《The Reincarnated Extra》 Chapter 1: Isekai Soul Auction Chapter 1: Isekai Soul Auction Isekai Soul Auction Gods who have too much time on their hands! Wee, wee to todays event! The curtain rises, and the heat of the audience flows onto the stage. A strangely long-limbed man in a silk hat and tuxedo, holding a microphone, is spotlighted and shouts loudly. His face is vaguely covered with a white mist, making it difficult to see clearly. The microphone feedback screeches, but the man in the silk hat continues unfazed, waving back to the cheers from the audience and continuing his speech. So loud. Im fully awake now. Today, we have the event youve all been waiting for! The auction of souls! With that one sentence, everything clicked for me. An auction of souls, huh. In other words, Im the merchandise. A soul, to be sold to these so-called gods. No, I was supposed to be eating lunch and napping in the ssroom, right? Somehow, when I woke up, I found myself in an oddly luxurious backstage? Like a fancy version of a school gyms stage wings? And then, Im trapped in something like a transparent stic case, unable to move!? And, and, now I dont have arms or legs!? I look like a softball-sized human soul!? Yeah, it didnt make sense, but as a soul, I literally couldnt do anything about it so I just napped carelessly. And then I woke up because of the earlier scream and cheers. Thats all for the report from the scene. Today, we have gathered young human souls from Earth! A total of 29S! The man in the silk hat continues to speak from the podium on the stage to the audience. Whats with the S? Is that a unit for counting souls? Thats some trivia I wont be able to use. Of course, regarding the souls that you sessfully bid on, you are free to do with them as you please! Whether it be boiling, roasting, or even eating them! However you like! Laughter rises from the audience. What!? Souls are ingredients!? Scary! Gods are scary! Looking towards the audience, there were incredibly beautiful men and women, but also some with horns growing out, or with multiple arms and legs, some looked more like insects or lizards, and there were even indistinct, slime-like beings If those really were gods, then it made sense that they would consume souls, surrounded by such a crowd. Well! To all of you who havee here today! Theres no way you would do such wasteful things! I am well aware of that! It seemed to be a joke. Main characters, supporting roles, or even viins! However you choose to use them is fine! Use these souls freely to weave the stories you all create! Please, make it exciting! Hm? Main characters? Supporting roles? Stories??? Alright! The 35,486th Isekai Soul Auction in Ardyst! Has now begun!! Chapter 2: My Soul Was Told It Smells Chapter 2: My Soul Was Told It Smells
  1. My Soul Was Told It Smells
* * * Isekai Soul Auction!? Then, without further ado! Lets introduce the first soul up for auction! As the host in the silk hat shouts this, a woman in a stylish ck suit (her face also obscured by a white mist, making it unrecognizable) carries a soul ced near me onto the stage. Let me introduce the profile of this soul! The silk hat removes the stic case covering the soul and reads from the document in his hand. The name is Shota Suzudou, a 17-year-old male! The ace of the ser team and a central figure among the boys in his ss! With high athletic ability and leadership, he is bright and positive, truly a soul material suitable for a protagonist! Ah, that soul is Suzudou-kun. Indeed, as the silk hat said, Suzudou-kun was a leader and popr among everyone in the ss. Well, it didnt concern me, though. Oh, what a fine-shaped soul. And such a crisp scent, too. Excellent soul quality! I definitely want it Well, its not exactly what Im looking for but what beautiful colors! The gods in the audience freely critique Suzudou-kuns soul. Indeed, even to me, who isnt ustomed to seeing souls, Suzudou-kuns soul had a beautiful color. Kind of a passionate red like the color of a beautiful me? That was what his soul looked like. As for me, on the other hand Um Yeah Alright! Lets start the bidding! This high-quality soul, Shota Suzudou! Starting at a minimum bid of 10,000 mana! 20,000! 25,000! 53,000! Suzudou-kuns souls price keeps rising. Apparently, the currency? is called mana. 108,000! Currently at 108,000 mana! Do we have any gods willing to bid higher!? Fine! Then 110,000 mana! How about that!? 110,000! 110,000! Any more? No more, then! The soul of Shota Suzudou goes to you Holy Goddess Laintorlie, sold! Please do not forget to set memories, divine protection, and other settings when using! Of course! The one who came up to the stage to receive Suzudou-kuns soul was a beautiful blonde goddess. She lifts the soul above her head, showing it off to the other gods. Tch! Laintorlie got the jump on us right from the start! But, Im looking forward to it! The Hero VS Demon Lord series by Laintorlie and Baharia is always entertaining! Cant wait for the broadcast! It feels a bit too conventional, though. The surrounding gods, while appearing disappointed, still smile and apud. Broadcast? Whats that? Next! Moving on! The next soul we will introduce is In this manner, the souls ced around me were auctioned off one by one to the gods. From observing this, it became clear that the 29 souls lined up here, including myself, seem to be my ssmates. Didnt the silk hat say earlier harvested from Earth? Were we, the entire ss, kidnapped, turned into souls, and put up for auction? Uh And? Our wills arent considered at all? Is that okay with the gods? I guess it is. Everyone seems to be having a st. Well, if I were asked whether I have any regrets about my previous life, I dont, so I guess its fine. 80,000! 