Gwenvair smiled and nodded at that and Joe hid his smirk.

“So, in my clan, I am able, if I choose to, join in maintaining law and justice, or join in defending the people and enforcing the law, or even protecting against incursions. In moments of extreme incursion, I must join in protecting my clan as it is required of all men of my clan. This means I am a noble.”

Gwenvair’s eye’s widened at this before she began grinning brilliantly, her chuckle quickly shifting to laughter as she shook her head, “That is… quite ingenious.”

Joe smiled at that before nodding his head slightly, “A nasty piece of work.”

Gwenvair’s eye’s opened wide again, but this time in a bit of shock as she flickered her eyes towards Kilniara and Joe frowned, realizing the difficulty.

“She cannot hear,” Joe stated, almost as a question but certain of the answer.

“No.”

Joe sighed, “I’m sorry Kilniara. Only nobility are allowed to hear of this.”

Kilniara, however, didn’t seem offended at all, a sense of excitement seeming to echo through her being as she nodded quickly and stood to leave. Gwenvair raised a hand and stopped her, however, catching her attention.

“Please,” Gwenvair offered with a nod and a gesture back to Kilniara’s seat although she focused back on Joe, “I have met few nobility who see commoners as equals. Fewer still are able to treat commoners truly as equals no matter their insistent speech. I have no desire to drive one who is so important to you. She only cannot hear. I can set our privacy to us alone, as long as she cannot read lips.”

Joe chuckled at that and looked to Kilniara, “Can you read lips?”

Kilniara smiled at that, blushing a bit while shaking her head, “No. This is not a typical commoner or cloth armorer skill.”

Joe laughed at her joke and nodded, “Well, just to be safe, please keep your head down and don’t look at Gwenvair’s lips, please.”

Kilniara’s light humor shifted to concern, and as she opened her mouth to speak, Joe cut her off with an explanation, “I cannot explain, but it is… very important that you do this for me, OK?”

Kilniara stared into Joe’s face for a bit before nodding, concerned caution easily seen pouring from her eyes. Joe smiled and shook his head, placating Kilniara’s worry.

“Don’t worry. I’m fine. Just…”

Kilniara’s good mood returned before she turned back to her meal, “Then I will enjoy my meal for a bit.”

Joe laughed and slipped his hand on to her shoulders, grateful for her trust and easy acceptance. He looked back up at Gwenvair and nodded. She reached forward and slipped her hand on the mana artifact and slipped it from the center of the table towards the edge, away from Kilniara. She fiddled with it another few times, looking back and forth between it and something near Kilniara that wasn’t visible to Joe. After a few adjustments, she seemed satisfied and leaned back in her seat, looking up at Joe. She stared at him a bit, then gave a very shallow nod. Joe wasn’t sure he understood, but gave a nod back. Joe, however, quickly learned he didn’t know what he had been nodding for.

Gwenvair, after her and Joe’s nod, settled in her seat in a manner that would be considered normal to start a conversation but then shouted Kilniara’s name in a full throated screeching cry, completely startling Joe. Joe was able to keep his jump minimal, but it was still enough to draw Kilniara’s attention as she looked at Joe. Joe looked back and smiled, patting her and waving her back to the meal. It was obvious that she had not heard Gwenvair’s cry, but had reacted to Joe’s small jump.

When Kilniara returned to her meal, Joe looked back at Gwenvair and raised an eyebrow, “Really? That was necessary?”

Gwenvair smiled, relief obvious on her face as her tension had long escaped her as she said, “I needed to know.”

Joe nodded and sighed, “That’s one nasty curse.”

Gwenvair nodded, “I’m surprised you are so unconcerned when speaking to commoners. A simple slip of the tongue could see you dead.”

Joe sighed once again, his assumption proven as he nodded, “I have spoken to commoners all my life. I believe that I have learned caution in what I speak.”

Gwenvair grimaced and shook her head, “Maybe I’m just being too concerned. I lost a younger brother in this manner. It was… unpleasant. Seeing it as a child has taught me to be very cautious.”

Joe’s eyebrows climbed into his hairline, “That… would certainly do it!”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“In any case, I have no need to be concerned with my speech now. What you inferred earlier is possible. Regular skills can become growth skills. However, our small clan knows nothing of this. It is known only to certain greater clans and they guard this information jealously as it gives them great advantage.”

Joe nodded, “Are there any guesses?”

Gwenvair laughed, shaking her head, “None credible. Certain rumors claim it is a skill in the crafting or education classes… sometimes a rumor will offer the citizen classes. Several clans expended themselves seeking this special ability, but none have succeeded. It has been centuries now and none have found the secret. Most now believe it was disinformation of the greater clans to hide the truth, but… there is no way to know. However, our clan and our allies have found pretty significant evidence that these are rumors of the greater clans. Darker rumors speak of some artifact, but… nothing is truly known.

“However, the skills that have become growth skills are all related to combat or magic. The great clans’ magicians and combatants are always more greatly skilled, exceedingly so, than any other clan. If it is not an artifact, which I personally believe is unlikely as then all the greater clans would need to share this artifact, then it would most likely be related to the combat or magician path the greater clans take towards their final job.”

