Rebirth of the Obake Demon King [Isekai Reincarnation Quest]

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Beams of sunlight streaked through the foyer windows, bathing the dark wooden floor in a coat of golden light. Flecks of dust floated around us, tickling my nose and steadily building up the urge to sneeze. Beyond those big panes of glass I could see the bright blue sky waiting for us...I was excited. Wouldn't you be? I'm hardly ever allowed outside these halls, and I'd spent so much time as an invalid toddler now. You can't imagine how liberating it is to get to freely move around after spending so long lying in bed or stumbling around like a drunk because you can't control your own stubby legs properly.

We were going to take a trip around the estate in order to practice my Appraisal ability on the outside world. The downside of this, of course, was Tanya's fussing over my outfit. My simple slippers were being exchanged for boots, and a white coat was added over my thin dress to keep the wind chill away. I still didn't particularly like being dressed by someone else, but after experiencing so much fuss from others, I'd finally started to get used to it.

Ah, hold on, I was getting distracted again. I was going to use this opportunity to try and gather more information about this world and magic from Tanya. Let's see, where should I start...something natural and easy to pick up on…

"Skill points…" I said, looking up at Tanya as she began lacing up one of my boots.

"Hm?" She didn't look away from her task.

"You said that practising skills would give me skill points. How are those different from experience points? Can I get experience points by practising too?"

"Ah, that," she muttered, then glanced up at me with a reassuring smile. "Yes, absolutely you can. Experience is gained naturally as you get older, of course, but most experience points are gained through hard work and effort."

Well, that didn't explain much. Be specific, blasted woman!

"What does that mean, hard work? Does using skills give me experience points too, or do I have to do something else?"

I had a feeling I knew where this was going, but I just wanted to confirm it.

"Well...uh…" she seemed reluctant.

"You've gotta kill monsters!" Elena declared proudly from behind me, hands on her hips. "When a monster dies…"

"Elena-sama! She's still young!" Tanya protested.

Elena, of course, ignored her. "...damaged pieces of their soul are left behind. Your body absorbs them and they become energy for your own growth, which we call experience points!"

Oho? What a convenient explanation for an obvious game mechanic. Well, I figured it would be something like this, but to be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about the idea of having to risk my life in order to grow my experience...but if I needed to accelerate my growth, I now knew fighting was a valid option.

"Nee-chan?" I turned back and grabbed Elena's sleeve. Something was bothering me ever since she mentioned this whole thing.

"Have you killed a monster before?"

Elena looked smug and scratched at her nose. "Of course! Well...only a few times, and mostly under the supervision of my tutors. They got me hunting Slimes and Harebites as a way to put my skills to the test against a real opponent. There was...another time too, with a couple of goblins… Look, it was scary the first time, but I realised they're nothing special to us if we try our best."

Wow, I was impressed...and a little overwhelmed. I mean, I'm tough too, you know...I kicked ass back in my old life, I'm sure I could kill something too if I really wanted to! It's not like I had doubts about it or anything…

I shook my head to clear out these bad thoughts – it was clearly time for a change in subject.

"You can use magic to fight monsters, right? That's how you can do it even though we're just kids. What kinds of things can you do with magic?"

Tanya tightened and finished the last lace, tucking it neatly into a hidden flap and patting my ankle before moving to put on the other boot. "Magic is very flexible, Victoria-sama, you'll soon learn that there's no limits to the types of things you can do with it."

"Like blasting them away with a big fireball? Or?"

"Well, you'll find out more when you attend Elric's classes, but that's one way of expressing magic. You could also tie up the monster in chains, or give yourself the strength to fight them, or the speed to run away. You can heal the wounds of the injured or wash away their fears. It's not just fighting too, magic can be used to create magical artifacts, see and send messages over great distances, to create something from nothing...really, the only limits are your skill and your imagination."

My eyes widened involuntarily. I have to admit, I didn't have the best imagination as a kid, but when someone tells me I can do whatever I want with magic, my mind starts to run wild. I wonder how common magic is in this society?

"So, uh...Elric's a mage, right? What kind of people are mages? Are they important?"

"Very important. Those who can use magic are amongst the privileged few, and without magic, our society would surely cease to function. They maintain the powerful magics that protect the Empire and its citizens from harmful threats. They build magical artifacts that allow us to enjoy comfortable lives. They are keepers of knowledge and wisdom who can make the impossible come true. That's not to say they're always well liked – many Mages are beyond understanding, and their powers can be used for evil just as readily as good, but…"

Tanya finished lacing up the second boot. "I'll put it this way. The Emperor rules this land because his ancestors were powerful mages who could protect the common people from threats beyond the abilities of normal folk. You, too, have likely been born with the gift to use magic, and have a responsibility to use it for the good of the people and the Empire. Do you understand?"

