Chapter 12: I don’t have any performances, but I’ll hide my nails for now.
ㅤ”……Nato-san. Minato-san!”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I opened my eyes, I saw the worried face of the Priest-san right in front of me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s over? Are you alright?”
ㅤ
ㅤI looked around.
ㅤ
ㅤAs expected, the place I was in hadn’t changed.
ㅤI was inside the chapel of the Adventurer’s Church.
ㅤ
ㅤ”E-Excuse me. I was spacing out.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is that so? Sometimes, there are people who become so focused on their prayers that they can’t hear anything else. Usually, those are the types suited to be Magicians.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is that so……”
ㅤ
ㅤI already know the results, but I’ll keep quiet for now.
ㅤ
ㅤThe Priest-san said while looking back at the altar.
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ㅤ”Well then, the results of the aptitude diagnosis are…… Hnnnnn⁉︎!⁉︎”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Priest-san picked up the parchment on the altar, brought his black-rimmed glasses as close as possible, and ran his eyes back and forth several times.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Magician 7.9, Thief 6.9, Warrior 1.4…… you say⁉︎ T-That’s impossible!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Priest-san gave a wholehearted reaction performance.
ㅤI feel a little sorry for him.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um…… could it be that the digits are off by one place?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, such a mistake is impossible with the Divine Script. However…… hmm. This is amazing. I’ve never seen aptitude this high before.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is it that amazing?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It is! Even among Court Magicians, the average aptitude multiplier is at best 3, and even among those with exceptional talent, 5 is rare. It’s hard to say for sure with Thieves since they tend to hide their aptitude information, but it’s probably not that different from Warriors and Magicians.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Then I’ll hide mine too. I don’t want to get caught up in any trouble.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What a waste! If you show this multiplier, you’ll be scouted by the Court Magicians! Of course, you’d be in high demand as a Thief too, and even as a Warrior, this is a more than sufficient number to make a living.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t adventurers value freedom?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-Well, that’s true, but…… are you saying you would deliberately overlook a comfortable life and become an adventurer? That you would choose what you call a dangerous and unrewarding day labor job?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Please refrain from such inquiries.
ㅤSo, can I hide these results?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You are required to inform the guild you join of the results of your aptitude diagnosis. Of course, that information is confidential and will not be leaked to the outside.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is that really true……”
ㅤ
ㅤEven companies on Earth, with their developed concept of privacy, often leaked information that shouldn’t be leaked.
ㅤLet alone in another world.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You only need to report your aptitude for the job under the jurisdiction of the guild you join. If you join the Thieves Guild, you only need to report your aptitude for being a Thief.
ㅤThey wouldn’t want to make an enemy of someone with this much aptitude, so you can assume your secret will be kept. At the very least, it’s not information that a regular employee can access. The Guild Master will see the aptitude multiplier, and only information to the extent that you have great potential will be conveyed to the staff.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hee……”
ㅤ
ㅤThey’re surprisingly well-organized.
ㅤ
ㅤ”There’s no Magician’s Guild in this town, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No. You’ll need to go to a larger town a little further away. There are fewer people with aptitude for being a Magician than other jobs.
ㅤBecause of that, there are some Magicians who like to flaunt their job, but Minato-san should be especially careful.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why is that?”
ㅤ
ㅤI asked, but I already had a hunch.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Jealousy.
ㅤJust being a Magician is enough to be envied, but Minato-san has an aptitude multiplier that’s incredibly rare. It’s the jealousy from other Magicians that you should be wary of.
ㅤPeople can’t stand it when others have what they want but can’t obtain.”
ㅤ
ㅤ（So there is that kind of thing, huh）
ㅤ
ㅤI’m disgusted by the unchanging vices of humans.
ㅤ
ㅤHowever, on Earth, I was the one who envied others.
ㅤI don’t have much experience being envied.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Even if I stood out a little, I’d be told, “Why that girl……”）
ㅤ
ㅤBasically, people who looked down on me would intensely hate me if I ever beat them, even occasionally.
ㅤReally, it was just small things. Like doing well on a quiz, or being praised by someone important.
ㅤ
ㅤ(That was awful. When Sensei announced, “The only perfect score this time is Norizakura-san,” in front of everyone……）
ㅤ
ㅤI don’t want to be praised in front of a crowd.
ㅤCan’t they imagine what would happen in the shadows?
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Um, Minato?”
ㅤ
ㅤI noticed the Priest-san looking at me suspiciously.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, uh, e-excuse me. I was remembering things from the past.”
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ㅤ”Is that so, things from the past…… With this much aptitude. You probably won’t be able to live a peaceful life.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I-Is that so…… after all”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Those with outstanding qualities naturally rise to prominence. It’s not something you can hide even if you try.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……But, if possible, I want to hide it.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”If that’s the case, I’ll be considerate. Is the Thieves Guild alright? Or will you travel to a larger town and join the Magician’s Guild?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Can you belong to multiple guilds?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes, you can. Though, not many people actually do it.
ㅤIn the case of Magicians, since there aren’t always guilds in towns they travel to, some also belong to the Warrior’s Guild or the Thieves Guild.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Then I’d like to do that, please. It won’t cause a commotion at the Thieves Guild, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’ll write it in the letter of introduction. That you dislike standing out due to your nature, so I’d like them to keep your aptitude as confidential as possible, only within the Guild Master’s knowledge.”
ㅤ
ㅤAnd so, I received the letter of introduction from the Priest-san and left the Adventurer’s Church.