Chapter 55

This story is a work of fiction.

The characters, organizations, and names are all fictitious and have no connection to any real entities.

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053＿Job Change Meeting

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On the table, a basket is brimming with a variety of fruits: melons, apples, Shine Muscat grapes, Kyoho grapes, pears, and something that looks like peaches. They have names in this world, but I feel more comfortable using these names.

These fruits were grown by Rose after I bought the seeds. Rose can cultivate anything from grains like wheat and corn to spices like pepper, and even fruits like these. In return, she draws on my MP, but the consumption isn't significant unless I grow a large amount.

Thanks to Rose, our meals have rapidly improved. It's great that we can grow as much as we want if we have seeds or seedlings. I've never had any major complaints about the food, though. I can eat anything, after all.

However, just because something is edible doesn't mean it's delicious. While it's not necessarily bad, the food in this world often lacks flavor. Even Burgan's sauce, compared to Japanese soy sauce, falls short in taste.

If I can get some rice, I'd love to have some curry rice. Naan is good, but curry is best with rice, right? I wonder if there's rice in this world. I hope so.

"Seeing so many fruits in the dead of winter..."

I hear Montalque's murmur from behind me. His wife, Merlis, who is cutting the fruits, also looks amazed.

We just returned from defeating the boss on the 7th floor, and today we have a lot to discuss. We all eat together, and after the meal, we have dessert. This is when the discussion begins.

I sit in the seat of honor, with Annelise and Rosalina on one side, and Gandarban, Jojok, Rin, Voss, and Solida on the other. Rose is flying around me, looking happy. She's only visible to me right now.

Montalque and Merlis finish distributing the fruits to everyone.

I take a bite of a melon cut into eighths and then further divided into five pieces. It's juicy, sweet, and incredibly delicious. This melon would be considered a high-end variety in Japan.

After confirming that I've tasted it, everyone else starts eating. It's delicious, right? I love fruits in general, but melons are my favorite. I never thought I'd be able to eat melons in this world, so I'm really moved.

"Good work today. I'm glad everyone is safe."

Everyone's faces light up.

"I think you all know why we're having this meeting."

"It's about the magic book, isn't it?" Gandarban's face turns serious.

"Yes, the magic book. From what I understand, in a typical party, the leader or the one who performed the best gets to use it. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

Gandarban nods, and everyone else follows.

"But that won't improve our overall strength. I want to use the magic book to enhance the entire group's capabilities."

"We serve you, our lord. Even if we apply the rules of explorers, you are the leader and the one who performed the best. We will follow your decision."

Gandarban is so formal. I don't mind that, but I do want him to express his own opinions.

The Shine Muscat grapes are also delicious. The crisp sweetness is refreshing.

"This time, I'm not giving orders. I want to hear your opinions."

I have a plan, but I also want to hear everyone's thoughts.

The rich sweetness of the Kyoho grapes is great. I might get tired of eating them every day, but they are delicious enough to want to eat them every day.

Annelise and I have already used the magic book, so we're excluded. It seems using it twice is meaningless. Rosalina is also excluded because she likes being a Battle Master.

If Gandarban uses the magic book, it would clearly weaken our strength, and losing a tank would be a significant blow.

Should I give the magic book to Jojok and Rin, who have evolved to Sword Master and Spear Saint? No way. Turning them into mages would weaken our strength. I'd consider it if they want to, but otherwise, it's out of the question.

"Gandarban, Jojok, and Rin are excluded."

The three nod.

"There's no need to become a mage just because you've evolved to a higher job. You wouldn't want to change your fighting style, right?"

The remaining candidates are Voss, the swordsman, and Solida, the spearman. Giving the magic book to one of them would most improve our strength. To decide, we need to compare their stats.

The key stats are INT and MIN. The higher these are, the better suited they are for being a mage. I believe MP, MATK, and MDEF depend on these two stats. In fact, those with high INT and MIN tend to have high MP, MATK, and MDEF.

Considering this, Solida is the best candidate.

The tartness of the apple is a nice contrast to the sweetness.

"Before I give my opinion, I want to hear everyone's thoughts. Even the three I excluded can speak up if they want to be mages. Jojok, what do you think?"

