Ren's morning starts early. He's a formerly ordinary high school boy who was suddenly summoned to another world and turned into a succubus (now a girl).
This is because a rooster crows somewhere in the city, and he needs to use magic to start a fire for cooking.
However, it's not actually true that Ren is a morning person.
Since he can "save up" energy via Energy Drain, and is usually "full" until morning when sleeping with someone, there's not much need for him to wake up. Unless roused by an external factor or a strong force of will, going back to sleep two or three times is easy.
So, whenever he sleeps with someone, Ren is usually the one who wakes up later.
On that particular day, when he woke up, Furi's eyes were right in front of him.
"Good morning, Ren."
She smiled happily, still being held tight in Ren's arms.
Their state of being completely naked was a remnant of the night before.
It should have been a quite exhausting activity, yet the girl's skin was rather glowing. The man expels, and the woman is, in turn, filled—Ren learned after coming to this world that such a scene, common in erotic manga, was actually true.
"Good morning, Furi."
He returned the smile and let go of her.
Instead, he reached out a hand to the girl's head and started playfully messing with her hair, earning a protest: "Oh, you'll mess up my hair."
"You have to fix it anyway, don't you?"
"Then, I'll play with Ren's hair too."
"Whoa, stop it, you idiot."
Since becoming a succubus, Ren's hair, which he'd never fully cut, only tidying the ends, had grown quite long, and now, unbound, it spread out wantonly across the sheets. It was helpful that the otherworldly power seemed to prevent damage, but the length meant greater trouble when someone messed with it.
However, Furi was not the type to stop when told, and she pawed at Ren's hair like a kitten playing with a ball of yarn.
At this point, he had no choice but to counterattack.
He extended his fingers not to her hair, but to her side, moving them ticklishly. Dexterity was one of his boasted skills. Furi immediately laughed and let go of his hair.
"Stop it, hey, quit it!"
She cupped his cheeks with both hands and kissed him.
Their tongues intertwined, and after a few seconds, they pulled apart, laughing again.
"We're getting all lovey-dovey, aren't we?"
"This is normal, right? ...I couldn't do this with someone I didn't love."
"Mhm. That's true. I love you, Ren."
"I love you too, Furi."
The warmth had made the bed even more comfortable, and they almost missed the opportunity to get up.
They should get ready soon, but just as Ren thought, maybe one more kiss..., the door to the room was knocked.
"Master, Furi-san. Are you awake? The long-awaited event has begun."
"Eh, really?"
The two, startled, quickly got ready and stepped outside the house.
Their eyes turned toward the center of the city, in the direction of the temple.
And then,
"Wow, it's glowing."
"It is glowing."
The temple, which must have started overnight, was emitting a faint yet definite light.
This was the preparation stage for the summoning that the Sage had told them about.
The calendar showed mid-June. They had been waiting impatiently, but it seemed to have finally begun.
"It makes me a little excited."
"Yeah. Though I have a bit of anxiety, too."
They had decided to pause dungeon exploration once the temple started glowing. They would spend the next two or three days relaxing and waiting for the arrival of new Transferees.
Conversely, the adults, especially the Sage, would enter a busy season.
Since around May, vacant houses had been cleaned, and many supplies for beginners had been prepared. Ren and the others probably wouldn't be heavily involved with the newcomers, but they wondered what would happen.
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A few days passed with a subtly restless feeling—a mix of wanting to go rubberneck and preferring to avoid involvement if possible—until they saw the temple emit the same intense brilliance as "that time."
After a while, the glow faded, and the usual appearance of the temple returned.
Whether it was successful or not, the summoning itself seemed to be over.
"Now we can sleep peacefully at night," said Iris, who was born and raised here. She seemed accustomed to it, offering a rather blunt opinion about the light ending.
It was true that the constant light, day and night, was disruptive to sleep. Especially last night, Ren had been a little irritated, wondering, "Can't this light be turned off somehow?"
"I wonder if we'll get used to it and have the same reaction in a few years?"
"Maybe. Like the feeling you get around New Year's or Setsubun?"
In any case, with the light gone, they decided to resume dungeon exploration starting tomorrow.
The dungeon had become tougher again from the 21st floor. While not as difficult as the 20th floor, the new enemy, the Lizardman, was a formidable foe. It combined a physique larger than a Goblin and agility surpassing an Orc, while also skillfully wielding weapons.
