Chapter 60

Yago, with sweat beading on his forehead, said,

"Yes. I have reaffirmed that you are an incredibly strong person. I am but a humble individual, yet I have seen the aura of a powerful person that you emit."

"That's an exaggeration. By the way, I only have a talent for physical enhancement, and I don't possess any magical talents except for [Increase Magic Power]."

"!?"

The content of what I said should have been exactly what Yago 'saw.'

The people around me began to murmur as I casually mentioned my talents.

"Could it be that you use magic without possessing the Eightfold Magic talent?"

"Indeed... It is said that experts can deliberately exclude magical talents."

"To be able to use such powerful magic at your age is a remarkable talent. Truly a born talent."

I listened to these words with a smile.

(Not really.)

In my heart, I stuck out my tongue.

After all, I don't have any of those talents.

I only have two talents right now.

One is [All-Encompassing ★★★★★★★★★★].

The other is [Orb Mimicry ★★★].

These are the talents that were originally placed in Asha's body, and thanks to them, I can be seen by anyone without any issues.

(Still, that must have been [Orb Vision]. I probably learned it with [All-Encompassing].)

I really want to try it out, but I'll wait for the right opportunity. It seems I can't use it without shaking hands, and peeking at others' talents is a bad habit, so I probably won't get many chances to use it.

"——By the way, Mayor, do you know anything about the sage who is said to be on the islands off the coast?"

"The 'Sage of Pharmacology,' yes. I do know about him. He is on an island in a rather difficult sea, so only the most skilled sailors can reach it."

"Is that so..."

It seems it will be difficult to arrive.

In the worst case, I could get someone to take me as close as possible and then fly the rest of the way...? It would be quite a strain on my body, but if it's just temporary, I'll have to do my best...

"——That's an old story."

"Huh?"

The tone of the mayor's voice suddenly changed.

"Now that we have magic ships, the tides are no longer a problem. A magic ship can easily reach the island."

"Really!?"

Amazing. The progress of science is amazing.

Even in this world where magic is omnipotent, science has advanced!

"Here, for the 'Hero' Raze, we will mobilize the military's magic ship—"

"Wait a moment, Mayor. I will provide my magic ship for this."

The mayor's brother suddenly interjected.

"No! I insist that we use my guild's ship."

Yago also interjected. I don't really want to ride on his ship.

"No."

A firm voice—Asha herself also interjected.

"I will transport him with the Elven magic airship! For no one else but Raze!"

"Your Highness, the use of the 'Owl's Wing Flap' for purposes other than its intended use is strictly prohibited. Even for Princess Anastasia, it is not allowed."

"Ah..."

Asha blushed and looked down, scolded by Polina. She looked like a small child who had just failed, and the adults watched her with warm smiles (I included).

"Thank you, Asha. I appreciate your feelings."

"...Ugh, am I not useful at all...?"

"You defeated a sea monster. If it weren't for Asha, it would have been dangerous."

When I said this, the adults also joined in, praising her with "That's right, that's right" and "Princess Anastasia is amazing." It really looked like they were encouraging a small, dejected child.

"Then—let's decide who will take Raze to the island of the 'Sage of Pharmacology' by drawing cards!"

"Hmm..."

"I have no objections."

"Then I will participate."

"Me too."

The adults, led by the mayor, shuffled into the mansion. It seems that the number of magic ship owners had increased, and nearly ten people had volunteered.

"...Is it okay?"

I have no idea how much it costs to use a magic ship.

As I was flustered by the rapid progress of the conversation, Asha said softly,

"Raze, you're very popular. I feel a little... lonely."

"Asha?"

"We were alone when we went to the other world, but now, more and more people are around Raze. And when we returned to this world, even more people gathered around you."

"...There are many people who are willing to help, but not many will stay with you in the future."

"Is that so...?"

"Yes. Trends are fleeting, and evaluations can change at any time. That's how I understand it. So..."

I recalled what Asha had said.

—I want to be with Raze... always, from now on!!

It truly resonated with me.

"...I was very happy that Asha said she wants to go on adventures with me."

Asha blinked and let out a small sigh, as if saying, "What a troublesome guy."

"Did I say something strange?"

"No. For now, that's fine. Because I only receive from Raze. ...But only for now, mind you."

"? Yes."

"Right... I have a gift for Raze."

Polina handed Asha a wrapped item, which she showed me.

A small leather... belt, perhaps?

"For me?"

"Yes. —Then, Raze, I will go now."

"A..."

Asha's dress swayed as she left, illuminated by the flames of the bonfire.

It had already grown dark, and night had fallen.

Asha, illuminated by the firelight, looked beautiful no matter how much she tried to avoid it—

"Asha!"

For some reason, I felt that Asha was moving further and further away from me.

There were many things we needed to discuss, like what she would do next, what happened to the dark elves, and the matter of her release from the Lev Magic Empire—

"I need to treat my sister now... but when that's done, let's go on an adventure."

For some reason, I could only say that we should go on an adventure.

Asha stopped and turned her face toward me,

"Of course. It's a promise."

And she said it with a smile.

Thank you for taking on many challenges!

The correct answer is,

(3) Yago did not see the contents of the talent.

I mentioned [Orb Mimicry] casually in the "hidden world," so many people might have remembered it.

(Is this a test of memory?)

The fact that mimicry is ★3 and the viewing skill is ★1 indicates that mimicry is superior in terms of ability.

After all, mimicry only has meaning against viewing skills, and if it could be easily seen through, it would be useless. The only benefit of mimicry is that it can't be seen. (Isn't that right?)

I don't think there will be many opportunities to bring up this setting, so I'll write about it a bit in the afterword.

Also, I'm very sorry, but I will be taking a break tomorrow due to various circumstances. My schedule is starting to fall apart.