averted her gaze at my words.

"……"

Does Remone know?

I thought, but the older man, who had casually admitted to knowing Alti, didn't seem like the type to avert her gaze over something like that.

Then what?

"……Ah."

I realized something terrifying.

"Could it be...?"

"Probably."

"No way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no