Chapter 49

After telling the story of the old dragon Vivel to the elf village, the villagers were initially bewildered, but the talks progressed in the direction of accepting Vivel. It seemed that they had no choice but to accept him.

Cornelia reconciled with her father, and in the process, she became close to Cornelia, calling her "Nel" just like Havoc and the others. After her father's wedding, we left the elf village and returned to Clermont.

While staying in the elf village, summer vacation had come to an end, and the second semester had already started. Although I managed to finish the summer homework, my grades dropped a little in the exams held right after the break.

Well, it's not surprising. This summer was filled with too many shocking events, and I was completely absorbed in that world, forgetting all about studying. From an outsider's perspective, it might have seemed like I was just playing games and slacking off, but that wasn't the case.

When we returned to Clermont, Rozeline had already returned. The pacification of the northeastern commune had been completed without waiting for our return.

The vampires in the Nymur Duchy and the northeastern commune were all driven out by the combined forces of the Castal Kingdom, the Commune Federation, and the Vaiscel Empire, at the request of the Nymur Duke. Finally, the commune had regained its peace.

The quick resolution was due to the fact that the vampires were not actively engaging in activities and the overwhelming military power of the three countries working together.

After the pacification, the Nymur Duke was left to handle the aftermath, and Rozeline returned to Clermont without a moment's rest. With the domestic situation stabilized and the absence of the ruler causing instability in the government, Rozeline decided to hold a coronation ceremony to become the official ruler, the queen.

A ceremony to celebrate the victory over the vampires was also to be held. At this ceremony, hero medals would be awarded to those who had particularly distinguished themselves in the battle against the vampires. This was not limited to the Commune Federation but was open to anyone, regardless of nationality, who had contributed to the vampire extermination.

In other words, I, who had contributed to the recapture of Clermont, would also have to attend the ceremony. The thought of having to meet high-ranking officials from the Vaiscel Empire, an imperial-level country, again made me feel heavy-hearted, but it was better than being made a noble. The only consolation was that some acquaintances would also be attending the ceremony.

Lady Alexia was also to be awarded a hero medal. However, she would likely be a representative of the Vaiscel Empire and would not be near me.

The idea of a hero from the Vaiscel Empire, which had just attacked, being awarded an honorable medal would certainly be complex for the residents of Clermont. However, it also had political implications, and Lady Alexia deserved the medal. She had contributed to the battle against the vampires in the northwest and northeast of the commune.

After the tea party, Lady Alexia went to the northeast of the commune with Rozeline and led the Vaiscel Empire's army to distinguish herself.

On the other hand, while Havoc and the others would not receive medals, they would receive rewards. I thought that was enough for me too.

The coronation ceremony proceeded smoothly. Under the supervision of the Castal Kingdom and the Vaiscel Empire, the archbishop of the church offered a prayer to God, and after Rozeline took an oath, she was crowned by the archbishop. At that moment, Rozeline became the queen of the country in both name and reality.

Witnessing her coronation as queen right in front of me, after we had acted as comrades until recently, made me acutely aware of the difference in status. It was a little frustrating to realize that I could only watch her from a distance.

With the vampires gone and peace restored to the commune, and Rozeline becoming the queen, I was concerned about the whereabouts of the mastermind behind the vampires who had fled, but with the cooperation of the Vaiscel Empire, it wouldn't be so easy to be defeated. I thought the promise with Raul had come to a conclusion.

So, I was no longer needed.

It seemed that the purpose I had set out to achieve was coming to an end. There was no way to uncover the truth about the connection between "Another World" and the other world, as there were no clues to investigate.

Wait, do I have no immediate goal?

I realized that without another goal, I was left in a state of limbo. The thought of my own foolishness made my head hurt. What should I do now?

While I was lost in thought, the coronation ceremony had ended, and the talk had moved on to the awarding of the hero medals. The initial excitement after the coronation had cooled down.

"During this battle against the vampires, our country faced an unprecedented crisis since its founding. However, with the great support of the Vaiscel Empire and the Castal Kingdom, our country rose up, and together with the two countries, we fought and were able to drive away the evil hands of the vampires. We are deeply grateful for the support of the two countries."

Rozeline's speech struck the ears of the silent crowd.

"And for those who have made the greatest efforts to save our country, we must give them honors commensurate with their contributions. To honor their contributions, we will award them the prestigious hero medal of our country."

A subordinate of Rozeline's took the medal.

"Vaiscel Empire noble, Marie Alexia von Zawalisch."

Encouraged by Rozeline's subordinate, Lady Alexia stepped forward. After Rozeline spoke, she took the medal from her subordinate and handed it to Lady Alexia. Lady Alexia, who seemed accustomed to such ceremonies, proceeded smoothly. If she had made a mistake, it would have been very noticeable and embarrassing.

