by Okina Baba
Huff… Whew. Okay.
Detection on.
GAHHH! It’s too much! Off, offfff!
Wheeze… Owww. My head hurts.
Right, right. My Parallel Thinking skill was only level 1.
Based on my experiences so far, I shouldn’t have expected much from a level-1 skill.
Nothing really feels any different this go-around.
That raised Parallel Thinking, but it raised Detection, too.
Detection leveling up doesn’t help me at all!
All that’ll do is add to the amount of information and make things even worse!
If both of them level up at the same time, it’s like taking one step forward and two steps back.
And my stupid Detection seems to have an insane growth rate that raises its level every single time I activate it, so really, it’s more like three steps back.
Plus, it’ll grow even faster now because of Pride.
Seriously, what’s up with this damn Detection skill?
What a monstrous foe. I can’t believe it’s outsmarted even me!
Who knew there was an enemy as strong as that earth dragon lurking so close by?
I don’t think I’m gonna win this one.
Anyway, maybe I should just wait for my Parallel Thinking skill to level up for now.
It certainly doesn’t seem like I can use it to partition my thoughts or anything at the moment, so the only way I can think of to earn more proficiency is by thinking about something else while looking at Appraisal results.
Apparently, activating Detection raises it, too, but I really don’t want to mess with that anymore.
Hmph. Still, I don’t think the idea itself was a bad one…
If my thinking ability improves, then I should be able to use Detection eventually…probably.
Man, when I looked at the skill list before, I thought the Parallel Thinking skill was my best bet, though…
Hmm. Let me look at the list again.
Since I have fewer points now, there aren’t as many on it as before.
But there are still quite a few.
It seems like most skills can be acquired with 100 points.
Aside from certain high-performance and totally broken skills.
Although I was able to get one broken skill, Pride, for 100 points.
Anyway, the only skills that seem like they might help with Detection are:
I think that’s about it.
Not a lot of options. And I don’t think the Memory one is quite right, either.
In which case, Arithmetic Processing is the most likely candidate, but would taking that really be enough to let me use Detection?
Hmm, hmm, hmm. I mean, I thought Parallel Thinking was the best option, and that hasn’t helped much so far…
Arithmetic Processing would probably be pretty useless at a low level, too.
Oh, wait a sec.
“Arithmetic” is basically math, right?
If I do some mental math, maybe I’ll get the skill for free?
Yeah. That’s probably worth a try.
Okay, maybe I’ll think about powers of 2 for a while…
2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64……
……8,192; 16,384; um…32,768 maybe?
This is getting pretty tough.
What’s next? Hmm…
Oh! Nice, nice. My plan worked perfectly.
Hmm. Should I give it a shot?
It’s probably not gonna work, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Huff… Whew. Okay.
Detection on.
GYAAAH! Still too much! Off, off!
Wheeze… Owww. My head hurts. Again.
This isn’t gonna work, huh? It’s just too much. My head feels like it’s gonna burst. I don’t like pain.
Ugh… Unreal.
Wait, what happened to my Pain Mitigation?
I’ve gone through a bunch of near-death experiences, so why is this pain too much for me to handle?
And hey, why did my Heresy Resistance skill level up anyway?
What does that mean? Is it because Mr. Detection’s assault on my head is so demonic?
There’s nothing weird about calling it an “attack,” right?
I mean, my resistance even became better.
Let me think about this.
The heresy attribute is something about attacking the soul directly, right?
So if my Heresy Resistance improved, that means the results of Detection aren’t affecting just my brain, but my soul itself.
Does that mean that half of this headache is actually my soul aching?
That’s scary!
My soul’s not gonna wear out if I keep doing this, right? I don’t wanna suddenly go brain-dead, okay?
Oh, okay. Good thing the effect of Prediction isn’t based on correct answers!
It’s fine. That was just a prediction, nothing to worry about. Let’s go with that.
Hmm. But in that case, doesn’t that mean a soul-related skill would help me withstand Detection?
I don’t see anything like that on the list, though.
All there is, is Heresy Resistance.
So I’ll just have to keep leveling up Heresy Resistance, then?
…How do I do that?
Ahh… It’s no use.
I should just stick to the original plan: Keep raising Parallel Thought and Arithmetic Processing.
After all, they both advanced when I activated Detection, which means they must be involved in the process somehow. Until then, I’m putting Detection back off-limits. I’m a little scared of using it.
Okay, so now that I sort of have a plan for Detection, what am I going to do about the heat in the Middle Stratum?
Maybe it’d help a little if I had Fire Resistance or something?
