Published: August 15, 2025
When I woke up, I was Urashima Tarō.
Since the high priest in the secret room where I was didn’t change at all, I didn’t think much when I woke up. But the moment he picked me up and stepped out of the secret room, I thought my heart would stop.
Everyone had grown so much it was startling. Nicola and Monica were adults now, with their hair up, noticeable chests, and longer skirts. Gil seemed to be in a growth spurt—in my memory, he was just about as tall as Fran’s chest, but now his head was slightly above Fran’s shoulder. On top of that, his voice had become much deeper, like a completely different person.
...It was kind of scary.
I had gone to sleep, and when I woke, the people around me had grown in an instant. Honestly, it wasn’t just scary, it was creepy. In reality, I had been asleep for two years, so it wasn’t really an instant, but in my perception, it felt like everyone had grown overnight.
Meanwhile, I was the only one who hadn’t grown. Actually, I seemed to have regressed. My muscle strength had weakened during those two years of sleep, and I couldn’t move my body as I wanted. Even though I couldn’t move as I wished, strangers I knew but also didn’t really know undressed me and helped me into the bath in complete caregiving mode.
Even while feeling an unspeakable fear and anxiety, I couldn’t say “I’ll do it myself,” nor could I say “Please stop.” I kept my mouth shut, opened and closed my hands, and tried to move my dangling legs with some effort.
While slowly moving my immobile body, I plastered a smile on my face for the people around me whom I knew yet didn’t, but inside, I was deeply terrified.
Now, in the secret room, I heard from the high priest how worried everyone had been and how they had waited for my awakening, which calmed me a bit. Still, seeing the unstoppable flow of time made me feel like there was an insurmountable wall before me.
The high priest, who briefly summarized what had happened while I was asleep, suddenly clapped his hands as if he remembered something.
“Rosemine, I want to get your magic tool. Should I wait here or step out once?”
“I’ll wait here, so please get one of those books over there.”
I indicated the pile of books Gil had stacked with my gaze. The high priest took the top book and placed it on my stomach. Then, he turned on his heels and left to get the magic tool.
“A new book. Hehe.”
I slowly moved my hand to touch the book on my stomach. The feeling of a new book made me smile softly.
Alright, let’s read! I braced myself and moved my hand. With trembling hands lacking strength, I desperately tried to open the page, but even this simple act was difficult. Pinching a single sheet to turn it was incredibly hard.
“Ah...”
I couldn’t even hold the book firmly; it slipped and fell with a thud onto the floor. I reached out to pick it up, but even my arm dangling off the bench was too heavy. Needless to say, I couldn’t pick up the book.
...I’m so weak I can’t even read a book.
After sacrificing two years, I still didn’t feel healthy. My body hadn’t grown at all, my muscle strength had decreased, and my mana had increased—it was too much.
It felt pointless to keep forcing a smile so as not to worry those around me. The moment I relaxed, tears spilled out.
“Sorry to keep you waiting... Why are you crying?”
“I can’t read the book. My hands don’t move; I can’t turn the pages myself. I hate this.”
The high priest sighed and grabbed my left hand, then put a decorative bracelet on my upper arm. The magic tool bracelet changed shape with a soft sound, fit snugly on my arm, and slowly absorbed some mana.
“High priest, what—? Huh? My arm can move?”
“It’s a magic tool to assist body enhancement magic. I used it myself until I mastered the technique. You currently have surplus mana, so you should be able to move normally. Show me the other arm.”
“Yes.”
When I put on the bracelets on both arms, my upper body moved easily. This was amazing. I twirled my arms around.