1 Welcome to another World
"Where is this...?"
Kyoma Higashie waking up at a completely white space with no windows and he couldn't see anything in front of him.
Until just now, I should have been on the station platform on my way home...
"Could this be... the afterlife?"
Kyoma chuckled at his own monologue. Since he had no memory of dying, he didn't think that was the case.
"That's only half correct. This place is just before the other world."
"What!?!"
Kyoma was astonished by the sudden appearance of a man.
The man smiled and nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Kyoma Higashie."
"Nice to meet you... Um, who are you?"
Kyoma used a phrase that had probably been used a hundred million times throughout human history.
"I am what you people call the divine karma and justice, the king of the underworld".
"The king of the underworld? Why is such a being from the afterlife in front of me?"
"That's because you have passed away."
The words said by The king of the underworld pierced Kyoma's ears like invisible arrows and went straight to his heart.
"So... what happens to me? Am I going to be judged by King Enma?"
"Normally, that would be the case if you had passed away, but you, Kyoma, are an exception, so I came here by myself".
"An exception...?"
Kyoma looked at the being in front of him with a confused look.
Kyoma Higashie was just an ordinary office worker.
He could only achieve average or slightly below-average results in most things.
"I'm just a normal person, aren't I?
A tiny cog in the gears that move society.
Whether I exist or not doesn't make much of a difference. I don't understand why I would be treated as an exception."
"Kyoma-san, do you not remember why you died? While you were on your way home, you helped a girl who was about to fall down the stairs at the station due to feeling dizzy. In doing so, you lost your balance and fell to your death."
"Oh... I remember now."
Kyoma remembered that the last sensation he felt was the cold touch of the ground.
"And the girl you helped later became a great scholar and saved tens of thousands of people with her achievements. In other words, by sacrificing yourself, more lives were saved."
"Well... that's certainly amazing."
Kyoma gave a somewhat flat response. He couldn't help but feel detached from the situation now that he was dead.
"So, in recognition of your actions and to reward you, who met an unfortunate death, we have decided to give you a second life."
"A... second life?"
"Yes, unfortunately not in the same world, but in a different world, a different dimension, or rather, you will be reincarnated into another world."
"Reincarnated..."
What Kyoma thought of was the Buddhist concept of reincarnation or stories from novels and manga.
"Is it not possible to undo death?"
"I'm sorry, that was the initial plan, but due to a delay in our application caused by our mistake, your body has been cremated, and you do not meet the conditions for resurrection."
"Huh..."
Kyoma's voice naturally lowered because the reason was too cruel.
King Enma the king of the underworld forcefully changed the subject and said<>
"We decide where you will be reincarnated. You will be reincarnated into the world of erotic novels!"
"───" "───"
Kyoma Higashie fell silent, unable to respond.
King Enma of the underworld looked somewhat guilty too, continuing
"This is chosen randomly, I did not intentionally choose it."
"I see..."
"Don't make such a subtle face! In a world where the laws are like erotic novels, you can feast on women as much as you want!"
"The way you put it!"
Kyoma reassessed King Enma's sayings, realizing unexpectedly that he had a rude mouth.
"In that world, heroines from works you are familiar with will be transferred. If you can seduce them, you will have an enjoyable life ahead of you."
"But, It's not that easy to seduce them."
King Enma smirked lasciviously.
"Depending on how you do it, seducing them can be quite easy. There are various convenient opportunism in the world of erotic novels, you know!"
Since he wasn't entirely uninterested, Kyoma gradually began to be intrigued by King Enma's fervent speech. If he could truly get the heroines, he had fantasized about just by imagining it... then it would be a blissful life beyond comparison to his humble existence so far.
"Now, before your reincarnation, I'll grant you three rewards. Throw this."
King Enma handed Kyoma three ten-sided dice.
He explained that the outcome of the dice roll would determine the bonuses granted for his reincarnation.
A ceremony would greatly influence his life in the next world. As Kyoma received the dice, his palms became sweaty.
"Here goes."
Kyoma tossed the dice. They rolled across the white floor. King Enma picked one of them up.
"Four. Reincarnation into the wealthy class."
"Oh, that alone makes me happy. Indeed, a man needs wealth."
"With this bonus, you should be able to afford to maintain a harem if you wish. Now, onto the next."
King Enma picked up the second die.
"Seven. Innate physical prowess. This means you will be born with a healthy and outstanding physique. Healthy, vigorous, and handsome!"
"The last one is especially important."
"The last die is Eight. This is───"
King Enma reacted with surprise and stopped mid-sentence.
"W-what is it?"
"Hypnosis ability."
"Eh, hypnosis?"
"Yes, this is a kind of psychic ability that can distort cognition and common sense, or even manipulate memories... roughly speaking, it's like the hypnosis you see in erotic novels or manga."
"Ah, I see, I roughly understand."
I know it is a questionable ability, but I am grateful for it. If I could have this ability, wouldn't the world of the afterlife be a much easier place to live in?
"But, what if the heroines who are transferred aren't affected by hypnosis?"
"Well, in theory, the bonuses from reincarnation should rank higher than the heroines' supernatural abilities, so there's no need to worry, I believe. Or perhaps you want to enjoy the challenge of conquering them without relying on your abilities? Changes to the specifications are possible, though."
"No, I don't have a hobby of enjoying such struggles. I understand the ability well enough. Thank you."
Internally, Kyoma's anticipation swelled. And he was surprised that he had no attachment to the world he was leaving behind.
"My parents were already gone, and with changes in work and life, I had few interactions with friends..."
He was single and had no girlfriend. He didn't find enjoyment in his work either.
"Regrettably, I died, but I had thought that even if I lived, I would end up at the bottom of society for the rest of my life... Ten years from now, I would probably still be a regular employee, living an unremarkable life... But! I have been given a chance to obtain happiness! If I can obtain it in exchange for my boring life, then there's no problem! To be shown a path to such glory, who would wish to cling to their former mundane life like the dead?!"
Kyoma thought of this as a miracle to redo his life. Looking at it this way, reincarnation did not seem so bad.
"Kyoma-san, you seem to have low self-esteem, but it's rare for someone to openly say they are not attached to their life and consider it expendable for their desires."
"I'll take that as a compliment. So, when does the reincarnation start?"
"Yes, it can be done immediately, so please rest assured. Well then, Kyoma Higashie, have a safe journey.
And "Welcome to another world."
