Even when Vandalieu opened his eyes the next morning, there was no sign of Darcia.

  『This is strange… I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe I should go out to find her.』


  Normally, it would be reckless for a six-month-old infant to go outside by himself, but if Darcia didn’t come back by the end of the day, Vandalieu would have to venture outside either way.

  There was still the one rabbit that Darcia had caught alive, but its blood would only last him until the end of today. He would have to make food suitable for an infant to eat by himself, but he was still only six months old. His stomach found it difficult to cope with food other than blood and his mother’s milk.

  『Infants eat a lot more than you’d expect. I need to eat five or six times a day, since I’m doing magic practice and physical exercises, so my energy expenditure is quite high.』


  Because of this, Vandalieu needed to eat considerably more than a normal infant. If he simply stayed here like the infant that he was, it was possible that he would starve to death in a few days’ time.

  Because he was a Dhampir rather than a human, he wasn’t sure how long it would take for that to happen.

  『Well, I guess I’ll start getting ready.』


  Though he wanted to go out to find Darcia, his body was still unable to walk, let alone run, so he had to make various preparations. First, he had to secure a method of moving around.

  『The first thing to do is… Get up.』


  As Vandalieu gave this command in his head, the rabbit that he had killed by consuming its blood twitched and began to move.

  He had not granted it life. He had used his magic to have the various spirits floating around nearby to possess the rabbit’s corpse, turning it into an Undead.

  It was a death-attribute spell that created Undead.

  『Looks like it worked. I wasn’t sure if I could do it or not, since my skill is still only level 2, but it seems it works fine if I use a bit more Mana to compensate. I guess it’s because my skill level is low; I can only make a moving corpse. But I can still use it to move around.』


  The rabbit didn’t have any of the agility that it had when it was still alive; it simply moved. In Origin, he had planned to use this spell to escape. But he could only create these weak servants and they would be of no use against the strict security that he had been under, so he had given up.

  The amount of Mana that he had needed to create this single Undead rabbit was far greater than the amount he needed for spells like Sterilization and Bug Killer. When Vandalieu checked his status, he found that his Mana had decreased by 10,000.

  Using Sterilization once only cost him a single point of Mana, so the Mana cost of 10,000 was enormous in comparison.

  『But one rabbit isn’t enough. More of you, get up. You, you and you, get up. You as well, hurry and get up!』


  The ivy that Darcia had used instead of rope began to crawl around like a snake.

  The small knife that she had used for cooking began lightly floating in the air.

  The shabby bed made of wood rattled as it began to shake.

  Vandalieu could have spirits possess more than just corpses. He could make them possess inorganic substances such as ivy, wood and metal. The idea came from fantasy and occult works that he had seen on Earth - evil spirits that possessed weapons to move on their own without a bearer, cursed gems or vases and Poltergeists that that caused furniture to move on its own.

  However, having spirits possess inorganic substances required several times more Mana than having them possess a corpse.

  『I used nearly 1,000,000 Mana just now. My head hurts a little… I’ll leave after I replenish myself.』


  Vandalieu sucked the blood from the last remaining rabbit to replenish his Mana, turned that into an Undead as well and then left his home, riding on the bed.

  『Get up, get up, get up, get up, get up! Which way is the town? Where can I find somewhere with lots of people?』


  The bones of a deer, a mummified bear, a wild boar missing its head and internal organs and a human’s corpse that for some reason only had a skeleton remaining. These servants carried Vandalieu’s bed as he continued onward.

  If anyone other than an adventurer or soldier were to witness this sight, they would surely tremble with fear.

  An infant with silver hair and odd-colored eyes, one deep crimson and the other a bluish-purple, leading an army of Undead. A terrifying sight indeed.

  But he looked more fearsome than he actually was.

  The Undead corpses and bones of animals. The tools and furniture that had been cursed to be made Undead… Any one of these could be repelled by a single farmer wielding a hoe, and any adventurer would only consider them a group of small fry.

  Knowing this, Vandalieu continued increasing the number of Undead at his command as he hurried forward.

  『Mom isn’t in this forest.』


  He had commanded a winged insect fly around to search the forest, but there was no sign of Darcia. He asked the spirits that were floating amongst the trees, but they couldn’t give him the information he wanted.

  His head felt hot, as if it was steaming, and he felt a dizziness that would not subside. He no longer knew how many millions of Mana he had spent. But he couldn’t shake off this bad feeling.

  『I should have tested making Undead earlier! I should have had an Undead follow Mom around!』


  If he had done that, he would know where she was. If something happened, he would be able to sense it straight away.

  In fact, if Darcia had known that he was capable of doing these things, she might have decided to leave the forest on the journey for her birthplace earlier.

  But he didn’t test it. He had lived in peace, thinking that he would test it the next time his skill level increased. He had been spoiled by Darcia, his mother.

  『Faster, to the town!』


  He had around 50,000,000 Mana remaining. By the time his group of Undead reached Evbejia, the town closest to the forest, night had already fallen.

  Evbejia was a small town built in between two villages, with a population of around 2,000. It was governed by Bestero, the Baronet.

  It was surrounded by a wall to ward off monsters and there was no way to enter except through the four gates to the north, south, east and west. Unless one could fly through the air.

  『You guys wait here. Bone Monkey, you carry me.』


  He grabbed onto the back of an Undead he had made from the skeleton of a large monkey he had found in the forest, whom he had named Bone Monkey, and quietly approached the town’s outer wall.

  It was a town with a population of only 2,000, so it wasn’t at particular risk of monster or enemy nation attack. Vandalieu could see holes in their guard system. If the person in charge of the security at the military facility in Origin could see this, he might feel sorry for these people.

  Even so, the gates were closed and guards stood watch after nightfall.

