The next day.

Each person shares their status information and then spends two hours moving from the town to a less conspicuous location to acquire skills, magic, and abilities. They head slightly south from the road on the way to the western hills. There are no main roads, and although monsters increase, there is no foot traffic. It's off the path to other towns or the capital, and with no dungeons around, hardly anyone is there. It's a good spot with a good view, making it easy to notice if anyone comes.

"Well then, we're quite far from town now. Is this area good?"

"...There's nobody here."

"Yeah. We don't want to be seen too much by others."

"So, what's the plan?"

"Let's start with skills. We'll confirm each other's information from yesterday and see if we can learn skills. The options are hand-to-hand combat, archery, spear fighting, and shield techniques. How about starting with shield techniques?"

Considering the information from their brothers, they decide to focus on acquiring skills related to the weapons they have. Among these, the one they're most hopeful about is shield techniques.

"Hmm? Is something up?"

"I'll cast magic. Try to defend against it with your shield."

"Are you trying to learn shield techniques without fighting monsters?"

"That's part of it. I originally acquired water magic, but I learned fire, earth, and wind magic when I came here by using alchemy to consume elemental materials a hundred times. It's a hypothesis that I learned by handling the elements contained in the materials. So, I'm thinking there might be a possibility of learning magic by casting it and interacting with the elements."

"I see. So I just need to defend?"

"Yes. ...Consciously try to defend. Oh, first... <Guard>... like this. Try to imitate this."

They activate the <Guard> skill for shield techniques.

Well, since it immobilizes me, I don't think it's usable in actual combat... But if you hold your shield like this, it's easier for me to cast magic.

"Got it. Let's start by defending your magic a hundred times, then try leveling up."

"Hmm? But if we try a hundred times for all six attributes, my MP will run out, and it'll probably take a day. Wouldn't it be better to level up at the end of the day? "

"...Trying each one individually might be a good idea."

"Every time you learn a skill, your stats increase. It's definitely better to learn as many as possible early on to get stronger. Let's focus on leveling up at the end of the day for efficiency. If it doesn't work, we can think of something else."

"That sounds good."

After 100 times of casting magic at each other—100 x 6 attributes x 2 people—and until their MP is depleted, they practice other weapon types with mock battles and attempts to acquire skills. By evening, they defeat monsters and level up.

Naga reaches level 4 and learns various abilities:

- Water resistance LV2
- Fire resistance LV2
- Earth resistance LV2
- Wind resistance LV2
- Light resistance LV1
- Holy resistance LV1
- Fire magic LV1
- Shield techniques LV1
- Observation LV1

His brother learns:

- Wind magic LV1
- Fire magic LV1
- Wind resistance LV1
- Shield techniques LV1
- SP shortage LV1
- Disassembly LV1

For some reason, Naga's resistances start at level 2. They didn't have them when checked yesterday, but suddenly they're level 2. Even though they had similar training, they acquired different abilities.

It's confirmed that there are individual differences, as previously mentioned, but verification seems difficult.

"Hmm... It's learned, but it feels different. We're doing the same thing, but the learning seems completely different."

"Yeah... Wasn't it said that some people learn differently?"

"Next up."

"Should we continue like this? It'll be outdoor camping..."

"No. We've made progress for today. Let's call it a day."

Naga looks disappointed, but they decide to head home for the day. They discuss what they noticed on the way back. Although there are no people on the way home, the distance is considerable, leading to a loss of time. They decide to try practicing in a nearby area next time, even though they'll avoid people. They're certain there are less conspicuous spots nearby. As for hidden spots, they plan to ask Marii-san.

"As for future plans, do you have any preferences?"

"I have training with my master starting from noon on odd days. I can join in the morning if it's nearby. However, I want to go to the church, so if we do anything tomorrow, I'll only be able to participate in the morning."

"...The church?"

"Yeah. I was instructed to go by the guild master. ...If you're interested, want to go together?"

"Yeah... Please."

When I suggested going together, Naga-kun responded eagerly, which is unusual for him. I wonder if he has some attachment or something. Part of me feels like asking, but... I guess it's better not to inquire too much about his past in the previous world. After all, it wouldn't be right to pry into someone else's affairs when my own memories are hazy...

"What about you, Onii-san?"

"Well, if you two are going, I'll go along."

Onii-san doesn't seem very enthusiastic.

That's unusual for him too. He's the type who's interested in pretty much everything, so I thought he'd like going to a new place. Maybe he doesn't like the church, or maybe he doesn't like the guild master... It could be either.

"Well, that's fine for tomorrow, but..."

"On even-numbered days, let's continue with a full day of intensive training... Since it seems we can learn magic and resistances, let's keep going. If possible, I'd like you two to be on the side casting magic as well, because I want to learn resistances too."

"Yeah. Except for shields, we didn't learn anything today..."

