Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Forced Recreation 

The Hero Became a Mousegirl 
Chapter 19: Forced Recreation 

“There’s a guild branch in Shadewind right?” I asked Myra as she dragged me down the stairs for a morning dip in the hot springs. 

“Why?” Turning to face me, Myra gazed into my eyes, her lips curling into a frown. “Taking on guild quests is far from relaxing.” 

“True… but, I can’t shake the feeling that I need to get stronger. So that I can protect these people, so that I can protect you.” 

“Caelan… I get it. I was right beside you in the cemetery when Stelryus attacked, but you buried them. You brought down so much magic on that place you could’ve killed a god. So… it’s over. That’s two victories for you, and zero for them. Besides, it took them a thousand years to come back once, I’m sure we won’t be around for the third revival.” 

“But… what if Stelryus comes back faster next time? What if it’s only a few years, or worse a few months. I’m not strong enough.” 

“Please Caelan… relax. If not for yourself, then do it for me. I don’t want to see you like this.” 

“Fine,” I sighed. “I’ll do my best, but only for a few more days. I need to work on improving myself.” 

“Relaxing in the hot springs is improving yourself. There is more to life than being the hero. There’s more than just war, and battle, and death. You live and breath just like everyone else, you deserve all of life’s luxuries too.” 

“Okay,” I gave up and let Myra drag me to the dressing room where we crossed paths with Auriel, who appeared to have been just getting out of the hot springs. 

“Aurii?” Myra released my arm and ran to grab Auriel. “You should’ve told us you were going to the hot springs, come on, let’s bathe together.” 

“Ah, umm, well… I soaked too long as is,” Auriel replied looking awkwardly at me before gazing at the floor. For all her talk of being my romantic rival, she wasn’t doing much of anything that I felt the need to concern myself with. Though, that could be because I was around. 

After all, she’d revealed her big secret to me, that Bahram’s memories lived on inside her. Given what she’d said about his proclivities I got why she’d feel awkward being around us, especially in an environment where we’d all be undressed. Bahram apparently liked to spy on our female allies, and Auriel wanted nothing more than to reject him for that, even if she herself was technically his reincarnate.

“I’d like you to join us too,” I smiled and patted Auriel on the shoulder, “after all, we’re all girls, a little shared skintimacy is common amongst friends, right?” 

“R-Right,” Auriel replied eyeing me cautiously. “I’ll… stay with you then.” 

Part of me was afraid of making Auriel feel worse, seeing how I’d actively revealed myself to be the exact same Caelan from her memories. Being around me probably made it easier for Bahram’s memories to surface. At the same time, as the only person who knew her secret, I was probably also the only person who could free her from it. The only person who could tell her point blank, that she wasn’t Bahram. She was Auriel, past life memories be damned. 

Myra and I undressed and then the three of us went out and soaked in the hot springs, Auriel doing her best to either meet our eyes, or look off in the distance. If she didn’t seem so distressed I’d have almost found it cute, the way she replied to any comment sent her way while staring up at the ceiling as if she was feeling especially wistful about the topic. 

“The two of you seem… closer, did something happen yesterday?” 

Auriel’s eyes widened like a deer that’d just spotted the hunter set on ending its life, while I fought hard not to blush as I remembered revealing that I had romantic feelings for Myra, to Auriel. “Umm, I found her in one of the rooms, we talked, and really hit it off. Right, Auriel?” 

“Y-Yeah.” 

“Right,” Myra narrowed her eyes at me. “So, was I right?” 

“Right?” I felt a cold panic wash over me as I recalled, Myra already had a hunch that Auriel was a reincarnate. Furthermore she’d even suspected that Auriel’s condition was caused by her rejecting her past life, and it’d all been true. She was right on all accounts and I knew it. Could I really lie to her, now?

Sighing Myra rushed across the pool and grabbed Auriel by the shoulders, gazing deep in the startled catgirl’s eyes. “Aurii, we’re best friends aren’t we?!” 

“Y-Yes.” 

“Then… umm, I have a secret to tell you,” Myra took a deep breath as Auriel gazed at her with a fearful confused look on her face. “I umm… have memories of someone who lived a very long time ago. A human woman, named Elise. She was a very powerful sorceress, who fought alongside the hero to save the world.”