80,000! No more? Sold! The soul of Ken Gouki Thief God Yabo, sold! On stage, the soul of a boy named Gouki was auctioned off. For the record, Gouki was, to put it bluntly, a bully. Regardless of gender, he would bully anyone he didnt like by any means necessary. I was also one of his victims. Things were done to me that I dont want to put into words. But nobody helped me. The world is cold, isnt it? Kakaka! Look at this soul! This distorted feel is almost artistic, isnt it~!? For my divine protection, its gotta be one with this kind of stimting scent! Thief God Yabo, as hes called, receives Goukis soul and returns to his seat in high spirits. So, a thief god, huh? Just hearing that makes it abundantly clear hes not exactly a wholesome entity, right? Now! Moving on to As Silk Hats words reach my ears, I feel a light sensation of floating. The stic case Im in is lifted and carried onto the stage. Its my turn now. Aihara Runa! Bad at studies, sports, everything! No friends! No family to help her! Bullied by everyone, honestly a high school girl whos aplete failure! My introduction is harsh!? No, its not wrong sadly, its not wrong! But still, Ive been trying so hard! Super hard, right!? Whether I was being hit, had things stolen from me, or was ignored by the whole ss family and all!! Despite the hardships, Ive tried to live with a bright and positive attitude! Wont anyone recognize that effort?! Uh, whats with this atmosphere in the venue? Why does it suddenly go silent when Ie out? Hey gods~! Dont be such a buzzkill~! Why are you slightly recoiling!? Dirty Someone in the audience said that. It was a small murmur, but in the hushed venue, the words resonated sadly. Yeah, I get it. I understand why someone would want to say that. Even the bully Gouki had a soul that was somewhat translucent. It was misshapen, but still. As for me Its pitch ck. You might even say its darkly tainted. And then theres the asional rusty red color that appears and disappears, utterly filthy. Compared to the other souls, its understandable if mine seems disgustingly dirty. Maybe it is Ah, a-ah, um Silk Hat is panicking. Caught up in hosting, he seems to have just realized how incredibly filthy my soul is. Arent you a bit underprepared? Thats quite negligent of you, buddy~! A failure as a professional professional god (??), arent you? So then, the minimum bid for this soul will be 1 mana! Just 1 mana is fine! Yes, lets start the bidding! Silk Hat sets the minimum bid in a clearly half-hearted manner, and the auction for my soul begins. The assistant, ady in a gloomy ck suit, removes the stic case covering me. The next moment. Yuck, whats that smell!? That soul stinks!!? Cough, what unbelievable! Unbelievable!? Whats that smell!? Oh Oh god! rgharghargh The venue instantly turns into a scene from hell. Gods pinching their noses and looking ufortable are the better ones. Some gods are on the floor, convulsing. A slime-like, formless god is vomiting. Rude, right? You look just like vomit yourself! Well, anyway. My soul is not only filthy. Its also incredibly smelly. My apologies! My sincerest apologies!! It seems that during the process of harvesting souls, some trash got mixed in!! Silk Hat is profusely apologizing. Calling me trash, thats harsh. After all, this is the soul of a high school girl whos been trying hard for 17 years! Well dispose of it immediately! Immediately with annihtion! Silk Hat pulls out something resembling a small remote from his pocket and starts operating it. Suddenly, a ck vortex appears in front of me. Huh? Annihtion?? Now connecting to the void Connection established! This trash, along with its stench, will be discarded into the void! We deeply apologize for causing you any difort!!! Eh? The void? Disposal? What are you talking about? While Im still not fully grasping the situation, watching Silk Hat and thedy in the ck suit apologize profusely to the audience With a satisfying whoosh, Im sucked into the ck vortex into what they called the void. Chapter 3: The Void and the Scent of Barbecue Chapter 3: The Void and the Scent of Barbecue
  1. The Void and the Scent of Barbecue
* * * Swept into the ck vortex, within the void there was nothing. An endlessly, perpetually extending pitch-ck space. Everything painted in pitch-ck, nothing to see, nothing to hear. Neither cold nor warm. In such a void, only my darkly tainted soul floated aimlessly. Well, actually, there might not even be a pitch-ck space? Because its the void. It gets confusing when you think about it. Sigh What kind of development is this? Youd want to sigh, wouldnt you? Looking back on my life, I dont think it was filled with joy. My father was a criminal and never got out of prison. My mother fell ill and died before I was fully aware. The rtives who took me in family treated me as a nuisance, and I was shuffled from one ce to another from a young age. Never making any friends. Bullied because of my father, abused by family. But still. Still, you know!! I tried my best to live straight. I forced a smile, tried to enjoy life as much as I could! I kept trying, trying, and trying, never letting my dissatisfaction show! Convincing myself that someday, these tough days would turn into good memories!! And this is the result of all that effort!? Kidnapped by iprehensible gods and then discarded because I stink!!? Dont mess with me! Dont you dare mess with me!! Anger poured out endlessly. I felt my soul darken even more with rage. Angry, angry, angry, mourning the misfortune of my life,menting, cursing After a full-blown tantrum I somehow cooled down. Well its futile. No matter how much I rant, theres no one here to listen. Its just exhausting. Alright, stop. Lets think about something else. Ah~, I feel hungry. I want to eat meat. I want to eat barbecue. I love meat so much. Im a carnivorous girl. I dont remember being allowed to eat much in my previous life but in the next life, yeah. Ill devour meat non-stop. Thats how I want to live. But, thrown into the void, do I even have a next life? Like the cycle of rebirth? Can I still hop on that flow from here? The cycle the cycle, huh The endlessly turning wheel of rebirth I wanted to try those spiral-wrapped sausages While I was aimlessly pondering such things suddenly, I caught a scent. And, how am I seeing, hearing, and smelling in a soul state? Youd wonder, but lets put that aside for now. This scent Theres no mistaking it. The smell of meat being grilled. Sweet and savory with the aroma of sauce mixed in. Its barbecue. The smell of barbecue. Is someone nearby grilling barbecue? I was gently drawn towards the direction of that smell With a pop! sound. Once again, I was sucked into somewhere. Chapter 4: For Every God That Discards, There Is a God (?) Who Picks Up Chapter 4: For Every God That Discards, There Is a God (?) Who Picks Up
  1. For Every God That Discards, There Is a God (?) Who Picks Up
