Chapter 5

  As I waited for King Tomo's attendant to bring the paperwork I had requested, I sorted through the books Komachi had given me. One book, in particular, caught my eye—it was the one about my ability, Subete o shiru kenja. The book was heavy, with a beautiful brown cover, made of the finest materials. Opening it, I found the instructions clear and direct, with no room for misinterpretation. The book outlined three easy steps to use the most basic functions of the ability.

  First, I focused on an item I wanted information about. The book instructed me to either hold the item or have a basic understanding of what it was, and Subete o shiru kenja would provide more information. I chose the book itself. After a moment of concentration, the book glowed with a gray outline.

  Following step two, I thought hard about my question: "What is this book made of?" Step three was simply to stay calm and not get uncomfortable, as the voice I would hear would be in my head and no one else would hear it. As if on cue, I heard a voice. It was soft but nurturing, introducing itself as Subete o shiru kenja, likening itself to a personal assistant from my previous world.

  The voice began answering my question, providing detailed information about the book: it was 254 years old, made of high-end dragon scales and the finest ink. It even mentioned the author's name, but just as I was absorbing this information, a knock on the door interrupted me.

  "Come in," I said.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The man who entered wore a fine white shirt, black dress pants, and a pair of suspenders. His expensive-looking glasses completed the sophisticated look. He introduced himself as Souma and informed me that the king had sent him with the paperwork I had requested. I directed him to place the papers on the fine oak table next to the crystal ball.

  To my surprise, there were ten boxes full of ledgers, two boxes of maps, and a huge, old, tattered book detailing every noble, their alliances, their opinions of the king, and their various job titles in the kingdom. Souma assured me that if I needed any additional paperwork, he could provide it and told me not to hesitate to ask. I thanked him, and he swiftly left the room.

  I sat down and began to read through the financial ledgers. It was clear that the kingdom was plagued by mismanagement of funds, fraudulent loans, and a lack of debt collection. The bright side, if there was one, was that all the debt was owed to the kingdom of Rengoku. If I could somehow reunite our two kingdoms, it would eliminate our debt in one fell swoop.

  Next, I examined the maps. The geographical layout was strikingly similar to the world I left behind, with the 14th continent resembling a much larger version of Tokyo. The Kingdom of Starfall was located where Mount Fuji would be, but instead of a mountain, there was a valley, and this was where both Starfall and Rengoku were situated. The map also showed an abundance of natural resources that couldn't be harvested due to dragons. Perhaps one of my other common skills could help with this, but I needed to research further.

  Finally, I reviewed the book detailing the nobles. As expected, it was rife with corruption, with nobles aligning themselves with whichever party offered the most money and influence, rather than acting in the kingdom's best interests.

  After about an hour of going over the paperwork, I devised a plan:

  1. Convince the kingdom of Rengoku to reunite with Starfall and eliminate the corrupt nobles.

  2. Gain access to the natural resources surrounding us while simultaneously addressing the dragon problem.

  3. Develop trade routes with the other two kingdoms on the continent.

  With a clear strategy in mind, I felt a surge of determination. My mundane life in Tokyo was behind me. Here, in the Kingdom of Starfall, I had the opportunity to make a real difference. Now, it was time to put my plan into action.