Huh? What a load of crock. Someone gives me a ticket to unlimited power and the first thing they do is go on about a speech about great power and great responsibility and all that? Screw that, the first thing I want to do is make a big ol' magical bonfire, or go flying in the sky, or turn invisible so I can sneak around and steal all the candy I want! Well, it's not like I wouldn't help a bunch of folks in need if I saw them there in trouble right in front of me...but...come on! Let me have a little fun! I nervously adjusted my skirt, lost in my own thoughts for a moment, thinking about what to say next.

"Come on, arms out," Tanya ordered. I complied and found my arms being pulled into a nice new padded white jacket. Black thread was used to outline the shape, but also to embroider delicate flower patterns across the fabric. On the left was a small badge with the crest of House Valenmere – a prancing white unicorn on a field of blue, surrounded by yellow flowers. Beneath that was the family motto: "Our Path Guides the Fate of All". Words that were meant to serve as a reminder of our responsibility, a reminder that our actions would change the lives of all those who relied upon us.

There was one thing still bothering me, though…

"The Gods are supposed to be the ones who take care of this world, right? Isn't magic supposed to be their job? What are they like? Are they nice? Do they care that we're mages?"

Tanya frowned and put her hands on my shoulders. "You shouldn't worry so much about something like that, you know. The story goes that the Gods trusted mortals with magic millennia ago and gave us the task of preserving the world from harm. There are sixteen gods in total, each responsible for overseeing a different part of the world. The Church is the keeper of the sacred texts handed down to us by the gods and interpreting their meanings, and members of the Church are able to use a special type of magic called prayers, which generate miracles."

"Miracles? How are they different from normal magic?"

"Because miracles come from the gods, they don't use your own magic, but instead rely upon your own will and faith to channel the gods through you. It's a very different way of casting magic, and it requires a special connection with the Gods that most people don't have."

Tanya produced a small white parasol and handed it to me, and I rested it on my shoulder. Holding it aloft, I walked over to a standing mirror in the cloakroom and admired myself. Hm, yep, there's no denying facts here, I'm absolutely adorable! Puffing up a little bit with pride, I couldn't help but allow a smug grin spread across my face. There's no question about it, looking like this, I'm certain I could charm my way into the hearts of just about anybody if I wanted to.

"You look great!" Elena exclaimed, wrapping me up in another unexpected hug. Damn this girl, she always goes on the attack right when I least expect it!

"Well, that's enough talking for now," Tanya said. "Shall we go for a walk?"

---

Wow...that's all I can say is wow. I always knew the family estate was pretty big, but this is really something else. From the raised wooden deck outside the back door, the well-maintained landscape seemed to stretch as far as I could see in any given direction. You could probably spend weeks exploring a place this big and not reach the end of all there is to see in it. To think Elena Nee-chan's been allowed to go around exploring this place as much as she likes – that hardly seems fair, does it? Why haven't I been allowed to poke around sooner?

I confidently walked out and stepped off the deck and onto the carefully manicured lawn, taking in a deep breath. The smell of wildflowers and the fresh spring wind was so good it almost made me forget why I'd come here to begin with. Studying? Practising magic skills? There was no small part of me that wanted to say 'screw that!' Here I was on an incredible day thinking of working? This is the kind of weather for hanging out and running around exploring, not work!

I looked down at the blades of grass and half-heartedly appraised them.

「Grass - Size: Miniscule」

Woooow, how impressive. Who would've thought it was grass?

…

…

…

I sighed and glanced back at the others, who were watching me expectantly. They weren't going to guide me or tell me what to do, huh? Well, in that case, I guess it was up to me to decide what we were going to do next… I looked around at everything visible, taking in the area before making my decision...

Decision 21-1: What were we going to do out here on this bright and sunny day?

