NOVEL NEXT Chapter 180. Name And Status
“By the way, do you have a name?”
‘Nu…?’
The discussion about what we’ll do in the future has been going on for a while.
Now that we are less wary of one another, I ask the Dragon a question.
“You see, it’s a bit awkward to address you as Dragon every time…If you have a name like Kiki or Aka, I was thinking of calling you by your name…”
‘…I do not have a name.’
I was kind of expecting that response since I don’t see her name anywhere on my list of party members.
“Then do you want me to give you a name? That’s if you want one though.”
‘…Give me a name? You?’
“Yeah. I was also the one who came up with Momo and Kiki’s names.”
‘…’
For a few seconds, the Dragon blinks her eyes as if she’s contemplating something.
‘…Were you really the one who gave those two their names?’
“Yeah? What about it?”
Is there something wrong with that?
“Oh, of course, if you aren’t interested—”
‘…Very well. Think of a name for me.’
“Eh?”
‘Why are acting surprised? Wasn’t this your idea?’
Thank god. I was afraid that she didn’t want one or something.
Now, what should I name her…
Since her scales are blue, let’s not dwell on it too much and call her “Ao” from now— [1]
‘However, I hope you understand that I won’t accept a half-baked name.’
It’s almost as if she read my heart.
Hmm, then I guess “Ao” isn’t an option anymore.
The thing is, I’ve always been naming my companions based on their colors.
I want to be consistent.
Oh right, there’s that.
“Then—how about ‘Sora’?”
Sky-blue.
When the Dragon is in the sky, her blue-colored scales serve as camouflage. Sometimes, she assimilates so well with her surroundings that it looks like she has disappeared.
Although it’s still an unremarkable name, I thought it would fit perfectly with the Dragon since she loves to fly around in the sky.
‘Sora…the sky, huh…’
As if entranced, the Dragon mutters her potential name repeatedly and looks up at the sky.
She seems to be reminiscing about the past.
‘—Very well. From today onwards, I shall be known as ‘Sora’. Address me as such moving forward.’
“O-okay. I’m glad you took a liking to it.”
I quickly check on the list of party members.
*****
Party Members
Momo
Dark Dog LV 3
Aka
Creation Slime LV 5
Ichinose Natsu
Newtype LV 2
Kiki
Carbuncle LV 2
Sora
Blue Dragon LV 38
*****
Her name has been properly added to the list of party members.
…Now that I look at it again, her level’s really high.
Most of her stats are in the four digits. I’m astonished by how much of a monster she is.
“With all that out of the way, Sora, let’s have you meet Ichinose-san and the others.”
‘…’
“Hmm? Anything wrong?”
‘…No, nothing.’
I think I just saw her grimace. Am I imagining things?
Now then, I should contact Ichinose-san through “Mail”.
I had Ichinose-san and the others wait at a remote location just in case the Dragon went on a rampage.
With Momo’s “Shadow Migration”, they can arrive here at a moment’s notice.
…I’m worried that Ichinose-san will throw up again.
*****
-A few minutes later-
A stiffened up Ichinose-san is standing beside me.
“Awa…Awawawawa…”
Standing next to her, I can tell that she’s trembling really badly.
What a pitiful state she’s in.
I dare say that a newborn fawn would be faring better than her.
“It’s fine, Ichinose-san. Please calm down. As I mentioned in the ‘Mail’, my conversation with ‘Sora’ went well.”
“I-I-I-I-I-I know that already. I-I-I’m n-not s-scared a-a-at a-all…Uuup.”
Ichinose-san blocks her mouth in an attempt to hold herself back from throwing up.
Yep, I’ll consider it as progress since she didn’t vomit right off the bat.
Rikka-chan, who is next to Ichinose-san, has a rigid smile plastered on her face.
“S-so big…Even I’m a little scared…”
Despite her fear, Rikka-chan steps forward like a man and beckons Ichinose-san to hide behind her using one of her hands.
Her other hand is on standby beside her waist in case she needs to draw her hatchet.
