I'm a Total Failure After Reincarnating, But I've Got a Fluffy Harem

After a rigorous selection process, we regret to inform you, Ginji Komori, that we are unable to fulfill your request this time. We sincerely hope that you will continue to excel in your future endeavors.

Damn it!

Cursing, I crumpled the rejection letter and slammed it onto the floor.

I scratched my head and, sighing deeply enough to empty my lungs, I looked up to the sky.

How many companies is this now?

I muttered to myself.

After a year of job hunting, I still hadn't received a job offer and remained unemployed.

Covering my eyes, I struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.

What did I even do, God?

My voice was surprisingly hoarse.

Mentally exhausted, it was clear my spirit was worn thin.

Yet, inappropriately, my stomach cried out in hunger—a truly inconvenient thing.

With no desire to cook, I shoved my wallet into my tracksuit pocket and sluggishly left my single occupancy apartment.

○○○

After buying a cheap meal at the convenience store, I was on my way home.

The night streets, lit by street lamps and store lights, were alive with people chatting away.

But to me, the brightness and noise seemed like echoes from a distant world, while I was trapped in an illusion of wandering through darkness.

To say it myself, it felt like I was walking a tragic path in life.

It all started with middle school entrance exams.

I studied tirelessly, forsaking any time to play, and confidently took the tests, only to face unexpected rejection.

That trauma resurfaced in critical moments, causing me to perform at half my potential under pressure.

As a result, I failed to get into my desired high schools and universities, and never made it as a regular in club activities. Since then, I had continually faced rejection while job hunting.

The only solace were the animals I cared for, who soothed my heart, but they were no longer with me.

It was so devastatingly disappointing that it was almost laughable.

What would a stranger say to me were they to see my vacant eyes, as lifeless as those of a dead man?

Maybe something like "Someday, things will get better"?

Or "It's tough now, but keep fighting"?

Possibly even a gem such as "If you give up now, it's all over"?

Splendid.

Such sound arguments, weren't they?

What thoughtless, inconsiderate platitudes!

I wished those spouting such nonsense could walk a mile in my shoes.

If they tasted the despair of unrewarded efforts, they would realize how off the mark and cruel their encouragement was.

Waiting at the pedestrian crossing, I twisted my lips in self-mockery.

Why am I even alive?

No matter how often I asked myself, I still hadn't found an answer.

If there's no meaning to life, then that's fine. If there was no meaning, I could give up.

The light turned green. I started to cross the street with heavy steps.

That's when it happened. A blinding light surged into the corner of my vision.

Looking up, I saw a large truck was barreling toward me, headlights glaring intensely.

Even faced with a runaway truck, strangely, my legs wouldn't move. Amidst the looming threat to my life, my mind started to coolly analyze the situation.

Why wouldn't my legs move?

Was it because I was paralyzed with fear?

Or perhaps, deep down, I longed for an end to this tedious life?

Dazed, my eyes caught a glimpse of the truck looming closer, and—

○○○

A vast white world unfolded when I opened my eyes.

I stood there dumbfounded as this woman of otherworldly beauty appeared before me.

She stood tall, like a model; her bosom full and motherly.

She had golden eyes, long glossy blond hair, and was clad in what appeared to be an ancient scholar's white robe—perhaps a toga?

. . . Who are you?

I am Diane, the goddess of creation, life, and growth.

A goddess, huh. Well, her beauty is indeed divine.

It wouldn't be at all strange for Diane to be a goddess.

After all, just moments ago . . .

Ginji Komori. I regret to inform you that you have been struck by a truck and have passed away.

Right. I died. And if I was being greeted by a woman in the afterlife, then she'd have to be a goddess or an angel.

As I came to terms with this alone, Diane's face formed a sad frown, perhaps mourning my death.

I sighed lightly.

Is that so?

Diane looked surprised at my casual reaction.

Are you not shocked? Most people who come here refuse to accept their death and become distraught about it.

Considering I was hit by such a huge truck, I'd be more shocked if I were still alive. Besides, I feel somewhat relieved.

