Chapter 3: Chapter: 2: The black book

“Waaaahhhhhhh!”

“Allen?!”

Oops, I accidentally made myself cry. Calm down, me! Uh, let’s recite the prime numbers!

Perhaps due to being a one-year-old, Allen had trouble controlling his own emotions. When he burst into a wail, Theresia, who thought she had just put him to sleep, immediately rushed over in worry.

Oh no, she’s going to see this book! Go away!

“What’s wrong, Allen? Are you all right?”

Just as Allen wished for it, the book disappeared.

“Uh-huh, uh-huh.”

Phew, purposely speaking in baby talk takes effort. Well, my mouth isn’t fully developed yet, so it’s not like I can enunciate properly anyway.

The child smiled and gestured in an attempt to reassure his mother. She patted his shoulder gently as if to say, “No more surprises, all right?” before returning to the earthen floor area.

I didn’t get caught? But I should have been, timing-wise. Hold on, maybe other people can’t see the book?

There had been enough time between Theresia entering the room and the book disappearing that she would definitely have noticed it floating in midair. However, not once did she look in the book’s direction.

The fact that it might not be a problem gave Allen the confidence to call the book back out.

Fwum.

Yep, there it is. It’s a really thick book with a pitch-black hard cover. Do I get a book because I’m a Summoner?

Allen took a closer look at the tome before his eyes. His impression was that it looked like the kind of encyclopedia that would be stored at the National Diet Library back in Japan. Nothing was written on either its spine or its front cover.

Uh... Spin.

On a whim, Allen mentally ordered the book to spin. Sure enough, it began rotating. In the same way, he learned that he could bid it to fly closer. When he touched it, he found that it had the same texture as a normal book.

It feels like regular paper. What’s written inside though?

As the book was already floating in midair, Allen tried mentally willing it to turn a page.

Whoa! I finally get to see my Status!

The sight of what was written on the first page caused a wave of delight more intense than anything Allen had ever felt before to well up from deep within him.

Name: Allen
Age: 1
Class: Summoner
Level: 1
HP: 4 (40)
MP: 2 (20)
Attack: 1 (10)
Endurance: 1 (10)
Agility: 2 (25)
Intelligence: 3 (30)
Luck: 2 (25)
Skills: Summoning {1}, Creation {1}, Deletion
XP: 0/1,000

Interesting. Now, what can I make out from this?

Allen’s favorite motto was “One who is in control of their Status is in control of the game.” The key to beating games was figuring out the best way to take advantage of a character’s Status.

The parentheses next to the numerical stat values are normal, whereas the parentheses next to skill names are curly. I assume that means they imply different things. Oh, hold on. There’s something on the second page too.

Skill Levels
Summoning: 1
Creation: 1

Skill Experience
Creation: 0/1,000

Creatable Summons
Insect: H
Beast: H

Holder
Insect: H x 0
Beast: H x 0

It turned out to be more detailed information related to the Summoning skill. Allen flipped between the two pages a few times.

The skill levels on the second page match with the numbers in the curly brackets after the skill names on the first page, so I guess that’s one mystery solved. Plus all of the stat numbers seem to be a tenth of the numbers in the following parentheses—maybe they’re being suppressed due to my age?

According to Allen’s deduction, his stats were currently a mere portion of their full value. After all, it did make sense for there to be a difference between the stats of an adult and a child.

And that’s about all I can figure out from the Status page. Anything else would be going beyond hypothesizing to mere guessing.

Instead of mulling over something he had no answers to, Allen decided to first focus on what he could actually determine at the moment. His eyes fell on the second page.

So, Summoning and Creation are listed separately. And whereas Creation has a counter for XP, Summoning doesn’t. It’s probably at zero because I’ve never used it before. The fact that there’s a denominator most likely means it’d level up once I gather a thousand XP, right?

The condition for gaining XP was not specified, so there was no way to tell at a glance. However, it was common sense to a gamer that using a skill repeatedly would yield XP in said skill.

According to what’s here on the skills page, I can only Summon insects and beasts at the moment. What does the “H” mean? I’ve seen letters used to denote things like adventurer rank in otherworld series—like how a lot of protagonists end up as Rank S adventurers. If things are the same here, does that mean there are a total of nine tiers with S, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H? Nah, it wouldn’t start that low, right? That kind of system would start off at E at the lowest, I imagine. I’ve never heard of a Rank H monster before.

Back in his previous world, Kenichi used to read otherworld light novels pretty much every day—sometimes during his commute, sometimes as a way to relax after an intense gaming session. As a result, he was quite familiar with the tropes used in this genre.

That’s about all I can tell for now. I’d have to actually try Summoning to learn anything else.

But before giving Summoning a try, Allen thought it a good idea to check the other pages of the book too, just in case there was more information aside from his own Status.

There are so few pages even though the book is so thick.

