「A-anyway, Nana-san, let’s talk about the appraisal. The results were pretty surprising, huh」
「They certainly were」
It was starting to feel like I was a father being grilled for going to a cabaret, so I quickly changed the subject.
「So, my status ended up showing the title 『Dungeon Master』 and the skill 『Dungeon』, right…」
「Master has truly become a Dungeon Master now, so it makes sense that you’d gain that title. As for the skill, I believe it was automatically acquired along with it… Though, I must apologize. To be honest, I don’t know the finer details either」
「Oh really? Well, no need to apologize, Nana-san」
So even Nana-san didn’t know… Well, I guess it’s more about the world’s system itself than just dungeon mechanics.
「Ah. May I see my appraisal results again?」
「Sure」
I pulled out the paper where I had jotted down Nana-san’s appraisal and placed it on the table for her to see clearly.
I’d made sure to take notes earlier, just in case.
「Here you go. Oh, and you can keep this paper if you want」
「Thank you very much」
-0-
Name: Nana Ambrotivi von Ratrius D. McMillan Tetestetes Vanessa Ako Marcellit El Rosemary Yamada
Race: Dungeon, Age: 0, Gender: Female
Job: Apprentice Woodworker
Level: 36
Stats
Strength: 23
Magic: 4
Vitality: 17
Dexterity: 46
Agility: 21
Skills
Bow Lv1, Water Magic Lv1, Riding Lv1, Woodworking Lv1, Cooking Lv1, Dungeon Lv1
Title
Dungeon Master
-0-
「Hmm」
「Hmm」
Both of us let out thoughtful hums as we stared at the appraisal sheet on the table.
By the way, I had written out her entire full name. When I tried shortening it to just 『Nana』, she puffed her cheeks in protest.
「So even for you, Nana-san, these results seem a bit unexpected?」
「Yes… There are some parts that make sense, but others that are rather puzzling」
「From my perspective, pretty much ‘everything’ on there is puzzling, though…」
What really stands out is the race. Race: ‘Dungeon’… seriously?
「So your race is Dungeon, huh, Nana-san…」
「Since I was born from a Dungeon Core, it may not be strange when you think about it that way…」
Maybe so. But still, Nana-san isn’t ‘a dungeon’ herself. 『Dungeon Girl』 sounds way more fitting.
「And you’ve got the same job as me, Apprentice Woodworker」
Just like me.
Though really, when am I finally going to become a proper Woodworker? Not that I’d mind being an Archer or something instead. I just want to graduate from the 『apprentice』 stage already.
「That would mean my ‘Woodworking’ skill is the most developed one I have…」
I’d been told before that the job field reflects the skill with the highest proficiency.
So, among all the skills Nana-san has, it means 『Woodworking』 is her strongest.
「Could this… be Master’s influence?」
「You think so too, huh?」
I’d noticed that she had both the 『Bow』 and 『Woodworking』 skills. And yeah, that definitely seemed meaningful somehow.
「I inherited Master’s knowledge and experiences, those from both this life and your previous one. I believe that’s what resulted in this status」
「Including my past life…?」
「Yes. I think that through inheriting your past and present experiences, I leveled up, my stats increased, and I acquired new skills」
「I see…」
That explains why she’s level 36 even though she’s technically zero years old, more than double my level.
If she gained my past life’s experiences as her own, that would naturally raise her level.
「It would also explain the low ‘Magic’ stat and high ‘Dexterity’ stat」
「Ah, right. In my past life, I never really had any magic-related experiences, and in this one, I’m all-in on dexterity」
「Exactly. Because I inherited that from you, my stats became this unbalanced」
You don’t have to say ‘because of that’ like it’s a bad thing… I already know my own stats are weirdly lopsided.
「So, the ‘Bow’ and ‘Woodworking’ skills were also gained through inheriting my experiences?」
「That’s what I believe」
「Makes sense… though I heard acquiring a new skill normally takes around twenty years」
Both archery and woodworking, I’ve only been doing them for about six years. Can someone really gain new skills from just six years of experience?
