Chapter 43

I have been keeping you waiting for a long time.

I will try to update at the same pace as before.

"Thank you for your cooperation today!"

The next day.

I was in the research laboratory of the Magic Guild, where the morning sun was shining.

Lava and the assistants were also gathered there.

Quincy passed through the center of the laboratory where we were and sat down on a random chair by the window, looking out at the courtyard.

Come to think of it, Quincy didn't enter the room yesterday.

Later, I heard from Luke that he had been walking around the entire Magic Guild.

"Today, we will also have the guild and the Magic Guild participate in the experiment."

When I was told this, I looked around, but no one other than the members from yesterday was in the room. It seemed that my thoughts were conveyed.

Lava nodded and said, "Well, sit down."

"I've summarized the data from yesterday. I have a few questions."

Lava continued with an excited look on her face.

"After that, we'll move to the large room for the experiment."

I see.

"First, the 'Stamina' item at the top. Does this increase or decrease?"

"Well, the same goes for magic power. This value represents the maximum potential a person currently has."

I nodded and Lava took notes.

"The value increases as the person grows. It decreases as the body deteriorates. In that sense, the answer is yes."

"I thought it was more of a sustained thing. I thought that stamina or magic power would decrease when used and that would be reflected..."

Indeed.

I thought the same at first. But it doesn't seem to be that convenient.

A living body cannot be measured by just stamina and magic power.

"If that were the case, we might have been able to figure out the magic power required to cast a spell! That alone would have been a great asset to the Magic Guild."

Lava said with a regretful look.

"Since it wasn't reflected on the guild card, I put it off until later yesterday..."

I brought up something I couldn't say yesterday. To be honest, I was hesitant about whether I should say it or not.

Actually, I can see the type of remaining amount that Lava mentioned. To put it simply, it's like the HP bar in games.

This bar is of a fixed length for everyone. This item alone is not quantified. The way it decreases when damage is taken varies.

If it runs out, it naturally means death.

"Should we call it the remaining life? For most people, the bar returns to its original length after a good night's sleep."

"Remaining life..."

Lava murmured softly and fell silent for a moment.

But she quickly asked another question, apparently deciding to think about it later.

"Is there any idea of when it doesn't return?"

"The most obvious ones are injuries, poisoning, or curses. If there is damage to the body, the bar won't fully recover."

"It's obvious, but the way damage is received also varies from person to person. ...It seems impossible to quantify the magic power or damage required for spells."

Lava asked me a few more questions, but it was decided to put the matter of whether to reflect the 'life bar' on the guild card on hold.

What I can see is only the current state of the subject I am looking at. Even if the current state is recorded on the guild card, it won't be like a game where you can check your remaining stamina or magic power.

It's not possible to add a function that constantly reflects the current state of the subject.

"Next, about skill acquisition. I think we can figure out the conditions for skill acquisition by examining the records of many people."

"That's right. For now, I only have a vague idea of the trend. If we can analyze the data, I think we can find the shortest route to skill acquisition."

For people, skills are something that suddenly appear when they excel in something.

From now on, it should be possible to acquire skills with a certain degree of intention.

Of course, there will still be individual differences and talents, but it won't be like before, where people would just train aimlessly and never acquire a skill.

"That's it, the shortest route! Find someone who can acquire the skill based on your ability score, or cultivate one. This is important."

Lava said with emphasis.

It seemed to be one of the important tasks given by the late king.

Indeed, if the service using this skill became known throughout the capital, many people would flock to the guild. It wouldn't be limited to the people of the capital; eventually, people from other towns might come as well.

Come to think of it, can I even take a break?

"Let's find them. I will cooperate fully."

I nodded firmly. If someone with the same skill as me appears, I won't stand out as much.

Lava looked relieved and said, "That's good."

It seemed she had thought I might refuse.

"I know you are cooperative. But anyone would want to keep a special skill for themselves, right?"

If I were a warrior, a politician, or a merchant, I might have thought differently. Knowing the opponent and planning accordingly, or making money, there are countless ways to use it.

But I am not like that.

I want to use this skill widely. Therefore, there is no point in monopolizing it.

"For now, let's assume that what Noah has done so far is the shortest route to skill acquisition."

I nodded slightly.

I told Lava about what I had done so far.

But it might not be very helpful.

I had the appraiser skill by inheritance and studied under the half-elf Veronica.

I don't remember doing anything special that relates to this skill.

Of course, I can't talk about the spirits, and it's impossible to have the same experience.

Lava and the assistants asked if there was anything at all, and I talked about magic and sword skills, but since I don't have any skills in those areas, it didn't serve as a reference.

"If you need to develop appraiser-related talents to acquire the ability score, then perhaps the shortest route is to cultivate appraisers."

In the end, we arrived at the most straightforward and vague answer.

"Among the appraisers you've met so far, who is the highest level?"

"...My father."

My father, even when he was alive, had a more discerning eye as a merchant than anyone I've ever met. There might be some idealization in my memory.

But the numbers don't lie.

"Is it not the Earl of Essex?"

"No, it's different. My real father. He has passed away."

"...I see. I'm sorry for asking such a difficult question. Can you tell me more about your father?"

Instead of saying I was fine, I smiled and wrote down my father's status on the paper I was handed.

I remember his appraiser level was forty-five.

"This is based on my experience, but it seems that to acquire the appraiser skill, you need to cultivate it to at least level twenty."

"I'll use that as a criterion when looking for candidates! Referring to my status, if the higher rank of a mage is an alchemist, then the higher rank of an appraiser might be the key to skill acquisition."

Lava, with a flexible mind, came up with a tentative answer.

We decided to recruit and select appraisers who met several conditions, and then we concluded this discussion.

After a lunch break, I moved to the large room where the collaborators were.

In the afternoon, I just kept burning statuses onto the guild cards.

The assistants took data on my right side.

On the opposite side, Quincy sat and watched me work intently. However, her gaze was so intense that it felt like she was glaring at me.

At first, I was operating the skill under a strange tension, but eventually, I stopped noticing such gazes.

To activate the skill, a certain level of concentration is required, and it was my first time seeing the statuses of so many people in a row, so I couldn't afford to be distracted by gazes.

"Alright! Good job! This is the last one for today."

With those words from Lava, I let out a sigh of relief.

Looking out the window, I saw the setting sun. It seemed that time had passed without me noticing.

After finishing the last person, Lava said with a smile, seeing me exhausted from using my concentration.

"We will do the same work tomorrow. I know you're tired, but Noah, you need to get used to it. Take a good rest today."

It was the first time I thought her kind smile was annoying.

2015/01/12 Revised