Kana flopped down onto a plush, overstuffed armchair that tried its best to swallow her whole.
Across the table, Commanding Officer Lysera stood with her arms folded and a grim expression on her face.
Irielle, ever the elf with no sense of personal space, had managed to wedge herself beside Kana on the same chair, one leg draped lazily over the armrest, and her cheek resting against Kana's shoulder as if she lived there now.
Lysera cleared her throat pointedly.
Irielle didn't budge.
"Kana, I need you to tell me the truth. Who are you, really? And why are you in our village?"
Lysera said, voice clipped and firm.
Kana took a deep breath, fiddling with the hem of her sleeve.
"Okay, so… I know this is going to sound absolutely insane, but—I don't actually know how I got here."
Lysera's eyes narrowed.
"I mean, I sort of do. I was—well, I was having a pretty terrible time in my own world. Kind of… ready to give up, if I'm being honest."
Kana gave a tight smile, which faltered under Lysera's stare.
"And then this message popped up on my computer. It asked me if I wanted a second life."
Irielle perked up.
"Ohhh, mysterious portal magic?"
Kana nodded.
"Sort of. I clicked 'yes,' and the next thing I knew, I woke up in this world. I didn't ask for anything in particular, but when I checked my system, it said all my stats were maxed out. Every. Single. One."
"That includes charm, doesn't it?"
Irielle added with a smirk, nuzzling against Kana's shoulder again.
"That explains why I can't stop thinking about doing terribly inappropriate things with you."
Kana turned a deeper shade of red than ever before.
"Yes, okay, maybe charm's maxed out too, but I swear, I'm not trying to manipulate anyone! It just… happens."
Lysera blinked slowly.
"Right. Okay, first of all—what the hell is a 'system'? Second—'stats'? Third—you're saying your charm is so powerful, people just throw themselves at you?"
"I mean… not literally. I think. Yet. And the system is… it's like a guide? Sort of like a game interface? It tells me what skills I have, what my attributes are, all that kind of stuff."
Kana mumbled.
Lysera stared at her like she'd just grown a second head.
"I've never heard of anything like that in my life. And I've been in this world longer than both of you combined."
"That's concerning."
Kana muttered.
"This is a mess. If what you're saying is true, it means you're something completely unknown. And unknowns cause problems. I can't just ignore this."
Lysera said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Well, I can ignore it. In fact, I vote we all ignore it and Kana stays here with me forever. Problem solved."
Irielle chimed in.
"Irielle, let her go."
Lysera said through gritted teeth,
"No."
"Irielle."
"No."
Kana raised a hand meekly.
"Um. Irielle? Maybe just for now, can you let me go? It's getting a little warm…"
The elf looked genuinely betrayed, like a puppy denied treats.
"You're sure? I'm very comfy. And you're very squishy in the best way."
Kana gave her an apologetic smile.
"I'm sure."
Irielle sighed theatrically and slowly unwrapped herself from Kana like a sulking vine being pruned. She slumped dramatically into the nearby couch, arms crossed.
"You don't know what you're missing."
"She doesn't know anything. That's what's worrying me. She doesn't know the rules here, the powers, the politics. And yet, she's clearly capable of attracting trouble."
Lysera said sharply.
Kana raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, that last part was uncalled for."
Lysera gave her a look.
You've been here, what, two days? You've already been arrested, kidnapped, attacked by forest beasts, and turned half the village upside down with a single smile."
Kana opened her mouth, then closed it again.
"…Fair."
Irielle snorted.
"Honestly, I think we should just protect her. Lock her up somewhere soft and cozy and safe—"
"That's called kidnapping."
Kana deadpanned.
"—and feed her nice things and let her sleep in soft beds and cuddle her when she's stressed."
"That's still kidnapping."
"Only if you complain."
Irielle winked.
Kana buried her face in her hands.
"Why is this my life now?"
Lysera didn't laugh. She was still watching Kana, but now her gaze held more calculation than irritation.
"You mentioned your system gives you maxed-out stats. What else can it do?"
"I… don't know. I haven't really explored everything. It listed like thirty skills, most of which were useless or weird. One of them saved me earlier when you tried to—uh, when your attack almost hit us."
