Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Chapter 190

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Chapter 190 – Alias

The next day.

Since I had already received permission from Nillow-san, I jumped over the stone wall separating the first and second districts and dived near the front entrance of the palace.

It was the place where a soldier had opened the door and let me out of the carriage yesterday.

As I approached, thinking that he would recognize me, the soldier guarding the entrance called out to me.

“Loki-dono, I presume. Are you here on business again today?”

“Yes. This time, I was summoned by Neival-sama.”

“I see. There was quite a commotion yesterday, and things are still in disarray inside, but please come in.”

(It’s surprisingly smooth…)

Thinking so, I entered the palace.

By flying over the front gate of the palace, I could have landed directly in the garden where I talked to the old lady yesterday.

However, judging by the soldier’s reaction, he seemed to understand that I was from another world and was a bit suspicious of me, but he didn’t seem to think that I was the one who had forced the city’s priests to solve the situation.

That’s convenient.

It was likely that the old lady had successfully covered up yesterday’s events and kept my secret.

After passing through there yesterday, I made my way to that room, my eyes flickering as I walked down the hall.

When I knocked on the door, the old lady immediately greeted me and looked me straight in the eye, just like yesterday.

“You’re here. Have you thought this through?”

“Yes. Oh, hello, Enny-chan.”

“Hello! …Hey, wait a minute! We’re about the same age, so don’t call me ‘-chan’!”

“Eehh!?”

Didn’t she tell her great-granddaughter that I was from another world?

I couldn’t help but give the old lady a pleading look, and she scratched her cheek and explained.

“Well, I told her about the Loki boy. But she’s like that with everyone.”

“I-I see…”

Is she just fearless, or does she just not like being treated like a child?

It’s not entirely clear, but I can guess that her outstanding talent is related to her personality.

Well, she’s her great-granddaughter, so I guess she’s just being sweet.

“Ha, haha… Should I call you Enny then?”

“Yes, that’s right! I’ll call you Loki, too! Loki is the bitter one, right?”

Seeing that Enny was in a good mood and humming as she went to make drinks, I kept my eyes on her grandmother.

“I’ve been thinking about it, but… Wait! I’ve thought about it, but… Is it okay to talk about it in this room?”

When I asked, the old lady looked at me with a serious expression.

“What is it? I’m willing to help with most things, but is it something serious?”

“No, I don’t think it’s that serious. You said yesterday that talking in the room would be overheard, right?”

“Ah, today is fine. The people from the Audit Office are too busy right now. They’re probably rushing to report to every town and staking out churches all over the city.”

“Hmm… I see. So you’re considering the possibility that this is a trap involving the city priest.”

“That’s right. Well, His Majesty has decided to completely abolish discrimination against subhumans, so I think they’re just doing a thorough investigation to be on the safe side.”

Saying that, Enny brought over some coffee, and the old lady’s face wrinkled even more.

You shouldn’t drink it… Sip it… Ah, it’s delicious.

“Then I won’t hesitate to say it. I want three things!”

“Three things? Okay, go ahead.”

“First, tell me where you get this coffee!”

“What?”

“No, I mean, I want to keep drinking this coffee, so I need to know where I can buy it.”

“That makes me sound like a fool. This coffee comes from the Kingdom of Waltz. However, it’s not sold in the city—it’s a ‘prohibited item.'”

“What? Is it okay for a high-ranking official to say that so openly?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s just not sold in the lower districts, but some members of the royal family and nobility enjoy it. Apparently, beastmen with a keen sense of smell are involved in its production. So technically, it’s forbidden to bring it into the country, but in reality, some products are brought in under the guise of being grown by individuals.”

“…..”

“It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? The government knows there’s no point in having such strict regulations. But if they were to lift them publicly, there would be no way to stop it. So, they’ve created their own arbitrary interpretation that only the privileged class can enjoy. That’s the way of the world.”

All I wanted was a cup of coffee, but I ended up listening to another unpleasant story.

I understand what she’s saying.

