The Special Power of Life Skills
Once the covers of the books were spotless, the organizing proceeded at lightning speed.
Pelua scanned the old tomes with her exceptional discernment, instantly classifying which ones still held valuable knowledge and which were merely bundles of paper destined to fade into the annals of time. Ian followed her pointing finger, neatly shelving the worthwhile books on the room's bookshelves while diligently stacking the obsolete ones on the veranda.
Just as the second-floor room was nearly finished, Pelua—her face flushed from the effort—approached Ian with a determined expression and made him an extraordinary offer. If he could magically clean the mountain of books piled on the first floor as well, she would grant him a full year's free membership to the Owl Bookstore.
To Ian, the proposal was sweeter than any gold coin. He nodded eagerly, unable to hide his delight even before she finished speaking.
“I'd love that! Shall we start on the first floor right away?”
“Ah… wait a moment, Ian.”
Pelua's expression, which Ian had expected to share his excitement, suddenly turned serious. Ian froze, looking at her with puzzled eyes. She paced anxiously in front of him like a sage facing a matter of national importance before blurting out a sharp question.
“I had my suspicions… but it seems you have no idea how extraordinary your ability truly is.”
“Huh? My ability? You mean the Perfect Bubble skill?”
“Yes. Do you know what the most common type of skill people are born with is?”
Ian's body stiffened. No matter how hard he thought, her question seemed like basic common knowledge that even a child on the Adriant Continent would know. Feeling as though he were rolling a pencil across an exam paper with no right answer and leaving his fate to chance, he cautiously opened his mouth.
“…Um, cooking skills… maybe?”
“Oh dear. Completely wrong.”
Pelua's cold reply made his heart plummet to the floor. Seeing Ian's face turn pale, she added in a gentle, soothing tone.
“It's all right. Not knowing isn't a fault. The real mistake is refusing to learn even after realizing you don't know.”
Her light-green eyes gleamed with curiosity as she studied him, as if testing what kind of person he was. Ian answered promptly.
“I'm ready to learn and study anything I don't know! That's why I came here today to borrow books in the first place.”
“Very good. I hope you never lose that attitude.”
Finally satisfied, Pelua smiled brightly and continued her explanation.
“Most of the skills people are born with belong to the attack or defense categories. It's as if their instincts to protect themselves in a dangerous world have manifested—attack magic, defense magic, or weapon-handling skills, for example.”
“Really? Everyone starts out with something that terrifying?”
“Of course. Why would I lie about something like this?”
“N-no, that's not what I meant…”
Pelua let out a thoughtful hum and rested her chin on her hand, observing Ian closely.
“How strange. You seem like someone who grew up with excellent morals and consideration, yet you have no grasp of such basic facts. It's almost as if you dropped in from an entirely different world.”
Startled, Ian's body went rigid, and he replied in a voice that sounded like a startled yelp.
“Eek!! Ah, no, ahem! Th-that's not possible! I just grew up in a remote mountain village with very little interaction with people.”
“Yes, well… I'll accept that explanation.”
“R-right…”
At Ian's faltering reply, Pelua gave him a meaningful smile before resuming her earlier explanation.
“On average, about six out of ten people are born with attack or defense skills. The next most common are life skills like the cooking or laundry skills you mentioned.”
Ian brightened at first, as if hearing about himself, but soon his eyes widened in confusion. If cleaning skills were the second most common type in the world, why had she been praising Perfect Bubble as though it were a legendary rarity?
The answer came straight from her lips.
“However… I've never seen a cleaning skill that restores something to its pristine state so perfectly. Even if the scratches remain like scars, all other foreign substances have vanished without a trace. It's truly an unbelievable skill.”
“What? Isn't that just because my skill is Grade 2?”
“It's not a matter of grade. I've never heard of even the royal family's professional cleaners or attendants being able to make something this spotless, without leaving a single trace.”
Pelua's voice was filled with certainty. Worry crept in ahead of joy, and Ian asked cautiously.
“Is that… dangerous? Does it stand out too much?”
At Ian's serious question, Pelua's lips twitched as though she were holding back laughter, and she answered at once.
“No? Well… it wouldn't be dangerous. But if you continue living without realizing how valuable your ability is, you might end up selling that precious skill for a pittance and struggling for a while.”
