Chapter 38

"Well, I'll be taking my leave now."

Alice said she would go home after confirming that I was safe. I went to see her off at the front door with Chris. After exchanging our farewells, Alice, who was expected to leave, turned back.

"Whatever happens from now on, I will protect Noah. I've decided that."

"…Huh? Wait, Alice!"

Alice didn't turn back at the voice calling her and left the mansion with a determined stride.

What's going on?

"Hmm. Is Alice going to be your knight or something?"

"Knight? First of all, I'm not a noble."

"I don't mean a formal knight. I think she means to serve you."

Chris chuckled and went back inside the mansion.

"Mr. Noah, it's cold here. Please return to the room."

I stood there in a daze for a while until the maid urged me to go back inside.

After Alice left, we received a message that Uncle would be returning from the royal castle. I waited for Uncle in the living room with Chris. Uncle arrived at the mansion quite a while after the sun had set.

"I'm sorry, Noah. I got you involved in this."

Without much of a greeting, Uncle apologized to me. I shook my head.

"I don't regret coming to the capital or protecting you. I got injured because I acted on my own."

"Noah..."

Uncle still looked bitter, as if he felt responsible.

"I value my life, but I also value you and the others just as much. I finally realized that."

I don't intend to blame Uncle. If I had been left alone in this dangerous world, I wouldn't have been able to live comfortably until now. Even if someone were to ask if I've been living aimlessly, I can't completely deny it. But the decision to live this way was mine. It has always been this way. I've been using the excuse that I did things because I was told to, to avoid responsibility. Whether I'm swept along or pushed, the choices and actions are mine.

I've always kept a distance. It might sound convenient to Uncle, but the only people I can call family in this world are Uncle, Chris, Veronica, and Nigel. I want to cherish this feeling.

"Time cannot be turned back. Noah chose to help his father. Now, he must consider how to live from here. Isn't that right, Father?"

"That's right. Indeed, it is."

When Chris said this, Uncle finally looked up.

"Noah, are you still not considering marrying Chris?"

"U-Uncle!"

"Father, there's no need to force Noah to marry me. We could just return him to the Essex territory."

Just as I thought the conversation had returned to its usual tone, the topic of marriage came up, and I panicked. If I marry, I will become a noble. Even if Chris inherits the title, I will also have to help protect the Essex territory. Chris is against marrying me. I can understand why anyone would be reluctant to have such an unreliable partner.

"Leaving the capital is not an option. Noah's skills, if used properly, can bring great benefits. This has been discovered by the upper echelons of other countries. It can't be hidden."

"What!?"

Chris glared at me. Oh no.

I frantically shook my head, implying that there was nothing I could do. I kept it a secret because of the situation. Chris, understanding the high level of confidentiality, urged Uncle to continue.

"Why the princess knew about your abilities is still unclear. But since it has been discovered by people from other countries, you can't leave the capital."

Part of the reason is my stubbornness, but because my skills are unprecedented, the late king and Uncle were secretly considering how to use them. The princess insulted the late king by suggesting that he wasn't making full use of my abilities and tried to recruit me, claiming that they could.

If I leave the capital, the late king will be called incompetent, as the Rotus Empire claims. Even if I retreat to the Essex territory, it might be said that Uncle monopolized my abilities. There might even be rumors that I have defected to another country.

Of course, I have no intention of going to the Rotus Empire. But even if I deny it, the suspicion will remain.

With just a few words and a short time, Princess Daria left a significant bombshell.

According to the late king, no one in the five major countries has the same skills as me.

"Indeed, it is similar to the appraiser's skill, but we concluded that it is a different skill."

"So, Noah has a double skill?"

Uncle nodded at Chris's words.

"The late king called it a provisional ability score."

I always thought it was an extension of the appraiser's skill, but it turned out to be a different and rare skill. Is it really?

The reason I think this is because the activation conditions for this ability are the same as those for the appraiser's skill.

First, you need to see the target with your eyes. For people, you need to make eye contact. Then, you need to know the target's name, which is also important. If you know the name of the item, the skill will definitely activate. However, if you get the name wrong, the result will be incomplete. As the appraiser's level increases, the true name of the item becomes known naturally. Some appraisers make a living by finding true names. However, this is a general description of appraisers. In my case, I have never failed to find the true name of an item, so I have never failed to activate the skill.

"Noah, the activation conditions are the same as what you mentioned before, right?"