Diane tilted her head in bewilderment.

Her gesture, unbecoming of a goddess, made me smile slightly.

It's finally over. I don't have to worry anymore; I am free—these feelings are far stronger than those of shock and denial.

Diane's face looked as if she might cry.

I felt sorry for Diane, but having someone mourn for me was strangely comforting.

So, is this heaven?

No, this is the threshold between the earth and heaven.

As Diane explained, a staircase appeared in the pure white world.

Heaven lies beyond this staircase, and souls who ascend have two options: wait to be reborn into a new life, or enter a sleep deeper and more peaceful than silence, lasting longer than eternity.

I see . . . Perhaps I'll choose to sleep then.

I could feel my face soften.

That was exactly what I wished for. I was tired of worrying. I could think of no better alternative to spending eternity asleep.

However, before you head towards heaven, I would like to present a third option.

As I let out a sigh of relief, Diane looked at me with an earnest gaze.

Ginji, are you interested in another world?

Are you talking about reincarnation into another world?

Diane nodded. Though it seemed like a cliché from light novels, it was indeed a reality.

The world of Mizgard—a realm where skills and magic exist, and monsters serve the Demon Lord. I've been reincarnating individuals from other worlds to defeat the Demon Lord.

As she continued, Diane opened her palm.

In her palm rested a small, glowing orb about the size of a pebble.

This is the Skill Seed given to those who agree to reincarnate. This seed has a 99.99% chance of manifesting the most suitable S-rank skill for its owner. S-rank skills are rare talents, possessed by only one in ten million in Mizgard.

So, a typical overpowered cheat ability, huh? Another staple of this genre.

Ginji, if you heed my request, I will grant you this Skill Seed. Do you wish to start your life anew?

Start life over?

Asked by Diane, I was taken aback.

The life I had lived was so regrettable that I lamented even being born.

A life where I did everything I could, yet gained nothing.

A life so full of setbacks that I had lost all reason to live, feeling utterly unrewarded.

If the life I had led hadn't been such a mess, perhaps I could have lived a bit happier?

If I accepted Diane's offer, I had a high chance of acquiring an S-rank skill—a rare talent possessed by only one in ten million.

Hope and desire began to well up within me.

A hero thriving with cheat abilities. It sounded cool. The life I'd desperately longed for, having been unrecognized and incapable of achieving anything.

If such a life was being promised, perhaps it was worth taking up the challenge once more?

I clenched my fist tightly and responded to Diane.

Understood. Please, reincarnate me into another world.

○○○

In Mizgard, I was reincarnated as a human child in a village called Falt on the frontier of the Kingdom of Brute.

Named Silva, I grew up hearing stories about the Royal Order of Knights from my parents.

The Order, based in the royal capital Brutus, served the king and were considered the elite of the elite. Joining them required at least a B-rank skill.

They were the righteous sword that protected the populace from powerful magical beasts and demons.

They saved people, received rewards from the king, and were the pride of human hope with their honor and valor.

This was it. This was the life I'd always wanted.

Determined to be a knight in the Royal Order of Knights, I devoted myself to training with the sword.

Lacking talent in magic, I decided to master the sword instead.

By the tender age of four, I was already grasping a wooden sword, tirelessly practicing over and over.

It was never easy. It was tough and painful, I got injured countless times, and threw up just as much. My palms were covered in blisters.

But knowing that an S-rank skill was within reach kept me going. It energized me to keep pushing no matter what.

By the time I was ten, no other child in the village could match me. I'd even bested opponents six years older than I.

When I declared my intention to become a knight of the Royal Order, people were skeptical at first, but as I diligently worked and showed results, their views changed.

Eventually, I became known as the Prodigy of Falt, the village's most promising star.

It felt great.

I was proud.

I never thought living could be this wonderful.

I was glad I hadn't ascended the stairway to heaven back then.

Reincarnating in Mizgard was a fortunate turn of events.

This time, I'd truly grasped the ideal life I'd always wanted.