But I think my whole body might be weak to fire, not just my thread…
I didn’t see Fire Resistance when I looked at the list before.
Does that mean it’s not something I can obtain with 200 skill points?
There were other resistances on the list, but no fire.
This is just a guess, but I think maybe since I’m weak to fire, it’s harder for me to obtain Fire Resistance.
Oh, hello there again. You sure level up fast, huh? It’s probably the effect of Pride in action again.
Well anyway, since I know it won’t be easy, let’s aim to acquire Fire Resistance while training my HP Auto-Recovery skill.
To that end, I’ll go to the Middle Stratum a couple times a day, then come back when my HP goes down.
Taking damage probably means I’m gaining proficiency for Fire Resistance, or maybe Heat Resistance, if that’s a thing.
I don’t know how long it’ll take, but sooner or later, I think I’ll probably get a Fire or Heat Resistance skill.
And when my HP goes down, HP Auto-Recovery will kick in, so that’s two b
irds with one stone.
If my defense and recovery exceed the passive damage I take, I should be able to walk around, at least.
In the meantime, I’ll work on my other skills.
Parallel Thinking and Arithmetic Processing for the Detection plan, for starters.
I may try to improve my stat-increasing skills while I’m at it, too.
In particular, Skanda, Herculean Strength, and Sturdy all improve the growth rate of my stats, so I should give them top priority.
But… I know running around should increase my Skanda skill, and doing push-ups or leg-ups or whatever should increase Herculean Strength, but what about Sturdy?
Since it’s for defense, does that mean I have to get hit with attacks?
Hmm. Maybe if I do some Thread Control practice and use it to whip my own body or something?
I hate pain, but I guess it might be worth a try…
Also, if I’m going to be staying here for a while, I should probably secure some food.
My stamina isn’t decreasing right now thanks to Overeating, but sooner or later, I’ll have to eat.
Probably a good idea to look around a little and make some preparations for hunting.
It may even be worth setting up a few webs for capturing prey.
I can lay some traps with thread that’s as close to invisible as I can manage.
Yeah, there’s an idea. Let’s go with that.
Even if a strong monster capable of breaking through my thread gets caught by mistake, I won’t be there, so no harm done.
All right, then, let’s put this plan in action.
My HP’s recovered, so I guess I’ll go back to the Middle Stratum and work on reducing my HP again.
…Man, when I put it that way, it sure doesn’t sound fun.
So… Hello from the Middle Stratum!
It’s hot, folks! I’d tell you how hot, but it’s impossible to measure! Mostly because I don’t have a thermometer!
Today’s forecast predicts magma spewing around all day!
It’ll be much too hot for even this intrepid weather reporter to venture outside!
This has been a live on-site report from the Middle Stratum! Back to you in the studio!
Whew. It’s reeeally hot.
Neither of my skills has gone up yet, either. Guess I might as well take my time.
I mean, it’s not like I’m being chased or anything.
ACADEMY
There’s something called an academy in this country.
In our old world, the expectation is that everyone goes to school, but in this world, getting a formal education is fairly unusual. The only people able to afford it are aristocrats and other members of the privileged class, particularly wealthy commoners or people otherwise blessed with a great deal of natural talent.
Because I’m a member of the royal family, I can attend school without a problem.
Sue is in the same boat, of course, as well as Katia, who clears the conditions by being the daughter of a duke.
And so the three of us were sent off to academy together.
Just like school in our old world, there are general studies taught here.
At the same time, though, there are classes that teach us how to fight.
If anything, the latter is the main focus.
This continent, Daztrudia, is human territory, but the other continents are still embroiled in violent battles against demons and monsters.
There are monsters here on Daztrudia, as well—to the point where there’s always a need for more capable fighters.
So we spend a lot of our time at school learning about combat.
Sue, Katia, and I are at the academy entrance ceremony.
Fei is considered my pet (or rather my familiar), so I can’t bring her along.
Apparently, I can bring her to class, but she isn’t allowed to participate in events like these.
Looking around, I see other incoming students my age, sitting in chairs and waiting for the ceremony to begin.
This is the largest academy in the region, so a lot of kids come here from other countries, too.
As I size up the other students, most of them either hurriedly look away or stare directly at me.
I can feel eyes on me, too, and hear the whispered rumors.
“That’s the prince of this country sitting over there.”
“I heard he’s some kind of genius, but he doesn’t look that strong to me…”
“I wonder if we can get close to him somehow?”
Because of my Auditory Enhancement skill, I can hear every word they’re saying.
Now I’m feeling really uncomfortable.
“Gooood morning!”
