Chapter 5

Life is funny. Sometimes you’re pouring over your woes in a bar bathroom, other times you’re serving patrons in a short skirt. And it was a very short skirt. When the woman I was working for, Gessa, had showed such concern for me after I walked in, I thought I had stumbled across an angel. She was no angel.

I cursed Gessa in my thoughts as I angrily pulled a pair of white stockings over my legs. After getting dressed, my face flushed red, and I hesitated to leave the room. There was no mirror, and I could only assume how stupid I looked in the outfit. A mental image of me, age 28, pre reincarnation wearing a skimpy dress made my lips twitch.

“What’s your name, by the way?” Gessa asked from outside the room. I nearly responded with ‘Aaron,’ but felt it was a bit masculine.

“Aa-Aria.” I stumbled.

“Aria? Such pretty name!” Gessa cooed. “Are you staying in town long? I could use a fresh face here more often.”

“Just passing through,” I replied, opening the door and stepping out. I anxiously pulled the side of the skirt down. After a few face-burning compliments, Gessa put me to work. Surprisingly, I seemed to take to it quite well. I had never run tables in my previous life, but I’d worked as a line cook more than once. Thankfully, this job wasn’t’ as soul crushing.

I was returning dishes to the kitchen when a notification flashed across my face.

[Hero Points +1]

“Huh? System, is that from me?” I asked, surprised.

[No. The Hero is currently performing duties in-line with the image of a ‘hero.’]

I frowned. I got stuck in a miniskirt and that bastard’s saving cats from trees? Whatever, I decided to ignore it and make some money.

Over the next few hours, much to my delight, several notifications flooded in.

[Hero Points +1]

[Hero Points +2]

[Hero Points +…]

[Necessary Baseline achieved (10/10). Hero Store unlocked.]

That bastard actually managed to unlock the store in one evening! As expected of the Hero. Maybe Gale wasn’t as useless as I thought. By the time my shift was almost over, I’d managed to collect a surprising amount of money in tips, despite my initial awkwardness. On my last run, I placed a few plates down on a table and chatted lightly with the customers. When I looked up at the sound of the restaurant door opening, I saw Gale. He was wearing new clothes, fitting in with the villagers quite nicely. As expected of the Hero, even wearing simple clothes, he still looked dashing.

I said a quick goodbye to Gessa, collected my night’s pay, my old clothes, and walked over to Gale. His face was red again for some reason. I quickly put a hand to his forehead to check his temperature.

“Are you sure you’re not getting sick?” I worried. He grabbed my hand and pulled it from his head, taking a step back.

“Not sick.” He mumbled. I shrugged, letting the matter drop.

“We should get to the inn soon, it’s getting pretty late.” I said. Gale nodded in agreement.

Gessa called out as we left, “Aria! Come back tomorrow? I’ll pay extra!” I turned towards her and waved.

Gale looked at me curiously. “Aria?”

“Is it weird?” I asked, hesitantly. “I thought ‘Aaron’ might raise some eyebrows.”

“No. It suits you.” He said earnestly. I didn’t reply, and we walked on.

We chatted about our days as we walked down the street. The smells of food stalls cooking wafted through the air, the bustle of the village calming down as the sun lowered. I pulled Gale to grab a skewer before we continued.

“No way, you actually saved a cat in a tree?” I asked, speaking around the food in my mouth.

“It was more of a bush.” He replied nonchalantly. I snorted, and a piece of food shot out of my mouth.

“Have you asked about the village we’re in?” Gale asked, taking a bite of his skewer. I shook my head.

“We’re in an area called the ‘Leylands.’ This village is called Shortleaf. Apparently there’s a big city west of here.”

I chewed my food, thinking about our next move. Should we stay here and gather intel? It was a nice village but I didn’t exactly want to live out my life here. I decided that was a problem for tomorrow’s me.

We arrived at the inn after a leisurely walk. The interior, much the same as Gessa’s place, was decorated with a homey decor. Gale approached the man behind the counter. He was a sturdy-looking older man. His face, darkened from the sun and just as wrinkled, bespoke a kindly disposition.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Two rooms please.”