○○○

My skill manifested on the morning of my fifteenth birthday.

I sat up in bed, staring dumbfounded at the emblem on the back of my left hand, which indicated the type of skill.

An F-rank skill, Servitude.

That was the skill that manifested in me.

To join the Royal Order, a skill of at least B-rank was required.

My dream was sealed away, out of my reach.

Once again, I faced defeat.

. . . Haha.

Strangely, no tears came, just a dry smile.

What a joke. Life really is utterly pointless.

In Mizgard, skills were a Talent possessed by human and demi-human races. Their significance was immeasurable, to the extent that life could be greatly influenced by the rank of one's skill.

Skills were ranked in seven levels from S to F, with higher ranks indicating higher utility and preferential treatment for the holders.

For instance, holders of the One-Handed Sword skill excelled at handling a sword and wielding its power, being twice as proficient as those without it.

For another example, holders of the Potioncrafting skill could produce Potions, essential items for those who made a living from fighting.

It went without saying that holders of the One-Handed Sword skill were favored as knights, and those with the Potioncrafting skill were treasured as pharmacists.

The rank of a skill was strongly influenced by lineage, and generally correlated with social standing.

However, since skills also tended to reflect the abilities and ideologies of the individuals, it was possible to obtain a high-rank skill through effort. But the opposite was also true.

However, it seemed my efforts were fruitless, and the Skill Seed had also ended in failure.

To put it bluntly, in Mizgard, the value of humans and demi-humans was determined by the rank of their skills.

And my Servitude skill being F-rank meant I was at the very bottom as a person.

Knowing that my manifested skill was F-rank, I wandered aimlessly around Falt village in the early morning like a sleepwalker.

Being a frontier village, the streets of Falt weren't paved, the buildings were shabby, and the population was overwhelmingly smaller compared to cities, meaning hardly anyone was out and about in the early mornings.

The few villagers I occasionally met looked shocked at the sight of me.

Whether it was because I looked utterly disheartened, or because the emblem on my left hand indicated an F-rank skill, the reason wasn't clear.

Not that any of that mattered. Even thinking about it was too bothersome.

The Child Prodigy of Falt being an F-rank skill holder is like a masterpiece of comedy, isn't it?

I murmured to myself, my voice laced with self-mockery.

What now? My dreams were shattered, and having fallen to the lowest depths as a person, how was I to live from here on?

. . . Everything can go to hell for all I care.

I sighed with resignation.

That's right, I should stop harboring hopes as they'll only lead to disappointment. I might as well give up. My life has ended in failure once again.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

The sudden roar echoed as I aimlessly continued wandering until I reached the outskirts of the village.

My gaze drifted listlessly to settle on a massive figure emerging from the forest facing Falt. It easily exceeding three meters in height.

Arms thick as logs pushed apart the trees, and then I saw a mouth wide enough to swallow a person whole, lined with dagger-like fangs.

It was a monster known for its brute strength, an ogre.

A Beast has appeared! Call the militia!

There were piercing screams and urgent cries from the direction I had come.

It's no wonder there was such commotion.

Beast, rated C-rank or higher in terms of danger, were formidable, and only a few people in Falt were capable of subduing them.

The ogre charged, the ground trembling under its weight. I watched as if it were none of my concern.

I couldn't escape the ogre with my lacking speed. Without a doubt, I was going to die here.

I slowly closed my eyes.

Well, this is fine.

That was truly how I felt.

Having lost all my dreams and hopes, continuing to live seemed pointless. Better I died here than lived another life as unrewarding as my previous one.

I might disappoint Lady Diane, but once she heard my skill was F-rank, she'd forgive me. After all, I was supposed to acquire an S-rank skill.

I was tired. I'd apologize to the goddess and ask her to let me ascend to heaven this time. Then I could enter an eternal sleep, free from thought.

I opened my eyes and gazed blankly at the charging ogre.

With a mighty roar, it raised its fist. I was moments away from being reduced to a pulp.

I felt no fear, rather, I felt relieved.

