Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 41
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- Chapter 41 - The Silver-Haired Girl Goes Out
Chapter 41: The Silver-Haired Girl Goes Out
If I were to sum up the experience of tasting the Forest Wolf meat, which the wind spirits say is the treasure of the forest, in one phrase:
What is this? Paradise?
That’s how it felt.
First, the delicate tenderness was such that it cut easily without needing to move the knife back and forth.
When I cautiously took a bite, I was hit with a robust yet deep flavor of pure red meat with absolutely no fat.
Then, as I chewed, the meat fibers naturally dissolved, and we were all knocked out by the second wave of savory goodness.
There was no trace of the wolf’s beastly odor.
It truly lived up to the description of being the “forest’s treasure chest” with no wasted parts.
“Forest Wolf meat was so delicious…”
Sora, having logged out of Astral Online and removed the VR headset, was soaking in the aftertaste of the virtual meat as she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
In Japan, it was around 2:30 PM.
Which meant it was about 12:30 AM in the region where Kuro and the others lived in America.
I needed her to log out and go to bed, or else I’d be killed by her guardian.
I definitely couldn’t afford to anger Shino again right after being scolded yesterday.
For my own protection and because it was lunchtime, I decided to log out for a bit.
“Still, Kuro is quite the spoiled child. It feels like I’m looking at Shiori when she was in elementary school.”
I tried to separate the rooms, but once again, Kuro and Aria insisted, and I ended up logging out in the same bed with them.
Would it be similar to when we were in the tent when I logged back in?
…I should be careful not to make the same mistake again.
Kuro tends to label me as perverted when she stares at Aria’s face.
I’ve learned that.
After finishing my hydration while engraving this lesson in my mind, Sora left her room and went downstairs.
However, the sight of her sister, who was usually in the living room at this time, was absent today.
It seemed she was busy with the event battle and couldn’t get around to it.
From what I could see, no preparations for lunch had been made.
Was Shiori, who is always so diligent, struggling with the preliminary event for the Leviathan?
“Hmmm, this is troublesome.”
Approaching the table, she found her own clothes and a note.
Upon reading the note, Sora couldn’t help but do a double take.
?Sometimes it’s not good for your health to avoid exercise, so please get lunch from a convenience store far away.?
?I would like a spicy tomato cheese bacon peperoncino, please.?
?Also, a pasta bento that is only sold there.?
The handwriting was unmistakably Shiori’s.
Sora couldn’t help but grimace at the rather demanding order.
Hmmm, I really don’t want to go out looking like this.
Though it might sound vain, a silver-haired, blue-eyes beauty walking around this area would undoubtedly attract attention.
The thought of running into someone I know is terrifying.
“But I can’t stay cooped up like this forever…”
When I think about it calmly, once summer vacation is over, I’ll eventually have to go to school.
I wonder how my classmates will react.
And more importantly, how will my close friends Shinji and Shiro react?
Just thinking about it makes her feel gloomy.
At that moment, something started rubbing against her leg.
Looking down, I saw Shiro, the plump white cat who usually sleeps in Mom’s room, snuggling up and looking up at me. [1]
“Did you haven’t got a meal from Shiori?”
As expected, Shiro meowed and nudged me while circling around my feet.
Still as good at begging as ever.
I went to the cupboard, took the bowl for the cat’s food, and put an appropriate amount of dry food from the container into it.
I placed it in front of Shiro, who sat patiently waiting and then began to eat slowly.
…Looking at Shiro, I started to feel that everything else didn’t matter much.
Scratching the back of her head, Sora smiled wryly.
Even though I’m not keen on it, if I don’t buy the requested pasta, I have a feeling that I’ll be scolded by my sister in various ways.
Considering that she’s giving me this opportunity to go out, she’s probably worried in her own way about me becoming accustomed to staying indoors.
“I can’t help it. I’ll go.”
Determined, Sora took the white and black short-sleeved hoodie her sister had prepared to cover his conspicuous silver hair.
Wallet in pocket.
She was dressed in three-quarter length cotton pants, a V-neck short-sleeve T-shirt, and the hoodie on top.
With the hood on, the most distinctive feature, her silver hair, was hidden from view.
Yes, this should be okay.
With that, it was time to set off.
Sora slid on her slippers at the entrance and stepped out for the first time in a day.
…………………………
As soon as I stepped outside, I regretted it.
Aaaah!!!
The outside was a hellish inferno compared to the comfortably air-conditioned house. The temperature was 38°C, and the heat was coming at me from all directions.
Sweat was pouring down, and it felt like the height of midsummer in late July.
As I walked through this scorching hell, I was overcome with the urge to throw off my hoodie but was thankful for the “Spirit Trees” growing everywhere along the road.
“Phew, I never thought I’d be saved by these.”
These trees, glowing faintly for some unknown reason, had a normal wooden texture when touched and didn’t seem particularly special.
If such trees suddenly appeared everywhere, it would be quite shocking.
“Well, it’s the same for my body.”
Originally about 170 cm tall, my body had shrunk to around 150 cm.
And not only that, but I had also changed from male to female, with my hair shifting from black to a shimmering silver.
My black eyes had turned into blue ones, transforming a boy with an ordinary face into a beautiful girl.
“It’s really tough…”
A sigh escaped me naturally.
While drinking a sports drink I had just bought from a vending machine, I walked from one shady spot to the next, taking refuge in the shadows of the trees.
Other pedestrians were doing the same, using the “Spirit Trees” shade to avoid being under the sun as much as possible.
Nearby young housewives were chatting under the trees:
“I can’t believe games have become reality.”
“It’s scary how we don’t know where they’re being made.”
“But it seems like the ‘gods’ have chosen adventurers who will manage to handle this situation, so we just have to endure and do our best.”
Their conversation seemed to be accepting of this fantastical situation.
One particular word in their conversation made me stop in my tracks.
Gods?
Come to think of it, when the Prime Minister and Presidents announced the Astral Online incident, Kuro and I prioritized logging in.
So I had no idea what the announcement was about or what was on TV…
“Um, excuse me. What exactly are these gods you’re talking about?”
Curious, Sora approached the housewives who were chatting.
The youngest woman, who seemed very friendly, answered with a smile.
“She appeared after the Prime Minister’s explanation. She had pure white hair and golden eyes, and… she looked like a girl not much different from you.”
“They say she’s a goddess from this world who came down from the heavens to save us.”
“It’s strange, at first I thought ‘goddess’ was a joke, but once we heard her voice, everyone agreed she was the real deal.”
That’s pretty scary.
However, these people were wearing serious expressions and didn’t seem like they were lying at all.
…This gives me an uneasy feeling.
The fact that they’re accepting this phenomenon as a game-related issue.
Their belief that adventurers will solve this problem.
And above all, the existence of the goddess.
Sora’s instincts were urging her to get away from this eerie conversation.
“Understood. Thank you for the information.”
She politely bowed her head and hurriedly walked away from the scene.
Behind her, she heard:
“Have you ever seen such a cute girl?”
“It was hard to tell with the hood on, but weren’t her eyes blue?”
“Considering she’s a foreigner who just moved here, her Japanese was really good.”
I heard their conversation, but I tried my best to ignore it.
I should hurry up and go back home after buying something at the convenience store.
Thinking that, Sora ran away as if fleeing.
TL Note:
There are two Shiro:
– Sora’s friend: ?? (Shiro)
– Sora’s cat: ?? (Shiro)