Chapter 35 (1/2)

Reunion (One-Sided) with the Old World

Black-haired people were rare in this world. Those with black hair and black eyes were even rarer.

Hikaru quickly hid himself. The hotdog stand owner was staring in his direction. There's a girl talking all high-and-mighty in front of you! Look at her, not me! he thought. But the owner kept his eyes on him. What's wrong with you?!

Hikaru set his cla.s.s to Stealth G.o.d: Darkness Wanderer, activated his Stealth skills, then stepped out into the open.

「Ah, hotdog! How I missed this! Though it's not like I ate a lot of them before!」

The owner didn't say a word, still staring at Hikaru's general direction.

Why are you looking this way?! Can you see me?!

Hikaru moved left and right, but the man's eyes kept following him. His Stealth should be on right now. As proof, the people walking down the road didn't notice him at all. Yet the owner had his eyes fixed on Hikaru.

「Hey, mister! Are you listening?!」

「Yeah.」

「What are you looking at?!」

「Yeah.」

The fact that the man didn't even answer properly scared Hikaru. An enemy who was immune to the effects of Stealth had appeared. He wanted to check the owner's Soul Board, but right now the girl with the black hair and eyes was more important.

「What the…」

Hikaru froze from what he saw.

【Soul Board】Selica Tanoue

Age: 17 Soul Rank: 104

29

I expected a j.a.panese surname, but not that rank. Seriously, a hundred and four?! He had never seen such a number before. In fact, he didn't know it was possible to go over a hundred. Her Skill tree was as follows…

【Vitality】

..【Natural Recovery】4

..【Stamina】4

..【Immunity】

….【Magic Resistance】5 (MAX)

….【Disease Immunity】1

….【Toxic Immunity】3

【Magical Power】

..【Mana】19

..【Spirit Affinity】

….【Fire】5

….【Air】5

….【Earth】5

….【Water】5

……【Spirit's Affection】3

……【Magic Principle】0

….【Magic Creation】2

【Dexterity】

..【Tool Mastery】

….【Pottery】3

He took a second look without thinking. Immunity-type Skills were probably maxed out at five points. That part was fine. The problem was her Mana which had 19 points on it. Lavia's 11 points was already plenty and this girl had 1.5 times more than that. She's a monster.

It was strange how all four of her elements had the same five points. Lavia had six on Fire which provided incredible firepower to her spells, and the reason why the king wanted her. But this girl had five points in all of them. She had three points on another Skill as well - Spirit's Affection - that was unknown to him.

I guess this Spirit's Affection balances her affinity to the elements?

Countless questions raced through his mind. Although her having zero points on Magic Principle most likely meant her mana consumption was awful.

But one thing's clear: She's j.a.panese. We're probably in the same boat. The fact that she has plenty of unused points could also mean she can check Soul Boards.

She was only seventeen, yet her Soul Rank was a hundred and four. That meant she raised levels like crazy which was pretty much what a j.a.panese person would do.

Why would anyone raise their levels in RPGs? The answer was simple. Because they can.

A lot of j.a.panese people loved levelling. If I levelled up, something awesome is bound to happen. She seemed to believe in that which meant she probably played RPGs before.

She's a member of the Four Stars of the East, for sure.

The high stats and the fact that she had no one else with her meant she was an adventurer. Someone this strong would be among the higher ranks. Hikaru wouldn't be surprised if she was rank B. In fact she could even be higher than that.

A powerful adventurer like her being in Pond couldn't have been a coincidence. It was safe to a.s.sume she was a member of the four-women party of B-ranked adventurers known as the Four Stars of the East.

Please don't tell me the other three are j.a.panese as well. Just calm down, Hikaru. She might not be an enemy. Who knows, maybe we'll get along since we're both j.a.panese? Nah, I shouldn't reveal my ident.i.ty to her. Their party is famous. I can't be linked with them or Lavia will be in danger. Wait a sec… Why are they even in Pond?

There was only one reason they would be in town. The request about escorting Count Morgstad's daughter that they were supposed to take, but got stolen from them by rank C adventurers. What they thought about that, Hikaru could only guess. But wouldn't it be safe to a.s.sume that they were interested in Lavia?

I have to stay away from them for sure.

Hikaru backed away quietly.

Hey, hotdog guy. Why are you staring at me?!

Hikaru hightailed it away from the place.

「Hey, mister!」the girl said.

「Yeah.」

「I asked what you were looking at.」

「Cats.」

「Cats? Oh, wow, you're right!」