Kana admitted.
Lysera's jaw twitched.
"That wasn't meant for you."
"Still, the system reacted and activated something called a 'Special Protection' skill. I guess it kicks in automatically when I'm in danger."
"So it's intelligent."
Lysera muttered, more to herself than anyone.
Kana shrugged.
"I guess? All I know is, I'm here now, and I'd really like not to be someone's science project or political powder keg."
Irielle leaned forward.
"But you could also be a goddess sent from the stars to bring joy to our boring little world."
Kana gave her a flat look.
"Do you flirt with everyone like this?"
Irielle grinned.
"Only the ones who make my heart race."
"Stop that. She's confused and vulnerable."
Lysera snapped.
Irielle waggled her eyebrows.
"Exactly my type."
Kana sighed.
"Listen, I don't want to cause more trouble than I already have. I get that this whole thing is weird. But I promise I'm not dangerous—at least not intentionally."
Lysera folded her arms again.
"That's not for you to decide."
There was a long pause.
Then Irielle leaned back, hands behind her head.
"So, what now?"
Lysera looked at Kana, serious again.
"Now we figure out exactly what you are… and what we're going to do about you."
Kana nodded slowly.
"Sounds fair. But first…"
She turned toward the door.
"Could someone please do something about the raccoon trying to pick the lock outside?"
Irielle burst out laughing.
Lysera groaned.
Kana sighed.
"Yup, definitely my life now.'
She muttered.
Lysera didn't look entirely convinced, but after a long moment of silence, she exhaled through her nose and crossed her arms.
"I still don't trust you."
Kana winced.
"Understandable."
"But…I'm willing to take a risk and believe what you've said. At least for now."
Lysera continued, giving her a pointed look.
Thanks?"
Kana offered, unsure whether she should feel relieved or slightly insulted.
Lysera ignored the awkwardness and moved on.
"Since you supposedly came from another world, I assume you don't have any identification or legal documentation for this one?"
"Not unless glowing blue text in my vision counts."
Kana muttered.
"So no paperwork. That's going to be a problem. You can't exist here without some sort of ID, and walking around undocumented is basically asking for a hundred different headaches. Arrest, fines, possible deportation—"
Lysera confirmed with a sigh.
"Wait, where would you even deport me to?"
Kana asked, alarmed.
"Don't tempt me to find out. The point is, the first thing we need to do is get you registered. That means a formal ID, a citizenship record, a background report—"
Lysera said dryly.
"Seems like a lot."
Kana mumbled.
"Well, it is. And since you didn't drop from the sky with a ready-made alias and birth certificate, we're going to need a legitimate excuse for why your records don't exist."
Lysera snapped.
"Leave that to me. I'm great at making things appear that technically shouldn't exist."
Irielle chimed in from across the room, suddenly sounding far too cheerful. She threw an arm around Kana's shoulders.
Lysera raised an eyebrow.
"Is this going to be legal?"
Irielle paused.
Then grinned.
"Legal enough."
Lysera pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Irielle—"
"Relax. I've got connections. You want records? I'll get her records. No one'll ask too many questions if I vouch for her."
The elf cut her off breezily.
"That's not comforting. Just… don't get yourself or her arrested."
Lysera muttered.
"I make no promises!"
Irielle chirped, already grabbing Kana by the wrist.
Kana squeaked as she was pulled toward the door.
"Wait! Where are we going?"
"Paperwork adventure! Don't worry, it'll be fun."
Irielle declared, flinging the door open with dramatic flair.
Lysera watched them go, her expression torn between frustration and resignation.
"You're both going to get arrested."
She called after them.
"I'll bring snacks!"
Irielle yelled over her shoulder, Kana still in tow.
Kana groaned as she stumbled behind her.
"Why does this always happen to me?"
Lysera sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Because apparently the universe thinks chaos is charming."
Lysera shook her head and turned away from the door, muttering under her breath.
"I should've just stayed in bed."
Outside, Kana was still being dragged down the street by Irielle, who was humming cheerfully like they weren't on their way to commit mild fraud.
"Hey, are we really going to be fine doing this?"
Kana asked, glancing around nervously.
"Of course! Probably. Maybe. Let's find out!"
Irielle replied.