Chapter 537

A Forgotten Visit
We had just picked up the noodle-making machine today after Sol Ojiisan contacted us saying it was finally finished.
On the way back, we were wandering around town when—

(Takumi-san, you’re terrible!)
(Sorry, I completely forgot~)

—after returning to the capital, I suddenly remembered we hadn’t visited the temple even once.
So I hurried over… only to be immediately berated by Syl from his very first word.

(We exchanged letters on the ship, so it felt like we had met.)
(We absolutely did NOT meet!)
(Yeah, that’s true~)

Right, receiving a letter from Syl wasn’t the same as actually meeting him.

(Ah, also, the hearty meal and soup were delicious, and the sweets you sent—cheesecake and tiramisu—those were great too! Especially the sweets, Marianora-sama was delighted.)
(Hm? Weren’t the food and soup supposed to be for your retainers?)
(Yes, that’s right. But I just tasted a little. You know, it would feel weird for my retainers to accept food I myself haven’t tasted.)
(… That does make sense.)

Okay, so he didn’t steal portions or anything.

(If they liked it, I’ll prepare more for your retainers whenever I have time.)
(Ah—that makes me really happy. Please do! Anyway, regarding the additional thank-you gift—have you decided on what you want?)
(Ah… about that… I haven’t thought of anything.)

Right, the “extra gift” discussion had come up.
I’d been completely satisfied after receiving the teleportation magic tool.

(Eeeeh, there’s nothing you want?)
(Hmm—honestly, the teleportation tool was already way more than enough…)
(No, no, no, it’s not enough! A teleportation tool is something we can acquire if we want to, but your cooking is something we almost never get our hands on!)

… Is my cooking being treated like a rare luxury item?
Well… Syl would see it that way, I guess.
Is that fine? I’m not sure.

(But really, nothing comes to mind.)
(Ah, then what about Lightning Magic?)
(Lightning Magic? Heh~ that might be nice!)

A new magic attribute, huh.
That was admittedly exciting.

If I could use it like a stun gun—just enough voltage to knock someone out—it’d be very convenient for dealing with people.
I mean, turning monsters into charcoal is one thing, but vaporizing bandits or other humans is something I want to avoid.

(But is it really okay to just casually… give me another magic attribute like that?)

Syl had already given me Water, Fire, and Earth magic after the fact.
Normally people don’t accumulate magic attributes so easily.

(As long as you have the aptitude, a skill will blossom. Some people gain it through effort, others by random chance.)
(People can randomly become able to use magic?)
(Yes! For example—a child is about to be attacked by a monster, and Takumi-san just happens to save them. They see your wind magic and think it’s amazing—start admiring it. Then one day, they suddenly find they can use Wind Magic too. That kind of thing can absolutely happen.)
(Hohh~)

So admiration could become the trigger, huh.

(Or, for example—someone is about to die in a fire, and they suddenly awaken Water Magic.)
(So the trigger really differs from person to person.)
(Exactly. Although if someone has zero aptitude, then it’s impossible no matter what. Like Swordsmanship—some people acquire the skill just by picking up a sword, some after swinging it a few times, some after years of training, and some never acquire it despite years of effort.)

Acquiring it instantly just by holding a sword—that’s insane talent.
But I guess the greatest talent belongs to those born already possessing the skill…

(Then, will Allen and Elena also eventually learn other magic attributes?)

Those two were talent incarnate.
I could easily imagine them learning all sorts of magic one day.

(Ah—…………)
(Hmm?)

As I imagined the kids using various kinds of magic, Syl made a strangely conflicted sound.

(Those kids might keep learning physical-type skills, but for magic… probably only Ice Magic, at best.)
(What, really!?)

I was honestly shocked.

(You see, their water attribute is overwhelmingly strong—so strong that there’s no opening for other attributes to slip in.)

Right—the children of the Water God would indeed be heavily water-aligned.

(If that’s how it works, what about me? Am I wind-specialized?)

By that logic, as a retainer of the Wind God, I should be a wind specialist.
Which would make it strange that I can use other magic attributes.

(Takumi-san, you have… well, a wide assortment of titles. Your potential is basically unlimited!)
(… Titles, huh.)

Right—titles can increase aptitude and make mastering skills easier.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
[Titles] Reincarnated From Another World
Blessed by Creation Goddess Marianora
Friend of Wind God Sylphreel
Nephew of Wind God Sylphreel
Delight of Fire God Salamanteel
Blessed by Earth God Gnomoodle
Savior
Conqueror of Lower Dungeons
Contractor of Monsters
A-Rank Adventurer
Blessed by the Water Dragon King
Apostle of Cuisine
Conqueror of Intermediate Dungeons
Setsuna
One Who Has Fed Gods
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

When laid out like this—yeah, I really do have a lot.
And plenty of them were weird.

… Hold on.
“Nephew of Wind God Sylphreel”!?!?

Come on!!
Sure, Syl and the Water God treat each other like siblings, so Allen and Elena are his nephew and niece—and since I’m their older brother, that makes me his nephew too.
But turning that into a title!?
Syl definitely added that on purpose!

(Hahaha~ Takumi-san, you are like a family to me!)
(… Stop reading my mind.)

I don’t even know if titles can be deleted, but this seems beyond saving.
For now, I’ll ignore it—but I really need to be careful with what appears on my Guild Card.

(You can’t delete it. Also, I won’t delete it. So yes, be careful with what shows on the card.)
(Stop reading my mind!!)
(Well then, I’ll go ahead and grant you Lightning Magic!)

He ignored my complaint and promptly applied the magic attribute.

(Thanks, Syl.)
(No, no, it’s a gift of gratitude.)
(Even so—thank you. Ah, got any requests for the next dish? Since I’m here, I might as well ask.)
(Um—well… I haven’t decided yet… Personally I want to try some kind of noodle dish, but I can’t decide that alone without consulting Marianora-sama and the others…)

Ah. His voice trembled a little at the end.
If he chose something without the other gods’ approval… something might happen?

(If you tell me now, I’ll exclude it from the regular rotation. So discuss with the others and tell me later.)
(Are you sure!?)
(Yeah. So—what kind of noodle dish do you want?)
(Anything! They’re all foods I’ve never tasted!)

He’d clearly noticed I was obsessed with noodle dishes lately.

(Alright. I’ll make some soon and send them.)
(Thank you so much!)

Whenever food is involved, Syl always looks genuinely happy.
The title “One Who Has Fed Gods” still feels like a joke, but…
Seeing Syl like this, I can’t deny its accuracy.

(Well, I should head back.)
(Understood. But please don’t forget to visit me—it's lonely otherwise.)
(Hahaha~ I’ll try my best.)

I really do forget to visit the temple all the time…
I should come up with some kind of countermeasure.

What do you think about this chapter?