LSP – Chapter 2 –  13 years old

The level gauge, which appears above a child’s head, generally gets longer in proportion to their age. However, there are exceptions like Shari. The boy next door, who is the same age as me, is also one such exception.

“Hey, Tip. How are you doing?” (Finn)

I asked the boy in front of his house.

“I’m doing okay today.” (Tip)

The length of the gauge bar above Tip’s head, which represents his level, is about 0.1 when converted to a number. It’s shorter than Shari’s.

It seems like Tip has always had a weak body. Since my (or rather, Finn’s) little sister Shari has similar health issues, I feel a sense of closeness with Tip, who is the same age, and we get along well. I tell him about my recent adventure, the one where I went to gather herbs and got startled by a goblin. Tip listens with shining eyes.

“But some people do get killed by goblins, so Finn has to be careful too.” (Tip)

“Yeah, you’re right. I mean, I was really surprised. But when I shouted, it ran away, so maybe I should always walk in the forest shouting.” (Finn)

“But I’ve heard that there are monsters that are attracted by loud noises.” (Tip)

“Oh, I see. You really know a lot, Tip.” (Finn)

“Look at those knights over there. I asked Wen from that group about a lot of stuff before. Mostly related to monsters and the town outside and such. I heard that she has been to the royal capital too, you know.” (Tip)

This is my first time hearing about the outside world beyond the village. Apparently, there’s a place called the royal capital, which must be part of a kingdom. Since I was reincarnated in this world, I want to explore it. However, I’m just a kid and can’t leave without permission. Plus, I don’t have any money. And I can’t leave my sister behind either.

“Ehh~ How nice~ I want to go to the royal capital too and have all sorts of adventures.” (Finn)

“Then you need to become stronger, like become a swordsman or something. If it’s you, I believe that you can pull it off. Ahh, I want to become stronger too.” (Tip)

“You can do it too, Tip. Let’s get stronger together.” (Finn)

“Let’s go ask Wen-san for tips on how to get stronger from now on.” (Tip)

“Okay, got it.” (Finn)

“Great. It’s a promise, okay?” (Tip)

Tip holds out his hand and sticks out his thumb. I do the same in response.

“I want the blessings of a swordsman.” (Tip)

Tip murmurs towards the sky. His figure lacks presence and somehow seems to appear transparent.

“Yeah, I think you could become one, Tip.” (Finn)

When Tip feels better, we will practice swordsmanship together. From that day on, I started to train my body. We also planned to seek advice from Wen-san to become a swordsman and an adventurer.

Tip passed away two months later.

◇

Ever since Tip’s death, I’ve been paying more attention to Shari’s level gauge above her head. I feel like it used to be around 0.2, but hasn’t it gotten shorter? It feels like the aspect ratio has become more vertical. Maybe around 0.1 now?

“Onii-chan, what are you looking at?” (Shari)

“Oh, umm…” (Finn)

Shari made a face that says “It can’t be helped” and approached me. She came up to my side while I was sitting in my chair, and hugged my head tightly to her chest. Suddenly, my head was enveloped in softness and a pleasant scent. It felt so good that I almost lost consciousness for a moment.

“Onii-chan, you don’t have to worry about Shari.” (Shari)

Despite being younger, she had too much compassion. And she was soft. My head was pushed against a subtle bulge. Is she really 11 years old?

“Wha! All of a sudden!” (Finn)

“Hehe~” (Shari)

Shari smiles a little.

Let’s change the subject before she gets suspicious of me again.

“By the way, in two years, you’ll be old enough to receive a blessing too, Shari.” (Finn)

“No, that’s not right. I’ll be the same age as Onii-chan in three months on my birthday!” (Shari)

“Huh, really?” (Finn)

In this world, birthdays are somewhat arbitrary, and some people don’t even remember their own. Age increases by one at New Year’s, using the traditional Japanese method of counting years. This means that someone who says they are 13 might actually be 12 or 11 in Japan. The vagueness about when one receives their blessings around “age 13” might be due to this system. It could be that birthdays are not used as the official marker of age.

If what Shari is saying is true, then there’s only a five-month age difference between me and her. It’s a bit too close for siblings, but since Shari is not my biological sister, it’s possible. However, Shari is not a stranger, but rather my cousin’s child, the child of my father’s older brother’s child. I wonder what they call this in Japanese, but since there’s no internet in this world, I can’t look it up.

Shari’s parents were unable to take care of her, so she was taken in by our family when she was young. She seems to remember that. She’s a smart girl.

