Chapter 17

The guild masters are curious, and I also have some concerns about the other foreigners.

They claim to be heroes and say they have a mission.

I've never heard such a thing. First, I want to confirm that...

"Um... Is the hero's mission or the declaration of having a mission related to the blessing of the heavens?"

"Indeed, those who claim to have a mission are blessed by the heavens or have a destiny. However, it seems they haven't been told specifically what to do. Some say, 'It's obvious we have to defeat the Demon King,' but what is the Demon King?"

Hmm.

The moment I recognized that space, I only heard a voice in my head... When I came to this world, there were no instructions. I didn't even know what kind of world I was coming to. Well, I did predict it wouldn't be peaceful, and that turned out to be correct.

And, even if it wasn't me, I would think... If a hero is summoned, the request would be to defeat the Demon King, a standard story.

Is this a preconceived notion?

Defeat the Demon King when you go to another world... The idea of actively interfering with the world is quite something. They act alone, and no one stops them...

"Do you know anything about it?"

"The Demon King... The term 'demon' refers to the evil races that oppose humans, and their king is called the Demon King. This is in fantasy novels... Hmm?"

A fantasy world...

Defeating the Demon King by a hero is standard. Then, what else is standard in a fantasy world?

"Huh...?"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, no... I'm just gathering my thoughts, please wait a moment..."

In a fantasy world... It wouldn't be strange if there were non-human races. They mentioned a beast kingdom earlier... There are definitely non-human races. Even the dismantler at the guild, I thought might be a dwarf. There were adventurers with the height of children and people with long ears like elves.

There are multiple races?

If I were to use points on a race... I might choose one.

"What did you think of?"

"Um... I'm sorry if this is a strange question... Are foreigners only of the human race?"

I get a look that asks, "What are you asking?"

Well, I wonder what I'm saying too. Do foreigners, including me, only consist of humans? If there are non-human races in this world, can we become something other than human?

" Hmm. Races... "

"Discrimination based on race causes various problems. Within the kingdom, guilds do not keep track of races. I can only say that the race is unknown. However, there have been foreigners with the appearance of elves or beast people."

"In the world I came from, there were no elves or beast people. When I was in the white world, I was a regular human. There were people with different skin colors, but no other races. Then... I suddenly thought that I might be able to allocate points to a race."

If I go to a fantasy world...

I think there are people who like elves or cat-eared beast people. In game settings, elves are good at magic, and beast people are physically strong. If I can allocate points to learn magic... it wouldn't be strange to allocate points to a strong race.

"You don't look like any other race, though."

"Um. In my case, if there's a race that doesn't stand out and has slightly higher abilities... I would choose that. I don't want to be persecuted, so I would choose a race that's just a little different but not noticeable. I think there are a certain number of people who would want to choose a race, like those who like animals choosing beast people or those who want to live longer choosing elves. If the strength varies by race, it wouldn't be strange to choose a race with points... as a possibility."

"Hmm. I'd like to investigate, but it might be difficult. There are various political issues regarding races. Well, at least, I think you are right."

"...Yes. But I don't remember..."

"What a good point. We assume there are races in other worlds too. Even if it's just a possibility, it helps."

Hmm. It's not quite clear.

If I could choose a race, why did I forget it? That's the mystery. And... the forgotten 'Blessing' ability...

For example... If there was an automatic selection of 'Blessing' with the race... Could 'Heaven's Favor' and 'Destiny' also be like that?

"Um... I might allocate points to a race, but I don't remember... Just a thought... Could it be that...?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"I don't remember choosing 'Blessing' among the abilities... Could it be that... when I chose a race, it was automatically selected...?"

"Well, it might be possible. But wouldn't you know if you chose it?"

"Um, I really don't remember. So, I'm not confident... If choosing a race automatically gives 'Heaven's Favor'... I just thought about it. It's hard to imagine that 70% of people would choose the same thing, but if it's automatic... it wouldn't be strange for 70% to have it."

"Hmm... Not having the awareness of choosing it means you didn't choose it yourself, right?"

I take a deep breath and think calmly. I don't know why I don't remember.

I remember more than other foreigners, but there are things I don't remember.

Then, why is that?

If they let us choose and give us some mission, it would be enough if a certain percentage of us had a mission... Do they want to make foreigners do something? Could the purpose be to select them for that?

