"Dad couldn't sleep a wink last night because he was so nervous thinking about what profession Arel will get!"
"Hehe, Mom is even more nervous than when it was her own turn."
"Arel will definitely get an [Advanced Job]! After all, he's my little brother!"
Good grief, my family is as noisy as ever.
Why are they more excited than the person actually involved?
My name is Arel.
I'm turning ten this year.
At ten years old, everyone must go to the temple without fail.
It's to receive a "blessing" from the goddess.
Upon receiving the blessing, every person is granted a "profession" without exception.
The profession you get can drastically change the rest of your life...
"Still, Arel is so calm. When Dad received his blessing, I was so nervous on the way to the temple that I wet myself..."
Please keep that story locked away in your heart, Dad.
"Getting worked up won't change anything anyway."
No matter how much fuss you make, the profession you're given won't change.
I just have to accept whatever comes.
"As expected of Arel-chan, so mature. He doesn't seem like a ten-year-old at all."
"Exactly! This kid is definitely going to become a big shot in the future!"
"Ufufu, if he becomes famous, fans might swarm our house."
"Ugh... Then tons of girls will come after Arel... No way! Big sis won't allow it!"
Dad and Mom are drawing their own wild future scenarios.
For some reason, my sister looks furious.
Well, it's the usual thing.
Once they start fantasizing, they go on forever.
If I wait for them to finish, we'll be late.
I decide to leave them behind and head to the temple alone.
I don't want to end up waiting another whole year.
Yes.
Today is the day of the blessing.
We live in a small rural town.
No priest stays here permanently to perform the blessing ritual, so one is dispatched from a big city once a year.
That's why all the kids my age in town receive the blessing at the same time.
"Arel! Wait up!"
"Geez, Arel-chan, why did you go ahead?"
"That's right! Leaving big sis behind is so mean!"
Dad and the others caught up.
"I can receive the blessing by myself, you know?"
"It's a memorable moment. Of course the family should come along."
Is that how it works?
Come to think of it, I went with them when my sister got hers three years ago.
When we arrived at the temple, kids I knew and their families were already gathered.
It's a small town, so there are only about twenty kids my age.
"Now, we shall begin the blessing ceremony."
The priest announces it.
He's an older man who's handled this town's blessings for many years.
One by one, we step forward and offer prayers together with the priest.
"Yes! [Blacksmith]! Now I can take over for Dad!"
"I got [Magician]!"
The kids who got the jobs they hoped for cheer loudly.
[Blacksmith] and [Magician], huh.
Both are [Basic Jobs].
Professions are divided into [Basic Jobs] and [Advanced Jobs].
Most people get [Basic Jobs], while [Advanced Jobs] are rare.
You can only get an [Advanced Job] by mastering a [Basic Job] first.
However, in very rare cases, someone receives an [Advanced Job] right from the initial blessing.
"Oh my, aren't you Leon's boy...?"
When it's my turn to step forward, the priest says Dad's name.
"It must be over twenty years ago now? But I still remember it clearly—when Leon-kun and Fara-chan received their blessings. Who would've thought two kids would get [Advanced Jobs] right from the start on the same day."
Fara is Mom's name.
Both my parents are from this town—childhood friends, basically.
So they received their blessings on the same day here.
Dad got [Magic King], and Mom got [Sword Princess].
Both were the rare type who got [Advanced Jobs] immediately.
The royal palace has invited them to serve multiple times, but they refused and chose to live quietly in their hometown.
Naturally, Dad is the town's top magician, and Mom is the town's top swordswoman.
The profession granted by the goddess seems heavily influenced by bloodline.
That's why a child of a [Blacksmith] often becomes a [Blacksmith].
There are exceptions, though.
Because of that, everyone around me has huge expectations for me too.
"...Next is Leon's son."
"Arel-kun, huh. Surely he'll get an [Advanced Job] too."
"When he grows up, maybe he'll marry our daughter?"
Voices like that come from all directions.
"Do your best, Arel!"
"Arel-chan, fight!"
"Big sis is rooting for you!"
Well, the loudest ones are my own family.
It's just receiving a blessing—what exactly am I supposed to "fight" for?
As I offer my prayer to the goddess, a revelation suddenly descends into my mind.
Hmm, so this is my profession.
...Huh?
But this... is this even a profession?
What surfaced in my mind was—
—[Unemployed]
That's what it said.