Five years and a half have passed since Allen came to the other world. It is now mid-April as spring has come. Teresia and Rodin are fidgety.

　Rodin has not gone to the field today, only filled the water jar at home.

"Don't be disrespectful to the priest.

"Yeah, Mom.

　Repeated more than ten times since yesterday. The clothes are dusted off with a flap.

"Teresia, Allen's a smart girl. He wouldn't do that. I'm going out.

　Rodin takes me out to the center of the frontier village. Rodin and Allen are the only ones who will be out there since Teresia has to take care of Mash.

　Today is the day for Allen's evaluation.

You seem pretty fired up about it, parents.

　This reminds me of what I've been told the last few days.

　The appraisal ritual is to evaluate a person's latent talent. Everyone from royalty to peasants must take the test when they turn five years old. This is the law of the kingdom. If your talents are found, you may even become an officer.

(Sounds like one of the few ways a serf can escape the serf.)

　Spring has come and wheat seeds have been planted in some places. Some of the fields are neatly weeded out, others are planted with leafy greens, and still others are fallow or have weeds growing as tall as Allen's height. As you walk through various fields, you can hear the usual voice.

"Ahhhh!

　It's a blue-eyed girl with pink hair braided into one. Seems to have noticed Allen, and is Krsna, waving a full-bodied hand. We see each other almost every day, but it's been a long time since I've seen Krsna without a wooden sword.

Hi, Krsna. Krsna's on a grading ritual, isn't she?

Yes, I'm called a test taker!　And then it becomes an eagle!

　Krsna replies with a smile. There's also a well-built Gerda beside her. It's appraisal day for Gerda and Krsna, too. Apparently the ceremony is held once a year in April. They don't bother to do it every time the serf turns five.

　I heard about Krsna's dream yesterday and the day before, and today I'm listening to it again as I walk through the fields to a place lined with houses. The pioneer village continued to grow even after Allen was born, and it has become a pretty solid village. I've only been to the residential area a few times since I came to see the demolition site of the monster when I was one year old, but I can clearly see the changes.

　It's just before nine o'clock in the morning. Even though it's before 9:00 a.m., there are quite a few people in the building that looks like a church.

(Wow, there's a difference between a commoner and a peasant. Are commoners and peasants appraised together?

　There was a crowd of nearly 100 people in the room. Among them, Allen noticed a stain on the clothes. Although wearing the same linen clothing, the peasant has a noticeable brown stain. That's because he works in the fields tinkering with dirt and washes almost exclusively in cold water, with no soap or anything like that. There are two types of serfs: those who are still brown and those who are not. There must be commoners who work the fields, but this difference may be due to the use of soap or something close to it.

　The bell rings, signaling 9:00 am. The door opens and people who appear to be priests creep out from inside. They are dressed very differently from the commoners. They are uniformly dressed, with no upper and lower joints. They lead you into the church.

(It's my first time inside a church.)

　Entering the church with Rodin. From the outside, I thought it was about two stories high, but it seems to be built only on the first floor with a very high ceiling. Upon entering the church, there is a hall without seating. At the far end of the hall, there is a pure white sculpture of a male deity like in Greek mythology. There are also several other statues of male and female gods.

So these are otherworldly gods. The one holding the rice is a fertility god? The one holding a weapon looks like a god of war.

　Tucked into the farthest center is a man who looks to be in his late twenties or so. Long hair stretched to the back, a lean body and a face. Both eyes are closed and the upper half of his body is unclothed. There is no such thing as wings.

　I remember receiving news from an otherworldly god through a grimoire when I was one year old. I haven't heard anything since.

　There are several priests in the building and they ask me to sit in the back and sit on the floorboards to freeze. When everyone is seated, the oldest priest in front of the pure white sculpture of the male deity speaks up.

Thank you all for coming here today for the ceremony.

　The commoner bows his head, and so do the serfs. It seems that the commoners come to church regularly. Allen also bows with the flow. Then the old priest continues to speak.

Elmea, the creator, gives opportunity to all men equally. Those of you who were born as serfs may not know this, but the heroes of the kingdom are born from the serfs too.

　It is a buzzing church. That's what it means to be a hero from a serf. In this hall, many of the parents have their first child, now five years old, undergo the ritual of appraisal for the first time. These are the first parents and their children to hear about heroes from serfs.



　Ten years ago the settlement village was established. In the early days of the settlement, they pulled out the roots of trees, removed stones and built houses and fields. The first two or three years were bad harvests, and they were not ready for children. But in the fourth and fifth years, slowly but steadily, the crops started to come into production.

　More and more families are having and raising children at the same time. Rodin and Teresia are one of those families. Allen was born into the pioneer village baby boom. There are about 30 children born of the Baby Boom here.

Saint Classis was born a commoner. And Saint Doberg, who still serves the kingdom today, is a peasant.

　In the buzzing hall, the priest's voice echoes. That's what it's really about.

(Oh, I see.)