[] - [Training] - There are a bunch of open gardens and greenhouses near the house. With so many different plants there, I'm sure that will help me improve my Appraisal quickly!
[] - [Training] - I can see a large patch of woodlands just a few minutes away, that looks like a perfect place to take a walk and practice Appraising new things at the same time.
[] - [Training] - There's a paved trail that leads down towards the river and I think what looks like the estate wall in the distance, I'd like to get away from the manor house and enjoy something I've never seen before! I'm sure there will be stuff to Appraise out there too.
[] - [Training] - I can occasionally see estate staff moving around and working in the fields – I wonder if people without magic are easier to appraise? One way to find out!
[] - [Training] - There's a big hedge maze just beyond this fountain. How cool is that?! Who cares about practice, let's run off and explore this thing instead!
[] - [Training] - It'll be hard to enjoy this new freedom while Elena and Tanya are following me around everywhere. My agility's gone up a ton, let's try starting a foot race and see if they can keep up or not!
[] - [Training] - I feel so light right now, I just want to move around! Instead of practising Appraisal, I should get Elena to do some physical training with me. With all these new physical perks, I bet I can keep up with her in sparring now!
[] - [Training] - Write-In

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Unspent XP: 49
[QM's Note: In order to simplify game turns and keep the pace steady, any time you want to purchase or upgrade a skill, please put a vote with the appropriate skill in and muster some support for it from your fellow players. If we get a majority of people voting to acquire a skill, then we'll buy it. If there's mass interest in buying skills but no clear consensus, or if a decent number of people ask for one, I may call a moratorium and focus a vote entirely on what you'd like to pick up next.]

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「QM's Note: Voting is now open again! There's only one decision this time, but Victoria has a lot of options in front of her, so I'm opening this up to a Write-In for any more specific ideas about how to go about her training (or shirking of training, depnding). Voting will be open until 17:00 UTC on Monday, at which point I'll close the vote and start working on the next update!」

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Hand on my hip, I thrust my parasol out in the direction of the treeline with a broad grin. "Okay, I decided! I want to go on a walk through the woods!"

I strode off in the direction of the woods with purpose, not bothering to look back. Well, even though I wasn't looking back, I could hear their footsteps behind me. It was actually a little creepy how good my hearing had become in this world, compared to my past life - I was having a hard time getting used to this high-spec body. Even now, I picked up the pace as I moved towards the woods, feeling incredibly light as I bounced from foot to foot, skipping and humming to myself. Enjoying the feeling of being able to move around freely, I caught myself doing a little twirl, then paused for a moment and blushed, embarrassed at myself.

Glancing back, I saw that Elena and Tanya weren't having any troubles keeping up with me, but seemed distracted in a hushed conversation between them. Something fluttered in my chest and I realised my cheeks were puffing with a slight irritated look. Was it because they weren't paying attention to me and how cute I looked? I'd gotten used to being the center of attention - maybe too used to it. Fine, well, if that's how it's going to be, that's who I am. Looking past them, I had also lost sight of the other maids that had been following us before. Out here in the open, with the wide open grass and nothing to get in my way, I could really stretch my legs for the first time. Well, it's not like I was gonna ditch them or anything, but if they were going to be too wrapped up talking with each other, at least I should get to enjoy myself a bit too!

"I'll meet you at the treeline, slowpokes!" I yelled back at them, sticking my tongue out defiantly.

"Eh? Hey, wait a-"

Without waiting for a response, I turned to face the treeline in the distance, closing my parasol with a quick snap. I leaned forward and immediately burst into a sprint, running towards the woods as fast as I could. The wind whipped through my hair and tugged against my hat and my legs became dangerously close to being tangled up in my dress, but that didn't stop me from taking each step with purpose. I felt real quick, probably about as quick as I'd been in my past life. No, if my memory wasn't deceiving me, I think I was even a little bit quicker.

I couldn't have been more than a meter high, much shorter than my previous self had been, and these spindly arms didn't have any of the raw muscle I did in my last life. Is this really the kind of physical ability the system's attributes can offer? Actually, if I'm this fast as a five year old, wouldn't I be able to break records as an adult?

A smug sense of superiority came over me as I quickly leapt up towards a small fence along the edge of the grass lawn, landing on the post with just my toes, perfectly balanced, the hem of my dress fluttering in the air around me.

Oh man, as lame as it was being stuck as a child, I bet I looked so cool right now! I smugly grinned and pushed off the post, leaping through the air several meters to land in front of an old birch tree in a three-point pose, holding my parasol in the air behind me. Smug at my newly reclaimed physical ability, I looked up to see the disapproving face of Tanya staring down at me from in front of the tree.

Ah, so much for my moment of glorious self-confidence. I could feel the colour drain from my face.

"I know you're excited to play outside, Victoria-sama, but you can't just run off like that. Or were you intentionally trying to escape me?" She clicked her tongue and her eyes took on a sharp look.

I furiously shook my head. "N-no, I just wanted to stretch my legs a little…"

Behind me, a panting Elena vaulted the fence and jogged up to me. "W-wha…what the heck was that? When did you get so quick, Victoria?"

