The Magic Of Skill

Chapter 1

I woke up with a hungry stomach. All my body was limp, my mouth was dry, and my head was spinning. Simple, I'm just dying. The hunger craze in my stomach, it was like I had never eaten since birth, as well as the sand in my mouth that was so dry.

All I could do was take a deep breath and endure the pain. Even moving my legs was very difficult, I could not go anywhere but stay leaning on the edge of this accessory building.

Until the sound of horse legs coming from the east, the sound was so noisy and crowded, but gradually stopped right in front of me. “This is for you!” a female voice came from inside the horse carriage that stopped in front of me. He gave me a water bag.

Not much thought, I immediately opened the bag and gulped down all the water. Even though this is poison water, then this will be the final thirst quench for me.

No, the water was delicious.

Just drinking a bag of it feels very satisfying, my throat has never been this fresh before.

“You okay?” say that woman again. After I finished drinking, there was a girl in a fancy dress coming down from the horse carriage. She was very beautiful, her smooth white skin was so perfect with her long blonde hair. There was another bag in the girl's hand.

“.. s-s-who.?” I looked up, my voice barely even came out.

My eyes were blurred because my stomach was hungry, it was hard to focus. But one thing, the girl looked down in front of me. She did not hesitate to put both knees on the floor, although her fancy yellow dress would be dirty. “I'm surprised you don't recognize me, well. It's my fault. I am Princess Lennef, daughter of King Loiros. In short, I am the daughter of the leader of this kingdom.” He smiles.

I realized he was sticking his hand out at me, waiting for me to welcome him. But with my dirty, burnt hands, I couldn't bear to touch her skin.

Andwhat? The princess? I gulped when I heard that name.

Of course I didn't grab his hand, even though he waited a little while. My decision was another fruitful one, the princess's hand was lightly brushed off by someone with armour all over her body. “Miss princess, what are you doing? You can't carelessly touch a bum!” he reminded me, but not in harsh words.

“You have no right to say that. He is my people. You're in charge of protecting me, and I'm in charge of protecting him. Why is there always something bothering me to do this?” the princess insisted on shaking hands with me. It was not I who grabbed his hand, but he who grabbed mine. We shook hands with the princess moving my hands full.

“Already! Don't be too long!” the passionate man pushed me backwards, an urge too strong for him to push the homeless until it fell. I felt a pain in my spine when the stone wall confronted me.

No. gabe. Not particularly. It doesn't hurt so much.

“Hey, what are you doing? You hurt her!”

“Sorry, I have to stop your stubbornness! It's an order from the King, so this is my duty as well!”

No matter what happened to me, the guard pulled his daughter into the carriage. Then the vehicle that produced the bustling sound went away.

What was? My body is no longer limp. Do not limp, the slightest pain is not. I don't remember ever having a back as hard as steel to be able to withstand a blow from a wall.

And also my feet. I can move my feet. Little by little I lifted my body until I finally stood up. Although it was a bit strange, but my body really returned to its freshest state. The hunger and thirst resulting from eating and drinking for a whole week is also not felt.

What the hell's going on?

Whatever, I don't want to linger here. Tonight is too cold. The full moon was so bright above my head. The sky was cloudless, it had not rained for several weeks. Maybe in about a month it will enter winter, but the air from the ice-freeze I feel now.

I walked in tattered clothes, down the city, looking for something to wrap around my neck. Even though people looked at me like they were staring at insects, but no matter what, I was still looking.

Until the moment I went through a church, where there was a wooden statue in front of the church gate. Luckily, the statue was tied to a white cloth that looked dirty but also thick. I frantically picked it up, and put it on my neck.

“You stole that?"

My body is frozen.

The voice just came out of the mouth of a little girl, I didn't even feel her next to me. “That's the fabric for the statue, you want to wear it?” he asked again. The little woman carried a lot of cloth in her hands.I wonder what it will be used for.

“Sorry.. I'm cold.” I clearly.

Hearing that, he smiled broadly. “Then, wear this! I was planning to dress the statue in the clothes my father had, but if you need it more then take it!” he stuck out his hand full of piles of cloth.

There were long-sleeved jerseys, gloves, and long black pants with good thick material. I'm not sure I can accept all this.

And also, I have nowhere to change clothes.

“Come to my house! My mom's gonna serve you some hot soup! C'mon!” he ran first, putting aside his invitation that sounded too innocent, he was so happy.

I had to or did not have to follow him home.

The streets are lined with rectangular-shaped stones, neatly arranged from end to end. The city is great, the king must have thought about how the visitors enjoy this city. But, a stone road like this will be deadly if I don't get my footgear until it snows.

The steps of the little woman were so slow, she also often jumped between the stones to comfort herself. I can only smile because of that.

“So you said this is your father's clothes, will your father agree that I wear it?” tanyaku.

The little girl thought for a moment. His height was like mine, so he had to look up so high in order to answer the chat from me, “Dad is dead.”

Eh?! I didn't expect that answer.

I could only fall silent after learning that the clothes I was wearing belonged to the dead. No, I have to thank you.

“Sorry about that.” I said, then the little girl smiled. “How about your mother? Your brother?”

“Mother works in the kingdom, she only stops by the house once a month, lucky because tonight mother is at home. And also I don't have any brothers, I live at home alone."

“Is that? At your young age, and no one takes care of you at home?”

“Not a problem, really. Mom sent me a lot of money, and my security was also assured. I just need to shop, cook and others.”

From the way he answered, or the way he smiled at the situation, I could only be amazed at the little girl.

I mean, she's a woman who desperately needs parents. His father is not there, his mother is only there once a month. Such independent living can encourage people to become stronger.

