The Willow Tattoo

[Episode 19]

"It's too cold!"

But just what did I expect from a lake? The tip of my toe once more meets the glistening pool of water as I slowly slide down the rest of my leg, submerging my entire body.

It took some time to find this lake since I was going in circles so I've only got about twenty minutes left to take a proper bath now.

The water shimmers gracefully, offering a calm tune to the sky, hugging me with every particle as I make my way further down the lake.

Making sure to clean my entire body thoroughly, I take the chance to examine it properly, noticing the resemblances to my original body. The beauty mark on my thigh is still there. As I thought, only my gender changed.

Usually, in the stories I've read where a guy becomes a girl, he turns into a tiny, cute and lovable thing. They tend to gain not only extremely good looks but also an amazingly large chest.

Not that I'm complaining, but there's barely anything to look at and on top of that, I'm just a female version of myself. Earlier, I wondered why nothing was disrupting my sense of movement despite not wearing a brassiere and it seems like I've found the reason.

It's because I'm an ironing board.

Although it's disappointing, considering it's my first experience seeing real boobs, it is pretty convenient not to struggle with moving around because of a massive weight on my chest.

Maybe it's for the best, losing my manhood I mean. After all, I'm flat everywhere now so nothing is weighing me down. Yeah, survival comes first!

(Ping!) [Ten Minutes Left.]

The system alerts me when it's time to leave? I should start making my way out then.

"It's great having a clean change of clothes, but I still wish they were a little less feminine looking."

On the bright side, I'm lucky compared to some of the others. I have plenty of food and drinks, changes of clothes and even these trainers I bought back on Earth as a treat for shopping.

The only issue is that now I need to get a weapon. A minor worry because tomorrow, I'll get all the points I need to buy that 'F-rank' dagger!

(Ping!) [Five Minutes Left.]

A sweet sounding voice whispers from behind, "Hey there, little pervert."

"What?! Who was that? Show yourself!"

"Over here, girlie."

I swiftly turn around, placing my eyes on the lake. The air fills with giggles from a young woman. The first thing I notice is her entire back covered in a willow tree tattoo and her purple pixie-cut glazed with black streaks.

The woman also turns around with an amused smile.

...Wait. She turns around?!

My face turns a bright peach pink as I desperately try to remove my eyes from her vicinity.

"Oh? It seems I was bathing with a shy one. We're both girls, there's no need to cover your eyes like that you know."

T-that's right, I'm a girl now. Does that mean it's okay for me to take a peek? Just a small look should be fine, right? But what if everyone finds out I'm actually a guy! ARGHH! I'm going to look!

"Hehehe, I've never seen such a perverted girl before!" The mysterious woman, now fully clothed, boops my nose, forcing me into a state of complete shock.

*Thwip*

Damn it. My only chance to see a woman, other than family or myself naked has been destroyed! All because I think too much! AHHH curse me! No, it's even worse because she knew exactly what I was thinking!

I need to focus! I've got no time to be brooding about something so minor. I'm back at my original spot from when I teleported to the Bowa forest in Haven. Right next to the golden door.

Could this mean that when it's time to go back to Bowa, I'll be sent back to the lake? If that's the case, will I be able to see that beautiful older sister again? I guess my only way of knowing is when it's the second round.

"Hey, Ruvie dearest, over here!"

That flighty voice could only belong to one person. I wonder what Lynn is so excited about now?

"Ruvie!" She jumps and hugs me, "How was your second day in the forest? I found It pretty fun!"

"Really? It was horrible for me. I almost got killed a couple of times since I uh... Don't actually have a weapon. But luckily, I was saved by that girl you were admiring yesterday! I also took some time to relax in the lake nearby. And..." I think I'll leave out that teasing older sister for now.

"And? Anyway! Ruvie are you talking about the girl with the snow skills? Fuyu Kaze right?!"

"Why? Is there something wrong with that?"

"There's nothing wrong at all sweets! In fact, that's amazing!" Lynn's face glows gleefully. "To think that you ran into one of the Seven Legends so soon! Wait! You don't have a weapon?!"

Lynn starts freaking out due to my lack of weapons.

Excuse me? What kind of name is that? 'The Seven Legends'? I'm cringing just hearing the name.

Jokes aside, people actually seem to be serious about this whole 'Seven Legends' thing. What is this? A manga for five-year-olds? How embarrassing.

"Each of the Seven Legends is from one of the seven continents on Earth. They are the people with the strongest weapons and skills! I can't believe one of them saved you!"

And I can't believe that people actually organised this nonsense. What exactly were people doing while I was asleep?