When you allow something, it’s common for people to start asking for more and more.

But that doesn’t mean that only the people at the top should enjoy the benefits.

And then there’s the old lady.

When I look at her with resentment, she casually replies.

“I have been saying for over 50 years that discrimination is nonsense. I have friends who are demi-humans, and I’m happy to use and eat things made by demi-humans. No matter what the government says.”

“Given your position, was that okay?”

“I didn’t think it was okay, so I said I would leave my home even if it meant leaving my country. Then they hurriedly prepared this room for me in the palace.”

I was surprised at the old lady’s candor as she laughed.

Before, she blamed someone else, but I can’t help but think that Enny is becoming more like her because of her personality.

(It’s the privilege of the strong.)

Of course, she was able to do that because she was an old lady.

Even if it meant breaking the rules, the country couldn’t let go of an asset like the old lady.

It’s just a misunderstanding on the part of the people around me, and the meaning is a little different, but it’s still similar to the environment I’m in.

That being the case, the next step is to find out her secret.

I put the coffee down and made my second request.

“Hey, old lady. I want you to tell me the secret of your strength, even if it’s just a little bit.

I can’t ask her to tell me everything. It’s too scary.

Even though we’re friendly now, if I make her angry, I’ll definitely be in big trouble.

So, at the very least, I want a clue that might give me an idea of her strength.

While the old lady was thinking about my question, Enny, who was sitting next to her, suddenly spoke up.

“Don’t you know what my great-grandmother’s called?”

“Eh? Not Neival-sama?”

“No. Fire Immortal Witch Neival—that is what my great-grandmother is known as.”

“Fire Immortal Witch?”

“You really don’t know anything, do you? By the way, Loki is even higher than that, so be prepared for the possibility that you’ll be called something of heavenly class in the future.”

“???”

It sounded like a nickname or something…

Even after asking for more details, I still couldn’t quite understand it, but the content wasn’t that difficult to understand, and it was even a little heartwarming.

First, as a premise, one’s abilities are something that should be kept hidden.

This is generally understood as a way to avoid revealing one’s strengths, and the Hiding skill is even recommended for self-defense.

However, for those who have mastered certain skills—that is, those who have surpassed a certain skill level-revealing them can intimidate and alert other people and other countries and can even be incorporated into a country’s defense strategy.

This is the rank called “Heavenly Immortal of Magnificent Enlightenment.”

Magnificent Class indicates a specific skill level of 7.

Enlightenment Class indicates a specific skill level of 8.

Immortal Class indicates a specific skill level of 9.

Heavenly Class indicates the maximum specific skill level of 10.

Combining these with martial arts or magic skills can lead to widespread recognition, such as the nickname “Fire Immortal,” which is similar to the old lady.

In essence, it is like publicly declaring, “I am a level 9 Fire Magic user.”

However, there are a certain number of people who want to hide their high level or have their own unique nicknames, so this title is mainly applied to military personnel who are easy for the government to publicly announce both domestically and internationally.

Since the declaration is free, it could be seen as a strategic move, but even so, an average opponent would probably be too intimidated to start a fight.

And I also understand the possibility of being called the Heavenly Class.

Since reincarnates are born with the highest level of skills, if they have combat-related skills, they are automatically called Heavenly Class.

However, for non-combat skills such as production, even if the skill level is 10, the rank title Heavenly Immortal of Magnificent Enlightenment is rarely used.

(In this case, since my Lightning Magic skill is level 7, I should be called “Lightning Magnificent.”)

Hmm, I see.

Wait, that sounds kind of cool…

As I repeat it to myself with a grin, I begin to wonder about the word “witch” the old lady used.

Is it her appearance? Or her occupation?

Thinking so, I ask her.

“What, you don’t know what a ‘special class’ is? You never studied, did you, Loki?”

Again, Enny interjects sharply.

(Ohohoho… Getting angry at a child is stupid. Calm down… Calm down…)

“Come on, not everyone is as privileged as Enny. There are a lot of kids who want to study but can’t.”

