As guild leaders have their inquiries, I also have some concerns about other foreigners.

They claim to be heroes and speak of having a mission.

I've never heard of such a thing. First of all... I'd like to confirm that.

"Um... Are those who declare themselves as heroes and claim to have a mission considered to be carriers of divine fortune?"

"Indeed, those who claim to have a mission are said to possess divine fortune or destiny. However, they are not specifically instructed on what to do. Some have simply said, 'It is decided that they will defeat the Demon Lord,' but what exactly is this Demon Lord?"

Hmm.

Only at the moment I recognized that space, the voice echoed in my head... There were no instructions when I came to this world.

I didn't even ask what kind of world it was. Well, my prediction that it wouldn't be peaceful was correct.

And it's not just me thinking... it's a classic story to summon a hero and ask them to defeat the Demon Lord.

"Are you saying it's just a presumption?

Defeating the Demon Lord when going to another world... That's quite an assertive intention to interfere with the world to that extent. Isn't there anyone to stop such actions, rather than acting alone?

"Do you know anything about it?"

"The Demon Lord... 'Demon' is a general term for evil races that oppose humans, and the king of those is called the Demon Lord. It's from fantasy novels and such... huh?"

A fantasy world...

It's a classic for the hero to defeat the Demon Lord. So, what else is considered a classic in a fantasy world?

"Huh...?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing... I'm just trying to gather my thoughts right now, so please wait a moment..."

In a fantasy world... it wouldn't be strange to have races other than humans.

Since they mentioned the Beast Kingdom earlier... there's definitely races other than humans.

Even the guild's dismantler, I thought maybe they were a dwarf. There were adventurers with heights like children and people with long ears like elves.

"There isn't just one race?

If I were to allocate points to that race... I might choose it.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Um... Sorry for asking weird things... Are foreigners only of the human race?"

I receive a puzzled look in response.

Well, I'm also wondering what I'm talking about. Are foreigners, including me, only humans?

If there are races other than humans in this world, could one become something other than human?

"Hmm... Races, huh..."

"Discrimination based on race is a problem in various ways. Within the kingdom, each guild doesn't keep track of races. All we can say is we don't know the races. However, there were foreigners with appearances indicating they have elven or beastman blood."

"In the world I come from, there are no elves or beastmen. When I was in the white world, I was just a normal person. There were some with different skin colors. But... there were no different... races. So... I suddenly thought maybe I could allocate points there."

"If I were to go to a fantasy world...

Elves, cat-eared beastmen... I think there are quite a few people who like them. And according to the settings in game worlds, elves are good at magic, and beastmen are physically strong, they have their own characteristics.

If I were to allocate points for learning magic or something similar... It wouldn't be strange to allocate them to a strong race.

"The appearance of the young lady doesn't resemble any other race."

"Um... You mean in my case? If it were me, I'd choose a race that's not too different from humans to blend in, with slightly higher abilities if possible... I'd choose that. I wouldn't want to be persecuted for having an obviously different race, so something just a little different, but not easily noticeable... I think there are certain people other than me who would want to choose a race they like, like those who love animals might choose beastmen, or those who want to live longer might choose elves... If different races have different strengths, it's not strange to choose based on points... It's a possibility though."

"Hmm... I'd like to look into it, but it might be difficult... There are various political issues regarding races. Well, never mind, at least you think that way, right?"

"Yes. But I don't remember..."

"It's still valuable information. We've been presuming that there are races in other worlds too. Even if it's just a possibility, it's reassuring."

Hmm... It doesn't feel quite right.

If I could choose a race, why did I forget about it? That's the mystery. And... the ability of <Blessing> that I also don't remember...

For example... If there was something like automatically learning <Blessing> along with choosing a race... Could <Divine Fortune> or <Divine Mandate> be the same?

"Um... I feel like I would allocate points to my race, but considering I don't remember it... um, maybe, just maybe..."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I don't have any memory of choosing the <Blessing> ability... um, maybe, just maybe... it's automatically chosen when you choose your race?"

"Well, that could be possible. But wouldn't you know that?"

"Well, I really don't remember. That's why I'm not sure... But if choosing a race automatically comes with <Divine Fortune>, I thought... maybe it's worth considering. Normally, it's hard to believe that 70% would choose the same thing... but if it comes automatically, it wouldn't be strange for 70% to have it."

"Hmm... Could it be that you don't have the conscious memory because you didn't choose it yourself?"

Taking a deep breath and calming down before thinking. I don't understand why I have no memories.

I remember more than other foreigners, yet there are things I don't remember.

So, why is that?

Perhaps they let us choose ourselves and gave us some kind of mission. If only a certain percentage of us need to have a mission... Do they want foreigners to do something? Was the purpose of sorting to achieve this?

"For example... As a condition, you can only take one unique skill. I've confirmed this. And I chose my unique skill first. If, at that point, <Divine Fortune> were to be added when I chose other spells or abilities before that... what do you think?"

