CH 81

As for the mystery of Roze’s growth value, I was able to guess the reason by asking her to accompany me in verifying it.

First of all, in regards to Roze’s aptitude values, I had her raise her level to 6 and Class Change to several other Classes. After checking her growth value, I found that her true aptitude values really were 14, which is 5 points higher than mine.

After all, her growth value was 14 when she was a <Novice>, a Class with no growth compensation.

This is an unquestionable fact.

Then, why did she, whose affinity values were supposed to be 14, only have 8 affinity values in her initial state?

Perhaps it was because in her initial state as a Civilian, that is, “in her “Classless” state, a negative correction would be applied to her growth rate”.

As proof of this, I forcibly brought out Erina, a Guild Receptionist back at work, saying that “investigating this might allow us to find out important information pertaining to Adventurers”, and tried leveling her up and having her Class Change the same way, with the same results as Roze.

Compared to when she leveled up before Class Changing, the growth value when she leveled up with <Novice> Class has 1 point more for all abilities.

In other words, the assumption that the Initial Class for Civilians was <Novice> was incorrect.

If we consider a person who has no Initial Class as having the Class <Classless>, the growth compensation for <Classless> would be a -1 in all abilities.

The fact that the ability values of Civilians in town were lower than those of Adventurers was due in large part to this Class’ growth compensation.

(No, was it the other way around?)

Perhaps, it’s not that the state of being Classless gives them a negative correction, but that the Class Correction for everyone else is just 1 all-around stat higher than commonly perceived.

Or perhaps, when a normal person gains a Class, the affinity of the person themselves gains an all-around increase by 1.

There’s no way for me to know for sure, and knowing which one is the right answer won’t change the result.

All I can say is that Civilians can gain an all-around increase in their growth values by 1 when they acquire a Class.

(This…… may have been a bigger discovery than I thought.)

There is a big gap between the abilities of Adventurers with an Initial Class and Civilians without a Class.

The average aptitude value of ordinary Adventurers is 18, and when the correction of the Initial Class is added to it, they would have a growth value of 24.

In contrast, the average aptitude value of average Civilians is 6, and since they don’t have any Class growth correction, their growth value would be 6.

That was…… a 4x difference between the two.

However, it turned out that even Civilians can reach the average growth value of 18 once they Class Change to an Initial Class.

This being the case, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of the Civilians would want to become Adventurers.

Moreover……

(Rex, you f*cking b*stard…… Your stats are even lower than the majority of the Civilians?)

Going by these calculations, the average affinity of Civilians is 12.

This is less than the average for Adventurers, 18, but even if it were lower, it still easily exceeds Rex’s 9.

I wonder if the devs had some personal grudge against Rex.

I thought I was already over with Rex’s affinities, but when I was confronted with the numbers, I felt like my head was spinning from the sheer disadvantage I’m getting here.

I don’t know if it was out of concern for me, but after verifications and discovering this, even Roze didn’t say she would continue to raise her level.

The sky had already begun to darken with the coming of dusk, and we decided to disband for the day.

[Rex-sama. Thank you very much for today.]

[Yeah. ……Is it really alright not to send you home?]

As I reflexively asked her that again……

[It’s alright. I have the equipment Rex-sama has given me after all.]

Roze held up the <Fire Rod> and smiled proudly.

She was feeling apologetic for receiving all that stuff, but I decided to leave that set of equipment that I had given her today with her for a while.

I had intended to just give it to her, but Roze didn’t agree, so we agreed that I would lend them to her while I accompanied her to level up.

Parting ways with Roze, who was in a good mood, I walked with Guild Receptionist Erina along the road at dusk.

[I’m sorry for calling you out of the blue.]

[Yeah, you should. Seriously, Rex-san, do you think I’m some handyman you can call anytime?]

Hearing Erina complain as such……

[Like I said, I’m sorry, okay? It’s just, I haven’t forgotten who put together that PR paper.]

[Uuuu…… I- In that case, let’s call it even with this.]

When I struck back at her about last time’s Adventurer Correspondence, she immediately folded.

Heh, easy-peasy.