"For example, first, the condition is that you can only take one unique skill. I confirmed this. And, I chose a unique skill first. So, I can't take another unique skill."

"Of course."

"But, the unique skill was at the bottom. If I chose other magic or skills before that, and 'Heaven's Favor' was automatically given... What do you think?"

"Hmm. It's an interesting hypothesis."

"Well, it's hard to imagine 70% of people choosing the same thing, but it's not strange to think there's some mechanism. Is there anything else you're curious about?"

"...I don't know why my memory of the white world is vague... I don't know what to say right now."

Right... There was also the headache.

The headache that occurred when I tried to remember something about myself. What was that... It would subside when I thought about other things?

No, there's still something I want to ask.

"What did you say earlier... What are the magic and skills that others don't have?"

"In your case, it's holy magic. Basic magic doesn't include holy. There are six types: fire, water, earth, wind, light, and darkness. Holy magic is an advanced form of light magic. People who have holy magic are likely to be bishops in the Holy Kingdom. Well, fewer people can distinguish it from light magic."

Bishop!! Bishops are important, right?

I don't know the exact hierarchy, but... Pope, Cardinal, Archbishop, Bishop... right?

The Holy Kingdom suggests a theocratic state.

I can guess that bishops are important people. It would be strange for a civilian to have such magic.

But, fewer people can recognize it?

Hmm? That means, if it's discovered, it would be related to the church?

"...Um, is the fact that I have holy magic a secret here?"

"Of course. It won't be recorded... But, you should be careful. Well, among healers, there are some who are defectors from the church, so there are those who can use holy magic."

"Yes... Um, what are advanced magics?"

"...There are six: explosion, ice, plant, lightning, holy, and evil. Well, some other foreigners have advanced magics, but there's no clear pattern."

...Is explosion the advanced form of fire? Ice of water, holy of light... evil of darkness... then, lightning of wind and plant of earth. Advanced magics... It's scary that there's no clear pattern.

At least, holy... no, probably light too, should not be mentioned.

I didn't realize it was a rare attribute.

But, since I'm solo, it might not matter. After all, if I don't have companions, I only need to heal myself, right?

"Miss. Adventurers have the duty to respond to town raids. You might have to fight with other adventurers. There are also raid quests. A skilled healer is valuable, so you'll get many requests. What you do is up to you... but don't think being solo means it doesn't matter."

"Oh, yes."

Huh? Did I say that out loud?

Even if I'm solo, I might have to team up with other adventurers.

Wait... That's a lot of responsibility! I didn't plan to be a healer...

I just wanted a way to heal myself, not to take on that role, which is why I wanted to be solo!

"Healers are protected in parties. Requests to lend only a healer are usually declined. It's also troublesome to send a party to a raid that doesn't match their skills. Solo adventurers with their own healing methods are in high demand."

"Huh?"

In other words... I might get requests for raid quests and cooperation from the adventurer guild... even if I don't want to be a healer? Could I be forced to cooperate?

"Depending on your growth, it's not a loss to secure a promising healer."

"Ugh... I didn't expect that..."

You just said you wanted me to focus on alchemy?

As an adventurer, you want to use me?

But... since I have it, I can't choose not to use it. Holy magic is useful for cleaning and processing materials, so I'll continue to use it.

Actually, I don't use light magic much right now... just to brighten the room? But, the workshop has magical lights. It's fine to be dark when I sleep... so I don't have a use for it.

"You're quite clever."

"...I'll refuse if it's impossible. I can't do what I can't do."

I feel like I'm being manipulated. Is it just a matter of experience? I don't see a way to win.

I want to be protected if I'm used... as an adventurer, I don't want to be conscripted by the country.

By the way, I confirmed that light magic is not that rare.

You might learn it if you go to church from a young age? However, being able to use light magic doesn't mean you can use healing magic.

Hmm? I don't understand, but it seems that healing magic is the most dependent on personal talent. Some people can learn it with wind or water.

If possible, everyone wants to learn healing magic. Whether you can learn it depends on your faith. I'm not very devout, though?

Indeed, it would be convenient for a religion to determine it by faith.

"Otherwise, the number of believers wouldn't increase, right?"

"Indeed. ...I'll think about it."