* * * The ce I was sucked into next was a stark contrast to the void, apletely white space. Having gotten used to the pitch-dark void, the brightness was blinding! Oh oh! Youve made it here safely! A cute female voice echoed inside my head (?) as I was dazzled by the brightness. With a soul so calm and unshaken even when cast into the void truly remarkable. The voice praised me, sounding on the verge of tears. When I turned around, there was a vague silhouette of a woman. A beautiful, gently glowing mass of blue light. She seemed far more divine than any of the gods who had been at the auction, at least to me. Probably shes also a god. A provisional god, lets say. Somehow warm, and I felt a great sense of familiarity. This provisional god. Holding tongs in her right hand. Fanning a charcoal grill with a fan in her left hand. was grilling meat. The fat dripped onto the heated charcoal, sizzling deliciously. What is this??? Wee, Runa Aihara. A soul reaped from another world. I am The Vessel. The Vessel of a Nameless God Created without power, merely an observer Wait! Dont flip the meat while introducing yourself in such a solemn voice! What is this!? What are you doing!? Hehe, as you see, its barbecue. Come, join me. You must be hungry, right? No, I get that its barbecue! But whats the situation!? Whats happening to me!? What have I gotten myself into!? Wait, can you hear my thoughts!? And, that meat looks really tasty, may I have some please!? You seem confused. I will exin the situation youre in. As for your thoughts they are quite easy for me to read, so Ive taken the liberty of looking into them. The meat is meant for you to eat, so please, help yourself. Really? Youre giving me the meat!? Yay! As my soul floated closer, this provisional god The Vessel switched the tongs for chopsticks to offer me the meat. The meat was absorbed by my soul, and I was flooded with the taste and satisfaction of eating meat. Oh this meat is delicious! So, you can eat in a soul state, huh! Now, while you eat, please listen. Ill exin the situation youre in and about myself. While feeding me meat, The Vessel began to speak kindly. First, lets start from the beginning. Your soul was reaped from your world to be a pawn for the gods of Ardyst from your perspective, another world. Ah, this tender and sweet fat this rib is amazing Not that! Yeah, I kind of figured that out. But, a pawn what does that mean? The gods at the venue intend to reincarnate souls from other worlds into their domains in Ardyst, watching the lives they lead as stories for their amusement. Recording these lives and streaming them to other gods has be popr, and its a trend thats heating uptely. In fact, souls from Earth are easier to bless or modifypared to those from Ardyst, making them easier to use for the gods. Thus, the gods of Ardyst use the reaped souls as pawns, crafting isekai tales for their entertainment. Eh Ive heard theres a genre of stories about isekai So thats just gods ytime!? Being harvested as a soul feels like being toyed with, and its not a pleasant feeling! So, without considering our circumstances, were just made into pawns? If seen from a human standpoint, that is a valid opinion. However, as a god who has existed for so long, those concerns dont really bother us anymore. Any dissatisfaction or grievances you might feel can be erased by tampering with memories and thoughts. You can do that!? Because youre a god, right. Gods, scary! In addition, people who are reincarnated are usually given blessings that is, cheat abilities. If used well, despite some turmoil, you can lead a significantly advantageous life. So, its not like there are no benefits for those who are reincarnated, even if its without their consent. Hmm, so reincarnated individuals arent just at a disadvantage; they get something substantial in return, too? Still, I feel a bit hmm. After all, it seems futile toin to beings of absolute existence with a different set of values, the gods. Sigh. I myself have no attachments to my previous life, and as for my ssmates well, I dont care what bes of them. They didnt like me, after all. I have no reason to care about them. Alright, lets put an end to this conversation! I actually quite enjoy watching these isekai streams. Its a good way to pass the time, watching a considerable number of lives. So, the lives of those reincarnated are treated like entertaining videos!? Now, back to our discussion I wasnt part of that auction earlier, but I happened to be nearby. And then, I caught the scent of your soul, even though I was supposed to be outside the venue. Ah does my soul smell bad? Im sorry, does it still smell? Are you enduring it? Ufufu. No, it doesnt smell bad. Im used to it. In fact, to me, its a very nice scent. Is that so? Yes. Those who said it was a dirty smell are rude and foolish. You shouldnt worry about not being liked by such foolish gods. And so, what I saw when I peered into the venue was the scene of you being discarded into the void. Though Ive been amused by the lives of reincarnated individuals myself, I felt that such cruelty should not be allowed. Its one thing to reap souls without permission, but to irresponsibly discard them is uneptable! Thats why I thought I had to help. Normally, souls sucked into the void disperse and vanish. So, thats what the void is a scary ce! If I had been in the void longer, I might have vanished? Eh, yes. Thats why I thought I had to rescue you quickly. This space its my personal space, so I moved here in haste. Yes. To save you. Yes. And thats why I started grilling meat. Yes. Thats the part I dont get The void is an endless darkness, an infinite expanse between worlds. The Vessel of the God, glowing faintly blue, continued speaking while grilling meat. Once you fall into it, rescuing someone is extremely difficult. I needed you to somehowe close to the coordinates of my personal space. Uh um, that soundsplicated, but basically I grilled meat, letting its smell drift into the void, to signal the existence of this space to you. And as nned, you were drawn here by the smell of the grilled meat. Ah! Ah!! Im so d I could help! It was a gamble to try grilling meat, but Im really d I did!! The Vessel of the God once again became emotional, making a gesture as if wiping her eyes. Whats this, shes quite sentimental. The act of grilling meat to rescue a soul from the void might seem hard to understand just from the words But its clear she did this thinking of me. Thank you! But why did she go to such lengths for me? The Vessel of the God stopped grilling meat and faced me directly. I simply wanted to help you. Theres no lie in that feeling. However, to be honest, there was also a calction. If I could help you, there was something I wanted to ask of you. A request, you wanted to ask? Yes. Runa Aihara. Would you with me like to undergo a reincarnation? Chapter 5: The Reincarnated Extra Chapter 5: The Reincarnated Extra
  1. The Reincarnated Extra