This would be the end of it all. No more walking a thankless path in life.

Just before the fist came crashing down, a pitch-black beast tore through the ogre's side, rending a hole from its left chest to its flank.

The ogre was sliced almost in half, collapsing without a chance to scream, turning to ash and scattering.

I couldn't help but widen my eyes in astonishment.

The fact the ogre was defeated so effortlessly stunned me.

That I was saved when I expected death was just as shocking.

But above all, I was astounded by the pitch-black beast that saved me.

It had arrived like a whirlwind to kill the ogre, a creature that shouldn't have appeared in such a remote village.

The divine beast Fenrir.

I muttered softly.

Fenrir, a giant wolf comparable in size to a grizzly bear, with fur as dark as the night, was classified as a divine beast.

Although the wolf had tremendous combat power, it possessed skills similar to humans and demi-humans, unlike monsters. People considered the wolf a sovereign of the animal kingdom.

An S-rank monster, a literal god-like beast that could bury even demons──that is what a divine beast was.

Why is one of the few divine beasts in the world here? Why did it save me?

As I stood dumbfounded, Fenrir's body began to shrink.

The body, which could have been mistaken for that of a bear, gradually transformed closer to one resembling a human shape. Eventually, Fenrir took the form of a petite young girl.

Her dark, night-colored short hair had slight streaks running through it.

She had black dog ears and a tail to match.

Her eyes were round as garnets and adorable.

She wore black clothes, which were adorned with a fluttering scarf.

Although her face was youthful, her chest was curiously plump, almost like small watermelons.

In her canine-person form, Fenrir looked at me with sparkling eyes.

I finally found you—!!

Whoa?!

While flashing a radiant smile, the girl hugged me tightly.

Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, I lost my balance and we both tumbled to the ground.

Master! Master!

Amidst the confusion, the girl rubbed her cheek against my chest, wagging her tail uncontrollably as if she couldn't contain her joy.

I couldn't make heads or tails of the situation.

Why was Fenrir so attached to me?

And why was she calling me "Master"?

Um . . . who are you? What do you mean by "finally found you"? I don't know any divine beasts . . .

. . . You don't remember?

As I asked, puzzled, Fenrir in her girl form drooped her head, her dog ears flattened, and her tail hung low.

Her gestures reminded me of a puppy from my memories.

Indeed, that puppy also used to droop her ears and tail when she felt lonely.

Quu?

As I called out the name, the girl lifted her face abruptly, her garnet eyes widening.

Are you Quu, the black dog I rescued in my previous life?

Yes! That's me! You saved me, Master!

The anxious expression on her face transformed into one of pure happiness.

It's been a long time, Master!

○○○

When I got home, my parents rushed out to greet me and hugged me tightly.

Since I had left without a word, they were worried upon hearing that an ogre appeared on the outskirts of the village.

Even when I showed them the F-rank skill emblem, they didn't blame me at all. Instead, they scolded me for disappearing without notice.

Both my father and mother were genuinely concerned about me. I felt a slight healing in my frayed heart from their sincere worries.

By the way, they were both so shocked to learn that Quu was a divine beast that they nearly collapsed.

After the commotion, I took Quu to my room and listened to her story.

While I was waiting to be reborn in heaven, Lady Diane told me that you, Master, had been reincarnated into another world a year ago.

She explained, gesturing animatedly as she sat on the bed while I sat on a chair.

I always wanted to repay you, Master, so I thought I'd go to another world too. I asked Lady Diane for help.

And then . . .

She raised her index finger and imitated Lady Diane.

She said, "You're such a good kid! Alright, I will reincarnate you as a divine beast so you can serve Ginji." Then she sent me to Mizgard.

In my previous life, I had rescued several animals.

Being fond of creatures, when I saw animals injured or about to be abandoned, I couldn't ignore them as their plight resonated with my own unrewarded life.

After being reincarnated, I became able to live on my own, so I set out on a journey to find you, Master.

Is that so? But how did you know that it was me you were saving?

Lady Diane made it so I could sense your soul's wavelength, Master. I was searching for you based on that.

