“Why does it say my name is Bria?” Kevin asked before his brain finished processing what it was seeing. The stats all seemed typical of a starting character, that much he could understand even if it was kinda weird, but why did it show his name as his chosen girl character rather than his given name? Sure, he didn’t like his birth name, but it was still his.
Wasn’t it?
“Oh, that is peculiar,” the woman said as she picked up the orb from the gelatinous mass. A complicated series of emotions washed over her face before settling upon a soft smile. “I’ve heard of people that do not take to the name chosen for them, but it is rare. Perhaps you prefer Bria? Would you like for me to call you that instead?”
He wasn’t sure why, but just hearing her say it like that sent a warm flutter through his chest. Was it perhaps embarrassment? It didn’t quite feel like that, so what else could it be?
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “That name was the one I usually picked when playing as the girl character in a game… Kinda like an interactive book with moving images? It’s hard to explain.”
“No need, I believe I understand,” the woman said, tapping at her chin. “Well Bria, maybe I will make that exception after all, if only to allow you the chance to explore who you might be at the core.”
“Wouldn’t I just be plain old Kevin?”
A melodious laugh followed. “The System is divine in origin. Mistakes are not made when it comes to one’s truth of self. If it says that you are Bria, then there is something deeper there worth uncovering.”
Again that warmth persisted, and he had to look away. He was getting exactly what he hoped for, and yet, it was because this mysterious system decided his name was Bria? His name was Kevin, so why would it display his game name like that? He’d never told it to anyone; never shown anyone those save files.
Well, there was one deflection he could pull.
“You’re giving me a lot of consideration for someone who hasn’t introduced herself.”
“Oh, manners,” the woman said, the mirth pulling back to be replaced with embarrassment or shame. He never was that good with his own emotions, let alone someone else’s. “I am Neth-amii, Shrine Priestess of the Gateway.”
“Pretty name,” he said, then his eyes widened as heat flooded his face. “I mean, it’s very—”
Giggling laughter cut him off before he could dig himself too deep into the hole thankfully. “It’s horribly convoluted. Most simply call me Neth, not that many remain who speak to me even semi-regularly these days.”
Though her face was presenting a smile, he could practically hear the sorrow in those words. If Kevin had known her better, he might have offered the woman a hug, even if it would have been creepy for a guy to do so.
Would it have been okay for ‘Bria’ to offer Neth-amii a hug? Probably. He’d noticed that women were able to be more open with physical affection. Most men only wanted one thing in his experience living around them. People always showed their true self when they thought judgment wouldn’t be forthcoming, and what he had seen from the men of the island left him rather disgusted.
She caught sight of his expression and the cheerful facade melted away, revealing the melancholy beneath. “The last temple elder died three years ago. I’ve been alone ever since.”
“I’m sorry,” was all he could think to say.
“There’s no changing my fortune,” Neth-amii said with a forced smile. “My duty shall remain at this shrine, and it is one that I gladly accept.” She gestured towards the flowers. “Where in a city could I surround myself with such beauty? I have everything I could ever want right here.”
Looking at it all, he could see the appeal, but it also reminded him of how lonely he was back home. Was Neth-amii the same? Her expression didn’t betray much, but he recognized some of the same hidden pain that he bore within.
“Except a friend,” Kevin said.
“Cutting deep with your words,” she said, shaking her head. “Funny, the moment I start entertaining allowing you to see some of my home, you begin to poke at my insecurities. How bold of you.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said quickly.
A huff followed. “Don’t be disingenuous. We both know you’re trying to find reasons to stay longer. I can understand that, especially if you’re not happy with your life on the other side. Yet, I am happy with mine. There is a peace here that wouldn’t exist if I chose to live among others.”
Kevin wasn’t sure he actually believed her, but he recognized when further argument would only serve to get him in deeper trouble. Maybe a subject change would do the both of them well all things considered?
“How often do monsters attack?”