Jojok, who is asked for his opinion, opens his eyes wide. He seems to be thinking, "Why me?"

The crisp texture of the pear is enjoyable. It's also sweet. Pears might be a bit niche, but I like them.

"I will follow your decision, my lord. I have no complaints whether it's Voss or Solida."

He seems to be saying something without really saying anything. Is this what it means to serve someone?

I return to the melon. It's really delicious. The slightly gritty sweetness is great.

"What about you, Rin?"

Rin, who is called out, trembles. I'm not that scary, am I? That reaction hurts.

I take another bite of the melon. This sweetness is really addictive.

"I used to want to be a mage, but not anymore."

Is this a way of saying she doesn't need it? She probably can't say which of the two is better, as it might cause conflict.

I should look for watermelon seeds next. Maybe I can ask Gorteo to get them for me. I should also ask about rice.

It was a mistake to ask Jojok and Rin first.

"Gandarban, what do you think?"

"I will follow your decision, my lord."

Yeah, I didn't need to ask. I knew he would say that.

I eat a peach. Everyone else, eat too. What, you can't eat because you don't know when I'll ask for your opinion? Don't worry about it.

"Voss, what do you think?"

"The jobs of Jojok and Rin have evolved, while mine hasn't. I've been thinking about why there's a difference."

"Have you reached a conclusion?"

"No, I'm still thinking about it."

...So, do you want to be a mage? Is it okay to ask this directly? Maybe I should hear Solida's opinion first.

"What about you, Solida?"

"To be honest, I do want to be a mage. But it feels like I'm running away."

"Becoming a mage will reset your level to 1. It's not running away, in my opinion."

"...It's a great relief to hear that from you, my lord."

Solida wants to be a mage. Is that settled?

I take a bite of the Shine Muscat grapes. Crushing them and drinking them with soda would be delicious. But there's no soda in this world...

"I think Solida should use the magic book. Is that okay, Voss?"

"Yes, I will follow your decision, my lord."

I take the magic book from the item box and pass it to Solida through Gandarban. Solida's eyes well up as she receives it. Don't hold it so tightly, use it.

"Solida, use it."

"Yes, thank you."

Encouraged by me, Solida opens the magic book. Magical runes float up and enter her eyes.

I appraise Solida in detail. Good, she can now change jobs... but what is this job? Wow, that's cool, I'm jealous.

"Solida and Voss, go to the temple first thing tomorrow morning."

"Me too?"

Actually, there's another reason I chose Solida for the magic book besides her magic aptitude. It's about Voss's available jobs. I saw them when he was level 28, but they weren't there then. Now they are. I think this job is better than being a regular swordsman, but what does Voss think?

"Yes. Do you know about my unique skill?"

"Yes, I do."

I talked about my unique skill when he signed the confidentiality agreement to become a soldier.

"Voss, you have a job you can change to."

"What kind of job is it?"

"Do you want to know?"

"If you can tell me, I would like to know."

"Knowing now might spoil the surprise. Is that okay?"

"...It's fine."

He's not very exciting, but I understand his feelings.

"The job Voss can change to is an adventurer."

An adventurer is a job for those with a spirit of adventure. Voss seems to have that spirit. Looking back, he often voiced his opinions when there were choices to make. Maybe that's why.

"Is the adventurer job combat-oriented?"

"It might seem like it's not combat-oriented, but I think not everyone needs to be combat-focused. It's a useful job, and I think you can be a valuable support member."

At least, there are no combat skills right after changing jobs. It might change as you grow.

"Is it like your explorer job, my lord?"

"Since the job names are different, there should be some differences. The first skills you learn are Route Finder, Monster Encyclopedia, Trap Detection, and Danger Sense."

The Route Finder skill shows the shortest path to your destination. It's quite convenient, and it might become even more useful as you improve.

The Monster Encyclopedia skill tells you the race name and strength relative to your level. It's a bit redundant with my detailed appraisal, but not many people have appraisal skills, so it's a good skill.

The Trap Detection skill is the same as the assassin's, and the Danger Sense skill is the same as the explorer's.

