Chapter 8: Chapter 8 – Náströnd Part 1

My thoughts were as hazy as they could be. I was unsure whether it was due to my body needing food or I was just that irritated at the sudden notification I had just gotten.

Reason?

First of all, my goal was to live a normal life and for that sole reason, I must cease all thoughts of getting strong at a fast rate. In the end, tragically, the only body I could use was someone destined for something big and I couldn’t desert this body just like that in the fear of not being able to come back to life ever again.

Sure, I carried over my skills and system together with my soul, but that’s all there is to it. They were by no means strong in the first place. In short, those are the skills possessed by all living beings in this world; with the exception of [Memory Reading] since I need it to at least grasp a certain amount of information regarding this era I am in now if given the chance to.

Secondly, all these eventful happenings completely ruined my original plan. Suddenly getting abducted to a floating island full of things I didn’t even know existing was irking, but somehow I just couldn’t hate that. Never once in my previous life had I heard or seen a floating island albeit I had hoarded all the knowledge in the Continent of Lunaria.

Worst case scenario, this world isn’t even my original world and all the things I had prepared for my new life would be deemed useless. Let’s silently hope that that’s not the case at all.

The third one, this body’s identity. Millions or even billions of unknown things kept revolving inside my brain. Although it had already come to my awareness that this Elise girl was originally not from this world, I was still curious about every single one of them. After looking at my situation now where I’m being flocked by these girls, however, there would be no way for me to read Elise’s memories any time now to get a better understanding about her.

Lastly, my stomach kept growling that I almost lost it. I was in the middle of looking for something to eat when all those ridiculous things happened. How am I supposed to keep my calm that way? I had been on the edge of breaking this whole time and I don’t think I could withstand this any longer.

I tried to glance at Risa who was standing not far from my place in hope that she would do something about this but the reaction I got was somewhat unpleasant. She posed a smug face on. Yes. She was looking at me like I was some kind of trash bin getting surrounded by flies while not even doing anything to help me.

“Oh! She has arrived!” A sudden womanly voice stopped all the girls’ movement.

It didn’t take long until another figure outfitted in a black cloaked robe entered my line of sight, closing their distance from the cathedral looking building towards my direction at a slow pace. It appeared to be a woman with bluish pale skin that didn’t look healthy. Beneath the cloak that was covering half of her face, a pair of deep crimson eyes gleamed, fixating her gaze on me.

Before I knew it, all the girls in my surroundings were kneeling down respectfully, including Risa. The closer the woman in black approached, the tenser and more stagnated the atmosphere grew. Her presence was so familiar in my eyes that I couldn’t help but feel the urge to puke. I knew what kind of role the pale woman had in this place’s hierarchy. I knew it too well.

 

Ah. She’s the ‘Ruler’ figure in this place, I immediately recognized as I puffed my chest just like how I always did in the past.

 

“Welcome to Náströnd, the Prophetess of the Great Níðhǫggr,” the pale woman pulled down her cloak, revealing a pair of pointy ears and a face that was somewhat between endearing and elegant. “This humble Skuld feels the utmost gratitude for your grace.”

Imitating the girls, she kneeled down as well.

As if being signaled to shift their target of reverence, the girls turned to me and did the same. I couldn’t help but put on a wry smile as a result.

Honestly, it pained me to see people doing this gesture before me. I had gotten too tired to see this, especially when I didn’t even know who those people really were. There were thousands of people who had knelt down before me and ironically, none of them stayed until the end. Every single one of them betrayed me, and I had to dirty my hands by personally executing them in public. One by one.

Only my trusty aides stayed behind, but they all died before me, either assassinated or slain in battle. That was why I had set a new goal before dying: sealing my soul, system, and a few of my skills to be carried over to my next life.

What I really wanted was to live a normal life. Going on a long journey, meeting new people, making friends and comrades, fighting alongside my companions, falling in love by my own volition, and dying as a literal nobody with my loved ones by my side. That was the kind of a normal life I wanted.

Is it really difficult to be granted at all?

Drowning in my own thoughts, I didn’t realize that I was being absent-minded, ignoring the people in front of me until the pale woman opened her mouth.

“O’ Esteemed Prophetess, please give us your order.”

With me possessing no way to see whether these people were genuine or not, I could only follow the flow and bit the inner part of my mouth to prevent myself from lashing out at them.

“Raise your heads. I didn’t ask you to do this.”

You are reading story The Reincarnator is Dead! at novel35.com

Weirdly enough, my voice reverberated and heightened to the point I almost got surprised myself. Even most of the girls flinched and shivered, except those who seemed to have a great mentality; totaling 6 out of… 36.

They were Risa, my savior who possessed a fit body and breathtaking facial features; a girl with blond-drill kind of hair exuding an aura of arrogance and nobility; a calm-looking fox eared girl whose 2 tails were glowing in a faint, silver light; a nun —who seemed to hide something beneath her… smile?— covered in thick clothing in contrast to her exposed cleavage; a twin-horned girl with her red hair which seemed to be set aflame in many ways; and an elven… No, a half-elven girl, probably, —since her ears weren’t as long as they should be— who donned a creepy smile on her face all this time.

At my command, only those 6 rose and stared at me, brimming with enthusiasm and anticipation, while the others were still petrified in place. What did you guys expect from me to say then, really?

“O’ Esteemed Prophetess, I humbly beseech you to cease your greatness upon us.” Once again, it was the pale woman who suddenly chided in. “These poor souls still cannot fathom nor glance at your grand presence.”

In short, they were scared.

I didn’t know if she was being serious or what, but the moment I relaxed myself, the girls grew relaxed as well. It was almost dumbfounding at how random the absurdity in front of me unveiled as the girls started to rise from their knees. What kind of creature do I look like in their eyes, anyway?

“Thank you, O’ Esteemed Prophe—”

“It’s Elise. Just call me Elise.” I cut the pale woman’s unfinished words as I walked down the altar. “I don’t like being called that. And that formality, can you make it stop?”

“O-Oh, yes. I shall carry out your order immediately.”

“Pfft…!”

Amidst the pale woman’s panicking profusion, a mocking snort seemed to have escaped from someone’s lips. Glancing to my left, I saw Risa’s cheeks redden from holding back her laughter. While on the other hand, the others were starting to sweat.

 

Ah, so that’s how she really is…

 

“Ahem!” Clapping her hands after cleaning her throat, the pale woman gestured to the girls to make a way for me. “Please follow me, Miss Elise.”

The girls dispersed while bowing, except the six from before. Swiftly, they positioned themselves around me with the pale woman walking in the front most position, followed by Risa and the horned girl, then me being sandwiched by the nun and the blond-drill, and the last two were the half-elf and fox girl.

No matter how I looked at it, I felt like an official being escorted by the elite troops I had often seen in games… Again, the strange term was right back at it.

Slowly, these girls led by the pale woman guided me through the pavement made of light brown marble stone that stretched from the cathedral and the altar where I had landed. To my left and right, numerous benches decorated with carvings and engravings of unknown symbols were arranged and distanced perfectly from one to another.

Astonished, I glued my eyes on the symbols. I had never seen those before. Are they some kind of characters?

“They are runes, Miss Elise.”

As if knowing what I was thinking, the nun beside me suddenly spelled out without me asking. Her voice was intoxicating and rather… alluring for someone who should represent purity and chastity. And after looking at her appearance for the second time, I came to a realization.

This nun with emerald colored pupils and a lascivious smile on her face was a demon hiding beneath a nun's clothing.