Liberta!"

  "M-m ."

  "Un! M !!"

  Perhaps because I couldn't keep my promise with Nel yesterday, her visit this m was unusually early.

  Just after I had finished drawing water from the well, washing my face, brushing my teeth with a wooden stick that resembled a toothbrush in this world, aing ready for the day.

  Det ready this quickly?

  At the very least, she must have woken up earlier than me, possibly even before sunrise.

  It's no wonder I stumbled over my words.

  "Here! This!"

  "What's this?"

  "Breakfast!!"

  And what came after the greeting was a familiar package.

  It looked simir to the lunchbox Nel's mother had made, but unlike her mother's, the ing was a bit uneven.

  Could it be...?

  "Did you make this, Nel?"

  "Uun, they said using a knife is still dangerous, so I just put it together."

  "I see. Thank you."

  "Ehehehe, you're wele!"

  It was the same hard bread sandwich as yesterday.

  For someone like me who hasn't started earnihis is a preeal, and I'm grateful for it.

  "The's eat together at lunchtime."

  "Un!"

  Judging by the size of the package, there's enough for two.

  So, it seems I guessed correctly.

  She seems to have gotten over her bad mood from yesterday, smiling brightly.

  "Then, what should we do today?"

  "Talk!!"

  "Umm, then what should we talk about?"

  Since I promised to spend the day with oday, I had already anticipated this.

  I really wao take the bamboo spear I got yesterday and go for my first real battle, but as a guest, I want to do what I .

  But st time, I had that map-like thing, so I didn't have trouble with versation. What should I talk about this time?

  There were a few fairy tales from this world in the game, but the picture books were mostly pyer-made eai items.

  Some even used VR teology to practice drawing, so there were some pretty high-quality ones.

  I remember impulsively buying one because the art was beautiful.

  Maybe I should talk about that.

  "How to adventure!!"

  "Eh, adventure?"

  "Un! I'm going to be a mert iure!! So first, I'll bee a peddler and travel all over the world! That's why I want to know how to adventure!!"

  I thought that was the case, but are girls in this world this active?

  It's a topic far removed from what you'd expect from a girl, but with her hands ched at her chest and looking up at me expetly, ging the topi't an option.

  "Hmm, then, should we talk about levels and csses?"

  "I know about that!!"

  In this world, physical bat ability is quite important when traveling.

  Even for produ jobs, having a high level alone increases bat ability.

  "I see, then a question!! What is a level?"

  "Easy! It's a blessing from the gods that increases when you defeat monsters or make things!! The first time your level increases, you receive a blessing called status!!"

  "Correct!"

  "Fufun!! That's obvious!!"

  The image of a mert I have and the one Nel has are probably quite different, but the fuals are the same.

  Levels. A familiar system in games where increasing them grants BP (Build Points) to enhawo status attributes.

  As Nel said, in this world, levels are a reward from the gods for defeating monsters or creating items, granting experience points as a reward for overing trials.

  And when the protagonist's level increases, they use the status blessing system to allocate BP to two status attributes.

  "Then, the question is a bit harder. When you level up, what you allocate the BP you receive from the gods to?"

  "That's easy too!! For status, it's Stamina and Magic Power!! You also increase skill levels!!"

  "Correct. Stamina and Magic Power aside, you even know about skill levels."

  "Fufun!! I'm amazing, right?"

  "Yeah, amazing."

  Perhaps because the quiz format is fun, Nel is thhly enjoying herself.

  Whes an answer right, she arches her small body proudly with a triumphant face.

  Maybe it's because she's a child, or because she's well-behaved, but watg her doesn't irritate me, probably because there's still a bit of innoce left in my heart.

  It's reassuring to know that the FBO status system applies in this world.

  The fact that even children know about it means the system is well-established.

  Knowing that BP also be used for skill leveling is a big deal, making future auch easier.

  "The question! What are the alternate names for the Stamina and Magic Power status attributes?"

  "Eh, umm..."

  Thinking it would be good to firm one more thing, I threw in another question, but her momentum from earlier slowed down drastically.

  Since she knew about status attributes, I thought she'd know this too, but maybe it's not as well-known?

  She's desperately trying to remember, crossing her arms, tilting her head, closing her eyes, and going through all the motions to recall the answer.

  "Uu, I don't know. What's the answer?"

  Finally, she gives up, her ears drooping in disappoi.

  "The correswer is Basic Status. The only two status attributes you allocate BP to are these, and no matter what skills you take iure, they will be influenced by one of these two status attributes."

  "! Then I know!! Stamina affects skills like swordsmanship that involve physical movement, and Magic Power affects skills like magid alchemy that use magic!!"

  "Correct! You uand well."

  "I studied!!"

  We FBO pyers referred to the Stamina and Magic Power status attributes collectively as Basic Status.

  This is because, as Nel realized, they have the effects I just expined.

  Increasing Stamina raises the Stamina status, whi turn enhahe effects of physical skills.

  Specifically, increasing Stamina boosts HP (Hit Points), strength, toughness, agility, dexterity, and other physical attributes.

  versely, increasing Magic Power enhances magic-based skills and skills that use magic.

  Magic Power affects SP (Skill Points), magic attack, magic defense, skill activation time, skill cooldowion, and more.

  For example, there's a sword skill called Ssh that es SP to temporarily increase attack power.