* * * Miss Aihara I am what you call The Vessel of a Nameless God.'' The Vessel sped my soul with both hands, beginning to speak earnestly. Well, she did mention something to that effect earlier, didnt she? Normally, when gods are created by the Creator God, or when beings ascend to divinity despite their created nature they are bestowed with a name and divine powers. I, however, have none of that. I am merely The Vessel, not a god in my own right. Huh? What does that mean? To understand that, we must first discuss the origins of this world, Ardyst When the Creator God fashioned this world, numerous gods were also brought into existence. Gods of harvest, war, justice, and even malevolence all to nurture Ardyst into a richer, better realm Wow, thats quite the creation myth out of nowhere. Behind The Vessel, an image formed against the pitch-ck void, showing dust coalescing to form the world and gods being born. Right at the bottom, it says Imagery for illustration purposes, which kind of kills the mood. But I wonder, am I really up for suchplex tales? So, to put it simply, even the Creator God found managing the world alone too bothersome. Hence, a host of underlings were created, and the work was delegated to them. Amazing how a change in wording can turn a story so colloquial! The creation of Ardyst, including its gods, proceeded without a hitch But just as the world was about to bepleted, an unforeseen issue arose. And what might that be? The materials for creating the world well, there was a bit left over! Being told its like having a spare screw after assembling a bookshelf doesnt really help! Perhaps thats how the Creator God felt. And so, those leftover materials were used to somewhat whimsically create me, an extra Vessel of a God.'' That backstory feels sadly neglected Should a new god have been needed, I was to be given a name and powers But then, contrary to the Creators expectations, beings began ascending to godhood on their own And I became the child that was no longer needed. The Vessel paused, sighing while pressing her forehead. Moreover, being just a Vessel, I somehow ended up with a consciousness. Since then, its been an endless cycle of boredom. As The Vessel, I have no lifespan, but since Im not a god, I have no duties either. Being a Vessel means I cant descend from the divine realm to the mortal world, nor can I intervene through oracles or the like since Im not a god Well, Ill spare you the detailed rules, but watching the broadcasts of gods, such as those of isekais, became my sole entertainment. I see So shes been stuck in an endlessly dull existence. And as I watched these broadcasts, I thought I, too, wish to experience reincarnation into another world! The arms holding me tightened with determination. Gradually, I began to grasp her situation. This entity, unimaginably bored to the point of sadness for a human, found her only joy in isekai streams. And then, Miss Aihara! I encountered your soul! It must be fate! Miss Aihara! Lets reincarnate into Ardyst together! Wait, what? Together, you say? Not you reincarnating me, but Youre reincarnating as well!? I am not a god, so I dont have the authority to reincarnate you! However, by attaching myself to you, its possible to ride the cycle of reincarnation into Ardyst! A great evil spirit had done this before, causing quite an uproar in the divine realm, so theres no doubt it will work! Using a method that caused a major uproar doesnt sound like a good idea at all! Its not a problem! Im not a great evil spirit, so there should be no issues! Please, Miss Aihara, reincarnate with me! We will share one body, but I im no ownership over it! Ill just coexist in your mind, sharing your senses. Although Im not a god and cant bestow blessings I can offer plenty of advice! Ardyst is, after all, a world of swords and magic! There will likely be many things where yourmon sense from your previous life wont apply! My advice, as an aficionado of isekai broadcasts, will surely be of help in your life! So, please, I beg of youuuuuuuu! The Vessel was desperate, almost sobbing while clinging to my soul. Please, huh? Looking back at my previous life, was I ever truly needed by someone? I was always a nuisance wherever I went. No matter how hard I tried, everything I did was rejected, and I was continually disliked. It felt almost like a curse. This being The Vessel The one who rescued my soul, despised even by the gods Needed me. She needed me, of all people. Just knowing that made me incredibly happy. Theres no reason to refuse. Really?! The Vessel, sensing my thoughts, quivered in response. Yes, really. Its my way of saying thank you for saving my soul. Lets reincarnate into another world together. Uwaaa uwaaaaaaaahhhhh! Thank you sooo muchhhhh! Lets live a fun and easy life togetherrrrr! Finally bursting into tears, The Vessel hugged me, spinning around and around. Her immense joy flowed into my soul, filling me with warmth and a bit of embarrassment. Then, lets not dy! Gate, open! With a snap of her fingers, a warm pink vortex appeared before me. This vortex leads to the flow of reincarnation in Ardyst! Jumping in, you and I will inhabit the body of a newborn, starting a new life! Before I knew it, The Vessel, who had been hugging me, ceased to maintain her humanoid shape and transformed into a sphere enveloping my soul. A new life, huh? Im starting to feel excited and nervous! Before we go, a few precautions! I cannot alter your soul in any way! Thus, you will reincarnate with your previous lifes memories and ego intact! Also, we cant choose the body we reincarnate into! Its all up to the flow of reincarnation! Its a gamble! Lastly, once I descend to the lower world, I will not be able to exert any power! I can only offer advice and be a conversation partner, so please understand that! Do you have any questions? Um, questions, questions! Ah, right. What should I call you? Eh? Because well be together for the rest of our lives, right? It would be inconvenient not to have a name to call you by. I cant keep calling you The Vessel forever. After a moment of thought, The Vessel cheerfully burst out with a name. Then, please call me Extra.'' Eh? Does a name like that even fit!? Ufufu, if you were to name me, Extra is indeed quite fitting. I am The Vessel, a gods container created and then forgotten. You are the Reincarnated Extra who will journey through reincarnation with me! Please take care of me for the long haul! Eeeeh?! It feels like Im being treated as an extra too!? Well, alright then, Extra-sama! I might be a bother, but please take care of me too! Then, towards a new life! Towards the unknown world of Ardyst! Dreaming of a bright future! Cutting off the bad luck of my previous life! Lets, reincarnate~~~~~~~~~~! Me and Extra-sama jumped into the whirlpool of reincarnation. Gently swayed by the serene peach-colored currents, we were drawn towards the body for our reincarnation. My previous life was, frankly, not great. But the future will surely be different. Not just me, but me and Extra-sama. Well be loved by a big family, make lots of friends. Receive plenty of love, and give plenty of love in return. Well live such a happy life! Goodbye, previous life! And hello, next life!! We are now setting off towards a brilliant life! Chapter 6: Nice to meet you, Im Emi! Chapter 6: Nice to meet you, I''m Emi!