[Also, this matter, no one but Verteran should……]

[I know. I’ll make sure this information won’t be leaked out to others. ……Haahhh…… You sure discover the most outrageous of things, don’t you, Rex-san? My stomach hurts thanks to you.]

Erina gloomily sighed after saying that, but saying “But……”, she immediately looked up.

[……Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? She seemed happy.]

Those were words I didn’t expect.

As my eyes reflexively widened at those words, Erina’s eyes narrowed, clearly looking displeased.

[I’ll say this now, but I’m not some work machine that doesn’t bleed or cry. Well, as a Guild Employee, I do feel like I’ve found out something outrageous……]

After she had spoken out in such a reproachful tone, she turned her head for a moment in the direction of where Roze had left off.

[Her name is Roze-san, right? I have also seen her several times…… Somehow, I’ve always thought that she was a lonely person. That’s why, well, this being the case, I thought it would be great.]

Ending with the words “Though I’m not entirely sure……”, Erina turned away and continued walking. As for me, my heart felt a little warmer.

……If the future goes just like in the game, then Roze would face a great deal of suffering ahead of her.

After being inscribed with a “Curse Mark” by the “Uncle” who had raised her, the Vampire Lord”, that night, she would turn into a Vampire and attack the player……

Although she quickly regains her sanity, her future is filled with despair.

After that event, a Healer who diagnosed her spoke.

This “Curse Mark” is a guide, a marker, for the caster to cast their real curse.

The casting of that curse would take place at midnight, the moment the date changes, and this attack can’t be avoided or prevented.

The attack of this curse is harmless to the human body, but it’s a fatal “poison” to those who have a certain factor.

That factor is, of course, the “Vampire” factor.

Every time she receives the attack of that curse, her physical and mental strength are shaved, and if either of those two is reduced to zero, she will be unable to resist the curse and will become a Vampire.

Furthermore, according to the Healer, if she becomes a Vampire, she wouldn’t be able to oppose higher-ranking Vampires, so she might lose her free will.

And there’s only one way to lift the “Curse Mark”.

That is, to defeat the one who casted it.

In order to save Roze, the “Hero” and their party must travel around the world in search of a way to alleviate the curse and find the source of that curse.

—————That’s the introduction to the “Vampire of Frelia” event.

(From that point on, Roze will end up bedridden in her home.)

The damage caused by the curse can’t be healed by medicine or Recovery Magic.

That’s why, even if she didn’t become a Vampire, she would continue to live in a weakened state for the rest of her life.

(However, if she had raised her physical and mental strength, in other words, her HP and MP, just like she did today……)

Relatively speaking, that would mean the effects of the curse should be lessened.

Even if she does receive that curse, it may even be possible for her to live a normal life.

(Another option would be to get the “Katashiro” first and prepare it in case it was needed to take away that curse.)

You can’t avoid the curse, but there are ways to disperse it.

To do this, you have to make an item called “Katashiro”, but it takes a lot of work to create it.

(T/N: Katashiro are human-shaped dolls, usually made of paper, but sometimes of wood, straw, or metal. In Shinto rituals and folk customs, these dolls are used as human substitutes to transfer sins and impurities, i.e, the curse, during exorcisms. After the exorcism, they are thrown into the river or sea, or burned.)

You have to get rare materials from various places, and you can only make one at a time.

Moreover, they burn up after a while, so if you don’t make a new one as soon as the katashiro is gone, Roze can’t stand the curse and will turn into a Vampire, devolving your playthrough into the route where Frelia collapses.

And so, collecting them now should make some difference.

(However……)

That would just be symptomatic treatment.

Using that isn’t a fundamental solution to the problem.

If you really think of a way for Roze’s sake, as expected, it would be best to avoid the future of her being “cursed” itself……

[Until here is fine. I’m going back to work, but what about you, Rex-san……]

[Eh? Y- Yeah.]

Was it because I was preoccupied with my thoughts?

Before I knew it, we had reached the intersection near the Guild.

The town was noisy at dusk, with Adventurers heading out to the taverns after a hard day’s work, the other townspeople hurrying home, and old ladies cleaning out the front of their stores.

[Rex-san?]

Erina curiously tilted her head at me who was standing still in that spot.

