Finally, I’m outside!

It’s a bit chilly, likely because it’s sunset. Most of what surrounds me is just rocks and sand, so the temperature difference between day and night must be drastic.

And now I can confirm that the cold outside and the cold that pierces through my body are two completely different things.

If the outside cold feels like it’s extending its fingers to touch my skin, then the cold I usually feel digs straight into the center of my heart.

I had suspected that they might be different, but now that I’ve experienced it, it feels strange.

To shake off that strange feeling, I looked up at the sky.

The sky was painted in the hues of twilight. The west was ablaze with the glow of the setting sun, and beneath it, scattered weathered stone pillars rose sparsely.

Lowering my gaze, I could see a vast rocky desert, littered with boulders much larger than I am and smaller stones alike, scattered randomly. Between them stood trees resembling cacti, sparsely spread across the landscape.

It looked less like a Middle Eastern desert and more like the wild landscapes depicted in American films.

Seeing the world with human memories is completely different from experiencing it for real. The colors of this world seem entirely different compared to the memories of when I was human.

Or maybe it’s my perception that’s different now.

I set my feet firmly on the ground.

And then, I hopped lightly.

Just a bit over a handspan in height.

It’s not like I’ve become super strong or anything. It’s really just simple exercise to keep my body in shape. Recalling videos I’d watched back when I was human, I stretched my body.

They call it stretching, don’t they?

While I was doing that, someone was watching me with a rather peculiar expression. None other than Hyungkeshni.

Perhaps because of the chill in the air, she was seated in a spot where the sunset cast its light, staring at me with a face full of questions.

“Hyungkeshni, don’t you exercise?”

Joanna approached her and asked the question directly.

“Huh? Oh, no. I don’t need to. This body doesn’t change, no matter how much I train.”

She replied to Joanna very casually. Even though we’ve spent a similar amount of time together, her attitude toward Joanna is much more relaxed than it is toward me.

I mean, I understand why she might see me as dangerous.

But I haven’t actually done anything bad, have I? Sure, I might seem dangerous, but that’s all it is—seeming. Should I try doing something befitting an Outer God?

Of course, that’s just a thought.

After a proper stretch, I started running at a moderate pace. The area around the village has a lot of flat ground, making it good for running.

At first, Hyungkeshni gripped her staff tightly and watched me warily as I ran. But before long, she put her staff down.

That’s because Joanna, running alongside me, was incredibly fast. How is she running so quickly?

I thought I was running at a speed comparable to a teenager, but Joanna’s pace was beyond comprehension. Her body must have changed significantly after her transformation.

Of course, it’s not like I didn’t know this. I’ve been watching Joanna through her own perspective, after all. At night, she trains at the warriors’ training grounds.

Based on her stamina and movements, she’s undoubtedly one of the strongest among those blessed by me.

It’s a bit puzzling that this doesn’t seem to apply to my own body, but it’s a common trope in fantasy works, isn’t it? When someone serves as a vessel for power, their talents are consumed for its use.

That’s probably the case here.

I seem to be particularly heavy in that sense, and I just have to accept it.

Instead, I shift my focus.

I need to think about how to expand the harvesting process moving forward.

The primary goal has been achieved, and progress is being made toward even greater outcomes.

Each day, I bless three individuals.

And after a bit of training, those blessed individuals head to the battlefield.

This process has revealed some patterns.

It seems likely that Hieronymus harbors a grudge against the Ansellus Kingdom to the southeast.

While he appears to be evenly distributing people to the three largest kingdoms in this area, there’s a noticeable trend: more individuals are sent on specific missions rather than for general liberation or conversion.

Moreover, among those who succeed and return, many who pledge their loyalty to the Future Hope Sect in exchange for blessings tend to have completed missions in the Ansellus Kingdom.

He’s definitely no ordinary person.

He’s been meticulously gathering information and preparing something.

But he hasn’t shared anything with me. Even though he knows I’m not the god Krssaksshibal, he continues to maintain our contract. So I’ll act as he uses me, but nothing more.

If I were smarter, I might have figured out Hieronymus’s goals and struck a deal with him by now.

If I were even more capable, I could have manipulated Hieronymus to move according to my will.

But unfortunately, I lack the ability to pull that off.

If I were to act rashly, I’d most likely end up dead.

So for now, I’ll keep my head down and accept the food I’m given. I have no desire to irritate him and risk being sent back to that cold void.

After all, he does have the means to replace me.

Huh? Wait a minute. Something just crossed my mind.

Replace?

No, that’s right. He summoned me.

Even though it was more of a fishing expedition, he possesses the technique to bring me into this world.

It seems he initially intended to summon something else entirely.

In other words, if he specifically targets me, he can summon me again.

Even if the Future Hope Sect falls, he would still have a means of calling me back.

