Chapter 5

"Well, we can talk later. For now, go take a bath."

"A bath, you say? Could you tell me where it is?"

"Go down the stairs, turn right down the hallway, and you'll find it at the end. Also, I'll assign you a familiar. You can ask it for the exact location."

Familiars... those floating spirit-like things, right? Can they even talk? As I wondered that, one of the familiars floated over to me—and suddenly began to glow. When the light faded, standing there was...

"Nice to meet you! I'm Lil, your familiar. It's a pleasure to serve you, Lady Yuka."

Right in front of me stood a little girl, probably around elementary school age. Huh? Who’s this kid? Her hair was a soft purple, tied into twin tails, and her large amber eyes sparkled innocently as she looked up at me. She wore a maid outfit, different from mine: modest across the chest and with a skirt that reached below her knees. She had on white knee-high socks and little loafers made for kids.

"This child... is the familiar?"

"That's right. I had her take human form so it’d be easier for you to communicate. Lil, take her to the bath. Yuka, let Lil wash you."

"Wait, no, I can bathe myself—"

Just as I was about to say that, Lil-chan? grabbed my hand and started tugging me along. Whoa, she's strong!?

"Leave it to me, Lord Albert! Lady Yuka, let’s be on our way!"

"W-Wait, I can walk on my own! Hey, don’t pull—!"

And just like that, I was dragged off to the bath by a little girl... or whatever she was.

"Yeah, I kind of expected this... but isn’t it way too big?"

The changing room alone looked like it could fit a hundred people. As for the bath itself—

"...Is this a public bathhouse or something?"

I peeked inside for a second and was stunned by how massive it was. How many units from my crappy apartment could fit in there? At least a hundred, no question.

"Lady Yuka, let’s get you undressed."

"Wait, I can do it myself—hey, ah—"

There was a bit of a struggle as Lil-chan tried to strip me, but I somehow managed to get undressed on my own. Now, without even underwear, I was completely naked. I caught sight of myself in a mirror placed in the changing room. Just as I thought, standing there was a girl who looked exactly like me. Semi-long black hair, soft, droopy eyes, and a pretty well-proportioned figure, with the right curves in all the right places. Except for the clothes, it was the exact same reflection I saw earlier.

"(I really have turned into a girl...)"

The realization finally hit me. Seriously, how did it come to this? My gender, even my species, had changed. Can I still even call myself Yuya Aiba? Other than the facial features, there’s nothing left connecting me to who I used to be. Maybe I'm a completely different person now? That fear flickered through my mind. But then—

"(Not like there’s anyone who’d miss me if I disappeared...)"

I had no family, no one waiting for me. Even if I vanished, the world would move on just fine. I'd be forgotten in no time, and life would go on like always.

I shook my head, trying to clear those thoughts away. But then—

"(These... are huge. How big are they?)"

Looking at my reflection again, my gaze dropped to my chest. About an F cup? Or maybe a G? Damn it! How would a virgin even know!? I-I mean, it's my body, so it’s okay if I touch it... right?

I poked at my chest. There was a firm bounce, and my finger got pushed back. Poke. Poke. Poke. —Wait, what the hell am I doing!? Crap, Lil-chan is staring at me curiously.

"What’s wrong with your chest?"

"Nothing at all, really!"

I glanced at the mirror again. A girl with shifty, panicked eyes stared back at me. That’s when I noticed something odd.

"(Did I... get younger?)"

I turned to get a better look. Yeah, no doubt about it—I definitely looked younger. It wasn't the worn-out face of someone beaten down by harsh working conditions; it was full of life, with smooth, healthy skin. I was practically glowing. It was like I’d gone back to being around twenty years old.

"(Maybe this is part of the whole reincarnation and gender-swap thing too...)"

At this point, who would even recognize me? Not that it mattered, but... still.