Chapter 13

When I stepped out of the production materials shop, I could see a yellow moon shining in the west and a small white moon far away. Turning around, the eastern sky above the rooftops appeared to be a light purple, almost white. It must be getting close to dawn.

Even though it was this time of night, the square was bustling with players. I was one of them, and if I thought about it calmly, it was around 10 PM in real time, so it was natural for it to be crowded. However, this world felt too real, and I ended up thinking in the world's time, despite the hour.

While thinking about such things, I diligently used [Presence Detection] and [Animal Monster Identification]. I felt a bit guilty for using identification without consent, but I forgave myself since I didn't look at the results. In some games, it's normal to check character information for reference, and according to Ochazuke, it was posted on the bulletin board as a method to level up skills, so many people must be doing it. However, this world felt too real, and even just seeing player names made me a bit uncomfortable. But I wanted to level up, so I decided to get over it.

I passed through the most crowded area in front of the guild and headed towards the inn's dining room. Speaking of which, the inn, like the guild, had a burnt brown floor and pillars, and white walls, but it was more ornate and looked more luxurious. The walls alternated between lamps and mirrors that reflected the light, making the corridor much brighter than I expected.

"Hey! You're here!"

I waved back to Leo, who stopped eating and waved at me, and handed over the wooden chip for breakfast at the entrance.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

I sat down at an empty seat and greeted him briefly. The breakfast was served immediately.

Today's breakfast consisted of small but thick slices of toast with jam, salad, three types of cheese, three types of ham, and orange juice.

Still eating? Of course, I am.

"How many levels did you go up?"

If you've been playing non-stop since the morning in real time, it must have been three or four days in this world, so there should be a significant difference.

"I'm level 14 now."

A 4-level difference, and Shin, swallow before you speak.

"The attackers decreased a bit, making it a bit less efficient."

Thanks, Pedro.

"Homura, you're level 10, right? We're talking about having everyone who has changed jobs fight together."

The man who orders a little of everything, Ochazuke, proposed this. Despite being a light eater, he orders a lot of different things and often leaves some, but he often ends up eating everything and can't move because he's influenced by everyone else.

"You don't have to adjust to me. Our login times will differ from now on, and I'll probably catch up during my break before we meet again."

In previous games, except for Ochazuke, I was often at a higher level. On the first day, Leo and Kikuhime went to bed earlier than me, Pedro had a longer work schedule than usual, and Shin had a long commute, so his login time was shorter than mine.

"I want to take [Speculator]."

"I want to take [Fire Magic] and become a Fire Fist."

"I want to take magic and become a ninja."

"Did you give up on the bow?"

I couldn't help but comment on Pedro.

"So, I plan to level up to level 20 for my second job and then change back, so please help me with that today and tomorrow."

"Understood."

If Ochazuke knows, there must already be people who have changed to their second job on the bulletin board. Since Shin and the others are level 14, the faster ones must be even further ahead.

"I see, is it okay for me to be a swordsman? What about healing? I feel like I won't be able to generate hate as a low-level swordsman."

I suddenly realized there might not be a healer.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! I'm the healer!"

"What!? Total party wipe flag!?"

Leo apparently wants to travel around the world and go fishing, and he wants to become something that can move fast, hide, and self-heal. It's a mystery what job he's aiming for.

"Don't worry, even though our levels are high, our skill levels are low, so we won't deal much damage," Ochazuke said while drinking coffee after the meal, but I still felt uneasy.

While listening to what happened while I was away, it seems that during my time working, the area boss and field boss were defeated for the first time, and a new city was reached for the first time. There were world announcements, and players who achieved these firsts received special benefits.

After finishing breakfast, I went out to the square and took a carriage to the temple.

Job changes other than production jobs are currently done at the temple.

"Homura, they say you can get light or darkness by praying at the temple."

Ochazuke, who was checking the bulletin board again, called out to me, making sure his voice was heard over the rattling of the carriage.

"Really? Just praying?"

"Yeah, it seems that a swordsman can get light by taking healing and praying."

"The Paladin course?"

"I'm aiming to be a warrior, so it's fine."

"Dark Knight also sounds good."

"Yesterday, I was taught and I took the moon. I wanted the star too."

"Is that a joke?"

"Pedro and Leo said there's a thief guild in the slums."

