Chapter 28

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After hearing about the effects of "Heaven's Luck" and "Heaven's Will," and the treatment of foreigners, I fell silent. Then, a voice called out from behind me.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm? Oh, you look familiar?"

"We're siblings. Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I was a bit curious."

"It's fine, but do you have something to tell me?"

"Not really. More like Crane? I thought it would be fair to hear it from you since you're here."

My brother joined the conversation and, as if it were the most natural thing, sat down in the chair next to me. Naga was looking at me with concern but didn't come any closer.

I had suggested that the two of them should leave the room, but since they hadn't heard about the "one life, one death" rule, they had stayed in the same room. I had said it was fine, but it seemed they were worried about me.

"Crane's way of speaking earlier caught my attention. I chose the bird-human hybrid race, but do you remember choosing your race?"

"…No. But, was there an option to choose?"

"Right, the bird-human hybrid. If my brother chose that, does that mean I did too? We look similar, so it's possible."

Naga was shaking his head, so he probably doesn't remember. My brother remembers, but Naga and I don't.

"Hmm… I thought Crane had a lot of memories. Do you remember the points or anything?"

"Purebloods have 150 points, half-breeds have 100, quarter-breeds have 60, and hybrids have 30. If you want to verify, ask the blonde, blue-eyed mage in the group. He boasted about choosing the elf race. Even if his other memories are vague, he might remember wanting to be an elf."

"I see. That's valuable information, thanks. By the way, do you remember why you chose the bird-human hybrid?"

"…A longing for the sky. I wanted to fly… but, being a hybrid wasn't enough to make that happen."

Come to think of it, my brother said he prioritized what he wanted to do. He didn't think about survival or having a skill. But, he chose his race based on what he wanted to do, and that's why he remembers it. I… don't have that strong of a connection to my race. The only things I don't remember are my race and the "Blessing." It's true that I chose other things with clear intent, but I might not have had a strong connection to my race. A hybrid is about one-eighth, right? It's just a bit of blood. The mystery of the missing 30 points is probably this.

"……Intent… what you wanted to do… was that the only thing reflected in this space?"

"I chose what I wanted to do. Is it different for you?"

"Yeah… I chose what I could do to survive. And since my race wasn't for survival, I don't remember it… Only the things I chose with strong intent remain in my memory."

"Ah, but the more you don't remember, the more your desires are magnified."

"Huh?"

"Unlike you, I was with the group for a long time. I observed them because I was bored. The more they don't remember, the more their rationality is lost. Right?"

"……I don't know. I don't remember my choices before coming to this world. But, their actions are suspicious."

There were about 30 people in the group. I knew they didn't like me, but if this conversation is being reported to someone important… something must have happened.

Normal people wouldn't think about committing crimes… but many of these foreigners do, so there must be a reason.

But Naga hasn't done anything wrong. Even without memories, there are decent people. My brother was surprised by Naga's "I don't remember" declaration… he didn't know. Naga seems to be aware that he said something harsh and is apologizing.

"That's a valuable opinion. …Yeah, that's good. Crane is interesting, and so are you. What's your name?"

"I'm Granos. That one is Naga."

"Lord Raz. Please include my opinion. About them…"

"Sure. I'll take care of it. It's true that they have an unusually strong desire to be recognized. Your observations are credible. I don't think you're lying."

"This kid has a strong survival instinct. He's sensitive to things necessary for survival, unlike us who focused on strength."

"I see. I'll report about their race and the abnormal desires of foreigners."

Hmm.

If I don't report much, I might be seen as useless… but I don't want to be recognized by reporting important things…

It depends on Lord Raz's skills… but I should investigate more on my side.

"Lord Raz, if you have any books that explain common knowledge, I'd like to borrow them."

"Sure. I thought you might want to, so I got permission to lend you these."

"…Newspapers?"

