Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? Chapter S5

S5.
Appraisal explanation.

S5 Appraisal stone

Today is the day that I will get my status checked by the long-awaited appraisal stone.
There's status in this world.
Though it's not that I never thought before that "It's not a game but reality. How about it?", but I have already gave up on that.
I noticed that thinking that this is such a world makes this world much more enjoyable.

Yes, it's fun.
This world is really like a game.
The more the efforts I put, the more I'm rewarded.
Of course, there's the difference of talents, but this world should be a world where efforts are recognized easily compared with the Earth.
At any rate, there's the proof of the effort that becomes skill.

Skill, by taking a suitable action according to the skill, the skill proficiency will rise and once it accumulates, it's possible to acquire the skill.
The acquired skill can be used at once as one's strength.
Moreover, skill proficiency rises the more you use it and the skill level will also rise.
The more the efforts a person put, the stronger the skill becomes.
There's no case of not being rewarded after putting an effort.
It's a wonderful world.

And, up until now, I was taught by Anna and Clevea and various skills were acquired.
The more I do it, the more it returns to me.
I fell into the pleasant feeling and acquire skills greedily.
Sue who imitates me, acquire skills almost the same as me and there were times when I overdid it until Anna and Clevea draw away from me. It's fun.

As for a game, stronger is more fun.
Though there are people who likes to play in regulation, I'm a person who like to become strong.
It's not the game character but is myself. If it's the case, now is the time for it.

Though it good to become strong that way, but there's also inconvenience in this world.
Status cannot be seen.
There's the concept of status in this world, but in order to see it, it's necessary to clear a severe condition.

A skill called "Appraisal".
By using this skill called "Appraisal", status can be seen, but there are only few humans who have this skill.
To acquire the "Appraisal" skill, just like the Earth's appraiser, it requires deep education to be able to judge the worth of an object, observation power to be able to ascertain the material used to form the object and so forth. A skill that requires advanced abilities that's beyond the grasp of an amateur.
And, even if a person acquired the skill, it's extremely difficult to raise it's level, so this is the reason why there are only few people who have this skill.

In fact, it's possible if it's merely acquiring the skill.
The skill can be acquired by consuming the thing called skill point.
So, it's possible to acquire the "Appraisal" skill as long as the skill point is paid.
It's possible but it doesn't continues after acquiring.

To raise the skill level of "Appraisal", the person only has to activate the "Appraisal".
Skill proficiency rises whenever "Appraisal" is activated, and once it reaches a certain value, the level will rise.
However, it's troublesome to activate the "Appraisal".

The "Appraisal" doesn't consumes magical power and vitality even if it activates.
Then, certainly it's free to activate it. But it's not so.
There's a pitfall there. When "Appraisal" is activated, the person will be attacked by a headache and the feeling of intoxication.
There seems to be an individual difference in the degree of the side effect, but the worst one will be that a person will faint just by activating the "Appraisal".
Even for talented people, appraising more than 2 things at the same time will cause the person to be attacked by a severe headache and start to feel sick.

Because of the damage caused for only activating once, it's an outrageous penance to activate it over and over again to accumulate skill proficiency.
Moreover, this "Appraisal" skill is useless unless its level is high.
Because of that, there are few people who purposely acquire the "Appraisal" skill.
Only the heir of the house living as an appraiser for generations.

If you were to ask how to confirm the status, then it would be the appraisal stone.
The appraisal stone is a magic tool made with a special manufacturing method. While owning it, the "Appraisal" skill will be can be used temporarily.
The skill level of "Appraisal" differs depending on the quality of the appraisal stone. There are only a few level 10 stone that the royal family owns in this world.
Naturally, it's necessary to take special permission to use it. Only great nobles that are intimate to the royal family can use it.

Because I'm a man of the royal family, there's no problem to use it.
However, just because being the man of the royal family, it can't be use as one pleases.
Though I have throw a tantrum to Anna that I want to use the appraisal stone, but it seems that a person need to reach a certain age to get the permission granted.
I have been told that the appraising the status for the first time seems to be a special event. Even if it's for nobles, they will hold a ceremony and appraise in a solemn atmosphere.
I also had to do the ceremony.

Other than the appraising, this ceremony also includes the unveiling of the child.
The "Appraisal" result will be exposed in the public and at that point, I will be valued by the adults.
Though there's no problem that I have non-standard skills compared with my age, but it's terrifying that there's a possibility that I will be abandon if my status is too low.

At any rate, this will turn out to be the debut for me and Sue.
Sue and I were made to change into the children's clothes for the ceremony, and the arrangements of the ceremony was told many times.
The present king who's our father, attends the ceremony too.
In addition, some with eminent face seems to attend this ceremony, so I'm not allowed to make a mistake here.
I'm a member of the royal family even if I'm a child.
Since I'm participating as the protagonist of the ceremony, it's necessary for me to shoulder the prestige of the royal family.
It's a bit heavy for a former petit bourgeois like me.
However, when I see the majestic appearance of my younger sister next to me, the determination that resembled the frustration that "I must do it" arises.

「Are you ready?」

I nod silently to the last confirmation from Anna.

「Then, go ahead」

My back was pushed by Anna, and Sue lines up with me and we pass through the door to the venue.


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Author note: Because it became unexpectedly long, I'll cut it here. Continues in S6.