  There would be chaos if a human-sized skeleton monster approached them. That’s why Vandalieu ignored the gates and headed for the walls.

  And then he embedded some Mana and a suitable number of spirits into the stone wall.

  『Make a hole, big enough for us to pass through.』


  The portion of the outer wall, now an Undead wall, wouldn’t disobey its master’s command. Making small, grinding noises, it changed shape to create a hole to allow passage through.

  49,000,000 Mana remained.

  【The Death-Attribute Magic skill has leveled up!】


  He was barely aware of this announcement inside his head; his dizziness was very severe now. His head felt as if there was a hammer continuously striking his temple.

  『Bone Monkey, find an alleyway where there’s no sign of any people.』


  Bone Monkey continued forward, his bones rattling as they moved against each other. His movements were unrefined and showed no sign of consideration for Vandalieu who was clinging to his back, but it wasn’t a problem. Vandalieu wasn’t able to walk on his own yet, but his arm strength already exceeded that of a grown man. Holding onto Bone Monkey with both hands, he could easily support his own body weight of less than ten kilograms.

  He looked around the dark, almost lightless town. Thanks to his Dark Vision, he could see as clearly as if it were in the middle of the afternoon.

  『Find Mom.』


  Sending out the Undead bugs to gather information, he listens to information from the spirits floating around the city that are conscious.

  Normal spirits that hadn’t been turned into Undead normally dissipated quickly after death unless they had an exceptional force of will. That was why Vandalieu thought there wouldn’t be very many of them.

  『… She’s in the town square.』(Bugs)

  Therefore, he was so surprised that his heart almost stopped when he heard this answer given to him.

  『To the town square!』(Vandalieu)

  Bones rattling again, Bone Monkey moved quickly.

  And in the town square, Vandalieu saw Darcia.

  She was there.

  『Vandalieu… I’m sorry…』(Darcia)

  As a spirit that looked as if it would vanish at any moment.

  『Mom!』(Vandalieu)

  『I’m sorry. Mommy died. But I didn’t say anything about you, Vandalieu.』(Darcia)

  『What… happened…?』(Vandalieu)

  Darcia’s spirit, covered in countless whip-marks, began her explanation.

  She had come to here, to Evbejia, to gather information to prepare for the journey to the Dark Elf village, where the murder of even a Dhampir would not be allowed.

  『After all, Vandalieu, you have one eye the same crimson color as your daddy’s, and one bluish-purple like your mommy’s. People would know that you’re a Dhampir with one look at your face.』(Darcia)

  That’s why using the highway wasn’t an option. So there was a need to find a relatively safe alternate road where monsters wouldn’t appear.

  But she had been betrayed. The Church of the god Alda knew her name and appearance, and one of their members reported that there was a female adventurer who sometimes came to the town, matching her description exactly.

  Darcia had unsuspectingly entered the town only to be surrounded by hired adventurers and ambushed by the knights of Baronet Bestero and the monks of the Church. She had resisted, but eventually captured.

  『I fought desperately, but there were adventurers that were even better with a bow and spiritual magic than me, so it was hopeless. After that, they whipped me, asking me, “where is the Dhampir that you birthed, you damn witch?”』(Darcia)

  The Church had tortured Darcia severely. They had whipped her, broken her fingers and pressed hot irons into her.

  The pain must have reached all the way into her soul; even after becoming a spirit, the scars of the torture remain visible on Darcia’s body.

  『Even so, I kept quiet, I’m amazing, aren’t I? I did well, didn’t I? But the Church realized that torturing me was useless, so they burned me at the stake earlier this evening.』(Darcia)

  In order to spread the news of their achievement, the news that they were ending the life of the woman who had succumbed to a vampire’s seduction, they had executed Darcia publicly.

  『So I was burned alive. After that, I wanted to at least go to see you after becoming a ghost, but the Church’s High Priest Gordan sprinkled holy water over my ashes. Because of that, I could barely keep myself from disappearing, so I couldn’t come to see you.』(Darcia)

  As Vandalieu listened to Darcia’s words, his vision blurred and he felt a sense of despair and powerlessness, as if his body were rotting away.

  If he had left to look for her yesterday, he would have made it in time. If he had come here sooner, he would have made it in time.

  While he had been carefree, doing nothing, they were whipping his mother’s beautiful, chocolate-colored skin. While he had been satisfying his stomach with the blood of the rabbit, hot irons were being pressed into her.

  And while he had been awkwardly wandering about the forest, she was burned alive in public as a criminal.

  All that remained of her now was a smile pile of ash on the stone pavement of the town square.

  【You have acquired the Mental Corruption skill!】


  『If I had grown up faster, if I had trained myself in using magic earlier, if I had taken the time to gather information beforehand… If I had become stronger, Mom wouldn’t have had to die!』(Vandalieu)

  Maddening emotions swirled around Vandalieu’s mind. His expression didn’t change much, but his body was shaking in grief and tears of regret and anger flowed endlessly from his eyes.

  【The level of the Mental Corruption skill has increased to level 2!】


  Darcia watched him sadly.

  In truth, she had not wanted to tell him about the horrible things she had endured before her death. But she hadn’t been able to stay silent about it.

  As a weak spirit on the verge of being extinguished, it was impossible for her to go against the wishes of Vandalieu, a death-attribute mage with an enormous amount of Mana.

  And in front of her eyes, Vandalieu’s Undead insects returned to him. They had brought back information about Darcia from all over Evbejia.