「You inherited the experience of a Master who already possessed those skills. The quality of that experience must be very different from a beginner’s twenty years of dabbling, don’t you think?」
「Hmm」
That makes sense. The experience from someone casually whittling wood and from me seriously crafting with skill proficiency would yield completely different results.
…Still, I can’t help but feel I should’ve left her better skills.
If only my magic skill weren’t 『Fire Magic』. Maybe I would’ve practiced more, and Nana-san could’ve inherited that instead.
And if I’d devoted myself to something more in my past life, maybe she could’ve gained another useful skill from that experience too.
――As a father, I wish I could’ve left her better skills.
As a father…? Wait, no, hold on. I’m not her father.
Why do I suddenly feel like a father wanting to leave an inheritance to his daughter…?
「Other than ‘Bow’ and ‘Woodworking’, the rest must be initial skills, I suppose」
「‘Water Magic’, ‘Riding’, and ‘Cooking’, huh. That’s quite a few, good for you」
「We should check them out later. Though honestly, I have no idea how to test the ‘Riding’ skill」
「There aren’t any horses in this village anyway」
「In that case, I might need Master’s cooperation」
「For the ‘Riding’ skill…? Uh, wait, you mean, 」
That would mean she’s going to ‘ride’ me, right…?
Sure, a father volunteering to play horse for his daughter sounds wholesome enough.
But Nana-san looks like a grown woman, so that scene would… definitely not look wholesome.
「And lastly, it seems you’re also a Dungeon Master, Nana-san」
「Yes… it appears so」
「Nana-san?」
「Ah, my apologies. I’m not really sure what to say about that」
「You’re not?」
「No. I don’t even fully understand what a title represents. I can’t guess what this particular title means or what kind of effect it has」
Well, this makes my second title, but honestly, I still don’t really understand what they even ‘do’.
That first one, 『Son of the Sword Saint and Sage』, is that even helping me somehow?
I still haven’t unlocked the 『Sword』 skill, you know?
「Anyway, that wraps up Nana-san’s status check. …But seriously, isn’t Nana-san kind of strong? Stronger than me, even?」
Her level and stats are both higher than mine, and she’s got more skills too.
『Bow』, 『Water Magic』, and 『Riding』 all seem like combat-capable skills.
She could even do ‘yabusame’, mounted archery. Too bad we don’t have any horses.
「We haven’t tested any of this in real combat yet, so I can’t say for sure」
「Right… hmm. In that case, this calls for a first hunt. Nana-san’s very first hunt」
「First hunt?」
Her first real battle, in other words, her ‘first hunt’.
「How should we do it? Go with the old-fashioned approach and prepare a stunned monster? Or should we make it Nana-san’s debut in the Alec-Nana Tentative Open Close Parenthesis Dungeon?」
「Let’s see… since we have the chance, let’s hold the battle in the Alec-Nana Tentative Open Close Parenthesis Dungeon」
「Good, good. Then we’ll need a bow. I’ll ask my Father or Mother to make one」
「Thank you, Master」
Oh, nice. So, this will be the 『proper first hunt in a dungeon』, not some fake, staged hunt.
…Though, come to think of it, this might actually be the first time I’ve ‘ever’ dreamed of something like that.
Anyway, it’s still a real, proper first hunt.
It’s a dungeon that’s unnecessarily safe, sure, but I’ll still make sure nothing dangerous happens to Nana-san. I’ll watch over her carefully.
Just like Yggdrasil-san and Father watched over me during ‘my’ first hunt, I’ll be there for her, as a father.
…As a father? Wait, hold on.
For some reason, I keep finding myself trying to act like Nana-san’s father.
It’s only been two days since we met, yet here I am already feeling some kind of paternal instinct… that’s way too fast, isn’t it…?
Next Chapter: The First Explorer, A Moment to Remember
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