  1. Nice to meet you, Im Emi!
* * * Yoo-hoo everyone, hello~! My name is Emi! A 5-year-old girl! In my previous life, I was a in high school girl named Aihara Runa, but after various events, I reincarnated into this otherworld called Ardyst, together with The Vessel, whom I call Extra! In this life, I live in a small, cold vige called Fenoben Yep, living as a normal (Id like to think) vige girl! I have ck hair and ck eyes, and though Im just a vige girl, Im pretty fair-skinned and, not to boast, but Im quite a beautiful little girl! Ehehe! Ah! Theres the farmer next door, Uncle Rand! Hello~~! Tch! Hey kid! Donte near my fields! Uncle Rand picked up a small stone at his feet, swung it back and threw it! I quickly hopped to the side to avoid it. Geez, thats dangerous~! Is Uncle Rand in a bad mood? Normally, who would throw stones at a 5-year-old beautiful girl? Of course, such a weak throw wouldnt hit me! I provocatively hop side to side. You little brat!!! Ah, crap, Uncle Rands really pissed! Hes chasing me with a scythe! Time to retreat~! * * * Huff, huff! Damn where did that cursed child go!? Im up here, on top of your head, in the tree. Following Extras advice, Ive been training quite a bit? Stealth actions are my specialty! I can easily avoid a middle-aged man starting to gain weight! Go away! Hes gone. I smoothly climb down from the tree and proceed to my destination. Really, Uncle Rand is such a troublemaker, isnt he? He arbitrarily brands me a potato thief!? Ive never done such a thing! Even when Im starving, Id rather eat the roots and grass in the forest. And to think, in Fenoben Vige, my family is the poorest, so wouldnt it be nice if he could spare a potato or two? Ah, by cursed child, they mean me. Around here, having ck hair and eyes is rare (neither of my parents have ck hair or eyes. Maybe its a recessive gene?), and because Im always wearing rags and look dirty Plus, in this life, it seems my facial muscles are dead; Im expressionless and not used to interacting with people. Im quiet because when I want to talk, I just talk to Extra in my mind, which probably didnt help! Anyway, for these reasons, Im quite feared by the adults in the vige! So, they call me cursed child, a derogatory term I dont quite understand! Look over there! Can you see the vige children ying? I reincarnated in this world, so I thought Id make lots of friends this time around But the adults who dislike me prevent the other children from getting close to me. Theyve been spreading nder about me to their children, saying things like Dont go near her, or youll be cursed. How rude! Moreover, theres always an adult apanying the children, watching to make sure nothing dangerous approaches them And it seems Ive been categorized as that dangerous thing, so Im physically blocked from getting close! For instance, that boy with red hair ying in the center of the group I think his name is Torch. Hes the same age as me, so young that he probably doesnt even recognize my existence. Yeah. By the way, I think youve probably realized from the flow of the story so far, but my family is actually quite poor. Next, Ill introduce my family to everyone! Look! You can just see iting into view, that dpidated shack on the outskirts of the vige Thats my home in this life, technically. Ill erase my presence and peek inside quietly there he is. Gaah ghghgh That man snoring away in the middle of the day, drunk on alcohol, is my father in this life, Cody! As you can see from his unkempt bearded face and the trash-strewn mess of a house, hes a terribly sloppy adult! Apparently, he used to work as an adventurer, earning money by defeating monsters! He retired after injuring his leg, but since hes still more capable than the average person, he acts (so to speak) as the viges guard! Though, its so peaceful that Ive never actually seen him work! The vigers secretly call him a good-for-nothing! Poor guy! Eh? My mother? She was also an adventurer and quite beautiful! She came to this vige with my retired father, but right after I was weaned, she left with a handsome traveling merchant brother who came to the vige, leaving me behind! Die. Oops, my bad. I cant let my uncontroble urge to kill show! I must hide it, hide it! Fortunately, with Extra inside me, Ive been able to survive by following her advice on whats edible! Actually, in this world, there are quite a few highly nutritious insects avable from various ces! Since no one else knows about it, the insects in the vige and the nearby forest are all mine to eat! Thanks to that, Im actually quite confident in my nutritional status despite being poor! Extra is really something! Ah, maybe Uncle Rand thinks Im a potato thief because he saw me digging up and eating worms (or something simr) in the fields? Anyway, thats beside the point. Lets aplish my objective while Cody is still asleep. Quietly, quietly Avoiding the trash scattered around the house, I move silently towards the kitchen, where flies (or something simr) are swarming. Found it! Ive discovered the salt! These kinds of seasonings cant be found in the forest, you know. Since Cody can hardly cook for himself anyway, I might as well take some. Just enough so it wont be missed. Actually, Im not really living in this house anymore; Ive made a base in the nearby forest and live there! Cody doesnt try to take care of a child in such a state, he hits me when our eyes meet, and the vigers treat me as an ominous presence, making it hard to stay in the vige Basically, I live off hunting and foraging in the forest, self-sufficiently. Thats me, a 5-year-old (with a straight face). Ah, but this is only possible with Extras advice, plus a somewhat developed personality and knowledge from my previous life, so regr 5-year-olds definitely shouldnt try this! Even Ive almost died several times. Normally, you would die. Well then, that concludes what I had nned for today. Theres still time before it gets dark, so maybe Ill head back to the forest early and do some hunting! This is what my life in the otherworldly Ardyst is like! There are plenty of hard times, but Im living with all my might! Every day is incredibly fulfilling! Ill keep doing my best to survive~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~! What the heck is with this survival childhood!!! Is my situation even worse than my previous life!!! I cried my heart out internally. But as usual, my facial muscles are dead. Chapter 7: Lets hunt the awful-tasting mice in the forest! Chapter 7: Let''s hunt the awful-tasting mice in the forest!
