NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 3
In order to think about something and establish guiding principles, direction is an essential necessity.
I was sitting on the chopping block near the barn, which was becoming my regular spot, while contemplating.
Before my eyes, the status charts projected in three-dimensional cylindrical shapes were extremely vast, and as various skills and attributes were intertwined, even I, who had read countless rulebooks, could not fully grasp their entirety.
It made sense; this chart was filled with every possible ability I could freely choose from in this world—truly convenient. Although equipped with sorting and filtering functionalities, it would likely take time, measured in years, to become thoroughly familiar with everything.
Even the core section was extensive, with basic categories such as [Body], [Mind], [Education], [Martial Skills], [Senses], and [Social] surrounding it, further encircled by countless occupational categories. Including the explanations, it was so complex that considering it page by page was absurd. If converted into supplements, it would likely be an alarming amount; one should express gratitude toward the bodhisattva who freely provided this knowledge.
However, as someone who considers themselves a data enthusiast, the sheer amount overwhelmed me, preventing me from focusing properly. It was an extravagant problem indeed.
I had already found several combinations that seemed “broken,” and my excitement grew as I began to see how they might perform.
With the possibilities unfolding before me, responding appropriately to the current situation caused immense excitement—there’s unlikely an RPG player unaffected by this.
Still, the inability to focus and immediate practicality presented a slight quandary.
Immediate practicality implies risks: choosing what seems convenient at every moment could result in becoming a dilettante skilled in everything but proficient in nothing.
Although the interface’s convenience and functionality were impressive, unfortunately, this power was inflexible. Unlike character sheets written with a mechanical pencil or entered into Excel sheets, there’s no erasing skills or attributes, nor restarting options.
I messed up often during my beginner days. While everything seemed fine in the beginning, I sampled various jobs during growth, leading to tears when I couldn’t deal proper damage in crucial moments.
That’s why, honoring the unfinished endings of past characters, I must avoid becoming mediocre.
Of course, in this world, there are compassionate GMs—I intended to be one of them—who would likely permit rebuilding if things went awry. Unfortunately, the GMs running this world are ruthless and disdain dirty tricks. After all, reality works the same way; if life could be restarted, surely no one would jump from buildings for action resolutions.
Thus, it is necessary to establish a guiding principle: What shall I become? What shall I aim for? What shall I achieve? Despite my ability to potentially become and learn most things, it also means I could end up as nothing.
Here, caution is advised. After all, I know nearly nothing about this world.
What I know amounts merely to the name of the manor and, surprisingly, the administrative district it belongs to, along with the names of Lord and Deputy—though I’m largely ignorant of the political system, geography, history, and such.
Despite many choices being presented, deciding my future now is premature.
Deciding on a direction hastily without adequate knowledge might lead to something heretical, leaving me incapable of living normally among humans. Encounters where I can’t share accommodations with others due to barriers are far from ideal.
Thus, the priority should be ensuring powerful attributes—like being a prodigy—while strengthening fundamentals. This should be my immediate guideline in preparation for the ideal version of myself in the future.
My father often said, “Studying won’t hurt.” Even with a medical degree from Tokyo University, it’s possible to later become a palace carpenter, but the reverse is nearly impossible. Thus, equipping oneself for various aspirations is crucial.
Indeed, my father shared wise words. For instance, beginning to aim for becoming a swordsman in adulthood without previously training physical attributes would be too late.
So, first, I shall develop a balanced physical build and nurture intelligence and education. Upon that foundation, I’ll acquire suitable attributes and focus on gathering information.
Numerous attributes and skills are confusing—I encounter many that perplex, with unclear prerequisites for mastery.
Still, searching for these features is genuinely enjoyable. With every find of potent, occupational skills or universally useful traits like discernment, my gaming enthusiasm surges.
However, I realized many skills and attributes are inaccessible.
For example, traits related to ancestry, such as [Trueborn Aristocrat], are naturally locked. Despite being a strong attribute granting bonuses to negotiations with appropriate status and conduct as a noble, changing one’s lineage post-facto is impossible—it’s unsurprising.
Additionally, attributes deviating from my personal nature are off-limits. For instance, traits like [Saintly Virtue] or [Murderous Inclination] in the [Faith] or [Vice] categories of the [Mind] group, and traits of different “races,” are restricted.
This is understandable. I knew that increasing thinking and memory capabilities wouldn’t fundamentally alter me since these traits merely serve as external corrections.
Conversely, if later in life my spirit breaks or I find faith, these locked traits could possibly still be acquired.
Another limitation appears to be the impossibility of drastically changing my physical body. The [Body] section of the central human attribute columns detailed height potential and skeletal structures—likely because at age five, when I awakened to self-awareness, the “minimum required human development” had already been allotted to these attributes. It must have been a fail-safe to prevent fatal mishandling of points early on—this only affects potential values.
Physical attribute allocation simply defines future growth possibilities internally—such as “you’ll grow this tall” or “you’ll gain weight this way”—without instantly physically transforming.
This makes sense. If, without considering consequences, I allocated points toward height and muscle to “become tall and muscular,” and immediately stretched, everyone in the manor would question my identity.
