253-228 Bounty Jewels

"This is the ...... Gift Pearl.

Do you know it?

Yes. I'm still the chief priest, you know.

After a brief discussion with Diora about the request, we came to the temple of Lord Adversus with the boon bead, of course.

The one who saw the pearl and recognized it easily was the Chief Priestess Ishka.

He was a friendly person, and I had never seen him as a priest before, but it seemed that his name as the chief priest was not an exaggeration.

Is it really so easy to tell just by looking at him?

Yes, it may be difficult for our people, but if you are a chief priest, you should be able to. If you ask me how I know, I'm in trouble.

Hmmm, maybe next time you find a pearl with this shape, you should bring it here before bringing it to the guild.

That way, I won't have to wait for over a month.

"So you can check the effects of this gem too?

Yes. Not every chief priest, but if it's me. Shall I check?

Ishka-san nodded unconcernedly at my question.

I was told that only high ranking priests could do it, but I guess I should be impressed.

I'd love to, but how much is ...... it?

Well, it's usually more than 10 gold coins. ...... Do you need a certificate of authenticity?

Certificate of authenticity?

Yes. It proves what kind of jewel it is. It is required when you want to sell it. However, once we issue it, we are required to report it to the Temple's upper echelons, which inevitably means .......

Ishka's words were slurred and she didn't say anything clearly, but it was likely that the money she had paid would go to the temple at the same time.

If you don't issue a certificate of authenticity, does that mean that all the money we paid can be used for this temple or even the orphanage?

In the event that you are not able to get a certificate of authenticity, then you can use the money to pay for the temple and also the orphanage.

No certificate of authenticity, please.

Thank you.

At Haruka's words, Ishka smiled and accepted the offering.

The amount we paid was enough to get a certificate of authenticity, but if we were going to pay it, we'd rather it be used for the orphanage here than siphoned off to some unknown place.

We've visited the orphanage several times and have made friends with many of the children.

We're going to use it ourselves anyway, so the certificate is useless.

If it's something we can't use and we decide to sell it, we'll need a certificate of authenticity, but ...... that's about it.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will work for you.

I'll take care of it then.

When Ishka received the pearl from me, she reverently placed it on the altar of the temple.

Then she knelt down in front of it and began to pray.

I waited for a while, and without any special phenomenon, she finished her prayer, stood up, took the pearl and gave it back to me.

I wasn't expecting any mystical effect, but it was very plain.

However, it seems that he was able to judge the effect properly.

"This gem seems to have the effect of increasing power.

"Power: ......?

"Yes. Attack power, muscle power, that sort of thing.

He was able to make a judgment, but it was more vague than he expected.

I was expecting to get a quick answer like 'you can get sword fighting skills'. ...... No, people in this world can't check their status and they don't recognize their skills, so is that it?

I'm not sure if I'm the only one who had this question, and Natsuki asked with a slightly troubled expression.

You can't tell for sure that it's this one?　You were praying earlier, but how do you know?

"Well, it's hard to put into words, but it's like an image comes to mind. Some things are easy to understand, such as learning to use a sword, but some things are harder to understand than others. This one is still easy to understand.

Is that so? ......

No, well, when you think about it, is it any wonder it's vague?

If you're not sure what you're looking for, you can always ask for help.

Even if we were told that, we could only respond, "Oh, really? That's all we can say.

Since we don't know how many points our attack power is, we don't even know the value of "10 points". If your attack power is only 10, 10 points is a lot, but if it is 10,000, it is an error.

I get it. At least there is no disadvantage in using it, right?

"Yes. Yes, there is.

That's all you need to know.

It'd be a shame if I stepped on the first mine I avoided.

Thank you very much.

"No problem. You are welcome to bring it back anytime. Especially if you don't need a certificate of authenticity.

Ishka said, smiling a little mischievously.

What do you think?

What do you think?　What do you think of the skills - or should I say, the skills ......?

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

I'm not sure if it's a skill or not.　You can't see the ability value in the status, but maybe it increases the STR (Strenx) in the game.

When we returned home from the temple, we placed the Gift Pearl on the dining room table and discussed how to use it.

The most effective way to use it would be to use it on ...... Toya to increase her maximum attack power.

If you can find them frequently, you can use them in order, but I found only one in a dungeon I dove 20 floors.

