A New World and a Grimy Encounter

“Hmm… is it this one, or that one…? They both seem pretty good… South Creek, what do you think?”

“Ah?! I, I think… well… that one…”

Gazing at the two nearly identical hair clips before her, South Creek fell into silence.

Only a short while ago, while feigning sleep, South Creek had finally found the time to slowly make sense of her new reality. As she meticulously recalled every detail of her time in this world, she was no longer as bewildered as she had been moments before.

[If she had to put a name to it, this was undeniably a transmigration… or perhaps reincarnation.]

Drawing upon the memories stored within her mind, South Creek finally confirmed that she had transmigrated from her original world to this one. Whether it was culture, history, or anything else, the two worlds were vastly different, sharing virtually no connection in any aspect.

However, her memories were far from comprehensive. Regarding this new world, South Creek only possessed the most rudimentary information. For instance, she knew she was currently in a small village named Suez, located in the northern part of an empire called Vernas (Kingdom of the Sun).

To elaborate further, this world was quite similar to her original one, with countless nations, large and small, scattered across a single continent. However, South Creek could only recall the names of the Vernas Empire and the Andunila (God-Blessed Land) Theocracy.

Her older sister, Elise, was the village’s nun and priestess. Her primary duties included presiding over the villagers’ prayers and various divine rituals within the village. Additionally, as South Creek’s guardian, they both resided together in the small village church.

It was worth noting that neither of them were native to this village, having moved there several years ago from a distant land. As for their exact origin, South Creek suspected it was the Theocracy, considering her sister was, after all, a priestess.

Presently, she was sitting obediently, being meticulously adorned by Elise like a doll, because Elise had announced her intention to take her out for a stroll around the village.

The problem, however, was that nearly half an hour had passed, yet Elise was still agonizing over her outfit for their outing.

“You’re daydreaming again, aren’t you, South Creek?”

“No, absolutely not.”

[So why on earth was she agonizing for so long over something so trivial? These two looked practically identical; what was there to even debate?]

Grumbling silently to herself, South Creek felt her legs were on the verge of going numb from standing. However, she dared not voice her complaints aloud, so she could only comply with Elise’s wishes and continue to serve as her personal mannequin.

Seeing her expression, Elise did not prolong her dilemma. After deftly pinning one of the hair clips into South Creek’s hair, she gently stroked her cheek and gave a wry smile.

“Alright, you little rascal, you’ve never liked these things since you were small. I don’t know if it’s inherited or what… But, as a woman, you have a duty to become a lady. Dressing yourself carefully is the first step to becoming a lady.”

“A lady… what even is that?”

Secretly pouting her lips, South Creek felt utterly indifferent to the term. In her memories, she and the concept were entirely unrelated.

And this skirt… why did it have a design where the top and bottom were connected? It felt like the wind would rush right up from underneath… her thighs felt chilly, which was incredibly strange…

South Creek had never worn such a thing before. After all, she was supposed to have been a boy in her previous life. Wearing girls’ clothes, imitating girls’ voices, moving like a girl… the mere thought of these things was terrifying.

“South Creek?”

“I know… I know.”

After receiving a gentle glare from Elise, South Creek immediately reined in her wandering thoughts and hastily agreed. However, Elise likely knew that the little one’s mind was hardly settled, and could only let out a helpless sigh, patting her small head in resignation.

“You… you’re truly incorrigible.”

[What on earth is all of this…?]

As she strolled through the village alongside Elise, South Creek’s gaze was instantly captivated by countless sights she had never witnessed before. There were low-slung houses, utterly unlike the towering skyscrapers of a city; their pointed roofs a wondrous sight she had only ever seen on television. In the distance, vast expanses of emerald fields stretched as far as the eye could see. Villagers by the roadside were herding unfamiliar livestock. Even though she had encountered these sights in her memories, experiencing them firsthand still drew her in irresistibly.

“Madam Elise, are you taking South Creek out for a walk?”

“Indeed, she needs some sun right now.”

“How is her recovery progressing? Children with weak constitutions need extra care.”

“She’s almost fully recovered, Mr. Monark.”

“She looks very spirited! Why don’t you both come to my house for a meal later? Samira and Winona are quite worried about her.”

“Thank them for their concern, Mr. George. However, we still have matters to attend to, so perhaps we’ll trouble you another time!”

The villagers, speaking in their local dialect, greeted the two warmly. Elise, in turn, responded to each with a smile. South Creek, however, was utterly engrossed in this world brimming with unknowns, completely oblivious to the villagers attempting to speak with her.

“South Creek!”

“Ah?! What’s wrong, Sister Elise…?”

The sudden exclamation jolted South Creek from her reverie. She abruptly looked up, only to find Elise gazing at her with a displeased expression.

“South Creek, when people greet you, you must respond, understand? You need to be polite.”

“Mhm.”

Nodding quickly, South Creek reluctantly shifted her attention away from the unknown. However, glancing around at the villagers who were beaming warm smiles at her, a sudden sense of unease welled up within her.

“What are you looking at?”

“Ah?!”

The sudden voice startled South Creek. She hastily turned her head, only to see a grimy head peeking out from a nearby alley. This mischievous-looking individual was rolling her large, round eyes, scrutinizing her with ill intent.

“Hmm, not bad. It seems there’s really nothing wrong. I knew it; you’re one of the most resilient people around.”

“You, who are you?”

Heaven knew what this person, who had appeared out of nowhere, was all about. There was no one like him in her memories. She had meticulously reviewed everything; could she possibly have missed someone?

Elise, however, showed little surprise. She simply stopped abruptly in front of a house, gently patted South Creek’s head, and said with a smile:

“Wait here for a moment, alright? I’m going in first to chat with the village chief. You wait obediently outside, and be nice to this person, understand?”

“Ah, he, this…”

“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll get along well with her!”

While South Creek was still momentarily stunned, the grimy individual readily agreed to Elise’s request. And so, in just a few moments, they were left staring wide-eyed at each other.

“Um…”

[So who exactly are you?]

South Creek, having scoured all her memories, still couldn’t find anyone resembling this person. Left with no alternative, and to break the awkward silence, she had no choice but to ask:

“Excuse me, who are you?”