“Shari is actually the same age as you, Onii-chan.” (Shari)

“Huh, why?” (Finn)

“I think its something related to taxes.” (Shari)

Shari tilted her head and thought for a moment.

It seems that they might have lied about Shari’s age when she was taken in. In this world, there is a tax based on the age range of the family, so it’s a common practice to lie about one’s age to avoid paying heavy taxes.

“Shari knows some difficult words, huh?” (Finn)

Shari looks proud and smug, but the fact that Shari might actually be 13 years old makes my head spin.

◇

My (or rather Finn’s) father’s level gauge is about one and eight-tenths. In other words, 1.8. Although he is a farmer, he seems to have the blessing of being “strong,” so he is often taken on village hunts. He is absent today because of that.

Recently, although Shari’s condition has somewhat improved, her presence is still weak. Her level is still 0.1. Shari, who has recently learned how to cook, is cutting vegetables on the desk with a serious expression. Every time she cuts, her mouth moves in a cute way, like a small animal.

Shari finished cutting the potatoes. By the way, I washed the potatoes.

“Onii-chan, can you grab the pot?” (Shari)

She’s probably going to make soup. Shari puts the potatoes and some other vegetables in the pot. I pick up the pot and put it on the stove, then add water from the pitcher. It’s going to be a root vegetable soup.

“When is Auntie coming back?” (Shari)

“She said she will finish working in the field in the morning before coming back.” (Finn)

“Then let’s make the soup before she comes back.”(Shari).

Shari calls my mother “Oba-san” (auntie). She has been calling her that since they first met as relatives when we were little. I was surprised that she remembered it even though we were little, but then I realized that we are actually the same age.

Meanwhile, Shari calls me “Onii-chan” (big brother). She’s like a little sister to me, or rather, a real sister. Even though we’re the same age, she looks younger. On top of that, she’s really cute. I want to protect her. I decided that I won’t allow any bad bugs to come near Shari.

..

“Welcome back, Mom.” (Finn)

“Welcome back, Auntie.” (Shari)

Mom came back holding a basket with harvested turnips. She seemed to pause for a moment after being called “Auntie” but responded kindly with “I’m home, Finn and Shari. Thank you for making soup.”

Thanks to Mom’s water-related blessing, everyone washed their hands and sat down to eat. Mom chopped up the turnip leaves she just brought and quickly mixed them into the soup Shari made, adding a little salt. The potato and turnip soup was now ready. It is fairly nutritious. There was no meat though.

“When dad comes back, we can have some meat too, right mom?” (Finn)

“Yes…” (Finn’s Mom)

Mom seemed worried when she said that.

The village hunt always lasts for several days. The preys are usually deers, boars, and occasionally giant boars, which are said to weigh over 500 kilograms. It’s like a small car rushing towards them, and they have to hunt it with a spear.

◇

After finishing lunch, Shari takes a nap while I start exercising in front of the house. I swing a wooden sword (or rather a branch) around in my own way but I don’t really understand what I’m doing. Maybe I should learn from someone? I’ve never done kendo or spear fighting in Japan either.

“Hey Finn, you’re practicing huh?” (???)

I heard my father’s voice. When I turned around, there he was with a thick spear over his shoulder, carrying a large piece of meat. Looks like the hunting party from the village had returned.

“Welcome back Dad! Is that a big boar?” (Finn)

Father nods his head with a proud expression. I run over and take a closer look at the meat, which has one leg attached, so I think it’s probably a quarter of a whole animal, but it still looks like it weighs a hundred kilos. My father is effortlessly holding it thanks to the power of his blessing. He can also cultivate the fields with the force of a tractor. It’s quite a cheat skill.

While being petted by my father, I suddenly look up at his head. There’s that level gauge again. The second bar is at the maximum, and there’s a little bit on the third bar. It’s at around 2.2. When he left home, it was around 1.8. It’s increasing!

Even though my father’s level gauge increased, it was something only I could see, so I couldn’t really ask him “Dad, did your level go up by any chance?” I need to find out what happened.

When I was still thinking about this, my mother also came out of the house. She welcomed my father with a happy expression. The worried look she had when my father left seemed to have disappeared, and she was beaming with a smile.

・・

The results of the hunt are gathered in the village square. After a while, Father returned with his share of the meat and the large spear from earlier.

“Dad, can I try holding that spear?” (Finn)

“It’s heavy you know?” (Finn’s Dad)

Father laughed as he handed it over. It is indeed really heavy, weighing more than ten kilograms, I think.