"That could be the case."

"But the unique skill was at the bottom. If I had chosen other spells or skills before that, would <Divine Fortune> have been added at that time?"

"Hmm... It's a hypothesis, but it's interesting."

"Well, it's not unreasonable to think that there might be some mechanism rather than 70% choosing the same thing. Is there anything else you're curious about?"

"...I can't say for now, as I don't understand the reason for the vague memories in the white world."

That's right... there was also the matter of headaches.

Whenever I tried to remember something about myself, I would get a headache. What was that about? It would subside on its own... or rather, did it fade away when I started thinking about other things?

No, there's still something else I want to ask about.

"You mentioned earlier... what are the magic and skills that others don't have?"

"In your case, it's Holy Magic. Basic magic doesn't include Holy. There are six types: fire, water, earth, wind, light, and darkness. Holy Magic is an advanced form of Light Magic. People who have Holy Magic are probably at the level of bishops in the Holy Church. Well, there are few who can understand the difference between Light Magic and Holy Magic."

Bishops!! Bishops are important, right?

I don't know the ranks in detail... but isn't it like Pope, Cardinal, Archbishop, Bishop... something like that?

Given it's called the Holy Church, it's likely a religious state.

Bishops are expected to be somewhat important. So, if someone who is not a clergy member has it, it means they have an unusual magic. But... there are few who can understand that?

Huh? So, when it's found out, does that mean they're connected to the church?

"...Um, having Holy Magic is just between us, right?"

"Of course. There's no need to leave a record... but Miss, you should be careful with how you handle it. Well, there are some adventurers who use Holy Magic, as a certain number of renegades from the church mix with adventurer healers."

"Yes... um, what about advanced magic?"

"...Explosion, Ice, Plant, Lightning, Holy, and Dark. Well, there are other foreigners who have advanced magic, but we don't understand the pattern."

...Explosion is probably a higher form of Fire? Ice is Water, Holy is Light... Dark is probably Darkness... then Lightning might be Air. Plant would be Earth. Advanced magic... it's scary not understanding the pattern.

At least, Holy... or probably Light, is better left unmentioned.

I didn't realize it was a rare attribute.

But wait... Since I'm solo, does it even matter? After all, if there are no companions, it doesn't affect anyone else, right?

"Miss, adventurers have an obligation to respond to town attacks and provide assistance. At that time, you may have to fight alongside other adventurers. There are also raid quests. Skilled healers are valuable, so requests will be frequent. It's up to you how to handle it... but being solo doesn't exempt you from these responsibilities."

"Ah, yes."

Huh? Did I say that out loud?

Even if I'm solo, I'll have to team up with other adventurers.

Wait... that's a heavy responsibility! I didn't intend to take on the role of a healer, just wanted means to heal myself!

"Healers are highly valued in parties because they are protected. We usually don't accept requests that only ask for a healer. But on the other hand, it's troublesome to include a party in a raid that doesn't match their skills... Solo adventurers like you who have their own means of healing are in high demand."

"Huh?"

So... does this mean I'll be involved in raid quests and cooperation requests under the jurisdiction of the Adventurer's Guild? Even though I have no intention of being a healer? Will I be cooperated with without even being asked?

"It depends on your growth, Miss. It wouldn't hurt to secure a promising healer candidate."

"Ugh... I didn't see that coming..."

I just asked earlier to focus on alchemy, right?

Does this mean they're fully expecting me to use it as an adventurer?

But... since I have it, not using it isn't really an option. Holy Magic is useful for cleaning and can be used for material processing as well, so I'll continue to use it in the future.

Actually, I'm not really using Light Magic... for now, at least. I've only used it to brighten up a room, but the workshop already has magical lighting. I don't mind sleeping in the dark, so... there's no need for it.

"You're smart but also astute."

"...I'll decline anything that's impossible. I can't cooperate with what I can't do."

I feel like I'm being manipulated. Is it because of their experience? I can't see any advantage for myself.

If I'm going to be used, I'd like to request protection as well... as an adventurer... I don't mind that, but I don't want to be conscripted by the country.

By the way, I confirmed that Light Magic isn't as rare as I thought.

Do I remember attending church since I was a child? However, just because I can use Light Magic doesn't mean I can use healing magic.

Huh? I'm not quite sure, but apparently, healing magic is dependent on individual talent. There's a lot of variability in who learns it and who doesn't, especially for healing magic. Some people learn healing magic with wind or water.

If possible, everyone wants to learn healing magic, it seems. Whether you learn it or not depends on how devout you are... that seems to be the key. Well, I'm not particularly devout, though?

Certainly, it seems convenient for religion if devoutness determines who learns healing magic.

"Otherwise, you won't increase your believers, right?"

"I see... Well, I'll think about what to do for now."

"That's right. Actually, I want to assess your alchemy skills as well."

"Is it because you became an apprentice to your master?"

