The sun was beginning to set on the horizon and golden rays filtered through the leaves of the trees, forming a beautiful mosaic of light and shadows on the forest floor. A gentle breeze moved the leaves and the fresh scent of nature filled my senses. I walked alone through the forest, enjoying the peace and tranquility it offered. But not everything was as idyllic as it seemed. From time to time, I heard strange noises between the trees, as if something or someone was following me. But every time I stopped to look, I saw nothing but the forest and its creatures.

(At least my body is no longer weak)

My body until a few hours ago was very weak due to the poor diet in the slave store, but after evolving, that feeling disappeared completely and in its place, I felt overflowing energy.

"System, is there anything I need to know before going to a place with people?"

<Warning: due to the user's race, humans will act with hostility. It is recommended to use the bestial form change ability.>

(That's what I was afraid of.)

According to the knowledge I had before reincarnating, the races that are more hostile to others are demonic and human races. Although there are cities where several races coexist equally, in the vast majority of human cities, they see other races as inferior and try to enslave them as soon as they see them.

"How do I use that ability?"

<The bestial form change ability works by thinking of the desired change and then imbuing mana into the body. The change will be semi-permanent and will only be changed when the user performs the same process again.>

I tried thinking of the human form and felt the mana swirl in my ears and tail before they disappeared.

+++

"After walking for almost an hour, I started hearing sounds of swords, so I approached slowly to the source of the sound.

"Don't let them approach our client."

Six men were crossing swords against humanoid creatures.

Their skin was a green shade that reminded me of an amphibian, along with their small bodies that measured around 1 meter, it was clear what their race was.

"Goblins... huh."

Although the men at first glance seemed stronger than the goblins, they were outnumbered by about 30 of them, most of whom wore rusty armor in addition to spears and swords.

"How problematic."

(Sincerely, I don't want to get involved in something so problematic, but right now I don't know where the nearest city is, so it would be good for that merchant to help me).

I unsheathed my sword and with a quick movement headed towards the goblins, beheading them with a clean cut. The guards seemed surprised by my sudden appearance, but they did not miss the opportunity that I had created.

"Attack."

The guards grouped together and began an offensive against the goblins until there was no trace of them left.

"It's over."

I cleaned the blood off my sword and then sheathed it as the guards verified that there wasn't a single goblin in the surroundings.

"Thank you. You saved us."

A slightly overweight man got out of the carriage. He had a smile on his face and offered me his hand in a friendly manner. I was a little surprised by his attitude, but it was most likely for the sake of appearances or for some other hidden reason, so I returned the greeting.

"I passed by and it seemed like you were in trouble, so I decided to help you."

I evaluated the merchant's reactions to my actions and he didn't seem particularly displeased.

"Then we can say we were lucky this time."

The merchant showed a conflicted expression for a second, but then returned to his business smile.

"Let's leave that dark topic aside. Let me introduce myself. My name is Louis and I am the owner of Nova, the magic item store."

Louis bows.

"Can you tell us what your plan is from now on?"

(Although I can't say that he doesn't have hidden motives, he doesn't seem particularly hostile, so it would be good for him to take me to the city.

"I recently separated from my group, so I was wondering if you could take me to the nearest city."

The merchant's gaze changes to one of having found a juicy deal.

"At the moment we are headed to the city of Aenor. If you are willing to work as a guard, we can take you there. Of course, you will receive payment for the job."

The merchant didn't seem to be the type involved in dirty work, and even if he was, as long as he didn't show hostility, it seemed like a good deal he was offering me.

"I would gladly help protect your carriage."

After we stripped the goblins of their weapons and buried their corpses, I climbed up to the back with the other guards.

"Miss, are you an adventurer by any chance?"

While the carriage was in motion, one of the guards approached me and asked me that question.

"Not particularly."

Upon hearing my answer, he seemed somewhat disappointed, but still continued with his questions.

"Then are you a mercenary?"

The guard seemed curious and asked in amazement.

"John, don't bother her. You know that the main rule among adventurers or mercenaries is not to ask people if they don't want to answer."

The other guard pulls him back to his seat.

(Is there any difference between a mercenary and an adventurer?)

<Activating the library skill>

(Basically, from what I just read, adventurers are dedicated to material collection, while mercenaries are dedicated to the elimination of individuals and monsters.)

After a few hours, we could see a city in the distance. As I expected, the city was walled, which gave it a fantastic feeling.

(How impressive.)

After the merchant spoke with the city gatekeeper, we were allowed to pass through shortly after.

The city had the characteristic medieval air, with several street vendors selling everything from fruits and meat to handmade accessories like necklaces. After a while, the carriage parked and we all got off.

"Thank you very much for escorting me to this place."

