My 'Trash Skill' Called Observer's Eye Could Actually See Everything - Gray Fang and the First Amazing Experience

Half a day had passed since leaving the South Gate. The bustle of Karren town had long since faded into the distance behind him. All Kusano Kei could hear now was the wind, the rustle of grass, and the sound of his own footsteps. The highway leading to the Great Forest of Talvo was better maintained than he'd expected. Wheel ruts marked by arranged stones, signposts standing at intervals. But there were no people. Adventurers would have departed in the morning, and merchants would have passed through even earlier. Kei adjusted the straps of his backpack. The contents weren't much to speak of. One change of clothes, a few dozen copper coins, and an observation notebook he'd been filling for three years. The notebook contained everything he'd seen and heard at the guild, written in meticulous detail. The patterns of requests, where monsters appeared, the fighting habits and quirks of senior adventurers. He'd transcribed everything his Observer's Eye had picked up into these pages. Since he couldn't fight, at least he could observe. (…That ledger really was strange, wasn't it?) The image of Dolku's room kept replaying in his mind. The total reward for B-rank requests: four hundred thirty coins. Amount paid out: three hundred forty-four coins. The difference of eighty-six coins had no destination written. And that scrap of paper he'd found before—"remaining six coins to guildmaster," scrawled hastily. It wasn't a simple accounting error. Every single ledger entry, accumulated over years, followed the same pattern. (But I have no proof. I was just a chore boy. No one would listen to anything I said.) His feet stopped. No. That wasn't what mattered now. What mattered was deciding where to go. The royal capital, Regnoa—about ninety kilometers northwest of Karren—was where the Valtheim Adventurer's Guild headquarters was located. The headquarters had an independent registration window separate from the branch offices. If he could re-register there, at least he'd have a chance to make a living as an adventurer. Four days on foot. First, he needed to reach Hangetsu Lodge—a relay inn about forty kilometers from Karren—where he could spend the night. Kei started walking again. The trees of the Great Forest of Talvo began pressing in from the left side of the highway. The scent of conifers grew stronger. In the humid air, there was something else mixed in—an earthy smell. He could hear birds. For now, he sensed no monsters. Though "sensed" was generous. Kei had no combat ability. Even if his Observer's Eye picked up on something, he had no sword, no magic. He could only run. Still, he didn't stop walking. ──── *Kiiiiin.* The sound of metal striking metal echoed from deep in the forest. Kei's feet stopped reflexively. Then came a short scream. A woman's voice. Not just once. Someone was desperately shouting something. He couldn't make out the words, but the urgency came through clearly. —Should I go? Kei hesitated for just one second. He had no combat ability. Going might only get in the way. But his feet were already moving. He left the highway, pushing through the undergrowth. Low grass tangled around his legs. Branches struck his face. He ran toward the sound, trying to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible. After about thirty seconds of running, the view opened up. ──── A cliff. A rock wall about three meters high loomed behind it. Standing before it, a single girl held her sword at the ready. Silver hair. A short bob cut plastered to her cheeks with sweat. Golden eyes fixed sharply ahead. Her height was about the same as Kei's. A thin scar on her right cheek. She wore a knight's uniform—not the kind worn by guild adventurers, but the royal knight's version—though part of the breastplate was scratched, as if clawed. Surrounding the girl were five Grey Fangs. Grey Fangs—wolf-type monsters inhabiting forest regions, body length one point five meters, pack hunters by nature, danger level C—were slowly closing the distance. Three in front, two more flanking from the sides. Low growls spread across the ground like a wave. This was bad. She was surrounded. In that instant, something overlaid Kei's vision. —Observer's Eye, activate. He hadn't consciously chosen to do it. The information flooding his eyes began processing automatically. Thin light markers floated across his field of vision. The left rear leg joint of the Grey Fang on the front-left—marked in red. —The rear leg joint is the weak point. Targeting it would seal its movement. The movement patterns of all five monsters appeared as arrows. —In three seconds, the two on the sides will charge simultaneously. The three in front are a feint. The real attack comes from the flanks. And in the far right of his vision, a glowing path. —If she's drawn to that rocky area, their coordination will collapse. The rocks won't allow them to spread horizontally, making the pincer attack pattern impossible. It all took less than a second. "—Fall back to the rocks on your right! The middle one in front—its rear leg joint is the weak point!" He was shouting. Before he knew it, he was shouting. His voice cracked. He thought it was pathetic, but this wasn't the time for that. The girl noticed him. Golden eyes locked onto Kei. For a moment, her expression said *who the hell is this?