Moreover, it's hard to make an easy decision, since the effect of each benefit depends on the gem.

The question is, who will use it?

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm not sure what to make of this. ...... Oh?

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.　I'm not sure what to do.　Maybe.

"Ugh!

I was at a loss for words when Yuki told me the truth.

That's right.

I've been training the same way, and my level is about the same, but lately my strength is second to none. I have a strong feeling that I'm losing to everyone but Haruka.

Whenever I have a mock battle with Yuki and her friends, I tend to lose ........

In the beginning, there was almost no difference between her and Natsuki and Yuki.

Is this a race trait?

I'm sure you're not crazy about this, because you're winning in terms of magic power. .......

I'm sure you're not the only one. I'm sure you're not the only one.

"You used to be just like me," he said, referring to his time in Japan.

Now, I don't even want to compare him with Toya. He doesn't look so macho, but he's got stupid powers.

Even when he's not using magic to strengthen his body, he's like, "Why is he so powerful? I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

But there is a way to strengthen Toya, who has high muscle strength, right?

No, I'm usually up.

Haruka...

You can't say that Haruka is more powerful than Nao. ......

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

--I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

But as a man.

If you're not careful, you could be overtaken by Mary or Mitya in the near future.

No, it's not just a matter of "if I'm not good enough", it's a matter of "if I grow up well enough".

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

A high school student who loses to an elementary school student in arm wrestling,......, or maybe a college student in terms of age.

--I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

But then again, the more muscle power you have, the better off you are.

Can I use it then?

Yes.

After confirming that everyone nodded, I picked up the Gift Pearl.

I'm pretty sure you're supposed to put magic into it, right?

--I'm not sure if it's possible to use it if you're not used to handling magic.

With such doubts, I poured magic power into the pearl of benefit held in both hands.

"Power increased.

Whoa!　You can use it, apparently. ......?

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it'll help.

I like that. It's a good idea to leave nothing behind to make ...... it easier to understand.　It also prevents fraud.

The fact that there are no empty pearls may indeed be a good thing.

There is a way to make similar pearls, but it will cost a lot of money, and it will not be easy to cheat people.

Incidentally, I found out later that the certificate of authenticity issued by the temple has a strange function that it disappears with the pearl when it is used, so it is impossible to cheat using it.

So, is there any difference?

No, I have no idea. But I heard voices.

A voice?　Whose?

Normally, "hearing voices" would be a bad thing, but in this world, it is a possible phenomenon.

Toya didn't look particularly surprised and asked back.

I'm sure it's not Adversus, at least.

I've heard this every time I've checked my experience, so I'm sure I wouldn't mishear it.

Adversus has a boyish voice, but this time it sounded a little more feminine.

I hear voices, you know. I wonder if this is God's work.

"Isn't it?　I don't care what else comes out of the treasure chest, this can't be made by alchemy.

It would be a real cheat.

If you could, it would be a real cheat. - It would start the legend of the greatest alchemist.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out the best way to make it work.

I'm sure it would be very useful if it could be created, but this world is not so lenient as to allow such a thing.

It's possible that he's not a god, but I hope he's a ...... god.

I don't know if there are any, but demons?　If you use something like that, you're doomed, aren't you?

No, I just used it, didn't I?

It's something that priests can test for, and it seems to be in common use, so I think it's safe.

I'm sure it's okay if it's a Christian demon.　It's just that Christianity calls it the devil, but it's basically God.

This is different from Japan, where even gods are localized.

The seven gods of good fortune in Japan come in many variations, from real people to gods of destruction.

It's not that they have deep pockets, but that they have no restraint. As for me, I think it's a good thing if it eliminates unnecessary conflicts. When I look at religious wars.

"Well, yes. If Japan had been conquered by Christianity, would Amaterasu have become a demon?

I don't know.　In the case of Japan, there is the relationship with the emperor, so I can't say that ...... doesn't exist.

It's a good thing for us that this world is not too religious. It's a good thing that this world isn't too strict on religion, because it seems to be so lax that the Adversary, who is normally worshipped, calls himself an "evil god.

On the other hand, there is direct divine punishment. ...... Well, it's none of our business. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

I'll be back.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I've been so impressed with your work.

It's a bit subtle, since it's not as strong as Yuki's, but I feel like I was able to give her some face.

Well, it's only a small amount, though.