“Nah, that won't happen.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“……”
When Ian hesitated, at a loss for words, Pelua seized the opportunity and pressed on.
“If you don't mind me asking, what kind of work are you doing now?”
“Oh, I'm doing low-rank requests while trying to join the Errand Boy Guild.”
“I see. You'll probably become an official errand boy soon and start taking on mid-rank requests.”
“I-I suppose so?”
“Ian, what if, hypothetically, a request like this appeared on the mid-rank request board?”
With a meaningful smile, she spoke in a low but clear voice, as if sharing a secret.
“For example, something like ‘Restoration of Damaged Spellbooks’ or ‘Restoration of Ancient Relics.’”
Ian nearly blurted out that those were jobs for high-ranking mages, but instead of speaking hastily, he quietly gazed at Pelua's face. Thinking back carefully, he realized the true answer had already been hidden in everything she had said so far.
Most people in this world were born with skills specialized in destruction and defense. That meant even the countless mages out there might excel at combat but were likely hopeless at delicate restoration or purification work.
Moreover, the fact that such important tasks involving spellbooks and relics were classified as “mid-rank” suggested that the restoration process itself didn't require tremendous mana or complex spells.
‘That means… even though it says “restoration,” it's really just about wiping away the grime and stains accumulated over the years. The kind of work my bubble skill can do most perfectly!’
At last, Ian looked at Pelua as though he had grasped a monumental truth. She smiled softly, as if she couldn't help but find him endearing, and nodded.
“You see? You had no idea how useful your skill could be.”
“Yeah… you're right. Perfect Bubble isn't just a skill for cleaning floors or walls. It can also be used to restore lost value.”
Before long, the early afternoon sun had lowered, casting a golden glow. The leather bag slung over Ian's shoulder swayed with a satisfying weight as he made his way back to the inn.
Inside were two books Pelua had specially gifted him in exchange for purifying the enormous pile of books on the first floor of the Owl Bookstore and clearing the blocked entrance.
They were All the Medicinal Herbs of the Lorenkia Region and Everything About Skills – Basic Edition.
Both were treasures as precious as gold coins to the current Ian. The herb encyclopedia, which catalogued all the vegetation of the Lorenkia region that Gelian belonged to, was the key to completing the Whitefoot Flower request, while the skill basics book was a compass for understanding the systems of this unfamiliar world. The table of contents even listed methods for raising skill grades, making Ian's heart race.
‘I can't wait to go home and read them.’
Although he hadn't made a single step of progress on today's goal of gathering Whitefoot Flowers, he felt certain he had reaped a far more beneficial and rewarding harvest. Calming his impatient heart, Ian quickened his pace.
When he finally entered the Dream's Shelter Inn, Grandma Masa, seated at the counter, greeted him from behind her glasses.
“Grandma, I'm back.”
“Welcome back, Ian. Did you find the books you wanted?”
Ian tapped his bag and smiled brightly.
“Yes, I found some really wonderful books. Thanks to you, Grandma.”
Ian was about to hurry upstairs when he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something.
“Oh, right. The bookstore owner has changed. The previous owner, Grandma Lane, retired, and her granddaughter has taken over.”
For a brief moment, Grandma Masa's eyes grew still. A ripple of regret and bitterness stirred faintly between the deep wrinkles of the elderly woman.
“I see… So Lane finally passed the bookstore on to Pelua.”
The subdued atmosphere made Ian's heart feel heavy as well. He asked in a careful voice.
“You two were old friends, weren't you?”
“That's right. Even though Lane was ten years older than me, we were quite close. Still… she could never let go of that stubborn pile of books. About two months ago she came to the inn and chatted for a long time—something she never used to do—and it's been on my mind ever since. I suppose that was her final goodbye.”
Grandma's gaze, fixed on some distant point, was filled with regret. Wanting to ease her sorrow, Ian spoke to her in a friendly, playful tone.
“Grandma Masa, you can't go anywhere like Grandma Lane did. I'm planning to stay at this inn for a very, very long time.”
Ian's warm teasing finally brought a small smile to Grandma Masa's lips.
“Heh heh, don't you worry. I'm still as spry as ever.”
“That's right! You have to stay that way.”
Ian chatted with Grandma Masa a little longer. Then, carrying the tray of late lunch, he headed to Room 205 with a lighter heart.