I blinked slowly, trying to process everything.
"So… I was a policeman now. In a fantasy world," I whispered to myself.
I was standing upright, looking down at someone seated in front of me. My body felt incredibly heavy, like iron chains were wrapped around my limbs. If it weren't for the years my father had forced me into the gym, I probably would've collapsed under the weight.
But more importantly… who was this guy?
He wore a sharp grey detective uniform and hunched over a stack of reports as if they had personally offended him. A spyglass dangled lazily from his fingers while his emerald eyes flicked up toward me. A grey service cap rested low on his head, its golden badge gleaming faintly. I recognized the design immediately—it was similar to the one my father used to wear.
There was only one difference.
The engraving beside his chest read: "Cleaners."
His pale skin was almost identical to mine, and a neatly trimmed goatee connected cleanly to his mustache. He looked to be in his fifties. He sat there silently, both hands resting on a plain wooden table, unmoving.
"Chris Jackson," he said at last.
His voice was rough—low, raspy, like it had been dragged through smoke for years.
I nodded.
"There's been a fight at the Adventurers' Guild in Chine Village," he continued, coughing slightly between words. "Go check it out."
"By myself?" I asked, forcing a polite smile.
"No," he replied. "You'll be partnered with Emilia."
He didn't react to my face at all. No fear. No discomfort. That alone surprised me. In my old life, people usually flinched or avoided eye contact altogether.
Maybe my appearance had changed.
That was usually how these things worked, right?
Still… I didn't feel any taller.
I pushed the thought aside.
"Which one is Emilia again?" I asked, raising my hands slightly in mock surrender, smiling awkwardly.
He coughed again, as if brushing off the question entirely.
"Me, silly!"
The voice came from behind me—bright, cheerful, and elegant.
"We should get going."
I turned around.
…and froze.
She was stunning.
No—unfairly stunning.
Her presence carried a quiet elegance, the kind that didn't need to demand attention. Her light brown hair flowed softly down her back, and her emerald eyes mirrored the old man's almost perfectly. Her skin was even paler than mine, which was something I didn't think was possible.
"Are you alright?" she asked, leaning slightly forward.
A little too close.
I almost lost it right there.
Tears nearly came to my eyes at the sight of her, but I forced myself to stay composed. Crying in front of someone like her would definitely make things weird.
She was about five foot five—perfect, if you asked me.
Her blue police uniform fit her flawlessly, and the badge on her chest bore the same engraving.
"Cleaners."
"Are you just going to stand there in shock?" she asked, smiling gently.
Her kindness felt… unreal.
"Oh—yeah. Sorry," I said quickly. "Let's go."
"Come on," Emilia said, turning toward the exit.
I nodded and followed her.
The building we were in looked like a small police station—barely one story tall and almost completely empty. The walls were painted a dull off-white, and the entire space couldn't have been more than a couple thousand square feet.
There was almost nothing inside.
Just a table. A chair. And a mirror near the door.
Click.
The door unlocked.
Emilia pushed it open, and sunlight flooded the room.
As I stepped forward to follow her, something caught my attention.
The mirror.
I paused, turning toward it.
And stared.
"…Is this real?" I muttered.
Then—
"Yes!"
The word slipped out louder than I intended.
Emilia froze and spun around.
"Hey! What was that for?" she asked, startled.
"Nothing," I said, taking a deep breath. "Just… life."
I exhaled slowly.
I was dressed in a full blue police uniform. A handgun rested in a holster at my right hip, secured by a black utility belt lined with pouches I hadn't even begun to check. Beneath the uniform, I could feel the weight of body armor pressing against my chest—that explained the heaviness.
Same blonde hair.
Same blue eyes.
But—
No wrinkles.
Not a single one.
In my old life, my face had been lined in ways that made me look older… harsher.
Now?
Gone.
Completely.
I smiled.
"Ladies… here I come."
"Ready now?" Emilia asked softly.
"Yeah," I said. "Let's go."
Still, something didn't add up.
If the wrinkles had remained, I would've looked exactly like my old self. At first, I thought I had been transported into a completely different body, but that didn't seem to be the case.
And then there was the old man.
He had called me Chris Jackson.
My real name.
So what was this?
Had that message… forced me into this world as myself?
I glanced back at the mirror, uneasy.
No answers came.
And right now, I didn't need them.
I needed to survive.
"Come on, silly! We're going to be late!" Emilia called out.
"Coming!" I replied.
The moment I stepped outside, sunlight hit my face. I raised a hand to shield my eyes and followed behind her.
The streets were alive.
Vendors shouted over one another, selling everything from grilled meat to sweet pastries. The air was thick with scent and sound. Adventurers walked past in polished armor, weapons gleaming like they belonged in some heroic painting.
It looked exactly like a fantasy world.
Then I saw it—
People riding green, two-legged dragons, outfitted with leather harnesses.
Strangely… I wasn't shocked.
Just curious.
Fascinated.
Of course something like that existed here.
But then a different thought hit me.
Why was there a police department in a fantasy world?
I had read countless isekai stories and played enough games to know this wasn't normal.
And yet… here I was.
Emilia slowed down.
A small boy in a tattered grey cloak ran up to her, eyes wide with excitement—like a child waiting for a Christmas gift.
He looked at her like she was a goddess.
Honestly… I understood.
She crouched down and placed a gold coin into his hand.
"This should keep you off the streets for a while," she said gently.
The boy beamed.
"Thank you!"
He ran off into a nearby alley, his smile so bright it almost hurt to look at.
"Hey," I said, frowning slightly. "Aren't gold coins valuable? Why give one to him?"
From what I could tell, the currency system was simple—copper, bronze, silver, then gold.
Gold was at the top.
Which meant she had just given away a lot.
Emilia turned back to me, hands behind her back, smiling softly.
"Well, Chris… things like this are what I live for."
…Damn.
A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.
She immediately looked concerned.
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.
"No," I said quickly, sniffling. "Not at all."
If anything… she was too good.
Too kind.
Too perfect.
It felt like I didn't belong anywhere near her.
"Alright," she said brightly. "Let's keep going."
She turned and continued forward.
I followed behind her, watching as sunlight seemed to gather around her.
Like she was the main character of this world.
And for the first time since arriving here—
I smiled the entire way to the Adventurers' Guild.