"That's part of it, but you see, foreigners don't have abilities for production jobs like enchanting, alchemy, potion making, tailoring, or blacksmithing. Except for you, everyone else only had combat magic and skills."

"....Huh?"

Value in rarity rather than strength... For a stable life, I considered acquiring a trade. Even if it means being called a jack-of-all-trades, having various skills can reduce danger.

Even if it's not me... I think a certain number of people would want to choose production jobs. But nobody else?

"Well, I'll gather information from other towns and such from now on, so you might not be the only one. Assuming you can choose the abilities you want... if you don't recognize that you want it, you won't recognize that ability. So, it makes sense that you foreigners are specialized in combat abilities."

"I see... that's terrifying."

The abilities you want... does that mean all foreigners are warrior-types?

If you dream of a fantasy world and want to embark on adventures... do you want to become strong? Well, I don't want to die even in this world.

There must be people who dislike violence... They probably guided consciousness towards choosing battles. Even though I was going to another world and was going to fight, I didn't feel any aversion. My consciousness in that world... was not normal, I think.

"What's going to happen from now on?"

"First, we'll gather information to see if there are foreigners in other towns. We can't decide what to do with the foreigners until we gather a bit more information... to be honest, I don't have a good impression."

Specialized in combat abilities, lawless... oh, that's the worst.

It's like using them as sacrificial pawns to reduce their numbers... huh? Um...

Easy to handle, with no knowledge of common sense... a fighting force.

There's a dangerous potential in incorporating them all...

"Um... Does this country engage in wars with other countries?"

"Hehe, you're quite sharp, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Right now, no country is at war. However, some are in a ceasefire state, and there are countries where war could break out at any moment."

"Well, the kingdom has the most exchanges with other countries, but it's also a neutral zone that doesn't start wars as often, so it's relatively safe. As for the empire, there's not only external threats but also the possibility of civil war due to political instability. By the way, once you cross the mountain range to the southeast, that's where the empire starts, so in terms of distance, it's very close."

The appearance of peace... Each country prioritizes its own interests. I understand... it seems like if they can increase their military strength, they'll take advantage of it.

"Which countries use foreigners as human weapons?"

"Hahaha. Of course, I think there are several countries that do that. After all, it's convenient to provide a plausible explanation and send them to the battlefield."

In other words, even in this town, they're already considering using foreigners as a deterrent or as meat shields for other countries.

Scary.

Moreover, the fact that they're not hiding it from me... does that mean they want me to be aware of it as a collaborator? I'm not good at hiding my feelings... they easily show on my face...

To distract from the sudden headache, I quickly shake my head and try to forget about it.

"What exactly am I supposed to do as a collaborator?"

"Well, you're a foreigner, but you're not receiving any special treatment as one. You've paid your adventurer guild registration fee yourself, and you haven't been appraised. You don't have an obligation to report to the country. That's enough for now. For the time being, you're free to do as you please. Whether you want to hone your alchemy skills or raise your level as an adventurer, it's all fine. As long as it's not criminal. We'll contact you when we need your cooperation, but it won't be for a while. We don't want to attract unnecessary attention."

"Um, I don't really plan on increasing my combat abilities that much."

"That's fine. As I said before, you're free to do as you please. Your utility will change depending on how you grow."

"Being told I can spend my time as I please... it's much kinder compared to the beginning."

Yeah... there might be something behind it... but even if I think about it, I won't understand. If I don't understand, it's better to go with the flow than to be suspicious.

"Oh, and about the sage leaves..."

"Yes... starting tomorrow, I plan to have adventurers who are more familiar with gathering conduct further investigations. There are parties of foreigners who have delivered large quantities of sage leaves. However, if it's found that foreigners are responsible for damaging the forest... they'll likely be sent to the border."

Sent to the border... Is it appropriate to perceive it as a dangerous area?

It's not forgivable because it's their first offense, but it's better than the death penalty... I wonder what the death penalty system is like, anyway. I've been meaning to look it up, but I keep putting it off...

There's something else I'm curious about... something I want to ask.

Equipment!

Everyone had matching gear. While there were differences between copper and iron, having the same breastplate design could potentially give away the fact that they were foreigners.

"...Also, about the equipment, I have a request..."

"Hmm. Wearing the same equipment would give away that you're foreigners. Let's have Mary provide you with new equipment tomorrow. We can't exactly take back what you've been using and give you new ones for free... but we can consider it as a loan from the guild, to be repaid gradually. We'll make sure it's recorded at the bank, alright?"

"Yes. Please go easy on the price."

"It's equipment for a newcomer. I won't make it too expensive. Let's consider it as if we had been holding onto it for repairs."

"Yes, thank you."

I received the new equipment and requested a replacement. I'll be informed about the future through Mary or maybe through Leonis. I won't be directly involved in anything that could give away my identity.

What lies ahead... I can't help but feel anxious.