Well, I should say the same for you, sis! You were only a few seconds behind me, and that's after I got this cheat body with all those cheat skills unlocked. Come to think of it, Tanya got here before me, and did it without me even noticing she had passed me?! Who's the real cheat here?! I knew this family's maids weren't just normal people! I turned my gaze back to the woods with a cheeky pout.

"I was gonna wait for you…I really just wanted to run for a bit. My room's too small, I can't run properly in there…"

"So it would seem," Tanya smirked. "Since your physical ability has improved so rapidly, I will speak to your mother and see to it that we give you more time to stretch your legs outside."

Elena put her hand on my shoulder and looked me up and down suspiciously. "No, seriously, I was sure I'd be able to outrun you, you weren't this fast on your Growth-Day. You've been bedridden since, how did you get faster so much quickly?"

A spike of paranoia set in and I pulled away from Elena's hand a little bit. "L-look...there's lots of trees here, I can Appraise a lot of stuff!"

Yep, dodge the question and change the subject, that's the way forward! It's not like I can tell them up front that I've got the memories of my past life, and that I've been gaming the system, and that they've been treating a grown woman like a baby this whole time…that'd be awkward. No, more than awkward, they'd probably start looking at me suspiciously. Maybe I'd get locked up, or they'd think I'd possessed the real Victoria and try to have me exorcised!

Elena continued to look suspicious and a little miffed, but I walked towards the woodland trail with purpose, ignoring her for the moment. That's right, I just need to calm down. Thinking about this logically, don't I just need to explain to them that I had a lot of experience to spend and I spent it to grow stronger? Why am I getting so weird about this?

…is it because I feel guilty for keeping a secret to them? Guilty? Me? To a bunch of NPCs? That can't be it! I refuse to believe that. This is all just a game, after all… I shouldn't get attached, because they'll all be gone once I figure out how to log out. It's easier if I think about it that way…

My mood became a little more sullen as we moved into the trees.

---

As we walked, I continuously looked around and tried scanning objects within my field of view.

「Moonlight Fern - Size: Medium」
「Hemp - Size: Small」
「Stonebark Tree - Size: Gargantuan」
「Sagewood Tree - Size: Huge」

Messages like this popped up everywhere I could see. We'd been making our way through this narrow trail for maybe half an hour now, and I didn't really feel like I was learning much of anything. Although we were surrounded by birdsong, actually spotting the birds in time to appraise them was another matter. I could have asked Tanya or Elena for help, I guess, but I was feeling a little stubborn after the trip here.

Ah, wait! That one's different!

RACE: Hunting Butterfly
LV: 「?」
HP: 「???」 SP: 「???」
MP: 「???」 PP: 「???」
STR: 「???」 AGI: 「???」
END: 「???」 SPD: 「???」
INT: 「???」 MAG: 「???」
CHA: 「???」 RES: 「???」

A beautiful butterfly fluttered between several wildflowers growing in a narrow beam of sunlight. Its wings were as large as my head and its bright red and yellow colouration was really impressive to look at. I wanted to get closer…

Sneak…sneaaaaak…

The butterfly suddenly flitted off into the distance, disturbed by my presence. I thought I had been pretty slow and quiet, but it looks like it wasn't enough…

"You need to learn how to erase your presence," Elena's voice cut in.

I looked back and saw her smiling at me. Was she mocking me? Or was this meant to be advice? Okay, I'd heard that kind of cheesy line in anime before, but…wait, did she mean my Charming Presence? I could try turning that off I guess… Actually, thinking about it, I hadn't seen any kind of Stealth skill yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if it existed. I wonder if that's what she meant about erasing her presence? Back in my world these kinds of things were just sayings, but maybe here they were actual instructions?

"I dunno how to do that…" I muttered and returned to my scans of the surroundings. In my head, Elena and Tanya were going to be more helpful than this, but I guess they either weren't taking this as seriously as I was, or they thought I could figure it out myself. …well, of course I can figure it out myself, but it's not like I wouldn't appreciate some tips now and again…

---

We'd been out here in the Valenmere private woods for a few hours now. I was kind of astonished how long and winding these trails were. The Valenmere must be truly huge. Elena had started to get bored and kept getting pulled away and distracted, but Tanya had continued to dutifully watch over me. As for me, the constant use of Appraisal was started to give me a headache and I hadn't managed to level it up yet. According to Tanya, the fact that I was still able to keep using it after such a prolonged period was proof that I was special - apparently using Appraisal cost MP just to attempt it, and absorbing lots of information would negatively affect your PP, causing a decline in your mental state. The fact that I was able to keep going without any real consequences was apparently quite rare, and she didn't seem to want to try to stop me.

