Editing/Standardisation: kubor04
Formatting/Extras: APM
Original Translation: Blastron
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Today is the long-awaited day where I finally get my stats checked with the Gem of Appraisal. There are stats in this world. I can’t say that I haven’t wondered why that is, since this is reality and not a game, but I’ve given up on looking for the answer. The explanation is pretty simple: that’s just how this world is.
Yes, a simple explanation. This world really is very much like a game. If you work hard enough, you’ll earn a reward, just like that. Sure, there seem to be differences in raw talent, but if I compare it to Earth, this really does seem to be a world where your efforts are acknowledged far more easily. At any rate, these rewards come in the form of things called “skills”.
To earn a skill, you must perform actions that match what that skill does. As you do so, you accumulate a number of “proficiency points”, and when you’ve earned enough of those, you earn the skill. Once you’ve earned it, you can start using it immediately. On top of that, if you keep using the skill, you keep earning more proficiency points, until you pass a certain threshold and the skill’s level increases. The harder you work on it, the better it gets. There’s no such thing as an effort gone to waste! Truly, this is a magnificent world.
Ever since I was born, Anna and Klevea have been tutoring me, so by now I’ve picked up quite a few skills. The more I did, the more I got out of it, and I got swept away by the thrill of greedily acquiring skill after skill. Sue has always been by my side, mimicking me, and has picked up a lot of skills herself. Sometimes, we overdo it, and Anna and Klevea get angry, but they do it out of love.
In a game, more strength equals more fun. There are other players that like to pace themselves, but I always try to get as strong as I can as fast as I can. This is doubly true now that I’m not just leveling a game character, I’m working on strengthening my own self.
It’s all well and good to work on getting stronger, but there’s one inconvenient thing about this world: I have no way to check my stats. This world definitely has the concept of an individual’s statistics, but trying to see them is extremely difficult.
To do so, you need a skill called [Appraisal]. If you have that skill, you can use it to see someone’s statistics, but there are few humans in the world who can use it. In order to start building proficiency points, you must first build a deep understanding of what makes something valuable and a sense of what materials things are made of, much like an appraiser does back on Earth. The level of technical skill required is far beyond what a novice can muster. Even if you can somehow acquire the skill, raising its level is an extremely difficult task, so there are very few humans out there who can truly use it.
It’s not impossible, though, if you just want to easily acquire the skill. If you have any of these things called “skill points”, you can spend them in order to acquire a skill directly. Even a skill as difficult as [Appraisal] can be acquired, as long as you have enough skill points to spend. Even if you do so, though, you can’t really go very much further.
To level [Appraisal], you have to use it. Using it grants you proficiency points, and, once you’ve accumulated enough, the level goes up. However, activating [Appraisal] is actually pretty hard on your mind.
[Appraisal] requires neither magic nor willpower to activate. It’s definitely wrong to say, though, that you can activate it as much as you want. If you fall into that trap, you’ll be assaulted by severe headaches and a sort of intoxicated feeling. The limit varies from person to person, but apparently there are people who can’t even use it once without falling ill. Even if you’re talented, trying to appraise two things at a time will leave you ill, with a crippling headache.
Since just activating it once could cause such serious effects, activating it over and over again in order to grind out your skill proficiency would carry a terrible cost. And, on top of all that, if you don’t get it up to a high enough level, it’s effectively useless. Thanks to that, there aren’t very many people alive who can use [Appraisal] effectively. Apparently, it’s a profession that’s passed down from parent to child.
So, to solve the problem of people still needing to be able to check their stats, this thing called a [Gem of Appraisal] was introduced. If you can acquire one of these rare, specially-crafted magic items, you can temporarily use [Appraisal] as if you had the skill yourself. The skill level varies depending on the quality of the Gem, and the one owned by the royal family is, naturally, beyond compare: it’s level ten, a level that no other stone in the world can match. Of course, its use requires special permission, so it’s really only the royal family and their most valued friends amongst the high-ranking nobility.
Since I’m a member of the royal family, using it will be no problem. However, even though I’m a prince, I can’t just use it whenever I want. No matter how many tantrums I threw to try to convince Anna, she was very insistent: you can’t get permission until you’re old enough. Of course, once you’re old enough to appraise your status the first time, it’s treated as a special event. Even if you’re merely a noble, there are still rites to be held, a majestic ceremony for a child’s first [Appraisal]. I, of course, still have to go through with this ceremony.
These ceremonies are not just for [Appraisal]: they also serve as the child’s first appearance before the nobility. The [Appraisal] results are displayed such that all of the gathered adults can see them as well. I don’t think it will be a problem that my skills are atypical for someone my age, but I’m a little terrified that my stats will be so low that my family will abandon me.
In any event, Sue and I are making our grand debut here. We’ve been dressed in our ceremonial children’s clothes, and have been drilled endlessly on the ceremonial rites. In attendance will be the current King; that is, our father. Even more, it looks like there’s someone especially important in attendance, so it is extremely crucial that we don’t mess up at all. Even if we’re children, we are members of the royal family. We are the stars of this occasion, so we must present ourselves with all of the dignity and grace that is expected of the royal family. This is a lot to ask of me; I used to be a lowly commoner in my previous life. However, when I saw how magnificently my little sister was standing beside me, I was filled with determination. I must do this.
“Are you ready, my Prince?” asks Anna, solemnly. I silently nod. “Then, after you.”
Anna pushes lightly at our backs, and Sue and I enter, side by side, into the assembly hall.
Author’s note – This has turned out somewhat longer than I was expecting, so I’m cutting it off here. It will continue in chapter S06.
APM - Translation 