Even if you don't use a skill, you get some experience from using similar skills, and listening to Mr. Ochazuke's bulletin board information, we arrived at the temple before I knew it. I was a bit tipsy again, so it was a relief.

"What about equipment after the job change? Should we go to the crafts district?"

"The shops in the crafts district open early, I think."

The shops in the crafts district, which also serve as workshops, start operating at dawn and close when the sun sets. The residents' activity times are based on the sun.

"I'll lend you weapons."

"Let's exchange until the job change!"

"Thanks, I can't lend out initial equipment, and I only have one staff. What should I do?"

I asked Shin and Pedro.

"Shin, here you go. I'll buy a cheap one, so work for me!"

"Thanks! Can't lend out armor, right?"

"Is it because of the size?"

"Should Homura pray? It's better to do it early if you're going to."

"Alright, I'll pray. Go to the crafts district first. Kikuhime, let me know when you find a good armor shop."

"It shouldn't take long. The bulletin board says you only need to pray in the prayer room, not the entire temple."

"There are six chapels here, and it's my first time at the temple, so I'll visit all of them just in case. It will take time, but I don't need to choose a weapon."

"Understood."

"Alright! See you!"

"See you at the armor shop, then. See you."

"See you."

"See you~"

There is a square where the main street leading to the lord's mansion and the east-west main street intersect. The temple is built in the northwest corner, surrounding a quarter of the square. The square chapel alone is larger than the combined area of the adventurer and commercial guilds, and it truly feels like a white marble temple.

The job change reception is located at the eastern entrance. The style of the building is different, so it was probably added later. It includes the job change reception, offices, and the residences of the priests, connected to the chapel through the prayer room.

There are six gods in this world who gather faith: Asha, the god of war and rebirth, who takes the form of a young man with fierce red hair; Val, the god of freedom and travelers, who takes the form of a graceful woman with silver hair; Dul, the god of fertility and the earth, who takes the form of a kind old woman; Rasha, the god of merchants and craftsmen, who takes the form of a blond boy; Fal, the god of love and hunting, who takes the form of a blue-haired girl; and Tasha, the god of magic and alchemy, who takes the form of an old man with a long beard. Their statues are enshrined in a building with a corridor-like structure surrounding the central courtyard.

The large hall inside the temple faces the courtyard, and there are no doors, so you can see outside directly. A large deciduous tree, taller than the temple roof, stands in the courtyard, along with several other impressive young trees. The rest is well-maintained undergrowth.

To the right of the hall is the chapel of Fal, and to the left is the prayer room. Several players who look like mages or swordsmen are being drawn into the prayer room, which seems to be a separate space like in the tutorial.

On the wall near the chapel of Fal in the hall, a stone tablet is embedded with strange words that don't seem like a holy scripture.

The seasons are governed by the gods.

Without the gods, the seasons do not turn.

The small fragments change.

The sky turns with the flow of the wind,

The earth turns with the flow of water.

They turn the seasons of the earth.

When they have turned, pray quietly.

Anyway, let me rest a bit in the courtyard. I didn't want to be seen from the corridor, so I went under a large tree, stepping through the undergrowth. Surrounded by shrubs, I wouldn't be visible from here. Looking up at the giant tree, the first branch was three times my height, and it spread its branches across the entire courtyard, casting a deep shadow. If I sat down, I would be completely hidden, so I leaned against the giant tree and took out the tea I made this morning. The sound of leaves rustling was pleasant, and the wind was well-ventilated despite being in a courtyard surrounded by buildings.

In the real world, I feel happy when there are big trees, not just in shrines and temples. While looking at the dappled sunlight and wondering if the young trees were okay in this shade, I felt much better as my dizziness subsided.

"Are you not here to receive power from me?"

I was suddenly spoken to from above.

Looking up while leaning against the tree, the giant tree was faintly glowing, and a white animal with a long tail and fur was floating near the first branch. It wasn't a cat or a fox.

"Who are you?"

Sure enough, it's a fantasy world with talking animals. Since I was directly below, I could only see its lower half, and its face peeked over its body.

I was sitting with a cup and saucer, which made for a rather silly scene.

"Ordinary people don't drink tea in the chapel."

It moved to face me directly. It seemed to be interested in the smell of the tea, sniffing it.

"Do you want to drink?"

The basic tea recipe is 2, and I got an 8 rating with my cooking skill.

"Nonsense, I am a being close to a spirit. Even if I could eat, the limit in the human world would be fruit."

