Late at night in the office, Tanaka Tatsuya lay collapsed on the floor. The fluorescent lights flickered, painfully bright. Beyond the mountain of paperwork, he thought he heard someone set a cold cup of coffee on a desk. On the monitor, the words [[This Month's Overtime: 200 Hours Exceeded!]] blinked like some kind of punishment game. (Ah, I see.) He couldn't move a single finger. Half a year since he'd joined this black company. Going home on the last train every day, no weekends, constantly getting yelled at by his boss. But he'd always thought that if he quit, his life would be over. (So this is where I die.) He thought he heard someone call his name, but even that was distant now. As if sinking into a deep sleep, Tatsuya's consciousness faded. —And then. "[excited]Ah, um, well! There's been a bit of a mix-up!" In a pure white, silent space, a softly glowing round orb floated. About the size of a baseball, bobbing gently. As Tatsuya stared at it blankly, the orb of light began to speak, sounding apologetic but with a strangely casual tone. "[scared]It seems your name was a little similar to the person who was actually supposed to be reincarnated... ahaha..." "...What?" Dumbfounded, that was all he could say. Just because their names were similar? That was the reason? Even the patience he'd honed through his corporate slave life couldn't handle this curveball. "[excited]So! Here's a cheat skill as an apology! Here you go!" The orb of light flared brightly, and strange knowledge flooded into Tatsuya's mind. The skill name was <<Inner Voice Hearing (Female)>>. Just as it sounded, it apparently let him automatically hear the inner thoughts of any woman who entered his field of vision. "[surprised]No, wait! Isn't that basically peeping?!" "[gentle]You can't turn it off, but it doesn't work on men, so don't worry! Well then, have a great isekai life!" With that parting remark, the orb of light vanished. "...You've gotta be kidding me." Left alone in the white space, Tatsuya stood there in a daze. (I died, huh. And then they got the wrong guy, gave me some weird skill, and now I'm headed to another world?) Unable to process it all, he scratched his head. But as he was thinking, the white space began to warp and twist. His vision darkened, and from far away, the scent of the sea drifted in— The next moment, Tatsuya landed hard on his backside on solid cobblestones. "Ow..." A briny sea breeze filled his nostrils. Seagulls cried in the distance. The bustling noise of a crowded fish market, the clatter of horse-drawn carriage hooves striking stone. Looking up, he saw stone buildings lining the street, their signs swaying in the wind, written in characters he didn't recognize at all. So this was the other world. First, Tatsuya checked his own body. He'd been returned to a young body, around twenty years old. Short black hair, a small scar on his left ear. His eyes were deep brown, the kind of face people had always said looked "sleepy." His clothes were a white shirt, black slacks, and a leather vest. His pockets were empty—no sword, no weapon, nothing. (No money, no equipment, no connections. Zero.) The survival skills from his corporate slave days were ingrained in his body. Before panicking, first assess the situation. He took a deep breath. (It's fine. I can still manage somehow.) He was telling himself that, when it happened. —That person looks a bit dazed. A traveler, maybe? The inner voice of a passing female merchant slipped into his head, as if whispered right into his ear. Startled, Tatsuya looked at her, but she just smiled and headed off toward another customer. (Ah, I really can hear it...) The skill was definitely active. But that wasn't all. The miscellaneous inner voices of women walking by flooded in one after another, like noise. —The fish is a little expensive today. —That guy has amazing muscles... I kind of stared. —Where should I buy snacks for the kids? He could hear everything, and it all swirled around in his head, making him feel a bit sick. Even things he didn't want to hear—all of it. (This... is going to take some getting used to.) Tatsuya let out a small sigh and started walking down the street lined with stone buildings. A horse-drawn carriage passed by. At the edge of the road, streetlamps glowed faintly—were those magic lights? From people's conversations, he picked up words like "monsters appeared" and "take a request at the Silver Wing Society." Apparently, this city had an organization called the Silver Wing Society that gathered adventurers. And if you took requests, you could defeat monsters and earn money. As he made his way through the port town's streets, he soon spotted a large three-story stone building. Its sign bore a crest shaped like silver wings. This must be the Silver Wing Society, Karnack Branch. Inside, the first floor was a combination of a spacious tavern and a request board. Amid the noisy bustle, adventurers in all sorts of outfits were looking over the requests posted on the wall. [[Slime Extermination · E-Rank · Reward: 10 Copper Coins]] [[Dragon Slaying · S-Rank · Reward: 1000 Gold]] Ranks ranged from E to S. You started with low-rank requests and earned money. He'd somehow figured that much out on his way here. Tatsuya headed for the counter. "[gentle]I'd like to register." Standing at the counter was a beautiful receptionist with brown hair in a ponytail. She looked to be in her mid-twenties. Wearing a name tag that read "Malis," she flashed a dazzling smile. "[gentle]Thank you very much! Well then, the registration fee will be 10 gold, please." Her voice was very kind. But in that instant, into Tatsuya's head— —Another one. No equipment, no money. Probably some useless nobody who'll die on his first request anyway. What a waste of time. Her true feelings flowed in, crystal clear. Tatsuya didn't change his expression. Back in his corporate slave days, he'd kept a straight face