A nonchalant voice breaks through the strained atmosphere.
Turning to look, I saw the elf Filimøs, formerly known as Ms. Oka.
“Good morning. It’s strange to see you as a student now.”
“I’m very excited to experience youth all over again, you knooow!”
With that, she sits down beside me.
Sue, who is seated on my other side, regards Ms. Oka with an expression that borders on a scowl.
In fact, she’s definitely scowling at Ms. Oka.
Oh, right. This is Sue’s first time meeting my former teacher.
“Come on, Sue, don’t glare at people. Sorry, ma’am. This is my sister, Sue.”
“Oh-ho! I see, I seeee. Verrry cute.”
Ms. Oka scrutinizes Sue with a smile that elicits a bad feeling in my gut.
She’s definitely not thinking anything decent.
“Brother, who is this suspicious-looking person?”
Understandably, Sue is trying to shield herself behind me a little.
“Shun, dear, you haven’t done anything strange to your poor sister, have you?”
Teacher, please don’t ask me that with such a serious expression.
Of course I haven’t done anything.
“Sue, this is Filimøs, an elf who’ll be joining us at school. Shun and I have met her before, you see. Though she looks like a child, it’s only because elves age quite slowly—she’s actually the same age we are. She’s also worked in many different places, so if anything, she knows more of the world than any of us.”
Katia steps in to explain things to Sue for me.
I’m not good at laying things out so clearly, so Katia’s support is a big help.
“Nice to meet youuu!”
“…You too.”
Sue still looks rather guarded, but she reluctantly exchanges greetings with Ms. Oka.
“Katia, does my brother prefer childish women like this?”
“Oh, it’s not like that at all, don’t worry. Despite her looks, Ms. Filimøs is quite dependable, so Shun simply views her with respect.”
You know I can hear you whispering, right?
I’m absolutely not a lolicon, thank you very much.
I’ll have to thank Katia for backing me up later—and have a few words with Sue.
Apparently, Ms. Oka overheard this conversation, as well. I muster a wry smile despite my sulky mood, and she returns it in kind.
The entrance ceremony ends without any issues.
Afterward, most of the students return to the dormitories or set out to explore the campus.
The academy is a boarding school.
I’m no exception to this rule, so I’ll be living in a dorm while I’m attending.
Unless there are special circumstances, students can’t leave school grounds except during long holidays.
“What shall we do next?” Katia poses the question in socialite mode.
We’ve already gotten our dorm rooms set up.
I’d like to see the academy grounds if possible, but I have a feeling Fei would scold me later if I left her alone for that long, so I should go back to the dormitory first.
“There’re a few people I’d like to meeeet. Would you all come with meee?”
Just as I’m about to head back to my dorm, my former
teacher calls out to us.
“Someone you’d like to meet?”
“Oh, yesss. The future saint and the future sword-king. It wouldn’t hurt for you to get to know them as well, you knooow!”
The saint and the sword-king.
The saint is a symbolic figure from our neighboring kingdom, the Holy Kingdom of Alleius.
Often called the hero’s counterpart, the woman designated as the saint in each generation is obliged to work alongside the hero.
The saint is selected based purely on ability, not pedigree.
And since the Holy Kingdom of Alleius is the main seat of the religion called the Word of God, all the followers of that religion gather there.
In other words, the saint is chosen from an elite group of female followers of the Word of God.
The current saint, of course, accompanies my older brother Julius.
Her name is Yaana, I believe. A master of Light and Recovery Magic, she’s the only woman in my brother’s party.
I’ve only met her a handful of times, but I remember thinking she was pretty tomboyish for a saint.
So this person at the academy would be Yaana’s successor, then.
The sword-king is the title of the ruler of the Renxandt Empire, the country with the highest human population on the continent of Kasanagara.
The Renxandt Empire is adjacent to demon territory, so it’s endlessly under siege.
To lead that country, the most important requirement is strength.
As a result, it’s said that subsequent generations of rulers have taken the alias of the first king, the “sword-king,” as their title.
While the saint is chosen from a pool of talented candidates regardless of their lineage, the sword-king is based purely on bloodline.
Which means the current sword-king’s son is enrolled at this academy.
“Ah yes, the crown price of the Renxandt Empire. I’ve certainly heard the rumors. I believe he’s a first-year at the academy this year, just like us. He’s said to be a sword master to rival the memory of the original sword-king, or such is the claim.”
Katia, how do you know about this?
This is the first I’m hearing about it.
“Shun, you should try paying attention to the world around you a little more, too.”
Katia raises her eyebrows at me. My expression must’ve betrayed my thoughts.