WCSVL 07

Chapter – 07

The Cursed Bracelet.

With the money from selling all the goods, Ruri planned to buy some personal belongings. She strolled through town looking for shops when she made eye contact with an old man standing at a fruit stall. He beckoned her over, and she approached.

“How about it, little lady? They’re delicious.”

Fruits she had never seen in the other world were lined up on display. He recommended a fruit with a garish red-and-blue polka-dot pattern, saying it was in season and tasty—honestly, it took some courage just to think about eating it. *Can you actually eat this?* she wondered, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to buy one.

“Then, I’ll take one, please.”

“Don’t just take one—take a whole bunch!”

As the old man said this and began filling a bag with fruit after fruit, Ruri panicked.

“Ah, no! One is enough. I don’t have much money on me right now…”

She intended to buy various daily necessities after this. Since she had no idea how much they would cost, she didn’t want to waste money beforehand.

But the old man, wearing a kind smile, tried to hand her a bag overflowing with fruit.

“No charge. It’s a gift from me, old man.”

“Eh, no… but…”

“It’s fine, really. In return, will you come back to this town again? I’d be even happier if you bought from my shop, though.”

Confused, Ruri heard Chelsea whisper from the side, “Just take it.” Hesitantly, she accepted the bag and thanked him with a smile.

“Then, I’ll gratefully accept this. Thank you very much.”

“Come again.”

After parting ways with the generous old man, Chelsea scolded her for lingering and gawking at every little thing, but as she peeked into shops and stalls, she received a warm welcome wherever she went.

She was given so many goods that she could barely carry them in both arms, yet she still hadn’t spent a single coin.

“Is this also because I have spirits by my side?”

“Places where spirits gather see increased harvests, stable land, and fewer natural disasters. If Ruri comes back to this town, the spirits will come along too, and this land will become even more prosperous. For that sake, giving you a few things is a small price to pay.”

“I see.”

Spirits were probably something like the gods and buddhas of the other world. But since they could actually be seen and magic was a daily, tangible experience, the reverence and awe they inspired must have been immeasurable.

Ruri was finally beginning to understand, little by little, just how significant spirits were in this world. And also, the danger of being so favored by them.

*(I just hope I don’t get dragged into any trouble…)*

But those worries flew far, far away in an instant before the prospect of shopping for the first time in a while.

What she wanted most of all was clothes. As expected, fashion was different here than in her world—it was rare for women to wear pants, and dresses were the norm.

That said, for Ruri, who lived in the forest, pants that allowed for active movement were essential. They weren’t completely unavailable, but there weren’t any cute ones, and she had agonized over whether to make her own. However, custom orders were expensive, and sewing wasn’t her strong suit, so she had reluctantly given up.

Besides that, she bought shoes, grooming necessities, and a good supply of preserved food and seasonings. Then she mounted Chelsea, who had once again taken dragon form, and headed home.

The next day, thinking that the spirit of time—who had plenty of leisure—would be delighted, Ruri opened the spatial rift to give her the toys she had bought at the market. But what she found inside was unexpected.

That space, which had been empty just the day before. She had placed the market purchases inside, but thanks to Ruri’s magic, the spacious area should have still had plenty of room.

Yet, somehow, there were now massive amounts of clothing she had never bought, furniture she had never put in, and accessories and weapons she had never even touched, all piled up.

“What the heck is this?!”

As if drawn by Ruri’s scream, the Spirit of Time drifted softly into view from nowhere.

“I’m so happy… you really came to see me…”

Moved by Ruri’s presence, the Spirit of Time was teary-eyed. But Ruri wasn’t in a state to be moved by a heartfelt reunion.

“Sorry to interrupt your emotional moment, but what is all this?!”

“I thought you might want them, so I brought them.”

The Spirit of Time, looking as if expecting praise, made Ruri dizzy.

“Brought them from where?!”

“Why, from other people’s spaces, of course. I can’t leave this space, you know.”

So that was basically stealing, wasn’t it… Ruri was speechless.

“Take them back!”

“But… I thought you’d be happy…”

Apparently, she hadn’t expected Ruri to refuse, and her eyes welled up with tears, looking like they might spill at any moment. Seeing that, Ruri softened her tone a little.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but taking other people’s things is absolutely not okay.”