“Two? Why not share one?” I asked Gale. “Two’s a waste of money.”

He looked at me incredulously. The innkeeper spoke up, saying, “You workin’ for Gessa?” His voice was deep and somewhat raspy. It reminded me of heavy smokers I’d seen on TV.

I nodded. He looked me up and down appraisingly, before grinning. “I only have the one room, on account o’ the festival this week. But since you’re Gess’s people, I won’t charge you for tonight.”

My face brightened. “Thank you!” Looking towards Gale, I nudged his shoulder smugly.

He rubbed his face.

The innkeeper directed us towards our room. I had to drag Gale — for some reason he was being rather obstinate.

“Will you quit fighting me already? I said it’s fine!” I pulled him into the room with some effort and looked up at Gale, annoyed.

Gale closed the door and slowly turned around. He stared at me for a few moments before sighing. He raised his hands in surrender.

“Okay, you’re right. I was wrong.”

“As long as you’re aware,” I said, folding my arms. I then turned towards the bed, kicked my shoes off, and flopped down. I let out a long, exhausted breath.

“Damn, my feet hurt.” I mumbled. I glanced over towards Gale, who had yet to walk more than 3 feet into the room. I shot him a smile. “This bed’s pretty comfy!”

With an insistent pat, I beckoned Gale over to the bed where he sat down next to me. He looked down at my face with a strange expression.

“Are you…sure about this?” He asked.

I tilted my head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Sharing the bed,” He replied, his tone intense. His ears reddened a bit.

“Wait...” I said, a smile slowly creeping across my face. “Are you…shy?”

His face burned bright red, and he awkwardly nodded.

I sat up and looked at him in a mixture of exasperation, confusion and… another emotion I couldn’t identify. Schadenfreude? Or something similar.

“Gale.”

“Hm?”

I poked his arm teasingly, and for some reason, his reddened face made me grin.

“You’ve had girlfriends before. And we shared a couch not that long ago. Why are you being so weird?”

“Of course I’ve had girlfriends,” Gale responded, indignant. “But the way you act is just… it’s different. And the couch, you were a guy then.”

“You’ve been acting weird since we got here,” I said. “Are we not friends?”

“Of course we are.” Gale replied immediately.

“Then,” I said, scooting closer to him, “What’s the problem?” My eyes twinkled mischievously when he unconsciously backed away.

“You’ve been stranger than I have…” Gale muttered.

I raised an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He looked at me top to bottom. I could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. He averted his eyes and mumbled, “You’ve been… I don’t know, happier? More talkative? I’m used to you being so reserved, like…”

“Miserable?” I finished. He nodded slightly. We sat for a moment quietly.

“I’m happy.” I finally said. He looked up, curious.

“Yeah?”

“Mmm.” I leaned back and fell against the bed. I stared at the wooden roof thoughtfully. I scratched my nose and laughed awkwardly. He laid down next to me. Both of us stared at nothing.

“Why?”

I thought for a moment. I put my arms beneath my head and stretched.

“I feel good. Like, really good. Back home I was…wound up, I guess. Stretched thin. I didn’t have time to be happy.”

Gale hummed thoughtfully. “I think I can understand that.”

I considered telling Gale about my illness, but… for some reason, the idea of him pitying me, even retroactively, made me nauseous. I liked what we had. I didn’t want it to change.

I shot up, suddenly remembering something.

“OH!” I shouted, “I forgot! You unlocked the store thing! System, open the Hero Store!”

[Confirmed. Hero Shop activating. You currently have two available items for purchase.

Hero Starter pack x1 - 5 points

Heroine Starter pack x1 - 5 points]

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. Two items, totaling up to the amount of points we’d earned. Gale was watching me, an interested look on his face.

“Why are there only two items?” I asked.

[The store will add items as you accumulate points.]

“Huh, alright… Ok! System, purchase both starter packs!” I said, decisively.