That sounded like something Lady Diane would do. She always seemed to me to be kind-hearted.

I was shocked when I found Master being attacked by an ogre! I'm glad I made it in time.

Ah . . . then you saved me, Quu. Thank you.

. . . Master, what's wrong?

Quu's ears drooped, her face filled with concern.

You say I saved you, but you don't look happy?!

. . . You've got me figured out, huh?

I chuckled wryly, almost mocking myself.

When Quu had saved me, a thought had been welling up deep within me.

Just when I thought I was finally putting an end to my life of failures.

It's been tough, and I ended up in a self-destructive mode.

. . . What happened?

She furrowed her brows, her tone worried.

Actually—

I opened up to Quu about everything.

About my life of setbacks in my previous life.

About being reincarnated in Mizgard to start over.

About striving to join the Royal Order of Knights.

About my dreams being shattered when I acquired an F-rank skill.

And so, I started to hate living. When the ogre attacked, I thought, "It'd be easier if I just died here."

Haha.

I let out a dry laugh and scratched my head.

Sorry. Even though you saved me, here I am being so pathetic.

I felt so guilty.

Quu had come all this way to repay a debt of gratitude, yet I had given up on living. I was in no position to complain even if she scolded me.

What must Quu think of me?

Was she disappointed?

Was she furious?

Did she now regret being reincarnated?

I imagined various reactions, yet all my predictions were off the mark.

Quu? Why are you crying?

Big tears began to spill from her garnet eyes.

Because ever since you were reincarnated, you've been trying so hard, haven't you?!

In front of my flustered self, Quu sobbed and sniffled.

You did your best to help others, didn't you?!

I was taken aback.

She had seen right through to my true intentions, which I had told no one.

How . . . how do you know? I never told anyone . . .

You don't have to tell me! You saved me in your previous life! You're a kind person who reaches out to help others!

I gasped.

Just as Quu said, my aim in aspiring to be a knight wasn't just for the accolades.

Every year in Mizgard, there were fatalities due to monsters, and overwhelmingly, those with low-rank skills were the victims.

After all, low-rank skills were less useful and ill-suited for combat.

People who had low-rank skills contributed little to society. Instead, they were often ridiculed as burdens.

Yet they lived on. Despised by those around them, lamenting their own powerlessness, they desperately clung to life each day.

It's too much. As if being unrewarded wasn't enough, they lived on the verge of death, only to be killed by monsters. It was too cruel.

It seemed as if their lives were being mocked as meaningless, and I couldn't bear it!

I wanted to be able to help people who suffered as I did.

Even when I felt like giving up, I kept pushing forward with that desire in my heart.

Master is trying to save everyone! That's why you've been working so hard! You deserve to be rewarded!!

Seeing Quu cry her heart out, I felt something heavy settle in my chest.

This girl understood me. She was angry on my behalf. She was crying for me.

Here was someone who recognized my life.

Suddenly, my vision blurred.

When my F-rank skill emerged, when my dream of joining the Royal Order of Knights was dashed . . . Even at the brink of death by the ogre, my tears had not come. But now, they spilled over.

Quu . . .

Unable to hold back, I embraced Quu as she continued to cry loudly.

Thank you . . . ! For crying for me, for understanding me, for acknowledging my efforts. Thank you . . . !

The warmth gathered in my arms was incredibly gentle.

I'm so glad you're here . . .

○○○

Master, are you alright now?

Yes, thanks to you, Quu, I feel relieved.

After sobbing heavily in each other's arms, Quu and I were sitting side by side on the bed.

She looked up anxiously and I stroked her head with a tender touch.

If it weren't for you, Quu, I might have given up on everything and even taken my own life. Thank you, truly.

No, if Master is happy, then I'm happy too.

Quu, her eyes puffy from crying, narrowed them happily as I smiled back at her.

After a good cry, I feel like I've been reborn.

It felt as if a fog had lifted. It seemed my vision had become quite narrow, cornered as I was.