  『My Lord, today’s public execution was exciting, was it not?』(Steward)

  『Indeed. Even if we did not catch the vampire itself, catching the Dark Elf who opened her legs to him is still a satisfactory achievement. My reputation with His Majesty and the Church grows better, and the day of my appointment to a higher position draws near.』(Feudal Lord)

  『The day you can receive the Characters of Correspondence* from Baronet Bestero-sama is also near.』(Steward)

  A feudal lord and his steward were happily envisioning a bright future for themselves while enjoying their dinner.

  【The level of the Mental Corruption skill has increased to level 3!】


  『That damn witch, she didn’t say anything about the Dhampir in the end.』(Feudal Lord)

  『Hmph, I suppose she was trying to show her motherly love. She should have at least pleaded for her life when we burned her at the stake. She did not show any signs of repentance, right up until the end; she was truly a witch.』(Steward)

  『She is surely burning in the flames of Hell now. So from tomorrow, we will be hunting the Dhampir using the Five-colored Blades?』(Feudal Lord)

  『Would it not be fine to leave the infant? It has already been three days since the baby who still requires his mother’s milk has been separated from her. I am sure it is dead by now.』(Steward)

  『Do not be so complacent! Even if it is a baby, half of its blood is that of a Vampire; we do not know what kind of powers it may have inherited! If his father had been of lower breed it would be another matter, but if he was a noble… or a pure-breed, what would happen if you left him!』(Feudal Lord)

  『My apologies, High Priest Gordan.』(Steward)

  『But we do not have the funds to hire the Five-colored Blades for long, and it would be unwise to add any more to our current achievements. I am sure that they are also not planning to associate themselves with us for much longer. They are adventurers, after all, different from us apostles of the God of Law and Fate, Alda. Have Ebvejia’s hunters guide them on the hunt in the mountains and work together with the Baronet-dono’s knights.』(Gordan)

  『Yes, Sir.』(Steward)

  In the Church, the High Priest and holy knights were calling Darcia a witch and cursing her while discussing how to dispose of Vandalieu.

  【The level of the Mental Corruption skill has increased to level 4!】


  『Today’s work was quite simple, huh. That Dark Elf was decently skilled with a bow and spiritual magic, but I’d say she was a D-class at most; she didn’t stand a chance against us. Isn’t that right, Blue-flamed Sword Heinz?』


  『What’s wrong, Heinz? You’re acting a bit strange.』


  『… No, it’s nothing. I just have a really bad aftertaste about it.』(Heinz)

  『You feel sorry for that Dark Elf? You’re the leader of us B-class adventurers, the Five-colored Blades. Don’t be going saying na?ve stuff like that.』


  『I don’t know whether she succumbed to the Vampire’s seduction or wanted to become immortal, but that Dark Elf was paying for her own mistakes. It’s nothing to be concerned about.』(Female adventurer)

  『That’s true, but I was shown a letter of introduction from the earl. I suppose it couldn’t be helped.』(Heinz)

  『Well, let’s use the gold we earned to get some drinks and food. It’s just like eating the meat of the monsters we defeated, you know? That’s how we can honor her memory.』


  The adventurer group who had been hired to catch Darcia, the『Five-colored Blades』, were saying that they would use the gold they earned from killing her to treat themselves to a meal.

  【The level of the Mental Corruption skill has increased to level 5!】


  『Cheers! A toast to the Baronet-sama and High-Priest-sama!』


  『Hahaha, a toast to Orbie’s moodiness as well!』


  『Oi, who are you calling moody?!』(Orbie)

  『You, of course, you right here. I’m proud to have a companion who would fall in love at first sight with a beautiful Dark Elf coming to the town and then follow her like a hunter after being rejected.』


  『What, it’s because of that that that we figured out that she was the witch on the wanted poster!』(Orbie)

  『It was really a waste, though, huh. Burning a beauty like that at the stake. And now we’ll be earning some extra money by going on a hunt for the Dhampir. The knights will probably be in command, but I’m sure we can get paid a bit for guiding them through.』


  『What are you talking about, we’re going to be the ones to catch the Dhampir. That way we’ll be getting a big payout, not just a little bit.』


  『You didn’t tell them where the Dark Elf’s hiding place was?!』


  『Good job, Orbie! If we catch the Dhampir, we can sell him to the Church, the Mage Guild, slave merchants, wherever we like!』


  The hunters who had betrayed Darcia were now laughing loudly as they planned to capture Vandalieu and sell him.

  【The level of the Mental Corruption skill has increased to level 6!】


  『If you don’t behave, you’re going to be burned at the stake like the witch.』


  『We can’t find the Dhampir, huh. I’m a bit anxious, they should hurry and exterminate him.』


  『Is there no chance the Vampire will come back for revenge?』


  『It would be a big problem if our village’s wine became known as the wine of the village the Vampire came from. I wish this problem would be taken care of already.』


  And finally, the words of the townspeople… the people who led very ordinary lives. None of them had any sympathy for Darcia.

  【The level of the Mental Corruption skill has increased to level 7!】


  What a turn of events.

  In all of his three lifetimes, Vandalieu had not thought even once that the world revolved around him, or that it was full of good will.

  But he had never thought that it would be this cruel, this vicious.

  Earth, Origin and finally Lambda.

  This was his third life, but he had not experienced happiness even once. Would he forever be forced to endure the torturous feeling of having things taken from him?

  In every one of his lives he had done nothing wrong, but had irreplaceable things taken from him and received nothing in return.

  Even the god that he had discovered really existed had made no effort to help him.

  『I’m sorry, Vandalieu…』(Darcia)

  And then, right before Vandalieu’s eyes, Darcia was about to be taken from him as well.

  『It seems Mommy’s at her limit now.』(Darcia)

  Darcia’s form, which was already faint to begin with, began to blur and her voice began to waver. Her spiritual form was reaching its limits on how long it could remain in this world.