Whenever he attempted to flip one page, a thick section of pages would turn all at once. Belying its appearance, the book contained a limited number of available pages. What’s more, the next blank page was not normal—it had several rectangular depressions arranged in portrait orientation.

Is something supposed to go in these? There are a total of ten depressions. Very interesting.

There was no explanation—the impressions were just there. Allen’s first guess was that they were for storing some sort of cards.

Is there anything else of note? Hold on, there’s a glowing page at the very end.

The single page that was faintly shining caught Allen’s attention, prompting him to flip it open.

This is...a letter? No, it looks more like an announcement.

Dear Mr. Allen,

We hope this letter finds you well. Are you enjoying your life in this world?

We wish to take this opportunity to apologize for the delayed delivery of your grimoire. We are truly sorry for any inconveniences caused.

As the Summoner class was still in development, we had yet to finish the necessary administrative procedures. Please rest assured that we have done everything within our power to expedite the process.

Please note that we do not accept questions regarding the book nor requests for a class change. We ask for your kind understanding.

Sincerely yours,

Elmea, God of Creation

So that’s what it was. Well, I was also partly responsible for ignoring the warning message about this class still being in testing. If they’ve spent a whole year on it, I can expect it to be pretty well-developed, right?

Allen’s reaction to this message was surprisingly positive. At the same time, he felt reminded once again that this was indeed another world.

When he finished reading the letter, the words faded away from the page, leaving it blank.

Is this everything? If I haven’t overlooked anything, then I guess it’s time to give Summoning a try. Um, I can choose between insect and beast, right?

Those two were the only options currently listed under Creatable Summons on the second page of the grimoire. There was no way to tell what was going to appear. It seemed likely that these first Summons were extremely weak, but it would be a huge issue if Beast H turned out to be a wolf or a bear. With Summoner being a class ranked even higher than Demon Lord, it would not hurt to err on the side of caution.

I’m indoors right now, so I should probably go with the insect instead.

A whole year had passed since Allen had reincarnated into this world. Everything that happened during that time suddenly flashed through his mind. The memories of nursing from the boobies of his pretty mother. Memories of getting wiped down by his pretty mother. Memories of his pretty mother changing his diapers.

No, no, no, gotta get my mind out of the gutter. All right, let’s do this! Summon: Insect H!

Allen raised a hand and, in the same way he had been willing the book to move, willed the Summoning.

However, nothing happened. The nursery remained silent.

Uh...did anything happen? Is it on the ground, maybe?

The absence of any noticeable change prompted Allen to get up and look all over. He squinted his eyes and peered around the dimly lit room, but ultimately could not find anything resembling an insect.

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Was that maybe the wrong chant? Insect, I choose you!

Nothing stirred.

Suspecting that merely thinking it was insufficient, Allen chanted “Arise, insect!” aloud, trying his best not to lisp. However, it was to no avail.

Well, this is a problem. What should I do?

After thinking about it for a while, Allen decided to give his grimoire another once-over. Back in his previous world, almost every game had detailed walkthrough sites explaining everything. Some even had forums where players could ask and answer each other’s questions. There was never an instance where he would be at a complete loss. In contrast, this world had no such resources, leaving him to do all the thinking and experimenting by himself.

Oh, maybe I need to Create a Summon before being able to call it out?

Summoning, Creation, and Deletion had all been listed under the Skills category on the first page. As such, Allen decided to give Creation a try.

Create: Insect!

“Wha—?!”

This time, it was the grimoire’s cover that began glowing, not a page. The previously dark room was suddenly illuminated, giving Allen a bit of a surprise.

Hold on, there are words here!

On the front cover of the grimoire was a single line written in silver letters.

<Which rank of an Insect Card do you wish to Create?>

If it’s asking me to specify the rank, it must mean “H” is a rank after all. Create: Insect H!

Immediately, a card appeared before Allen’s eyes.

There we go! A card! It’s got an illustration of an insect on it! This is a grasshopper, right?

<One Insect H Card has been Created.>

The card was roughly a quarter the size of the book cover. It was decorated with a beautiful picture of a grasshopper and had the words “Insect H” at the top left corner. The MP field in Allen’s Status had changed from “2” to “0,” indicating that MP had been expended in the process.

But a grasshopper? It doesn’t look strong at all. And to be honest, when I think “summoning,” “bug” is hardly the first thing that comes to mind.

Allen had spent the last year dreaming of summoning great serpents from Greek mythology and heroic spirits from the past. Reality, however, gave him a single card depicting a mere grasshopper. What’s more, making that one card had cost him all the MP he had.

Well, there’s no point in lamenting over it. Turns out the impressions in the grimoire are slots for these cards. So I’m supposed to start collecting them from now on?

Getting this card seemed to have answered quite a lot of questions for Allen and gave him a general idea of how his class worked.

Let’s continue tomorrow. The night’s completely dark now and I can’t see anything anyway.

The room, which had been quite dim before, was now entirely shrouded in darkness. Allen had no light to see by, which meant there was no choice but to obediently turn in for the night.

