Optimizing Your Isekai - Progression Fantasy w/ Slice-of-Life and Biz Building Elements

Gabor's eyes flicked to me and his shoulders fell slightly.

Was that relief? This wasn't a very dangerous rift…

Dahlia's hand was close to her weapon but she pulled it away when Aras emerged. She gave an extremely dirty look at a disheveled man standing next to Gabor and then hiked her haughtiness back into her bearing.

In a colder voice than I expected, "And what does a mere guardsman have to say? What did I do where you would deign to even impede my path? Do you even know who my father is? I know they brought you from some Podunk little village."

Gabor didn't take the bait. Looking to me, he asked with a pleading tone, "Terry, are you all right? I'll need a full report later after I've dealt with this but is your core… intact?"

Trying to remove the tension, I kept my voice steady and confident. "Uh yeah, the cat lizards were no biggie. The green essence wasn't fun but I think it was way easier on me than the kids having to deal with null. And we got a qi stone so I should actually be able to figure out my Cap. Pretty cool. Dahlia and Aras both did a good job of keeping us safe while ramping up the challenge post Igniting the kids."

Is that the phrasing? Kinda funny in a terrible way.

Consultant survival tip #17: When you have two sides that are at odds and you have no idea why, stay out of it. Try to be the neutral party. Looking like you are siding with one person over the other can cause you to get lumped in with 'the enemy'. When tensions are high, be Switzerland. But without the awful politics.

Isekonsultant survival tip #9: When people are threatening each other with weapons and you aren't sure why, stay physically and metaphorically to the side. Don't make yourself a target unnecessarily. Be prepared to leverage the situation as information emerges.

I'd absolutely bet on Gabor. Probably give pretty good odds too. Maybe not against both her and Aras?

…Focus!

"So she didn't do any experiments? Anything strange with your essence allocation bracelet?"

"Well, she said there was a problem because I already had my core ignited and these were special ones?" I replied, considering. It felt too petty to say she was a jerk when he was threatening death.

"Yes, yes, these are the bracelets for our sacred ceremony. We've used them for decades. They are finicky things but tradition is actually important here. I don't know how you deal with something sacred where you are from but we honor the work of our forebearers. Now, I'll be on my way." Dahlia went to stalk off but Gabor shot in front of her before she could complete a step and I finally felt his true dominance on display.

The kids wilted under the roiling power flowing off him and Aras and I, to my own surprise, stepped in front of them unconsciously in a show of protection.

"We'll take this to the Council, they have to hear about this. Dahlia, do not move again until I say so. Terry, please tell me you had your AAI recording the entire event? I was meant to get you up and give you instructions this morning but I was otherwise waylaid." He glanced at the disheveled man who kept shuffling towards Dahlia only to shuffle back again. Dahlia stared daggers though said eye blades shifted between the two men.

Aras, in a bored tone, said, "I am not sure what this is about. You are scaring the children. Guard Gabor, if you must take Lady Dahlia in for questioning, do it. I will take the children to the town hall to use the Scanner. The qi stone they received as reward should be enough to cover them all. Does that work for everyone?"

Dahlia looked like she wanted to rebuke Aras but thought better of it and nodded. Throwing her nose so far into the air I was shocked she could see where she was going, she stalked off.

And immediately tripped on a rock, barely maintaining her balance.

We began the long trek back to the city, but this time at a faster pace due to the kids' Tier 1 bodies.

"So, what was that about? I know there was an issue with my bracelet but that seems to be way overblown. She was a bit rude but that's not something to threaten death over. At least I don't think it is."

Aras actually gave more than three seconds of facial expression while thinking and initially responding before falling back to placid. "I am not sure. Her actions were slightly strange. I have seen bracelets malfunction but we never addressed it mid delve. I didn't think she had the expertise. Either way, out of sight, out of mind." He turned to the kids and clapped his hands but kept his face entirely still, returning to using their language. "Let's go figure out those Innate Capabilities, what do you say?"

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and headed off at a brisk pace, the children and I rushing to keep up.

***

The town hall was not what I was expecting. Instead of another guildhall or something similar, it was much more like an indoor bazaar with colorful tapestries hanging above stalls selling all kinds of wares. The smells were amazing and I offered to get everyone a snack from one of the stands. To my surprise and immense disappointment, every single one of the kids voted no, making it a 2-7 loss.

I absolutely would have lost that bet.

I thought maybe it lost a bit in the translation through Aras but the general consensus was figuring out your Initial Capability was way more important than mere morsels and every second mattered.

We weaved our way through the stalls and Aras tried to give me a rundown of everything going on but his monotone voice was lost to the noise of the crowd.

I know where I am coming to when I get some time. That ramen-looking dish will be mine.

The Scanner was located in a non-descript room off a seemingly random back corridor. At a questioning look, Aras explained. "It's not used very often. Almost everyone is an Even. It's really only useful for recently ignited. We couldn't afford to power it anyway. Unless we used mana but that is… not fun." He shrugged but kept his face entirely still.