  『Wait! Mom, you can’t go!』(Vandalieu)

  Darcia would be going to the afterlife, into the hands of that god of transmigration, Rodcorte. If he found out that Vandalieu had lost his mother on Lambda, he would surely be laughing. Rodcorte would laugh at Vandalieu, hoping that he would feel more despair, hoping that he would give up. Vandalieu did not want this, he couldn’t allow it to happen, he couldn’t bear it.

  『I’m sorry. I wanted to talk to you like this a lot more. I wanted to see you grow big, turn into an adult. I wanted to see you find a wife, have children and become happy.』(Darcia)

  【The level of the Mental Corruption skill has increased to level 8 - 9!】


  『I got it, Mom.』(Vandalieu)

  Vandalieu had 45,000,000 Mana remaining. He poured all of it into Darcia’s spirit.

  『Eh, ah, ah, ah? Vanda - aaaah!』(Darcia)

  In the same way as when he created Undead, he poured his Mana into Darcia, whose fleeting spiritual form looked as if it could disappear at any moment. It was like pouring water into a bucket with a hole in the bottom, but even with a hole, the bucket would be filled if a vast amount of water was poured into it.

  『Next, I need a vessel that Mom can possess…』(Vandalieu)

  He couldn’t use a random stone, tool or bone. If he used something like that, it would be difficult for it to preserve Darcia’s personality for long.

  If it were possible, her original body would have been best, but her body was now a pile of ash.

  『Isn’t there something I can use?』(Vandalieu)

  He had Bone Monkey search the pile of ash and found one of Darcia’s scorched bones. It was a fragment small enough to fit into Vandalieu’s tiny hand.

  『This will do. Mom, inside here.』(Vandalieu)

  Darcia, who was having an enormous amount of Mana poured into her, tried to defy her son’s request.

  This was for his sake.

  It was tragic, but she was already dead. Even if she was turned into an Undead, it would be different from when she was alive. Being by her son’s side in such a form wouldn’t be of benefit to him. In fact, it would have a negative influence.

  That was why, even though she wanted to be by his side longer, she tried to separate herself from him as she fought back her tears, but -

  【You have acquired the Death-Attribute Charm skill!】


  I want to be by his side, I want to be by his side, I want to be by his side, I want to be with him forever! I don’t want to separate myself from this child!

  『I understand. I’ll be with you forever.』(Darcia)

  Darcia’s mind was filled with one thought, and she willingly inhabited her own remains.

  『With this, I’ve recovered Mom, even though it’s just her spirit. I’ll create a new body for her one day.』(Vandalieu)

  Vandalieu had gathered the Mana needed to maintain Darcia’s spirit form and a vessel for her to inhabit. But it was just a bone fragment, after all. But she couldn’t move of her own will and could do nothing but sleep until Vandalieu decided to speak to her.

  That was why he definitely had to increase his skill with Death-Attribute Magic and create a vessel for her with which she could live a normal life, just as she had when she was alive.

  『But before that, I have to get revenge on these guys.』


  The Baronet and his servants, the Church, the adventurers, the hunters, the townspeople - Vandalieu would take revenge on all of them.

  He would never be satisfied until he did so; it made no sense that they would suffer no punishment whatsoever. It would be far too absurd.

  『But right now… I’m at my limit.』


  He had less than a tenth of his Mana left. His head was hurting, he was thirsty, hungry and sleepy… He had demanded too much from his six-month-old body.

  『I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll avenge you later… Bone Monkey, go back the way we came.』


  Bone Monkey picked up Vandalieu in his arms and left Evbejia, bones rattling as he walked. The outer wall that had opened a hole for Vandalieu and Bone Monkey to pass through returned back to normal and the group of Undead that had been waiting followed after Bone Monkey.

  The people were completely unaware that they had stirred the hatred of someone they shouldn’t have.

  【The level of the Rapid Healing skill has increased to level 2! The level of the Surpass Limits skill has increased to level 2! The level of the Status Effect Resistance skill has increased to level 2!】


  Name: Vandalieu;

  Race: Dhampir (Dark Elf);

  Age: 0.5 years old;

  Title: None;

  Job: Ordinary person;

  Level: 0;

  Job history: None;

  Attributes:

  Vitality: 18;

  Mana: 100,000,600;

  Strength: 27;

  Agility: 2;

  Stamina: 33;

  Intelligence: 25;

  Passive skills:

  Superhuman Strength: Level 1;

  Rapid Healing: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!);

  Death-Attribute Magic: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!);

  Status Effect Resistance: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!);

  Magic Resistance: Level 1;

  Dark Vision;

  Mental Corruption: Level 10 (NEW!);

  Death-Attribute Charm: Level 1 (LEVEL UP!);

  Active skills:

  Bloodsucking: Level 1;

  Surpass Limits: Level 2 (NEW!)

  Curses

  Experience gained in previous life not carried over

  Cannot learn existing Jobs

  Unable to gain Experience Points independently

  Appendix 3 — Adventurers’ Guild explanation

  Farmaun Gold, the champion chosen by Zantark, the now-fallen god of war, founded an organization following the battle between Alda and Vida. After his death, the organization divided into multiple Guilds. The Guilds reunited again, giving birth to the Adventurers’ Guild of today.

  It is an organization that aims to assist in the hunting and resource-gathering in Devil’s Nests and Dungeons, which were previously done individually rather than in groups, so that the gathered resources may benefit society. While Farmaun was still alive, he used Alchemy to develop registration cards, commonly known as Guild Cards, creating the foundation for today’s Guild.

  After Farmaun’s death, the number of organizations that would later become the Adventurers’ Guild grew in number as humanity recovered, with different names such as the Hunters’ Guild, Heroes’ Guild, the Frontier Guild, the Braver Guild and the Adventurers’ Guild* emerging. However, the Adventurers’ Guild is now a unified organization under a single name, even across different continents.

