When using a skill for the first time, it’s troublesome if its capabilities become widely known, so I need to discuss that part first.
“I’m Fujihara Tsukasa, but what’s your name?”
“…I’m… this is my name.”
She takes out and shows me her student card—the letters glow, making it easy to read even in the dark.
Nanami Nanami and Shiro—both the reading and the name are noted.
“So, you’re Nanami-san. It’s rare, but the sound is nice.”
“…Not really. It’s ordinary. Fujihara has a more distinguished feel.”
“Ah, it appears in Japanese history too, right? But I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
I’m touched that she made such a joke. For someone who hasn’t had proper communication with classmates, a casual conversation like this is delightful.
“If it’s herbs, they’re probably over there. But before that, can I ask you something?”
“Eh?”
She takes something out of her bag—it’s a spray. Her proud display of it is honestly endearing.
“This is an insect repellent spray I made. The ingredients are safe even if applied to the skin.”
“You made it yourself? That’s amazing…”
“With just insect-repellent herbs and a proper amount of water. Can I spray it on you?”
“Sure, please.”
Nanami-san sprays it on me. Since I’m exposing my skin, she seems concerned—she must be quite cautious about insect bites since she’s fully protected.
《Using ‘Repellent Spray’—Insect repellent effect activated》
“All done.”
“Thank you. It felt like when I used a skill just now…”
“Maybe because it’s a skill-made spray. I’m a ‘Magic Engineer’ after all.”
I’ve heard that job title somewhere—then the memory clicks.
The girl who was being recruited by boys in the school’s entrance hall earlier. Though it’s hard to tell because of the protective suit, her build and voice are unmistakably the same.
“…Earlier…”
“Eh?”
“Nothing. With this insect repellent, I should be okay for about a hundred steps or so.”
“Ha ha ha… That sounds like a game item’s effect.”
“Yes. Actually, the effect lasts for about two hours.”
I thought Nanami-san might be bringing up a well-known game reference, but it seems I was right. Such moments make it easier to warm up to someone.
The conversation flows naturally, making it enjoyable—but I can’t get too carried away.
“…Do you do things like Pokémon breeding?”
“Ah, I’m pretty into that too… but I want to discuss that later. Right now, we need to focus on gathering herbs.”
“…I’ll hold back. What should I do?”
“Well… I was thinking of keeping my skills a secret, but if it’s Nanami-san, it might be okay.”
“I won’t leak any secrets. I promise.”
Her tone is flat, but Nanami-san made it clear.
If I were to be deceived by this, I’d just have to learn from it and move on.
I’m about to use another skill. Just thinking about it makes the usage naturally come to mind.
“With this skill, I think I can make carrying herbs easier. I’ll start now.”
“…………”
Nanami-san nods. She seems nervous, stepping back a step or two, and watches me intently.
I raise both hands toward the herbs and imagine pressing them together, squeezing them tightly—and then.
《Skill ‘Compression’ activated—Converting target to a chip》
(…Incredible… What is this…)
I’m stunned by what I’m doing. Herbs larger than a human’s height are compressed by my gesture, fitting between my hands.
“…Amazing… Is this space magic…?”
“I’m not sure what category of skill it is… but since I’m a ‘Luggage Carrier,’ maybe it just makes things easier to transport.”
The herbs, now between my hands, are about the size of a one-hundred-yen coin. I don’t understand the principle, but it hardly feels heavy.
《Chip contents: Herbs ×1》
The chip looks like a coin, so others won’t know what’s compressed inside, but I can tell what it is.
“…Amazing. I don’t have any other words. It ignores mass preservation and might be a skill that affects concepts.”
“Oh… When you say it, it really does seem like that.”
“Don’t make fun of it. I’m serious.”
I wonder what the goddess responsible for reincarnation would think if she knew about such an extraordinary skill. Would she say, “A god wouldn’t be surprised, are you an idiot?”—not that I’m expecting to be scolded.
