Volume 4 Chapter 2 The Reversed Position
"A curse... to level 1...? Is, is there really such a curse...?"
I couldn't fully grasp the sudden revelation and felt confused.
I had never heard of such a terrifying curse.
But then I remembered something and shook my head.
Never heard of it? No, I actually have a "vague memory" of a 'curse that lowers levels.'
When I visited the library to do some research, I found a book called 'Geranium's Job Class Research.'
It was a book investigating incidents related to job classes, and I think there was a line about 'investigating villagers whose job class levels had decreased.'
It stated that the decrease in levels was caused by a monster's curse.
Could it be the work of a similar monster? As I pondered this, Jostum answered while shaking the Divine Revelation he was holding.
"As you can see from Dahlia's Divine Revelation, such a curse actually exists. There's a creepy skeleton monster among the executives of the 'Spirit King's Army,' and it was that curse that lowered Dahlia's level."
"Wait, wait a minute. Did you say the Spirit King's Army? The hero party was supposed to be attacking the Forest King's Army's invasion zone..."
Why is the Spirit King's Army being mentioned here? Isn't it a faction unrelated to the Forest King's Army?.
"They teamed up. The Forest King's Army and the Spirit King's Army."
"Wait..."
"We didn't know about that either. That's why we were caught off guard, and we had no choice but to retreat...!"
Jostum muttered this as if trying to convince himself, sounding frustrated.
He said they were caught off guard, but I secretly thought the reason for their defeat was something else.
It was still too early for Dahlia and the others.
In order to fight against the Demon Lord Army, they still lacked real combat experience.
And if the Spirit King's Army joins them, they won't stand a chance with their mediocre skills.
Anyway, I understood that Dahlia, a high-ranking member of the Spirit King's Army, had been cursed and reduced to level 1.
"But why did the Forest King's Army and the Spirit King's Army join forces? They usually don't get along with other factions..."
As I voiced this simple question, a voice from the depths of the street reached my ears.
This place isn't very crowded, but it's not completely deserted either.
Hearing the voice, Jostum clicked his tongue irritably.
"It's not good for people to hear about this. Let's move to another location."
"Huh? You want to move after coming here uninvited..."
I was about to retort at his arrogant tone, but then I thought of something.
After all, I never said I would listen to their story.
However, I quickly reconsidered and came up with an idea.
"Then, let's go to my Nurturer. I don't want people to see me in this situation either."
"Yeah, Dahlia is fine with that too."
"..."
Since Dahlia agreed by remaining silent, we decided to enter the Nurturer for the time being.
It's not like I was planning to listen to their request.
I wasn't interested in the problems of the Hero Party either.
I actually wanted to send them away as soon as possible, but I thought I should at least find out about the "Demon Lord Army's movements" from them.
I figured they would know more about the current situation, and maybe even something about the Dragon King's Army, my parents' enemy.
So, I decided to continue the conversation quickly to get the information I needed and then send them away.
"Then, why are the Forest King's Army and Spirit King's Army working together? I've never heard anything about that before."
"I don't know the details. But according to the people from 'Trelis Village,' who know a lot about the Forest King's Army's invasion zone, they say they're trying to grow 'Cursed Funeral Trees' saplings."
"Cursed Funeral Trees, saplings...?"
That was an unfamiliar term to me.
It sounded ominous.
"There's a tree called the 'Cursed Funeral Tree' that caused a major disaster in the eastern part of the continent a long time ago. When it matures, it spreads curses that negatively affect humans, driving them insane or turning them to stone until they die."
"..."
"It seems they cut it down a long time ago, but the Forest King's Army still has some of those saplings. They apparently need the Spirit King's Army's power to revive it."
...I see.
So they joined forces with the Spirit King's Army to grow those saplings into Cursed Funeral Trees.
If something that dangerous were to be revived, the balance of power would shift dramatically between humans and monsters.
The curse would spread from the eastern part of the continent, eventually affecting all humans.
The Demon Lord Army is known for not teaming up with other factions, but they must have offered something substantial to the Forest King's Army.
"I can't say for sure if they actually teamed up for that plan, but it's true they're thinking about some ridiculous things. If left unchecked, it won't just be the eastern region at risk; the entire continent will be in danger. The people in the east are already on high alert."