  1. Lets hunt the awful-tasting mice in the forest!
* * * Haa. I proceed through Naso Forest, adjacent to Fenoben Vige, which serves as my stronghold, sighing along the way. The time is probably around 2 PM, if we were topare it to my previous lifes sense of time. Early summer has arrived, making the days sufficiently long, but I cant be too careless. I need to secure tonights fresh meat early. My cohabitant inside my head, Extra, chuckles as she speaks. Ah, yeah, I thought Id take a moment to sort through my current situation And after sorting it out, the sheer awfulness of it all dealt me a mental blow. Sorry about that, all of a sudden. Was it weird when I got all hyper? Extra cheerfully responds. Having been together for a while, Ivee to realize shes quite cheerful and easygoing. And asionally insensitive. entricities, indeed. Im fine, Im continuing with Body Strengthening. Alright, let me exin a bit here. Naso Forest is a bright forest with sparsely cedrge trees, and its a beautifully scenic ce, especially in early spring. However, this brightness leads to a serious issue as summer approaches. That issue is the overgrowth of nts known as Naso. These nts proliferate so much that this forest is named Naso Forest. Naso is simr to the Japanese knotweed in my previous life, with thick stems andrge round leaves. It thrives in bright areas and continues to grow taller than an adult by early summer. Essentially, its arge grass that gets very tall, but since the leaves are sparse near the base, its actually easier for someone short like me, a 5-year-old, to walk through The problem is, Naso is the favorite food of a poisonous caterpir called Polly bugs. Touching them wont kill you, but their hairs can cause severe itching if they stick to your skin. So, I continuously use Body Strengthening to increase my skins defense to prevent the hairs from sticking. My clothes, made from Codys old shirts and pants cut to the length of my elbows and knees, offer no defense at all. Plus, I walk around barefoot since I dont have shoes, so I cant afford to stop using Body Strengthening to avoid injuries. Ah, Body Strengthening is a technique that uses magical power to fortify the body. This world, as Extra mentioned before my reincarnation, is a world of swords and magic meaning, magic, or rather, the magical power that serves as the basis for magic, exists here. Body Strengthening is a very popr technique of magical power maniption, and most people use it unconsciously to a small extent. In my case, since my mother bid me farewell (euphemistically speaking) right after I was weaned, I needed to make my body robust to survive the neglect (directly speaking). Thats when Extra taught me how to use Body Strengthening based on what she saw in an isekai broadcast of a martial god! Thanks to that, my body has be robust, wounds heal quickly, and I dont get sick even when eating bugs! Furthermore, ording to information Extra saw in an isekai broadcast of a magic god, using magical power from a young age in this world tends to increase the total amount of magical power, a temte setting as Extra calls it, so my total magical power is also on the rise ording to Extras assessment. Im not sure how much higher my ability values arepared to a normal 5-year-old but without a doubt, ifpared to a 5-year-old by my previous lifes standards, I am overwhelmingly stronger and more durable. Enough to live alone in the forest. Really, I dont know if its thanks to magical power or not, but my body in this life has quite high specs, which has been a big help. Conversely, I wonder why I was so bad at both studies and physical activities in my previous life? Now, back to the topic at hand. On the underside of the leaf in front of me, just as Extra pointed out, were Polly bugs clinging inrge numbers. Each bug is about the size of an adults thumb, chubby and ck with fur, and quite repulsive to those not ustomed to them. I remember watching from the bushes as Uncle Rands leafy vegetables were infested with these bugs, causing amotion with his wife. I casually grabbed one, stripped off the fur, and popped it into my mouth. The texture is mushy and sour, and there are tastier caterpirs out there, but, well, its passable as a snack when Im a bit peckish. But these alone wont make up tonights main dish. I want to eat meat for dinner, right? Not insects, but animal meat. Ive been a carnivore since my previous life~! Yeah, I see it, Extra. Those round droppings. Theyre still warm. They must be nearby. I was going to do that without you saying. I stop moving and concentrate, bing one with the forest. Thats the image in my mind as I erase my presence What Im doing now is a technique called Presence Concealment. Extra saw this essential skill for hunters in an isekai broadcast of a hunting god (seriously, shes really into these isekai streams). Without making a sound, Ipletely stop the slight leakage of magical power that normally emanates from my body. Then, I wait. I am a stone. A harmless stone About three minutester, by my estimation, my prey crawls out of a burrow at the base of a tree, sniffing around. Its a mouse. Its formal name is the Naked Awful-tasting Mouse. It looks like a naked mole rat from my previous life but green in color, and hairless. Its about 20cm in length. In this world, any creature that harms people, regardless of its strength, is called a monster. Its a very human-centric and broad ssification. These creatures are weak, but those living near human settlements are considered monsters because they ravage crops. These mice taste awful. Theyre rightfully named Naked Awful-tasting Mice. Their meat is smelly, tough, and bitter. In Fenoben Vige, traps are set regrly to protect the crops from them, but even though the vigers kill them, they dont eat them. They just kill and bury them in holes. But, no matter how bad it tastes, meat is meat, right? The meat of the Naked Awful-tasting Mouse is smelly, tough, and bitter, but its not poisonous. That means its edible! (Well, even if it were poisonous, Ive been eating caterpirs and such anyway.) Ah, what a waste the people of Fenoben Vige are making! If I werent treated as a cursed