"Aras, what is your Capability?" At the look, I knew I'd overstepped.

"That is private. I do not recommend asking others. You just lost your ability to draw. You will go last." The last sentence he said in the Verdant language. Turning to the kids, who each sported a sodus-eating grin at his pronouncement, he held out the small lot tokens we'd used earlier.

Aras placed the qi stone into a receptacle on the side and the Scanner lit up. It projected information into my mind and while I knew instinctively I could resist, similar to the language translation spell cast by Myriam, I let it flow into me.

Words blossomed in my vision, close to when I interacted with my AAI.

[The Scanner of Velez welcomes you. To better assist you, please place your hand on my orb. Direct contact to your body and spirit is necessary.]

As the first kid – a girl who used a bow to devastating effect in the rift – stepped forward, a young woman poked her head in looking decidedly pissed. "Hey, don't mess with the Scanner, how many times do I have to… oh." She seemed taken aback that Aras was there.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Um, did you register your usage with the Magister of Scans? You should know you need to be certified to push mana into it. Any damage will come out of your wallet. Or your hide if your wallet is insufficient." With every word, she inched more and more into the room and added more scorn to her voice, regaining her composure. By the time her hands were in the room, she was waggling her finger at Aras.

She was about 4'10 (147 cm) and was wearing a bright pink and green outfit that looked like someone tried to combine a tunic, an apron, and a dress.

It somehow worked.

Mostly.

She exuded a 'friend's little sister' vibe. Her high-pitched voice that matched her short stature made her threats all the less intimidating.

"We used a qi stone." Aras turned back to see the first girl jumping up and down while her friends pulled her away for the next boy to use.

I gave the young irate woman a shrug and listened to the girl shout excitedly, "Green, 30, 20, 15!" Then she struck a pose, thrusting her hip out to the side. It was endearing if over the top.

The next boy stepped away from the Scanner looking dejected. "Green but five, five, 40…"

Aras stepped forward, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder and leaning in to look eye-to-eye. "We need growth right now, that will be extremely useful. And 50 combined is still considered well above average. You might be the savior of the city."

"But—"

"But nothing. I don't care if she got 65. 50 is great. You will help the city. You can still delve."

The other kids had various reactions, all but two getting green and then spouting off numbers. The boy and girl continued to look like polar opposites with the boy acting like someone shat in his cereal and the girl jumping up and down continuously for the ten minutes it took everyone else to get scanned.

Rather than interrupting their celebration with questions, I just let them enjoy it and tried my best to look happy for the ones jumping with joy and commiserating with those not so thrilled.

Consultant survival tip #36: When others are celebrating something you don't understand, consider if your understanding will increase or decrease their excitement. Sometimes you can wait to learn something and just let people be happy. You will be remembered as being part of the celebration, not the reason it had to stop to educate you.

At some point the short woman left without making any additional noise.

At the seventh and final teen to step forward, the message in my vision that I turned mostly translucent suddenly changed.

[Insufficient power, unable to scan. Please provide additional power.]

Aras gave the final boy a crestfallen look. "Sorry, I will go fetch that woman. I will see what we can do."

I had left my spatial storage ring hidden beneath my clothes and armor but was glad I kept a small pouch at my side with a few silvers. I reached into it and tried summoning the qi stones Zora, Miklos' daughter, handed over what seemed like a week ago but was only two days.

It wasn't perfect and they appeared a foot above the pouch but no one seemed to notice as I snatched them out of the air.

"Actually, I have two stones we can use. The Guard in Zalano gave them to me." As I showed Aras the two stones, I kept the third for myself in the ring; I was told each stone would power a single scan and I didn't want to waste one if I could help it. Plus I could get scanned again later if I needed.

He looked questioningly for a second but then announced to the nearly crying boy what I gifted them. They were gob smacked but the boy kept bowing and thanking me. I handed over the first stone and he rushed to slam his palm down, forgetting to put the stone in first. Once rectified, he could barely keep his hand to the Scanner with all his wiggling.

The young woman barged into the door. "I KNOW you don't have more qi stones and I saw the message. You are going to pay for this mister!" Then she looked at the remaining stone in my palm and just turned back and forth looking at every face in the room in turn as if they would have an answer. Her now-scarlet face scrunched up and she fled the room, literally stomping away.

In all the hubbub, I missed what the boy said but I knew I didn't really care.

Surprisingly, the message from the Scanner didn't say it needed more power so I was able to keep two of my three stones after all. I stepped forward and laid my hand on the orb.

[Welcome to the Scanner of Velez; AAI connection detected. Begin Tier 1 Innate Capability scan: yes/no; output results to AAI: yes/no.]

Immediately upon selecting yes twice, I felt it. The scan was somewhat familiar but felt much lighter and more benign than it had as part of the Core Ignition in Zalano.