“Then it’s fine—they’re from spaces whose owners no longer exist.”

Just as Ruri was about to ask what she meant, she found herself standing on a staircase the very next moment.

A long, long spiral staircase floating in a pitch-black space. The stairs themselves emitted a faint light, so it wasn’t dark, but they stretched so far that neither the top nor the bottom was visible.

“Where is this…?”

“This is the space of Time that I manage. Normally, no one can enter here, but you’re special, Ruri. Look beside the stairs—see the doors?”

Outside the staircase, doors lined up along its curve, glowing just like the stairs themselves. And on one of them, in big letters, was written: “Ruri’s Room.”

“That’s the space you were just in. I’m the only one who can open this door.”

“Does that mean the other doors are other people’s spaces?”

“Yes. See how some doors are glowing and others aren’t? The glowing ones belong to living owners. The others belong to those who have passed away. Everything I brought into your room came from rooms whose owners are gone, so you don’t need to worry.”

Even so, it still made her uneasy.

“But still, taking things without permission feels wrong…”

“You’re such a conscientious one. My previous contractor used to say, ‘If the owner’s gone, take whatever you can use,’ and helped himself to all sorts of things.”

“Contractor?”

“Yes. Simply put, it’s a contract where a spirit lends power or grants blessings to a person they take a liking to. My previous contractor was also one of the rare few who could enter the Time space. She was brash, arrogant, and a nuisance… but also a very kind person.”

As she spoke, the Spirit of Time looked both happy and somehow lonely. It was clear that person had been unforgettable and special to her.

“Well, that’s besides the point for now. About the ownerless items—a space can only be opened by the one who created it. Spaces whose owners are gone will eventually be erased, and everything inside them will be destroyed. Wouldn’t it be better for you to make good use of them instead?”

“You erase them?”

“Yes. Otherwise, the doors would multiply endlessly.”

Ruri hesitated, but she couldn’t rely on Chelsea forever, and she had no family, relatives, or safety net in this world. She convinced herself that it was wiser to accept what she could.

“Then, just the things that look useful.”

“That’s a good idea. Oh, I still have my previous contractor’s space saved—I’ll move it to your space later.”

“Eh, no, it’s fine. They’re the belongings of someone important to you, right?”

“It’s okay, really. She said that when she found her next contractor, I should give everything to them.”

“Next contractor”… but Ruri had no recollection of that at all. Noticing the questioning look on Ruri’s face, the Spirit of Time grinned and spoke.

“When you went home yesterday, I went ahead and made a contract with you.”

“Since when…?”

“Because I just liked you so much.”

With a cute, apologetic gesture of clasping her hands, the Spirit of Time made Ruri slump in defeat. And in the blink of an eye, they were transported to the previous contractor’s space.

It was several times larger than Ruri’s own space, and precious-looking ornaments and weapons were stacked high as far as the eye could see. Ruri was stunned.

“…Are you really sure I can have all of this?”

“Of course. I’ll connect it to your space and move it all later, but feel free to take anything that catches your eye.”

Even though Ruri had no idea about the value of things in this world, she could tell that the ornaments scattered carelessly at her feet were by no means cheap.

As she looked around, her head aching from all the glitter, one bracelet caught her eye.

“Beautiful…”

In addition to the bracelet, she picked out a few items to give to Chelsea, along with a knife and a bow and arrows that would be useful in the forest, and then returned to her own space.

At the time, Ruri was so dazzled by the expensive-looking items and focused on choosing that she hadn’t heard the Spirit of Time’s warning that some of the items had a history—or a curse attached to them.

“By the way, what’s your name? Calling you ‘you’ or ‘Spirit of Time’ is a bit awkward.”

“Lydia.”

For a spirit, it had been only a brief span of time. The contractor who had left her so many things to fill that gap had disappeared long ago.

She had lost the one who had given her that name and called her by it—so long ago that counting the years had become tiresome.

But now, someone had come who would call her by that precious, irreplaceable name again. Overjoyed, Lydia wore the biggest smile she had ever shown.

—

***

—

After parting with Lydia and returning to the original world, Ruri immediately gave Chelsea her souvenir. But Chelsea’s eyes nearly popped out in shock, and for some reason, a scolding session ensued.