Overall, it's a job with many useful skills. Since it's a job for adventurers, it should have many convenient skills.

"..."

Voss is thinking. If he continues as a swordsman, he can contribute to combat to some extent. But as an adventurer, it's unclear if he will be useful in combat. Is that what's bothering him?

But among all these impressive jobs, being a swordsman is quite inferior. As a swordsman, it's hard to excel in any particular area, but as an adventurer, you can. I would be happy to have someone like that on my team.

Still, I was surprised. I thought he would jump at the chance. People have different values, so it's not easy to make a quick decision.

"Um... my job is..."

Solida asks timidly. Her fox ears are twitching. Can I touch them?

"Master?"

Annelise is giving me a stern look. That's scary, stop it!

"Cough. Do you want to know?"

"If possible... please tell me."

"Solida, you can become a Sorcerer, specifically a Necromancer."

"Necro... mancer...?"

Solida looks stunned. Is she that happy?

A Necromancer is a Sorcerer who controls the dead, like skeletons and ghouls. Don't you think that's cool? I'm envious. Enchanter is good, but Necromancer is even better. I'd trade if I could.

"Master, what kind of job is a Necromancer?"

"Wait, you don't know about Necromancers?"

"Unfortunately, I've never heard of a Necromancer job."

Gandarban and the others also shake their heads. It seems Necromancers are unknown in this world.

"A Necromancer is a Sorcerer who controls the dead."

"Dead!?"

Everyone is shocked.

"Is such a job even possible?"

"Since Solida can change to it, it must exist, right, Gandarban?"

"Y-Yes, but..."

His voice trails off.

"Master's Enchanter job is rare, but Solida's Necromancer job is even rarer, right?"

The detailed appraisal says it's a 1 in 1,000,000 rare job. The Enchanter, which is 1 in 10,000, is already quite rare, so the Necromancer is 100 times rarer.

"A Necromancer can use sorcery with a catalyst, but unlike regular Sorcerers, they can't use elemental sorcery. They summon and control the dead."

Solida clasps her hands in front of her chest with a blissful expression... or is it a worried one? No, she must be happy. I would be jumping for joy if I were in her position.

"First, change jobs and start by making a catalyst. You can make it with a Necromancer skill."

"...Yes, thank you."

Solida bows her head. She must be savoring the joy of being able to change to a Necromancer.

Voss, on the other hand, is still thinking with his arms crossed. I can't just tell him to change jobs with enthusiasm. It's a life-changing decision, so he should take his time.

Now, about the two of them. Next...

"Rosalina, I have a proposal for you."

"Yes, my lord."

"Would you like to become one of our soldiers?"

"Soldiers?"

She tilts her head, looking cute.

"Rosalina is a voluntary slave, not a dominated slave, so I can free her immediately."

As a noble, I can only free up to level 3 dominated slaves, but voluntary slaves, who are essentially debt slaves, can be freed by anyone.

"If Rosalina becomes a soldier, it will help us meet our quota, and I'll be grateful."

Even if I free Rosalina from slavery, she won't leave me. Probably... So, I thought it would be better for her to become a soldier, as it would improve her status.

"I don't understand, so I'll leave it to you, my lord."

Rosalina is as always.

"Then, I'll free you from slavery and make you a soldier."

"Yes, my lord."

I think she doesn't understand, but she's smiling.

"Gandarban, please teach Rosalina about being a soldier."

"Understood."

This fulfills my noble duties. Once Annelise is freed, everything will be perfect.

"My lord, may I ask one thing?"

"Hmm, what is it?"

Gandarban's face is serious. As always.

"Regardless of Jojok, we should report Rin's job to the Duke."

"Rin's job, the Spear Saint?"

"Yes. Holy jobs have special significance. It's best to report it."

"Got it. I'll report it once things settle down."

Holy jobs are those with "Holy" in the name. I think priests are more fitting as holy jobs, but maybe I'm the only one who thinks that.

There is a comment that says, "Pears being a niche fruit doesn't seem like a Japanese perspective," but the author is Japanese. Personal perceptions can vary, so I will not accept such comments in the future.

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