I died. It wasn't epic or tragic. It was just stupid. I was crossing the street to buy a soda when a tractor—one of those really slow ones—hit me. Don't ask me how. I just know I blacked out, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a bright void, standing in front of a woman who looked like a model but had the expression of someone who would rather be anywhere else.
"Welcome to the afterlife, kid," she said, swirling a wine glass that never emptied. "I'm Liriel, supreme goddess. You died, but I chose you to reincarnate into a fantasy world. Amazing, right?"
I didn't think it was amazing. My name's Takumi, 20 years old, former high school student, now a nobody in the beyond. I asked if I could just rest in peace, but Liriel laughed as if I'd said something ridiculous.
"Rest? No way. You're going to an epic world. Monsters, magic, a Demon King to defeat. And there's more: you can choose a special power or item to take with you," she said, pointing at a glowing catalog that appeared out of nowhere.
I thought of something useful, like a magic sword or super strength. But I looked at Liriel, who seemed more interested in her wine than in my existence. Something told me she wasn't trustworthy. So, I pointed at her.
"I want you as my special ability."
She choked, spitting out wine and coughing as if she'd swallowed a bug.
"Me? A goddess? Your ability? Are you insane?" she yelled, but the void blinked, and a robotic voice echoed: "Choice confirmed. Transfer initiated."
Before I could understand, we were falling into a wheat field under a sky too blue. Liriel, now at my side, still holding her glass, looked ready to strangle me.
"You're an idiot! You dragged me into this stupid world! I'm a goddess, not an adventurer!" she yelled, throwing the glass on the ground. The glass didn't break; it just bounced on the wheat, as if the universe was laughing at us.
I looked around. The field was vast, with a city in the distance, stone walls, and smoke rising from chimneys. The air smelled of grass and something sweet, maybe magic. I didn't know whether to be excited or terrified, but one thing was certain: my new life was off to a terrible start.
"Let's head to the city," I said, trying to stay calm. "Maybe there's an adventurers' guild or something."
Liriel crossed her arms, huffing. "And what do I get out of this? You owe me one, you know? You dragged me off my divine throne to be your babysitter!"
I ignored her and started walking. The sun was hot, and my clothes—a normal shirt and pants from my world—felt completely out of place. Liriel, in her shiny silver dress, looked even more out of place, like a lost cosplayer. As we walked, she didn't stop complaining.
"This world is awful. I bet the food is terrible, the beds are hard, and the bathrooms are just holes in the ground!" she said, kicking a rock. The rock flew and hit a rabbit, which ran off. At least, I thought it was a rabbit, until it turned and showed teeth sharp as knives.
"Run!" I yelled, grabbing Liriel. The monster-rabbit chased us, hopping as if it wanted to devour us. I ran until my lungs burned, with Liriel shouting something about "mortal curses" and "divine injustice." We reached the city gasping, and the rabbit gave up, returning to the field.
The city, called Vaelor, was noisy, full of carts, shouting merchants, and adventurers in shiny armor. I went straight to the guild, a large building with double doors and the smell of beer. Inside, tables were crowded, people were laughing, and a board full of missions stood on the wall. I felt like I was in an RPG, but with the disadvantage of being stuck with a useless goddess.
"We need to register," I said, heading to the counter. The receptionist, a woman with brown hair and a professional smile, handed me a form.
"Name, class, and abilities," she said, eyeing Liriel suspiciously. "You are… what exactly?"
"Supreme goddess!" Liriel replied, posing like a star. The receptionist blinked, confused, and wrote "Priestess" on the form. I registered as a beginner adventurer, with no defined class. I had no idea what to choose, and Liriel didn't help—she just complained that the form "disrespected her divinity."
"Choose a mission," said the receptionist, pointing to the board. I looked at the papers: hunt wolves, collect herbs, escort a cart. Seemed simple. I picked the herb-collecting mission, thinking it would be easy. My mistake.
On the way to the field, we ran into two girls who, for some reason, decided to join us. Elara, a versatile mage who mastered multiple types of magic, from fire to ice, but had a serious problem: her mana ran out way too fast, even with basic spells, leaving her exhausted after one or two uses. "I can cast anything, but… only for a minute," she admitted, panting just from demonstrating a spark.
The other, Vespera, was a succubus with a bow and light armor, theoretically good at ranged attacks, but never hit her target—her arrows flew everywhere except where they should. And being a succubus, she seemed to enjoy getting hurt, running into danger as if it were a thrill. "I'll attract them! I love a good impact," she said with a strange smile.
"Why do you want to come with us?" I asked, suspicious.
Elara shrugged. "I need a group to protect me when my mana runs out. You guys seem… harmless."
Vespera winked. "And I want adventure! The more missed arrows, the more fun."
Liriel rolled her eyes. "Great, more problems to get in my way."
Against my better judgment, I agreed. After all, I needed help, and they seemed… somewhat useful?
In the field, the herb-collecting mission became a disaster. Elara tried a detection spell, but got tired after one use and collapsed. Vespera shot arrows to scare off a wild boar-monster but missed every shot, hitting a tree and making the beast charge at her—she smiled, as if she wanted to be hit. Liriel, instead of helping, tried a purification spell that somehow made all our clothes transparent for ten seconds. I ran behind a tree, screaming, while a local farmer saw us and started spreading rumors about "exhibitionist adventurers."
We returned to the guild with only three wilted herbs, a fine notice for destroying the field, and my dignity in pieces. The receptionist looked at us with pity. "Maybe try something simpler tomorrow. Like sweeping the floor."
Liriel pointed at me. "This is all his fault! Who chooses a goddess as an ability?!"
Elara groaned, still exhausted, and Vespera seemed disappointed that she hadn't taken more hits. I sat at a table, ordered a beer, and thought: if this is only the first day, how am I going to survive in this world? And worse, how am I going to have a normal life with these three around?