Chapter 2: The Hero with a Dud Skill
“…………What is that?
Guards! Bring it here!”
“Yes, sir!!”
The two soldiers casually collected the items I had gotten from my Skill ‘gacha’ and carried them over to the king.
First, the bald mustache guy inspected them, and then the king took them in his hands.
The king holding an Umaibo Salami Flavor.
It was quite a surreal sight.
Before long, after touching several of the Umaibo sticks, the king lightly picked up what looked like nothing more than a wooden stick—the Cypress Stick—and whispered something to the bald mustache guy beside him.
“Hero!
Explain truthfully what these items are and what kind of power they possess!!”
…What kind of power, you ask?
They’re exactly what they look like.
“…………Uh.
The wooden stick and the shoes are exactly what they appear to be, and the rest of the packaged items are cheap snacks… children’s treats.”
“…………Treats?
So they are food.
…………What happens when one consumes them?”
“Probably nothing?”
“What?”
“No, I mean, they’re just the cheapest snacks you can buy anywhere in my country…”
“…………Someone, eat one.”
At the bald mustache guy’s command, a young soldier picked up an Umaibo Salami Flavor.
He looked over at me, so I showed him how to open it with gestures, and he tore open the package and took a small bite.
“…………Delicious…!”
The young soldier’s eyes widened in shock.
Yeah, Umaibo is tasty.
After he finished eating it with a crunch, the wrapper left in his hand suddenly vanished like smoke.
Ohh!
That’s awesome—it doesn’t leave any trash behind!
“Well?”
“Yes, sir!
It is something I have never eaten before, but if I had to compare it, it resembles a salty rusk.
The flavor is strong, but the texture is light, making it easy for children and the elderly to eat!”
After giving a thorough food review of the Umaibo Salami Flavor, the bald mustache guy held his head slightly and let out a sigh.
“That is not what I asked!
Was there any special effect?
Did you recover, or did your physical abilities increase!?”
“…………Ah!
…………No… I do not feel any particular change…”
“…………What?
…………Then try these shoes.”
“Yes, sir!”
Realizing that the Umaibo had no effect, the bald mustache guy turned his attention to the Running Shoes and handed them to the young soldier who had eaten it.
The young soldier began removing the armor from his feet right there on the spot, but honestly, I didn’t want him to.
Because that was the only decent item I got from my Skill.
I don’t know how strong a ★4 item is, but it’s definitely a rare item.
I hadn’t checked the size, but if they fit, I wanted to wear them myself.
They’d definitely be more comfortable than the cheap leather shoes I’m currently wearing.
But mercilessly, the young soldier’s bare foot hovered over my Running Shoes.
Barefoot, seriously?
At least wear socks!
My inner complaints went unheard as his foot moved toward the shoe—
…and then stopped just before touching it.
“H-Huh?
W-What is this?”
“What is wrong?”
“N-No…
…………I can’t wear them.”
“Hm?
What do you mean?”
“When I try to put my foot in, something pushes it back, and I can’t wear them.”
After saying that, the young soldier lowered his foot, and the gazes of the bald mustache guy—and the king—turned toward me.
…Don’t look at me.
How should I know?
“…………What is the meaning of this, Hero?”
“Even if you ask me that…
Can I take a look at those shoes for a second?”
When I said that, one of the soldiers looked to the bald mustache guy, and after receiving a nod, brought the Running Shoes over to me.
Yeah, they look normal enough.
But when I picked them up, they were surprisingly light.
There wasn’t any size marking, but visually they seemed slightly smaller than my feet—still wearable.
I took off my current leather shoes and tried putting on the Running Shoes.
Then, as expected of a rare item, the shoes expanded slightly for a moment before snugly fitting my feet as if they were made for me.
“What is this?
So light!
They feel easy to walk in—these are great!”
“…………Hmm.
Even if he can create items, he cannot choose them, and most of them are useless snacks.
And even when other items appear, they are just a wooden stick or shoes, and furthermore, only the one who summoned them can equip them…?
What is this?
This is completely useless…”
I was too absorbed in the comfort of the Running Shoes to catch what the bald mustache guy was saying.
However, I could feel the atmosphere suddenly turn tense, and an unpleasant sweat ran down my back.
“Your Excellency, Prime Minister!
May I speak!!”
Just as the bald mustache guy—who had been whispering with the king—was about to speak, a burly, mustached nobleman stepped forward from among those lined up on both sides of the hall and knelt before the king.
“How dare you, Marquis Karazuka!
…………Hm?
…………Very well, is it?
…………Marquis Karazuka, His Majesty permits you to speak.”
The bald mustache guy, now addressed as the Prime Minister, flared up in anger, but the king raised a hand to stop him.
Though frowning, the Prime Minister allowed Marquis Karazuka to continue.
“Yes, Your Majesty!
If it pleases you, I would like to take custody of the Hero!”
“…………For what purpose?”
“For research.
I wish to learn about the knowledge from the Hero’s world.”
After hearing that, the king and the bald mustache guy discussed something, and it was decided that I would be handed over to Marquis Karazuka.
The Prime Minister approved it on the condition that everything related to me would be handled under Marquis Karazuka’s responsibility.
…Huh?
My opinion?
Of course, no one even bothered to ask.