＊ ＊ ＊

“Good morning, Allen,” Theresia said as she threw the wooden shutters wide open, flooding the room with light.

“Goo’monin, mama.”

The sun had already climbed quite a distance by now.

Looks like a day in this world is also around twenty-four hours. It’s about 8 a.m. right now, I’d say?

Just like Allen himself, both his parents had been serfs from birth. Because they had no proper education, Allen had trouble learning standards or units of measurement from them. It was difficult for him to broach the subject without raising suspicion, being a one-year-old and all, but his parents never seemed to ever bring it up in conversation. He had finally learned about time recently, but was still completely in the dark regarding currency, weight, and distance.

Clearly I’m not going to be able to enjoy the cliché of being reincarnated into a house with a study full of books to read so I can get a head start on education.

A serf’s morning started early. As for how early...Allen had yet to ever see his father when he awoke in the morning, leading him to infer that his father probably left the house around 6 a.m. There was now talk of Theresia returning to join Rodin in the fields while Allen was asleep as he had grown a bit older.

With how small our house is, I can’t really attempt Summoning when my mother’s home. She comes in to check on me every once in a while when I’m awake too. Guess it’ll have to wait till it’s time for my afternoon nap.

Allen had not told his parents about being reincarnated from another world, nor about being a Summoner. He was still speaking with a baby’s lisp. He did not have any particular intention of telling them going forward either, as he feared they would believe he was possessed by a spirit or demon.

He spun his grimoire, waiting for time to pass. When all the clattering around from housework settled down, Theresia came in to let Allen breastfeed. He had been rather embarrassed in the beginning, but had gotten largely used to it by now. It was as if he was a sage or a hermit with how completely devoid of sexual urge he was.

“Sleep tight, Allen.”

“Goo’nai, mama.”

Here we go! Afternoon nap time!

Theresia carried Allen to the child’s room and tucked him into his wooden cot. She closed the wooden windows, leaving him alone in the now dimly lit room.

All right, she’s gone. Heh heh heh, let’s continue where I left off yesterday.

He brought out his grimoire and retrieved the Insect H Card from its holder.

For starters, let’s see if I can Summon without saying it out loud. Summon: Insect H!

Allen spread both his arms wide and did his best to generate the feeling of Summoning something. In response, the card shone bright and crumbled away. In exchange, a grasshopper appeared.

“Ohhhh! Gwassoppaw!” Allen blurted inadvertently. His eyes were glued to the creature that had fallen to the ground outside the wooden slats surrounding his cot.

Hmm, it’s not all that big. Around fifteen centimeters long, I’d say? Well, it is a bit bigger than normal, but otherwise looks like a common grasshopper.

The insect was just hopping around the room aimlessly. It showed no intention of meeting Allen’s eyes.

It’s my Summon, so it should at least listen to me, right? Come here. Coooome on.

For a split second, Allen’s and the grasshopper’s eyes finally met.

Hoh, you finally noticed me? Be not reserved. You may approach.

The baby flapped his hands in an effort to attract the creature’s attention. However, it promptly turned away and reverted to its aimless hopping.

Okay, this isn’t working. It’s seriously just a grasshopper. It’s got no intelligence and doesn’t understand orders. And the grimoire isn’t telling me anyth— Hold on, there’s a new page.

Just as Allen thought to check his book for any additions after having successfully performed his first-ever Summoning, he noticed a third page that had not been there before.

I see, I get new information in the form of new pages in the grimoire. And this is the Status of this grasshopper.

The following was written on the grimoire’s brand-new page:

Type: Insect
Rank: H
Name: None (Please set a name.)
HP: 3
MP: 0
Attack: 2
Endurance: 5
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 1
Luck: 2
Buffs: Endurance 1, Agility 1
Ability: Hop

It’s pretty weak but still generally about on par with me. Whoa, it has even higher Attack than I do. What is this “Buffs” field? Could it be that these are buffs for me? Wha—?! My own stats have gone up!

“Amajing!”

Compared to yesterday, Allen’s stats had now gone up by one in both Endurance and Agility. The pleasant surprise caused Allen to unthinkingly whoop out loud and clench his fists.

“Goodness, Allen. You gotta go beddy-bye properly, all right?” Theresia chided while coming back inside, having heard the shout from the garden right outside where she had been working.

Shoot! If she comes in right now, she’ll see the gra—

“Sowwie, mama.”

“Oh, it’s all right, sweetie,” Theresia cooed before she suddenly made eye contact with the Summon.

“NOOOOO, IT’S A BUUUUGGGG!” she screamed as she brought her foot down.

OH-NO, MY SUMMON GOT STOMPED! It... It’s gone...

The grasshopper disappeared in bubbles of light. Theresia, who thought she had let the insect escape, went off searching for it. Allen could not let his surprise show on his face, so he went to sleep instead, pretending like nothing had happened.

In this way, Allen took his very first step as a Summoner in this world.

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