The changing room had a full-length mirror. Finally getting a good look at myself, I was both amazed and horrified by what I saw. Handsome wasn't the right word to describe it. I was actually beautiful.
It was a kind of androgynous beauty that seemed unnatural on a man. The slightly feminine features gave me quite a scare, and I felt quite a bit of discomfort when I realized that was my face.
I mean, in my previous life, I was barely average on my best days, so this was a huge upgrade. Still, I would have preferred to look like Chris Hemsworth or Henry Cavill instead of this pretty boy.
'Maybe if I did something about my hair…'
How I didn't notice the long raven hair was beyond me. It reached down to my shoulder, and some of it fell over my face. Cutting it short didn't feel like the right choice, so I decided to tie it back for the time being.
'I guess this look is pretty popular with women, huh?'
I look like I'm a cosplay of a character from one of those shojo manga—the kind only women could pull off. Thankfully, my body was undeniably male. I was beyond 180 centimeters tall, my shoulders were broad, my chest flat, and my build was generally blocky and angular.
If I had any criticism, it would be that I was far too thin. At the very least, I had this nine-incher between my legs. I might need to put on some muscles, but even like this, I would never be mistaken for a woman.
'Wait…'
Pretty sure incubi are known to have shape-shifting abilities. My level is still low, so I probably have yet to unlock it, but once I do, I might be able to change my appearance into something manlier. Hopefully. For now, I was stuck looking like this.
'Well, at least I have a giant cock.'
~[ ]~
The clothes Carol brought for me could be described as a fantasy suit. To my relief, clean underwear was included. The rest were a white shirt, trousers, a waistcoat, and a tailcoat. There were some suspenders as well as a pair of shoes, and a cravat.
Surprisingly, I managed to put on everything on my own. The size turned out to be almost perfect, except for the shoes, which were a little small. Checking myself in the mirror, I found that I looked even more like a cosplay now.
"Great Spirit…"
When I came out, Liliana gazed at me with sparkling eyes, her hands clasped together. Going by her unrestrained smile, I think it's safe to say I look quite good. I offered her my arm, and she held on to it as I escorted her down to the dining area to have breakfast.
The food we were served seemed too heavy for the morning, seeing the amount of meat it included. There was freshly baked white bread and several kinds of cheese, too, but what I liked the most was the warm porridge.
After tasting a little of everything, feeling relieved that the culinary culture of this world isn't that inferior to the one I came from, I turned to Liliana.
"I don't see your friends around," I said. "Will they not be joining us this morning?"
"Oh, the truth is…" Liliana glanced to the side, looking a bit troubled. "Rosalia is on breakfast duty today, so she is in the kitchen."
"Oh-oh," I raised an eyebrow. "So the food we are having was prepared by her?"
"That is correct. Her cooking skills are second only to Carol's."
"I see."
"As for Daphne, she headed to the academy earlier to obtain the key to one of their dungeons."
I paused, then lowered my fork.
"A… Dungeon?"
"Yes." Liliana nodded. "After we received your blessing the previous night, we felt the change instantly. I would have liked to test myself right away, but our mana had been exhausted from the summoning ritual. Now that we have rested, we intend to delve into a dungeon and test ourselves."
"Interesting…" I thought for a moment, then looked up at the blond one. "Just be clear, your strength has yet to increase. You are still at the same level you were before meeting me, so it would be for the best if you don't attempt anything you aren't confident in."
"... oh…" Liliana's eyes widened slightly.
"Hm?"
"It's… It's just that Daphne said something similar. She suggested that we raid a low-level dungeon first to ensure we aren't caught off guard."
"I see."
I can already imagine what happened. Liliana, driven by a placebo caused by Blood Pact, tried to go hunting monsters right away, only for the level-headed Daphne to stop her. The sharp-eyed heroine was the most likely to notice that her stats hadn't changed that much.
'I bet she is still suspicious of me.'
"A dungeon, huh?" I muttered. "Maybe I should accompany you."
Not only was this a fantasy world, but it was a game world, too. What is the point of being here if I'm not going to go around slaying monsters?
'Though…' I looked at the piece of sausage on my fork. 'I guess it's going to be gory...'
This was a real world we are talking about. Blood won't be just a few pixels on a screen, so I'm feeling a bit hesitant.
"You would like to enter the dungeon with us, Great Spirit?" Liliana blinked at me.
