The hero's gender is yet to be determined after rebirth.

Wow--!

Lorenwei suddenly woke up.

She was awakened from her sleep on the tatami mat in the VIP bedroom of the hot spring resort hotel.

The surroundings were still quiet, and it was still dark. Lorenwei was panting heavily, feeling as if what had just happened was a nightmare.

Before she could even calm herself down, the first thing she did after sitting up was to quickly check her chest...

Thank goodness! It wasn't there! She breathed a sigh of relief.

I quickly checked down there again, but there was nothing there either...

Although she had gotten used to it over the past fifteen years, she still… sighed.

Looking around cautiously, the room was dimly lit, and Kurara and the other women seemed to still be asleep, thankfully they hadn't been woken up.

Lorenwei lay down again, but couldn't fall asleep.

It's all my fault for being too kind. I haven't killed anyone in over a decade, but today I can't sleep because I'm trying to cover up the crime.

She began to ponder her own judgment.

The night before Aisser and her husband went on their trip, they spent the entire night teaching Lorenwei about safety. This included not only navigating the complexities of this world, but also, as a girl—cough, as a girl without a boyfriend—how to protect herself.

In particular, Lorenve herself inquired about some matters concerning the Sevi tribe, even though Ethers didn't mention them.

If kissing can determine a person's gender, can other actions do the same? Or will a person enter this "gender-determining period" before the age of sixteen? What are the consequences if kissing occurs before this period?

As it turned out, Aisser didn't know either...

It seems that Vitara, the ancestor who studied this most deeply, and the saintess Elena, the ancestor, went off to have some fun somewhere...

Lorenwei felt helpless but also understood. After all, such things are hard to predict, and in this scientifically underdeveloped world, with such a small sample size, it is impossible to form a systematic study.

But after having this dream, Lorenwei became a little worried.

If I kiss a girl before my sexual orientation period, even if it's a deep kiss, a passionate kiss, or a French kiss... can I really guarantee that I'll successfully be identified as a man?

She wouldn't dare place a bet.

After lying in bed lost in thought for a while, the image of Sylph sobbing when she couldn't find her hidden underwear gradually filled Lorenvi's mind.

The green-haired female elf was weeping softly alone in the dimly lit room; the image of her haunted her.

Should I not have kept it from her? A perfectly good high-ranking elven hero has become an S-class magical pet, losing not only his memories but also his abilities. Was all of this for my sake? Lorenwei wondered.

Unable to sleep, she got up and left the room, heading to the VIP male room where Silph had cried the night before.

Lorenvi searched the room where Sylph had previously looked for her underwear and rummaged through a tatami mat, but still found nothing. Thinking back carefully, she realized she had indeed hidden Sylph's underwear there. Either it was lost, or there was another possible way to retrieve it.

Lorenwei went to the landlady's room again.

Of course, it's not for the purpose of a night raid. Anyone thinking of a night raid on the landlady should go stand in the corner and reflect on their actions. Even if human will can conquer nature, it's not a reason for a night raid. After all, she's married, a mother of two, and a strong woman who single-handedly raises her children and works hard to maintain the hot spring inn. That's no easy feat.

When Lorenwei arrived outside the landlady's room, she hesitated for a moment, thinking that it was not yet dawn and it was not appropriate to disturb her.

brush--

The sliding door was opened, and the proprietress, who was tidying up her kimono, came out and ran right into Lorenwei.

The proprietress paused for a moment, then closed the door before continuing her conversation with Lorenwei outside.

"Oh, esteemed guest, you were looking for me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry to bother you so early." Lorenwei thought her voice had woken her up.

The moment the proprietress closed the door, Lorenwei saw that the two children were still sleeping.

"No problem, I usually get up around this time to prepare for the day's work too," the proprietress said with a smile.