A restriction on certain attributes that must behave naturally is reasonable, separate from those that improve through training.
Still, despite my long deliberation, I’m only five. Anything is possible from here; it doesn’t matter too much.
“Erich, daydreaming here again, huh?”
As I meditated on my ideal height, my older brother Heinz arrived. In one hand, he carried a wooden sword now emblematic of his affection, and in the other, a battered pot lid likely scavenged somewhere.
“Ah, Brother.”
“Come on, let’s play. Mihail and Hans are waiting too!”
After his resentment toward me faded, he started inviting me to play like this. Even my second and third older brothers, who had just been following our rough eldest brother, now played with me, becoming good friends.
“Yeah, what are we playing?”
“Duh, adventurer pretend-play!”
As we followed him with my short legs, he proudly thrust his wooden sword skyward.
An adventurer is one of the few occupations that escapes the constraints of church law and administrative regulation. Traveling freely between local trade unions, they solve problems for deputies and lords, ranging from trivial tasks to monster slaying, treasure hunting in ancient lands, and more.
Since hearing a bard’s saga, brother has become infatuated with adventurers.
It was a typical tale. So much so that the phrase “I’ve grown tired of dragon slaying” was born from the countless dragon-slayer stories I had heard in my past life. The basic story: a cursed royal queen could be saved if a healing jewel from the evil dragon was retrieved, and in return, the princess would be given to the adventurer who achieved this. Our hero finds a legendary sword, receives divine blessings, and embarks on the quest.
A quintessential classic story. I’ve participated in and planned similar adventures as both a novice GM and player—relishing the joy of such archetypes regardless of their cliché nature.
Ah, I remember there were some absurd twists: an adventurer who started courting the dragon and ended up marrying it, and another who suggested simply buying the dragon’s treasure and ended up becoming a notorious thief after the dragon demanded an exchange with the kingdom’s treasures in return.
These playful sessions are possible only because of the classic setup, so I won’t complain about the bard’s familiar saga.
Nevertheless, brother was deeply moved by the dragon-slayer tale and brimmed with enthusiasm. Now proclaiming his future as an adventurer, he leads all of us in mock-adventurer parties—truly heartwarming.
There’s no need to cruelly confront a child’s dream with reality—adventurers are just nomadic handymen. Besides, the eldest’s fate is to inherit the family farm and attend the deputy’s private school.
A few days ago, Father summoned me for a consultation.
He proposed sending me to the private school instead of my brother, should I wish.
I easily understood Father’s intention. He likely considered letting the intellectually promising youngest inherit the family home.
I graciously declined.
Plainly speaking, when possibilities exist, forcing oneself to continue a farming lifestyle is unnecessary. If potential suggests a worthy alternate path, pursuing it isn’t problematic.
It’s unfair to Father, who worked hard for the family, but this is a fantasy world. I want to explore!
I’m the fourth son. Even choosing to inherit would have limitations, and it’s unnecessary for Father to impose such burdens on me. Thus, I could readily recommend my brother’s attendance at the private school with peace of mind.
As a side note, Father revealed the reality of adventurers that day.
Only a small number of adventurers slay dragons and explore treasure-filled dungeons. Most deal with chores considered tedious or troublesome by lords and deputies—essentially treated as cheap labor for any task.
A rather disillusioning fact.
Thus, I ceded my spot at the private school for my brother’s future.
Truthfully, I have countless other possibilities. Ensuring the eldest properly inherits the family would be far more reassuring for the family.
“So where are we adventuring today?”
“Let’s check out the woods behind. The neighbor’s old man told me this story. Decades ago, a child hid a fairy-blessed coin in a tree hollow and died before retrieving it. That’s some treasure, right!?”
Let him enjoy being an adventurer fully then. Running around the small woodland poses no harm or financial burden. Finding a fairy’s coin? Excellent. That’s far better than being hired as cheap labor for thievery or rat removal in the drains.
Still, I couldn’t say I wasn’t fascinated by adventurers. My avatars over many lifetimes wore the title proudly.
A naive boy enchanted by magic swords, a young man hearing a deity’s call left the monastery to fight barbarians, a semi-magic being fled a persecuted origin to find fame, a widow necromancer seeking to revive her lost companion, a mechanical automaton discovering her hidden legacy within buried ruins.
All these adventures remain vividly in my memory, ready for replay at any moment. They were bright and joyful times.
Some achieved great success—like the one who became the head of a great robbery ring under impressive Henderson Scale stats, and the unlucky one who perished in the first chapter due to an exploding dice roll from a GM and player alike.
Digging into these memories suggests that being an adventurer might not be bad. Although the reality may differ, saga-worthy heroes still exist.
Chasing my brother who was lost in imagination, I ran along behind, indulging in my own fantasies as well …
[Tips] The skill points or traits allocated are irreversible. Regrettably, the powers bestowed by the gods aren’t as easily erased as those written with a mechanical pencil.
Sage, Ranger, Scout each Level 3… My first Hybrid Build… Ugh, my head…
January 22, 2019 – Title Revised