  The Adventurers’ Guild is fundamentally an organization that has no relations with any nation, but like every other Guild, they are not free to do as they please.

  This includes the fact that they have to pay taxes. Each Adventurers’ Guild branch deducts tax from the reward money it pays to adventurers. The tax rate differs depending on the nation, but it is generally around ten percent.

  Whether Vida’s races such as Dhampirs are treated as monsters, the type of support given to adventurers and rules within the Guild depends on the nation as well.

  · Adventurer registration

  Adventurer registration is performed by qualified staff through specialized Magic Items.

  There are two requirements for registration. First, one must be a person. This is a broad term that encompasses humans, Elves, Dwarves and Vida’s races. However, the definition of this term differs from country to country. For example, Dhampirs are treated as monsters in the Amid Empire, so they cannot register as adventurers.

  The other requirement is to be of a certain age. In the Amid Empire, one must be of fifteen or more years of age. In the Orbaume Kingdom, each duchy has a different age requirement, but the age requirement is generally around ten. Duchies with an age requirement of less than ten conduct tests for reading, writing and arithmetic. Those determined to have academic abilities at the level of a ten-year-old are allowed to register.

  There are other conditions such as that one must not be a criminal or a slave, but this is common knowledge, so this explanation will not go into detail on these.

  A form containing the applicant’s details such as their real name, age, race is handed to a Guild staff member, and a drop of blood is applied to a Magic Item. This causes the applicant’s status to be displayed to the staff member. At this point, applicants are sometimes rejected if there are any inaccuracies in the filled-out form. This is also the point at which the Guild ensures that there is no bounty on the applicant’s head.

  If there are no problems, a registration card, commonly known as a Guild Card, is issued. From that moment on, the applicant becomes a member of the Adventurers’ Guild, an adventurer.

  · Adventurers’ Cards

  The identification documents of adventurers. They are made of a special metal-like substance, and they are the size of business cards on Earth. The name and current class of the adventurer is printed on the front.

  The back is usually blank, but it can also display the adventurer’s Attribute Values and skills if they wish.

  The first time the card is issued, there is no charge, but there is a fee to replace lost or damaged cards.

  · The adventurers’ code

  Not breaking the laws of the region.

  Helping other adventurers when possible.

  Paying a penalty fee for failing to complete a request.

  These three rules are strictly adhered to. When they are violated, depending on the severity of the violation, adventurers face fines, class demotions, expulsion or even having a bounty put on their heads and arrested. There are even cases where requests are issued to hunt them down. Such cases would cause the nation to hunt them down as criminals as well.

  · Adventurers’ social status

  Adventurers are generally self-employed professionals who are responsible for anything that happens in their line of work. However, their social status differs depending on the nation.

  This is because the degree of the nation’s reliance on adventurers for dealing with monsters and maintaining public order varies from nation to nation. There are records of large military nations existing in the past that used their own armies to exterminate monsters and keep the highways safe. The adventurers in such countries were treated like yakuza members.

  In the Bahn Gaia continent, on both the Amid Empire’s side and the Orbaume Kingdom’s side, there are not enough men available to do this. Adventurers are acknowledged as those who will fight in times of emergency and as those who defend the people from monsters, so the people rely on them. Higher-class adventurers are particularly well-respected.

  Of course, the largest factor determining an adventurer’s social status is his own everyday activities.

  Politically, they are ordinary people unless they hold a court rank, but adventurers of B-class or higher possess power that cannot be ignored and greater wealth than lower noblemen. There are differences between adventurers based on their class and past achievements, but they are considered to have some political influence.

  Because of this, the reality is that adventurers cannot stay uninvolved with politics as they climb through the classes.

  The Mirg shield-nation is an exception; it has a custom of not hiring adventurers for large-scale military activities. This is because it has learned a bitter lesson from when large numbers of adventurers were once mobilized for war. This caused the monster-hunting within the nation to be neglected, causing a large monster rampage.

  However, it is merely a custom. Many exceptions are made for small numbers of adventurers to participate in some activities.

  · Adventurers’ Attribute Values

  There are combat-related Jobs that provide bonuses to acquiring combat-related skills and an increased rate of increase in Attribute Values, and there are creation-related Jobs that provide bonuses to acquiring creation-related skills but give a low rate of increase in Attribute Values.

  At first, there is not much difference between the two different types of Jobs, but the differences become larger as one undergoes more Job-changes, to the point that it becomes difficult to believe that two people with different types of Jobs belong to the same race.

  · Example - Humans

  Before undergoing a Job-change, the Attribute Values of adult humans (around fifteen years of age) are as follows: Vitality is 30, while the other Attribute Values, including Mana, are a little above 10. This would be considered ‘average’.

  D-class adventurers who fight at the frontline would have 500 Vitality, Strength and Stamina, 100-150 Agility, 50-60 Intelligence and around 100 Mana.

  Higher-ranked adventurers keep information such as their Attribute Values and skills hidden, but B-class adventurers that are considered first-rate masters have either 10,000 Vitality or Mana, and one or two of their other Attribute Values would be at least 1,000.

  There is a large difference between D-class and B-class, but this is to do with the fact that specialized Jobs such as Magic Swordsman and Axeman provide better Attribute Value gain than apprentice-type Jobs and generic Jobs like Warrior. There is also the fact that only those who have high Attribute Values to begin with can acquire such specialized Jobs.

  · Courses and training

  Various courses and training can be taken at the Adventurers’ Guild. There are lessons taught by retired adventurers for the acquisition of battle-related skills, such as Swordsmanship, Archery and Spear Technique, lectures on how to harvest herbs and disassemble various kinds of monsters for their parts, courses in magic taught by instructors invited from the Mages’ Guild, and even lessons in basic things like reading, writing and mathematics. There are all kinds of things that can be learned.

