Chapter 12

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012＿Job Change at the Shrine

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It's the 7th day since my reincarnation. This morning is unusually cold. It seems we are heading into winter.

"Annelise, are you cold? If you are, don't hesitate to tell me."

"Just one sheet is quite cold. Can I use the blanket from the dungeon from now on?"

"In that case, I'll buy a thick blanket for the inn."

"Is that okay?"

"Of course."

Using a blanket from the dungeon that has been dirtied seems a bit off-putting. Since we're staying for free, it bothers me even more. I guess I'm just a commoner.

If Annelise were a young and cute girl, it would be nice to snuggle up and sleep together, but that's impossible. If I woke up to see the witch Annelise's face right in front of me, I'd be worried about being drained of my life force.

When we left the inn, our breaths were white. It's almost winter.

"Is it already winter?"

"It's still autumn. It's just a bit colder today."

Looking up at the sky, there were only thin clouds, and the sky was a clear blue. It's a nice day. Seeing such a sky always makes me feel better.

Before going to the dungeon, I bought a thick blanket. I stored it in the item box where no one could see and slowly headed to the dungeon, matching Annelise's pace.

Today, we eat snacks before entering the dungeon. I thought about having meat since we had pond squid yesterday, but the thought of rat meat made me choose pond squid again.

I bought five grilled pond squids and five grilled tentacles. We each held five and entered the dungeon, confirming that no one was around, and stored nine of them in the item box.

I told Annelise she could eat the one remaining grilled tentacle, and she ate it with a satisfied look.

Using nine slots in the item box is a bit much, but since Annelise will consume them soon, it's fine.

I approached the dungeon wall, and Annelise looked at me curiously.

───Dungeon Move.

A door appeared on the wall. It was a simple wooden door.

"Is this... the Dungeon Move...?"

"You're sharp, Annelise. It connects to the place we advanced to last time."

"......"

I pulled Annelise's hand, opened the door, and stepped into the corridor beyond.

The door disappeared after we passed through.

It cost 10 MP. Not a significant amount. I can use it on the way back too.

"Master, you said you only have two unique skills, right?"

"Yeah, I only have two."

"Then, what about the Dungeon Move?"

"That's because my job is an Explorer."

"......Huh?"

She asked with a long pause.

"Isn't your job a Villager?"

"I met the requirements to become an Explorer, so I tried it out."

"Tried it out... so easily... huh."

She let out a big sigh. I didn't want to say it, but since I got a good job, I thought I should use it.

"No one can change jobs outside of a shrine. This must be a secret, okay?"

"O-Okay, I understand."

Her cute way of speaking is fine, but when she brings her witch face close, I step back out of fear. She's quite scary, so please stop.

But when I detailed my job before, the word 'shrine' didn't come up. Maybe I need to display more detailed information?

▼Detailed Appraisal Results▼

Job: 【Job】 can be changed to a new job when certain conditions are met. Usually, this is done at a shrine, but only Toy can change jobs by opening the status screen and focusing. Current available jobs: Traveler, Villager, Chef, Merchant, Mover, Avenger, Reincarnated Hero.

The content has increased...

I remember the proficiency level was (Slight) when I last detailed it, but now it's (Low).

No, that's not it. The detailed appraisal shows lackluster content until the request level is raised. I realized this when I appraised the magic book. If I request more information, this content should appear.

"Is there any other job you can change to?"

Her witch face is too close.

"Maybe... there are some..."

"How many jobs can you change to?"

"Um... Traveler, Villager, Chef, Merchant, Mover... mumble mumble..."

"What did you say after Mover?"

"Fu... sha... te... i... sha..."

"Can you speak louder, please?"

She put her hand to her ear and leaned in.

I don't want her to know about the Avenger and Reincarnated Hero...

"Will you keep it a secret?"

"I won't tell anyone. Besides, I'm a slave, so I have a duty of confidentiality."

"Alright, I'll tell you."

"Okay, go ahead."

"Avenger and Reincarnated Hero."

"...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... What did you just say?"

She left a huge pause!

"Avenger and Reincarnated Hero."

"...... It doesn't seem like I heard wrong."

Annelise, looking tired, rubbed her temples. Her face is wrinkled, so it's hard to tell, but she looks very tired.

"Hehe... sorry about that."

I scratched my cheek and apologized for some reason. I didn't mean to, really.

"No, Master isn't at fault. You're just unconventional."

Is she insulting me?

"But Master being a hero... I didn't expect that."

"No, I don't plan to be a hero."

