Chapter 7

It's a fine day.

Flying over the forest at a jogging pace, I look up at the sky above.

It's a perfect day for a picnic.

"You must be tired. Let's have a meal first, shall we?"

I call out to Hanna, who is peering down at the ground with a pale face.

She's not good with heights, I guess.

Her brother seems delighted to be flying, his eyes sparkling as he looks around.

Her sister, on the other hand, frowns suspiciously and glares at me.

Yeah, being cautious is important.

She must sense that I'm not a good guy.

Come to think of it, I used to get barked at by dogs a lot on Earth.

Ah, I feel a bit teary-eyed.

Well, being cautious to this extent is just right.

I can't meet their expectations if they have too much hope.

"Do you have any preferences?"

In response to my question, the three of them exchange glances, and Hanna shakes her head.

"Then I'll just lay out a variety of dishes. Please eat what you like."

I reach into the camouflage bag and take out onigiri, fried chicken, sandwiches, and other picnic staples created with the replication magic.

Oops, I can't forget the drinks. Orange juice should be fine.

"Eh? W-were those in that bag?"

It's understandable that they're surprised, given the amount I took out of the bag, which exceeds its capacity.

"This is a storage item that can hold a lot of things. The quality doesn't degrade inside, so there's no problem. Is this your first time seeing it?"

"Yes, I've heard of it, but..."

"Like this flying item, it's essential for merchants."

In addition, I have a wide range of combat items. Merchants are truly versatile.

"Come on, let's eat quickly. It won't taste good if it gets cold."

To reassure them and also to taste-test, I start eating first.

Yeah, it's delicious.

The onigiri made with local rice is the best. The Special A award is not for nothing!

Seeing me enjoy the food, the siblings tentatively reach out and start eating, gradually speeding up.

"Wow, this triangular grain has fish in it."

"The brown meat is delicious too, sis!"

"Is this bread? I've never had such white bread... It's so soft and delicious."

The younger sister seems to like the sandwich, eating it in small bites like a squirrel.

In this world, meat, vegetables, and bread seem to be the main staples, and grains like rice are rare.

The bread being hard and not white might be due to cost or technology.

Anyway, it seems that Japanese cuisine is delicious even in this world.

They're surprised by such simple dishes.

I'll have to be careful when serving more elaborate dishes.

The food created with replication magic seems to be safe for others to eat.

The first experiment is complete.

"Here, have some drinks too."

I pour orange juice into a glass and hand it to Kyle, who was choking.

"Is this squeezed orange? What a luxury."

"It's too sweet for orange..."

It's 100% juice, so there shouldn't be any sugar.

But it must be sweet because the fruits in this world are bitter.

In Japan, fruits have been improved to be sweeter to meet consumer needs.

Here, sweet foods like sugar and honey are probably rare.

"There's plenty, so take your time."

They must have been tired and hungry from the long journey on foot.

They eat enthusiastically.

Yeah, go ahead and eat your fill.

Thinking this way, I start to feel like a babysitter.

Excuse me, I'm not that old to have such big kids.

I'm still in my mid-thirties.

...Yeah, I'm definitely an old man.

"Thank you for the meal. Everything was delicious, and I've never tasted such things before."

"Thank you, mister merchant."

"It was delicious... abnormally so."

The three of them thank me after finishing their meal.

I'm a bit concerned about the last comment from the younger sister, but it seems they've opened up a bit.

The power of food is great.

"Now that we've had a meal, let's get ready. First, I'll check everyone's 'aptitude.'"

"Aptitude?"

It seems to be an unfamiliar word, as Hanna asks.

"Using an appraisal item, we can determine what kind of combat style suits each person. It's best to use a weapon that fits you."

"An appraisal can tell you that much?"

Unfortunately, low-rank items can't do that.

I'm wearing the highest-level 'Appraisal Ring 10.'

Compared to the Rank 6 I first got, the types of items it can appraise, the distance, and the accuracy are vastly superior.

This is why it can appraise 'latent abilities.'

If they had combat skills, it would be easier, but they're ordinary people, so they probably don't have combat skills.

So, I'll check their latent talents that can be developed.

Let's appraise them right away.

...Hmm, they each have different talents.

"Hanna has a high aptitude for 'Fire Magic,' so I'll give her a staff item that conserves magic power. Mina has a high aptitude for 'Spear Skills,' so I'll give her a spear item that becomes sharper with magic power. Kyle has a high aptitude for 'Archery,' so I'll give him a bow item that turns magic power into arrows."

I take out three magic items and lay them out.

The three of them hesitate, as they've never held weapons before, but Kyle takes one first, followed by his sister and then his younger sister.

Even the youngest is a boy.

"Using them isn't difficult. You'll get used to them quickly."

"Really, do I have a high aptitude for spear skills?"

The question comes from Mina.

She holds the spear with both hands, looking at it seriously.

"There's no mistake. Spear skills are the most promising in combat. But if you're not comfortable with direct attacks, we can switch to a bow. I won't force you."

"...I want the strongest one. I'll use the spear."

She nods solemnly, believing my words, and checks the grip.

She seems to be happy to know she has strength.

Her latent ability is 'Spear Skills 4,' but there's no need to tell her that.

Even Rank 4 should be somewhat effective in combat.

"Kyle, have you used a bow before?"

"...Yeah, Dad taught me a little."

His gesture of drawing the string was perfect, so I asked, and it seems I hit the mark.

But, I made a mistake.

It seems to have reminded him of his deceased parents.

"In that case, you'll get better quickly."

"---Yeah."

This time, he nods enthusiastically.

Good, crying would be a hassle.

I don't have kids, but I've experienced the challenges of babysitting my nephews.

"Hanna, you can use magic, right?"

She already has 'Fire Magic 1.'

Her latent ability is also high at Rank 7.

"Yes, but I only use it for household chores, so I can't defeat monsters."

"That's true. This item won't increase the power, so let's try another method."

I'll have Hanna not only use the item but also conduct scientific experiments.

Actually, it's more important to measure the abilities of the locals than to experiment with items.

I want to know about their combat abilities, such as how they learn skills, use magic, and grow in terms of performance and level-up.

"How should we fight?"

Mina asks. She seems more motivated than anxious.

Kyle also nods strongly.

Their willingness to face monsters suggests they trust me a bit.

But I'm sorry.

What we're about to do isn't a cool battle.

It's just a massacre.

"It's simple. I'll use an item to stop the monsters' movements, and you just attack them. You don't have to worry about counterattacks."

Yes, they don't need to fight head-on.

They just need to use the items.

"Can you really do that!?"

"It's easy with a restraining item. You can use the items freely on the immobile targets."

Hanna, relieved that there's no risk of injury, sighs with relief, her somewhat large chest heaving.

She's a worrywart.

Well, I'm the one egging them on, after all.

On the other hand, Mina and Kyle look disappointed, as if they were let down.

No, no, no, it's impossible to fight head-on at Level 5.

Even the lowest-ranked monster, Rank 1, is as strong as a human at Level 10.

You were crying when the monsters chased you earlier, kids are scary.

Dying pointlessly won't help with any experiments.

"Let's fight normally after you level up."

Whether I allow it will depend on how your stats improve.

"Right, I understand."

"Yeah, I'll definitely get stronger!"

It seems the younger sister and brother are convinced.

With that, the preparations are complete.

Let's start the experiment right away.