S3 Fantasy

I am currently observing the illustrated guide spread out beneath my feet.

Various creatures are depicted within it.

The illustrations are rendered with a lifelike touch—unfamiliar, grotesque forms unlike anything found on Earth.

These are monsters, creatures native to this world, considered pests.

"This is a goblin. Goblins are humanoid monsters, roughly the size of a human child, with greenish skin. Though humanoid in form, their intelligence is low, they lack skills, and their stats are poor, classifying them as weak monsters. However, as their level increases, some gain skills, and a few even wield weapons. Therefore, one must not become complacent."

The maid Anah, seated beside me, reads aloud the description of the monster featured in the guide.

Anah appears to be in her twenties, but in reality, she has lived nearly twice as long as her appearance suggests.

She once fought monsters as a mage. Her knowledge, derived from firsthand observation, included details not recorded in the bestiary.

On Anah’s opposite side, her younger sister, Sue, peered into the book just as I had.

Lately, Sue has taken to mimicking my actions.

Unlike me, she still stutters through speech. She likely understands little of Anah’s words.

Perhaps she believes she must listen too, simply because I am listening intently.

Her earnest expression was endearing. I stroked her head.

Her sky-blue hair felt smooth and pleasant beneath my fingers.

Sue smiled happily at the touch.

Anah and another maid, Clevea, who stood near the door, watched her with amused expressions.

At first, being observed like that made me self-conscious. Now, I am used to it.

The prince and the princess are truly close.

Yes!

Yes!

My voice and Syrilis’s answered simultaneously to Ana’s words.

Her smile deepened in response to the answer.

I’ve become quite good at pretending to be a young child.

Return the gaze to the bestiary.

She does not know that I can still read.

That’s what they think, enjoying the picture—but I’ve already learned to read the script of this nation.

The bestiary was illustrated, with only brief descriptions of the creatures.

That is precisely why Ana's words were valuable.

The more I listen to Ana’s account, the more apparent the absurdity of this world becomes.

This was supposed to be a serious conversation. Yet, words like skill, status, and level—like something from a game—kept appearing too frequently.

This world feels like a game.

Even if one lives in this world, it is impossible to believe it is a game. Yet, the existence of a system resembling a game remains unchanged.

Skill refers to an ability extracted from the soul and shaped into a tangible form of power.

Status indicates raw ability values.

Level represents the numerical accumulation of power attained by a Life.

This is how it is described. Yet, from the perspective of someone who knew the games of a previous life, each term sounds crude.

Still, in this world, such things are taken for granted. There is no reason to question why they exist.

I myself feel a strong sense of dissonance, but there was no choice but to accept that this is simply how the world functions.

Turning the page of the bestiary.

The illustration on the following page depicted a massive wolf.

A human figure was drawn at its foot, presumably for scale.

For a moment, the scale seemed off. But Ana’s explanation confirmed the size was accurate.

“This is Fenrir. A myth-class monster. Its size is mountainous. When it appeared before, it reportedly crushed a fortress in a single bite. I myself have never seen it in person.”

That would be expected.

Such a massive creature—less a monster, more a beast of legend.

That such a being exists in this world defies imagination.

How does something that large even stand?

“Hey, how does it even stand?”

My question made Ana blink.

Perhaps my phrasing was unclear.

“Isn’t it huge?”

She seemed to grasp the meaning then.

“Perhaps it’s better to show you than explain. Krebera.”

Ana summoned Krebera.

Krebera was originally a female knight from this nation, serving as both maid and Guard.

Unlike the slender, magic-wielding Ana, her body was as powerfully built as any man’s.

After whispering something to Ana, they stepped apart from each other.

Krebera extended one hand forward.

"Then I shall begin. — 'Fireball'."

Ana cast the spell toward Krebera.

The 'Fireball' spell, as its name suggests, was a low-level fire magic that launched a small fire orb at the target.

The orb, subdued in power, struck Krebera’s outstretched hand.

Soo froze in surprise.

I hadn’t expected magic to fly out so suddenly—I was startled.

Ana and Krebera laughed, clearly pleased with their prank.

A faint irritation stirred within me.

“T-te, t-te, hurts?”

Suu kept fussing over Krebera’s hand.

“Eh. Slightly hot, but it’s fine.”

Krebera answered in a deep, strong voice unusual for a woman.

“As you saw just now, high stats mean greater durability. That’s why even massive monsters won’t collapse under their own weight.”

I reached out, curious, and touched Krebera’s palm.

A faint callus, the kind common to those who wield swords—slightly thickened skin.

But it didn’t feel like it could withstand a fireball unscathed.

“Your Highness, increased defense doesn’t always mean increased hardness.”

“Is that so?”

"Yes. It’s less about becoming harder and more about being less prone to injury. I’m not at that level, but it’s said that past Heroes could not be cut by ordinary swords, even when struck."

Creba explains carefully, answering my question.

But if it’s about being less prone to injury, does that mean the intercellular cohesion has changed?

No. Perhaps it’s inappropriate to apply Earth’s logic to a world like this.

I set aside the vague unease in my mind for now.