Chapter 4: The Beginning of a Strategy

  After Komachi explained that I only had ten common skills, my mind began to race. Ten common skills could still be helpful as long as I didn’t have to fight; it just all depended on what they were and if they were useful in trying to help run a kingdom. I got up from my chair and began to pace around the grand library. Finally, I stopped at the table where Princess Komachi and King Tomo were sitting.

  "Is there any way you could tell me what skills I have?" I asked Komachi, trying to keep my voice steady despite my excitement.

  Komachi looked mildly annoyed but replied, "Of course, why wouldn't I be able to? This is my job, besides being the princess, to tell people about their magical abilities and what they can do with them."

  King Tomo began to smile, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Curious, I asked, "Why are you smiling?"

  "This is my favorite part," he said, still grinning.

  "What do you mean this is your favorite part?" I exclaimed, unable to contain my anticipation.

  "Just calm down and watch," he advised.

  I turned to Komachi, who began chanting in a language I had never heard before. Books started to fly off the shelves one by one and floated above me. There were ten books in total, each vastly different from the others, but all high-quality. The books circled my head for a while before neatly stacking themselves on the table in front of me.

  Before I could ask any questions, Komachi began to speak. "Each of these books contains answers to every question you’ll have about your abilities," she explained. "Your first ability is Terepashī."

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  I tried to ask her about Terepashī, but she cut me off, "Let me tell you all of the abilities first, and then you can ask questions."

  Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Your second ability is Shadousutorēji."

  My eyes widened, and I tried to ask a question, but she quickly shut me down again. "If you interrupt me one more time, you'll have to figure out the abilities on your own," she warned.

  I apologized and told her I was just excited because, in my world, magic was only found in fantasy novels or MMORPGs. Komachi's eyes lit up with joy. She grabbed my hands, asking if I really knew about fantasy novels. I told her, "Of course," feeling my face flush with embarrassment. Even though I had a regular life in Tokyo, I didn't have much luck with girls.

  King Tomo cleared his throat, and Komachi quickly apologized. "We can talk about the fantasy novels you like later," she promised.

  Tomo explained that a hero from the Kingdom of Rengoku had once told her about fantasy light novels from his previous life. I thought to myself, of course, they would have some idea of the things from my world if other kingdoms had summoned heroes before.

  I sat back down and apologized for interrupting her. "Please continue telling me about my abilities."

  Komachi sighed but continued, "Your third ability is Gengo-shin, which allows you to speak any language and read any book, even if you’ve never seen it before. The fourth is Subete o shiru kenja, a common version of an all-knowing entity. You'll be able to hear a voice in your head once you master it, but it’s unclear how much information it will actually know."

  I struggled to pay attention, distracted by Komachi's beauty, and before I knew it, the explanation was over. She quickly got up, mentioning that she had other duties to attend to. "If you have any other questions, refer to these books. You're free to take them and use them as long as you need."

  I thought to myself that my skills seemed pretty useless, but I did hear her mention a few that could be beneficial. Terepashī would let me talk telepathically to up to four people at a time. Shadousutorēji allowed me to store things in my shadow, effectively making it a portable storage with no added weight. Gengo-shin would let me understand and communicate in any language. And Subete o shiru kenja, although limited, could still provide valuable insights.

  Lost in thought, I was startled when King Tomo tapped me on the shoulder. "I have business to attend to. Do you need anything else from me?"

  At first, I told him no, but then reconsidered. "Actually, could I get all the financial reports from the kingdom for the last year, maps of our geographical location, and a list of all the nobles and their responsibilities?"

  King Tomo looked at me, stroking his long beard. "How long have you been thinking about asking for this information?"

  I laughed. "Since you told me you needed help rebuilding the Kingdom of Starfall."

  King Tomo chuckled as he walked out of the room. "You are full of surprises, Alex. The paperwork will be delivered to your room."

  "Actually, could the paperwork be delivered here to the library?" I asked.

  "Of course," he replied. "I'll get it here as soon as possible."

  With a new sense of purpose, I sat down, ready to delve into the books and start devising a plan to help the Starfall Kingdom rise from its financial ruin.