「Sorry. Before I knew it, things had already turned out like this」
「It’s not really something you need to apologize for, Mikoto-san…」
Honestly though, I wish you could have done something on your end before it got to this point…
Right now, I’m sitting on Deis-san’s lap while she’s seated in a chair. And Deis-san is squeezing me tightly from behind.
The back of my head feels happy, I can still breathe, and it’s a very pleasant situation. But because the Deis-san behind me feels like something incomprehensible, I can’t fully enjoy it.
「I’ve told her many times, 『That’s a little off, you know』, but she just wouldn’t listen…」
「Please continue with that… persuasion, or whatever you want to call it…」
I already have two mothers, one from my previous life and one from this life. Proper mothers, who don’t make me feel both lust and fear like Deis-san does.
「W–Well, anyway, it’s good that we could meet again safely」
「Yes, it is… but before that」
「Hmm?」
「If I recall correctly, we agreed I’d come here once I reached Level 5. So why am I here now? …Is it because Deis-san ended up like this?」
That’s what I want to know first. It got delayed for quite a while thanks to Deis-san’s strange behavior, but coming here, I intended to ask that right away.
「Hmm? You’re already Level 5, you know」
「…Eh? But I haven’t even defeated a single monster yet」
「Ah. Defeating monsters isn’t the only condition for leveling up. You need experience points to level up, but… honestly, you gain experience from almost anything you do. Of course, the amount varies. For example, you can gain a small amount just by eating a meal, or by walking or running」
So that’s how it works. I’ve been slowly gaining experience over six years and reached Level 5…
Wait, does that mean I’ve leveled up four times already?
…I never noticed. I wish there were a clearer way to know. I’m not saying there has to be a fanfare or anything, but still.
「You sure know a lot. If I remember correctly, Mikoto-san, you said you didn’t know about the world I’m in」
「Fufu, I did some research. After all, it’s my fault you ended up reincarnating. Leaving everything to Deis and calling it done, that would be far too irresponsible」
「I see… Well, I appreciate the trouble you went through. Thank you」
What on earth. With Deis-san reduced to a creature that only hugs me and smells my scent, Mikoto-san was far too reliable in this situation.
「I don’t mind. Honestly, there’s even a part of me that’s enjoying this」
「Enjoying it?」
「Yes. Watching your life is fun. Yesterday’s story about the 『merchant who lost all his cargo』 was amusing too. Oh, that’s right. I think that was when you leveled up to 5. And then that night…」
「Hah!?」
My sudden outburst made Mikoto-san flinch. I felt bad.
…But that was the pretend play I did with Ralina-chan yesterday, wasn’t it? …Wait, you were watching?
「…W-Were you watching?」
「Ah… y-yes… I-I am a god, after all」
「I loved that pretend play too! Seeing you happily playing with your friends in such a warm and friendly way makes me adore you even more, Alec-chan」
Leaving aside Deis-san, who chose this moment to butt into the conversation… “I am a god, after all”, what kind of excuse is that? It somehow feels both convincing and not convincing at the same time…
Could it be that watching over people on the surface from the heavens is actually part of a god’s job?
No, but still, this is way too embarrassing… Ugh, just how much did she see?
「D-Don’t worry. I didn’t see anything weird」
「Don’t worry…?」
Just being watched is unpleasant enough…
Also, a thirty-three-year-old man happily playing house with a six-year-old girl is already weird enough on its own.
「A-And because I was watching, I think I can give you some accurate advice」
「Advice…?」
「Yes. Up until now, you’ve been saying 『Status Open』 at every opportunity, haven’t you? Even recently, I’m sure you still say it at least once a month」
「…………」
Just from that statement, I already knew she had been watching me quite often…
Well, yes, I haven’t been able to give up on the whole status thing, so I still say it from time to time…
「I didn’t understand what you were trying to do, so I asked Deis, 『What exactly is he doing?』」
This is really embarrassing…
Why are you two sitting there together, watching me like I’m some kind of spectacle…? It feels like I’ve been dragged into a reality show without my consent…
「I heard from Deis, and in short, you just want to check your status, right?」
「Well, yes, more as a reference… it would also help me decide on my future plans… Wait, you can check it?」
「Yeah. There’s a skill called 『Appraisal』. With it, I can check your status too.」
Oh, so it really exists, one of the core basics and secret arts of isekai reincarnation, 『Appraisal』! …Wait, hold on?
「So then, if I didn’t happen to pull 『Appraisal』 from that, roulette, I wouldn’t be able to see it?」
I tried to point at the cheat roulette I had almost forgotten about, but Deis-san had my arm firmly locked, so I settled for just sending a glance toward it.
「That’s one way, but there’s a simpler method. It’s true appraisal is a somewhat rare skill, but it’s not like no one has it. Plus, there are plenty of situations where appraisal is needed. That’s why, magic tools were created. Your village has one too, you know? You should be able to get yourself appraised with it. Ask your father about the exact location.」
「Huh, is that so. So even skills like 『Appraisal』 can be activated through magic tools.」
Wow, I actually got some genuinely useful information.
…Though I’m not sure it’s worth the price of being stuck in a 24-hour live chat broadcast. Twenty-four hours, seriously. Even the most enthusiastic chat hostess would still have a little more privacy than this, wouldn’t she?
「So, what do you think? Pretty helpful info, right? Also, for some reason, your make-believe games give a lot of experience points, so you should keep doing them. Personally, I like cheerful stories. That friendship tale with Hezrat was good too, but…」
「Ah, can I make a request? I like messy love-hate drama!」
Stop with the requests. This is seriously turning into a live chat session.
Also, I don’t even remember the name you mentioned. Who the heck is Hezrat?
「The vow of the three sworn brothers was good too.」
Ah, that one I remember. The day the three of us childhood friends played together for the first time and became close.
「That was nice too. You exchanged cups and became brothers… that’s what you’d call a yakuza thing, right? Japanese mafia?」
Pretty sure that’s not quite it. At the very least, we weren’t doing it with that kind of mindset.
And… could you two stop giggling together and drop the whole topic of my make-believe games already…?
Next chapter: Cheat Roulette Lv5
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