isekai prologue

I surveyed the nighttime scene below me from the rooftops. I was currerntly in city of Tristain, the largest city on the Empire's frontier. Long ago, it was just another trade hub that supplied the frontier settlers and in turn got raw materials and crops from them to send back to the Empire, but recently, the Empire has been in an expansionary mood again. This meant that a lot of the former frontier has been considered developed enough and incorporated formally into the Empire. This brought the trade hub far closer to civilization than it had ever been before and smart planning and advantageous geography combined with an increased about of traffic in the area ended up turning it into the city it was today.

Though as a side effect of this, the city had a wild and untamed edge to it that other large cities of the Empire did not have. Gambling, prostitution, slavery; activities that were frowned upon if not outlawed in other cities were practiced openly here. It is also here that I would find my prey. Speaking of which, here he comes.

"Iris," I intoned as I ducked behind ledge.

As soon as I did so, I felt a familiar presence come into existence on my shoulder. I move my head slightly and it comes into view. Fair skin, a pretty face, long blonde hair, a voluptous body, delicate wings and slightly elogated ears. Had she been the size of a regular human, she would have been a beauty unsurpassed in all the land. Thankfully for the hearts of the men in the Empire, she was only about 6 inches tall and invisble to everyone except me. This is Iris, or to use her full name God's Iris: The All Seeing Eye. Rather than being any sort of living creature, she is the personified embodiement of a skill. Specifically, she is the pinaccle of the Appraisal skill.

"Ugh, it smells so bad here master," she whined almost immediately, shattering image of her as a perfect beauty.

Being the personification of a skill comes with a personality. A personality that is totally unfitting of her.

"Hey you better treat me to something really nice after this," she continued to complain before flying up off my shoulder. She immediately spotted the target, as is her nature.

"So I guess it's that kid, right?" she said sounding bored "Well you sure know how to pick 'em Master. Going after them when they are still starting out and weak."

I sighed. She was already getting on my nerves.

"I didn't ask for your opinion," I told her "I need you to track him and give me your analysis on him while I set up an ambush."

"Yeah, yeah whatever," she said as she fluttered off "Same as usual, you don't hafta say it."

She quickly moved her hand below her skirt and blew a raspberry as she flew off to deny any opportunity to look up her skirt. Not that I cared.

As she went off to monitor the target close up, I moved out of my hiding spot and prepared my ambush. I had been following this person ever since he had come to my attention. I knew where he lived and what route he would take to get there. Normally he isn't out this late, but today was a special day. After all, this was the day that he had joined the Adventurer's Guild and saved up so much money for. His excitment to make his purchase would be his undoing. Even the city guards knew not to be snooping around in certain areas this late. Perhaps his special status made him overconfident. Or maybe he was just stupid. In the end, it wasn't my business. I only had one goal here.

"Alright Master" Iris's voice reported in through our mental link "You were right about this guy. He's defintiely one of them. He's got a really nice skill too. A totally overpowred cheat skill. He's basically a healing god given flesh. Too bad you don't have any skill slots open to take his skill. Maybe you should have been out levelling up~"

I could hear the smugness emanating from her voice from where I was. She was far too annoying for her own good.

"It's a good thing you found him when you did, he's still at a point where you can take him on," she continued "Lucky you, another weakling for you to act strong against."

She was getting on my nerves.

"Anything else?" I thought to her as I gritted my teeth in frustration.

"Oh well I found out why it smelled so bad," she said "That was a slave market you summoned me at, wasn't it."

"Your powers of deduction are amazing," I thought to her sarcastically "No wonder you're a cheat skill."

"Hmph, your attitude is why you'll always be a virgin" she shot back immediately with a low blow.

"Guh" I said aloud as I felt the insult hit very deeply.

I heard her giggle from her end.

"He seems to have bought two slaves, both very pretty girls," she continued "One is a Dark Elf and the other is a beastfolk. They seem wary of him, but still be careful, they may become a complication."

I nodded. The people I hunt seem to have an unnatural magnetism. I had the scars as proof of it. In my first years, I had underestimated how devoted they turn people and almost died for it.

"So I'm guessing he's one of those who can't read the mood," she said "Immediately announced his intent to buy cute girls as soon as he showed up?"

"That would be correct," I thought to her as I made my final preperations. He would be rounding the corner any moment now.

"It was by pure chance that he was stupid enough to do that as soon as he realized where he was," I said "I didn't even notice him appear in the crowd until he made a fuss. I felt seriously embarrased on his behalf after that display."

"I'll bet," she said with a hint of distaste before switching to serious business "Alright he'll be coming in 5 seconds. Show me what you got hero."

"Keep your eyes wide open," I replied with a grin "I'm gonna give you quite the show."

As he rounded the corner, I finally got a good look at him proper and his status window appeared. I took a few seconds to see what it said.


Yuuto Kawagiri

17 years old

Level 27

Class: Healer

Skills-
Healing: Max Level


I didn't bother looking at his stats. The fight wasn't going to last long enough for them to matter.

Judging from his name, he didn't seem to be reborn, but rather someone plucked right out of his world and into mine. I looked further into what kind of person he was in his old world.

Before he showed up in this world, it didn't seem he had done much with his life. He had shut himself out from others and only lived off of his family's good will. A worthless human being through and through. He had black hair, brown eyes and an unremarkable face. Completely average in every way. In other words, he fit the usual mold of my targets.

He also seemed to have some other gifts. The standard blessing of some diety or another, which meant he likely picked his skills. Honestly, I don't see what the gods and goddesses see in these people to make them so infatuated. He also had a skill for increasing the level growth of his slaves. I frowned.

I knew from previous targets that the world he came from had outlawed slavery and viewed it as taboo, yet more and more frequently, my targets are immediately going out to get slaves. If anything it only strengthens my resolve. If they so easily throw their morals for quick gratification, then even from their world's point of view, I must be in the right.

No, I am right. I have to be.

I steel my mind and hop out of my hiding spot, aiming to end this fight before he can react against me.

"GUILLOTINE!" I shout as space distorts.

My name is Bernhard Macher and I hunt those that come from another world.