  Even if the skill level doubles the effect, a character with 10 Stamina and 1 Magic Power would deal 20 damage, while a character with 1 Stamina and 10 Magic Power would only deal 2 damage.

  Fic-based skills, the opposite is true.

  This system creates a differen effectiveness, making status allocation crucial depending oher you're fog on physiagical bat.

  "If yoing to be a mert iure, Nel, you might lean more towards Stamina."

  "Un! My dad said that too! He said being a mert is all about stamina!!"

  "Then, to bee a proper mert, you'll have to work hard to reach Css 3."

  "Un!"

  And just as important as levels are csses.

  I casually touched on the css and job systems, but it seems even children know about them to some extent.

  "Then, here's a question!"

  "Bring it on!!"

  "Suergy. Then, what is a css?"

  "That's easy! A css is... umm, umm..."

  "Don't know?"

  "I do! It's just a bit hard to expin!!"

  It doesn't seem like she's pretending to know.

  She's hesitating, choosing her words carefully, so I atiently for her expnation.

  "A css is what you get after your level is maxed out, and you defeat stronger enemies or make amazing things to bee even stronger!!"

  "Close! But almost correct."

  "Eh! What's wrong?"

  The expnation she came up with was good enough for a circle mark, but not quite a star.

  Not being a perfeswer seems to have upset her, as her brows furrow and her cheeks puff out.

  "It's not so much wrong as inplete. For css adva, you don't actually o max out your level. If you reach 90% of the level cap for your current css, you advance by defeating monsters or creating items above your css level."

  "Ehh, that seems like a waste."

  "Yeah, but some people do it. Once you reach the st 10% of the level cap for any css, leveling up bees much harder."

  "Muu, that's such a waste."

  "If you think so, then you should work hard to max it out."

  "I'll definitely do that!! It's more rewarding that way!!"

  "That's a mert-like way of thinking."

  "Of course! I'm going to be a mert!!"

  The css system.

  Each css has a level cap, and by following the steps I just expined, you advao the stage.

  When you first defeat a monster or create an item, your level increases, and you enter Css 1.

  Your status is dispyed as Css 1 - Level 1/50.

  When you css up, it bees Css 2 - Level 1/100, allowing you to grow even stronger.

  What Nel means by "waste" is that if you're in Css 1, you css up by defeating a Css 2 enemy at level 45.

  This also be done in party battles, where multiple people defeat a strong eo css up.

  But if you move to the css, you lose the five levels you didn't gain.

  Since BP is limited, you 't bee as strong as you could have.

  That's why she says it's a waste.

  At first, I didn't uand why they had such a segmented system, but ter I found out some elements that made it feel like a poorly designed game, and while I uood, I couldn't hide my frustration.

  "Then, what you do by reag Css 3?"

  That anger is irrelevant now, and I know how to deal with it, so it's fine.

  So, let's smoothly move on to the opic.

  Already enjoying the roles of questioner and answerer, Nel eically raises her hand and says, "High!"

  "Receive a trial from the gods, and upon pleting it, you'll be granted a job!"

  "Correct!"

  "Yatta!!"

  Perhaps because it's a topic she's been looking forward to, she naturally gets the answer right and celebrates with a cheerful "banzai," making me feel warm inside.

  "Then, which god's trial do you o take to bee a mert?"

  Wanting to see her happy expression a bit longer, I ask another question.

  "The god of erce, Goldos-sama!!"

  "Correct!"

  "Fufun!"

  The god's name is one I know too.

  This is getting serious.

  The parts that are simir are defihe same, even if the dissimir parts are different.

  "Nee! ? !!"

  "Wait a sec! I o think!"

  "Hurry up!!"

  Today might have been more fruitful than I expected.

  Not just the quest, but I've also firmed the fual systems of this world.

  Then that should be fioo.

  Thinking about sunecessary things, I hadn't prepared the question and ended up being pressured to e up with one.

  I was about to think of one in a panic, but then I heard a "kuu" sound from my stomach.

  This familiar sound...

  I g Nel, and she blushes, quickly turning her face away.

  "Let's eat."

  "Un."

  For now, the quiz test is on a break.

  I bite into the hard sandwiel's mother prepared.

  And then I quench my thirst with water from a teen.

  Talking non-stop has left my throat parched, and the slightly cold water is quickly absorbed.

  "Nee."

  "Hmm?"

  "Why do you know so much, Liberta?"

  "Hmm, I studied really hard in the past."

  During this brief meal.

  To Nel, it must be a simple question.

  Even for a child who looks the same age, having this muowledge is probably strange.

  She even stopped eating to ask.

  I 't exactly say I was reinated, so I give an ahat's not quite a lie.

  I did study harder for FBO than I did for exams in my previous world.

  "Sou nan da."

  "Sou nan da yo."

  "Then, teach me more tomorrow."

  "Sorry, I really o start earning tomorrow."

  "Ehh."

  "Sorry."

  "Mu, when you?"

  "Hmm, maybe on my day off."

  "Day off? When?"

  "Depends on how toes."

  "When?"

  "Uh, Nel-san, you're being really pushy..."

  "When?"

  "...Three days from now, please."

  "Got it."

  Whether it's for the knowledge or some other reason, I give in to the pressure of this greedy girl, even though I'm an adult inside a child's body.