  These courses and training cannot be taken constantly. Students of the adventurers’ school take priority, so normal adventurers must apply for courses at reception.

  If intensive training is desired, it is more efficient to enroll at the adventurers’ school. However, the adventurers’ school system doesn’t exist in the Amid Empire and its vassal nations.

  · Adventurers’ school

  In the Bahn Gaia continent, this can only be found in the Orbaume Kingdom, but it is compulsory for adventurers who have not yet come of age to attend the adventurers’ school.

  The system was changed a hundred years ago. Underage adventurers undergo a simplified registration and the enrolment procedure, pay the enrolment fee (a small sum, but those who cannot pay it can defer the payment) and become students treated as G-class adventurers.

  Each school has different requirements for enrolment, but like registration to become an adventurer, one can enroll if they are a person. However, certain duchies may have rules that prohibit members of certain races from enrolling.

  The school uses a credit system, and the enrolment period is between one and three years. Students can graduate once they earn enough credits or three instructors acknowledge them as being capable. However, many students graduate within two years.

  Most underage adventurers form their first parties with those who attend the school at the same time as them.

  In addition, those who are not underage can also enroll if they wish. However, the enrolment of former knights and such who are already as capable as adventurers of D-class or greater are not very welcomed. (Because the students would be stronger than the instructors.)

  · Adventurer classes

  Adventurers are divided into 8 classes between G-class and S-class, as detailed below.

  The Guild decides which requests they can accept based on their class. Adventurers can accept requests up to one class above their own class.

  · G-class adventurers

  This is the class bestowed upon those who have just registered as adventurers. This is the starting line for adventurers, and this is when they make their preparations.

  The requests they can accept are generally those within towns and villages, so they do not experience battles. These are tasks like cleaning the insides of the Guild’s facilities and other forms of manual labor.

  The rewards they are paid are small, and there are sometimes days where there are no such requests. Because of this, adventurers of this class are barely able to afford to stay at cheap inns with crude meals.

  In exchange, they are able to take beginner-oriented courses and training at each Guild basically for free.

  The G-class is a preparatory period for adventurers who were poor people and peasants who struggled to afford food, so there are no adventurers who stay at this class. They are not even taken into consideration. They earn meagre wages to pay living expenses while taking courses and training at the Guild to acquire skills, gain knowledge regarding things like herbs and aim for the higher classes. There are a small number of individuals who become Guild employees rather than advance to the next class, but these are rare cases.

  However, because hunters and farmers can take the parts that serve as proof of monster extermination from weak monsters such as Goblins and Horned Rabbits caught in their traps, they register as adventurers in order to sell those parts for money. In this case, they often remain G-class.

  Other than those who were formerly soldiers or mercenaries, adventurers of this class have no real skills to speak of.

  · F-class adventurers

  One can become an F-class adventurer after taking multiple G-class requests and having the Adventurers’ Guild deem them to be motivated to be of benefit to society or after passing instructional courses. There are also many who are designated as F-class to begin with due to their innate ability (but not those who are underage).

  The requests adventurers of this class can take are things like gathering herbs, mushrooms and wild plants in normal fields that are not Devil’s Nests, hunting rabbits and doves, or gathering fish and shellfish from rivers and lakes.

  There is a chance that they will be forced to fight monsters such as Goblins during these requests, but they are not allowed to accept requests to directly exterminate such monsters. Also, it is recommended that they do not enter Devil’s Nests.

  The exception is when they are working under a senior adventurer. They then carry equipment and harvest materials while learning the basics of being an adventurer. It is an old tradition that the senior adventurers hand down old weapons that they once used as a reward.

  Though the lifestyles of F-class adventurers are better than those of G-class adventurers, they cannot be called plentiful. Because of this, many adventurers who remain in F-class actually have other occupations as their main occupations while doing adventurer work on the side.

  These are farmers who spend their off-seasons hunting rabbits and squirrels while exterminating Goblins, and fishermen who fight Sahagins while defending their fishing grounds.

  Also, some nations permit their soldiers to hold secondary occupations, so they spend their days off hunting and gathering herbs from plains to sell for money. Such soldiers live somewhat more abundant lives.

  The ability of F-class adventurers falls somewhere between average people who haven’t experienced a Job-change and people who have acquired an apprentice-type Job. They have no skills suited for combat, or if they do, the skills are level 1 at most.

  · E-class adventurers

  After an F-class adventurer continuously accepts F-class requests, a promotion to E-class is considered.

  The condition for becoming an E-class adventurer is to at least be able to use martial skills that can be used in battle or possess magic-related skills.

  However, mages capable of using magic to a standard that it would be useful in real battles are often promoted straight to this class.

  It is from E-class that adventurers start resembling the world’s general perception of adventurers.

  It is common for E-class adventurers to be the most capable adventurers in a small village; there are almost no cases where such villages constantly have active adventurers above this class.

  The variety of requests that can be accepted widens greatly at this class. E-class adventurers can accept monster extermination requests and caravan escort requests. There are still herb-gathering requests as well, but they are often in more dangerous locations than requests of F-class and below.

  There are also many requests that require the adventurers to enter Devil’s Nests, but their helpful seniors will often stop them from venturing too deep inside.

  Many E-class adventurers live similar lifestyles to ordinary people living in urban areas. But they do not have much surplus income; they buy cheap arms and equipment while wishing they could earn just a little more.

  It is difficult for an E-class adventurer to think about getting married, retiring and living a stable life. The vast majority of them leave thoughts about marriage until after another promotion.

