The room the Prince sought turned out to be a sci-fi-esque chamber reminiscent of an infirmary. In fact, the plaque at the entrance quite literally read "Infirmary."
"It is just as the notes described! I... I can read it! I can read it!"
"Oh, so the lore is that the locals aren't supposed to be able to read this script?"
"It just says 'Infirmary' like normal, doesn't it o?"
"It does ssu. It's in ■■ language ssu."
There was a brief burst of static, but the words were perfectly legible to us. It was a game, after all; there was always a reason things were readable, likely some kind of multi-language support.
A few rings were scattered about the room. They looked a lot like the Halos worn by Mahariku-san's subordinates, though these weren't glowing.
"...I-I see. So, those who are Spirit-possessed are capable of reading it?"
"I guess so?"
"Then, if you would be so kind, could you tell me what this says?"
"Hmm, let me see."
I looked where the Prince was pointing. It read: Skill Support System Additional Option.
"My research suggests it says: 'Do not summon one who accompanies and assists with skills.' That square at the front must be a negation symbol."
"Close enough. It's actually an option to add a system that assists with skills. You should probably check this before we start the procedure. There."
"...Ah, I see. So by touching these squares, one can toggle between affirmation and negation. That is a great help."
"I'll go ahead and set things up for you. Let's see... I'll enable a few other options that look useful too."
"You have my gratitude."
Passive Skill Suppression System Additional Option—this was an absolute must. We had to keep the Prince's skills under control, after all.
"Toria, it looks like we're supposed to fit this on the Prince's head o."
"Wait, that actually goes on his head?"
"The manual was just lying here o. Come on, Prince, hurry up and lie down o. I want to get this over with so I can go exploring dao."
"V-Very well."
I couldn't help but wonder if the manual and the Mech Halo had deteriorated over the ages. Still, while the power source was a mystery, the lights were on and the facility seemed functional. At this level of technology, I assumed the equipment would perform a self-diagnostic before attaching to a human body.
"Alright, switching it on dao!"
"I-I'm actually quite nervous... Ngh, o-oh...!?"
The Prince lay flat on the examination table. His head was locked into place as various mechanical components descended... and then he was out. I guessed the goggles had played some kind of Hypnotic Video.
The procedure took place while he slept. Apparently, the device was powered by bio-currents and Magic Power, making it a standalone unit that never needed charging. The ancient civilization was surprisingly high-tech.
Eventually, the machinery retracted, signaling the end of the process.
"Oh, looks like it's finished ssu."
"Good job, Prince. Hey, look... his Halo is floating."
As the Prince sat up, a glowing white Halo hovered above his head. So, this was how an NPC became Spirit-possessed. And it worked on men, too.
That said, it looked incredibly mechanical. Did this technically make him a "mecha character" of the ancient civilization? I could definitely live with that.
"I... what is this? There is something reflected in my sight. Ah, it disappeared."
"Oh. Did a menu pop up?"
"Those go away if you think of them as being in the way ssu."
"It's pretty handy how they only show up when you need them o."
"A 'menu'... is that what this is? Is it written in the Ancient Script?"
To the Prince, who knew nothing of things like AR or MR, the sight of unfamiliar text and lines floating in his vision must have been jarring. I wondered if the system supported Voice Input.
"Prince, do you think you can adjust your skills now?"
"I... I do not know."
"Let me see that manual o. ...Prince, this screen should be the first thing you see. Just skip the Terms of Service and hit OK o!"
"T-Terms of Service? You mean a contract? I am royalty; I cannot simply agree to a contract without reviewing the terms!"
"Shut up and just sign it o! I'm more than happy to abandon you here and go exploring on my own dao!"
"...I understand. I shall do a cursory check of the terms. You may go exploring while I do so."
"I'm off dao!!"
In the blink of an eye, Alto vanished into the ruins. Maybe I should head out too. It should be fine, right?
"Please... I would appreciate it if at least one of you could help me decipher this."
"Ah, I guess it can't be helped ssu. I'll stick around. Toria-shi, feel free to explore for my share too ssu."
"Got it. If I find anything cool, I'll make sure to grab some for you too, Penpen."
And so, the plan was set. Time for me to go exploring some ancient ruins!