Lorenwei felt even more embarrassed. She had returned so late last night, and the landlady had been waiting for her and her group with Kurara, barely getting any rest. She and her companions had essentially been eating and staying here for free, and she felt extremely indebted to such an independent woman who supported her family. She considered leaving some money for their lodging when she left.

"I'd like to ask, when the male VIP room 007, Bond's room, the one that the deceased hero named himself and where he once stayed, was anything found under the tatami mats in this room during the renovation?"

"Oh?" The proprietress was taken aback.

"Haha, it's been a long time, I'm a little embarrassed to ask this so suddenly, but..."

"Yes, we do!" the proprietress said with a smile.

"I hope you can help me remember... Hey?" Lorenwei was still talking when she suddenly heard the landlady respond with a "Yes."

"It really is there. I've kept that item very carefully." The proprietress smiled and led Lorenwei to a small shrine in the backyard.

Lorenwei was a little excited; she had actually found it!

After walking a short distance, Lorenwei suddenly turned around.

Sure enough, not far behind, a figure quickly hid behind a tree.

It seems she secretly followed me out. Lorenwei noticed the sash of the new light green yukata and a few strands of green hair still swaying behind the tree; she knew without a doubt who it was.

Sylph clearly knew she had been discovered, but was too embarrassed to come out.

The proprietress bowed in front of the small ancestral hall before going inside and taking out a wooden gift box wrapped in layers.

"What's inside?" Lorenwei asked in surprise. That item must have been under the tatami mat for a long time, right? It must look terrible by now; I never imagined the proprietress would treasure it so much.

"Would you like to take a look?" the proprietress asked with a smile.

"Let me see," came Sylph's voice, and the elven girl's usual pace quickened as she rushed to the two of them.

Lorenwei didn't laugh at her, and slightly moved aside to give her a seat.

"When we were playing the game before, I said that I would give you a gift that has a lot of history as a prize, and this is it."

Sylph accepted the gift box from the proprietress but did not open it for the time being.

She took a few quick breaths but didn't open it.

The reason I value this item so much is because it appeared in my own memory illusion. If it exists, then it proves that my memories are not false, that I do like someone, and that I just can't remember our past.

Sylph was a little flustered.

This item is of great significance to people who have lost their memories.

Opening the box was simple, but she feared that what she found wouldn't be what she expected. If not, what about her memories? She would be plunged into confusion again.

Lorenwei patted her on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, open it. Whether it is true or not, you are Sylph. Whether your memories are real or fake, you are the one and only Sylph in the world. Whether in the past, present or future, I will be by your side."

Hearing Lorenve's encouragement, Sylph felt more confident. Her attention was focused on the gift box, and she didn't realize that Lorenve was referring to the past, present, and even future, someone who would always be by her side—it sounded a bit like a confession. But Lorenve inadvertently revealed the past.

The word "past" implies so much.

Sylph carefully opened the wooden gift box, her eyes quickly welling up with tears: "It really is it..."

As expected, it contained an A-cup bra, the very same white one from Sylph's dream.

At first, she was excited, her heart racing, then she felt calm. Sylph was no longer worried about her memories.

Although stubborn, she was also incredibly intelligent. As long as her memories were real, she could deduce that she had lost them due to some kind of secret technique. Recalling the message in the ruby ​​on her forehead, she was certain that she had lost her memories because of that fool.

Lorenwei was also filled with emotion. The hero's embarrassing incident fifteen years ago was still quite amusing to recall.

Sylph's emotional turmoil was not only due to the fact that the memory illusion proved to be a real memory, but also because it evoked feelings from her past.

"By the way, did you find this when you were changing the tatami mats, ma'am? How come this underwear looks so new?" Lorenwei asked curiously.

Sylph also noticed that the bra in the gift box only looked slightly worn and did not appear to have been hidden under the tatami mat for too long, so it was not likely to have become damp or moldy.

