Chapter 73

We set out from the border town, heading for Feruit.

Despite the lack of personal time and some misunderstandings and miscommunications yesterday, I managed to build a good relationship with Haru, so D didn't have to intervene.

Incidentally, my Loafer level also increased by three, reaching level 16.

When I became a Loafer at level 15, four new professions—musician, singer, dancer, and artist—were unlocked.

Three of these are also professions that Marina has.

Every time I checked my status screen, I thought there were too many professions, and then I received the title "Job Enthusiast" and the skill "Job Management."

It seems I can use this to organize them.

By the way, Haru is also driving the carriage today.

"Marina, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Why do you continue being a street performer? If you want to become a Great Mage, you could have changed your job, right?"

"Whether I want to become a Great Mage or not, I am already a Great Mage. Besides, it's impossible for me to change jobs. Street performers are a special profession, and ordinary priests can't do anything about it."

Why does she sound so authoritative? Well, it seems that like the jobs of seducer and cat tamer, only special priests can change them.

Moreover, this is a job set by the goddess, so it might be impossible for anyone to change jobs.

"What if you could change jobs?"

"I wouldn't do anything. I would continue as I am."

"Why not?"

"I haven't explored all the possibilities of this path. At first, I didn't like it, but the smiles of many people who witness my super magic become the source of my power. It's a wonderful thing."

"Possibilities... huh."

Caro said this with a slightly subdued tone.

"I see. Then, if you could choose a second job, what would you do?"

"That would mean having another job. In that case, I would raise my Commoner level and become a Hunter to get bow equipment."

"Hunter? I thought you'd become an Apprentice Mage."

"I said 'first.' My super magic makes the bow's performance almost 100%, but without bow equipment, its attack power is virtually zero. I can only stab a powerless frog from behind."

From behind? So, during that street performance, you didn't actually hit the frog with an arrow but stabbed it afterward to make it look like you aimed and hit it?

Street performers are also skilled in deception.

"Since I will be traveling with my ally Canon, I will need to learn combat skills. But why are you asking this?"

"Ah... well..."

I can only talk about the second job setting—about the Unemployed skill—to someone I trust.

Marina seems like a good person, despite her middle school syndrome, but what about Canon?

I don't know much about him. At the very least, he's someone who tried to sell weapons using fraudulent means.

If Marina ever becomes Canon's slave again, there's a possibility that what Marina knows could reach Canon.

In that case, I should just tell a plausible lie.

I start concocting a consistent story in my head.

"Marina, technically, I'm your master, so you have to obey my orders, right?"

"Indeed. However, if you try to do anything improper, the day you cease to be my master will be your last."

"Don't be ridiculous! Anyway, this is an order. Don't look at my status."

"I see. So you don't want me to see your poor work, huh?"

"No, it's not that. My blessing is a bit special, with multiple abilities, and I don't want it to be seen."

As I say this, I give Caro a meaningful look. She's perceptive and should understand.

"I can set two jobs for party members. I've set Marina's second job as a Commoner, so please check your status."

I also checked, but I can't see if the second job is properly set.

However, I can see that the status has increased, so it's certain that some job is attached.

"Oh, so my hidden power has awakened?"

"It's my power."

"Don't be so picky, or you'll go bald. From the top."

"Don't specify the starting point! I won't go bald! Anyway, while we travel between Feruit and the border town, try to learn bow equipment and some basic magic. It will broaden your range of skills."

"Don't call my super magic a performance. I'll curse you."

"That's not magic but cursing."

I make the obligatory correction.

Don't ask me about the difference between magic and cursing.

I think the magic that someone like me, an Apprentice Mage or a Mage, can learn is magic, and the cursing that someone like Shureil can use is cursing.

"Haru, as we discussed this morning, if we smell a monster, we should actively hunt it."

"Yes. However, there aren't many monsters."

"Huh? I thought there were quite a few?"

Thanks to the Aura Detection II skill, I can sense the presence of enemies, so what's going on?

I look outside from the carriage.

...There are definitely monster auras, but I can't see any monsters.

The grass is not that tall, so they shouldn't be able to hide.

"Could it be Itomimizu?"

"Itomimizu?"

In response to Caro's question, I analyze the aura in more detail.

Indeed, the auras are coming from underground.

"In that case, should we dig them up?"

"That's not a good method."

"Can't we catch Itomimizu for fishing and use it to defeat fish-shaped monsters? With my Aura Detection, we don't even need a sonar..."

"Itomimizu for fishing...?"

Caro makes a rather disgusted face.

Maybe she's not fond of worms.

Well, we don't have fishing gear, so we can do that when we become fishermen.

"Master, I can smell monsters from that hole over there. Should we try casting a spell?"

"Spell!? If it's magic, it's my turn—"

"Your street performance won't defeat monsters."

I bonk Marina on the head.

She holds her forehead, tears in her eyes, and glares at me.