  The ability of E-class adventurers falls somewhere between those with apprentice-type Jobs and those who have acquired Jobs such as Warrior and Thief. Their skills are at least level 1. Many of those aiming to become D-class adventurers have skills at level 3.

  An average E-class adventurer can defeat a Rank 2 monster in a one-on-one battle.

  Also, adventurers of this class are able to make deposits and request loans from the Adventurers’ Guild. However, the amount they can borrow is quite small.

  · D-class adventurers

  From this class onwards, there are promotion examinations. The examination for promotion from E-class to D-class consists of an interview with Guild staff as well as a practical test to ensure that the adventurers are capable of completing requests to kill other people.

  As adventurers of D-class and above accept requests to kill or capture people like bandits, pirates or criminals with bounties on their heads, they must be capable of killing people without losing their sense of morals.

  Because of this, there are a small number of individuals who give up on being an adventurer after failing to promote to D-class due to mental reasons. This is commonly referred to as the D-class wall.

  However, most adventurers are capable of reaching D-class as long as they can overcome this wall.

  Those with sharp tongues often say that D-class is a gathering place for people with average talent who put in an average amount of effort.

  However, it is not uncommon for a D-class adventurer to be the number one adventurer in Guilds of small towns that only have small Devil’s Nests or easy Dungeons nearby. Many villages do not even have any D-class adventurers.

  D-class adventurers can accept requests that are more dangerous and pay better than E-class requests. Also, the Adventurers’ Guild considers adventurers to be independent from this class onwards.

  Adventurers of this class live better than the average farmer, but not as well as merchants who own stores in towns. They are somewhere between the top of the lower class and the bottom of the middle class.

  They sleep in inns instead of houses. They have more surplus income if they spend less on their equipment, but their work requires them to risk their lives. They spend their days contemplating this dilemma. Also, many D-class adventurers who live more modest lives than their income allows so that they can make deposits at the Guild in case they suffer severe injuries or lose limbs.

  Marriage isn’t impossible, but if D-class adventurers continue to live in towns, they can’t live what can be called financially stable married lives. This means that they would have to find new jobs after retiring.

  For adventurers with working spouses, their lifestyles depend on the income of their spouses.

  Because of this, when a Guild employee or merchant looks to hire private escorts, there is often a flood of D-class adventurers who have decided that they have reached their limits.

  The ability of most adventurers of this class falls somewhere between those who have reached level 50 in a Job like Warrior or Mage, and those who have undergone Job-changes to core Jobs such as Swordsman or X-Attribute Mage.

  Most have skills between level 3 and 4.

  D-class adventurers are able to at least defeat Rank 3 monsters on their own, and it is considered only natural for veteran D-class adventurers to be able to defeat Rank 4 monsters.

  · Class adventurers

  To be promoted to this class, one must pass a simple etiquette test and a written examination.

  Also, most people experience a “talent wall” at which it becomes incredibly difficult to level up, at least once before becoming capable of being promoted to Class. Thus, it is necessary for them to be able to overcome this wall.

  Because of this, Class adventurers are relied upon more than usual, and if they return to their hometowns, they are welcomed back as accomplished individuals. Also, adventurers of this class and above are recruited by noblemen and merchants.

  Direct requests from noblemen and wealthy merchants become mixed with their regular work, and some of these employers will try to monopolize the adventurers, so caution is needed for these adventurers if they wish to maintain a free social status.

  Many Class adventurers live like wealthy middle-class citizens. They live about as well as those with equestrian and knight court ranks, and honorary barons without land.

  Class adventurers own a house that they use as a base, installed with magical stoves and other household Magic Items, allowing them to live in luxury.

  Many of them also equip themselves with arms made of monster materials or magical metals such as Obsidian, as well as Magic Items of Middle-class or higher.

  Adventurers of this class have at least gained specialized Jobs such as Swordsman and Axeman, and the majority of them have already undergone a further class-change from there.

  Those who have just become Class have the main skills they use in battle at level 4 at the very least. The average Class adventurer has skills at level 5 or 6.

  Class adventurers are expected to be able to defeat Rank 5 monsters on their own. Veteran Class adventurers should be able to defeat Rank 6 monsters on their own, and a party of Class adventurers should be able to defeat Rank 7 monsters, which include Dragons such as Earth Dragons.

  · B-class adventurers

  Reaching this class requires one to have multiple significant achievements - such as hunting Dragons alone and clearing dangerous Dungeons.

  There is an examination, but it is just an interview, so there are almost none who fail. Those who are told to take the examination have their promotions practically decided already.

  B-class adventurers can accept all kinds of requests, and if they complete them successfully, they are paid large sums of money as rewards.

  Also, B-class adventurers have higher social statuses than knights or lower noblemen, even if they were born commoners. Even in large nations, they live only in large cities with tens of thousands of people. It isn’t rare for a B-class adventurer to be the strongest adventurer in a small nation.

  B-class adventurers are generally heroes and are acknowledged to be superhumans. B-class adventurers are so revered that a village producing a B-class adventurer can be used as grounds for revitalizing the village. In towns, B-class adventurers are asked to participate in ceremonies and frequently receive handwritten invitations to the weddings of young celebrities they have never met.

  Generally, those who are promoted to B-class should give up on living as they like.

  B-class adventurers live just as the average person would expect successful adventurers to live.

  It is possible for them to make the success story of “buying a mansion, hiring some servants and marrying a beautiful woman” a reality. It isn’t rare for them to marry the beautiful Guild receptionist that all of the adventurers admire. Marrying a daughter of a noble family is possible as well.

  Even after retirement, they do not have to worry about finding other work. They can work as staff of all kinds of Guilds or serve as combat instructors for noble families. There are more than a few B-class adventurers who have saved enough or have a successful side business, which enables them to not have to work for the rest of their lives.