Traps had also increased, so careful progression was required, or they risked serious injury. They needed steady, persistent exploration to get used to the new feel of the dungeon.
"It's almost lunchtime. Iris-chan, let's get ready."
"Yes. What shall we have today?"
"Let's see... sandwiches, maybe?"
The limited ingredients meant their cooking repertoire wasn't vast, but having more stable funds allowed them to buy a greater variety of ingredients regularly.
Hoping their diet wouldn't regress after the beginner's discount ended, Ren turned to Mei.
"Hey, Mei. Is there anything I can help with?"
"Morning chores are complete. Master, please remain seated."
The golem girl, sunbathing, responded in her usual, slightly cold and detached tone. This was her normal way of speaking, so she wasn't angry or anything. Having been together for over half a year, Ren and the others were used to it.
However, being told to "remain seated" made him feel unsettled, like a Showa-era father doing nothing...
"Pardon me. Are Ren and the others home? I have something to discuss."
As Ren restlessly watched the meal preparation, a voice he hadn't expected came from the entrance of the house.
"Oh? It's unusual for the old man, the Sage, to come over here."
"The timing suggests another strange request. Ren, could you go out?"
"Ah, of course. ...Mei, could you come with me, just in case?"
"As you wish."
With the golem girl, who was wearing Ren's clothes for her sunbathing, following him, he opened the door.
"Ah, good. I'm glad you were home."
"What's wrong, old man? ...Especially the one in your arms."
The Sage was alone.
Ren was initially disappointed, having expected him to bring someone, but then he realized the Sage was not strictly alone.
He hadn't brought a person, but he was holding an animal.
The sight of the slightly nervous middle-aged man carefully cradling an animal was quite incongruous.
The Sage then looked troubled.
"Ah. She has a bit of a complicated situation. I brought her here, hoping you might be able to protect her."
"She?"
Ren had a bad feeling, or rather, the thread of the conversation was becoming clear.
When he stared closely, the creature—a creature of a color that was slightly singed yellow, or yellowish-brown, that is, a fox color—looked back at Ren with clear, intentional eyes.
"Hello. I apologize for my appearance. I was told that you would accept me without feeling uncomfortable in this form. Excuse me, are you Ren-sama?"
"Ah, I'm Ren, but..."
He blinked, surprised that clear Japanese was spoken by a kitsune the size of a cat.
"Could it be, you're also a former Japanese person—and you became like that after receiving the 'Blessing' just now?"
"You are correct. It was so sudden that I am quite bewildered myself..."
She drooped her ears and eyes sadly.
"Cute," Ren murmured unintentionally, and Mei, standing diagonally behind him, muttered the same thing simultaneously.
Hearing this, the Sage chuckled lightly.
"It seems you two will be fine. ...For now, I'd like to talk inside, if you don't mind?"
"Ah. If that's the case, of course."
It was just about time for lunch to be ready.
He invited them inside, planning to include Furi and the others in the discussion, and prepared food for the extra person.
Furi and the others, hearing the situation, widened their eyes at the sight of the new, non-humanoid species, but they quickly adapted and focused on preparing a meal for the small fox girl.
"Sandwiches will be hard to eat, right? Should I tear them into small pieces and put them on a plate?"
"I apologize for the trouble. That would be a great help."
Since it would be awkward to talk on the floor, and he wasn't sure about putting her on the table, Ren decided to hold her and bring her the sandwich pieces.
It was his first time holding a fox, and the fluffy fur was incredibly comfortable.
Furi and the others wanted a turn to hold her, but Ren, who needed less food for himself, was the most suitable person. A perk of the job, so to speak.
"Now then. ...As you've probably guessed, she is one of the new Transferees summoned this year. Her species name displayed on her status is 'Youko' (Fox Spirit)."
"I thought this world was a so-called fantasy setting, but Japanese or Chinese styles are possible too?"
"It's an 'other world.' Drawing lines based on our standards might be meaningless. ...In the first place, given that Elves and Succubi are similar to our knowledge, it might not be that the species of this world are being reproduced, but rather that new species are being 'created' based on our common knowledge."
In any case, by drawing a rare species, she had turned into a fox.