Maybe Iveta is just a sadist.

The message slowly unfurled in both my vision and my mind, presumably connecting to my AAI.

[Tier 1 Innate Capability: You may absorb spells with lower cost. You may absorb up to #error# spells per Tier at a lower #error# #error# #error#. Error, Scanner of Velez is not powerful enough to fully assess Tier 1 Innate Capability.]

SERIOUSLY? What the jebbie-ing jebbie is this horse sodus?

I tried to take a mindful breath. It sort of worked.

At least I know spells have a cost now? Why would no one tell me more?

The look on my face caused Aras to start briefly and then laugh. From the stoic man, even the chuckle seemed like a deep belly laugh. "I know that face. Did you get a negative number in your set?" He shuddered suddenly. "Or did you get something null related? It is okay, many of us do not use our Innate Capabilities to fight. It is a setback but not a fatal blow."

I thought about my original survival tip #2 about finding people to trust. But do I trust Aras? I don't distrust him but I also don't know him.

Consultant survival tip #5: Knowledge is power. Hoarding power can be seen as bad when you are in an organization at their whim. Your job is to be a flow of information to find where there is unnecessary friction. That said, knowledge can provide a significant advantage. Always look to balance knowledge so you remain essential enough to keep around with providing enough value so they keep you around.

Isekonsultant survival tip #10: If there is no significant reason to give up information on your power and capabilities, Innate or otherwise, do not do so. Information leverage here means gaining a better insight to kill you should someone want to.

I don't want to bet on Aras, at least right now.

Something that is too 'powerful' for the Scanner seems like a secret I should keep from all but my most trusted people. Always hated the protagonists that did that in everything I read but… okay, totally get the point. I profusely apologize to all the characters I've made fun of before.

Still need to consider who I can trust and how to get more information. But at least I do understand something about spell absorption cost and can finally pin Gabor down on that.

Giving Aras a wan smile, I motioned to the door with my head. He nodded but before he could reach the knob, it opened again. A rotund man with curly blonde ringlets framing his red, sweaty face opened the door looking very angry.

While the fashion of both clothes and architecture in Zalano was all funky angles and vivid colors, it was mostly what I called 'boring business casual' style in Velez. The cuts were different from Earth but it was still mostly straight up and down lines with maybe buttons slightly off center at the most daring. Even the wealthy barely had any flare.

But this man's flowing robes looked like a deranged six year old had eaten two whole bags of sugar and then just slashed into a full stack of colored paper with abandon while wielding a gluestick like it was a sword and good fashion and color sense was their enemy. It was luckily only five main colors, though extreme variation across them. Greens, browns, yellows, reds, and blues were splayed across the robe in what a computer program could only hope to emulate when it came to generating randomness.

And ugliness.

I thought my eyes might start bleeding.

His hat reached nearly three feet (1m) off the top of his head and was dominated by five colored spires that jutted out and formed a small halo at the top of glowing metal, again in brown, green, red, yellow, and blue. It sported a wide brim and looked relatively close to the most comical depiction of a cowboy hat I had ever seen.

Possibly even the famed and mythical 50 gallon hat.

And it all sparkled.

Consultant survival tip #47: People dress strangely. Never comment on it. Try to never react to it. Nothing good can come from it. At best, you get into a discussion about fashion, something you are woefully inept at. There is no winning.

My willpower was tested almost more than at any other time in recent memory. This was potentially the funniest thing I'd witnessed in quite a while. It was like someone just rolled around in the glitter factory and called it fashion.

"You there! What do you think you are doing?! You do not have permission to use the Scanner!" He pointed at Aras but also seemed to be putting on a show.

"If we have qi stones, we don't need permission. As you well know. It's part of the oversight agreement. The one ratified last month. Now, if you'll excuse us." He tried to walk past but the loudly-dressed man spread out his arms to stop his way.

"There is no way you had enough qi in a stone to Scan this many people that you would waste on children! I know you used your mana! The low power message appeared over five minutes ago! I'll have you up on charges!"

"No Magister, you won't. If I need to, I'll provide an AAI-backed guarantee we didn't use mana. And here is the recording. I scrubbed the information about Capabilities. Just sent to your… daughter?... as well. Now again, you will excuse us." Aras literally just lifted the man like he weighed nothing and placed him inside the room in the corner.

He didn't face him into the corner to my dismay.

Aras went to follow suit with the woman who had been behind him but she yelled 'eep' and scrambled in to again hide behind his voluminous robes.

"Children, out. Head back to the western training hall. On the double."

The kids ran out of the room and I went to follow. Aras' hand landed on my shoulder. "Not you. Let's talk."

As the Magister went to protest, a single look from Aras, still seemingly completely blank yet thrumming with venom, shut him up and we walked out.

"I'll take that meal now. And then I'll book us a private room to chat."