Rikka-chan…What a warrior she is.
And then there’s—
“Hiiiiiiiii…”
In the far distance, President Igarashi is peeping at us through the gaps of some rubble.
In a sense, she appears even more frightened compared to Ichinose-san.
It seriously feels like my impression of her dignity and character has undergone a huge change between yesterday and today.
Well, it can’t be helped.
“Can you just come over?”
“W-will it be safe to do so? Are you sure I won’t get eaten the moment I approach her?”
“She won’t…Right?”
I glance at Sora.
‘…I don’t eat humans. They don’t taste good.’
Sora is apparently herbivorous.
She likes eating hay and fruits.
While we were waiting for Ichinose-san’s arrival, I gave it a try and served her some hay rolls which I got from an agricultural cooperative’s warehouse, and she ate them deliciously.
I’m talking about those huge rolls of hay that tend to lie around in harvested wheat fields.
They’re officially known as roll bales, I believe?
She must have been quite hungry as she made quick work of four of them.
…By the way, each of them weighed nearly 300 kg.
I guess a Dragon’s stomach is different after all.
“You see? Sora is saying that it’s fine, so come over here.”
“W-wait, don’t pull me like that…!”
I grab her arm without her permission and drag her in front of Sora.
She’s trying to resist, but the difference in our status is too vast for her to overcome.
“L-let me go…To begin with, why am I here? Without knowing anything, I was dragged here. The ‘Shadow’ beneath me engulfed me without warning, and the next thing I knew, I was here…”
“Hm? …Momo, you brought her here against her will?”
“Kuun?”
When I ask Momo who is by my feet, she tilts her head as if to say, ‘What? I wasn’t supposed to?’
C-cute.
I see nothing wrong with what she did.
“Momo is just a dog, so please don’t take it to heart.”
“…Why does it feel like my treatment is getting worse and worse? Aren’t you blatantly favoring that child over me?”
“Naturally. After all, Momo is my precious partner.”
“Wan!” (How’s that!)
“Gunununu….!”
If someone asks me who is more important, Momo or President Igarashi, I’ll choose Momo without any hesitation.
President Igarashi trembles in anger upon hearing my reply.
“Y-you’re really a terrible person to work with…”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Also, you don’t look too good there. Are you feeling tired?”
“And whose fault do you think that is!? Yes, you’re right! I’m tired! I didn’t get to have an ounce of sleep yesterday because I was so busy calming down the residents and casting ‘Enchantment’ over and over again! It was so much work that the level of ‘Fatigue Resistance’ went up! That trash of a father—and by that I mean Fujita-san—and Grandpa Ken asked me so many questions afterwards. Everything’s been going wrong ever since I got myself involved with you…”
“Serves you right. Don’t forget that you’re the one that provoked us first.”
“…”
Unable to come up with a retort, President Igarashi unwillingly quiets down.
To some extent, it’s true that we can speak peacefully here with Sora thanks to President Igarashi’s effort.
If she had not taken control of the crowd, the panic would have continued, and the residents would have impeded our progress in various ways.
I’ll have her continue working hard for us in the future.
“Alright, alright. Anyway, why was I summoned here? As I said earlier, I’m a busy person, mainly because of you.”
“Sorry, but this is something that only Igarashi-san can do.”
“Something only I can do…?”
“Yes, I want you to ‘Appraise’ Sora.”
“?…But didn’t I already ‘Appraise’ her yesterday?”
“Things are a little different now. She has become a member of my party, so we might be able to figure out more about Sora’s status. More importantly, however, Sora doesn’t seem to be aware of the existence called ‘Status’.”
“Eh?”
Behind me, Ichinose-san and Rikka-chan express their surprise.
This is something that I learned while I was speaking with Sora earlier on.
“Right, Sora?”
‘Indeed. Not to mention ‘Skills’, I’ve never heard of ‘Occupations’ and ‘Skill Points’ either.’
“…? Kudou-san, who have you been talking to since earlier?”
