Eighteen years have slipped by since I first drew breath in this world, a place where the rules of Earth no longer apply and the logic of magic and cold steel has replaced the mundane.
For a long time, the memories of my previous life as Roxanne Albatross felt like a fading dream, a collection of mistakes that have finally been laid to rest. I often find myself wondering what became of Marcel, a ghost from a past I can barely touch anymore.
Here, I am Eirene Rynd, a name my father chose for reasons I still haven't uncovered.
Eighteen years since I reincarnated in this fantasy world, but my mental age is around thirty five, meaning I had lived longer than my siblings.
In this world, I only knew three languages from Earth, English, Japanese and a touch of Tagalog because my life is one-third, American, Japanese and Filipino. But knowing the new languages in a fantasy world is straight up bullshit.
I been always a straight F student, but learning Alatist, Dalon and Carianese was not even a joke to think about.
In Town Allure, there were three languages that were speaking about, Alatist for the Northern Regions, Dalon for the Southern Regions and Carianese for Caria City, it was such a pain in the ass, Like, why do you want to add languages?
Mastering this life required more than just surviving, it required learning the complex, twisting tongue of Alatist. The dialect of Dalon and the rough text of Carianese, I spent eighteen years to perfect it all because I was an appraiser.
My new parents forced me as an appraiser, all because I possess two human skills, Blood Curse and Inspect, the Blood Curse is only sole reason to drink blood, that's it, it's dead weight. While the inspect skill will reveal any person's stats and skills. Which is a game changer for my new life in this fantasy world.
The downside is that, the inspect will randomize and show different languages such as Alatist, Dalon and Carianese. Meaning I need to learn them in order to not being a burned from the Rynd Family.
After nearly two decades of study, I can read, write, and speak it with a perfection that belies my foreign soul. While my siblings were training to become soldiers, I just sat there, reading books like a nerd. But, part of my kendo training is still out there.
I now reside on the continent of Andromeda, a name that once represented a distant galaxy to me, but now defines the borders of the land I call home. I was born in the Town of Allure, a place that has seen the rise and fall of my family.
My parents are gone now. My father, Richard, a man defined by his strength and his bald head, fell in battle against the monsters that plague these lands. My mother met a more mysterious end, lost to an unexplained accident within the depths of the mines.
Of my siblings, only two remains.
My older brother, Elias, left us when I was ten to enlist in one of Andromeda's high-ranking guilds, taking his brown hair with green eyes and his annoying antics with him.
My sister, Elicia, is the anchor I have left, she is a cheerful soul with silver hair and red eyes, a striking resemblance from my new mother, currently spending her days managing the butcher shop attached to our family home.
My appearance has shifted drastically from the girl who used to hide behind layers of makeup and fashion on Earth.
In Andromeda, there are no beauty standards to chase and no cosmetics to buy. My hair is an inheritance of both parents, transitioning from a deep, dark brown at the roots to silver-white at the tips. But it is my eyes that truly set me apart.
On Earth, they would call it heterochromia, but here, it feels like a mark of destiny. My right eye is a vivid red, a gift from my mother, while my left is a steady green, inherited from my father.
Beyond my looks, I carry the burden of two distinct human skills.
The first, Inspect, allows me to peer into the hidden depths of the world, revealing the secret statistics of every person and tool I encounter.
Blood Curse... It is a skill that serves no noble purpose, manifesting only as a wretched, hollowing craving for blood, a constant, disgusting reminder that I am no longer the person I used to be.
Because of this skill, I became an appraiser, I opened my stall recently at the town's merchant district.. there several customers awaited in line
" Miss Eirene, can you check the durability of my sword"
"Sure!"
Then I used inspect in the man sword.. seeing the outcomes
One-handed sword
Durability 300/1200
Damage: 20
" Sir, your sword will be worn down.. Reforge this gear immediately to recover it's durability"
" Yes... Thank you"
Then the man gave me 10 copper coins as checking the swords durability, I measely paid 10 copper coins everytime I use my inspect... " I knew that this is come in handy"
Then another customer appeared...
" Ma'am, can you check my stats just now, I was worried that I was drugged
Then, Eirene used Inspect at the man... Seeing it's stats clearly
Reggie Moe ( affected by snake poison)
Vitality: 1000
Strength:200
Defense:300
Agility:200
Mana:1000
" Sir.. it seems that you have been poisoned.. Consult an doctor immediately"
Then, the man handed his payment through me... Then the man hurriedly ran through the town hospital
Leveraging my Inspect skill, I opened a modest appraisal stall in the town's bustling merchant district. The demand was immediate.