“I can’t imagine swinging something this heavy.” (Finn)

“You don’t swing it, you wait with it when the large boar charges at you.” (Finn’s Dad)

My father replied with a laugh.

I see. But this is way too heavy. Even an adult would struggle without the blessing of strength. I also feel like it would be a problem if the first hit didn’t connect properly, as it would be difficult to control.

The meat is placed on the table, cut into portions for immediate consumption, and the rest is salted. Some of the salted meat will be smoked later. We were allotted about ten kilograms of meat, which will last us for over a month. As we finished the work, the smell of cooking meat wafted through the air.

Today is a feast! The spare ribs cut from the wild boar are nicely browned. We’ll have them with some roasted potatoes and the leftover soup from lunch.

“Itadakimasu!¹” (Everyone)

For the first time in several days, our whole family is present for a meal. Mmm, delicious. Wild boar has a strong smell, but once you chew it, a good taste comes out. I wish I had some barbecue sauce and ketchup. I’ll add this to the list of things to do in my head. Salt and herbs are enough for today’s meal. Speaking of which, I wonder if tomatoes exist in this world.

It’s cute how Shari grabs the bone of the meat with both hands and eats it while getting her mouth and hands messy. It’s unfortunate that I can’t pat her head since my hands are sticky. By the way, the bones will be used for tomorrow’s soup stock².

This is a good time to ask my father about his level-up situation.

“Did Dad take down this boar?” (Finn)

“That’s right. I was on spear duty this time. It’s tough to stand straight where the boar charges in.” (Finn’s Dad)

It’s like trying to spear a car that’s about to ram you. That must be scary.

“I wonder if I could do it too.” (Finn)

“It’s still impossible for Finn.” (Finn’s Dad)

“Was it scary?” (Finn)

“Yeah, I was a little scared. Wild boars have hard skulls, so even if you hit them with a spear on the head, they’ll bounce back. That’s why I had to jump and aim for its mouth, which was a bit nerve-wracking, but it’s actually easier to aim when it’s in the air. You just need to align the spear with where it’s going to land. It was a tough fight, but I’ll be fine next time.” (Finn’s Dad)

No, no, no, that’s dangerous. It’s absolutely impossible. I thought it would be easy to hit because the target is so big, but isn’t the hitbox actually quite small!? And if you miss, you’re dead.

Dad got really excited during the conversation and started talking with high enthusiasm.

“I will continue to be a spearbearer from now on.” (Finn’s Dad)

“Isn’t that dangerous?” (Finn’s Mom)

Mother asked while looking worried.

“Well, you see, I just received the blessing of being a spear user during this hunt. So it’ll be fine next time. Plus, the spear bearer gets to keep twice the amount of meat too.” (Finn’s Dad)

The word “blessing” unexpectedly came up.

“Did your blessings increase, Dad?” (Finn)

“Yeah, that’s right. When I took down the big boar with my spear this time, I was thinking that I wanted to use my spear more effectively, and that’s how I received the blessing of the spear. From now on, even if the prey moves unexpectedly, I’ll be able to adapt. The spear feels light, and I won’t miss against a big boar.” (Finn’s Dad)

It seems like leveling up and receiving blessings happen at the same time. Can you acquire blessings by defeating a wild boar and leveling up?

I think I might have found a solution.

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No Image this chapter :<

EDIT: There actually is illustration for this chapter, but its on Syosetu and Alphapolis but I follow the Kakuyomu version. Furthermore, the illustration doesn’t exactly match the events in the chapter. For those still interested here are the links to them.
Syosetu: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5958hv/2/
Alphapolis: https://www.alphapolis.co.jp/novel/664246735/894689946/episode/6372065

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TL notes:

Thanks for reading!
Man, Tip got removed from the story as fast as he was introduced. Also, sorry if the birthday stuff is confusing, I was wrecking my brain over trying to understand it.

Well so far I quite like this series, but chapters are quite long, so it may take more time for each chapter to come out. Never read ahead so I’m not sure if there is any romance going on or not so I didn’t add the romance genre, it could be really just a heavy case of siscon and brocons.

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Footnotes:

1. “Itadakimasu” is a polite thing in Japanese households to say before eating a meal. Something like “bon appétit”.
2. Stock is a mixture of boiled or simmered ingredients that typically include animal bones, meats, vegetables, and possibly a small amount of salt. Stocks are often used as a base for foods such as soups, stews, sauces, and gravies. (thank you google-sensei)