“You too…” Auriel was too stunned to keep silent, only realizing she’d said something she shouldn’t after the words had slipped past her lips. She attempted to cover her mouth and look away, but it was too late, Myra had her. 

“Me too? Then I was right, you are a reincarnation! Congratulations Aurii!” 

“No,” Auriel’s eyes filled with tears as she looked down and then immediately regretted her choice and adverted her gaze to the side. 

“I’m not exactly the biggest fan of it either,” Myra said grabbing Auriel’s face and forcing her to look at her. “Actually… I kinda hate it. I’m not Elise, I can’t even cast magic, but it is true that I have her memories, and so I’m living with it. I’ll never judge you for who you were Aurii, but do you think… you could trust me enough to tell me about it?” 

“I,” Auriel’s face turned a deep red and I struggled not to smile, when it came to squeezing information out of people, Myra was way too skilled. “Caelan told me she has feelings for you!” 

Myra froze long enough for Auriel to twist free and make a break for it. I watched in horror as my romantic rival fled the scene after revealing something I wasn’t ready to reveal myself. Traitor! 

“Caelan…” Myra turned to me, “…Is it true?” 

“You probably already had a hunch, but yeah,” I sighed, my face heating with embarrassment. “You are annoying sometimes, and I think you take your teasing too far on occasion. I’m also still a tiny bit grumpy that you let me take the guild test in a dress, but yeah, I… love you Myra, more than as a sister.” 

“Not because I told you I was Elise?” 

“I… think I started having real feelings for you when you forced me to eat a pastry out of your hand. When you asked me to take a chance on you, and said you’d only bring good things into my life.”

“The great and powerful Caelan likes being bossed around huh?” Myra giggled. “Well I have to say, I was hopeful that I’d get a confession from you soon-ish, but I never expected we’d both be naked when I got it.”

“Yeah,” I chewed my lip. “I wish I hadn’t told Auriel anything now.” 

“So let’s see,” Myra tapped her chin. “There’s no way she’s Mischa, and we have no idea how broad the requirements for reincarnation are. But, since we have me, and I was an active member of the hero’s party, if we assume that only the hero’s party got reincarnated, then Aurii has to be Bahram doesn’t she?” 

“Your skills of deduction are terrifying.” 

“Not that it helps much,” Myra cast a lonely glance at the doors Auriel fled through before making her way over to me. “Well… let’s not ruin your confession stressing about things that’ll take time, how about a kiss?” 

“A k-kiss?” 

“Yes. You love me, I love you, so, why not kiss?” 

“Ah, my heart’s not rea—“ 

Placing her hand on my shoulder Myra pulled me forward and pressed her lips to mine. My heart pounded in my chest as my mind failed to process what was going on. Assuming the kiss I’d shared with Eyrina didn’t count because it was part of our contract, this was my first. And it was wonderful. 

“Your heart’s beating so loudly,” Myra giggled as she pulled away, her cheeks flushing as she held a hand over her own chest. “Mine too.” 

“That… umm… so… we’re… I…”

“Calm down Caelan, deep breaths,” Myra grinned. “Don’t let a single kiss be what kills you, I’m sure Stelryus would be very upset to learn that was all they had to do.” 

“Ah,” I took a few deep breaths as Myra had recommended. “Does this mean, we’re a couple now?” 

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“Yeah. Unless you want to wait on Syene and Kaphis to give us permission,” Myra winked at me before getting out of the hot spring. “Now then, let’s go chase down Aurii. We’ll start with some hugs and cheek kisses to make her feel better, and then we’ll end with you chewing her out for sharing your secret.” 

“Well… it ended fine, I don’t really think she needs to be chewed out.” 

“I guess it does make for a fun story if we ever adopt children. Getting confessed to in a hot spring can’t be a very common occurrence.” 

“C-C-Children?!” 

Myra chuckled before waving at me to follow her as she stepped into the dressing room. “Where did you find her last time?” 

“In the library, between the shelves.” 

“Alright, once you’re dressed, we’ll head there first.” 

Just like last time Auriel was curled up between the bookshelves, though this time without a book in hand. She had her face pressed against her knees and her arms crossed to cover as much of her head as possible. It looked as if she was trying to mimic a stone with how her body was tucked into be as round as possible.

