Appraiser 15

Test

Cheating Is Still Cheating, It Seems

"What the hell happened to your skills?"

"...Even if you ask me..."

In Ali's room, Yuuri and Ali were both exhausted. They seemed tired from various things. Yuuri was just troubled, but Ali was groaning with his head in his hands. Ali is fundamentally courageous, but when it comes to matters concerning Yuuri, or rather, Yuuri's skill [God's Eye] or the Seeker job, he can only groan. Today was no different.

Ali has been taught Yuuri common sense and various information about this world. Also, he has been lectured on the meaning of the skill Appraisal and how to use it. In a way, he is like a mentor. Emotionally, it feels like he has gained an overprotective older brother.

In the midst of this, Yuuri asked something that had been bothering him a little. That was the beginning of this incident.

Do Appraisal-type skills have a dictionary function?

Of course, Ali's response was a simple "Of course not." That's normal. Even Ali's [Magic Eye] doesn't have a function that he needs help understanding the meaning of. However, Yuuri's skill [God's Eye] had it.

In essence, it's a situation where Yuuri could view the information he appraised again. Like the status of people and monsters, things that change are based on the information seen. The results of appraising things without changes to their status remain the same. It's essentially a dictionary function.

There's an additional bonus.

Yuuri had been reading books that showed the world situation of this world and books that recorded legends. When he stared at unfamiliar proper nouns, he found he could appraise them. When he stared at the names of countries and people that came up in large quantities and couldn't grasp them, the usual appraisal screen appeared, and various data became clear. Again, this is something that wouldn't happen.

"Appraisal is the ability to examine things before you, you know? Do you get it?"

"Even if you tell me that."

"It's your skill, isn't it?"

"I didn't acquire it myself..."

Yuuri drooped his shoulders with a dejected expression. It's a fact, so there's nothing he can do about it. Even if [God's Eye] is an incredibly cheating skill, Yuuri didn't naturally possess it. He didn't even wish for it. He just noticed it was there. He wanted to ask why he was given such a cheat in the first place.

While holding his head, Ali told Yuuri a very concise statement.

"Don't ever mention that outside."

When Ali, with his bald head and monocle, made a serious face, it was truly frightening. Frightening, Yuuri obediently nodded. Yuuri is very grateful to Ali, who has helped him adjust to this world, taught him various things, and guaranteed his basic needs. So, he has no intention of going against him.

"It's time to confirm the abilities of your belongings."

"For now, everything has become magic items."

"They were originally something else, right?"

"Yes."

He couldn't lie about that, so he nodded honestly. Even though Ali didn't understand the principle behind it, he thought it necessary to confirm the abilities of magic items. As the name suggests, magic items are different from ordinary tools. They have the potential to do various things.

As a bonus, the owner is Yuuri. He's air-headed, optimistic, and carefree. It's important to note that a person like that owns numerous unknown magic items. So, today, when there was time, he decided to confirm the abilities of those magic items again.

On the desk, Yuuri took out his personal items from the school bag that had turned into a magic bag of holding. Only the original items he put in. The bag didn't seem to have any strange capacity. Also, the tools being taken out didn't look much different. It's simply that stationery and daily necessities from another world have turned into magic items by coming here. The cause is unknown to anyone.

So, the appraisal begins with the two of them.

――Yuuri's school bag

Kugimiya Yuuri's school bag. A high-performance magic bag of holding.

Unlimited capacity. Time does not pass inside. Equipped with sorting function. Only usable by the owner.

However, only those permitted by the owner can put items into the bag.

"What's the sorting function?"

"Uh, it means that the things inside are automatically organized and rearranged by type."

"How extraordinary."

"Uh, sorry?"

"Don't apologize."

Even if Yuuri gets scolded, there's nothing he can do about it, but his nature is to apologize anyway. Anyway, he was given a plausible piece of advice to make sure others didn't steal his school bag. However, Yuuri's response to that was:

"Oh, if someone other than me takes this bag, it'll come back to me."

"What kind of magic bag of holding is this!?"

"Well, because it had that kind of annotation on it."

Ali's voice of condemnation resounds, but Yuuri can only answer that way. Note that only Yuuri can see that annotation. It's unclear whether it's the effect of the skill [God's Eye] or simply because he's the owner. However, since this extraordinary magic bag of holding won't get taken by anyone other than Yuuri, Ali is relieved. Even if no one can use it, it's a coveted item for those who want to know its structure.

After regaining his composure, Ali continues the appraisal.

However, regarding the smartphone and music player, which definitely shouldn't exist in this other world, Yuuri left them inside the bag. After all, the school bag is a magic bag of holding exclusively for Yuuri. Even Ali, with his Appraisal skill, can't grasp what's inside. So, to avoid causing a commotion, he chose not to show them. Sometimes Yuuri also thinks about various things.

――Yuuri's Sewing Needle.

Yuuri Kugimiya's sewing needle. A high-performance magic item.

It can sew anything. It never breaks. The quality of the sewing improves.