child, Id take all that exterminated mouse meat and eat it! Oops, sorry, Extra. I take a pebble out of my pocket and get ready. The Naked Awful-tasting Mouse sniffs around the ground, twitching its nose. Theyre omnivores. Probably looking for insects crawling on the ground. But, unfortunately, you wont be able to eat. Because youre going to be my meal!! Shush!!! I momentarily and intensively strengthen my arm with Body Strengthening and throw the pebble. I throw pebbles every day for hunting. My Stone Throwing skill is quite high. Im iparable to amateurs like Uncle Rand. The pebble released from my right hand hits the mouse on the head as if sucked in! It (he? she?) loses consciousness and stops moving. I quickly approach and twist its neck just to be sure. I gut it with a sharp pointed stone I use frequently, removing the smelly parts. This process is also applying techniques Extra saw in an isekai broadcast of a hunting god. Well, it seems they didnt eat mice in that broadcast. Anyway, with this, tonights main dish is secured. Ill pick some tasty vegetables on the way back and make a sd! Even though Im a carnivorous girl, I need to eat vegetables for beauty! Oh! Extra, dont sweat the small stuff. If its edible, its a vegetable to me. In other words, its not an exaggeration to say that all edible nts in this world are vegetables. Insects, grass, mice. This world is overflowing with food. What a wonderful, easy-to-survive-in otherworld! . Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! Damn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!! Living alone in the forest without relying on parents from a young age!? Surviving by eating poisonous caterpirs and mice!!? Dont screw with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Yeah, maybe Im just a bit tired. Ill go back to the base today, eat, and go straight to sleep Chapter 8: Into a Happy Dream with Extra Chapter 8: Into a Happy Dream with Extra
  1. Into a Happy Dream with Extra
* * * Ignite. In the space above my open palm, where there should be nothing, a small orb of fire appears. The fireball transfers to the dried leaves and branches I had prepared earlier, crackling as it begins to burn. I skewer the meat of the Naked Awful-tasting Mouse I had caught earlier on my favorite sharp, long stone and watch intently as it roasts over the fire. Looking up, the sky is already turning purple, cloudless, and begins to darken, a sight filled with stars more beautiful than anything imaginable in my previous life. The air is clean here. Enjoying the faint chirping of insects from the surrounding grass, I quietly observe the flickering mes of the fire. Life in this world is tough, but moments like these arent bad. Ive managed to survive another day. While waiting for the meat to cook, Im enveloped in a sense of satisfaction that overshadows the anxiety for tomorrow. This ce is my base in Naso Forest, in front of the Kariva Great Trees clearing. The Kariva Great Tree is a massive tree that bears acorn-like fruits in autumn. Its trunk is so thick that ten adults holding hands could not encircle it. It has several holes in its trunk, and one of them is where I sleep. The hole, located a bit up the trunk, keeps me safe from ground-dwelling beasts, offers a great view, and is reasonably spacious and warm; its my favorite spot. When I first found this hole, it was upied by arge owl-like creature, but Ive killed it, so now this ce is my home. That creature was delicious. By the way, the Ignite spell I used earlier is one of the few magics I can use. Its a life magic that creates a small fireball by causing a chemical reaction using magical power. Besides Ignite, I can also use Dry, which maniptes the moisture in dead leaves and such to dry them out, and Collect Water, which gathers moisture from the air to create drinking water. I think Body Strengthening and Presence Concealment might also be considered magic However, ording to the people of this world, those arent categorized as magic. Well, its just a ssification made by humans, and since all these techniques fundamentally involve manipting magical power, I think its fine to consider them the same. Yeah, youre right, Extra. I take a bite of the mouse meat, now somewhat less smelly after being thoroughly cooked. Its hard. I focus Body Strengthening intensively on my jaw and teeth, forcing myself to bite through the meat. Additionally, Ive protected the inside of my mouth with Body Strengthening as well, so the heat doesnt cause any burns. As I chew, the smell and bitterness spread throughout my mouth, but the salt that Cody gave me (gave?) makes it taste somewhat better. That is, its somewhat betterpared to what I usually eat. <Sigh Delicious, isnt it, Emi? Indeed, food is the greatest form of entertainment!> Extra and I share sensations, but how we evaluate those sensations differs between us. Extra, having never eaten anything for many years as a vessel for a god, basically finds everything delicious, blessed with a blissfully undiscriminating pte. Not at all, not at all! In my mind, Extra is puffing up in anger. Hey, hey! Dont just say things like that out of the blue! Its embarrassing! Feeling somewhat shy from the exchange, I quickly finished my meal and climbed up the tree to my sleeping spot. Though I felt a bit down today after all the thinking, I managed to feel a bit more positive in the end. Tomorrow will surely be okay. Tomorrow will definitely be a better day than today. Thank you always, Extra. Ehehe, because youre with me, I can keep going. Please keep supporting me from now on With a warm feeling, I embarked on a journey to the world of dreams. That night, I dreamt of eating a feast in a warm home together with Extra. Since Ive been fortunate enough to reincarnate, I want to let Extra taste even more delicious food. Surely, that would be a wonderful thing. Aiming for such a future, I must survive for now. Lets do our best together again tomorrow, Extra However, that blissful drowsiness was shattered as soon as the sun rose the next morning, by a tremendous roar and vibration. Chapter 9: ..Ah, that ones a reincarnated person. Chapter 9: ..Ah, that one''s a reincarnated person.