“True too..what's your name?” many late.

“Hile Strosford, that's my name. You alone, what's your name?” askalanya.

***

I stopped my bare feet in front of a short one-story house. The windows were tightly closed by wooden chunks, but the plants and paint of the house were very neat. Located right on the side of the road, the house must have passed by many people.

“This is my house, come in!” little Strosford asked me to come in, he opened the door and let me.

Because of the low roof, I had to duck, but that was only when I entered. Once inside, there is a descending staircase that gives further distance between the sky and the floor. I didn't know there was a house with a model swallowed by the ground.

“Disana! Sit there!” strosford. He pointed to the dining table not far from where I was standing.

As I headed towards the seat, from inside the other room came a grown woman. She was wearing a scarf, her hair was long dark green, her gaze good but also firm.

“Hile..this.?” the woman asked.

Strosford replied, “This is Walter. I was planning on giving her a little something to eat, Mom. Can?” Meffery refers to his mother with a sincere smile.

Not reacting violently, Strosford's mother. He took me to one of his dining chairs. “Please wait, I'll serve you a warm soup.” Mother came out of the room.

My impression of her, of course, is that Strosford's mother is an amazing person. She was beautiful, and looked very friendly just from her gaze.

“Strosford.what's your mom-”.

“Call me ‘Hile’, my last name is too long right?” sounds too mature for someone as small as Hile.

Hile took a sitting position in front of me.

“This may be a little rude, but isn't your mom planning on finding another partner? I think people as small as you need a father figure.” Obviously behind the offending question.

“Let's know, Mom never asked me about that. Maybe he likes others, but it's a little difficult to get rid of my father in his mind.”

Hile wailing. From his eyes I could tell how important his father was to his life. I didn't continue my question.

Before long, Mother Hile came, in her hand was a large bowl with a puff of smoke on it that was very clear. Hile's mother put the bowl down, gave me the spoon, and let me eat.

It felt a little awkward when two people were watching me eat, this was even the first time I was given a meal by another family.

Hm? Waitie? I've never tasted this vegetable? Is this a turnip, or a carrot? It tastes a little sweet but the texture is like a potato, I don't know what I'm eating.

I ate the soup voraciously, probably for only about 5 minutes until the bowl was empty. “What is the soup good?” ask Hile's mother. I nodded, drinking a glass of water. “You look unusual with that soup flavor, is there a problem?”

“... is that so? I feel fine, really.” Saying tricked.

Hile's mother looks suspicious. I was sure that my face was not so curious when the strange vegetable was chewed by my teeth. Or maybe Hile's mom saw something else? His eyes were sharp, and he was looking at something very far inside my eyes.

“Walter.., right?” Hile's mother confirmed my name, I nodded. “Did you stay in this city long enough?”

I'm busted.

“... no. This is. complicated. To be honest, I don't even know how I got here. I woke up with a homeless body, an empty stomach, and a dry throat. What happened yesterday, or even what happened this morning.I don't remember it at all.” I clearly.

Hile watched carefully. He used the pile of clothes he gave me as his armrest when he was sitting on the table.

Hearing my explanation, Mother Hile left again. He said he wanted to take something. Obviously I don't know what he's planning, even his own son is confused as proven by us staring at each other.

Then Hile's mother came, carrying a transparent white object in the shape of a ball. The ball was occupied in a specially carved wooden container. Hile's mother put the ball on the table. Hile and I were getting confused, and Hile didn't even know what it was.

“This magic detection crystal. I see something else with you, can you touch it? I work as a teacher in the royal magic academy, so if this bothers you just because I'm curious, I'm sorry.”

The magic? I've heard it somewhere. One thing is certain, that sentence is no stranger to my ears.

Following Mother Hile's words, I hesitantly touched the crystal ball. Whether it's real crystal or what it's made of, but it doesn't feel like pearls or glass. When my hand touched the crystal ball, a light appeared on the crystal.

Similar to a firefly light, but smaller and black in color. There were two lights appearing, and both of them were flying inside the ball as if the light was confined. Hile was amazed, unlike me who was even surprised by what happened.

“This.” Hile's mother is just as curious as I am. He looked at the crystal ball like he had found an object that appeared once in his life. “It.. What skill is this?” then Mother Hile took a look at me, “Walter, who are you?”

Well, don't ask me. I'm the one who wants to know who I really am.

“Mother, what do you see?” Hile asked his mother.

Hile's mother replied with a sense of pressure. “Nothing. It's just, Walter, your skill is amazing! This is impossible for an ordinary human being!”

God, I don't even know what a Skill is, I'm sure it means a lot more than ability. “Ap-What..what did you deduce from my Skill?” my many.

“... the name is Touch Drive, this is a Skill that allows you to copy the amount of ‘mana’, skills, and magic from others. Uh. no, wait, it's not just that. Even his physical strength. Remarkably, this skill is even activated automatically every time.” Clearly Mother Hile with admiration that she could not hide.

I was surprised, whether it was joyful or troublesome.

“Did you touch someone earlier?”

“You? Or Hile? It doesn't seem at all.” I tried to recall some of the events before I met Hile, before I went around. “Oh, I touched Princess Lennef and her guard.” I touched them both right after I woke up.

Their eyes widened when I said princess, but I explained that the princess came to see me just to give me food.

Ms. Hile again explained, “Call it. You have one magic you can cast, Sleeper, magic to put people to sleep. It must be the magic that the princess has. As for your physique, very, very strong, this must be thanks to the guard who was trained to be next to the princess.”

Oh, this is gonna be a hassle.

I don't know where I am now, and now I have a skill that can make the magic guide feel confused. Whoever gave me this skill, know that I don't like it.