I turned over a rock and used the appraisal on several beetles that scattered out in different directions. Still nothing…

…okay, I admit it, I'm bored. This is boring. I've been appraising everything in sight and still no progress. I hadn't really learned anything other than apparently there's dozens of plants and insects that I don't recognize in this world, and hardly anything that I'd call familiar. It really drilled in the fact that I was living in another world.

Hm? What's that rustling sound?

Standing up, I moved off the trail towards the noise, my curiosity piqued. From beneath the rustling fronds of a fern I saw a dog-sized furry creature moving around, burrowing its way into the dirt. Long floppy ears extended from the back of its head and thick, heavy claws at the end of its otherwise adorable paws gave off an aura of deceptive danger. It almost looked like a hugely oversized rabbit, almost as large as I was, and I instinctively took a little bit of a step back.

"Oh, it's a Harebite!" Elena appeared out of nowhere, whispering into my ear. "They're a pretty weak form of monster, one of the only ones I'm allowed to fight!"

Well, since it was here, and I had backup, I might as well give this a go…

RACE: Adult Harebite
LV: 「1」
HP: 「17/17」 SP: 「34/34」
MP: 「10/10」 PP: 「12/12」
STR: 「10」 AGI: 「20」
END: 「7」 SPD: 「40」
INT: 「5」 MAG: 「5」
CHA: 「7」 RES: 「5」

Ah? What's this?

「Skill Level Up! Skill: Appraisal Lv.2 Unlocked」

I don't believe it…finally! It took all day but I managed to appraise something! And my appraisal leveled up! I hopped with glee at finally overcoming this hurdle. Maybe I'd be able to work hard enough to achieve level 3 before the old man came back after all!

"You're that excited to see a little monster like that?" Elena tilted her head curiously.

I shook my head. "Appraisal leveled up."

Elena's face beamed into a smile. "Really? Finally! You're so good at this!"

ACK! I'd been wrapped up in my sister's arms again. This had become such a normal situation now, I was more bothered by how okay with it I was than the fact that she kept insisting on hugging me. No, actually, that's not the important thing right now…I'm getting distracted.

The stats of that Harebite creature, aren't they interesting? No, what's really interesting is how my wimpy little body totally outclasses that monster in most regards. It's faster than me, but I guess that's to be expected from a four-legged animal, isn't it? I'm stronger, though, and tougher, and more agile…plus I'm a lot smarter! And I have a lot of magic power! Okay, I guess I don't know how to use that, so that's not as useful, but…

…wouldn't this be a chance for me to get my first experience fighting a monster in this world? Or if not fight, at least there's gotta be a way to make some kind of use out of this thing. Well, I'd have to get Tanya and Elena on my side, but given how weak it is, and that they're here to help me out if I get in trouble, surely they'll be willing to let me try it out?


Decision 22-1: What (if anything) would I like to do with the Harebite?
[] - This world is dangerous, I need to learn how to fight at some point. If Elena can do it, why can't I? Let me try hunting it. (Initiate Combat)
[] - Magic is my biggest strength and I don't know how to use it yet. I might be able to beat it without magic, but it seems risky. Let's just keep our distance and focus on Appraisal for now.
[] - Taking on the Harebite alone is too risky for me? Why not team up with Elena and hunt it together, so she can teach me?
[] - Suggest that Elena fights the Harebite instead of me, while I watch and learn.
[] - Whatever, it's just a pest at the end of the day. Instead of me having to lift a finger, why doesn't Tanya catch it and we can have rabbit stew for dinner?
[] - If it's like an overgrown rabbit, it's probably pretty docile, right? Maybe I can try using my charming presence to talk to it and befriend it.
[] - Elena suggested I needed to practice erasing my presence if I wanted to sneak up on things, maybe I could try doing that instead? If I could sneak up to it and back without getting caught I feel like I'll have grown a lot!

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Unspent XP: 49
[QM's Note: In order to simplify game turns and keep the pace steady, any time you want to purchase or upgrade a skill, please put a vote with the appropriate skill in and muster some support for it from your fellow players. If we get a majority of people voting to acquire a skill, then we'll buy it. If there's mass interest in buying skills but no clear consensus, or if a decent number of people ask for one, I may call a moratorium and focus a vote entirely on what you'd like to pick up next.]

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「QM's Note: I was both sick and busy at work this week, but I'd like to pick up the pace and aim for maybe 3 updates a week as I think that's reasonable for me to achieve with the amount of free time I have. I'll aim to close the vote Saturday Evening or Sunday Lunchtime depending on what the votes look like by then and put out another update this weekend..」