Joe found himself a bit surprised, nodding in consideration, “Then nobles often change jobs?”

“There are benefits for doing so, although it is prohibitive. Truly, only the wealthiest of clans can afford the job crystals to open multiple jobs.”

Joe almost opened his mouth to contradict or explain about the learning stat, then reconsidered as several other questions leapt to mind. Then… do they know about the percentage bonus of open advanced jobs? And… do they also take the Coming of Age Blessi… you know what? Good question.

“Huh. So the nobility of clans take the Coming of Age Blessing.”

Gwenvair smiled at that, nodding, “We are blessed, more so than most commoners, with our Blessing. Having parents that have opened many jobs allows children a choice of jobs as well, so in this, yes, wealth does offer a benefit.”

Ooh.. ok… that I didn’t know. Maybe … Can I ask or would that reveal I’m not a noble. I really don’t want to get her killed, so I need to be careful… how…

Joe decided to not pursue that, nodding as if in knowing acceptance and continued the questions, “Then there are ways to grow skills, but you do not know. I will accept that for now as there is nothing more to know. Then you pointed out the benefit of many open jobs.”

Joe left the question open ended, wanting to know what benefits there were if there was something else to know beyond the simple ten percent flat bonus.

Gwenvair nodded quickly, “Having two jobs available gives the stats of both jobs, of course. This means any noble is always twice as capable compared to any commoner.”

Right! That’s not a ten percent bonus. Two jobs! Means… two jobs equipped at once!? Then…

“Of course, with two jobs’ skills as well.”

Gwenvair nodded, “Of course.”

Joe had to force himself to keep breathing normally and pretending that all was normal, but excitement thrummed through his body. OK! That’s… very new! Push it? Yeah… let’s push it!

“And three jobs?” Joe asked, hiding his serious desire to know behind a hint of humor, hoping to pass it off as a joke if it proved to be red herring that would blow his cover as a noble or end up harming Gwenvair if she learned he wasn’t a noble.

Gwenvair’s face revealed she thought he was telling a joke as she rolled her eyes and smirked slightly, “You know that was a mocking rumor as bad as those on the growth skills. Do not fall for such folly. There is no third job opening.”

Joe smiled brightly at that, “One can dream!”

At that, Gwenvair’s face lit up, ambition and excitement finally revealing a true passion of hers as she spoke longingly, “Haaa! That would be amazing!”

Joe chuckled at that, “It seems I’m not the only one dreaming impossible dreams!”

Gwenvair’s eyes went flat and she sighed, “It’s a dream, not an ill-advised pursuit.”

Joe nodded in acceptance before continuing, “If you are willing, I haven’t been able to unlock the secondary job, yet. Are you willing to share?”

Gwenvair smirked and shook her head, “That is … mighty privileged information.”

“And your information is only worth sixteen cores. Words from your own mouth!”

Gwenvair grimaced, “Kukurnal was right! You are the very Pope of Plutus himself!”

“If you are saying I am a wise man with my time and money, then thank you.”

“And cunning in your wit! You are lucky that I like you.”

Joe’s eyebrows rose at that, his smile still there but said nothing since he was uncertain how to respond. He didn’t need to as she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, the admission escaping her lips without thought and more as an admission of friendship or even that of a superior for an underling. She had rolled her eyes so strongly at her statement that her entire head and moved with the roll and soon turned back to him, seeing him stare at her in bemusement. Joe didn’t say anything and she continued, unknowing of Joe’s surprise.

“Fine. All nobles know of this, regardless. You will find the extra job in the nobility job.”

Joe considered this, firmly committing to memory even as his mind whirled at the possibilities. His mind stirred back to his knowledge of medieval times desperately attempting to remember his history. As he did so, his excitement headed for despair.

“And nobility controls who becomes noble and only nobles get the second job,” Joe hid his despair behind a faux mocking compliment for the absolute control over power.

Gwenvair accepted his belittling compliment for what it was and nodded, “Yes. To maintain their power, nobility is offered rarely, although some true heroes have received nobility legitimately.”

Hope flared, but Joe kept a lid on it, “Soldiers strong enough to prove themselves.”

Respect and deliberation played across Gwenvair’s face, “Interesting. You claim to not know our plane yet your knowledge is quite deep. Yes. The soldier line will lead to nobility but requires generations and generations and no small amount of luck.”

Ooh… chance… oh wait… she already said this… know it’s the soldier line now, but… still need an appointment… so… but this time… just strong soldiers? But… ah… prove themselves… ok… same as before. So… future plan for future me. He did still take the moment to very much solidify the ‘soldier’ job in his memory. It was an important plan for the next goal after achieving the job change skill, and soldier seemed quite complementary to gaining a combat skill as well. Ooh… that’s a good question…

“I have noticed that this plane doesn’t like jobs using weapons not associated with their … what, is it a job restriction or a skill restriction?”

“It’s linked to the skills.”

Joe frowned, “That is not pleasant for me. I have significant experience in many weapons and do not enjoy being restrained. Do you have advice for resolving this?”