16. It’s Mostly Because of My Luck Stat

While I was busy admiring their prowess, Rei and the others were exchanging glances. They had looks of dissatisfaction on their faces, as if something didn’t quite sit right with them. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was. Even thinking back on the fight we just finished, nothing felt particularly out of place.

As I tilted my head in confusion, Rei spoke up in an exasperated voice.

“Tort, is there something wrong with you?”

Wait, am I being scolded!?

It was true that I’d never been in a party before and didn't know the first thing about adventurer etiquette. Had I done something rude without realizing it?

“What do you mean... ‘wrong’?”

“I mean your combat ability! Tort, your Divine Protection is Dungeon Explorer, right? That’s an explorer job. How the hell can you take down a Kobold in a single blow? That kind of power puts actual combat jobs to shame.”

Apparently, the thing Rei found "wrong" was the sheer force of my attacks. Mil and Sally seemed to agree, as they were nodding along in sync. It didn't look like I had committed some social blunder after all. What a relief.

“If you’re going to take enemies down more easily than a melee attacker, I’m going to lose my reason for being here,” Mil added.

“But that’s only because you and Rei draw their attention. I can’t trade blows with enemies the way you two do.”

“That may be true, but it’s still incredible. It’s definitely not an ability granted by the Divine Protection of the Dungeon Explorer. I’ve never heard of such a thing before.”

“Ah, yeah. Well, I think it’s because—”

It involved a bit of guesswork, but I explained the situation as far as I understood it.

I told them about studying under an adventurer named Dolga in the [Dagger] Lecture. About how I was somehow being trained in the way of the assassin. I mentioned the [Shadow Strike] skill. And finally, I explained that because my Luck was so high, I was able to strike vitals with perfect accuracy even when I wasn't specifically aiming for them.

Once they heard the full story, they all looked convinced.

“So when you combine Dolga’s tutoring with extraordinary Luck, that’s the result, huh?”

“Dolga-san must have taken a real liking to you, Tort.”

“Most likely. He sounds like he’s in a great mood from what you’ve told us.”

To think they were so easily convinced I could fight on par with a combat job just by hearing I’d taken lessons—even accounting for my Luck... I really wondered just what kind of person Dolga-san actually was.

“By the way, it sounds like you all know him.”

“Yeah. Though in my case, he’s more of an acquaintance of my father’s. He gave me some training before I became an adventurer.”

So that was the connection. I see.

“Anyway, I’m satisfied. Oh, I’ll use <Clean>.”

Even though they hadn't struggled, Rei and Mil were a bit splattered with blood. It was better to use <Clean> to freshen up. Since I could only use <Clean> for now, I had plenty of Mana to spare.

“I’m so jealous. I’ve been trying to learn it too, but it’s just not happening. Tort-kun, how many tries did it take you to learn it?”

Uh oh. What should I say?

Sally had already used several scrolls, but she still hadn't managed to learn <Clean>. In contrast, I’d picked it up after using a single scroll. It made things a bit awkward. However, I didn't think this was a matter of talent, but rather a difference in luck. From what I’d heard, Sally had the same [Magic Aptitude Lv2] trait that I did.

Well, there was no point in being evasive.

“Um... I got it on the first try.”

“Whaaaat?!”

“I think high Luck makes it much easier to pick up the skills.”

“Is that how it works?! Do you have any other scrolls? Use one and let me see!”

Since it concerned magic, I could understand why Sally was so invested. I had only used a <Clean> scroll myself, so I was curious to see how it would go with others. Since the opportunity was there, I decided to give it a shot.

I pulled out a <First Aid> scroll. Since Rei’s arm had a small bruise from a Kobold’s attack earlier, it was the perfect chance to test it. Normally, it wasn't a wound worth wasting magic on, but it was better than just firing the spell off for nothing.

Holding the scroll, I recited the incantation. The magic took effect instantly, and Rei’s bruise vanished without a trace. At the same time, I felt a new circuit form in my mind. When I checked with my Appraisal Loupe, I had indeed learned <First Aid>. I shared the news with the group.

“Amazing! That’s so unfair, Tort-kun. I wish I could learn them like that. Oh, wait... if Tort-kun acquires a Scroll Creation Skill, wouldn't he be able to reliably duplicate any scroll?”

Sally was muttering something terrifying. She was planning to treat me like a photocopier!

In the first place, there was no guarantee I could learn high-level magic scrolls in one go, so I really wanted her to calm down. She wasn't being serious, right?

Well, be that as it may, it was now common knowledge that I was reaping the benefits of a high Luck stat. But the ultimate proof came from the Treasure Chest we found right before ending our exploration.

“Oh, what’s this? Is it fruit?”

“That’s rare. No, it couldn't be...”

Inside the chest were small fruits. There were four in total. They looked somewhat similar to the Fruit of Talent that had come out of the Pandora Gift. Rei was muttering to himself; he seemed to have an idea of what they were.

Well, I’d know for sure if I appraised them. I let Sally handle the appraisal, mostly because she looked like she was dying to use the Appraisal Loupe.

“Wha—?! These are all ‘Ability Enhancement Fruits’!”

“No way! All four of them?”

“I’ve never even heard of that happening...”

Everyone was stunned. That meant they had to be extremely rare items.

According to Rei and the others, Ability Enhancement Fruits permanently increased a person's stats. They were incredibly hard to come by, and finding multiple at once was unheard of. They were apparently so valuable that there were stories of parties falling apart and disbanding over who got to eat one, but...

There were exactly enough for all of us, so there was no problem at all!

Since bringing them back to town would likely cause all sorts of trouble, we decided to eat them right there. The specific stat increased by each fruit; Rei ate the Strength Fruit, Mil took the Agility Fruit, Sally took the Magic Power Fruit, and I ate the Luck Fruit. Everything worked out perfectly. Honestly, it almost felt too perfect.

Incidentally, Sally had a hard time choosing between Magic Power and Luck. It was a choice between increasing her raw power or her skill-learning rate. However, once I mentioned that my Luck was already over 100, she silently reached for the Magic Power Fruit. Apparently, she decided that a small boost wouldn't make a dent in a gap that large.

We decided to end our exploration after that Treasure Chest, but for some reason, everyone looked exhausted as we headed back. What’s more, they kept looking at me with these exasperated eyes. I guess they think that final chest was also the result of my Luck stat. If that’s the case, I’d say I contributed quite a bit to the party. So... why the long faces?

Name: Tort Race: Commoner Age: 12 Level: 3 [1 up]

Vitality: 25/25 [5 up] Mana: 17/22 [5 up] Strength: 10 [2 up] Stamina: 12 [2 up] Agility: 19 [4 up] Dexterity: 23 [5 up] Magic Power: 20 [4 up] Spirit: 17 [3 up] Luck: 114 [14 up]

Divine Protection: [Divine Protection of the Job God: Dungeon Explorer]

Skills: [Destiny God's Smile] [Dagger Lv5] [2 up] [Shadow Strike Lv1] [new] [Lockpicking Lv6] [1 up] [Trap Disarming Lv6] [1 up] [Sense of Direction Lv2] [1 up] [Light Magic Lv2] [1 up]

Traits: [Cooking Talent Lv1] [Great Luck] [Dexterous Fingertips Lv1] [Magic Aptitude Lv2]

Magic: <Clean> <First Aid> [new]