"Oh, I would only be observing this time." I smiled at her. "That means you will be in charge of protecting me."
"Y-yes!I will do my best!"
She did not even contest me on that.
'Daphne won't like this.'
~[ ]~
Once we were done with breakfast, Rosalia came by, already prepared for the outing. Liliana went to change into her battle gear, and Carol accompanied, so the two of us were left alone.
As I sipped the tea Carol had poured for me, I glanced at the purple-haired girl and happened to catch her stealing a glance at me. Her cheeks flushed instantly as she quickly cast her gaze down, causing her long bangs to cover her eyes. She was quite adorable.
"Rosalia Serenith Purplethorn," I called out to her. "Is there a reason why you are standing there?"
She had retreated to a nearby wall as soon as Liliana took off. I got a feeling that she was acting like a servant, which was rather odd. She might not be on the same level as Liliana, but she was still a noble.
"Wha-… n-n-no, it's just…"
She stammered a few words, then went silent, casting her gaze down once more as a trail of steam rose from the top of her head. Feeling a smile form on my face, I thought for a moment, then got up. Rosalia noticed and followed me with her eyes, but I didn't walk up to her or anything.
I had been sitting at the one end of the long dining table—the seat of honor, in other words. Liliana had sat to my right, and the seat to my left remained open. All I did was pull the chair back and look at the purple-haired beauty.
"Come," I said. "Have some tea with me."
I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that Rosalia had turned into a stone statue the moment I said those words. I waited a couple of seconds, but she didn't move.
"Not in the mood?"
As soon as I asked that, she seemed to come back to her senses.
"I-I-I-I will have some tea!"
Rosalia walked over, making sure her gaze remained lowered so she wouldn't meet mine. Once she sat down, I poured some tea into one of the empty cups, added three cubes of sugar, and then placed it in front of her.
I sat down and raised my own cup, taking a sip from it. I watched her do the same, and though she still looked nervous, she seemed to relax a bit. I caught her glancing my way, but just like before, she averted her gaze as soon as our eyes met.
'Makes me want to tease her.'
Rosalia had been the shy character in Rose of Valor, but not to this extent. I guess the stunning looks of my new body made things worse for her.
"I heard you prepared the food we had earlier."
"Y-yes. That is correct." She replied.
"Do you practice a lot? Cooking, I mean."
"I… I try, whenever I have the chance."
I lifted the porcelain cup and took a calm, unhurried sip. I kept quiet for a moment, letting Rosalia savor her drink as well, but there was one thing I wanted to say before Liliana returned.
"This breakfast. It was the first meal I had had since I arrived in this world."
I paused and waited. As the silence lingered, Rosalia shifted her gaze toward me. Our eyes met, and before she could look away, I flashed her a small smile.
"I'm glad it had been prepared by your hands," I said. "I will never forget it, even if I were to return one day."
Back in my previous world, I would never have imagined myself saying something like this. Maybe it's my charisma stat, which was three times the second highest, or maybe it's the confidence granted by this fit body and handsome face. Either way, I was naw capable of delivering such lines without cringing to death, and the response I got was always positive.
'Maybe not always…'
Rosalia was once again a stone statue, looking as if her mind had crashed. She hadn't moved until Liliana returned, but even then, she still looked like a nervous mess.
[Attribute Skill «Charm» has advanced to level 2]
[
You have received:
10 Skill Points.
]
[
Skill: Charm. Lvl 2
Rank: D
Passive Effect:
Increases one's appeal.
Active Effect:
Overwhelms the target's mental defenses and replaces negative emotions directed at the user with positive ones.
Attribute effect:
Incubus:
Increased effectiveness in females.
]
'... Oh, right…'
Charm was one of the three Skills I received right from the get-go. As I was more interested in the other two, I hadn't paid it much attention yesterday.
'I see. So this is why…'
Turns out that my attractiveness wasn't a result of good looks alone. My innate qualities as an incubus grant me a great boost in that department, especially when dealing with females. It felt like cheating, but when I gave it more thought, I quickly changed my mind.
Skills were exactly that—skills. Even if you consider the fantastical aspect, a skill is still just the ability to do something well.
'I mean, it's not like I can turn it off…'
I could see the negative connotations of the active part, but I was sure I hadn't used it at all. Still, if it really is a bad thing, then my whole existence as an incubus would be wrong.
'I guess this is what they mean when they say being attractive is a sin.'