  Their wealth far exceeds that of lords of regions that have only a few villages.

  Many B-class adventurers have gone through at least five Jobs, including apprentice-type Jobs.

  Their skills are level 6 at minimum; the average B-class adventurer has level 7 skills.

  Also, more than half of adventurers at this class possess Titles.

  B-class adventurers are expected to be able to defeat Rank 7 or 8 monsters, monsters that would be able to destroy entire towns on their own. Parties of B-class adventurers are sometimes requested to exterminate Rank 9 monsters designated as disasters.

  · A-class adventurers

  The criteria for promoting to A-class varies depending on the times. It can be said that the criteria is that one must be someone who would leave their names in history through deeds such as defeating monsters designated as disasters alone.

  They are national heroes, with more influence than noblemen during times of crisis. Even during times of peace, they cannot be ignored. In smaller nations, they receive offers of marriage to members of royal families, and agents are dispatched from larger nations to recruit them.

  A-class adventurers are generally acknowledged as heroes that appear in legendary folk songs. They are so prominent that even undesired stone and bronze statues of them will be built and songs, plays and biographies will be written about them. Because of this, they must preemptively nominate artists themselves and give them authorization to create such works.

  A-class requests generally ask for adventurers by name, so there are almost none posted on walls of Adventurers’ Guild branches.

  Their rewards are great, and some of these requests must be treated with confidentiality as they can influence the fate of the entire nation.

  However, there are also requests for adventurers to visit daughters of important families under the pretense of acting as an escort.

  The moment one becomes an A-class adventurer, he must stop believing in the illusion of adventurers being self-employed, free individuals who are free from matters concerning nations and power.

  A-class adventurers live like upper-class noblemen. They possess a mansion fully-equipped with convenient Magic Items, own several villas and employ numerous exceptional servants. It would be difficult for them to live difficult lives.

  It is normal for them to be married to several women, and there are many who engage in charitable work such as the management of orphanages as well.

  They are exactly as wealthy as commoners imagine noblemen to be.

  It is difficult to measure the abilities of A-class adventurer. The average A-class adventurer has experienced at least seven Jobs and the main skill that they use in battle is level 10.

  Also, it is normal for them to possess multiple Titles. It isn’t rare for them to have unique skills or the divine protection of a god.

  It is expected that they would be able to exterminate Rank 9 monsters, which would cause a national crisis for a smaller nation if they emerged from a Devil’s Nest, on their own.

  · S-class adventurers

  The requirements for promotion to this class are ambiguous. It is a status bestowed upon those whose power exceeds A-class adventurers, who are considered superhumans among superhumans themselves. Their achievements are left behind in not only legends, but also in myths.

  As S-class adventurers are powerful enough to annihilate a small nation on their own, they generally have strings attached to them from somewhere.

  Their influence is so great that if one were working in a small nation, even a large nation wouldn’t be able to ignore his presence and would willingly cancel their own plans of invading that nation.

  There are no requests that are limited to S-class adventurers only. In general, they accept tasks that are personally requested of them.

  What is known about how they lived is only what has been left in the records. These are full of imaginable things such as purifying entire Devil’s Nests to turn them into habitable land on their own, and defeating corrupt kings to usurp their thrones.

  The Thunderclap Schneider is the only person to become an S-class adventurer in the past hundred years. If he is to be taken as an example, S-class adventurers live absurd lives. He has taken countless lovers, engaged in multiple charitable efforts and possesses a mansion with so many servants and slaves that they could make a small village.

  S-class adventurers are more powerful than A-class adventurers, but there are no clear standards. However, they often possess a superior skill.

  They are expected to be able to defeat enemies such as Elder Dragons and evil gods, mythical beings that can threaten the very existence of great nations.

  Bonus information:

  1. The Green Wind Spear Riley was an A-class adventurer, but he was fraudulently promoted to this status due to the Guild Master in the Mirg shield-nation being bribed and blackmailed by Earl Thomas Palpapek.

  Because there are no clear requirements for promotion to A-class, there are past cases where such fraudulent promotion has occurred.

  Also, the largest reason for Riley’s bad reputation in the Adventurers’ Guild and elsewhere is because he had taken Gennie among his criminal slaves that he used as party members.

  Gennie was a Class adventurer who became a slave because he did inhumane things to adventurers who were supposed to be his relatives. Riley strutted through the Adventurers’ Guild with such an individual accompanying him, so it was only natural for his reputation with not only the reception lady, but the other adventurers as well, to fall.

  2. Marrying the reception lady is a goal for any male adventurer, but it is not as if every Adventurers’ Guild receptionist is young, beautiful and single, nor does the Guild require receptionists they hire to meet these criteria.

  However, a successful marriage with an adventurer is acknowledged as a much more realistic dream than marrying the son of a nobleman or a prince on a white horse, and the salary is high as well. Thus, it is a popular occupation that has a great number of applicants whenever the Guild is recruiting.

  The Adventurers’ Guild is also aware of the popularity of such receptionists, so while they maintain that such criteria do not exist, they often choose to hire beautiful women.

  3. Talosheim, a city of five thousand people, had multiple A-class adventurers including the Sword King Borkus, as well as a great number of B-class and Class adventurers.

  This would normally be considered abnormal, but as there were multiple Devil’s Nests around the city and it was in an environment where the nation would face difficulties if Dungeons were not explored, Talosheim had an abnormal number of powerful individuals.

  4. Vandalieu’s Attribute Values, such as Vitality and Strength, are low compared to adventurers because of his young age. He has yet to undergo his second growth period, so his Attribute Values are lower.

  It can be assumed that this will be resolved as he grows older.