“Eh? Oh, right. Ichinose-san and the others can’t hear us through ‘Telepathy’.”
I take a glance at Sora.
“Sora, can you apply ‘Telepathy’ to Ichinose-san and—”
‘You’re the only human that I acknowledge.’
“…I’m honored and all, but wouldn’t it be inconvenient if you can’t talk to them while you’re at the party?”
‘It wouldn’t matter with you here. What’s more—Nu!?’
Suddenly, Sora turns and looks towards Ichinose-san.
To be more exact, she’s staring at Ichinose-san’s rifle.
‘That gun…Was it this girl that shot my eyes yesterday?’
“…And what if I say yes?”
I activate my skills and enter alert-mode.
She might be holding a grudge over being shot in her eyes.
Hopefully, we can talk this through…
Unexpectedly, Sora laughs—
‘—Very well. I’ll also allow this girl to speak with me.’
“Eh?”
“H-huh? I-I think I heard a voice in my head just now…”
Both Ichinose-san and I get confused.
Based on her reactions, it seems like Sora’s “Telepathy” reached her successfully.
“…You don’t resent her?”
‘Resent? Why would I resent her?’
“W-well, your eyes…”
Her right eye, which was shot by Ichinose-san hasn’t fully healed yet.
There’s still an ugly scar on Sora’s eye.
‘I don’t particularly mind what she did. It was my fault for being careless. Acknowledge the strong…that was what he taught me.’
“T-that so…”
A strength-based hierarchy?
I don’t really understand the values and beliefs of Dragons.
Regardless, it seems like Sora has given Ichinose-san her stamp of acknowledgement.
When I tell her that—
“Wow, that’s great.”
Her reaction is almost the same as mine.
Although Sora has yet to acknowledge Rikka-chan and President Igarashi, as long as Ichinose-san can receive Sora’s “Telepathy”, communicating between party members shouldn’t be an issue any more.
This will do for now.
Now, let’s return to the main topic.
“We’ve derailed a bit. The point is, Sora didn’t know about the existence of skills and status until now.”
“Didn’t know…but hasn’t she clearly been using them?”
I nod in response to Ichinose-san’s question.
“Yes, she has. It seems like she knew about what her ‘powers’ she had beforehand.”
She knew what “powers” she had, but she didn’t know that she could “visualize” them in the form of a status plate.
The same can be said for Kiki and Aka.
“I’m guessing that the concept known as ‘status’ did not exist in the world where Sora and the others came from. The same goes for skills, occupations, skill points, and job points.”
“Then…statuses and skills became a thing only after the world changed?”
I nod yet again, this time at Rikka-chan’s words.
“From the perspective of Sora and the others, ‘status’ is simply a way to ‘visualize’ the powers which they had from the beginning.”
I always assumed that “status” was something from the monsters’ world, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Now that I think about it, Momo often makes gestures which suggest that she’s tinkering with her status, but I’ve never seen Aka or Kiki making such gestures before.
I really should’ve noticed earlier.
“Hm? But she can see her status now, right? Isn’t ‘Appraisal’ unnecessary?”
“Not quite, Aisaka-san. Although it’s true that Sora can see her ‘status’, it’s not easy for her to convey everything to us through ‘Telepathy’.”
“Oh, so that’s why.”
Using “Telepathy” alone, it’s difficult to convey accurate information about skills and their effects.
To be honest, it’s hard to understand what Sora’s saying since she speaks little and doesn’t like explaining things to others.
The biggest problem, however, is that Sora herself may be “misunderstanding” what her skills can do.
As an example, let’s talk about her “Claw Attack”.
Sora describes the skill as a “technique which allows her to cut through things with her claws”.
She’s oblivious as to how destructive it is, how much area the attack can cover, and whether or not it comes with a side effect.
In other words, she’s currently using her skills based on her wild instincts.
On the other hand, if we were to properly “Appraise” her skills and search up the details using “The Right to Question”, there won’t be any holes in our understanding of her skills, allowing Sora to have an accurate grasp of what her skills can do.
