"Hi, I'm Mara. And starting today, I'll be working here," she said, offering her best friendly smile.
"...Nice to meet you," replied the pale girl with dark circles under her eyes.
And here I thought I was the one with the weird gaze, Mara thought inwardly, a hint of irony and amusement flickering through her mind.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Okay, this is getting kind of awkward, Mara thought as the girl continued standing there, staring at her with those tired, hollow eyes that felt like they were piercing straight through her soul.
She turned toward Alice, hoping for some kind of cue or reaction—but all she found was Alice's usual gentle smile, and the bandage that always covered her eyes.
...Alright. I think I'm starting to notice a pattern among the people who work here, Mara reflected, suddenly recalling her own reflection in the mirror—those sharp, amber-orange eyes that now came to mind.
Looking more closely, Reiko's outfit also struck her as… peculiar, to say the least.
It was clothing that would have fit far better in Mara's old world than in this fantasy one. The contrast was striking—yet Alice seemed to completely ignore it.
She wore something resembling a loose, muted gray suit, paired with a long, wide high-waisted skirt. But what stood out the most was a vivid red cord ribbon tied around her neck.
"U-um, Reiko, let me help you with your luggage," Mara said, trying to break the light tension hanging between two strangers forced to coexist.
The girl didn't speak. She simply nodded shyly, never once looking away with those dark, weary eyes that remained fixed on Mara.
Deciding to ignore the unsettling sensation of being stared at so intensely, Mara picked up Reiko's belongings and carried them down to the basement—which would now be their shared room.
"I'll be right back," Mara said to Alice before heading downstairs with the luggage.
Reiko is… kind of peculiar, to put it lightly, Mara thought as she set the bags down on one of the beds.
But it's probably just shyness. After all, I'm a complete stranger to her. Honestly, what's strange is how quickly Mordred, Cecilia, and Alice warmed up to me … That's yet another reason I'm convinced my Skill must be some kind of CHARM, she concluded as she headed back toward the stairs.
When she returned upstairs, she could hear Reiko and Alice chatting calmly—but the moment Reiko noticed Mara, she fell completely silent.
Okay… I think she doesn't like me, Mara thought, though she once again tried not to dwell on it.
"U-um… Alice… I think I'll turn in early. I'm kind of… tired," Reiko said in a trembling voice.
"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry for keeping you so long—your journey must have been exhausting. Go ahead, we'll join you later," Alice replied in her usual serene tone.
Reiko nodded and quickly headed toward the basement entrance—but suddenly…
She slipped and fell face-first onto the floor.
¡Paf!
"Ouch…" the poor girl muttered as she hurriedly got back up.
She stood, took a single step—and fell again.
¡Paf!
"Ow…" she murmured, touching her cheek as she slowly got up once more. This time, she finally managed to reach the stairs.
"Poor thing, she really must be exhausted," Alice commented, acting as though nothing unusual had happened. Or perhaps she was simply so used to incidents like this that they seemed normal to her.
…
…
…
…
Skill Assimilation.
Fire Immunity.
Control Threads.
Perfect Aim.
Lightweight Body.
Steel Reinforcement.
Reiko whispered softly to herself, as if reciting an internal list.
She was confused—her mind plagued by a single question.
How is it possible for one person to have more than one Skill?
And it wasn't just that.
That girl has six.
But what terrified the black-haired girl the most was the name of one particular Skill
Skill Assimilation.
"Who… is she…?" Reiko murmured quietly, sinking into her thoughts as the name of that Skill echoed relentlessly in her mind.