Next was me. I can't, I'm getting nervous.

"Legitimate Church Castal Temple Knight, Oliver."

An unexpected name was called. ...Who is he? I had never heard his name before.

A well-dressed, stout man from the church's attendees stepped forward. He was indeed an unfamiliar figure. Since he was a temple knight, he must be a knight, but his physique did not resemble that of a well-trained knight at all.

Rozeline's speech was almost the same as when she presented the medal to Lady Alexia, so I had no idea how Oliver had been involved in the battle against the vampires. Since I didn't know, he must have distinguished himself in the battle in the northeast or northwest of the commune.

However, he didn't look like someone who had fought on the front lines. Since he belonged to the church, he might be a healer, which in this world would be a spellcaster similar to a priest. Perhaps he had distinguished himself by healing allies.

"Chaos."

The appearance of the mysterious hero Oliver had completely relieved my tension. I had memorized the procedure because I had been practicing with Rozeline beforehand. Thanks to that, it seemed I would be able to get through it without any problems.

The medal was indeed as luxurious as it should be when presented to a representative of a country, and it was extremely mismatched with my plain, function-focused clothes. No, I can't really wear it. It seems to be treated as an item, and it can be equipped. The effect is not significant unless there is a hidden bonus, but perhaps it's better to wear it.

"You don't have to wear it all the time, but it's an authoritative medal, so don't lose it."

Seeing me at a loss with the medal in my hand, Rozeline warned me. The ceremony was over, and I was with her. Lady Alexia was also there.

When I glanced at Lady Alexia, she wasn't wearing the medal.

"You should wear it on formal occasions, but it's better not to wear it in daily life. Some people might interpret it as showing off the medal. I don't like boasting about my achievements, do you?"

That's a valid point. It might invite unnecessary jealousy. In any case, I was embarrassed, so I decided to put it in my inventory before it became a hassle.

"By the way, Lady Alexia, are you going back to your country? It seems the vampire issue is over."

"No, I plan to stay in Clermont for a few more days and then go to the northwest of the commune. Would you like to come with me?"

"The northwest of the commune?"

"You may not know, but under the emperor's instructions, formal support by the military has begun. I plan to help with that. I have been given that task by the emperor."

The various regions of the commune are moving towards reconstruction. The Vaiscel Empire's support for this reconstruction might also have political implications, but if they are truly implementing their words, it is commendable and trustworthy.

However, is it good to be swayed by Lady Alexia? I don't think my skills would be of much use in the reconstruction. If my profession were an alchemist instead of a magician, I could make healing potions and other useful items.

Unfortunately, once I chose my primary class when creating my avatar, I couldn't change it. That means I couldn't change from a magician to an alchemist. Even if I could reset my skills and stats with paid items, I couldn't change my class.

If I wanted to become an alchemist, I would have to create a new character and level up to a higher level to make high-quality items. It would take more than a month at the very least.

So, my options are limited. For example, I could only help by defeating monsters in the surrounding areas.

"However, it might not be a good idea to take Chaos to the northwest of the commune. Chaos is a hero here. The northwest of the commune doesn't have a good feeling towards the commune's government. It might be unreasonable, but there might be people who resent Chaos for not saving them."

Rozeline looked somewhat grim. Lady Alexia countered her.

"Your Majesty, the area is just starting to move towards reconstruction, and I don't think the rumors about Mr. Chaos have reached there yet. If he is clearly distinguished from the commune's soldiers and acts with me, he won't be recognized. After all, he is not a subject of the commune but a foreign adventurer. His cooperation so far has been due to his personal connection to you. The commune has no right to restrict his actions. It would be like confining him in Clermont. If he stays, the movement to make him a noble might become more active. Wouldn't it be better to keep him away?"

Rozeline fell silent. It seemed that the people who wanted to make me a noble had not yet given up. They hadn't given up yet. Maybe I should have stayed in the elf village a bit longer.

"Understood, Lady Alexia. I will leave it to Chaos's will. It might be better not to stay too long. The emperor seems to have taken an interest in you, and he might try to recruit you as a subject again."

"The emperor has a meritocratic side and likes to use capable people. Mr. Chaos's abilities are among the best in the Vaiscel Empire. It's only natural that he would be to the emperor's liking. However, as long as Mr. Chaos doesn't want it, he won't be forced to join."

Lady Alexia, that's an overestimation. Thinking of her confident stance, I recalled the meeting. At that time, the emperor of the Vaiscel Empire had said something about giving me a position befitting a hero.

I had thought it was just flattery, but if he was serious, what should I do? If I refused, it might cause serious trouble this time. However, if I were made a noble, it would be a disaster. So, it might be better to go with Lady Alexia.

"Lady Alexia, I'll go with you."