It may take some time, but it’s more reliable this way.
“That’s why we need your help, Igarashi-san.”
“…Understood.”
President Igarashi stares at Sora for a moment.
Then, she takes out a small notebook from her pocket and begins jotting down information.
“…I can certainly access more information compared to yesterday.”
“As I thought.”
My prediction turned out to be correct.
Oh, that’s right.
I should use this chance to learn more about the skills and statuses of Momo, Kiki, and Aka.
I don’t think President Igarashi would give us false information at this point.
(Is it okay for you guys?)
(Wan!)
(Furu furu…)
(Kyu!)
I’ve obtained their approval.
I just realized, but this will be my first time seeing their status.
I’m excited to see how they compare.
I request President Igarashi to “Appraise” the trio’s statuses as well.
The results that she writes down on the paper surprise me very much.
This is how their statuses look like—
*****
Sora
Blue Dragon
LV 38
HP: 1400/5200
MP: 550/2300
Strength: 1200
Endurance: 800
Agility: 2500
Dexterity: 1200
Magic: 2200
Magic Resistance: 1100
SP: 176
Unique Skills
■■■■
■■■■
Skill
Claw Attack LV10, Breath Attack LV10, Dragon’s Scale LV10, Extreme Flight Speed LV10, Enemy Detection LV3, Coercion LV5, Roar LV5, Berserk LV4, Enhanced Breath Attack LV8, Super Enhanced Breath Attack LV7, Enhanced Claw Attack LV7, Enhanced Dragon’s Scale LV7, Enhanced Flight Speed LV8, Crisis Detection LV3, Telepathy LV3, Reduced MP Consumption LV3, Attention Cutoff LV2, Increased Range LV5, Thought Resonation LV4
*****
Aka
Creation Slime
LV 5
HP: 220/220
MP: 120/120
Strength: 1
Endurance: 98
Agility: 1
Dexterity: 1
Magic: 1
Magic Resistance: 300
SP: 30
Unique Skills
■■■■
Skill
Shock Absorption LV7, Enhanced Shock Absorption LV2, Slash Immunity LV7, Softening LV7, Mental Distress Tolerance LV10, Enemy Detection Invalidation LV10, Mimicry LV7, Thought Resonation LV1, Petrification LV1, Enlargement LV1, Kin Absorption LV4, Kin Recognition LV4, Remove Stench LV10, Gross Eater LV7
*****
Kiki
Carbuncle
LV 2
HP: 40/40
MP: 80/80
Strength: 10
Endurance: 11
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 21
Magic: 11
Magic Resistance: 12
SP: 24
Unique Skills
■■■■
Skill
Combat Support LV3, Support LV4, Support Magic LV3, Reflection LV7, Thought Resonation LV1, See Through LV1, Grant Curse LV2
*****
Momo
Dark Dog
LV 3
HP: 422/422
MP: 85/85
Strength: 130
Endurance: 112
Agility: 480
Dexterity: 210
Magic: 110
Magic Resistance: 120
SP: 36
Unique Skills
Resonance
■■■■
Skill
Biting LV4, Scratching LV2, Ramming LV2, Offroad Dashing LV4 [2], Enhanced Olfaction LV2, Enemy Detection LV4, Crisis Detection LV4, Fear Resistance LV4, Stress Resistance LV4, Hunger Resistance LV4, Solitude Resistance LV4, Agility Reinforcement LV1, Thought Resonation LV2, Shadow Manipulation LV7, Shadow Weapon LV4, Shadow Migration LV2, Shadow Infiltration LV5, Strengthened Wolf Pack LV4, Roar LV4, Dark Bullet LV1
*****
It turns out that Momo possesses a unique skill.
[1] “Ao” means blue in Japanese.
[2] 悪路走破 – Running through an uneven path.
TN: Some of the skills’ names are kind of strange. I tried my best to translate them, but if you have any suggestions (or corrections which you wish to point out), please tell me down in the comments!