Chapter 1: Departure 1

At age ten, children go to church for a ceremony to receive God’s blessing.

The rural village where I lived didn’t have a fine church like those in the towns, so a priest came all the way to our village to conduct the ceremony.

One child my age received [Swordsmanship] and began dreaming of becoming a swordsman. Another received [Cooking] and decided to become a chef.

Children who received magic skills were valued even more highly than those with other skills. A mage who had accompanied the priest handed them letters of recommendation to the kingdom’s Royal Magic Academy, and they cried with joy.

“…So I got [Fixed EXP].”

The ceremony bestowed two things upon us: a Status that made our abilities visible, and a skill.

There were only two ways to obtain a skill—through this first ceremony or through training. Receiving a magic-related skill during the ceremony meant that a person possessed the talent to become a mage. Without talent, one couldn’t acquire the corresponding skill.

That was common knowledge in this world, and it was what I’d been taught as well.

But the skill bestowed upon me wasn’t an ordinary one. It was a special skill called [Fixed EXP].

✤

Name: Erik

Age: 10

Level: 1

Strength: 10

Magic: 10

Stamina: 10

Agility: 10

Dexterity: 10

Skills

—

Special Skills

[Fixed EXP]

Blessings

—

✤

[Fixed EXP] was a mysterious special skill.

Even the priest who performed the ceremony didn’t know what it did, and he was interested in it at first. However, another child who took the ceremony at the same time received [Courage], a special skill said to have been possessed by a hero.

Everyone immediately lost interest in me, so I quietly hurried home.

“Erik, how did the ceremony go?”

When I returned, my mother had finished her farm work and was resting at home.

Normally, one’s parents attended such an important day. However, I was the youngest of three brothers. My family had already been through the ceremony twice, and none of them showed any interest in mine.

They went about their day as usual while I went to the church alone and came back alone.

“Nothing special. Like I told you before, I’m leaving home.”

“I see. Take care of yourself.”

It’s not like I have a place here anyway.

I swallowed those words instead of saying them to my mother.

As the youngest child, I hadn’t been wanted. My drunken father once told me that he’d forced himself on my mother while drunk, and she’d ended up pregnant with me. My parents had wanted their second child, but not an unexpected third. I grew up with no one expecting anything from me.

That was why I’d decided long ago to leave home when I turned ten.

“I’ll only take the bare essentials. Not that I own much in the first place.”

After that brief conversation with my mother, I went up to the attic that served as my room.

Both of my older brothers had rooms of their own, but since I’d been born unwanted, I’d lived in the attic all my life. It was hot in summer and cold in winter, but it kept out the wind and rain, so I’d made do.

“Well, goodbye.”

I said the farewell I hadn’t given my family to the room I’d used for ten years.

When I went downstairs, my mother had finished her break and returned to work. Even knowing that her child was about to leave on a journey, she chose work instead.

I knew what my family was like, but my chest still ached a little.

“…I need to hurry.”

In a rural village like ours, a carriage to town came only a few times a month. Today was one of those days, so I hurried toward the carriage stop.

Along the way, I saw my family working together. They looked close, and my eldest brother noticed me. He quickly looked away, however, and went back to talking with our parents.

“…”

Before I knew it, I’d reached the carriage. I paid the fare and left the village.

The money came from odd jobs I’d done around the village since I was five. Twice, my savings had been discovered and taken. My brothers found them the first time and confiscated them, while my mother took them the second time, claiming they were needed for living expenses.

I improved my hiding skills so no one could take them a third time, and somehow kept the money until this day. Even so, I’d only saved enough to travel to a town and support myself there for a short while.

“It’s still better than staying in that village.”

I might die.

But no one in that village even cared whether I lived. If those were my choices, going to a town that might be dangerous was still better.

“Perfect weather for a journey!”

“…Yeah. The weather really is nice.”

Another boy who’d undergone the ceremony with me was on the carriage leaving the village.

The ceremony had been held jointly for several villages in the area, and he came from the neighboring one. He’d stood out to me because he’d received several skills.

“Hey, are you leaving your village to make a living too?”

“Yeah. There’s no place for me there.”

“Ah, got older brothers or something? My situation’s kind of similar.”

He’d been born into circumstances much like mine. The difference was that his family properly acknowledged him as one of their own and had even accompanied him to the ceremony.

He told me he’d decided long ago to leave his village and become an adventurer, which was why he was on this carriage.

“Oh, right. We haven’t even introduced ourselves. I’m Alan. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Erik. Nice to meet you too.”

“Erik, huh? That’s a good name!”

We held out our hands and shook.

“Hey, Erik, are you going to become an adventurer?”

By the time the sun set, the carriage had reached a campsite. We’d sleep there for the night and resume our journey early the next morning.

“That’s the plan. Are you?”

“Yeah! Though I’m not becoming one right away. I’m going to study in the capital for a while first.”

“Studying sounds good. I don’t have time for that, so I plan to register as an adventurer immediately.”

“Then you’ll be my senior! Once I become an adventurer, let’s work together.”

I nodded at Alan’s suggestion.

“I wouldn’t mind working together once.”

“Only once? This is where you’re supposed to say something passionate, like, ‘Let’s form a party!'”

I laughed at his retort.

Afterward, some of the other passengers told us, “Go to sleep already,” so we settled down for the night.