“Like those slimes? Maybe one every other day. They’re quite the nuisance normally, what with how they’ll eat my garden if left alone. Thankfully my bees usually kill them before they can manage it.”
“Bees?” he squeaked. How could bees kill something like the slime that attacked him?
Holding up a hand, Neth-amii let out a trilling hum. Soon, a resonating hum filled the air and a single bee landed on her outstretched hand. It was far larger than any insect he had ever seen, but still only the size of a large mouse. Alone, he couldn’t see it ever defeating a slime, but bees tended to attack in swarms.
Worse, when he focused on it, something in his mind seemed to instinctively understand the general details of what he was looking at.
[Worker Bee: lv. 3]
Blinking, he then turned that same focus onto Neth-amii.
[Shrine Priestess: lv. 14]
A reflexive swallow followed that particular revelation. The worker bee alone could probably kill him, but Neth-amii was on a completely different level. Literally. He didn’t know how much stronger each level would make someone, but he knew enough to not risk fighting anything stronger than the bee right then. Level one characters were always weak, and he had no gear to make up for that weakness save for a tree branch. Given how fast the bee had arrived, he very much doubted his ability to strike the little bug.
“Finally figured that one out I see,” Neth-amii said with a smirk. “And before you ask, yes, this little cutie could easily kill you.”
“I figured,” he said weakly. He could only watch as the critter crawled up her arm and perched upon her shoulder, nuzzling against her cheek. That something so dangerous was just casually acting like a little kitten on her arm was unsettling. Yet, to her it wasn’t dangerous at all, was it? “Are all of them so docile with you?”
Chuckling, she gently scooped the bee up and held it aloft. It took flight and was swiftly out of sight. “Of course. They pretty much recognize me as part of the hive. Lovely little creatures. Bumble here is particularly friendly.”
“Yet still monsters,” Kevin said, still looking off into the distance.
“True enough,” Neth-amii said. “So, are you up for seeing a bit more, Bria? Maybe we’ll find a few more slimes for you to fight.”
Once again she used that name, yet he couldn’t bring himself to correct her. It felt more like him than his own name after years of using it for Dungeon Heroes Three. Truthfully, he hadn’t played the game with the male avatar since his first playthrough. It was just more interesting playing as Bria.
Oh.
Maybe that was why [Status] showed his name as Bria. Due to how much he played the game, he probably did use the name more than his given one, at least within his own mind. Well, if that was the case, there was nothing to do about it. He would just have to accept the name Bria while visiting this terrifying, yet amazing, new world.
“I suppose,” he said after a moment. “Though, I’d like something a bit sturdier than this stick if I’m going to be fighting more monsters.”
Neth-amii blinked. “Yes, I suppose that would be prudent. Proper clothes wouldn’t be remiss either. Those garments are simply…”
“Appalling?” he asked.
“Quite,” Neth-amii agreed flatly. “You’ll need to borrow some of my own clothing. I do hope that is acceptable, I simply have no spares for guests.”
Wait, he would have to wear girl clothes? Would they be robes like hers, or skirts and dresses? The idea should have bothered him, but he wasn’t as opposed to the idea as he expected. If he was going to be Bria in this world, then why not lean into it? It wasn’t as though he was a muscular man with massive shoulders or anything. He had a fairly wiry build after all, so the clothes wouldn’t look too out of place on his frame.
At least, he hoped they wouldn’t.
Would his voice give him away? He didn’t think so, not with how his father always seemed disappointed by how soft spoken he was. What would the man think of him if he knew how his son was even considering it? Would he ever know? Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, wearing a skirt, just this once…
Neth-amii led him back into a stone structure that stood off from the main temple, the same one he had exited earlier. The design of which was achingly familiar to him. He truly had stumbled upon the origins of the civilization that built the structures back on Isla Sein.