Whether it was a warrior asking me to check the crumbling durability of a worn-out sword or a panicked traveler like Reggie Moe, whose stats revealed he was suffering from snake poison, my eyes saw the truth that others couldn't.
Charging a flat rate of ten copper coins per person, I quickly realized that while my Blood Curse was a burden, my second skill was a gold mine.
By late afternoon, I had pocketed 230 copper coins, more than enough to sustain us.
I closed my stall and walked the short distance through the merchant district to our home, which doubles as my sister's butcher shop. Elicia was there, her silver hair catching the light as she finished her work.
"Big sis... I'm here."
At home, I saw my older sister, the middle child of the Rynd Family, butchering the remaining meat at her stall. Since our house and the meat shop were connected in the merchant district, it was easy to go back and forth.
"Oh... Hello, Little Ren. How was your day?"
"Good as always. I earned 230 copper coins."
"Wow... I think your skill has some great use," Elicia said with her usual joyful smile.
"Big sis, it's almost night. Hurry and close the meat shop..."
Elicia quickly closed up the stall, arranged her tools, and stored them in a small box. Then both of us went inside the house.
I called her "Big Sis" to remind myself that I still had my reliable older sister by my side. Ever since I reincarnated into this world, Elicia has always been there for me.
I sat at the dining table while Elicia cooked in the kitchen. The rich aroma soon filled the air.
"Little Ren... Dinner is ready!"
Elicia let out a small grunt as she carefully lifted the hot pot with her mittens and placed it on the table. The dish was beef stew.
I grabbed a spoonful of meat and vegetables, savoring the familiar taste that reminded me of my previous life on Earth, where my mother used to serve the same comforting meal.
"Little Ren... How is my cooking? Is it too salty, too sweet, or just right?"
"It's okay," I replied calmly.
The evening air in our dining room was heavy with the savory scent of beef stew. Elicia placed the steaming pot on the table, her expression unusually strained despite her usual bright demeanor.
As I tasted the tender meat and broth, I noticed she was only picking at her food.
"Big sis, what's really going on? You've been acting strange since you brought the pot over."
She sighed, her silver hair shimmering in the lamplight.
"The truth is, Little Ren... I've been drafted earlier this morning. I've officially joined a bureau in Caria City. I need to make use of my human skill for more than just a butcher shop."
I nearly choked on my stew.
"A bureau? In Caria City? When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow morning," she replied softly.
Elicia had always called me Little Ren ever since I was young in this world. "Ren" was the nickname she gave me from my full name Eirene, and the "Little" stuck because I was the youngest of the Rynd siblings, and because I had reincarnated into the body of a girl who looked much younger than my actual mental age.
The affectionate nickname always made me feel both embarrassed and warmly protected, seeing my new name was a literal mindfuck, a constant reminder that even after my reincarnation, I had someone who truly saw me as family.
I looked at her, truly seeing her potential. Elicia's Divine Regeneration was an extraordinary skill...
"A bureau won't let a talent like yours go to waste. Is this why you've been so quiet? You're worried about leaving me alone with the family business?"
She nodded, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand.
"Little Ren, can you handle the meat shop while I'm gone? I know you have your appraisal stall, but I don't want to lose our home's legacy."
I looked into her eyes and felt the weight of my own secrets, the Blood Curse and my Inspect skill. If she was brave enough to head to the city bureau, I could manage the butcher shop.
"I'll handle everything, big sis. Just make sure you come back in one piece, though with your skill, you'll always be in one piece."
***
Then since that day, My Eldest sister, Elicia... Left the town and went to the largest city of Andromeda, Caria City... Where massive guilds and adventurers located in that area
Because of that, I was forced to abandon my business as an appraiser and only focusing in handling the meat shop that Elicia was carried about.
And after that, I immediately went to my appraisal stall hoping to close my business for good...
Then suddenly, a cloaked woman figure suddenly arrived at Eirene Appraisal stall, holding a black card, seeing that the woman was approaching closer... I spoke
" Sorry, Ma'am but this stall is out of business, I will not use my appraisal skill ever again... You hear me"
Then, the cloaked woman handed Eirene an black card.. Telling what does it do... She doesn't spoke a single word on Eirene
After handing the black card... The cloaked woman vanished in an instant... Using teleportation magic as her human skill
Upon reading the black card that the woman gave me... An Alatist letter was written at the card... Eirene read it silently
" Go to the Eastern District of Town Allure, meet me at 9:00 pm midnight"
Then she read the card carefully.. but the letters were seen easily... It is more like a invitation letter from an unknown organization... And soon enough, I saw a clearer letter that says
" Yellow Flower Guild "