"That's right. I also want to see how you develop in alchemy."

"Because I became your apprentice?"

"That's part of it. Foreigners don't have abilities like alchemy, transmutation, crafting, tailoring, or blacksmithing... Except for you, they only had combat-related magic and skills."

"......E...?"

Value over strength... for a stable life, I considered having a trade. Even if I'm called a jack-of-all-trades, being able to do many things reduces risks.

I think a certain number of people would choose a trade... but no one did?

"Well, we'll gather information from other towns, so it might not be just you. If you can choose abilities you want... and you didn't recognize them, it makes sense that foreigners are specialized in combat."

"Um... That's scary."

The abilities you want... Does that mean foreigners are all combat-oriented?

If you dream of a fantasy world and want to adventure... do you want to be strong? No, I don't want to die in this world.

There must be people who dislike violence... They might have been guided to choose combat. I didn't feel any resistance to going to another world and fighting. My consciousness in that world... wasn't normal.

"...What will happen from now on?"

"First, we'll gather information on whether there are foreigners in other towns. We can't decide what to do with foreigners until we have more information... Honestly, the impression isn't good."

Specialized in combat, lawless... wow, the worst.

They might want to reduce the number... Hmm? Erm?

Easy to handle... as a fighting force.

It's dangerous to integrate everyone...

"Does this country go to war with other countries?"

"Hehe, you're quite perceptive."

"Yes. Currently, no country is at war. However, some countries could go to war at any time."

"Well, the kingdom has the most diplomatic relations, but it's also a neutral zone, so I think it's safer. The empire, for example, has the potential for civil war due to political instability. By the way, the empire is just beyond the mountain range to the southeast, so it's very close."

A false peace... Because of the threat of monsters, countries don't necessarily cooperate.

Each country prioritizes itself. I understand... If it's possible to strengthen the fighting force, it would be used.

"...Is there a country that uses foreigners as human weapons?"

"Ahaha. Of course, some countries would. It's convenient to send them to the battlefield with a suitable explanation."

In other words, this town is already considering using foreigners as a deterrent or as cannon fodder.

Scary.

Moreover, not hiding it from me... Is it to make me aware as a collaborator? I'm not good at hiding my feelings...

I shake my head to hide the sudden headache and forget about it.

"...What am I supposed to do as a collaborator?"

"Yes. You're a foreigner, but you don't have special treatment. You paid the registration fee for the adventurer guild yourself, and you haven't been appraised. You don't have to report to the country. For now, that's fine. You can do as you please. Whether you focus on alchemy or level up as an adventurer, it's up to you. As long as it's not a crime. We'll contact you if we need your help, but it won't be soon. We don't want to be investigated unnecessarily."

"...I don't plan to improve my combat skills much."

"That's fine. I'll say it again, you can do as you please. How you grow will determine your use."

Being told I can do as I please is much nicer than before.

Hmm... There might be something hidden... But, I can't figure it out. If I can't figure it out, I'll go with the flow.

"Oh, and... about the sage leaves..."

"Yes... I plan to have more experienced adventurers investigate them in detail from tomorrow. There's a party of foreigners who delivered a large amount of sage leaves. However, if the forest was damaged by foreigners... they will likely be sent to the border."

Sent to the border... Is it a dangerous area?

It can't be forgiven as a first offense, but it's better than the death penalty... What's the death penalty like in this country? I wanted to investigate, but it keeps getting postponed...

Is there anything else I'm curious about... that I want to ask?

Equipment!

Everyone had the same. The difference between copper and iron, but the design of the chest plates was the same, which could reveal that they were foreigners.

"...And... I have a request about the equipment..."

"Yes. If you wear the same equipment, you'll be recognized as a foreigner. I'll have Marry give you new equipment tomorrow. The current equipment will be taken back, and the new one won't be free... You'll have to repay the guild for the difference, but not immediately. I'll make it clear at the bank, is that okay?"

"Yes. Please be lenient with the price."

"It's equipment for newbies. It won't be expensive. I'll say it was entrusted for repair, okay?"

"Yes, thank you."

I asked for new equipment to replace the current one.

Future matters will be communicated through Marry. Sometimes through Leonis. We agreed not to do anything that would directly reveal our connection.

What will happen from now on... I only feel uncertain.