no matter how much his boss yelled at him. This wasn't enough to shake him. But deep in his chest, it stung just a little. (I see. In this world, I'm at rock bottom.) "[sad]I'm sorry, I don't have any money right now..." "[gentle]Oh, in that case, I'm afraid unless you can provide a guarantor or funds... registration won't be possible." —Could you just leave already? You're in the way. "[serious]I understand. Excuse me." Tatsuya turned on his heel. To be badmouthed so thoroughly behind that fake smile. It was a useful skill, but having every word you didn't want to hear delivered straight to you was pretty brutal. After leaving the guild, Tatsuya's stomach growled loudly. He hadn't eaten anything since being reincarnated. Leaning against a wall in the alley, he gazed up blankly at the sky. The setting sun was beginning to dye the harbor red. The sea breeze from the ocean was cold against his skin. The chatter of passing adventurers reached his ears. "—Wanna do a patron contract? That guy's cocky for a newbie, but he's got money, at least." "Having thirty percent of your reward taken hurts, but it might be necessary at first." A patron contract. A system where a higher-ranked adventurer provided a newbie with registration fees and training, then took a hefty cut of their rewards later. Tatsuya thought about it absently. (If I could get someone to be my patron, I could manage the registration fee somehow.) But he didn't have anyone to ask. Remembering Malis's true feelings from earlier only made him feel heavier. That was when it happened. —Now, from behind... The skill reacted without warning. Tatsuya instinctively dodged. A hand reaching out from behind him sliced through empty air. Turning around, he saw a girl in her late teens, her back against the alley wall, with an "oh crap" look on her face. —He spotted me! But this guy has no weapon and looks weak. If I act tough, he'll give up. Her true feelings, audible again. "[sad]What, are you hungry?" The girl's mouth fell open. "[surprised]How did you know...?" "[gentle]If you're hungry, let's figure something out together." The girl stared in astonishment for a moment, then suddenly bolted. As she ran, her inner voice grew more and more distant. —Creepy... but also... kind of a weird guy. A weird guy, huh. Maybe so. But Tatsuya felt a little happy. This skill could also be used for danger detection. It might become an important weapon to protect himself. However, his legs wobbled from hunger and exhaustion, and he ended up leaning against the wall again. "What do I do... what should I do?" He muttered quietly, and then, from directly in front of him— Clank, clank. The sound of armored footsteps approached. Walking toward him, backlit by the setting sun, was a female knight in white armor and a blue mantle. Her straight golden hair shimmered, translucent in the sunset. Her azure eyes were sharp, like a hawk targeting its prey, yet somehow lonely. She looked about eighteen. The sword at her hip reflected the sunlight with every movement. She was tall, lithe, with a profile as perfectly sculpted as a statue. Ryune Valdeur—though he didn't know her name yet. Tatsuya was too exhausted to move his body, and couldn't get out of the way in time. Thud. They collided at the corner, and the bundle of parchment the female knight was carrying scattered everywhere. Tatsuya landed spectacularly on his backside. "[cold]It's your own fault for standing in the middle of the road looking shabby. Move." Without so much as a glance at him, she began picking up the fallen documents one by one, expressionless. Adventurers coming out of the guild passed by, snickering. "[sad]S-sorry." He tried to stand up while apologizing, but in that instant— —Huh? When we bumped into each other, his face was close. Big eyes, long eyelashes... somehow... kind of cute, maybe. The female knight's inner voice flowed into Tatsuya's head, far too clearly. —Wait, what am I thinking?! No one's even watching, but my face is hot. This is the worst! Tatsuya froze, halfway through getting up. On the outside, she was perfectly cold. Wearing armor, carrying a sword, not a single change in expression. And yet, her inner self was this—! This was girlishness overload. Somehow, his chest felt restless. (This girl, is she actually... incredibly cute?) The gap between her cold, dismissive voice and her inner thought about long eyelashes and cuteness swirled around in his head. Maybe it wasn't quite love or anything like that. But he found himself wanting to know more about her. Having finished picking up the documents, Ryune started to walk away without a word. (This skill lets me know what the other person wants. It lets me know their weak points. For a former corporate slave like me, who's survived by reading people's expressions, this might be my greatest weapon.) Standing up, Tatsuya watched her retreating back and felt certain of it. At the same time, a quiet guilt about forcibly continuing to hear other people's true feelings sprouted deep in his chest. (But if I don't use this, I'll just die in this world.) "[serious]Hey, wait—" He tried to call out, but by then, Ryune had already opened the guild's heavy door and disappeared inside. "...If I meet her again, I'll be prepared before I talk to her." Tatsuya stared at the closed door and murmured quietly. The setting sun dyed the harbor a deep crimson. The sea breeze from the Lamenting Sea ruffled his hair. Tatsuya sat down on a step of the cobblestones and thought absently. Zero money. Zero equipment. Zero connections. No inn. The only strengths he had from being a former corporate slave were endurance and the ability to read the room. But. He'd heard all of that female knight's inner voice. Lonely, wanting to be needed by someone, but unable to say it honestly—the true feelings of a lonely person. (If I use those true feelings, I might be able to get a patron contract out of it.) Thin