Chapter 51

I am prepared.

I will explain my plans from now on.

“I intend to leave this town soon. I believe we have sufficiently leveled up. I plan to contribute to reclaiming the country, even if it’s just a little.”

At my words, Shal and Al’s eyes widened in surprise.

“S-Seriously!?”

“Yes, I plan to go with you.”

The two stood up and bowed deeply.

“Toya-sama… Thank you.”

“Toya, thank you.”

We decided on our plans for the next day. First, we would buy the necessary food and supplies from the market. As for the tent, using my items should be fine.

Then, just as I was about to go to bed early for the next day, Natalie called out to me.

“Toya, first, I want to express my gratitude. If it’s you, I can entrust this to you. I have been researching this book for years, but I still can’t decipher it. Perhaps you can…”

Natalie said this and placed a book on the table.

“…This is a book left by a hero summoned hundreds of years ago. I don’t know what it says. I obtained it when I was a court mage in the empire.”

I took the book and flipped through the pages.

There it was—written in Japanese.

I was a bit surprised but tried to remain calm as I flipped through the pages one by one. The book contained a diary, events after arriving in this world, and various topics about magic.

As I read on, Natalie spoke.

“…Can you read this…?”

“…Yes, I can read it.”

At my words, the three of them looked surprised.

“Toya, are you… a hero…?”

Natalie asked in a strained voice, and I shook my head.

“No, I am not a hero. The hero was summoned to the Kingdom of Generate. I… was mistakenly summoned to the kingdom and then exiled. I am a recovery mage, no, now I am a—sage.”

“What!? …A sage!? Could it be!?”

Shal and Al, who were surprised, tilted their heads in confusion.

“Natalie-sama, what is a sage…? Didn’t Natalie-sama also call yourself a sage?”

At Shal’s words, Natalie nodded and spoke.

“It’s understandable that you don’t know. My profession is ‘Mage.’ However, because of my high level from years of experience, I call myself a ‘sage.’ But my profession is not a sage. Toya, is your profession a sage…?”

I nodded silently in response to Natalie’s question.

At that moment, Natalie stood up and lunged at me.

“Toya! How did you become a sage!? I learned about the ‘sage, the pinnacle of wisdom’ from ancient books in the elf village and have been striving for it for years, and people have even started calling me that… But in the end, I couldn’t become a sage… Tell me… How…?”

I gently patted Natalie’s head, who was grabbing my collar and asking desperately with tears in her eyes.

“Calm down. I’ll explain…”

After taking a sip of tea to moisten my throat, I began to explain.

“Do you understand the level system in this world? There are conditions to become a sage. For that—”

I explained the ‘job change’ that can only be chosen when a level reaches its maximum.

When a level reaches the maximum for a current job, a job change screen appears, allowing you to choose a higher-level job.

In my case, I could change jobs to a higher-level job after reaching the maximum level as a mage and a recovery mage.

When you change jobs, your level resets to 1, and you have to level up again from the beginning.

Although the level resets, the status and physical abilities remain unchanged.

The jobs you can choose are predetermined, and you cannot choose a job for which you have no aptitude.

“—That’s what I know so far…”

Natalie, who was listening intently, was trembling.

“Natalie…?”

At my words, Natalie looked up, her face filled with joy.

“Toya, you have achieved such difficult training alone at your age…”

…No, sorry. I used a cheat item. Something like 100 times the experience points.

“I… have been fighting monsters for over a hundred years and finally reached level 72. It was quite a struggle to get this far. To start over from the beginning after changing jobs… But thanks to you, I can see the path!”

Unlike Natalie, who had a smile on her face, Shal and Al’s expressions were dark, and mine was also strained.

Natalie immediately noticed our expressions.

“…What’s wrong with all of you…?”

Natalie tilted her head, not understanding.

Yeah. Maybe I overdid it.

But, is it something I can reveal?

Just as I was thinking this, Al spoke.

“Natalie-sama is level 72, right? I heard that my father was level 55.”

“Yes, that boy was the strongest in the country.”

“Um… I am level 74. Shal is level 76, right…?”

“…Yes.”

At their words, Natalie’s expression froze. She turned to us like a robot.

Her eyes were not filled with joy.

They were filled with envy, no, jealousy.

Natalie slammed her hand on the table and lunged at me again.

“Why are your levels so high!?”

Natalie’s voice echoed through the room again.

Thank you always.