This translation aims to capture the lighthearted banter of the dining scene while transitioning into the more serious, "system-style" internal monologue typical of the LitRPG/Isekai genre.
Translation: The Awakened Mind
"…So I tell the guy, 'No, it's because of her three-year-old dog!'" Sun-Woo said.
Everyone at the table burst into laughter, except for Euler Munzig. Bo-Woo Lan let out a small chuckle before turning her attention back to her smartphone.
"Good grief, Sun-Woo, how can you make such dirty jokes?" Rin Barnum asked, laughing. "By the way, Sven, what are your Class Traits and Skills?"
"Well, I have quite a few traits: 'Good Memory,' 'Novice Swordsman,' 'Novice Mage,' 'Perfect Eye,' and 'Aberrant Mind,'" Sven replied.
The table fell silent in surprise.
"You gained an entire trait? Talk about talent," said Rin, heiress of the 'Drayfield La' family, with a smile.
'Is she even trying to hide it? That she doesn't care? Fine. At least I can trust Sun-Woo and Bo-Woo,' Sven thought.
"Wow, even I haven't reached that level yet," Euler Munzig remarked, rubbing his chin. "A Novice Mage, too? That's truly impressive, especially since Kalashtars are warriors who spend all their time training."
"What exactly is an 'Aberrant Mind'?" Sun-Woo asked.
"I was wondering that myself," Sven admitted.
"Translated from Tarpanchian, it means 'abnormal.' As for what it actually does, I have no idea," Rin Barnum said.
Sven took a sip of his tea.
"And what are your initial Class Spells?" Euler asked.
"'Awakened Mind,' 'Patron's Feature,' 'Pact,' and two spell slots," Sven listed.
"If I'm not mistaken, Kalashtars are also capable of telepathy," Sun-Woo noted.
"Yeah, and without restrictions," Sven added.
"Oh, Euler, try it on me!" Rin Barnum urged.
"No, I don't want to," Euler grumbled.
"Please?"
Sven and Sun-Woo joined in, chanting, "Euler! Euler!"
"Ugh, fine," Euler relented. His eyebrows twitched, and a voice echoed in everyone's heads: Pass the sugar.
"Cool! Why don't you use that more often?" Sven asked, sliding the sugar bowl toward Euler.
"It's hard to pull off," Euler muttered.
After several hours, the guests departed. Sven headed to his room.
'God, they wore me out. And those other families—the Ryuken Clan and the Steel Veins—they abandoned us over "reputational risks." Whatever. We'll clear our name eventually.'
Sven pulled out his smartphone and searched for "Awakened Mind."
'Everyone at the table said it was a useless spell. Let's see what it really is.'
[Awakened Mind] One of the 40 known starting spells for the Warlock class. This spell allows for telepathic communication. You must be able to perceive your target within 30 meters. You can communicate telepathically for 30 seconds. You do not need to share a language with the target; the target only needs to understand at least one language.
'Right, compared to others, this ability is mediocre. But in the right hands, it shines. In the book, Otto Jergal had it. In the game, it was used by Auros Trak and the Eleventh.'
Suddenly, Sven's phone vibrated with a message.
'Who's texting me? Father?'
[Tomorrow, you will accompany me to Bo-Woo Lan's birthday party.]
'Are they out of their minds? In the game and the book, they were so careful. They used to send messages via familiars, swapping vowels with the letters to their right while using a Caesar cipher. And now they're just going to meet the day after a gathering?'
Sven sighed heavily and massaged his temples.
'When I grow up and join this organization, I'm going to whip everyone into shape.'
Sven sat down and picked up a book titled First Circle Spells. He began studying the spell "Hex."
'According to the book, an attack should happen tomorrow. At the Golden Dragon Mansion, we'll be ambushed by familiars belonging to the sect of Lutheria, the Titan of Lust and Blood. They appeared in Chapter 1 and 5 of the game, and in Volume 4 of the book.'
'I might have been an office clerk, but I was a hardcore gamer and an artist—I used to draw fanart for "Ashes".'
Sven read the book thirty times to grasp the spell. Then, he sat in a lotus position on his bed. Closing his eyes, he visualized himself raising his hand and incanting.
'Hex, grant me the power of divination. Three schools in one: Divination to know their status, Evocation and Necromancy to cast my curse...'
Aurion entered the room. Before he could speak, he saw Sven meditating and muttering the spell.
'Damn, I should leave. If he loses concentration, he could die. I'll get the book later.'
Half an hour later, Sven finished the incantation. He was drenched in sweat; for some reason, learning a spell was physically draining, and his back ached.
Sven washed up and read a light novel until he drifted off to sleep. He forgot, however, to plug his phone into the charger.