The merchant gave me 5 silver coins.

"If you ever visit our store, we have the best artifacts in town."

I walked out of the stable and headed towards the street.

"I need to find a place to stay."

I walked around and was attracted by the smell coming from a street vendor's stall.

"Excuse me, could you give me one of those?"

The stall keeper was surprised to see me, but shortly after he spoke to me.

"They cost 4 bronze coins."

I handed him the money and he started cooking.

"He starts heating a grill where he then throws on some meat with an unknown sauce, the smell stimulates my appetite and I can see the man cutting the meat into pieces and putting it on a skewer.

"Here you go."

The man handed me the skewer.

"Thank you."

I grabbed the skewer and took a bite.

The meat has a slightly sweet taste due to the sauce they poured on it, which gives it an addictive flavor.

"Delicious."

The man smiled embarrassedly at seeing me enjoying the food.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where I can find a good inn?"

Since the man seems to know the area well, I don't think he doesn't know a good inn. The man thinks for a moment and then answers me.

"The best inn I know of is the [Crystal Pavilion]. It has very good security and I've also heard that it has very delicious food."

"Thank you for letting me know, I'll try to find it."

I left the stall and headed towards that inn.

(How uncomfortable)

As I was walking, I could feel people staring at me.

(Are they seeing me as a country bumpkin? Or is my appearance strange?)

After walking for a while, I finally saw the inn.

It had a rustic design and looked more elegant than all the buildings around it.

(This is definitely a high-class inn, but I have the money I collected from the noble and the soldiers, so it will probably be enough)

Combining the money in the carriage with the money the soldiers carried, I had a total of 2000 gold coins, 500 silver coins, and 300 bronze coins, which honestly took up a large part of my storage.

(Then I'll go in)

I entered the building and headed to the reception where there was a woman in her twenties.

"Excuse me, do you have a room available?"

The receptionist seemed a little surprised to see me but put on a calm face again.

"Good afternoon, we currently have several rooms available. What type of room are you looking for, miss?"

As a person with modern values, it would be very difficult for me to have a room without a bathroom, but it was most likely that with current technology, there were no showers, and if they were available, they would be a luxury item.

"I would like a room with a bathtub."

The receptionist became a bit tense but continued to assist me.

"With a bathtub? We currently have a room available with that description."

(So they do have them, and judging by the receptionist's reaction, it must be expensive, but I refuse to have a room without a bathroom.)

"The room costs 5 gold coins per day."

(So with what that noble pig spent on me, I could stay here for 10 days.)

"I'll be staying for 20 days."

I reached into a bag I had put on to not look so suspicious and took out the money from my inventory.

"I have made the payment."

The receptionist took the money and recorded it in a document.

"To what name should I register your room?"

(I'm not sure how they handle last names, so I'll just give my name.)

"Just put it under Cinnamon."

The receptionist noted it in her file.

"Understood. And regarding your servants and guards, how would you like to manage them?"

(So, she thinks I'm a noble. Convenient.)

"I don't have any, so it's not necessary to prepare anything."

"Eh?"

The receptionist seemed nervous, but continued speaking.

"Um, understood. This room takes a bit of time to prepare, so would you kindly wait?"

She led me to a waiting room where she served me tea and cookies.
+++

After a while, they gave me a key and led me to my room. When I entered, I found myself in a well-furnished luxury room with a king-size bed and a large bathroom.

(Finally in a room)

I deactivated my ability and went into the bathroom to clean the dirt off my body.

In the bathroom, there was a full-length mirror, and that was the first time I saw my body since I was reincarnated.

In the mirror, one could see a young 16-year-old girl, with delicate limbs and fair skin, accompanied by white hair, and contrasting with that, her eyes were a beautiful purple color like obsidian. You could see soft-looking ears and a fluffy tail.

"System, why do I look bigger?"

<According to legends, when a being evolves, their body matures until it reaches a more stable age>

(So my body grew 4 years in that egg? But why didn't it seem like that much time had passed?)

<Insufficient level, cannot answer>

"Whatever."

Although I still don't understand it, it's better for me that my body is bigger to avoid some problems when traveling alone.

I took off the clothes I was wearing and went further into the bathroom. The bathtub was so big that up to 4 people could fit in it.

After rinsing off with a bucket, I immersed myself in the bathtub.

(The first thing I have to do is find a job)

Currently, I had some funds, but they wouldn't last forever.

(The option that interested me the most is to become a mercenary)

Since I am a half-human, it would not be convenient for me to stay in the city for too long, and if I look for a normal job or become an adventurer, my freedom will be restricted.

(Another aspect that interested me is that the identification would be valid in all cities, so it would be easier to reach another continent)

Having set my goal, I continued bathing."