Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 35: Tauro’s Status
After Tauro’s matches with the prime minister, the watching nobles took their seats and began playing one another under the prime minister’s direction. Tauro made the rounds, offering each table a few token suggestions.
Reversi was entertainment. As long as everyone enjoyed playing it, that should be enough.
So Tauro thought, and he was surely not wrong.
After visiting every table, he returned to Garfish and his companions.
“I’m exhausted…”
Tauro allowed himself to complain.
“I couldn’t say this earlier, but you were magnificent! In all three games, you granted him a handicap during the first half and overturned it in the second. Then you showed enough composure to end the final game in a draw and preserve his dignity. Astounding!”
Garfish spoke with breathless excitement, finally releasing everything he had restrained.
Beside him, Paulo nodded emphatically.
In the prime minister’s presence, they had been unable to celebrate or openly praise Tauro.
“No, you’re giving me far too much credit. His Excellency learned from the first two games and adjusted his play in the third. That’s why it ended in a draw. I don’t know what would happen if we played again.”
Tauro gave a weary laugh.
At least he had preserved everyone’s reputation.
“Boy. Your name was Satou, was it not?”
Tauro turned and found the prime minister standing behind him.
“My apologies for failing to notice you. Yes, but please address me without an honorific. Our stations are far too different; anything else would be more than I deserve.”
Tauro bowed his head respectfully.
“Forgive me for testing you earlier. Precisely because the game is so simple, a player’s character emerges, which makes it fascinating. I had played for only a few days, yet I had become conceited. When you demonstrated the extent of the difference between us, I realized my folly.”
The prime minister appeared genuinely reflective, rather than angry over his defeat.
“Your Excellency played extremely well. Your adjustments and tenacity in the third game were remarkable. I can’t say whether I would win next time.”
“I see. You truly think so? I did feel that I had found my footing in the third game.”
Apparently delighted, the prime minister laughed aloud.
“There’s another matter.”
His laughter subsided, and his expression softened.
“The reason I replaced Count Elaino and summoned you at such short notice was to evaluate you on behalf of a certain person.”
“Evaluate me…?”
Was he referring to the many appraisals Tauro had felt upon entering?
“One of my skills is S-minus-rank [Appraisal], so I trust my judgment of people. Yet it doesn’t appear to work on you, Satou. For an instant, I saw your abilities; then they vanished. A moment later, ordinary abilities appeared in their place. Unless my eyes deceived me, I’ve never encountered such a thing.”
“I see…”
Tauro’s new [Appraisal Obstruction] (Extreme) did more than prevent others from appraising him. Even without conscious direction, it could show them false information.
“If you’re willing, would you lower the powerful obstruction that deceived and surpassed even my prized S-minus-rank [Appraisal]? I must trust you before introducing you to that person.”
He knows I’m using an ability!
Sweat broke out across Tauro’s back.
“…Very well. But only for Your Excellency.”
Tauro consciously lowered the obstruction solely for the prime minister.
“Oh… How intriguing.”
Apparently, he could now see Tauro’s status.
“Your basic attributes are low, as expected of a child, but [Precision]’s correction drives your dexterity sharply upward. I’ve never heard of [True Eye]. Its power of appraisal is interesting enough, but it also links with [Presence Detection].”
Tauro felt as if he had been stripped bare.
“More curious still, your skill should consist only of [Garbled Text], yet your proficiency in several professions is increasing. Ordinarily, your attributes should rise in proportion as those proficiencies improve, but yours haven’t. Your status can only be called inexplicable.”
Tauro hadn’t known that his professional proficiencies were increasing, and inwardly he wanted to leap for joy.
His efforts hadn’t been wasted. This confirmed that hard work could improve his proficiency even in professions for which he possessed no skill.
He desperately wanted to ask for more detail, but his interlocutor was the prime minister. Tauro forced himself to remain silent.
Thanks for the chapters
I’m a little unclear about the end. So, is the PM saying his garbled skill hasn’t been increasing his stats, but his other skills are increasing his stats?
mmm… i think it’s more like, he was expecting higher stats since satou had a garbled skill, but it seemed like his stats were surprisingly normal