　But Allen was the only one who was convinced. I remember what happened before my reincarnation five years ago. In this world, heroes and swordsmen are certainly born from a lower class. It is a setting that never comes from the higher nobility or royalty. The harder and stronger the job, the more powerful it will be in the future, the lower class it will be. It can be a commoner or a serf.

(The setting that came from another world lives on. So there could be some gems, including a serf, and let them be appraised for buried talent.

　Then he briefly explains the ceremony of the appraisal. In front of the elderly priest sits a crystal for appraisal. When you put your hand on this crystal, the result of the appraisal is displayed on a life-size black metal plate towering next to the priest.

When you hold your hand over this crystal, your talents and abilities will be displayed.

(Hmmm...the crystal does not change color or glow, but the result is written. It's public. Well, I guess you can't hide it in such a crowd.

　Leaving Allen's musings to the side, the appraisal proceeded.

"First, Peromus, son of Debozi, place your hand on the crystal.

　An elderly priest gives instructions while looking at what looks like a piece of parchment. It looks like a ledger of about 30 children. Accompanied by Mayor Debozi, Peromus walks to the crystal at the front of the hall.

　With the chief's guidance, Peromus holds his hands over the crystal. The crystal glows faintly, and the light shines on the pitch-black metal plate next to it. Silver lettering appears on the plate.

What?　It's a grimoire!　(Could it be that the grimoire has the same function as a grading ritual?

"Oh!　You have a merchant's genius. Congratulations.

　Name] Peromus
　Physical strength] C
　Magic] D
　Attack Power] D
　Durability
　[Quickness] D
　Intelligence] B
　Fortune B
　Merchant

　There is a column in the appraisal results that indicates talent. A shout of joy as he is shown as a merchant. The village chief, Debozi, embraces Peromus. A pained-looking Peromus.

(Huh?)　Do you feel like you're happy with anything with talent. (When abilities are shown in rank)

　Allen opens the grimoire and begins to take notes on the results of Peromus' appraisal. Then a commoner boy is called. His name is called and he and his parents go to the crystal, and the boy holds out his hand to the crystal.
　The appraisal result is displayed on the pitch black metal plate.

　It is a disappointed father and son. The giftedness column reads 'none'. But the church's appraisal is infallible or not, and steps back for the next appraisal.

(Oh, not all of us have talents, do we?)



　The appraisal proceeds rapidly. Status seems to be mostly C to E after Pelomus, and talents are marked as "none". Will the commoners be called first, or have the serfs been called first? When their evaluation is finished, they are allowed to leave. Some leave, while others stay behind to see the results of the other children's appraisals.

Hey, Dad! It's a snack!

　The seventh able-bodied child receives an appraisal that the priest has the gift of axe wielding. The father and child hug each other and rejoice in the result of the appraisal.

　Name] Dogora
　Physical strength] B
　Magic] D
　Attack Power] A
　Durability
　[Quickness] C
　Intelligence] D
　Fortune C
　Talent] Axe wielder

(Oh! This is the first time I've seen an A in status. (Or is it hard to get a B without a talent?

　Analyze the occupational characteristics of the axeman, writing everything down in the grimoire.

　Is this the end of the commoners, or do children dressed as serfs begin to be called in. Many of the serfs are called talentless, as are the commoners.
　One of the serfs has the talent of a monk. The father and son who were said to be monks are being told by the priest that they will speak later.

(Something doesn't come up. Well, it helps to be able to analyze the talent.

　Allen and Krsna were the last to leave.

"Then, Krsna, son of Gerda, put your hand on the crystal.

"Yes!

　Krsna, accompanied by Gerda, moves forward to the crystal. Krsna holds both hands over the crystal with a smile. There are far fewer people here, since it's at the end of the day, but some parents and children seem to be observing.

　When Krena holds her hands up, the crystal emits an unprecedented amount of light. As soon as the crystal light subsides, the results are displayed on the pitch black metal plate.

What!

　There are the remaining parents and children to the priest, who is amazed at the brilliance of it all. Gerda also expresses her surprise with her body.

"What?　Yes, oh no, and you're in

　It was a wrinkled old priest.

What?　Huh?　Priest, what's the result of the appraisal!

　Gerda is unable to read the letters on the metal plate. Few serfs can read anything but their own names and those of their families. She doesn't know what's written on the plate except for her daughter Krsna's name.

He's a swordsman, and Krsna's talent is that of a swordsman!


　Name] Krena
　Physical strength] S
　Magic] C
　Attack Power] S
　Durability
　[Quickness] A
　Intelligence] C
　Fortune B


　Talent] Swordsman


"Keh, he's a swordsman!
"The Swordsman was born!

　It's a tumultuous church hall. Everyone takes turns looking at the black metal plate and Krsna.

"Huh?　Isn't that a check?

　A disappointed Krsna doesn't seem to understand the situation.

　The pitch-black metal plate displayed the words "kensho" and an ability level that the previous thirty people could not even come close to.