Wait, What You Mean I Got Reincarnated As A Heroine In Another World?-Chapter 14 - Exchange

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Upon hearing that question, Selene stood still while pondering for a while. Then, after a few seconds, she walked a few steps closer in my direction.

"Before I answer, it comes with a price. Let's make a deal."

Wait, a deal? What do you mean by a deal?

I was confused after hearing her demand. Her words were unexpected, but maybe this this was where my negotiation expertize would come into play.

"What kind of deal?" I asked, my tone flat and lethargic.

"Once your vessel is recovered, I will possess it to interact with your world, just as you will with mine—to become a heroine."

"Don't you think we are the same?" She added.

"We both saw the previous world as lacking, and somewhat wished for something beyond what we had."

Nope, that's just you probably.

I wouldn't say my world was lacking. Flawed, yes—poverty, broken systems, people surviving when they shouldn't have to. But I didn't hate it. I learned when to fight it and when to live with it. However, being sent to this world had changed everything. Observing it was... satisfying. Still, I was curious—how far would she go with this "vessel exchange"?

"I will accept the deal... but on one condition."

She raised her eyebrows, curiosity sparking in her eyes—oddly familiar.

And not gonna lie, she looked just like me when my curiosity kicked in.

Curiosity indeed stumbled like a cockroach and killed a cat—until satisfaction brought it back. That also happened to me.

"Oh? And what condition is that?"

I took a slow breath before replying.

"I want to know the mechanism of my strange ability."

I already had been preparing for this outcome. Normally, during the encounter with a villain... well, presume that Selene indeed was one, they would normally have this knack for a negotiation. My resolution would be quite unwavering if these were to continue.

"Uh, villain?"

Ah, I said that out loud in my mind

"Something you don't need to know."

"It's related to your alias."

"So, will ya?" I insisted.

She tilted her head, thoughtful, placing a hand under her chin. Adorable. No—stop.

She really did look cute when she was thinking though. No, way too cute. Damn it.

No, Kairi. Keep your biased, insane mind in check. She's the one who sent you here without any clear explanation. Shake my head.

"Alright, maybe I could help."

Wait, what the f*ck do you mean by 'help'?!

I mean, wasn't she the one who gave me this ability? Or was she just socially inept? Whatever it was, she seemed deep in thought. Then, turning away from me, she spoke again.

"First of all, you have witnessed the extent of this ability. How would you define it?"

Hm, that indeed was a good question...

I thought deep down, wanting to figure this out.

So, from what I had been noticing thus far, it felt like rewinding a recorder. Perhaps, it could have had a detrimental effect to mind, as you repeatedly were being sent back to some sorts of 'Mind Palace' phenomenon.

It reminded me of an anime protagonist whose suffering was unparalleled—his torment was physical, whereas mine was psychological. Still, inspired by that, I came to a conclusion.

"Return-by-memory."

Yes, this would be the most likely answer.

Selene then, who might have deciphered my mind earlier, sitting in a meditative pose, hand on her chin again.

"This anime... what is this about?"

Oh, so she knows about anime... how shocking.

Maybe she learned through my vessel's brain.

Whatever. That didn't matter—I had to convince her.

"It's similar to mine."

"Don't you mean getting sent to another world?"

"Yeah, exactly."

"I see..."

We both nodded in unison, silent for a bit.

"Well, you're somewhat right about the mechanism." She said.

"However, there was one loophole."

Oh? What is it? Is she going to lecture me now?

If that's so, she might become the most hated and boring lecturer I have ever had in my entire life. I tilted my head slightly, confusion evident on my face.

"So, what you defined as 'return-by-memory' indeed means going back to a certain specific interval of time whereas you are allowed to rewind the clock technically-speaking. However, when this happened, the duration of clock stopped, and it's not that you are getting sent back to the past. This means your physical memory remains intact with the present, but not your mental one."

Boring ass ahhh lecture.

Also, wait... didn't she just say 'physical' and 'mental'? Lol, that's funny. She probably has never heard of 'mind' or 'psyche' before.

"Uh, lol? Mind? Psyche?"

Ah yes, I broke this walking encyclopedia's software with a bugged update.

"Never mind," I shrugged. "You'll figure that out when you have my vessel."

"Alright then. So, do you understand?"

"Yeah. But you explain things like a professor who never goes outside."

"...So professors must stay indoors to gain knowledge? Is that your academic structure? Interesting."

God, help this child.

She paused, then tilted her head.

"Also, aren't your rants as unhinged too, Kairi, my dear?" She said it with a slight smile, almost as if she thought it was a fair observation—no malice, just curiosity wrapped in formality.

NO, ANYTHING BUT THAT 'MY DEAR' THINGY.

She was trying her best at teasing me. Or maybe just trying to annoy me, making me seethe. I wouldn't deny that my rants could get convoluted, but that didn't mean hers were any better.

"Not your business."

"Oh, business? Right, let's talk about that."

I forgot she didn't know figures of speech...

Dear God, please kill me. I can't keep talking to this alien anymore—I refuse to be of the same species. Send me to hell. Let me be a monster—anything but this. I wanna die as soon as possible, with a cherry on top.

"Uh, alien? Also, why a cherry on top for your deathbed? Are you wishing to be eaten by a monster as a dessert?"

Okay, this is getting complicated. We are basically walking on an endless circle of inevitability, filled nonsense and chaos. Ouroboros, huh.

My thoughts wandered for philosophical cosmic nonsense, attempting not to damage this ultra-sensitive processor of hers with a RAM that is as reliable as a duct tape. And if you're listening to it, you won't understand. So, don't let the curiosity get to you, not for now.

"Fine. I will set those aside, for the time being."

Phew. I sighed in relief.

Perhaps, the most satisfying breath I'd taken since one of my patients told me she was pregnant. Wait, I wasn't a gynecologist, was I? That patient had chronic asthma... but she was one of my closest patients. Ah right, I remembered—I was a pulmonologist.

Alright, enough with this unnecessary flashback. Now, time for a real question.

"So, how did I get sent to another world?"

"Hm, I see. Alright, I will answer that question for you, Kairi Izumi-san."

Apparently, it was about time to figure and understand what she had been up to with this vessel exchange deal for its negotiation terms...