Chapter 7

Shiro took us to a weapons and armor shop she was familiar with, where we had my equipment adjusted.

Since Kousuke's initial stats were outstanding, there was no need for heavy armor, so he didn't end up looking like a typical adventurer. In fact, his appearance hardly changed at all.

The only changes were that his thin sneakers were replaced with boots that resembled military boots, and his cheap black hoodie was replaced with a white coat with blue lines, woven with anti-magic material.

Additionally, he purchased a straight sword.

Personally, it still felt like a cheap costume, but fortunately, the gazes from those around him weren't too cold, so it seemed that the people of Arcerea didn't find Kousuke as uncool as he thought.

"Without knowing your combat style, it would be a waste to get the wrong equipment, so let's start with this."

Shiro's words made sense, and Kousuke agreed. It was also hard to complain when he was borrowing money.

Shiro's outfit, on the other hand, had a distinct adventurer vibe, more specifically, that of a female thief.

Her elbow pads, knee pads, and leg guards were all made from black-dyed bones, which seemed quite durable.

She wore short pants and a tight-fitting top that resembled a rash guard, emphasizing her impressive bust.

Her belt and shoulder straps held throwing knives, two of which were daggers.

"Are you not the type to engage in direct combat?"

"I'm a girl, after all."

"But you can fight."

"I'm a visitor, you know."

"Can you at least guess my fighting style?"

After leaving the weapons and armor shop, they walked side by side for a while.

"Usually, you focus on the stats that grow the fastest. For example, someone with high strength might have low speed, so they would choose a greatsword or battle axe and wear heavy armor."

"That makes sense. But I don't know the average stats in this world. Even if someone says they're amazing, I can't tell how amazing they are, so I can't choose. Can you show me your stats?"

Shiro's ears twitched, and then her cheeks flushed as she looked down.

"...I'm embarrassed, so no."

"......I see."

He didn't press the issue, seeing how genuinely embarrassed she was, but he was still very curious.

She had demanded a kiss on the cheek, yet showing her stats was too embarrassing. It was a bit confusing.

But, thinking about it, it wasn't entirely unreasonable. Even in his world, there were students who didn't want to show their report cards.

Many people, when in a system that clearly shows differences from others, would prefer not to feel inferior or jealous.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked so casually."

Quin, too, had mostly hidden her stats even when she said it was okay to look.

Showing one's weaknesses might be equivalent to exposing one's vulnerabilities, so perhaps he should refrain from doing so in the future.

"No, it's okay. Um, these are average visitor stats, if that helps."

A notification blinked in the upper left corner of his vision. Given the context, it was probably Shiro's.

When he focused on it, the following information appeared:

【Name】Normal

【Level】1

【Class】Visitor

【Stats】

Health 160 (100)

Mana 200 (100)

Strength 100 (60)

Vitality 150 (70)

Stamina 15 (5)

Skill 60 (15)

Speed 75 (25)

Intelligence 15 (5)

Fate 50 (0)

Talent 0 (0)

【Status】Healthy

【Experience】0

【Skills】

◆Innate Skills

◆Acquired Skills I

Strength Correction C

Vitality Correction C

Stamina Correction E

Skill Correction D

Speed Correction D

Intelligence Correction E

◆Acquired Skills II

◆Acquired Skills III

【Magic】

◆Suitable Magic Attributes: Fire, Wind

【Blessings】

【Curses】

【Awards】

【Equipment】

Set of Otherworldly Decorations — No Correction

The stats made Kousuke feel quite sorry.

"Indeed, it's no wonder the people in the tavern were surprised."

"Not always, but for a visitor like this, it would be difficult to match Crow's stats until they reach level 30 or 40. And this is with the visitor correction. The average Arcerean is even lower."

"Such a gap could lead to discrimination against visitors."

"It's not entirely absent, but it's not common. Visitors have been suggested to exist since the mythological era and are recorded as having greatly contributed to the victory of humans during the Human-Demon War. In other words, to most citizens, visitors are heroes who have saved them from ancient times to the present."

"Heroes... huh."

For a moment, he thought of Quin.

"Huh? Don't you like it? I thought boys generally liked that kind of thing."

It seemed Shiro had a rather restless personality. She walked with a light, bouncy step, and her large breasts jiggled violently with each step, drawing a lot of attention.

"I don't know... When I was a kid, I admired heroes like everyone else, but I realized early on that they didn't exist."

If heroes existed, why didn't they save his sister?

Was their voice not heard?

Were there too many people in trouble for them to help?

No matter the reason, they were incompetent.

No one admires incompetence.

Thus, Kousuke's feelings of hope and admiration died.

So, the idea of becoming one himself felt unreal.

Honestly, he didn't even want to.

"Hmm, you have a complicated past, it seems."

"Is that not the case for all visitors?"

"Yes, that's why I don't ask rudely."

"Thanks."

Honestly, it wasn't something he wanted to talk about.

"Anyway, Crow has high stats across the board."

"Especially high mana, it seems."