Lamps lit up upon Neth-amii’s arrival and the space appeared cozy and warm compared to how the room appeared when he had awakened. With proper lighting he could see more, and realized he must have been laid out upon Neth-amii’s own bedding. That alone was almost mortifying, but he did his best to put that out of his mind as he took in the rest of the room.
A wooden desk set beside a bedroll laid out upon the ground. Letters were laid out across the surface as were a few half-melted candles. A single bound tome sat beside the bedroll, along with another partially melted candle. Beyond that sat a sturdy trunk, likely where she kept her clothes that would soon be loaned to him.
Overall, it was simple and rustic, and he found it immediately relaxing. Neth-amii hadn’t stopped, and walked right up to the trunk where she flung it open and began rifling through things. She glanced back after a moment’s thought, her eyes drifting over Kevin’s form in a way that he felt should have bothered him, but didn’t.
“Here,” she said, pulling out a pair of garments. “These should fit you just fine.”
Letting the folded clothes unravel, he was surprised to find a pair of trousers and a blouse. Both were in a light tan color that appeared undyed and roughly hewn. They had some stains here and there from grass and dirt, as well as something he wasn’t quite sure about. There were even a few stitches from where the clothes had been patched up from small tears.
“Are you disappointed that it isn’t a dress?” Neth-amii asked with a teasing lilt. “Aside from my robes, I don’t actually own anything of the sort. It’s impractical out here to have anything that is restrictive or doesn’t properly cover the skin.”
“N-no,” Kevin stuttered. “I’m just grateful it’s practical, that’s all.”
“Mhmm, sure you are,” Neth-amii said with that same knowing smirk. “Now, let’s see if we can find you some basic gear before delving into the dungeon.”
He was nodding along right up until that last word, which prompted an undignified squeak from him. Neth-amii ignored it, walking over to where she had several sturdy carved sticks, picking one of the shorter ones before offering it to him.
“This should do you well enough to start,” Neth-amii said. “I don’t have any armor, but we could deal with that later. It’s not like you’ll be fighting anything too dangerous today.”
Despite how easy it had been to kill the slime, he could still remember how much that initial strike had hurt. Slimes might not have been deadly predators, but they were still dangerous if they had managed to survive in a world filled with monsters like those bees.
He had some leather goods from his current outfit. He would keep the bracers and the boots. The leather vest was more for show than actual protection, but he wasn’t giving that up just yet. Not until he actually had something better to wear. The clothes on offer were an improvement at least, offering a base layer of protection that his cheaper pants lacked. Yeah, he could mix and match what worked and what didn’t and should have a decent ensemble by the time he was done.
“I’m going to change now,” he said, his face warming as he tried to figure out how best to ask her to give him privacy in her own room.
“No worries,” Neth-amii said, turning to leave. “Just don’t take too long Bria, those slimes won’t harvest themselves.”
The door shut behind her and Kevin swallowed hard as he looked down at the clothes. Taking a breath, he began to change out of the horrible outfit from the tours and into something that felt more fitting given the setting he now found himself in. Slowly it was dawning on him that this wasn’t a dream, but a true alternate world, and he was living it.
More than that, somehow Neth-amii had changed her mind about letting him stay, and he wasn’t about to look that gift horse in the mouth. What would happen when he reached level two? Would he become stronger like magic? Just the thought of it excited him, knowing that it was possible to grow and change in this world.
Was it bad that he didn’t want to go back? He should have felt bad about wanting to abandon his home, but all he felt was excitement as he pulled on the pants and secured them. They hugged his hips a bit, but he found that it was comforting in a way. The shirt followed and again it hugged his waist in a way he wasn’t used to.
It felt good, being in this world, and being free of any judgment.
The leather snapped into place as Kevin secured the straps and buttons. With everything in place, he looked around for a mirror but didn’t find one. Oh well, it wasn’t that important that he saw himself. All that mattered was that he felt prepared to face the dangers the slimes represented. With the Sturdy Stick in hand, he took a breath and stepped out of the room, ready to face the coming trial.