“What… is this? A status board?”
The floating tablet didn’t seem like something he could hold in his hands.
However, it did look possible to touch the rows of text lining its display.
It reminded him of the contactless air display self-checkouts recently introduced at convenience stores.
“This is your current status. You can also view information on your skills, so take a look,” came a voice.
“Ah, got it.”
He took his time examining the floating status board.
〈Status〉
Tohma (Tohma Date ), 21 years old, <High Elf>
Level 1
HP: 1000/1000
MP: 10000/10000
Strength: 20
Defense: 20
Agility: 100
Dexterity: 100
Intelligence: 100
Luck: 50
Skills: 【Universal Language Comprehension】【Appraisal】【Item Box】【Life Magic】【All-Attribute Magic】
Unique Gift: 【Summoning Magic】
Titles: 【Blessing of the Creator God】【Attachment of the Summoned Hero】
“…Huh?”
He thought he noticed something odd at the bottom. “Attachment of the Summoned Hero”?
“Oh, that. Normally, you’d only have my blessing, but… for some reason, that title was also given to you…”
“I don’t understand, and that’s a bit scary.”
“I get it… But thanks to that, the heroes might be more motivated to work hard with you around, so could you bear with it a little…?”
He knew he was well-liked, but “attachment”? Wait, are they… stalkers?
Well, he didn’t recall being actually stalked, so they probably just saw him as an older-brother figure. Satisfied with this interpretation, he discreetly looked away from the titles section.
The Creator God also seemed eager to change the topic and enthusiastically explained further.
“I’ve also enhanced your skills and magic! The 【Life Magic】 is a convenience magic I added so you can live comfortably here. Make good use of it, okay?”
It looked like tapping on a skill would reveal a detailed description.
The 【Life Magic】, for example, included a cleansing spell to keep oneself and the surroundings clean. As the skill leveled up, it could evolve into a powerful purification magic.
There were other spells too, such as Fire, which could start a fire; Water, which provided drinking water; and Dry, which could dry food and wood.
“I can’t create one of those convenient Japanese toilets right away, but I’ll see if I can guide a magical tool craftsman to make something similar. Until then, could you manage with 【Life Magic】?”
Ah, so it’s like a cleaning spell as a substitute for a bidet. It could also serve as a bath or for doing laundry, making it a highly versatile magic.
House cleaning could be done with just a spell—way more convenient than a robot vacuum.
“I’ve made sure you can use all types of magic too. For a High Elf, it should feel natural. But you’ll have to hone your magic skills yourself, okay? If you get good at it, it’ll be a powerful form of offense, so I hope you’ll work at it.”
It seemed that survival would require a fair amount of effort. He was used to hard work, though.
But back on Earth, he’d become quick to give up on efforts that didn’t yield results.
(But if this world has a level system that reflects your efforts properly….)
“…I might be able to get by pretty well here, since I can do most things decently.”
“That’s right. As a High Elf, you’re not bound by time, so instead of specializing in a single skill like humans do, why not try to develop all your skills and magic? You might enjoy this world that way.”
“Wait. What do you mean by ‘not bound by time’?”
“Oh, right. Elves are immortal, and as a High Elf—well, let’s just say you’ll live for a really long time, so enjoy it!”
“That sounds a bit ominous. Also, if I’m supposed to be this ‘immortal’ thing, what about them? Surely it’ll take a considerable amount of time to defeat this evil dragon that’s threatening to destroy the world.”
The heroes summoned by the god were tasked with saving the world, yet despite their strong skills and magic, they started at level 1. Raising levels and enhancing skills would likely take a lot of time.
“Their time is frozen, so it’s fine. I want them to defeat that dragon even if it takes ten or a hundred years.”
“So they’ll stay as they are until that dragon is defeated…”
If, once they achieved their mission, they could return to their own world and original timeline, that might be preferable.
“…Can they hold out for that ten or hundred years?”
“That’s why I’d like you to support them…”
“You’re quite demanding, aren’t you? But I’ve already resolved to live in this world, so I’ll cooperate. I understand I’m the ‘bait,’ but just that won’t be enough.”
With both parents as renowned athletes worldwide, his cousins grew up accustomed to luxury in a wealthy family.
Given this world’s likely limited cultural resources, they’d need more motivation than just him.
“First, food. As long as the ingredients are good, Japanese seasonings should make it manageable. They’re minors, so no alcohol, but sweets would be a good idea. Also, clothes, daily necessities, books, games, and other forms of entertainment. If you could summon items like when you summoned them and reward them for leveling up, it might keep them motivated.”
Living essentials were crucial.
The temple’s hospitality meant their living conditions might be decent, but the food likely seemed plain.
As athletes with big appetites, especially at their growing age, they needed lots of food.
They loved meat, carbs, and fried foods.
They claimed they’d burn off the calories with exercise, and they did just that.
(To maintain that physique and still achieve such high performance…)
He had to admit it was impressive.
Young and healthy, they were always hungry and had a huge appetite for tasty food.
If they were fed to their fill, they’d work as hard as they ate.
In that sense, good food could be literal “bait.”
“I don’t have the authority to summon objects from another world. Even for the hero summoning, I had to negotiate with the gods of Earth, especially Japan, and promised to send them back in order to get their permission.”
Seriously? Japanese gods are kind. But they won’t share that kindness with me, will they…?
As he started to feel a bit downhearted, a soft, fluffy creature suddenly jumped at his face.
“Whoa, what’s this?”
“It’s you! You’re here! Since I dragged you into this, I’ve given you a unique gift as an apology… summoning magic! You can use it to summon things from Japan!”
“Could you stop bouncing on my face in excitement? It doesn’t hurt, but it’s ticklish.”
“This magic usually allows you to summon holy and mythical beasts, but I’ve rewritten it to summon objects! Now you can live comfortably, and the heroes will be happy, too!”
Wait, wouldn’t the original magic have been better…?
