I might not have been able to go back to Japan anymore, but I was living happily enveloped in the love of my family. This time, I’d be a good daughter to my parents, get married, and live a happy life with my husband.
“And that’s why you didn’t seem like someone your age?”
“Personally, I think I’m much more like a child than you are, Chris.”
“What age were you when you died?” he asked.
“You should never ask a lady her age,” I returned with a huff.
To be honest, I just really didn’t want to tell them I’d been in my late twenties. Wouldn’t that creep them out? That was a truth I would take to my grave.
“You probably weren’t an adult, right?” Alan speculated. “You’re always running around everywhere, and you’re a bit airheaded.”
“You’re right,” Chris agreed. “She’s smart, but she doesn’t really act like an adult.”
“Wait, that was just because I needed to act like a child!”
“Huh? That was acting?”
I really didn’t want to tell them I had been in my late twenties...for a completely different reason now.
(You were ill, weren’t you? Of course you’d want to run around if you suddenly ended up in a healthy body,) the Earth Queen chimed in.
(Did you have a lover? What about marriage?) the Wind Queen asked.
“I wasn’t married, and I didn’t have a partner either.”
“Oh, because of your illness...” Alan said, sounding a little sad.
“And that’s why you come across like a child,” Chris concluded.
Oh no. Why were they starting to view me like I had been some frail, hapless little girl?
What happened to me not seeming like a child? What changed? I don’t understand.
Two girls—one who floated instead of walking and the girl who had guided us here—brought us fruit and all-natural fruit juice since we couldn’t move from the beanbag.
Our spirits seemed to be scared in the presence of all four Royal Spirits, so they were huddling behind us. The fact that their lights were shining brighter than usual regardless must have been because of the high mana levels in this place.
“I didn’t think you’d believe me so easily,” I said.
“Why would you lie under these circumstances?” Chris countered.
“It also explains why you’re so strange,” Alan added.
(Then could you now listen to what we have to say?) the Water King asked.
Now that the hardest part was out of the way, I felt much better. I hadn’t realized how much lighter I would feel with my brothers as understanding allies. It seemed a little pathetic to be so relieved by the support of young children when I was almost in my thirties. Sure, my old world might have had its share of crime and disturbing incidents, but I really had been living an easy life back there.
(You seem to believe you are the only one to have reincarnated in this world, Deirdre, but that is not the case,) the Water King said. (All humans of this world are either those who have reincarnated or their descendants.)
“HUUUUUUUH?!”
(You are simply the only one who currently has memories of your previous life,) he continued.
(Your world had too many humans. The only option left was for us to take in those who reincarnated here,) the Fire King explained with a stern expression and folded arms.
(You destroyed so much nature over there. No spirits live there anymore,) the Earth Queen sighed with disappointment.
First, humans had destroyed nature in their own world, and now they were here destroying the homes of the Royal Spirits. This must be why Little Wiki doesn’t have any entries tied to the destruction of nature.
(Don’t misunderstand. We have no intention of criticizing you for a different world’s matters,) the Earth Queen reassured me. (Our responsibility is this country in this world. And I choose to believe that the gods let you keep your memories so you could reestablish communication between humans and spirits.)
(This country’s citizens had forgotten how to live with us, after all,) the Water King said.
(So we wanted to thank you for reminding them,) the Wind Queen added.
(The Water King’s smug face does not sit well with me, though. How dare your land be the only place with a sharp increase in spirits?) The Fire King was glaring at his fellow royal.
(I told you to call me Ruri.)
Place the kind and voluptuous Earth Queen and the curious and expressive Wind Queen next to the Fire and Water Kings and this was just a hit parade of moe. My heart had been beating a mile a minute as I excitedly watched their exchange. Now that there was nothing to hide, I could relax into basking in their presence, completely, utterly, and without distraction.
Wait. There’s nothing but distractions right now.
“In other words, everyone who dies in that world comes here?” I asked, overcome by curiosity.
(If that was how it worked, this world would be the one overrun by humans. We will not let this world develop any further. Do be careful about what knowledge you choose to bring over,) the Earth Queen admonished me.