I was about to nod but then thought of something. I had been wondering why Princess Daria, knowing that I could read people's abilities, deliberately approached me. Was it to test the activation conditions of my skill?

When using the skill on a person, you need to see their eyes and know their name, just like with an item. If it's a fake name, the skill will still activate as long as the person uses it. I think that as long as you know the race, the individual's name doesn't matter. There are various types of fake names. Some hide them out of malice, while others have lost their real names due to circumstances or have given themselves names. Regardless of what they call themselves, the skill will activate. However, I don't know how much the status differs between a fake name and a real name because I haven't tested it.

"Another condition is that you need to touch the person's magic power."

I said this, looking Uncle in the eye.

"That's why I couldn't read Princess Daria's ability scores."

It was a lie. Uncle, understanding what I meant from my expression, nodded twice on purpose. It would be difficult for the Rotus Empire to see through this bluff. The places where I have used my skill are limited to the guild or the knight's order. In the guild, there are opportunities to touch the magic power of others when handling guild cards. When I was in the knight's order, I spent enough time with them that it's possible I touched their magic power at some point. Only Tristan knows who I used my skill on in the knight's order.

"Actually, the late king was trying to get the magic guild to help reflect your skills on the guild cards, without revealing your identity."

Until now, guild cards only displayed basic information and the number of monsters defeated. If my skills could be used to display potential abilities on the cards, it would make it easier for people to level up. The guild could also recommend suitable quests, increasing the success rate.

"Apparently, there have been many experiments to record weapon information on the cards. Since I'm not an expert on magic items, to put it simply, the cards have spare capacity, and the magic guild responded that it's possible as long as there is a skill user to burn the information onto the card."

"You just need to infuse magic power into the card while holding it up to a crystal at the guild, right?"

"Probably, that's something the magic guild will experiment with over time."

Uncle took a deep breath.

"But the only skill user we've found is you. Have you figured out the conditions for acquiring the ability score skill?"

"No. I've always thought it was the appraiser's skill."

Uncle looked into the distance, closed his eyes, and then said to me,

"Noah, we want you to maximize your skills at the guild's front desk."

"…Understood."

For those who wish, we will burn their status onto their guild cards. We will also allow them to hide part of their status to protect their personal information. Once the status is burned onto the guild card, even I won't be necessary to match them with the best quests. Additionally, I will assist in developing their potential abilities, offering advice on skill acquisition, career suitability, and how to level up.

Working at the guild will also show that I am not solely affiliated with the Albion Kingdom.

"I also want you to mediate between the guild and the knight's order. I think it would be beneficial to use the Mensis Knight Order as a stepping stone."

This is an old idea. The guild and the knight's order have wanted to collaborate but haven't been able to do so effectively. The discovery of new dungeons has provided an opportunity for both to reassess their systems. Indeed, both the country and the guild have been slow to act.

"Also, talent scouting. We need as many excellent people as possible to prepare for the coming dark age."

This is a problem for all five major countries. The scale of the issue made my spine shiver.

"Noah, I know it's a heavy burden, but you're the only one who can use this skill."

"I understand."

I will do what I can in my position. If it helps the country and, in turn, protects the things I care about, I should do it.

"The late king said he would take full responsibility. He also promised to support you as much as possible."

Even though Uncle is in a position to give orders, he still considers my well-being. There's something I haven't told him yet. The matter of the seal and the spirits.

Should I just spill everything? I took a deep breath and clenched my fists. My mind went blank, and I opened my mouth to speak, raising my head to call out when—

"Uncle—"

"Right now, the city is in an uproar over the appearance of a seal-bearer. It might help keep the news of your skills from becoming too big."

A seal-bearer has appeared?

My mouth hung open in shock. Chris asked Uncle,

"Father, who is this seal-bearer? I just arrived in the capital today, and Noah has been recuperating at the mansion, so he hasn't been exposed to the news."

"Yes, that's right. It's someone from the Rotus Empire. They chose the tournament as the stage for their debut. That princess, she really went all out."

Uncle sighed deeply. It seems the princess did as she pleased and then left. She used herself as a test subject for my skills and revealed the seal-bearer from the Rotus Empire to the leaders of the five major countries. If it's genuine, they will likely be hailed as a saint candidate, like Saint Knight Lavrius, who was also a seal-bearer and a hero who saved the country from the dark age. The Rotus Empire and the Frater religion have found a sacrificial offering, a tool to rally support for themselves once again.

2015/01/11 Correction