[Hey, Erina. About Roze……]

I opened my mouth, intending to tell her about Roze, but at that moment……

[AHHHH——————!!! The heck are you doing, Old man!?]

A loud, tactless voice overrode all my thoughts.

[…..Geh.]

Looking to the side, I saw Radd and the others had just returned from their adventure.

Clad in tattered gear, Radd and the others were causing a racket for some reason.

Among them, I could see Resilia’s eyes, glaring at me with a displeased look.

(It looks like I had bad timing. It seemed like they had just finished reporting to the Guild.)

Since the exploration in the <House of Roses> was interrupted, there was less need for me to accompany Radd’s party on their adventure.

And so, I asked Resilia to support Radd’s party, and had them go on a hellish quest to gain proficiency and EXP in combat.

[E- Even though we felt like dying while conquering a dungeon, you’re here having fun on a date, Old man!?]

Thereupon, Radd came up to me and shouted in a voice that seemed to echo all around me.

His voice seemed to be sharper than usual, perhaps, it may be because of that.

I had set a course for today’s Quest, a course that I thought they should be barely able to complete in this Era, but perhaps, it was a little too tough to do in real life.

[P- Please calm down, Radd-san. It’s not like I was on a da…… U- Ummm, doing that kind of thing with Rex-san. We were in the middle of a work-related matter……]

Erina-san, who seems sharp but is extremely vulnerable to unexpected developments, flusteredly explained, but she doesn’t make much sense.

And sure enough……

[Work-related matter? Then, why are you wearing casual clothes?]

[Ehh? Ah, no, this is……]

As Resilia appears from behind the party, quickly pointing out the inconsistency in her words, Erina became confused.

No, since it would be a problem if she had to fight in her work clothes, I simply had her change her clothes when I had her level up, but Erina was completely flustered to explain that.

In any case, I decided to offer a helping hand.

[Well, calm down, both of you. You shouldn’t be making so much noise in the middle of the street.]

[T- That’s right, Radd. I’m sure there must have been a reason……]

[H- However!]

Me and Radd tried to pacify him, but Radd still wouldn’t let up.

Other than him though……

[I- I’d also like to hear more about this!]

[I demand full disclosure.]

[It’s good to be young. Hohoho.]

Mana and Prana came rushing in from behind, and for some reason, seeing the situation, Granny Hohoho also appeared with her usual laugh.

The situation was getting confusing.

[A- Anyway, let’s go back to the inn. Alright?]

[You aren’t just trying to run away by saying that, are you?]

For some reason, Resilia has been less trusting of me lately.

As her eyes stared at me, the voice of heaven echoed.

[Hohoho. I know you have a lot of things to talk about, but things are a bit dangerous lately. I think you’d better follow the young man’s advice.]

The unexpected support gave me a boost.

[T- That’s right. I’ll definitely tell you the situation, so for now……]

As I was about to say that much, the words being spoken in my mouth stopped.

For a few seconds, I forgot to breathe.

The words were spoken so naturally that I didn’t notice them for a moment.

However……

—————–What did “she” say just now?

Filled with uneasiness in my heart, sweat beaded on my forehead.

My mouth is dry, and I can’t breathe properly.

[Old man?]

[Nii…… -san?]

The words spoken by Radd and Resilia don’t register in my ears.

Soothing the alarm bells ringing within my heart, I turned to the only outsider in that scene, she, who was always standing at the crossroads, like the living encyclopedia of this city.

[Excuse me, can I talk to you for a moment?]

Restraining my racing heart, I asked.

Just like usual, just as usual, just as “that choice in the game”, I spoke out that line.

[I’d like to know if anything has changed recently.]

She, Granny Hohoho, is neither surprised nor displeased by my sudden question.

She simply, as if a switch within her had been flipped, answered mechanically as usual.

[————Oya, it’s you again. Things are a bit dangerous lately, you know? I’ve heard that there are monsters roaming the streets that suck human blood. Well, this is just a rumor I heard. Hohoho.]

Before she can finish her sentence, the sound of the bell announcing the coming of the night echoes from the distant sky.

And driven by the sound of the bell, I find myself running as fast as I can toward a certain building on the outskirts of town.