(She won’t be a problem. It seems people are reincarnated in different worlds depending on race, nationality, occupation, and motivations. Of course, the vast majority will reincarnate in their own world. The people who reincarnate in this world tend to be more laid-back,) the Water King explained.
Hmm, so was this the world where those who liked heroic fantasies would be reincarnated? Like the “Yippee, I get to live the slow life!” type people? I guessed that meant there was a world out there all about advancing civilization with science, or a lawless world where everyone had guns like in a shooter game.
Yeah, I’m glad I reincarnated here. Whatever god is up there, I thank you.
“Do monsters exist to keep the human population down while spirits exist so humans don’t destroy nature?”
(It’s nothing that complicated,) the Earth Queen said. (We just want to live in harmony with humans. It’s because you chose to acknowledge our existence and begin talking to us that we’re able to begin raising many more friends. Look forward to autumn—I’ll make sure you have bountiful harvests!)
Oh man, if we’re the only land with good harvests, we’re gonna cause a whole new fuss. The empress’s standing’s gonna grow even worse. What are you going to do now, court mages?
“Your old world was more developed, right?” Alan asked. I nodded. “Does that mean you find it difficult living in this world? You might have more knowledge than even this world’s scholars. Does that not make it annoying to speak with them?”
Alan was so cute worrying on my behalf that I couldn’t help but throw my arms around him in a tight hug.
“Deir?”
“It’s not difficult to live here at all,” I told him. “Every day is so fun.”
“Really?”
“Really. Chris is much smarter than me. I do have a lot of knowledge, but I’m keeping everything to myself unless I think it’s safe to share. Think about it. What would you two choose to share if you ended up going to a different world?”
“Huh? I dunno.”
“There isn’t really much we could tell them as children...” Chris muttered. “Oh wait, you were a child too.”
“You couldn’t run because of your illness.”
Not quite. But regardless, there wasn’t much information an ordinary person could really spread that would be of use. Maybe a craftsman or someone with specialist knowledge would have something of value to teach people, but I’d been nothing more than an office lady. Sure, I had Little Wiki, but I had no intention of using it like that. I was not prepared to take on the responsibility of completely overturning all of this world’s knowledge. Besides, my number one goal was to live peacefully with my family!
If the reason I’d been transported here was to teach everyone how to live with spirits, then my work was done. Spread that information domestically, and it would only be a matter of time before it spread beyond our borders too, right? That meant I was a free woman only four years after being reincarnated!
And then I remembered what else I wanted to do. “Oh, I want to turn our land into a hot spot for tourism.”
“A hot spot?” Chris repeated.
“I can cook, so I want to increase the number of special dishes our region is known for.”
(Cooking from a foreign world, you say?) the Water King cut in. (That does sound interesting. Do allow us to try some as well.)
“I also want to change my underwear,” I continued.
“Huh?”
“My dress is so cute, and yet my underwear is so ugly. It’s unbelievable!”
Don’t you back away from me now, boys! Underwear is important. Cute comfortable underwear makes a girl happy, and it makes her lover just as happy.
“While we’re at it, what kind of underwear do the men of this world wear?” I asked.
(What kind? I can just show— Bwuh!)
When the Fire King started to lower his pants, the Wind Queen silently used her magic against him. If he’d been human, a blow like that would’ve knocked his lights right out.
(Don’t show her that, idiot!)
(But I’m wearing underwear. What’s the problem?)
(That doesn’t make it any better!)
Someone give me a camera! A video camera would be even better! Let me record this!
“Can’t you talk about that once we’re home, Deir?” Chris interrupted the exchange.
“Yes, you don’t have to act like a child anymore, so you can bring all your concerns to our brother,” Alan said, patting my head with a very happy look on his face.
Despite telling them that I had reincarnated, my brothers were treating me no differently. Why? There was no way they were still viewing me as simply a precocious child, right? I’d pretty much stopped acting like a kid recently because of how much of a pain it was to keep up. Had I stopped too late?