Hearing this new information, I nodded quietly.
So, things were that serious in the eastern countries.
It hasn't spread to this central area yet, but eventually, that information will reach us.
In response, the royal capital might take some action.
Especially with the Spirit King's Army involved, it seems like Ms. Nemophila might get involved in this matter.
I'm not sure about the authenticity, but should I inform her now? As I was thinking of utilizing the information I obtained, I realized something belatedly.
"Come to think of it, were there only 2 of you who came here? What happened to Grisine and Iris? Did they...die?"
"Don't you dare kill them. They were cursed by another executive and are currently recuperating at a clinic facility. The curse itself was broken by a Curse-breaker."
Oh, I see.
So that's what happened. I thought they might have been defeated in the battle with the Forest King's Army since I couldn't see the wise Grisine and the Saint Iris.
"So, the curse on Dahlia was also broken by a Curse-breaker, just like the two of them. But why hasn't her level returned to normal?"
"How would I know? I'm the one who wants to know more about this."
Jostum clicked his tongue in frustration.
Dahlia, in turn, ruffled her reddish hair, her anger seeping through.
Meanwhile, I recalled a little about what had happened to Dahlia.
Why didn't her level return to normal after the curse was broken? It was probably because the "curse" of level reduction was lifted, but the "result" of it could not be erased.
This is similar to the situation with Ms. Nemophila's older sister, Lady Clematis.
'The demon who cursed me told me that I don't have much time left.'
She, too, had her human lifespan, or "destiny," diminished by the curse of a Spirit King's Army executive.
Although the curse was broken, her shortened lifespan did not return to normal, leaving her with a body that didn't have long to live.
It can be assumed that Dahlia's level remained low as a result, just like Ms. Nemophila's older sister.
Monster curses are truly terrifying.
Especially the curses wielded by the Spirit King's Army, one must be cautious of them.
Even so, Curse-breaker Lotus is still a big hit.
"Breaking the curse didn't restore her level. Grisine and Iris can't fight now. So we came back to this novice adventurer town to start over and grow Dahlia from scratch."
"..."
So that's why Dahlia's group is here in this town.
Jostum then turns his sharp gaze towards me.
"On the day we arrived in this town, we heard about the Nurturer. Someone who helps novice adventurers grow. We need to quickly restore Dahlia's power and eradicate the Demon Lord's army once and for all. So help us, Aroze."
Despite being refused earlier, Jostum persists in giving me orders.
His unwaveringly assertive attitude makes me furrow my brows, but he continues with a rather 'misguided' proposal.
"As I said before, I'll reward you generously. And... I'll pretend like we never kicked you out of the hero party."
"...Huh?"
"If you cooperate with us and help Dahlia reach her level cap again, we'll reconsider and accept you back into the hero party. Isn't this the most 'beneficial' offer for you?"
"..."
Is he serious? Does he really think this is a beneficial deal for me?
He seems to assume that I still have lingering attachments to the hero party, which is completely off the mark.
I visibly grimace in disgust, but Jostum, oblivious, continues his counterproductive persuasion.
"Instead of squeezing pennies from these slow-paced adventurers here, you'd gain more money and fame by rejoining the hero party. More importantly, you should just ignore these good-for-nothing adventurers. It's much more meaningful to lend your Trainer powers to our Dahlia than to waste them on these losers in this town."
...Good-for-nothing adventurers.
If he says that without even seeing it, he doesn't understand anything about this town.
In the town of Hyamars, a novice adventurer's town... there are many extraordinary talents hidden here.
"So come back to the Hero's party, Aroze. Stop this nonsense called 'Nurturer' and lend your power to Hero Dahlia as a Trainer."
Jostum said this and once again extended his hand.
I stared at the outstretched hand, and slowly exhaled.
──For Dahlia, lend your power as a Trainer again.
──If you can restore Dahlia's power safely, you can come back to the Hero's party.
──You should quit this 'worthless thing' called Nurturer right away.
Upon hearing this invitation, my feelings were once again solidified.
Slap!
I made a face filled with disgust, as if I had found a black, shiny bug that I hated, and brushed Jostum's hand away.
"...Get out of here."
I said, repeating the words that were spoken to me when I was kicked out of the Hero's party.
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