Nfirea turned toward the approaching figure, his expression a little sheepish."Grandma."
"There's no need for you to act kind," the old woman said curtly."During this time, the only thing you should be doing is buying and gathering medicinal herbs."
With her hands tucked neatly behind her back, Lizzie's aged face wrinkled into a mild scowl. Her tone held a quiet authority, the kind that came from years of experience—and exhaustion.
"Yes, Grandma…"
Nfirea scratched his messy blond hair, voice dropping to a mumble. There was no arguing with her.
Watching the interaction quietly, Minori's eyes narrowed.
So that's why they're here in the capital instead of E-Rantel.
The realization came quickly. In the original timeline, this pair—grandmother and grandson—should have been in E-Rantel, the frontier city bordering the Great Forest of Tob. Their sudden presence in the royal capital disrupted that expectation.
But Minori remained calm.
He couldn't afford to underestimate Lizzie Bareare. She might look like a harmless little old lady, unassuming to the point of invisibility—but appearances were misleading.
Lizzie was one of the most skilled pharmacists in the entire Re-Estize Kingdom. And beyond that—She was a third-tier magic caster.
That placed her at Level 15 or above. Among humans, she was powerful.
More importantly, compared to Minori's current capabilities, she was someone he absolutely could not afford to provoke.
Lizzie's eyes swept across him—first toward the simple dagger strapped to his belt, then to his toned arms.
"Let's go, Nfirea," she said coldly, turning away with the same disinterested air, hands still tucked behind her back.
"Yes, Grandmother."
Nfirea turned to follow, hesitating for a moment before glancing back at Minori.
"You're here to watch the duel between Mr. Gazef and Mr. Brain, aren't you? I heard the tickets were expensive."
He paused, then reached for the leather waterskin on his belt."Here. Take this. It's easy to choke eating dry rye bread without something to drink."
Without waiting for a reply, Nfirea handed the waterskin to him.
Minori blinked.This kid…
If he didn't already know Nfirea's nature, the boy's sudden kindness would have triggered suspicion.
After all, in this world—especially as someone who grew up orphaned—Minori had long learned to distrust goodwill offered without reason.
"No, that's—"
Minori began to refuse, but Nfirea had already placed the waterskin firmly into his hand.
And then—
"Buzz——"
The system panel surged to life in front of Minori's eyes.
You have come into contact with an individual possessing dual basic jobs: [Alchemist (Genius)] and [Pharmacist (Genius)].Conditions met for unlocking a general job.
You have acquired the general job: [Genius]. Would you like to accept this job?
Warning: General jobs do not provide attribute bonuses.
Minori's breath caught.
His fingers tightened slightly around the waterskin.
So it's true…
In YGGDRASIL, general jobs were considered non-combat—supportive, even mundane. Things like [Blacksmith], [Farmer], or [Merchant]. They played no part in battles and existed mostly for crafting and logistics.
But in this world…
It was different.
There were general jobs that had no equivalent in the game: [Slave], [Maid], [Noble], [Princess], and more. Some were innate, like [Prince], others acquired through experience, like [Criminal].
This was the fundamental difference between players and the people of this world.
Players had the freedom to choose whether or not to take a job.
But the natives? They acquired jobs passively, involuntarily. Just by living their lives.
"Take job!"
Minori mentally confirmed without hesitation.
A moment ago, he'd been paralyzed by indecision—torn between choosing a basic warrior class or spellcaster one.
But now?There was no doubt.
Even if [Genius] was not a combat-oriented job, it opened doors no other job could.
Job obtained: [Genius] - Lv1
[Genius] (General): This job allows substitution of any basic or general job and can be changed as needed.
Note: This job does not grant attribute bonuses and lacks traits when substituted.
Minori's hand trembled ever so slightly.
He was… thrilled.
This was it.
A game-changer.
He had obtained a job that removed the most fundamental limitation of the system: rigidity.
Now, he didn't have to worry about locking himself into the wrong build. His path forward had just opened wider than ever.
And in terms of fault tolerance…?
He was no longer trapped by a single choice.
As far as Minori knew, there was only one other person in this world with the [Genius] job—Lakyus's close friend. The so-called "Golden Princess" of the Kingdom. Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself.
The woman who, behind her angelic smile, plotted the destruction of her own country.
In her case, [Genius] had eventually evolved into [Princess].
But that was the difference.
The natives couldn't make use of this job's full potential. Not like players could.
Only someone who understood the mechanics—who could intentionally build around the system—could truly wield the strength of [Genius].
Minori let out a slow breath, his tension easing.
He had found a path forward.
It might not look like much right now, but he had acquired something priceless. Something that could one day help him stand against even the most terrifying enemies—like the monsters of Nazarick.
"I've gained another piece of critical data."
His thoughts raced.
Touching Nfirea triggered the [Genius] job prompt. Just like how holding weapons could unlock basic jobs.
So there were at least two confirmed methods for unlocking classes.
But…
Why didn't he receive [Alchemist] or [Pharmacist] directly?
Maybe it was because Nfirea possessed the Genius variants—rarer forms of those professions—and that was what triggered the matching general job.
"In that case… only those with hybrid or advanced variants can trigger the [Genius] job in others?"
It was a hypothesis worth testing.
But even without confirmation, this encounter had already changed his fate.
"Are you okay?"
Nfirea's gentle voice cut into his thoughts. The boy looked genuinely concerned.
Minori blinked, then loosened his grip on the waterskin and offered a small nod.
"Sorry… and thank you."
This wasn't just a polite formality.
That "thank you" came from the heart.
"It's no problem."
Nfirea smiled innocently, then turned and jogged to catch up with his grandmother.
Minori watched him go, a fire burning in his chest.
So it begins.
This world was brutal.
But now…He finally had a foothold.