I finally recovered from Melfina's sudden confession bombshell and started heading toward the nearest city. While walking, I asked her about the full story behind my reincarnation.
It turns out I died in an accident on Earth. The twist is that the accident happened because some other god, not Melfina, made a huge mistake. That god then begged Melfina, the goddess in charge of reincarnation, to give me special privileges as compensation. According to her, screw-ups like that happen more often than people think. Gods mess up too.
"There are surprisingly many gods who fit that description. I'm serious."
Melfina's voice sounded amused in my head. She began as an angel serving the higher gods. After long years of good work, she was put in charge of reincarnation for this world. Compared to the ancient ones, she counts as a young goddess. If Melfina says it, I'll believe her.
She grumbled in my mind about dealing with this sort of thing again, but she still took care of me.
"The instant you finished picking your skills, you turned to me and demanded a contract. You spent a full hour persuading me. I've held this position for hundreds of years and was starting to feel worn out, so I went along with the idea."
I have no memory of any of it. Apparently pre-reincarnation me fell in love with Melfina at first sight. Right now all I have is her voice, and yeah, it's pretty captivating. Also, past me was bold.
"Gods need rest too. Think of it as paid vacation. I passed my work to my subordinates, so it's fine. I haven't taken a proper break in decades. I needed to recharge soon."
Subordinates. So my reincarnation is basically her getaway trip? Then give my memories back.
"You decided to erase your memories before reincarnating. You insisted."
What kind of nonsense was I telling the girl I supposedly loved? If I lose my memories, how do I stay in love?
"Even without memories, I'll make you fall for me again! You said it so directly and earnestly that I ended up forgiving you. Favorability plus one. Congratulations."
Okay, stop right there. I don't remember it, but I can already feel the embarrassment from my own dark history. Still, does that mean Melfina was exactly my type? The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see her for real.
"Since we already have the contract, can I summon you now?"
"Not possible yet. The MP needed to materialize me is far too high for your current level."
I clicked my tongue in frustration. New top priority: level up quickly so I can summon Melfina properly.
"I'm looking forward to your growth and your next bold confession."
"I am not confessing."
We kept talking like that until the city came into view.
"That's your destination. The city of Perz."
It looked like a fairly large place. Stone walls surrounded the whole area, and houses stood packed inside. The cityscape felt completely different from modern Japan, and it really stirred something adventurous inside me. By the way, my current clothes are standard traveler gear for this world. No one should find them suspicious.
The gates are on the east and west sides. As I got closer to one, it became my first real contact with a person in this world. The gatekeeper noticed me right away.
"Hey, are you an adventurer?"
"No, I'm from a small remote village. I don't have any identification."
I answered just as Melfina and I had planned ahead of time. Lots of people in this world don't carry ID. That's why cities this size issue identification papers at the gates. It costs a little money, but that was no issue. Melfina gave me some starting funds when I reincarnated. She might be skipping work for a vacation, but she sure handles the details like a pro.
"That's why I'm serious from the beginning."
After getting the ID issued without trouble, I headed straight for my next goal: the adventurer guild.
At first I was full of doubt about everything, but now I'm genuinely ready to enjoy this fantasy life.