CHAPTER 46: MOVING IN

Cecilia reeled after hearing Marya’s question.

She didn’t want people to know that she was a player, but she thought that Gertrude had probably realized it already. And Marya is a smart girl who also knows a bit more than the average person about the inner workings of the world, as she knows about techniques and stats.

((Now that I think about it, it was just a matter of time for her to notice it. I just hope that it doesn’t trigger any memory rewritings. There’s no way for me to hide or deny it now.))

"Marya... Can you promise to never speak about this to anyone, ever?"

"Yes, Miss!!! I won’t ever tell anyone. I understand why you want to keep it a secret... Though you act a bit conspicuously sometimes."

((I do, don’t I...? Well, some stuff I really needed to do, like the thing with the Cataclysm.))

"Yeah... It’s our little secret, then."

"Yes! And you promised to teach me, but can I really learn what you can do? You are a player, after all..."

Cecilia smiled, pondering about the exact same question.

"The fact that you are not a player is not really a factor that determines what you can and cannot do. Maybe you won’t reach the same level as mine, because I broke the level limit. But even back then, that was something a very few players were able to do."

"Break the level limit...? Is there a level limit?"

"Yes, Marya. The limit is level three thousand. That’s adding up all job levels, and each job can’t go beyond five hundred. But limit breakers can go beyond that. Not that it’s very useful in this day and age."

"Whoaaaa... I’m only level 52. I got three levels in the Healer job during the commotion the other day."

"That is great! You see, it was just a one-day thing, and you leveled up so much. Simply because you used the technique over and over again."

"Yes! It has been so long since I last leveled up that I was startled when I heard the notification."

"That’s because using the same technique over and over again have diminishing returns. You get less job XP every time you use it, until you end up getting none.

That’s why the way to level up quickly is to unlock as many techniques as possible and use all of them as much as possible."

Each technique is related to one or more jobs, so using those techniques earns you XP towards increasing that job level.

But a player can select if they want to level up on that job or not, because of the level limit. That’s why not everyone had the Cook job, even though everyone leveled up the Cooking skill and used techniques to make food.

Cecilia wasn’t sure if it applied to Marya or if it was player-specific, though.

Also, the diminishing returns were the main reason NPCs didn’t level up as much, as they would never pick as many different techniques as players used to do.

"Can you teach me one of your spells? The technique for healing that you gave me, I just say ’Heal,’ and it works. But you always chant something else."

"It is the same spell. It’s just that my version is different because I’m a priestess of Ephemerys. But tell me... Why do you want to learn magic?"

Marya nodded vigorously. "I want to help people like you do. You healed Margarete, saved her baby, and made plants grow again. I want to do that too."

Cecilia sighed. She remembered her own childhood and all the dreams and desires she had. The fire in her eyes when she thought that she could reach the world if she just wanted it hard enough.

"You’ll need to start with patience," Cecilia said at last. "And herbs. Tomorrow, we’ll go around the forest. It should be a lot safer now that the Calamity has gone to rest."

"Okay!"

:::

After that, Cecilia took little Marya and the cake to the inn, then excused herself.

She didn’t sleep in her new home. Instead, she teleported back to Aelindra’s house, returning the next morning, and Mina came along.

Cecilia wanted to bar it, but after Mina asked her to explain how she would keep the whole house clean all by herself, including technical details, Cecilia just gave up. In the end, she shared ownership of the teleport rune with both Mina and Aelindra.

((I still need to meet the others... And check on Aenoth, who became a vampire. But each thing at its own time.))

And right now the two of them were in the inn.

"Good morning, Lady Gertrude. I am Mina, Cecilia’s maid."

Cecilia had forbidden Mina from using the name ’Morielen’ in public. The name of the mother of the queen might not be as famous as the name of the queen herself, but some people could recognize it.

"Ohhh... Good morning, Mina. And please, drop the ’lady’ thing. I’m just an old innkeeper here. But I didn’t know you had a maid, Miss Cecilia."

"Hehe. It isn’t something I usually bring up in conversations. But she is a loyal friend and a good girl. I hope that everyone here treat her well."

Marya was looking at Mina’s ears and tail, admired.

"So fluffy..."

"Marya, I must warn you that cat beastkin usually hate when you pet their tails. By the way, I’m pleased to meet you, Mina. I’m Lyska, and this little girl here is Marya."

"I’m pleased to meet you, Lyska and Marya. I will be living with Cecilia here from now on. You can count on me if you need help with anything."

Meanwhile, Gertrude pulled Cecilia to a corner to talk to her.

"Marya told me that you’re going together to the forest today. She is so happy and excited for it. Take good care of her."

"Heheee... Is it really all good with you?"

"Of course! I know how much she always wanted to learn more about healing and magic."

:::

After that, they went to the mayor’s house, made the same introductions, and Marya tagged along.

After returning to Cecilia’s house, she and Marya went to the forest for the kids’ first lesson.