"Right. This stack is from the past year. This stack is a selection of important events from the past ten years. And these are from other countries. These books are about the founding and history. You need to understand the background, right? Oh, these newspapers aren't for the common people. I don't think Pamela would mind, but it's better not to show them to others."

"…I'll read through them when I have time."

"Sure. If you notice anything or have something to report, can you seal it with wax and give it to Leonis? I'll visit within 2-3 days when I receive your letter."

The content of the letter shouldn't be written because anyone might read it.

Sending a blank letter is awkward, so maybe I should send a letter with no content, just a seasonal greeting.

It's troublesome… and I don't know how to write letters in this world. Is it the same? I should practice writing something harmless… but it's probably fine. It might be better not to send anything.

"…Understood."

"Then, I'll go. …Oh, by the way, it might be better if you two don't take quests at the guild."

"Thank you for the information. I'll report if I find out anything."

After seeing Lord Raz off, I took a deep breath.

I feel like I'm getting involved in a lot of trouble. And… reporting to Lord Raz feels like unpaid work. It's not something that can be settled with money, given the guarantee of my life.

I don't have much to report, but I'll report if something happens.

"Ha…"

"Are you okay?"

"…I'll manage."

"Is that your contract partner? He seems tough."

"Yeah. I didn't feel as much danger today as before."

"…Be careful."

"Hehe, thanks. Naga. But, how does the country manage the treatment of foreigners?"

"It doesn't seem like we can be optimistic."

We're not in a position to be optimistic.

But, it seems that the two of them will be protected like me, so we had a meaningful conversation… I can't trust them completely, but I can trust them to some extent.

"At least, our status is guaranteed, but we shouldn't take quests."

"…Yeah, no problem."

"Right… We can earn money through bounties without taking quests. More importantly… how do you think we can get stronger?"

"Hmm? Spiritual talk?"

"No. This is a dangerous world, and we're being targeted. We need to strengthen ourselves quickly. I want to hear your opinion."

"…Based on my speculation, learning magic, skills, and abilities can increase our stats by 2-4 points. Each ability we learn increases different stats."

To get stronger.

In this world, our stats increase as we level up. But, the growth of stats also depends on the number of magic, skills, and abilities we learn. Both my master and Leonis have said that learning more is better, so it's true.

"…This is my growth memo."

"…I see. It does seem like our stats increase with what we learn. But…"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you know that learning makes you stronger, but you haven't established a method to acquire abilities? Normally, you would try to figure it out more."

I've been thinking about this too.

Leonis's explanations are vague, and he says there are individual differences. In this world, the nobles have a lot of power. So, there must be regulated information and noble intentions.

"They probably don't want civilians to get strong… I think the information known by the nobles hasn't reached the common people. They don't want to make people strong… What do you think is the reason?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Remember our earlier conversation. At the core, there's discrimination against races. This country has more mixed-race people among the commoners than other countries. But, among the nobles, there are probably more humans. The nobles handle international relations, so they can't do it in a state of contempt."

"Hmm…"

"In other words, if mixed-race people and other races can increase their stats more easily, they might be trying to prevent them from learning abilities. They don't publicize what abilities exist or how to acquire them."

"……"

"…I see."

"It's just my guess."

Even in a place with many mixed-race people, it's not common to meet someone who clearly looks different. Maybe one in twenty. There are probably many mixed-race people who, like me and my brother, can't be identified at first glance. That's why the policy is to keep it ambiguous. Even if they say they accept mixed-race people, the core of the country is run by humans. They manage them by not making them strong.

"If we aim to acquire abilities, let's start by listing the magic, skills, and abilities that my brother and I remember. If we know what they are, we can think about how to acquire them. Since we don't have to report, let's work together."

We should exchange information.

I didn't ask because I didn't want to be obligated to report, but it seems they don't intend to make us report. If so, it's better to confirm our information for future efficiency.

Our goal is to acquire various abilities.

Also, weapon-related skills should be useful for getting stronger. I want to learn as many as possible. Spears and bows… if no one sees, I can use them. I'll train in places where no one is around.