"This must be a divine revelation. I will assist in your great deeds until the end of my life."

"But I don't want to be a hero."

"My lifespan isn't long, though..."

Annelise mumbled to herself. Is she listening to me?

I waited for Annelise to come back to her senses before starting the exploration.

The skill Treasure Hunt is automatically activated in the dungeon, so I can sense treasure chests nearby.

"I've never heard of treasure chests appearing on the first floor."

Damn, that's a shame.

We soon encountered a Gray Rat. It was level 2.

I defeated it in one hit. My body felt lighter than before. Moreover, the Gray Rat's movements, which felt fast last time, now seemed slower. Well, they are still fast, but not as nerve-wracking as before. This alone makes the job change worthwhile.

"Your sword skills are still terrible, but your movements are better than last time."

"R-Really?"

Annelise speaks her mind bluntly, but it doesn't feel bad. In fact, I appreciate her honest feedback.

"But why don't you change to a hero?"

"If people find out I'm a hero, it will definitely cause trouble."

"That's true. Heroes have always been summoned, but since Master is reincarnated, it will be even more complicated."

She's talking animatedly. Her expression seems brighter. Are you enjoying this?

By the way, 'until now' means heroes have been summoned multiple times. I don't want to get involved in the background.

I cut down the Gray Rat that appeared. I'm in a good rhythm.

"Still, how did you manage to change to an Explorer? Usually, you need to defeat the boss on the 10th floor of the dungeon to get this job."

While picking up the rat meat, Annelise asked. Has the distance between us closed since she found out I can change to a Reincarnated Hero?

She didn't mention the Avenger, but is she ignoring it?

"If you defeat 20 monsters alone on your first day of dungeon exploration, you can change to an Explorer."

"I heard there are several conditions for job changes, but I didn't know about this one."

Not all job change conditions are known. I think it's more interesting to have mysteries, but it also limits the range of job changes.

The requirement to defeat 20 monsters alone on the first day of dungeon exploration is quite high, so it's better that people don't attempt it recklessly.

"I rarely see Explorers. Why? You can get the job by defeating the boss on the 10th floor, right?"

"By the time people reach the 10th floor, most have already changed to Swordsmen or Spear Users. Explorers are convenient, but Swordsmen and Spear Users have better combat power, so few people choose to become Explorers."

Combat power is prioritized over convenience. That's a muscle-brain way of thinking. Don't underestimate movement!

While talking, I felt a sense of unease. It was from the direction of a stone wall in an ordinary corridor.

"Is something wrong?"

Annelise tilted her head when I stopped.

"No, I just feel like there might be a treasure chest over there... hehe, it's probably just my imagination."

"That's a wall, so it's probably just your imagination... but wait..."

Annelise started tapping the wall with her staff, looking serious.

"Master, can you step back a bit?"

I stepped back as Annelise asked. What is she planning to do?

"───Mana Hand!"

A translucent, thick arm extended from Annelise and started punching the wall. With loud thuds, the wall crumbled.

"Wow!"

There was a corridor behind the collapsed wall. It was a stone corridor just like the one we were in.

"I didn't expect a corridor like this on the first floor..."

"Is this unusual?"

"Yes, I've never heard of such a thing. It must be hiding a treasure chest. The dungeon is quite elaborate."

The fact that I've never heard of it suggests that the information is being kept secret. If such information were disclosed, others might take the treasure chest.

"The wall didn't have any magical traps, so I didn't notice it. I was careless."

"Magic users aren't omnipotent, so don't blame yourself too much."

"Thank you."

Let's see the treasure!

The corridor was a dead end after 10 meters, and a treasure chest sat at the end.

"It's safe. There are no traps."

"I'll open it."

"Okay."

I opened the lid of the sturdy wooden treasure chest reinforced with metal fittings. There was a keyhole, but it wasn't locked.

"Potion?"

It was a bottle of clear, colorless liquid.

I have three types of potions: one to recover HP, one to recover MP, and one to cure poison. The HP potion is blue, the MP potion is green, and the poison cure is yellow. This colorless, clear potion is different from all of them.

It can't just be water, right?

"Wh-What is this!?"

"What's wrong, Annelise?"

"Un... believable..."

Annelise's behavior was strange. Her body was trembling, her eyes were bloodshot, and her breathing was heavy. Is she going to die?

Her witch face with bloodshot eyes is really scary, so please stop.

"Hey, are you okay? Sit down and calm down."

What happened to Annelise?

Her eyes changed when she saw this potion. What is this potion?

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