We stop the carriage, and Haru finds the hole she mentioned. It's a hole dug diagonally from a slightly elevated area.

It looks more like a hole dug by an animal than a natural one.

There are several auras.

"Alright, let's try it!"

I take out the staff of Asclepius, change my job to a Mage and an Apprentice Blacksmith, and point the staff at the hole—

"Fire!"

I chant. Immediately, a fireball appears at the tip of the staff, leaves a scorched mark around the hole, and enters it. It must have hit the bottom of the hole, causing a loud explosion, scattering smoke and dust, and collapsing the hole.

[Ichino's level has increased]

[Apprentice Blacksmith skill: Blacksmithing obtained]

[Recipe obtained]

I don't know what I defeated, but the battle is over.

It seems I can learn recipes related to blacksmithing.

I focused on alchemy to level up, which is why it took so long.

With the current recipe, I can make weapons and armor using stone, bronze, and iron.

"It seems to be a monster with a high experience value. My Commoner level has increased to 7."

Level 7. I can change to jobs like Hunter or Farmer.

However, the level increase is due to my 20x experience value, not the high experience value of the monster.

"If we go to the church... Ichino, how do we change the second job?"

"I can do it. I can change the second job."

I focus on changing Marina's second job to Hunter.

"Oh, my luck value is 50... Ichino, did you use this blessing to significantly increase your luck value? Like winning at slots in a casino or beating Suzuki at rock-paper-scissors?"

"Sharp observation. You're occasionally perceptive."

"Occasionally is too much."

"Alright, defeat more monsters and give me the Bow Equipment skill."

"Don't be so authoritative while using respectful language... Besides, it's impossible. There are no enemies."

I look at the grassland again.

Not a single monster in sight.

That day—since we couldn't find any other monsters, we decided to camp for the night.

While we were eating the food we had ordered from the Adventurer's Guild and transferred to an item bag, Caro looked at me with pleading eyes.

It's rare for her to make such an expression.

"Hmm? You want to level up?"

"Maybe we should look for a dungeon. Do you have a job you want to level up, Caro?"

"If you ask if I have a job I want to level up, then yes..."

Caro looked down, hesitated, but then looked at me with determination.

"I want to level up as a Seducer!"

～Side Story: The Journey of Five and One～

This was when Ichino and the others were still watching the street performance on the bridge connecting the border.

Jofre, Elise, the Centaur, and Frio, Sutino, and Milky—five people and one creature—were heading for the dungeon in the northwest.

Jofre and Frio were walking in front.

"Hey, Jofre and Elise, you were Uncle Narbe's subordinates?"

When Frio introduced himself to Jofre and Elise, he was excited to learn that his uncle was Jofre's former boss.

"Yeah, it's a coincidence. I didn't expect Frio to be the boss's nephew."

It's true that Jofre was Narbe's subordinate, but the first time Jofre met Narbe was after Ichino defeated him, and Jofre quickly turned his back on him.

"I admire you! Jofre! You're so cool!"

Frio, who was the leader of a secret society, now shows his true colors as a subordinate, even changing his tone of voice, due to his admiration for his respected uncle and Jofre, who dramatically saved him.

Sutino, standing a step back, watched the two with a sense of urgency.

Milky and Elise, adhering to the principle of "ladies first," were riding the Centaur.

"Hehehehehehehehehehehe"

"It seems you're having fun, Milky."

"Yes, Elise. Look at those three. Frio, who admires Jofre. Sutino, who fears losing Frio. Ah, what a wonderful love triangle."

Milky, with a blissful expression, was nosebleeding.

The Centaur, whose back was being covered in nosebleed, didn't seem to notice.

Normally, nosebleed would attract monsters, but nothing happened, and it was a peaceful scene.

Incidentally, Sutino's urgency was about how the shares would be divided if Jofre and Elise joined them.

After almost dying, Sutino found it reassuring to have two clearly stronger people join, but he was troubled by the idea of his share being halved.

Such a mundane expression, when seen through Milky's romantic filter, turned into a nosebleed-inducing image.

Her next work, "Pinky Pants," will feature three men.

"There it is. It's a beginner's dungeon, but—be careful, or we might be caught—huh?"

In front of the building where the dungeon was located, Frio tilted his head.

Usually, there would be guards patrolling until their shift change, but there were no guards in sight.

If this were a skilled adventurer, they might have a bad feeling, but—

"We're lucky. We can sneak into the dungeon easily now."

Such an optimistic thought.

However, with five people, someone should have stopped Frio.

"Let's go quickly and come back. Then we'll be rich."

"You're lucky, Elise."

"I'm lucky to have met Jofre."

"The new work will be Jof x Frio x Suti... No, Suti x Frio x Jof... Ah, but Suti x Jof, driven by jealousy, is also interesting."

A gold digger, a lovey-dovey couple, and a pervert. Plus a donkey.

No one was going to stop Frio, and the five people and one creature entered the dungeon without a second thought.