Chapter (359) I’m just a string
It was the day before the book sales event.
I was called by Suzuki.
“Staff from the Magic Research Institute have conducted an investigation on the frenzy curse. They found the people with the frenzy curse. They are currently housed in a protected facility. I heard that Ichinojo-kun has mastered Dispel so I was wondering if you could help to dispel their curse.”
“Oh, I see. Phew, then that’s the end for this case.”
I laughed while saying that, but Suzuki’s expression remained serious.
Why was that so?
With that in mind, I recalled the words Suzuki mentioned.
『They are currently housed in a protected facility』
… They?
“Wait, Suzuki. Wasn’t there only one person who has the frenzy curse?”
“No, three people were found. Furthermore, the owner of the hair that Kusunoki-kun found wasn’t among those three.”
“That means there’s at least one other person with the frenzy curse and there’s no telling how many more there are? That is strange.”
There are two potential pitfalls when cursing a person.
I heard that when using the frenzy curse, you could either drop a level, lose your job, or in the worst case, die. A Curse Master is a rare job so was it possible to curse such a large number of people?
“The possibility I can think of is that the magician’s collaborators or the person himself have the so-called growth cheat-type divine blessing, such as 20 times the experience gained. With the growth cheat-type skills, a person could level up tens of times faster. It could be possible to curse around two people a week.”
I almost burst out laughing when he said that.
I was raising my level hundreds of times faster.
Indeed, if the price for casting the spell was a level, it would have good compatibility with the growth cheat divine blessing.
“But I don’t think that’s the case. When Japanese come to this world and they follow Daijiro’s instructions to change their jobs at a nearby town church, all divine blessings would be reported to the church. Most of the people who have increased experience gain divine blessings will work for the nobles with territory or royalty, and those who have the decreased experience required for leveling up divine blessing will be power leveled as a national project and appointed as military generals. In other words, there is no one with growth cheat that isn’t controlled by the state.”
… Nope, there’s one right here. Well, I couldn’t say that.
If I obediently changed my job, perhaps I would have been a general in some country or a power leveling personnel for some aristocrat? I wouldn’t have met Haru, but I felt like I’ve lost a valuable job opportunity. Although I don’t intend to report myself at this stage anymore.
“Well, there are some exceptions like Kusunoki-kun.”
“Buho.”
I spat out for real this time.
“Wh-what are you saying, Suzuki?”
“I didn’t intend that as a leading question. After all, Kusunoki-kun, you said you only came to this world recently. However, you now have the power to overwhelm the Demonic King Dragon. If it was just that, there was a slight possibility of you having a magical power strengthening divine blessing but you mastered the Practitioner job in the short time you heard about it from me. I can’t think of any possibility apart from a growth cheat.”
“… If you could keep quiet about this.”
“Regardless of if I kept quiet about it or not, you are already a quasi-Baron - moreover, one under the wing of Count Paul. I won’t disclose this information to the subordinates of other aristocrats. It was the king of the Kingdom of Siraraki who made that decision. Reporting your identity would be a betrayal to the Kingdom of Siraraki. As a nobleman of the Kingdom of Siraraki as well, I can’t do that.”
Suzuki said with a wry smile.
This guy was not only good looking but has good personality too.
If I were a woman, I would fall in love, stupid idiot.
“But even if we were to consider Kusunoki-kun’s example, I don’t think a growth cheat was involved. Three people were found to have the frenzy curse in just a few days. If we think in terms of the whole town, I believe nearly fifty people have the frenzy curse. Even with a divine blessing with a growth rate of 20 times, it is not realistic. There should be another condition that can cast the frenzy curse multiple times in a short period of time. But that isn’t completely realistic either.”
“Wouldn’t it be implausible if it is not realistic?”
“You see, even in the famous detective novel, it is said that ‘Once you exclude all that is impossible, the remaining possibility will be the truth no matter how unbelievable it may be.”
“Conan huh?”
“Yeah, it’s a phrase from Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.”
… I mentioned the title of the manga but it was in fffacttt the person the main character of the manga respected. Suzuki did mention that it was a detective novel.
“So, what is the conclusion that Suzuki Holmes arrived at?”
“Suzuki Holmes feels like a family name. At least go with Sherlock Suzuki. No, it’s not that I want to be called that. Yeah. They are paying for it with something other than levels.”
“Compensation other than levels? Is that possible? In that case, won’t that be the correct deduction?”
“Yeah, but the compensation needed is actually a very rare magic tool, a Job Snatching Gem.”
“— A Job Snatching Gem!?”
“Do you know something about it?”
“No, it’s nothing”
The Job Snatching Gem was the magic tool that I needed to return to Jobless after I changed job.”
I conveyed to him that currently there was a rumor that the dragon has one, but there were not many left.
“Oh, so there were such rumors. Isn’t it unthinkable to steal a gem from a dragon? We don’t have enough evidence to make a report and even if we have evidence, all we have to do is to find and cure the people affected with the frenzy curse.”
“That’s true. I’ll leave it to you to find them while I help to treat them.”
“That’s very patronizing. Kusunoki-kun was the one who wanted to find them and I have been running around because of that.”
“Isn’t it fine? It’s something like the fate of a hero, right?”
“I think you, capable of fighting dragons numerous times, are more suited to be the protagonist.”
“You’re wrong. After all, heroes don’t do ‘that’, right?”
Only evil magistrates and idiotic feudal lords do ‘that’.
“That?”
“I’m just a string for turning the spinning top.”
A string for turning the spinning top that has been allowed to live freely.