—Ren Mizuno—

If someone had told me that my death would be tied to a stray kitten and a forgotten statue, I would’ve laughed.

But that’s exactly what happened.

It all started at an old abandoned shrine near the park. I found it one day after following a stray kitten, and stumbled upon this little shrine hidden among the weeds. It was a forgotten place, with a moss-covered statue of a girl with a calm smile. The first time I saw her, something made me stop.

"Who carved her, I wonder?" I murmured, wiping off the dust with my sleeve. "She has such a beautiful face. It’s a shame they left her here like this."

The white kitten nearby meowed, as if agreeing. Since that day, visiting the shrine became part of my routine: I’d clean the statue, leave a few coins, and the kitten would purr at my feet. It was… really pleasant.

Until that day came.

The kitten got stuck in a twisted tree near the shrine. Its desperate cries made me act without thinking. I climbed up, rescued it… and then, the world spun.

"Seriously?!" That was the last thing I shouted before hitting the ground with a nasty crunch.

The last thing I saw was the kitten licking my cheek, as if trying to wake me up.

...

...

"Wake up, Ren!" a delicate voice echoed in the void.

I opened my eyes… I was in a warm, cozy emptiness, facing a girl who immediately caught my attention: silver hair, pink eyes, a white dress, and a kind of glowing halo behind her head.

"Are you... an angel?" I asked, still dazed.

"I'm so happy to finally see you in person!" she said, hugging me tightly. "Well, I’m not sure if ‘in person’ is the right word, but who cares," she added, snuggling closer.

"What? I don’t understand. Please explain what’s going on. The last thing I remember is… I had an accident."

"Ah, sorry!" she pulled away just a bit. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Purin. I’m one of the entities in charge of guiding good souls to their next life. You could say I’m a goddess… or something like that."

So yeah. I was dead.

"You had an accident," she continued, "and your life ended. But I was the one who brought you here! I worked so hard to be the one to receive you. I really, really wanted to see you!"

"Wait a second!" I raised my hand. "You’re going too fast. What do you mean you wanted to see me?"

"You said I was pretty!!" she blurted out, pointing an accusing finger at me. "And you saved that kitten in trouble! You were so heroic!"

When did I say that…? Although… her face does seem familiar...

"Wait... that statue at the shrine... it was you!"

"Yes!" she nodded, glowing with happiness. "Every time you cleaned it, my heart beat faster. It must’ve been fate!"

Fate...

"Listen, Ren," she said, cheeks blushing as she stepped closer. "I’ll give you a new life in a world full of magic, adventure, and..." —her tone suddenly shifted— "beautiful girls who will probably try to take you away from me."

A chill ran down my spine.

"Look, I appreciate all this but... couldn’t I just go to heaven?"

"NO!" she screamed, grabbing my cheeks. "Listen. I’ll give you divine blessings and some starter resources, but one small detail: no one can know that you have those blessings!"

Before I could argue, a portal of light opened behind me.

"Oh, and by the way," she whispered near my ear, "since I’m your goddess and future wife, I forbid you from getting too close to any girls in that world."

"Wai—what?! None of this makes any sense!"

"We’re out of time!" Purin shouted, and shoved me into the portal of light.

...

I’m definitely in trouble.

...

I woke up in a forest, with a pouch of coins in my pocket. I also noticed my clothes had changed.

"So… another world, huh…" I muttered, rubbing my face.

Two weeks later, I understood just how deep the situation was.

Just as Purin explained, I had been reincarnated into another world. I appeared here with the same age and appearance I had in my past life, which was probably her doing too.

From what I’ve learned, this world is a lot like the isekai anime I used to watch. It has kingdoms, guilds, and the usual class-based society.

Right now, I’m in a city called Lumis. It’s not very big, but it has a good amount of infrastructure, active commerce, and a diverse population. I’m guessing it’s an important hub.

I’ve had enough time to process everything, and I’ve decided I don’t want to get involved in anything dangerous or annoying. I just want a quiet, peaceful life where I don’t stand out.

...Although there’s one little problem.

I need money.

Purin gave me some starting resources to get by, but they’ll run out soon with the daily inn costs and food. Since I appeared out of nowhere, I’m not officially registered anywhere, so I can’t get a regular job.

The only viable option is to register at the Adventurers’ Guild. There, I can start from scratch, take on simple missions, and also get an ID.

I could take missions like slime hunting or gathering materials. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

...

With that plan in mind, I headed to the guild.

The place was buzzing with swordsmen and mages. As a new face, I really stood out. I just wanted to get this over with as fast as possible.

First, I had to take an aptitude test to determine my rank. According to the rulebook they gave me, all new adventurers start at Rank D regardless of ability. Promotions depend on your mission history.

It seemed like a smart way to keep veterans from hoarding all the easy jobs.

"Ren Mizuno?"

The guild receptionist called my name for the exam.

"Alright, place your hands on this orb and wait for the results."

I followed the instructions. The orb began to glow... a lot.

Murmurs quickly filled the room. Everyone gathered, curious.

"A-a Rank S?!" the receptionist gasped, pale.

"Yeah, funny, right?" I replied with a tense smile. <Is this also Purin’s doing?> "Can I… get downgraded?"

"Impossible!" shouted a dwarf from the bar. "Rank S is a symbol, lad! You can’t just return it like old bread!"

Guess I’ll just listen to that dwarf... So long, slime-farming plan...

The only silver lining was that Rank S missions paid a fortune... if you could complete them.

...

The problem:
There was only one mission available — “Exterminate the Frost Abyss Dragon.”
It required a party of at least two Rank S adventurers.
There wasn’t another Rank S in the entire kingdom.

"So... I can’t do anything?" I asked, one eye twitching.

"Correct!" the receptionist said with a pitying smile. "But starting out as Rank S is still impressive. Unfortunately, there’s no other Rank S right now..."

"I see..." I sighed.

"But don’t be discouraged! Drop by every now and then. Maybe someone will show up that you can team up with."

"Alright. Thank you..."

I left the guild as the rumors about me spread like wildfire.

...

One month later.

Since then, I’ve been visiting the guild daily. I’ve become pretty popular, even though that wasn’t my intention.

I’ve chatted with several adventurers, and occasionally with the receptionist. She’s kind and attentive... but I’ve got this weird feeling that if I get too close, something bad might happen.

As I was thinking that, the guild door suddenly burst open.

"Outta my way, weaklings!" a voice roared.

A girl in orange armor stormed in, cutting through the line. Her almond-colored hair was braided, and her eyes were sharp like daggers… Was it my imagination, or did the sky cloud over the moment she appeared?

"What are you staring at?" she huffed, crossing her arms.

The receptionist whispered to me:

"That’s Maya, the Amber Flame. She reached Rank S last week... but she hates working in teams."

Maya looked me up and down, sizing me up.

"I heard there’s a Rank S in this city. Something tells me it’s you. Am I wrong?"

"Yeah, that’s me."

"Let me be clear: if you’re looking for a party, forget it. I’m not teaming up with anyone."

"Perfect!" I replied with a confident smile. "I’m not interested in teaming up with you either."

Her eyebrows twitched at my answer. A distant rumble of thunder echoed...

...This girl definitely smells like trouble.