Chapter 236: Measures Against Subjugation
At last, we had become a party of four and one. Of course, we were still under constant surveillance, but at least we could finally talk without interruptions.
“Ahh, I’m so tired!”
I exclaimed as I leaped onto the sofa, stretching my body wide.
“We’ll discuss the main topic here, so please bear with us.”
I directed my telepathic communication solely to Ivan and Rio.
“Seriously, what’s going to happen from here on out?”
“Understood.”
“Eh? O-okay…”
“Wait, can you really manage something that complicated?!”
“Haha, then just focus on our conversation and keep quiet. We’ll handle the vocal exchanges.”
Rio and I possessed the Parallel Thinking Skill, allowing us to manage simultaneous telepathic conversations with ease. While continuing a casual chat with Phonia, we decided to delve into the main topic.
The room was spacious, about the size of a classroom. The walls were adorned with warm-toned wallpaper, giving it a cozy feel. There were just the right amount of furnishings, making it feel like a guest room. In the center, there was a pot that looked like it could be used, but I wondered if it actually worked. The water pitcher contained water, and there seemed to be some tea leaves as well.
“So, what exactly happened?”
Ivan, sinking into the large sofa, exhaled deeply and asked in disbelief.
“Ah, well, it’s been a long journey to get here, but finally… I can see skills through appraisal now.”
“…Skills?”
“Yeah, like swordsmanship, spear techniques, and which types of magic can be used.”
“Oh, really?”
“Shuu is a skill enthusiast, after all.”
While petting Phonia, Rio blurted out something outrageous.
“Huh? What are you talking about, Rio? …Well, I did think it would be nice to see skills like my master does.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but we didn’t have time to debate that right now.
“Let’s put the skills aside for now and focus on Ivan.”
“…Huh? Me?”
There was a pause as Ivan seemed taken aback by the unexpected words. Did he not realize what was happening? Encouraged by Rio’s gaze, I decided to speak up.
“Please don’t be too shocked when I say this, okay? This room is under surveillance.”
“O-oh…”
I emphasized my point as Ivan gulped nervously.
“When I appraised you, it showed subjugation. Are you aware of that?”
“…Huh? Me?”
“Oh, really?”
As I nodded, Rio, still petting Phonia, chimed in.
“I wonder if something was planted in you when you were summoned?”
“That’s probably the case. Still, I think the reason it didn’t affect us is that we had proper resistance.”
“Hmm…”
Rio seemed deep in thought, but we couldn’t leave Ivan in a state of subjugation. I considered giving him a nudge to see if it would help, but making a scene while being watched didn’t seem wise…
While pondering, I used the provided pot to boil water and brew some tea. I had confirmed that there was no poison when I appraised it, and I knew how to use the pot, so I didn’t struggle at all. Appraisal really is incredibly convenient.
“Ivan, may I have a word?”
Rio stood up and approached Ivan, blocking the view of the surveillance. With a quick spell, she obscured Ivan’s vision for just a moment, slipping something onto his neck. In the next instant, it was removed, and from the outside, it would appear as if nothing had happened.
“How about this?”
“Eh?”
I see. It seemed she was trying to see if she could overwrite the subjugation state by placing the Collar of Subjugation on him. He didn’t seem to realize what had just happened, but that was fine. Time to appraise again.
“Oh, the status has returned to normal!”
I saw various skills, but that could wait for later.
“No way! I don’t really get it, but I’m saved!”
I was relieved that we could resolve this before any damage was done. Now we could face the Majin Tribe with full strength.
Ivan seemed relieved as well; he lifted himself off the sofa, took the tea I had brewed, and sighed in contentment.
“But what was that old man we met in that white room all about?”
“…Could that old man be the god Shuu mentioned before?”
“Huh? A god? …What’s that?”
“I’m not sure either, but it sounds about right. I met him when I was first summoned, and he gave me various skills.”
As I explained to the two while magically adding ice to the tea I poured for Phonia, it wasn’t anything too significant. I skipped over the part about soul copies, but when we first met, he really did just give me skills.
“Speaking of which, he did mention something about being able to use skills in this world.”
“Yeah, I can use magic normally, and I can use appraisal too, so I guess I’m lucky?”
“Is that how it works…?”
“It’s best not to dwell on things that can’t be understood.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“More importantly, we need to think about the future.”
“Right. Now that we can see skills, let’s reassess what we can do to prepare.”
The god had mentioned something about crossing dimensions, and I was very curious about that.
With that in mind, I promptly used appraisal on myself.