“That’s right! There are a lot of kids who really want to study!”

“Hmm… So you’re poor!”

“I’m not poor!”

Smack! Smack!

“Ouch!”

“Stop fighting over such trivial things! … So, Loki boy, you want to know the secret of my strength, right?”

“T-That’s right! I don’t want you to tell me the details of your abilities, but more like… tips?”

“By the way, what job did you choose?”

“Eh!? T-That… I-it’s a…”

“”Huh?””

“It’s a secret…”

“Ah, Great-Grandma! It’s definitely a low-level job! Loki’s face is so embarrassed that he can’t say what it is!”

It’s not just a low-level job; it’s basically permanent unemployment, so when I look at Enny, she grins like she’s won a victory.

(Damn it! But I can’t say it! I can’t say something as meaningless as ‘salesman’!)

“Huh… Enny, go borrow some from Altrico.”

“What? More studying!?”

“I told you, being able to study is a blessing. Go on!”

She bragged about her knowledge, but she doesn’t really like to study.

As I watched Enny walk away with her shoulders slumped, the old lady opened her mouth as if she had been waiting for the right moment.

“I won’t ask too many questions because your current job might be connected to Loki’s secret. But if what Enny said is true and you chose your job carelessly, you should aim for a higher position. Even if you can’t choose one now, the skills you acquire and your environment will allow you to choose from more options in the future. That’s the fastest way to reach greater heights.

“I know that, but…”

“That settles it. I’m going to tell you a secret that I haven’t revealed publicly either. When you choose the ‘Witch’ class, several magic-related skills automatically increase by two levels. That much is already documented in some books. But there’s more—the amount of magic power used per spell also changes significantly before and after you acquire the class.”

“Isn’t that because the Magic Power Auto-Recovery Increase skill has been leveled up as a job effect?”

“It did level up, but it’s definitely different. Even you, Loki Boy, must feel your magic draining from your body when you cast spells of a certain level, right?”

“Yes, I know what you mean.”

At level 1, it’s barely noticeable, but at level 4, you can definitely feel it.

It’s that strange feeling of the magic draining out of your body, like the moisture being sucked out, leaving your body feeling hollow and dry.

“Even if someone with the same skill level casts the same spell, the difference in how it feels is clearly noticeable.

“By the way, does the consumption increase or decrease?”

“The effect is the same, but the consumption decreases.”

“Huh…”

The fact that multiple skills get a level 2 boost is quite impressive.

The range of skills that can be boosted by the benefits of a high-ranked class, like a special class, seems pretty wide, and if the cap on the boost is removed, that’s scary for someone like me, who is basically jobless.

A +2 boost means that if you max out a skill at level 8, you can combine it for a total of 10, which is the maximum.

The harder the game gets, the bigger the benefits should be.

On top of that, there’s a bonus for reducing magic consumption.

If it’s noticeable, it’s probably not just 3% or 5%.

Maybe 10%… No, if they use the word “noticeable,” it could be a 30-50% reduction.

And from my past gaming experience, I know all too well how scary a variable bonus based on the percentage of stronger players can be.

(Witch… Since they’re in a mage-like position, magic consumption… So there’s a chance that the additional bonuses could be completely different from the skill increases and other bonuses associated with their class.)

Phew…

I took a deep breath.

It was quite a shock.

I’ve never experienced anything like this before, but when you see a strong person for the first time, their job performance seems quite appealing.

It’s not easy to compare which one of us is better.

But even though we’re sharing the same field and the same adventure, it feels like I’m playing a different game.

I want to reach the top, but when the ground rules are different, I can’t hide my confusion.

(I don’t want to lose…)

“Well, I guess we should go.”

“Huh? Where?”

The garden again?

Just as I was about to look outside, Enny returned at the perfect moment.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Great-Grandmother! I got the key!”

“Loki boy wants to know about my power. I can pretty much guess what he’s after.”

“Eh…”

“Come on, let’s go. You’re interested in the library of this country, aren’t you?”

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