Apparently, she had misunderstood, thinking the spirits had taken the items from somewhere. After explaining everything from the beginning, Ruri finally managed to make her understand, but Chelsea said she had a headache and went back to her room.

Ruri had imagined her being happy, so she slumped her shoulders, not knowing what had gone wrong.

Lying on her bed in her room, Ruri took a breather and pulled out the bracelet she had received earlier.

It was a breathtakingly beautiful bracelet with exquisite craftsmanship and embedded jewels.

“My future life seems like it’ll be fine, but that’s kind of scary too…”

Suddenly coming into a vast amount of wealth made her uneasy—if anyone knew, she’d be a prime target for those after money. She resolved not to tell anyone except Chelsea.

Then, she put on the bracelet she was holding and, unable to resist the drowsiness that came with the warm sunlight, fell asleep without a fight.

—

When Ruri next opened her eyes, the sun was already beginning to set.

*I have to get dinner ready*—she sat up quickly. But then she felt a strange sense of unease.

(Huh? Something’s off…)

The room looked different from before. Yet the furniture was all in its usual places, and she couldn’t pinpoint what had changed. Still feeling uneasy, she tried to get out of bed when her own hand caught her eye.

A small hand covered in fluffy pure white fur. When she turned it over, there were adorable pink paw pads, soft and squishy.

After a moment of frozen silence, Ruri screamed.

“Nyaaahhh!!”

But even that scream didn’t come out as proper words, sending her into even more panic. Hearing the commotion, Chelsea opened the door to Ruri’s room.

“What’s all the noise, Ruri? Hurry up and help me with dinner prep—… huh…?”

But Ruri was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a single pure white cat.

“Oh, a cat? How did it get in here? Did Ruri bring it? That girl, honestly…”

(Cat?! I’ve become a cat?!)

Ruri panicked as Chelsea called her a cat while looking at her.

“Nya, nyao nyao. (Chelsea, it’s me, Ruri!)”

She tried desperately to communicate, but there was no way a cat’s meows would be understood. Chelsea interpreted it differently.

“What is it? Are you hungry?”

“Nyaaau. (No, I’m not!)”

Just as she was sinking into despair, thinking she might never be recognized, the spirits came to her aid.

*’This cat is Ruri!’*

*’Ruri turned into a cat!’*

*’She got so small, she can’t ride on our shoulders anymore.’*

At their words, Chelsea stared at the white cat in shock and hesitantly spoke to confirm.

“…Is this really you, Ruri?”

“Nyaan nyaan.”

Unable to speak, she nodded her head vigorously. But Chelsea still didn’t seem fully convinced.

“Ruri’s race was supposed to be human, right? She said there were no demi-humans in the other world… Could she have some cat-kin blood in her after all?”

As Chelsea pondered, the spirits answered again.

*’It’s the bracelet Ruri’s wearing.’*

*’It’s a bracelet with an ancient spell that turns you into a cat!’*

Chelsea looked at Ruri’s front paw—and sure enough, there was the bracelet. It had been the right size for her human form, but now that she was a cat, it had adjusted perfectly to fit her little paw.

When Chelsea tried taking it off Ruri’s front leg, it slipped off without resistance and returned to its original size. And then, just like when Chelsea took dragon form, Ruri was enveloped in light and, in an instant, returned to her human shape.

Ruri stared at her hands, now unmistakably human, touched her face and body, confirmed she was back to normal, and felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

“Thank goodness! I suddenly turned into a cat, couldn’t talk—I thought I’d never go back!”

“Hah… life with you never gets boring, Ruri.”

Taking the bracelet back from the exasperated Chelsea, Ruri immediately went to Lydia to get an explanation. She learned that the bracelet wasn’t just an ornament—it was a magical item created long ago that would transform the wearer into a cat, regardless of race.

Apparently, it was made by someone who harbored an unshakable longing for cats, pouring their entire life into its creation. Their obsession was never understood by those around them.

Ruri, who loved fluffy things, would have loved to have a heart-to-heart with that person—but they had lived long, long ago.

She deeply regretted that they might have become wonderful friends.

Still, she decided to be happy about acquiring such a great item.

And she firmly vowed to always listen carefully when people spoke.