"Right. But his physical stats are also quite high, so he might become a magic warrior. Though, no one has stats high enough to be clearly classified as such."

"I don't have much experience with swords, but I'm good at brawling."

He almost said "torture."

"Hehe, it's good to have something you're good at. You'll gain more as you go."

The sound of flowing water caught his attention, and he noticed a clear stream running alongside the path.

"This way."

Shiro grabbed his hand, as if to say, "No distractions allowed."

"What's the age of adulthood in this world?"

"Fifteen."

"In that case, I'm not a child anymore. I don't need to hold hands all the time."

"Can you handle getting lost from me, Crow?"

"......I'll endure it for a little while."

"People are cutest when they're honest."

For her, "cute" seemed to be a significant compliment.

As a man, it wasn't a particularly flattering description.

After walking for a while, they arrived at what looked like a market.

He had a sudden urge to explore, but the hand holding his wouldn't allow it.

"Hey, old man, we're here!"

The shop had a counter built into the wall, similar to a tobacco or lottery shop in his world, but it was larger and run by a muscular middle-aged man.

"Hey, Shiro. So, you finally got a boyfriend, huh?"

"Actually, I did! I wanted to introduce him to you, old man!"

"Sure, sure, kid, it must be tough dealing with a fool like that!"

The old man (temporarily named) seemed to see through the lie without needing correction.

Kousuke nodded slightly and introduced himself.

"I'm Crow. I appeared in Arcerea today."

He realized he had just used polite language, but would that be understood here?

In a world this developed, there should be a concept of polite speech, so it should be understood.

"So, you're a visitor."

"Yes."

"I'm Gurgianos, but you can call me Gurg."

"Nice to meet you, Gurg. What does this shop sell?"

Gurg blinked and glared at Shiro.

"You, bringing visitors around without explaining things again?"

"No, I did! I did, but there's so much to do that some things slip through the cracks."

"Is that so? Well, Crow, I'll explain then. Is that okay?"

"Sure, I think you'll be clearer than Shiro."

Gurg slapped his belly and laughed loudly before starting to explain.

Before he did, Kousuke kicked Shiro's foot, which she had been stepping on. She let out a surprisingly cute "Hyan!" and moved her foot.

Ignoring the resentful glare, he listened.

"This is a magic tool shop, specializing in magic learning tools."

"Ah, so using or consuming these allows one to cast certain spells without training?"

"Ah, you catch on quick!"

In other words, it's like a cheat in a game.

His knowledge from the other world helped him understand this world.

Being able to grasp things quickly was a definite advantage.

"My suitable magic attribute is 'Black.'"

"Color attribute! That's amazing! Just like the hero!"

"Quin... Tia Celestis Clear Bedivere?"

Shiro looked puzzled.

She was probably wondering how he knew.

This confirmed that the Quin he met was a real person.

From this, he could make some assumptions.

It wasn't natural for someone called a hero to frequent a (seemingly) ordinary tavern. She probably entered incognito, using magic to alter her appearance.

However, when she found a strange man, Kousuke, she lifted the spell for him.

As a result, only Kousuke could see her, creating a strange reality.

He felt a bit relieved.

"You know her? Well, let's start with the basics.

Magic has attributes.

'Fire,' 'Water,' 'Wind,' 'Earth,' 'Lightning,' 'Light,' 'Darkness'—these seven are natural attributes. Eighty to ninety percent of people with magical aptitude have one or more of these.

Next, there are event attributes like 'Cut,' 'Crush,' 'Pierce,' 'Heal,' 'Destroy.' Shiro has 'Crush,' which is rare, simple, and powerful.

Lastly, there are color attributes like 'White,' 'Black,' 'Red,' 'Blue,' 'Green.' These are said to have been used by ancient heroes and, according to mythology, are 'nearly divine.' In other words, they're incredibly powerful, but we don't know much else."

...In the end, it's still a mystery.

Kousuke couldn't help but chuckle.

"By the way, there are also concept attributes said to have been used by evil gods, but there are no human users, so they're excluded."

"Can I ask a question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Does it mean that one can't learn magic attributes they don't have an aptitude for?"

"No, that's not the case. Let me explain."

Gurg scratched his head.

Shiro, who had been bouncing and jiggling her chest, raised her hand.

"Let me explain."

"Sure, go ahead."

"In a math test, some people get failing grades, but if you ask if they will never solve a single equation in their life, the answer is no, right?"

"I see. So, while there are clear strengths and weaknesses reflected in the stats, lacking talent doesn't necessarily mean one can't acquire the ability."

Just like someone without soccer talent can still kick a ball.

One can use magic even without an aptitude, just not as well as someone with it.

"That's fine. Lack of talent can be overcome with effort."

Natural attributes seemed easier to use than the mysterious 'Black.'

"Can you just pick something out for me? Oh, Shiro will pay."

"No, I'll pay. I'll pay, but you're so confident, have you been a freeloader for a long time?"

Kousuke ignored him.