"Really? Then I'll make the arrangements."

That's right. This is a good opportunity to ask about Oliver.

"Who is the other person who received the hero medal, Oliver? I know he must have distinguished himself in the battle against the vampires, but..."

Rozeline and Lady Alexia looked surprised at my question.

"I see, I had forgotten. You didn't know Oliver. Of course, you wouldn't know since he distinguished himself in the battle against the vampires in the northwest. Oliver is a member of the Castal Temple Knights of the church. He usually supports missionary activities in the Castal Kingdom, but when he heard about the battle against the vampires, he joined as a reinforcement from the Castal Kingdom. He fought together with the Castal Kingdom's army after joining. He is quite a capable person."

"The Castal Temple Knights? The church has a knight order too? Are they all knights?"

In the real world's history, there were knight orders established to protect pilgrims and sanctioned by the church. The knight order in this world might be similar.

However, it didn't match my image of a knight. I had seen many real knights in this world since I was in the Castal Kingdom, so although it was a bit mean to Oliver, I couldn't imagine him as a knight.

"The church's knight order is generally responsible for guarding church officials and slaying monsters. While there are knights, they are not necessarily all knights. Many spellcasters are also part of the order. Oliver is basically a spellcaster, it seems."

Rozeline hesitated and looked at Lady Alexia.

"Yes, he is a spellcaster, but his fighting style is quite different from that of a typical spellcaster. In a way, he is similar to me."

"Is it that different?"

"Well, unlike other spellcasters who heal injuries, he directly punches and defeats monsters."

Lady Alexia made a cute gesture, swinging her arms.

However, that answer wasn't particularly surprising to me.

In "Another World," the typical fighting style of a healer, a class known as a spellcaster, is to support allies, mainly by healing and enhancing their abilities. However, that doesn't mean they never fight directly. Sometimes they fight alone, using a few offensive skills or a heavy weapon like a mace to compensate for their low physical attack power. Emilia, a healer, is a typical example of this fighting style.

However, there are other fighting styles for healers. One of them is the "punching healer," as Lady Alexia described.

Healers generally have skills that increase in power based on the "Spirit" parameter. However, there are also skills that increase in power based on the "Strength" parameter. To use these skills effectively, one must allocate points to the "Strength" parameter, which increases physical attack power. This allows them to wear gauntlets and defeat enemies in close combat.

This is essentially an attack-focused fighting style.

While this style forces the healer into close combat, making them more vulnerable to enemy attacks, it also allows for quick, consecutive attacks. In a game, this is a known strategy, and while it is rare, it is not impossible, especially with the ability to reset stats with paid items.

However, Lady Alexia and Rozeline seemed to find this unusual. Why?

Compared to healers who allocate points to the "Spirit" parameter, known as "Spirit-type" healers, "punching healers" are less effective as healers because the amount of healing is generally based on the "Spirit" parameter.

The "punching healer" style becomes more effective after a class change to a secondary class. After changing classes, one can acquire powerful skills that balance healing and attacking.

However, in this world, the concept of a secondary class change is not widely known.

Lady Alexia had changed her class to a Sage, the secondary class of a Mage. This means that the residents of this world can also change their classes. However, even the diligent Lady Alexia was unaware of the class change system, so it is likely that it is not known to the general public. Additionally, it is unlikely that the average soldier in this world has reached the level required for a secondary class change.

Perhaps because they don't know about secondary classes, this fighting style is considered unusual and hasn't been conceived.

However, a "punching healer" is strong because they have the means to fight, unlike a Sage, who lacks offensive options. Fighting a wild beast with bare hands might be surprising in the real world, and it might be a similar feeling in this world.

Still, why are "Another World" and this world so similar, yet the concept of class changes and secondary classes is unknown, with only subtle differences?

Since I can't play the real game, I only have information from strategy sites, but it seems that class changes and secondary classes were not discovered by players by chance, but rather by gathering information from NPCs.

If this world is based on the game, it is unnatural that the residents of this world don't know about class changes and secondary classes, which are generally known in the game.

Conversely, if this world is the basis for the game, how did they gather information that is not generally known in this world?

Could it be that it's just a coincidence and there is no relation between the two worlds?

That seems unlikely. The similarity in quest information and the same country names cannot be ignored.

When considering the similarities and differences between the game and this world, perplexing questions arise.

"Chaos, are you listening?"

It seems I was lost in thought. Rozeline frowned and spoke a bit louder.

"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking about something."

"Hmm, well, it's fine. By the way, Chaos, the representative of the Castal Kingdom wants to meet you. What do you plan to do?"

"Huh?"

What's that? I've never heard of it.

"It seems they want to talk about the issue of the servant of the evil god."

"Oh, right. Havoc and the others mentioned that you were active in the Castal