Even if the skill I acquired was the lowest there could be at F-rank, and I couldn't join the Royal Order of Knights, my life wasn't over.

My parents worried and scolded me out of concern.

Quu cried for me.

I had people who supported me. I wasn't left with nothing.

Perhaps because I now had some emotional leeway, I could think calmly.

Even if I couldn't become a Royal Knight, I could still help people.

There were countless paths available.

Even if I wasn't praised by many people, there were those here who acknowledged me.

That which was most important was right here.

Realizing this, a new way of life became visible to me.

Hey, Quu? I'm going to become an adventurer.

An adventurer was essentially a jack-of-all-trades in Mizgard.

In this monster-infested land, there were many tasks too tough for ordinary people and incidents that the knights alone couldn't resolve.

Such troublesome matters were taken on as quests by adventurers.

The income of an adventurer was unstable and they lived hand in hand with danger. It certainly was not an easy profession.

However, high-ranked adventurers received preferential treatment, and completing quests helped people.

Of all the professions I could choose from, this was the most ideal for me now.

As I set this new goal, Quu's face blossomed into a smile like a bright sunflower.

Then deploy me using Servitude, Master! I want to help you!

She pleaded.

Eh?

I blurted out in a goofy voice.

Isn't that impossible?

As I hesitated and scratched my head, Quu looked sad, her brows furrowed and ears drooping.

Am I not good enough?

No, it's not that I don't want you, Quu! I'd be really happy to have you as a servant, and I'd deploy you if I could!

I flailed my hands, desperately trying to soothe Quu, who had tears at the corners of her eyes.

It's just that deploying a divine beast like you using Servitude is impossible.

Servitude, as the name suggested, was a skill for making allies of monsters, and if successful, you could also use effects like Experience Gain and Telepathic Communication.

As good as that sounded, the success rate of Servitude was extremely low.

Even forming a pact with the weakest of monsters was miraculous, and the stronger the target monster, the lower the success rate became.

In essence, it was almost impossible to use the Servitude skill effectively.

A divine beast possessing strength comparable to an S-rank monster was something you couldn't tame, no matter how many lifetimes you tried.

Despite my explanation, Quu just laughed it off, as if to blow away all my concerns.

That's not a problem at all. I want to be tamed by you, Master, so it's bound to work out!

That's easy for you to say . . .

Faced with her brimming confidence, I scratched my cheek, unsure what to make of it.

As I pondered, Quu hugged my arm with an excited expression, like a child on the eve of an excursion.

Her ample bosom pressed against my arm made my heart skip a beat.

Why don't we just give it a try? There's no limit on how many times you can attempt to use the Servitude skill, right?

Well, yeah, it's not like we have anything to lose.

Caught off guard by the sudden closeness, I found myself agreeing to Quu's request before I knew it.

Her face broke into a grin, and she wagged her tail with such force I feared it would tear off.

Please, let's try it, Master.

Quu bowed her head with her eyes closed.

Despite her hopes, I couldn't help but think it wouldn't be a hundred percent successful.

Imagining Quu's disappointed face made an involuntary sigh escape my lips.

While I thought about how to comfort her, I raised my left hand over Quu's head.

Servitude!

The emblem on my left hand glowed brightly.

I expected the glow to fade quickly, signaling yet another failure.

But contrary to my expectations, the emblem's light only grew more intense.

What?

I let out a dumbfounded sound.

The overflowing light from the emblem transformed into particles, gathering at Quu's neck.

Click!

The pin-pricks of light formed a leather collar, a sign that Servitude had succeeded.

No way, this can't be real!

With my eyes wide in shock, Quu opened her eyes and smiled sheepishly.

See? It worked out just fine!

What? Seriously? Did I actually tame Quu? Had I become the master of a divine beast? Succeeding in taming a divine beast with Servitude was unheard of!

Still in disbelief, I watched as she playfully touched the collar around her neck.

She seemed delighted by the existence of the collar.

Yay! You did it!

Quu swayed her body joyfully.

Now I'm officially your pet, Master!