"It's problematic that she doesn't look human at first glance. If I didn't know the situation, I might have tried to hunt her."
"I-I would not like to be hunted."
"Wait, Iris. The meat and fur of a small fox are negligible. One should capture her, raise her, and then cull her at the appropriate time."
"Hey, hold on, old man. Keep the efficiency talk to yourself."
When Ren immediately retorted, the Sage coughed, looking like he'd let something slip.
"My apologies. ...Anyway, that's why I brought her here. Other species tend to be viewed with curiosity, but her case is extreme."
"Yeah. Not being humanoid might be more trouble than I have..."
Ren stands out significantly because of his wings, tail, and beauty, but he is still broadly human-shaped. The fact that people can recognize him as someone they can communicate with and speak to as an equal is a huge advantage.
However, in the form of a fox, she might be unconsciously looked down upon as "just an animal" or treated lightly. Even if it doesn't go that far, she might be kicked by passersby.
"Um, Ren-sama was originally male, right? Was there no way to change back?"
"Unfortunately, we haven't found a way to completely change back to the original."
"An item to change species to human exists. I possess one, but even using it, there is no guarantee that Ren's 'gender' would revert. Nor his appearance."
The possibility of returning to the original appearance is higher if one stops at a single change rather than two.
"The same unfortunately applies to you. If you were to revert to a human using an item from that form, we cannot guarantee whether your appearance would be your original form or a 'human form based on your current appearance.'"
For example, she might become a Japanese-style beautiful girl with near-blonde hair. If she accepts that, she can become human, but she must be prepared for potential hardship if she ever returns to Japan.
The girl who had become a fox sighed.
"...Fate is a difficult thing to manage, isn't it?"
"Try not to be too disheartened. That form and power will be useful for delving into the dungeon and earning a living. Other species are uniformly diverse and powerful."
"Other species—"
The girl's face turned toward Ren.
"Ah. In the sense of being clearly 'not human,' I might be the most obvious one."
After all, he has wings and a tail.
"The old man might have unusual values, but he's not a bad guy. He only brought you here because he was worried about you, right?"
"...Ren. Are you perhaps mistaken that I am some kind of mad scientist?"
"You're practically the same thing, in reality."
The Sage went silent with a look of "I don't understand."
The Youko girl, who had been watching their exchange, spoke up with an "Um."
"I also have a request. Would you allow me to stay here?"
"Ah, of course—"
Ren looked at his comrades for confirmation, It's okay, right?, and they all nodded with a smile, saying, "Of course."
"We can't just leave someone in trouble."
"Yes. She'll have trouble with a place to sleep and food, and it's better if someone is nearby."
"It's a shame I might have to relinquish the 'youngest' title, but I have no reason to object."
For Ren, too, having heard the whole story, he had become emotionally attached.
She seemed like a polite, good kid, and above all, she was cute.
"But are you sure? You'll be living separately from your friends."
"Yes, I understand. ...I don't mean to disparage my friends, but they are also in the midst of confusion. I, whose appearance has completely changed, would likely become a burden."
"I see. You're quite mature... I think I would have burst into tears."
When Furi muttered this, genuinely impressed, not in a bad way, the girl replied,
"Perhaps too many things have happened suddenly, and my senses are numb. Besides, I have met people who worry about me like this."
She was too good a kid.
Too good to leave alone. Ren nodded deeply and made the final decision.
"Please, live with us. ...Uh, I haven't asked for your name. Could you tell me, even if it's just a nickname?"
"Yes. My name is Shion. I understand that people here use first names, so please call me Shion."
"Got it. Welcome, Shion."
And so, the Fox Spirit, Shion, joined the party.
The matter of species change was put on hold for now. Since the Sage said he would provide the item if necessary, there was no need to decide in a rush. To process her feelings, they decided to address other issues first.
They were about to start discussing where she would sleep and other matters, when—
"Thank you. If anything troubles her, please consult with me as well. ...And, well, I have one more matter to discuss, separate from her case."
"There's still something else? You're using us too conveniently, old man."
"That's right, Sage. You can go home now."
"I can't do that. Just listen. If this problem isn't resolved, you might also find yourselves in trouble."
Having been told that much, they had no choice but to listen.
Ren and the others prepared to listen to the Sage's further consultation.
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