  1. Ah, that ones a reincarnated person.
* * * Boommmmm!!! In the early morning mist of Naso Forest, an unheard roar reverberates. Naturally, I was jolted awake by that roar and its apanying vibration. The Kariva Great Tree, where I nest, trembles violently. Whats this noise!? Its still early in the morning, and yet it disturbs my peaceful sleep! I really hate being disturbed while Im sleeping! I leap up, frowning, and stick my head out of the hole to look outside. The dark blue sky is gradually brightening. Beneath it, in a corner of the lush Naso Forest, ck smoke is rising. This Extra, being a maniac for isekai broadcasts, casually uses ng learned from events in streaming. And shes overly curious and carefree. Without any sense of caution, she made such a suggestion. Still groggy from waking up, I, driven by anger for having my peaceful sleep disturbed (nning to throw stones in protest), thoughtlessly dashed toward the source of the roaring noise and smoke. * * * And that brings us to now. It was quite the roar, wasnt it, Extra? The cause of such a roar must definitely be something, right? If the cause turned out to be a dangerous and powerful monster, what were you nning to do, Extra? <> Silent treatment, huh. Gah! I cant argue back when you put it like that! Well, um, I guess theres no danger, maybe? I arrived at the source of the smoke in less than five minutes. It was quite a distance, but as a 5-year-old who is ustomed to forest living and skilled in Body Strengthening, I wasnt even out of breath from such a move. And then. What Im secretly peeping at from the bushes is a clearing that suddenly appeared in Naso Forest. Wasnt there such a clearing here until yesterday? The trees were knocked down, turned into ck char, and smoke was billowing up. Ah the carcasses of (probably) Naked Awful-tasting Mice have also turned into charcoal. Theyre definitely inedible now. What a waste But thats not the point! My gaze shifts to the person who seems to have created this clearing. Standing there was a beautiful boy with ming red hair and red eyes, about the same age as me no, if my memory serves me right, he should be the same age as me. When I say if my memory serves me right, its because I know the name of that beautiful boy. After all hes Torch Fenoben, who lives in the same vige of Fenoben as me. Oh, the reason his surname is the same as the viges name is that hes the son of the vige chief. In this country (I dont know the name of the country because I havent studied it),moners like me dont have surnames, but it seems that families at the level of the vige chief can have a family name. Not that it matters. Hmm? But what in the world is going on here?? As far as I know, Torch-kun is indeed the son of the vige chief, but hes definitely just a typical vige child A, and shouldnt possess the power to cause such ridiculous destruction? As I stood there perplexed and frozen, Torch-kun, who had a wry smile on his face, began to mutter to himself. My super hearing, honed by forest living (probably due to Body Strengthening making my ears incredibly sharp), caught his words. This requires practice in control. Really, the power of Divine Blessing is something else Torch-kun mutters to himself in a give me a break manner. Huh? Was he always the type to talk like an adult? I thought he was more of a typical mischievous 5-year-old brat Wait, blessing? Torch-kun mentioned a blessing just now, didnt he? A blessing is Torch-kun said Divine Blessing, right? I remember that name That god, probably, was at that auction venue five years ago An adult-like demeanor unbefitting of a 5-year-old. And a mighty power. Divine Blessing. Ah, that ones a reincarnated person. Chapter 10: The Beginning of a Heros Tale and the Blunt Extra Chapter 10: The Beginning of a Hero''s Tale and the Blunt Extra
  1. The Beginning of a Heros Tale and the Blunt Extra
* * * The vige chiefs son, Torch-kun, was a reincarnated person. But, Extra-sama. Ive seen him around before, and he always seemed like a normal 5-year-old, right? He never showed any signs of remembering a previous life like I do? So, gods can manipte the memories of the reincarnated, huh? Why would they do that? How blunt!? Thinking that Torch-kun, who possesses the power of such a destructive blessing, is just a toy of the Holy Goddess makes me feel a strange sense of pity for him. Well, how the gods treat a former ssmate of mine doesnt really matter to me. But what was Torch-kuns name in his previous life? I remember he was the first boy to be auctioned off by the Holy Goddess at the auction Its been 5 years since the reincarnation, and Im starting to forget. Hmm? Yeah, well, I guess so. They didnt like me. And I didnt like them either. Its not an interesting story, nor do I want to remember it. Aw, dont apologize, Extra-sama! Im not bothered by it at all! Hm? * * * While I and Extra-sama were enjoying our internal conversation, our attention shifts back to Torch-kun, or rather, to the bushes on the opposite side of Torch-kun. Yeah, Extra-sama. Whats that over there? Theres something there. * * * Rustle! Whos there!!? The bushes shake violently, and even Torch-kun notices the presence and turns around. Standing there was Ah, haha Ah Caro!? Why are you here!? Standing there was a girl in a white dress, with her light blue hair braided into two its on either side, Caro-chan. Yes, Extra-sama. I think she was picked up by the vige chief and raised almost like siblings with Torch-kun. She should be about 5 years old too. But Ah, its dangerous, Caro! Didnt the adults tell you not to go outside the vige alone!? Are you okay? No injuries? Werent you scared!? Woah! Im okay, Im okay, Torch-nii! After suddenly hugging Caro-chan, Torch-kun frantically checks her for injuries, touching her all over in a panic. Caro-chan is flustered but doesnt seem to mind too much. Right? Torch-kun and Caro-chan always seem to have an excessive brother-sisterplex. Theyre always together, creating their own little world wherever they go. Even after Torch-kuns memories of his previous life resurfaced, it seems his behavior towards her hasnt changed. I see. So, the reason for reviving memories of a previous life years after reincarnation might also be to solidify the personality in this life. Why did youe to the forest alone, Caro Because, because! I saw Torch-nii leaving the vige secretly! I, I got worried I see, sorry Caro While I hide in the bushes and ponder about isekai, they continue to deepen their own sweet world. The atmosphere is sweet. Sickeningly sweet, as if the background is pink with sparkles flying around (a hard-to-understand manga expression). Despite being just 5-year-olds. But, wait! Torch-nii, what happened to this scorched earth!? Did Torch-nii do this? Torch-nii, could you always use such amazing magic!? Ah, haha. Actually, when I woke up this morning, I realized that I had been endowed with Divine Blessing! I was just trying out its power. EhEeeeeehhhhh!? Divine Blessing!? Isnt that the blessing that heroes in fairy tales have! Torch-nii is amazing! Torch-nii was a hero!? Torch-kun openly shared about his blessing with Caro-chan. Caro-chan was thrilled. She grabbed Torch-kuns hands and started jumping up and down. But, a hero? Really!? So, Extra-sama, could you not put it so bluntly!? Hey, Torch-nii! Lets hurry back to the vige! We have to tell everyone about this! Wait, Caro! If we do that, itll cause a hugemotion! I was thinking of keeping this a secret until I can control this power and the dayes for me to set out on a journey to save the world! Eh~, is that so? But, okay, if Torch-nii says so, Ill keep it a secret too. Thanks, Caro! Now, Im hungry, right? Lets go back to the vige and eat breakfast! Ah! Wait for me, Torch-nii~~! Saying that, Torch-kun ran off towards the vige. Caro-chan hurriedly chased after him. But, after making such a loud noise, can he really keep it a secret? I think the vigers must have woken up from that sound, and if they find out Torch-kun and the others were not in the vige at that time, wouldnt they suspect something?