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“WHERE are you headed off to today?” Jabrin calls out while we’re getting ready to leave the following morning.
Kazuya gives his usual crowd-pleasing smile. “We’re thinking of going to the Adventurer’s Guild to look for employment.”
“Oooh, the Adventurer’s Guild! Going to be adventurers, are you? Before I met Marie, I used to go adventuring to collect materials to make robes! But you don’t look that physically strong to me, so what role would you take?”
“Role?” I turned my head toward them, repeating this word that doesn’t seem to fit their conversation.
“Don’t you know what a role is? You really are from deep in the sticks. A role is basically your job. Adventurers form parties so they can tackle monsters. Within a party, there are different roles. Like swordsman, warrior, shielder, merchant, appraiser, hunter, apothecary, mage, and healer. That last class includes dancers, bards, and rare roles such as cook.”
Wow. So everyone works together in different roles to defeat strong monsters! And he used the word “mage.” Mage, meaning there’s magic! It’s the fantasy genre come to life! The teddy bear God mentioned something like that. Magic… That piqued my interest.
“There’re so many roles. How do I pick what’s best for me?” I ask.
“Pick one that matches your natural skills. When you join a party, they won’t just ask for your role. They’ll make you prove your skills as well, given lives will be at stake if you’re lying. So you ought to choose something that honestly suits you.”
“Pick a role that matches my skills…” This is kinda complicated. I don’t even know what I’m good at, or what skills are best for which role.
Beside me, Kazuya stares at the floor as if deep in thought.
“Don’t look so worried, my dear! You don’t have to figure that out on your own! Accurate assessments are done by the temple, and they cost a lot of money, so most adventurers don’t have a real thorough grasp of their skills,” Jabrin says. “That reminds me. There should be a book somewhere around here from my adventuring days, called the Adventurer’s Handbook. It might help you settle on a suitable job. Just a tick…”
Jabrin rummages through shelves in a back room, and produces a slim book. “Found it! Here it is.”
It’s like a picture book, full of colorful illustrations, with the title Adventurers Handbook for Beginners emblazoned on the cover.
“Give this a once over before you head to the Guild, and try to pick a general direction.” Having said that, Jabrin goes down to his store, leaving me and Kazuya on our own in the bedroom.
“He’s gone. He left us alone here even though he doesn’t know us that well… Guess he’s not very careful. Well, I suppose that means he trusts us,” Kazuya says in amazement, looking slightly happy as he flicks through the book Jabrin gave us.
I look over Kazuya’s shoulder. What does it say?
“The Ins and Outs of Adventuring”
“Adventurers are Always One Step Away from Danger”
“Bonds between Friends are Vital”
After the chapter list, it goes on to describe roles and skills like the ones Jabrin mentioned. We flip through a few pages and find one with a career aptitude test in the form of a flowchart, which says: “If you’re lost as to which role suits you, take this quiz to find out fast!”
“I guess you find quizzes like this in every world,” Kazuya murmurs with raised eyebrows, placing his finger on the first question.
“Are you confident in your strength?
Can you use magic to attack?
Are you good with your hands?
Are you confident in your speed?
Can you use a sword?
Do you have good eyesight?
Can you use a bow?”
And so on. Kazuya traces his finger down various lines, answering questions until he reaches…
“Look what this says,” I say. “‘If you’re clever and nimble, you’re perfect for work that requires great focus! The best roles for you are locksmith, assassin, merchant, and appraiser! Your specialty is assisting your party! Why not try using the beginner-level magic to test the skills listed on each of those job pages?’ …Huh. It’s kinda cheesy.”
“Shuddup,” Kazuya replies, then looks up and passes me the book. “You want to do it?”
“Yeah! I love quizzes!”
“I know.”
I take the book and put my finger on the starting question. “First off, ‘Are you confident in your strength’… Nope, not at all.”
“Hold on,” Kazuya interrupts immediately, incredulous.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t ‘what’s wrong’ me when you’re the one being weird.”
“No, Kazuya, have you forgotten? I’m dainty in this world!”
“Were you serious about that?”
“Yeah! Totally! I’m weak and fragile, and I’ve got to land a handsome brother-in-law for you!”
“You’re killing me here.” Kazuya heaves a sigh as a scowl clouds his face. “Ugh, whatever. Just finish the quiz.”
“Okay!” I go back to where I left off and trace the flowchart.
Can I use magic to attack? In my mind, magic is pretty, so let’s just say yeah, I can use it. Next… I can’t use a sword, and I’m not confident in my physical stamina… Okay. “Finished! This is the perfect job for a delicate girl!”
“It’s not perfect for you, though. It’s just your ideal job. What’d you get?”
“Mage!” I answer with a smug grin.