Without warning Myra rushed to Auriel’s side and grabbed her tail holding it firmly in her hand. “Aurii.”

“L-Let go Myra! I don’t want to play.” 

“We’re not playing,” Myra leaned forward to pat Auriel on the head. “You’re our friend, and we’re worried about you.” 

“She’s already figured it all out,” I said, sitting down in the nearest chair. “Myra’s reasoning powers are too strong, I didn’t say anything and she was able to guess your past self by name.” 

“I’m not him.” 

“Of course not,” Myra said, continuing to pet Auriel. “You’re Aurii. Having Bahram’s memories doesn’t change anything.”

“It changes everything!” Auriel cried knocking Myra’s hand away.

“Aurii…” 

“Did you talk with your mother?” I asked mentally recalling the conversation Auriel and I’d had the day before. I thought I’d helped her resolve her problem, but I was quickly realizing that wasn’t the case. I still hadn’t helped her with the root of the problem. 

“No… but that doesn’t matter! I’m still… a pervert.” 

Sighing Myra yanked on Auriel’s tail causing the poor catgirl to yelp in pain. “So what if you’re a pervert?! I’ve been trying to see Caelan naked from the first day I met her. Being a pervert doesn’t mean anything. Sure Bahram was a creep, but he was also a terrible gambler who racked up nearly seventy gold of debt throwing dice with Elise. If you feel like you should be held accountable for your past life’s creepiness, then you should be accountable for his debts too. Pay up Aurii, seventy gold, with a thousand years of interest.” 

“A thousand years of interest?!” Auriel paled. “That’d be enough to bankrupt an entire country!” 

“Well, if you can’t pay, I guess there is always indentured servitude. A contract for two-hundred years of service would suffice.” 

“Two-hundred… I’d never be free again!” 

“Well that really sucks doesn’t it. But nothing you can do, if you are Bahram, you’ve got to pay his debts.” 

“I’m not Bahram!!” 

“Then stop acting like you are,” Myra huffed, yanking on Auriel’s tail again. “If you’re Aurii, then you’re Aurii. You’re my friend, we’ve seen each other naked before, I don’t care if you look. I probably wouldn’t even notice where you were looking unless you stared for a really long time. So, stop being weird okay?” 

Auriel gazed at Myra in disbelief as tears slowly cascaded down her face. For a second the library was quiet and then Auriel broke. Her eyes overflowed with tears and she fell forward burrowing her face in Mya’s stomach, sobbing loudly. 

“There, there,” Myra gently rubbed the back of Auriel’s head. “It’s going to be okay.” 

“Ah, good for you,” I stood and made my way over to Auriel, placing my hand on her shoulder. I waited until her sobbing had quieted and it looked like she’d regained a bit of her composure before I smiled. “By the way, Myra’s mine now. You failed kitten, some rival you were.” 

“Rival?” Myra asked looking at me in confusion. 

“Auriel and I were rivals in love, both looking to win your heart.”

“Er… you’re in love with me Aurii?” 

“Of course not,” Auriel mumbled as she wiped her eyes. “I just knew mom would be happy if we dated, that’s all.” 

“You sure?” 

“I’m sure.” 

“Well that’s too bad,” Myra pouted. “Guess I don’t get to be a lucky goblin with a whole harem to myself.” 

“Harem?” I widened my eyes in disbelief as I stared at Myra. “That’s… am I not enough?” 

“Of course you’re enough, but you’re so fun to tease I just couldn’t help myself. Not that it matters, since Aurii doesn’t have feelings for me, right Aurii?” 

“Right.” 

“Alright cuties, let’s go have breakfast and then show Caelan around Shadewind, okay?” 

Auriel nodded and got to her feet, “I think mom bought some bacon yesterday if you want it.” 

“Hehe, yes!” Myra jumped for joy, before racing ahead of Auriel and me. 

“Are you starting to feel better?” I whispered as Auriel and I followed Myra to the kitchen. 

“I am, yeah. I feel… stupid.” 

“It’s a strange situation to be in, one that most people could never fathom. Just take it one step at a time and rely on us okay? I’ve only known you two days and you’ve been sobbing for both of them. If it’s possible, I’d like to help make tomorrow a day you can smile for, from start to finish. 

“Thanks… Caelan.” 

“You’re welcome, Aurii.”