"...For hand-to-hand combat, it's probably best if I pair up with Grano. For other weapons, it's better to team up with Klein."

"Oh, do you have a plan?"

"...Simply put, Klein is better at handling weapons other than swords. It would be more effective to have him take on opponents. Your style is too chaotic."

Certainly, Onii-san's free-flowing movements make him strong in combat, but it's not beginner-friendly. I, on the other hand, would be knocked back with a single blow due to the power difference, so hand-to-hand combat isn't my strong suit. I've improved a bit in unarmed combat as I can now deflect and dodge with weapons, but I still have a long way to go.

"What about... buying other weapon types?"

"Well, neither Naga nor I have learned spear techniques yet... Isn't it too early?"

"...If we're going to add something, what should it be?"

"Hmm... How about an axe? I feel like we don't need a staff... If we have an axe, we can use it for gathering wood and such."

"Oh, right. If it's necessary for gathering, it might be worth buying. Well, I think it's better to buy something for logging purposes rather than a weapon..."

"And how about a staff? With swords and spears, the reach doesn't match, so I think it's worth buying a polearm."

"...Using a greatsword seems tough."

"Yeah... I know I lack power..."

For sparring, it's easier with weapons of similar length. I think a sword is fine for an axe, but it's difficult to face someone with a spear using a sword. If you fight while utilizing the length, you'll be at a disadvantage.

It's a bit of a financial burden, but I think it's worth it considering efficiency... But perhaps we should prioritize the armor for both of us before weapons.

"Isn't it okay since we're magic users?"

"That's true! Well, we're still weak compared to you two..."

"Well, you'll learn as you go. It's important to keep going without rushing."

Today, there's quite a difference in the level-up stats between the two of them. Naga-kun's growth in strength is impressive. Onii-san's strength and speed have also increased, so they're strong.

Since they've only leveled up once today... they might learn more as they level up, so that could be the case. If we understand some sort of pattern, it might speed things up.

"Is there anything else that caught your attention?"

"...What's with your movements being better than your stats?"

"Um, there seems to be a passive effect from 'Intuition.' Leonis-san mentioned it too. It seems quite effective."

I thought I'd be no match in sparring, but surprisingly, I did okay. Well, my attacks are weak, but it's a strategy of hitting them a few times until I land a hit. I avoided wide swings, so both of them were quite surprised. There might also be a difference in levels.

"Certainly, you seem to move better than expected. And your movements improved partway through."

"Huh? I think it's because I imitated Onii-san's movements. His movements were clean and efficient."

Onii-san's movements were really clean. Holding a sword changes the atmosphere. Plus, he's insanely strong.

So, I tried to move like him. Did that really improve my movements?

Since I didn't level up today, I don't know the results. It can't be helped since I'm higher level than both of them... After this, maybe I'll do a lot of synthesis to level up.

"...Do Unique Skills have passive effects?"

"Huh? Yeah, it seems they do."

"Then that's probably it. You have 'Sword Mastery,' so your movements are good with swords, right? I want to move the same way with other weapons too."

"I see... Mine probably doesn't have such an effect."

"Is that so?"

"...Dragon Slayer... No, it was 'Dragon Slaughter.'"

Dragon Slaughter... Dragon Slayer...

That makes sense. It's kind of edgy, which suits Naga-kun. It's like the image of heroes being called in games. I didn't know there was such a Unique Skill.

But I'd rather not fight dragons. Well, I don't think I have the option to bring them along as they'd just be a hindrance.

"That's a choice fitting for you!"

"...What do you mean?"

"Well, certainly, Naga-kun's Unique Skill can't be tested. Oh, but could it be because of that that Naga-kun's resistances increase easily? Dragons seem like they'd be strong against magic."

"Indeed. His resistances went up across the board. And his stat growth seems to be the best."

"...Thanks to you both. I appreciate it."

"Oh, you're getting all soft."

"I-I'm not getting soft!"

Whether Unique Skills have an effect on inherent qualities or not... Well, since just having them makes you stronger, it's not an impossible story. Onii-san's 'Sword Mastery' and... if this is the cause of the good stat growth, it's understandable to be wary.

To protect the two of them... it seems like there's a pretty high hurdle if we're going to keep information from being sold.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh? Uh, well... since I didn't level up, I was thinking of synthesizing later..."

"Nope. Synthesizing in the middle of the night is prohibited. You tend to do reckless things. Rest properly today."

"...Take a relaxing bath and go to bed."

"Ugh... F-Fine. I'll take a bath then."

Since I was glared at by both Onii-san and Naga-kun, I'll obediently follow their instructions.

It seems like giving up on synthesis today might be for the best. I'll combine water and fire magic to get hot water into a bucket. Come to think of it, I wanted to add an enchantment to keep it warm too.

Let's think about strengthening Onii-san and the others later... Oh, and I have to reheat it before I leave.