However, it can only be used by the owner or those granted permission. No killing ability.

"What do you mean it can sew anything?"

"The other day, I tried sewing a wooden board."

"What about the thread?!"

"It was just normal thread."

"Is the thread powered up just by being attached to the needle...?"

As Ali looked dismayed, Yuuri tried to apologize but stopped. He realized he'd just get scolded again for apologizing. Also, since the sewing needle is part of a sewing kit, there are several needles, including regular ones. It's noteworthy that despite having no killing ability, this needle doesn't even injure fingers when pricked with it. It's somewhat inexplicably designed to be beginner-friendly.

Of course, Yuuri, who is naturally good at sewing and has a sewing skill level of 50, never makes such basic mistakes as pricking his fingers with a needle.

――Yuuri's Sewing Thread.

Yuuri Kugimiya's sewing thread. A high-performance magic item.

It never runs out. Once sewn, it never breaks.

However, it can only be used by the owner or those granted permission.

"...The thread?"

"It's convenient since it never runs out~"

"Is that the kind of dimension we're dealing with, you fool?!"

"Ow, ow, ow...!"

While barely holding onto his head, Yuuri pounds the desk as he complains. After the sewing needle, now it's the thread, so it's no wonder Ali is angry. It's all quite extraordinary. And it doesn't end there. It keeps going.

Because, even in the sewing kit, there are still contents remaining.

――Yuuri's Thread-Cutting Scissors.

Yuuri Kugimiya's thread-cutting scissors. A high-performance magic item.

Scissors that can cut any thread. They never dull.

However, they can only be used by the owner or those granted permission. No killing ability.

――Yuuri's Notebook.

Yuuri Kugimiya's notebook. A high-performance magic item.

It never runs out no matter how much you use it. The written text never deteriorates.

However, it can only be used by the owner or those granted permission.

――Yuuri's Ballpoint Pen.

Yuuri Kugimiya's ballpoint pen. A high-performance magic item.

It never runs out no matter how much you use it. It can be written on anything. Once written, it doesn't disappear.

However, it can only be used by the owner or those granted permission.

"So basically, they're all like this?"

"That's right."

"Got it. That's enough."

"Are you sure? There are still things like pencils, erasers, and cutters."

"Looking at them won't change anything. Also, don't lend them to anyone else."

"I won't~. Because I'm the one using them~"

As Yuuri smiles innocently, Ali slumps his shoulders. Fortunately, it seems that Yuuri only had unimportant items such as stationery and sewing tools. It's a relief that things like offensive magical tools and potential weapons Ali was wary of didn't appear. That alone is reassuring.

Furthermore, all sharp objects that could potentially be used as weapons had the phrase "No killing ability" attached to them. It seems that not only the owner but also the person targeted by them wouldn't get hurt. In a way, it's a wonderfully safe design. The reality of having no means to defend oneself is stark, though.

"It's not just your belongings, but you yourself are quite out of the ordinary..."

"But the unbreakable sewing needle and the endless sewing thread are really convenient! And the pen that can write forever, and the notebook that never runs out!"

"...Is that so? I think it's amazing that there's so much clean paper, to the point where it's a mystery how it's made, but only you can use it..."

"Huh? But if you tear it like this, others can use it too, you know? Once torn, it's considered separate from the notebook and becomes ordinary paper that anyone can use."

"What!?"

As Yuuri tears the notebook neatly along the perforated lines rather than ripping it, it's very easy to tear. Also, it's not just blank paper; faint grid lines are drawn on it. These grid lines are a recently devised feature that can also be used like grid paper. In Japanese terms, it's a convenient notebook for both Japanese and English. Yuuri also found it handy at school.

Yuuri hands a neatly torn, rather than ripped, page of the notebook to Ali. With a serious expression, Ali examines the handed notebook page. The appraisal results are as follows:

――Yuuri's Notebook Page.

A sheet of paper torn from Kugimiya Yuuri's notebook. Just a clean sheet of paper.

Less prone to deterioration than ordinary paper, and resistant to water. It disappears when damaged.

Anyone can use it.

"...Seriously?"

"Oh, Ali-san, are you going to use it? Then I'll tear a few more. Since it's become a magic item, it won't run out~"

Smiling cheerfully, Yuuri continues tearing the notebook. Ali watches in astonishment as more, and more neatly torn sheets of pristine white paper (although with faint dotted lines, which is a mystery to Ali on how to use) pile up on the desk.

In the end, when Ali finally snapped out of it and stopped Yuuri's odd behavior, there were dozens of torn notebook scraps piled up on the desk. Since they're consumables, having plenty of paper is never a problem. If it's such high-quality paper, there shouldn't be any complaints.

There are no complaints, but Ali muttering that Yuuri really needs to be more careful and poking Yuuri's head in exasperation is also perfectly reasonable.

Incidentally, it became widely known that notebooks with dotted lines were easy to write on, and those in the paper industry struggled with this fact for some time.