The wind rustled through the leaves as [Akari Sato], the newly reincarnated "maid" of another world, carefully walked along a narrow forest path.
Her boots crunched against the dirt, her black hair swayed lightly with every step, and her golden eyes scanned the vast greenery ahead.
"Ugh… I've been walking for hours and still no city in sight. Why do fantasy worlds always have forests as starting zones? Couldn't it be a café or something cute?"
Her grumbling echoed through the trees. Despite the complaining, her lips curled into a small, amused smile.
She was tired, but a strange excitement tingled in her chest. This was her new life — a real isekai adventure.
But her thoughts came to a halt when she heard it — (the clashing sound of steel against steel)
CLANG! CLANG! SHIIING!
Her body stiffened.
"That… that's a sword fight!"
Her otaku instincts screamed, Event trigger!
Without a second thought, she rushed toward the source, curiosity and adrenaline surging through her veins.
As she pushed through the thick foliage, the scene opened before her like something out of an RPG cutscene.
A merchant's carriage, overturned beside the road.
Three swordsmen, struggling against a group of bandits armed with blades and magic.
One of the bandits, clearly their leader, barked orders with a scarred face twisted in arrogance.
"Kill them! Don't let any live!"
Akari ducked behind a tree, watching.
"So… this is a classic bandit ambush scene," she muttered. "I read this setup a hundred times. Usually, this is where the protagonist saves the day and earns a party. Heh… no pressure."
But as she spoke, one of the swordsmen — a tall man with short brown hair — was struck hard in the side by a bandit's blade. Blood splattered the ground.
Akari froze.
Her breath caught in her throat.
This wasn't anime blood.
This wasn't some pixelated damage number.
This was "real"
Her hands trembled on the hilt of her sword.
Her mind raced between fear and resolve.
"Can I… really kill someone?"
"If I don't, he might die…"
Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. Then she clenched her teeth and muttered to herself—
"I'm the protagonist, damn it. I can't just watch someone die in episode three!"
She burst out from the bushes, her maid skirt fluttering in the wind.
The bandits turned their heads in confusion.
A black-haired maid with glasses charging at them wasn't something they expected today.
"W-what the—? Who's that girl?"
"A maid?!"
"Haste!"
A flash of blue light enveloped Akari's body.
The world slowed around her — her perception sharp, her steps like lightning.
Before the bandit closest to her could react, her sword sliced through the air
SHING!

The man's head flew cleanly from his shoulders.
Silence.
For a heartbeat, even the wind seemed to stop.
The other bandits stepped back, eyes wide.
The remaining swordsmen froze as well unsure whether she was friend or foe.
Akari stood straight, her glasses glinting in the sunlight, a calm yet fierce look in her golden eyes.
"H-hey… that maid just decapitated Jorrel!"
"She's just one girl! Get her!"
The scar-faced leader snarled.
A mage among them raised a wand.
"Fireball!"
A blazing sphere of fire launched toward her.
Akari's body moved before her mind could think she sidestepped it gracefully, feeling the heat rush past her face.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her head —
[Magic Detected: Fireball]
Would you like to learn this skill?
"Huh? W-wait, I can just learn it like that?!" she gasped mid-dodge.
"Yes!" she answered in her thoughts without hesitation.
Skill Acquired: Fireball (Lv.1)
A wicked grin formed on her lips.
"Let's see how you like your own medicine!"
She pointed her free hand forward.
"Fireball!"
Three fiery orbs burst from her palm, faster and larger than the bandit's weak spell.
The explosions roared, engulfing the enemy mage and another unlucky bandit in flames.
"GAAAAH!"
"S-She's a monster!"
The leader panicked, turning to flee but Akari whispered again,
"Haste."
In a blink, she was behind him.
A flash of silver light — and silence.
The bandit leader's body fell to the ground, head rolling away.
The rest of the bandits, trembling in fear, didn't even have the chance to scream before Akari finished them off one by one.
When it was over, the forest fell eerily quiet.
Akari stood still, panting softly, her sword dripping crimson.
She stared at her trembling hands.
"I… I really killed them…"
Her reflection on the blade seemed to mock her — a maid with a serene face and blood-stained clothes.
But then she exhaled deeply, whispering:
"This is my new world… my new life. I can't afford to break now."
A faint glow surrounded her — her maid outfit shimmered, the blood vanishing instantly.
"Self-cleaning feature activated," she muttered, blinking. "Oh. Handy."
The remaining adventurers ran toward her.
The buff swordsman, panting, spoke first.
"You… you saved us. Who are you?"
But before she could answer, the healer girl beside him cried out—
"Leo! He's losing too much blood!"
Akari turned to the wounded man.
A young swordsman lay on the ground, pale and barely breathing.
The healer's hands glowed faintly green, but the wound wasn't closing.
"Come on, please! Heal! Heal!"
A familiar system voice echoed again in Akari's head.
[Skill Detected: Heal]
Would you like to learn this skill?*
Akari didn't even hesitate.
"Yes!"
Skill Acquired: Heal (Lv.1)
Her hand glowed warmly as she knelt beside the man.
"Heal."
A brilliant light enveloped him — far stronger than the previous healer's spell.
The wound sealed instantly, the color returned to his face, and his breathing steadied.
Everyone froze.
"Wha— that's… impossible!"
"Your Heal… it's so strong!"
Akari smiled sheepishly, scratching her cheek.
"Ehehe… I guess it's just a blessing from… um, my maid uniform?"
The others exchanged dumbfounded looks.
After the commotion, introductions followed.
The burly man was Paul, a veteran swordsman.
The agile one with twin blades was Drake, the team's scout.
The healer was Anna, and the man she saved was Leo, still recovering.
They explained that they were escorting a noble merchant to the Kingdom of Solemn — one of the largest kingdoms on the continent.
Akari, now a little more confident, asked if she could join them for the journey.
They gladly agreed, grateful for her help.
Hours later, as the sun dipped below the trees, they finally reached the grand gates of Solemn.
Guards checked their travel cards, but Akari had none.
Before she could panic, the merchant smiled kindly and paid the toll for her.
"A savior like you deserves entry, Miss Maid," he said.
Akari blushed lightly.
"T-thank you, sir. And it's… Akari. Akari Sato."
Inside the city, she was overwhelmed by the new sights — market stalls, cobblestone streets, distant towers.
She turned to the group and bowed slightly.
"Thank you all. I think I can handle myself from here."
"If you ever need help," said Paul, "ask for the Adventurers' Guild and mention our names."
Akari nodded and smiled warmly.
"Got it. I'll see you all again!"
As they departed, Akari looked up at the bright sky, her heart racing with excitement.
"Alright, Akari. You survived your first battle… time to enjoy this isekai life properly."
She stretched her arms, breathing in the fresh air of her new world.
📜 Skill Log – Akari Sato
Skill List:
Unique Ability:
Adaptability -> Can copy any martial arts, magic, or even essential skills.
Storage -> Can stored anything but depends on mana capacity.
Haste -> Level 2 ->Temporarily increases speed and reflexes; duration extended at higher levels.
Fireball -> Level 1 -> Launches a small sphere of fire toward enemies. Can be enhanced with more mana.
Heal -> Level 1 -> Restores HP to target; strength increases with INT and faith attributes.
"Hehehe… Level up complete," Akari chuckled to herself.
"Maid class… overpowered as usual."
To be continued...