"Tea is usually made by boiling the leaves, flowers, or fruits of plants. This is made from leaves and apple peels."

I offered a cup of a redder liquid than regular black tea.

"Would you get sick if you couldn't drink it?"

I asked the white creature, which was hesitating.

"No, if I can't drink it, I just reject it and spit it out."

"Then why don't you try? Should I make a new one?"

"...No, it's too hot."

The white creature, overcome by curiosity, tasted the tea.

"It seems to be okay."

"...It's good."

"Thank you."

"I didn't praise you."

It flattened its ears and turned away.

"I made this."

"What...!?"

I got a reaction as if it had a big sign on its back when I told it with a smile. Why?

"You can drink it all."

"...Hmm."

After a moment of hesitation, it started drinking again.

I tickled the base of its ears. It stiffened and looked at me with a troubled expression but didn't run away. It turned its face back to the cup and continued drinking, so I kept petting it.

The white fur was surprisingly voluminous and not tangled, soft and smooth. Running my fingers through it gave a strange sensation, both cool and warm.

"Hey! That's enough! ...Tsk."

"Back in my day, I would have destroyed the entire city... Ah."

It was saying something, but there was no real resistance, so I petted it as I pleased.

Five minutes later, a ball of fur was purring on my lap. Its pink paw pads were vivid. I'm glad it was satisfied.

"I should probably go soon."

"You... How dare you."

It seemed to come to its senses when it heard my voice.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I have a meeting, you know."

"Wait. I will overlook your reckless touching. Listen, I have a role to fulfill!"

It spoke in a hurry as I stood up with it in my arms.

"A role?"

"Yes, you have wind magic, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"I grant [Spirit Magic] to those who come to this great tree with that condition."

"Thank you?"

"...Why are you using a question mark, you?"

No, the fluffy thing in front of me is a strong temptation.

The white creature sighed and touched my forehead with something from its hand.

[You have learned the skill [Spirit Magic]]

[The wind spirit 'Win' has blessed you]

[The job [Spirit User] has been added to your list]

Oh, it's not just added to the list but learned. That's a good deal.

"That's it. You are now weak but have formed a contract with the wind spirit. Spirits exist all over the world, but only a few can bless humans. It's good to look for them. Spirit Magic is a technique to call upon spirits by offering them magic power. Sometimes a medium is needed to call powerful spirits."

"I understand."

"Wait, this is not the chapel! Why are you taking me?"

We've been moving while talking, and it's already been about 15 minutes. Considering the time it will take to tour the chapels, I've probably kept them waiting too long.

"I thought I'd take you back with me."

"You said you have a role to fulfill!"

"Sometimes it's good to go out. Overworking is not good."

"That's not the issue! I am sealed here!"

"You can't leave the temple?"

"I can't leave!"

"Would the city collapse if you left? Or are you voluntarily staying here?"

"No, I have no intention of collapsing the city, and I don't have the power to do so. I'm not voluntarily staying here either."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is that I can't leave even if I try to break the seal."

"I'll try it after I finish praying."

"..."

It seemed to give up, and the white creature drooped.

□ □ □ □ □

・Increase・

Skills

[ Spirit Magic ]

Wind Spirit [ Win ]

□ □ □ □ □

Homura Lv.10

Rank E

Jobs: Mage, Alchemist

HP: 214

MP: 347

STR: 10

VIT: 11

INT: 40

MID: 14

DEX: 9

AGI: 10

LUK: 10

NPCP: [Galahad][－]

Titles: [Communicator]

Skills (2SP)

■Magic

[Wood Magic Lv.2][Fire Magic Lv.4][Earth Magic Lv.2]

[Gold Magic Lv.3][Water Magic Lv.3][Wind Magic Lv.1]

■Spirit Magic

Wind Spirit [Win Lv.1]

■Production

[Alchemy Lv.1][Alchemy Synthesis Lv.1][Cooking Lv.3]

■Collection

[Harvesting]

■Identification and Concealment

[Item Identification Lv.3][Plant Food Identification Lv.3]

[Animal Monster Identification Lv.3][Skill Identification Lv.2]

[Weapon Armor Identification Lv.2]

[Presence Detection Lv.3][Presence Dilution Lv.3]

■Enhancement

[Intelligence Enhancement Lv.2]

■Others

[MP Natural Recovery][Night Vision][Map]