[Hero Starter Pack purchased.

Received: Beginner sword skills

Beginner Wind Magic

Beginner Navigation magic

Hero equipment starter pack x1]

My eyes widened. So cool! I could already see Gale chopping goblins apart and slaying slimes. I looked at the details of the heroine pack, and my eyes twitched.

[Heroine Starter Pack purchased.

Received: Beginner staff skills

Beginner Healing magic

Beginner Item Box

Heroine equipment starter pack x1]

I had a feeling, but I still frowned at the information displayed. I, a pure DPS main, was forced to play support! I grumbled as I accepted the offerings. A bright light emanated from both of us. I could feel knowledge entering my brain. It was like waking up and realizing you’d taken a year’s worth of piano lessons in your dream. It felt surreal to suddenly understand something like magic.

I could feel a flow of something in my veins. Was this mana? I looked up at Gale in excitement. His face, at first surprised, suddenly broke into an uncontrollable grin.

We raised our hands and activated our magic. A golden glow burst forth from my fingertips; its pale light seemed to emanate a bone-deep warmth. Gale summoned a small vortex of wind in his hand. A tiny tornado appeared, strong enough to act as a small fan.

I reached out a hand to his shoulder, a single tear running down my face. “Magic, Gale.” He nodded in return. He was still playing around with his wind, forming it into different shapes.

My eyes caught on the difference between our packs. Item box? As soon as I thought about it, information entered my brain. It was like a storage crate was linked directly to my mind, giving me a perfect image of everything in it. The space was large enough to fit two large suitcases. Inside were two boxes; the equipment packs, I presumed. I hurriedly summoned them onto the bed.

“What’re these?” Gale asked, picking one up. He lifted the flap open and peered inside. Immediately, his face burst into a vibrant crimson hue, and he shoved the box away like it was filled with explosives. “I - ah, I think that one’s yours.” He whispered.

I grabbed the box, eyebrow raised in curiosity, and looked inside. I lifted the flap. Inside was a set of white robes. On top of it, greeting the eyes, was a rather prim set of lingerie. I stared for a moment, speechless.

“System.”

[Yes, Host?]

“What is this?”

[The Beginner Heroine set. Every piece must be worn in order to receive the set bonus.]

“Every piece…?” I asked, my eyes widening in horror.

[Affirmative.]

I stood up, lifting the box. Gale looked at me, his composure recovered. I looked at him. I can only assume the expression on my face was that of a prisoner being led to their hanging. I slowly stumbled out of the room to change.

If I had to be honest, the Heroine set was marginally better than the waitress outfit I’d been wearing. It fit better, at least. And with the inclusion of the… unspeakables, I found myself rather comfortable in it. The skirt was just as short though.

[Set bonus activated

Effect 1: Hero’s favor: You receive a boost in efficacy with support magic used on the Hero.

Effect 2: Locked]

“This thing had better be worth it.” I grumbled. I walked back into our room, wiping a bit of water that had rolled down from my still-wet hair. The inn had a bath, thankfully. I tried not to dwell too much on the experience. Considering this was probably my body for the rest of my life… it would be better to get used to such things. Gale was laying down on the left side of the bed. He looked up as I entered. I gave him a quick smile before I walked over, pulled the covers back, and laid down.

I felt like I was a bit short on room, so I scooted closer to Gale. My leg, only covered by my skirt, rubbed against his. I felt him flinch at the contact. Not paying much attention, I leaned back and relaxed. Having taken a bath and feeling rather comfortable, I fell asleep quickly. The exhaustion of the day claimed me as my consciousness went dark.

Gale sat in the bed regretting his life’s decisions. He looked down at Aaron…no, Aria. Her face was peaceful as she rolled around in bed. She’d always had horrible sleep posture, but Gale had never noticed it was this extreme until she rolled into him. She curled up, wrapping around Gale’s arm like a squid. He sighed, pushing a lock of her still damp hair behind her ear. A smile unknowingly crept across his lips.