That Item as Mysterious as a Tourist Trap Wooden Sword

We rolled into the Holy Land Lindwurm at noon two days later.

A grand Holy Church sat perched atop the landscape like it had been chiseled right out of the mountain itself. Below it, a sea of white buildings fanned out in every direction. The main street sliced through the center of town, leading straight to a massive staircase that ascended toward the church. The entire thoroughfare was absolutely crawling with tourists.

We grabbed lunch at another high-end joint before idling past the street stalls.

I spotted one of those little trinkets you see at every tourist trap in Japan—the classic "dragon coiled around a sword" design. I guess some things never change, regardless of the world. Except here, it wasn't a dragon; it was some creepy-looking left arm wrapped around the blade. I picked it up, genuinely curious.

"Does it strike your fancy?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, it just caught my eye. Why is it always a left arm?"

Rose leaned in, peering at what I was holding. Our shoulders were practically glued together. Look, I know we’re at a high altitude, but it’s still summer. You’re making me sweat.

"That is Hero Olivier’s sword and the Left Arm of Diabolos," she explained. "Legend says that long ago, the Hero Olivier severed the Demon Diabolos’s left arm right here and sealed it away. Over there, actually."

Rose pointed toward the long staircase and the Holy Church, then even further beyond.

"On that steep cliffside, there are ruins known as the Sanctuary. That is supposedly where the Left Arm of Diabolos was sealed. Though, it’s just a fairy tale." Rose continued with a smile. "Those are quite popular with the boys."

"I bet. Excuse me, I’ll take one of these."

I bought one as a souvenir for Hyoro. It cost me three thousand Zeny—not exactly cheap, but I actually paid for this one myself.

Jaga had given me a whole list of stuff he wanted, but I hadn't looked at it yet. Too much effort.

I shoved the trinket into my pocket and we continued our leisurely stroll. The sheer energy of the crowds and the stalls felt almost nostalgic.

Suddenly, Rose grabbed my hand and tugged.

"Oh, look! Author Natsume is doing a signing! I’m a huge fan!"

We headed toward a massive crowd. It was in front of a bookstore, though you couldn't even see the shop's sign through the sea of people.

"Um, would you mind if I lined up? It might take a little while..." Rose said, giving me the puppy-dog eyes.

"Go for it. I’ll wait."

"Really? Why don't you join me, Cid-kun?"

"I’m good."

Rose grabbed a book from the display stacks and joined the queue. With nothing better to do, I picked up a copy myself and flipped through the pages.

I Am a Dragon. I Have No Name Yet.

Wait, this is a total rip-off.

No, hold on. Maybe a literary genius with the exact same sensibilities was just miraculously born into this world. I shook it off and grabbed another.

Romeo and Julietta.

Okay, definitely a rip-off.

I kept looking. Cinderella. Little Red Riding Hood. There were even prose versions of Hollywood movies, manga, and anime. It finally clicked.

There’s another reincarnated person in this world.

I bought a book and joined the line for Author Natsume’s signature. First, I needed to see this person’s face. Then I'd decide how to handle it.

As the line moved, the author finally came into view. She was wearing a hood, making it a bit hard to see, but the figure was clearly a woman. She had beautiful, shoulder-length silver hair, cat-like blue eyes, and a beauty mark under one eye. Her blouse was unbuttoned just enough to show off a deep valley of cleavage.

What the hell is she doing?

There was no mistaking her. I knew that face all too well. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, shook my head, and tried to quietly slip away.

"You there. Where do you think you're going?"

Crap. I couldn't escape. She spotted me just a fraction of a second before I could bolt.

I was ushered right in front of Author Natsume. I stood face-to-face with the beautiful silver-haired Elf. My acquaintance.

It was Beta.

"Your book, please," she said with a sparkling smile.

I handed it over, playing the part of a stranger. As I watched Beta sign with practiced, fluid movements, I couldn't help but whisper.

"Are you actually making money off this?"

"Quite well," she murmured back in a tiny voice. "My fame is spreading according to plan."

I see. She's in on it too.

She was using my knowledge to line her pockets. Back in the day, I’d told Beta all sorts of stories from my old world. She liked literature, so I’d basically told her, "Hey, use these as a base to write something cool." I didn't think she’d just plagiarize the whole damn things to make a killing.

Beta, I'm disappointed in you.

I looked down at her with cold eyes as I took the signed book.

"I’ve been invited as a guest," Beta whispered, her lips barely moving, just before I walked away. "I can funnel internal info to you. The details of the plan are in the book."

We didn't even make eye contact as I walked away. Actually, that felt pretty 'spy movie.' Kind of cool.

I’ve gained a new respect for you, Beta.

When I stepped outside the shop, Rose was waiting for me, looking strangely delighted.

"I knew it! You like Author Natsume too, don't you, Cid-kun?"

"Uh, not really..."

"Oh, I understand. It's hard to admit because she has so many female fans. But even if the events are mostly women, she actually has plenty of male fans too!"

"Sure, if you say so."

"Author Natsume’s charm lies in her magnificent imagination! Her stories are completely original, her world-building is innovative, and her characters have such fresh values!"

Yeah, because they ARE fresh. To this world.

"Romance, mystery, action, fairy tales, and even high literature—she masters every genre. It’s like a different person is writing every time! That diversity is what captures everyone’s hearts."

That’s because different people DID write them.

"Look at my signature! She even wrote my name!" Rose showed me her book. It had her name right next to "Author Total-Rip-off Natsume's" signature.

Oh, right. Beta said she wrote the "plan" in my book. I opened it up.

"Are those... Ancient Letters?" Rose asked, peering over my shoulder.

"Looks like it."

I couldn't read a single word of it.

"Can you read them?" I asked.

"No. Ancient Letters are incredibly difficult to master. I only know a few. These are so stylized and cursive that they probably wouldn't make sense even if you could read the characters."

"Huh."

Still, it looks like a cool secret code. I failed at learning Ancient Letters, so I’m a bit jealous.

"But why would she use Ancient Letters?"

"Because it's cool."

"It's... cool?"

"Yep."

"I suppose men do like that sort of thing."

We checked into our ultra-luxury hotel and I parted ways with Rose, who said she had rounds of greetings to make to bigwigs and the like.

She’d said something like, "Since we're still just schoolmates, I can't introduce you yet," but what the hell did she mean by "still"? Was she planning on making me a convert or something?

Too bad for her. I’ve made it a rule never to get sucked into religion.