"When the hero and his party left, the hero told me when he was settling the bill that we should try not to lend the 007 Bond room to other people, because he had very important memories there," the landlady said with a smile. "I immediately felt that something was wrong, so I went to the room to take a look and found that the tatami had been moved. It was easy to find this thing."

"..." Lorenwei was embarrassed. After realizing she wouldn't be caught red-handed, she had teammates with her and didn't have time to secretly take it out. She kept it on her mind, and ended up making a fool of herself by having the shrewd landlady discover her secret.

Lorenwei maintained a calm expression. It felt a bit like her hidden notebook had been discovered, but thankfully the deceased hero was taking the blame, so she could just play dumb.

"Hehehe, you guys wouldn't believe that the hero had such a hobby back then, would you? I was stunned for a long time too. After thinking about it, I realized it was the underwear of the hero Silph in the hero's party. I don't know if he stole it or... Silph gave it to him?" The proprietress had a gossipy look on her face.

Unlike Lorenvie, whose private collection of books had been unearthed, Sylph blushed deeply; she didn't have the thick skin of the former hero.

Lorenwei asked curiously, "I think the stone tablet at the shop entrance is for attracting customers, right? Haven't you considered making money from this?"

The proprietress smiled and said, "Although I am a small business owner, I still know how to be considerate. The hero is a good person and has been so kind to us. I thought it over and over again about keeping such a special hobby a secret, especially since it involves some hidden secrets. Anyway, the hero's teachings on the Neon Hot Spring and the scandalous history on the stone tablet at the entrance are enough to make our business very prosperous."

"At least you have a conscience," Lorenwei thought to herself.

Sylph looked at the lingerie for a long time, then put the box away again, but did not give it to Lorenwei.

As dawn broke and a sliver of light appeared on the horizon, the three of them walked back, talking as they went.

The proprietress continued, "Miss Lorenve is the daughter of the hero's old friend, and this elf lady is named Sylph. She must be an admirer of the hero Sylph, right? There's no one more suitable to hand her over to you."

"Thank you very much," Lorenwei said with a smile, secretly relieved that Aisser and her husband hadn't come back, otherwise she might have had to leave it to them.

Sylph put her hands behind her back, but returned the gift box to the proprietress when she reached the door.

"Huh? You already took it?" The proprietress noticed the box was empty, but didn't ask any further questions and went to prepare breakfast.

Lorenwei looked her up and down curiously, trying to find out where she was hiding.

Sylph awkwardly put her hands behind her back on her yukata: "Don't look, I can't just take it in like this."

Lorenwei guessed that she had hidden it inside the yukata's sash and reminded her, "Don't wear it, it's been too long, don't get sick."

"That's for sure."

Lorenwei suddenly remembered something and chuckled, "Oh right, you whispered in my ear during the game that if you found this item, you would give me a pair of used underwear."

“Used underwear, it really is you…” Sylph looked at Lorenwei and smiled.

"Huh?" Lorenwei panicked.

Sylph said slowly, "I meant to give you a pair of underwear that you just changed out of. Only an idiot would say something like that."

"Huh? I just took off my used underwear, didn't I? A lot of people would say that." Lorenwei awkwardly tried to brush it off.

"Yes, I believe you. Your actions in killing the woman in the black mist were within the bounds of normalcy, so I believe you too."

"Huh? Why are you bringing that up? What's so unusual about it?" Lorenwei felt extremely guilty.

Sylph stopped arguing and just tilted her head slightly as if she was thinking about something, occasionally letting out a chuckle as if she had thought of something.

Could it be that she's trying to find some clue about me? Lorenwei was sweating: "You really believe that? No, no, something feels off."

“It’s nothing. Whether you admit it or not, it won’t affect my judgment.” Silph smiled. “I’m gradually understanding why I became a summoned creature, why I flew from the elven altar to the academy and landed beside you. And the lost racial talents, the lost professional abilities, the lost important memories…”

Oh no, it seems she can recognize me now! Lorenwei was panicking.