* Fair enough. A bespectacled man had just emerged from the bushes and started barking orders at her. Skeptical, to be precise. Yet the girl moved anyway. She planted her right foot and shifted toward the rocky area. The middle Grey Fang in front pursued. The girl swung her sword, aiming for its rear leg joint and cutting in. The Grey Fang fell. The two that had been about to charge from the sides stopped short before the rocks. Too narrow. They couldn't spread out. Their coordination shattered. The girl had already realized this. Kei knew instinctively: if it were one-on-one, she'd win. She cut down the remaining four monsters one after another. Her sword movements were fast. Decisive. Even to an untrained eye, she was skilled. The last one let out a growl and fled. Silence returned. ──── "—Thank you, you saved me!" The girl sheathed her sword and turned around. Her breathing was slightly ragged, but she seemed uninjured. Her golden eyes held a straightforward energy. Kei stood at the edge of the undergrowth, dazed. (…Did I just… help someone?) In three years, it had never happened. "What's your skill? Can you see weak points instantly? That movement prediction too?" The girl approached without hesitation. No reservation. But no hostility either. Just pure curiosity. "…Observer's Eye," Kei replied, his gaze drifting away. His habit always showed in moments like this. He wasn't good at facing people directly. "According to the appraisal, it's… called a trash skill," "Trash?" The girl's tone rose. "Not at all! That's an amazing skill! If I'd been alone, I would've been cornered against that cliff—I definitely would've died!" Kei's mind went blank. Amazing. Those two words alone spun through his head for a while. Three years. Working chores at the guild, cleaning, being ignored by everyone. *The Observer's Eye is useless, it's a trash skill, just carry our stuff*—that's all he'd heard for three years. He'd never heard those other words before. "…Thank you very much," His voice trembled slightly. He adjusted his glasses to cover it up. The girl smiled straight at him. "I'm Sophie Almarea. A rookie knight, sort of," "Kusano Kei," "Thank you, Kei-kun!" —*Thump.* Wait, that wasn't embarrassment, it was just because she suddenly called him by name, and— "Um, was it Kai-kun…?" Sophie tilted her head. Slowly to the right, forty-five degrees. "…It's Kei," "Kei, Kei. Got it! Kei-kun, right!" "Yes," Two seconds of silence. "So, is Kai-kun an adventurer from around here?" "────" Kei froze for a moment. "…It's Kei. Kei," "Oh, didn't I just say that? Sorry… Kei… Kai…" Sophie furrowed her brow, finger to her lips. She was genuinely puzzled. Not acting. Truly confused. "Keika…?" "That's completely different," "S-sorry! Kei! Kei-kun!" Kei sighed. His sense of wonder evaporated cleanly. "…It doesn't matter anymore," "No, it does! I'll remember! Um… Kei! Is that right this time?" It was right. But somehow, the moment he confirmed it, his chest did that *thump* thing again. (…What is this?) Kei adjusted his glasses and tried not to think about unnecessary things. ──── Walking along the highway, the two decided to head for Hangetsu Lodge together. Sophie was also heading to the royal capital, so their directions matched. "I got surrounded by Grey Fangs because I misread the terrain," Sophie said this while walking, her tone reflective but bright. "I thought the rocky area would be an escape route, but it ended up trapping me instead. When you said to draw them to the rocks, I was like, huh? But you were right," "Grey Fangs excel at pincer tactics using horizontal spread. When they hit the rocks and can't spread out, their coordination breaks down. That's how their movement patterns appeared to me," "Appeared? How exactly?" Kei thought for a moment. He wasn't confident he could explain it well. "Information overlays my vision. I see red marks at weak point locations, movement patterns appear as arrows. Advantageous terrain paths glow. I'm not consciously doing it—once something enters my field of view, it processes automatically," Sophie was quiet for a while. *Oh no, did I say something weird?* Kei thought, but then— "That's insanely amazing?!" "…Is it?" "Of course it is! Seeing weak points, movement patterns, and terrain information all at once—that's the strongest battlefield intel there is! Why is it a trash skill?!" Kei had no answer. "…According to the appraisal system, skill rankings are determined by classification and the brightness of the light when it activates. Observer's Eye was classified as non-combat, and the light was dim, so… it got the lowest rating," "The appraisal system is wrong," Sophie said it so simply. Kei couldn't respond. He'd never expected to hear something like that. ──── They arrived at Hangetsu Lodge as the sky turned orange. Forty kilometers from Karren. The innkeeper, Yosef—a fifty-five-year-old former merchant with practiced ease around travelers—welcomed them. Eight copper coins per night, breakfast included. It was tight for Kei's wallet, but he could manage tonight. Dinner was stew and bread. The table was round, so they sat facing each other. The sunset sank beyond the window. A few other travelers were in the inn, but seated far from them. "Actually," Sophie set down her spoon. "I just became a proper knight, and… this was my first solo expedition mission," Her voice dropped slightly. The usual brightness receded a little. "I think if something like today had happened, I would've just… died. Alone," Kei stopped mid-spoonful of stew. Sophie's eyes were slightly red. Her shoulders had lost their tension. Whether the stress had finally broken through or she'd been holding it back all along, right now Sophie wasn't the cheerful one. Kei tried to say something. Some encouraging words. *You're okay now* or *You weren't alone.* Something. But the words wouldn't come. This bad habit hadn't changed in three years. They stuck in his throat and wouldn't go further. The silence stretched. Yosef's footsteps sounded as he brought bread to another customer. Kei looked at Sophie's face through his Observer's Eye. —Eyes slightly red. Shoulders relaxed. Pulse settling down. No body language indicating lies or fabrication. She was telling the truth. "…Me too," The words came out in a whisper. He surprised himself. "Today was my first time," "First time what?" "Being useful to someone," One second of silence. Sophie's expression shifted to surprise. Then her face softened into a smile. Not her w

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Episode 2

Name: My 'Trash Skill' Called Observer's Eye Could Actually See Everything
Author: Novelia

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