Skill Confirmation
"By the way, Filmera-san, why did you come to a place like this?"
I casually toss a simple question at Filmera-san.
If her earlier explanation is correct, this is the Pure Magic Forest, located in the Land of Death within the eastern territory of the Demon King's Army.
The Demon King's Army alone sounds grandiose, and on top of that, the Land of Death has a name that screams danger.
For Filmera-san to appear here out of the blue sparked my curiosity.
"Well… as it happens, I'm a merchant who travels the world."
"A merchant…? But you don't have any goods with you."
"My goods? I carry them… like this."
Filmera-san raises her index finger and traces a small circle in the air.
A glowing white magic circle appears.
"This is one of my skills, [Subspace Storage]. Depending on its level, I can store as many items as I want inside. To retrieve something, I just think of it or say its name. For example… 'spoon.'"
When Filmera-san says "spoon," a silver spoon pops out of the magic circle and lands in her palm.
This quintessential isekai sight piques my interest.
"Merchants typically raise horses and travel by carriage. But with [Subspace Storage], I don't need a carriage, and since I can fly, I don't need horses either."
"W-What!? F-Filmera-san, you can fly!?"
"Yes. With flight magic, I can soar through the sky like a bird. I happened to be flying over the Pure Magic Forest today when I spotted someone in this clearing, so I landed."
"I-I see…?"
I had a feeling, but Filmera-san might be someone extraordinary.
Her [Subspace Storage] skill is probably like the item box you often hear about in isekai reincarnation stories.
I don't know this world's norms, but it must be a rare and valuable skill. And to top it off, flying with magic? That's beyond what an average mage could do.
The more I learn about Filmera-san, the less I understand her. But the more I hear, the more I realize this is an isekai, which is kind of exciting.
"Um, Filmera-san? Is there a way to check what skills I have?"
"There is. Two methods: one is to have someone with the [Appraisal Eye], a magic eye skill, look at you. The other is to use a magical tool called the 'Crystal of Self-Reflection'."
"[Appraisal Eye] and the 'Crystal of Self-Reflection'… Are those rare?"
"Well, they say fewer than one in tens of thousands can gain a magic eye skill. As for the Crystal of Self-Reflection, most are donated to churches or temples, so buying one privately would probably cost at least ten platinum coins."
This conversation is getting increasingly unreal.
A magic eye skill being rarer than one in tens of thousands means you might not find one even among tens or hundreds of thousands of people.
And while I don't know the value of platinum coins, the idea that a Crystal of Self-Reflection is out of reach for an ordinary person like me is clear enough.
Confirming my skills seems harder than I thought.
"By the way… I'm quite a skilled merchant, if I do say so myself."
"S-Skilled…?"
"Yes! So—here it is, the Crystal of Self-Reflection!"
With a dramatic "Ta-da!" Filmera-san pulls a transparent, round crystal orb from the white magic circle and shows it off.
It's clear but faintly white, reflecting sunlight in a dazzling sparkle.
"W-Wow…! This is the legendary Crystal of Self-Reflection!?"
"Yes! They're often donated to churches or temples, so they sell for a high price to nobles… Would you like to try it?"
"Really? Is that okay?"
"Of course! Using it doesn't diminish its value, and from our earlier talk, it seems you don't know your own skills, right, Yukiya-sama? It's a good opportunity, and knowing your skills can make life easier."
She clearly noticed my eagerness to learn about my skills.
Seeing this, Filmera-san chuckles softly. It's a bit embarrassing, but I should take her up on the offer.
"Uh… How do I use it?"
"Just hold it and stare into it. Letters will appear on the crystal's surface. Oh, and only the user can see the letters, so don't mind me."
"Got it. I'll give it a try…"
I take the softball-sized crystal orb from Filmera-san and gaze into its center.
As she said, letters faintly emerge, and several words appear before my eyes.
[Healthy Body Lv.X] A skill granting a robust body immune to all diseases and conditions. Increases resistance to physical and mental harm. Effect increases with level.
[Master Artisan Lv.X] The highest-tier skill for dexterity. First attempts at crafting yield artisan-level results, and even without knowing how, high-quality items can be made intuitively. Effect increases with level.
[Language Comprehension Lv.I] Allows understanding of unfamiliar languages and scripts. However, understanding doesn't enable mastery of writing or speaking. Effect increases with level.
"Wow, a bunch of stuff came up!"
"Oh, then you have multiple skills. Checking your skills is so much fun, isn't it?"
As Filmera-san says, confirming my skills is more exciting than I expected.
The [Healthy Body] skill probably makes my body less prone to fatigue.
Since it says I'm immune to all diseases and conditions, this skill might be why I'm unaffected by the dense magical energy said to permeate the Pure Magic Forest.
And the [Master Artisan] skill explains why I could easily make bowls and spoons.
With a level of X—meaning 10—it's likely why I, with no crafting experience, could make items good enough to sell.
I don't know how significant level 10 is, but it's probably high. The god must've been generous.
The [Language Comprehension] skill's effect is straightforward.
It's why I could read the diary in the cabin.
"…Hm? There's another skill…?"
At the bottom, below [Language Comprehension], I see tiny text.
But it's so small and garbled that trying to read it causes a headache, followed by nausea and dizziness—
"Y-Yukiya-sama!"
"—Ah, huh?"
Filmera-san's voice snaps me back.
At that moment, the Crystal of Self-Reflection in my hand shatters with a CRACK! and crumbles into dust.
"Oh, n-no!? I-I'm so sorry…! I broke something so valuable…!"
I messed up. I did something unforgivable.
The Crystal of Self-Reflection is worth at least ten platinum coins.
Filmera-san might've planned to sell it to nobles, possibly for even more.
And I broke this precious, expensive crystal with my own hands.
How can I make this up to her—
"Yukiya-sama, are you okay!? Your hands, are you hurt!?"
But contrary to my panic, Filmera-san worriedly takes my hands in hers, brushing away the crystal fragments.
"N-No, my hands are fine, but… the precious Crystal of Self-Reflection…!"
"It must've deteriorated with age. I found it years ago, after all. More importantly, I'm just glad you're unharmed."
Smiling gently, Filmera-san sighs in relief.
Her overwhelming kindness makes me feel more guilty than relieved, and I don't know how to respond.
But—
"Yukiya-sama, don't worry. I have plenty more Crystals of Self-Reflection. And selling a crystal that breaks so easily to a noble would hurt my reputation. In a way, it's better it broke here."
Filmera-san reassures me, easing my guilt.
Her goddess-like kindness makes me exhale in relief.
"Filmera-san… I'm sorry. Thank you so much."
"Hehe, don't worry about it. Besides… what makes me happiest is that you don't recoil from me, Yukiya-sama…"
"…Sorry, what was that?"
"…Hehe, nothing. Just talking to myself…"
Her eyes dart away, and Filmera-san lowers her face.
I caught something odd in her words, but the wind drowned it out.
Her expression seemed tinged with melancholy.
And at the same time, I felt—just a little—a warm, intense gaze from her.