"Roland-kun, right? Your Japanese is really good... have you lived here for a long time?"
"Yes."
"That's impressive. Coming to live alone in Fuyuki City at such a young age and being independent—wow. I've worked part-time myself, but most young people prefer big cities. Don't you find it uncomfortable living in a small place like Fuyuki?"
"It's fine," Roland replied calmly. He paused for a moment, as if feeling a little awkward, then added, "The town I lived in before was a small place called Morioh Town. Compared to that, Fuyuki City already feels pretty advanced."
It was a simple interview. The convenience store manager was chatting casually with Roland while observing him. He noted Roland's neat appearance, healthy complexion, and upright sitting posture. Even though he was young, you could tell he had good manners and carried himself well—signs of a solid upbringing.
The manager trusted his instincts: this kid was a good one.
"Alright, last question—can you start today?"
A little later, Roland was tying on a long apron and following the store manager around the shop to get familiar with the place.
Leaving aside the Holy Grail War, if one wanted to survive in this world, having a proper identity was crucial.
Contrary to what many believed, in daily life, ID wasn't used all that much in Japan. So as long as the source of your funds was covered, for someone like Roland, blending in here was as natural as a drop of water merging with the sea.
But for that, he needed a job.
Even though the aftermath of the bubble economy's collapse still loomed, and Japan's so-called Lost Decades were just beginning, with mass layoffs and a sluggish economy making it a terrible time to find work, Fuyuki City was small and relatively untouched. Thanks to new construction projects aimed at reviving the economy, things here were fairly stable. Wages weren't high, but there was peace.
As Roland expected, with his fluent Japanese and well-prepared details, the kind store manager didn't mind his lack of ID. He simply saw Roland as a boy from a small town who had moved here on his own and was now working hard to make a living.
"Alright, let's set things up this way. Sorting and stocking are really important... Honestly, it's rare to see young people like you who are hardworking and capable these days."
The manager's admiring tone didn't faze Roland; he simply nodded coolly. After all, to him, this was just a matter of course.
While there were still some rough patches, all things considered, he'd drawn a good card.
Roland glanced at the Key of All Spirits in his hand, and as always, information flowed automatically into his mind.
—Contracted Spirit: [Yoshikage Kira] (contract bound)
He was once the nightmare that haunted Morioh Town. After being torn apart by the alley of no return, even reincarnation was denied to him—his lingering will twisted into an obsession-fueled force. As long as that obsession is resolved, no matter who does it, the power will permanently belong to them.
Side Effects: Your nails grow at an abnormal rate; the greater your mental stress, the faster they grow.
Influence: You inherit the hand fetish that Yoshikage Kira had in life. At the same time, you'll develop a deep craving for a peaceful, orderly, and stable life. Any disruption to that stability, good or bad, will make you intensely anxious and restless. While under contract, you'll become highly self-disciplined.
Abilities:
The Secret of the Third Place: Your knowledge and work skills now match the level Yoshikage Kira had before his death. You instinctively know how to keep a polite distance from those around you and hide your true self without ever seeming suspicious.
Killer Queen: You gain the Stand, Killer Queen.
Extraordinary Luck: You possess extraordinary luck, far exceeding that of ordinary people. When faced with difficulties, opportunities for a comeback will always appear.
Digestion Requirement: In the area where the contract was completed, maintain inner peace as your standard of living for at least one month.
In Roland's eyes, the contracted spirit linked to Yoshikage Kira shimmered with a soft yellow glow, marking it as second-tier.
According to the Key of All Spirits, contracted spirits were ranked in five colors: white, yellow, blue, purple, and red. Their levels weren't solely based on raw power.
The relationship between a contracted spirit and its contractor wasn't one of equals. These spirits were, after all, formed by the Key of All Spirits, and most of them (except a rare few) existed in the space between life and death, lacking even a shred of self-awareness. Their existence could be described in a few words - pathetic and pitiful.
The contract was designed to make better use of these spirits. While stronger spirits often appeared as higher-tier colors in Roland's eyes, it wasn't absolute.
As the wielder of the Key of All Spirits, Roland knew that depending on the cost involved, the spirit's rank could even change once contracted. Whether the price was harsh or mild, it is determined by how practical a contracted spirit was in Roland's assessment.
According to the Key of All Spirits, the danger levels of each color were roughly:
White: Almost harmless. Easy to use and contract, simple to meet its requirements and fully digest it, but abilities were usually limited.
Yellow: Requires paying a certain price, though still within realistic bounds. The spirit's ability could vary widely in strength.
Blue: Might demand something specific from the contractor, like certain personality traits or willpower. Usually offered excellent abilities but had strict digestion conditions.
Purple: Special spirits. Their cost was unpredictable—sometimes extremely high, sometimes surprisingly low. Their help to the contractor was equally unique.
Red: Extremely dangerous, pushing the contractor beyond their limits. The power granted was often the spirit's strongest, but the price could cause near-irreversible distortions to the contractor.
Yoshikage Kira, sitting at the yellow tier, brought a fair balance of cost and reward. The side effects were manageable. The only thing that made Roland raise an eyebrow was the subtle hand fetish—definitely a bit of an oddity.
Still, aside from that, this contracted spirit fit Roland's needs perfectly. The "Secret of the Third Place" might seem minor, but it greatly resolved his current dilemma, making it a great fit for urban life.
Sure, it wasn't on the level of Star Platinum or The World, those stands that operated at the edge of the very rules of reality, but within the wide variety of stand abilities, Yoshikage Kira's was one of the best.
And the digestion condition? Ridiculously simple. For someone just starting out, Roland couldn't ask for a better deal.
After the store manager left, Roland stood behind the counter, idly admiring his own hands.
His nails were neatly trimmed; his fingers were slender, fair, and perfectly proportioned.
"Huh, not bad. I never realized this about myself. Such beautiful hands... perfect, really." Roland smiled faintly, then glanced sideways at the pink figure standing beside him. The figure's face was expressionless, its feet hovering slightly off the ground. A belt with a skull emblem circled its waist, accentuating its streamlined muscles, which, far from looking bulky, radiated a kind of graceful power.
Everything about it blended so seamlessly that even when it stood in an oddly seductive pose, it didn't seem the least bit out of place. When it heard Roland's comment, it didn't reply. Instead, it turned its head, cat-like ears perking up, and gazed at Roland with cold, lifelike vertical pupils—just like a massive pink cat.
"You think so too, huh, Killer Queen?"