A way for me to return to this world.

That’s it.

Heh.

Yes, I’ve found my next goal.

Up until now, my blessings have been like scattering seeds and praying for them to grow as they please.

Rather than farming, it’s more akin to scattering seeds and hoping to come back for them later—a method not even as efficient as some ants. Some ants, after all, actually farm; they cultivate fungi to eat.

In comparison, what I’m doing is more like foraging. A harvest season is still a harvest season, after all.

But what if the seeds don’t grow? What if the effort fails?

That’s why I need to prepare a contingency plan. A way for me to be summoned into this world again.

I can guess who might know how to do it.

There are two candidates: Hyungkeshni and Hieronymus.

But both of them are extremely wary of me.

So, how can I get them to make a contract with me?

I’ll need to think about it slowly.

However, I couldn’t ponder it any further because I suddenly fell flat on the ground. I could feel the sensation of stepping wrong just before it happened.

Ah, damn.

Thud!

“Rebecca!”

Joanna, who had been running ahead of me, hurriedly turned back and ran toward me. Even Hyungkeshni, seated far away, picked up her staff and approached.

“Are you hurt?”
“No, I just lost my balance.”

I pressed a hand to my chest. My heart is spinning vigorously, but it doesn’t beat. When I first inhabited this body, the sound was so loud and annoying that I modified it.

I’ve since gotten used to the noises this body makes.

Since I’ve already changed it, there’s no need to change it again. Could it be a heart problem?

Inspecting my body, aside from scraped knees and palms from the fall, there’s nothing wrong. My heart and blood vessels are functioning as they should, without any strange sounds.

Joanna, fussing over me, was abruptly stopped by Hyungkeshni, who placed a hand on her waist.

“Calm down, Joanna.”

She then stepped closer to me.

“Scraped knees and hands. So you do get injured like a human.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, this body is human.”

I’m inside Rebecca Rolf’s body, after all.

“I know. Or at least, I thought I knew. But I didn’t think you’d make a mistake like this.”

Huh?

Hyungkeshni carefully examined my hand with an odd, cautious touch. Then, twisting her waist, she rummaged through a small bag hidden at her side. I caught a glimpse of it through the fabric. From the bag, she pulled out a roll of bandages and a small blue vial.

Hyungkeshni uncorked the vial and poured its contents over my wounds.

It stings.

Or at least, my body says it does.

After pouring the liquid over my palms and knees, she carefully wrapped them with the bandages. Her expression as she worked was a mix of scientific curiosity and something akin to pity.

Heh.

I see.

Now that I’ve been injured, do I look more human to her? Is this some kind of instinctual empathy for someone else’s wounds?

How boring.

Even Joanna, watching Hyungkeshni tend to me, let out a sigh of relief. If I were a child, shrugging off a minor scrape like this would be a better lesson.

But, of course, it’s not my place to say that to Joanna, who once lost her child before she could hold them in her arms.

And, well, I’m not Joanna’s child, either.

Maybe she’s just worried because someone she cares about is hurt.

I raised my hand, looking at the slightly yellowish bandages. It doesn’t seem to be dirt; they must naturally be this color.

Wait, aren’t bandages typically bleached? Or is this the difference between flax and jute fibers? I only vaguely recall this stuff, so I can’t say for sure.

They might not even be made from the same materials.

Still, at least they understand the concept of disinfection, so I don’t have to worry about infections. Then again, I’m not even sure if infections can affect me in the first place.

“All done. Does it hurt?”
“It stings.”
“That’s how it’s supposed to feel. The medicine works that way. But it’ll heal quickly, so don’t worry about getting hurt.”

At her reassurance, I nodded. Her gaze toward me had almost fully shifted to pity. Then, as if remembering something, her expression hardened.

“You’ve hurt yourself. Are you going to keep exercising like this?”

She asked the question cautiously, as if something about it troubled her.

I nodded.

“I’ll continue. I’ll just be more careful not to get hurt next time.”

How would Hyungkeshni react to that?

“Alright. Be careful. Will you always come out at this time of day?”

She seemed slightly relieved, which meant she wanted me to continue coming out. Did she want to observe me interacting with others?

Or was she trying to identify anyone attempting to approach me?

Either way, it’s intriguing.

Though for now, it’s a bit too dark outside. To avoid unnecessary encounters, I’ll need to adjust my timing.

“I’ll do it after fulfilling my contract with Hieronymus.”
“Your contract? Oh, the blessings. Alright, understood.”

That’s her way of saying she’ll inform Hieronymus.

As soon as Hyungkeshni and I finished our conversation, Joanna suddenly scooped me up and began walking back toward my room.

I have no idea what she’s thinking.

Held in Joanna’s arms, I stared at her expression, trying to decipher her thoughts.