The Dragon Courier Chronicles

Axel Grantz. This is . . . this is very difficult to say, but . . . as of today, you have been assigned the Beginner-class job of Courier.

At the temple where people changed their jobs, those were the words spoken to me by a shrine maiden who served the God of Career Change.

A Beginner-class Courier, huh?

Yes! The God of Career Change determined that you have an aptitude for being a Courier. There are thousands of other jobs available, and yet . . . I am truly, truly sorry!

The shrine maiden who handled job changes was sweating nervously, her face twisted with discomfort as she spoke.

I get it, I get it. No need to apologize. Thanks for handling the job change, shrine maiden.

When I responded so casually, the shrine maiden looked at me in surprise.

. . . You're not upset, Axel? Even though you've dropped so far from the Master-class job of Dragon Knight?

Well, I don't have any regrets. Actually, I feel refreshed. I can finally take off this Helmet of the Dragon Knight Monarch.

As I spoke, I removed the helmet from my head.

It was a heavy helmet, black and silver.

Phew, my head feels so light. First time I've taken it off in years.

As I shook my head back and forth, the shrine maiden looked at the helmet in my hands.

I can't believe you're really giving up the ultimate job of Dragon Knight . . . You're the only person who's ever gone from Dragon Knight to Courier, Axel.

Really?

Yes. People usually keep advancing their jobs to higher levels . . . But then again, losing your Dragon Knight status because you punched the Dragon God who rules over Dragon Knights is completely unheard of.

I smiled wryly at her words.

I had no choice. I needed to defeat the Demon Lord. After that, the Dragon God told me through tears, "You've already surpassed my power, so you're graduating from Dragon Knight! Stop being a Dragon Knight within a month!" That's why I'm here changing jobs.

A job was a talent granted by the gods, and by training according to that talent, you could learn various skills.

When you reached a certain age, you received the job you're most suited for from the God of Career Change at the temple. There were said to be not just thousands, but tens of thousands of different jobs.

But that time, I'd punched the very god who granted that job, so I could no longer stay in that profession. That's why I was there at that Temple of Career Change.

That sounds like a fancy way of saying "exile". Why did you have to punch a god . . .

As I said, I had no choice. Besides, I was forced into the Dragon Knight job anyway, so I don't have any regrets. It's fine.

. . . I heard rumors that you used an ancient treasure belonging to the royal family—the Helmet of the Dragon Knight Monarch—to suddenly become a Dragon Knight?

That's right. This one here. It is incredibly heavy and hard to see through, which is a real pain. I can't take it off until I quit being a Dragon Knight. It gets to the point where I don't want to show my face in public.

T-that bad . . .

The purification magic cast on it keeps me clean, which is a saving grace. Well, I'm saying goodbye to both this helmet and the Dragon Knight job . . . So my job is Courier now, right?

The moment I said that, the shrine maiden's expression darkened again.

Hey, what's wrong? You look like you're in pain. Is this job really that bad?

Since I'd only ever been a Dragon Knight my whole life, I wasn't familiar with other jobs.

N-no . . . It's not bad exactly, but while there are benefits, the drawbacks are . . . very significant.

Really? What kind of benefits are there?

Well, the benefits are that you can acquire skills for transporting materials between cities and supporting adventurers and mercenaries.

Hmm, sounds interesting . . . By the way, what kind of skills are there after changing jobs?

When I asked, the shrine maiden opened her eyes wide and then turned to look behind her.

Behind her was a large wooden desk, and on top of it lay a single sheet of paper.

Oh, I'm sorry! A skill chart from the God of Career Change just arrived at this desk, so I'll give it to you . . . !

Oh, so that's the skill chart. Let me see . . .

The skill chart I received from the shrine maiden had the following written on it:

・Level 1 Skill [Transport Bag]

・Level 2 Skill [Not Learned]

Those words were written there. Below that, the numbers continued with Level 3, Level 4, and so on. All the text that followed was marked as not learned.

Hmm, I see. I haven't learned most of the skills yet.

Yes . . . Since you just changed jobs, you're naturally at Level 1, so your Courier skills are limited to just the basic ones.

I see. So what does this Level 1 Transport Bag skill do—

The moment I said that, a small rucksack appeared in my hands.

So this is my skill?

Yes, that's the Transport Bag skill. The inside of that bag has extra-dimensional space, so it can hold much more than its appearance suggests. Previously, when a temple-affiliated Courier tested it by filling it with water, we found that the internal space is expanded roughly ten-fold.

Huh. For a Level 1 skill, that's pretty convenient. Seems like it'll be more practical for daily use than Dragon Knight skills. Plus, I can learn other skills as I level up, right?

Yes. And since Courier is a Beginner-class job, your level will rise very easily at first.

I see, so I can acquire skills one after another . . . From what you're telling me, it sounds like there are quite a few benefits?

Are there drawbacks that outweigh those?

When I asked the shrine maiden that, she hung her head.

Then she began speaking slowly in a heavy voice.

. . . It's true that many of the skills are convenient. However . . . there's one characteristic, or rather, drawback. Since this is a job that supports those who go on adventures, while the skills are useful, the stats are extremely low. So much so that people in this job can barely manage to adventure alone . . .

That bad?

Yes . . . As an example, let me show you the status of Colt Gene, a temple-affiliated Courier.

Wait, isn't looking at someone else's status a breach of etiquette?

When explaining to those undergoing job changes, it's acceptable to disclose the status of Temple of Career Change personnel.

With that, she turned toward the desk behind her.

These are the stats of someone who has trained as a Courier for ten years.

She took out a document from the small shelf on the desk and showed it to me. It read:

●Colt Gene «Courier» Level 40 Strength I Magic Power K Stamina J Speed J Status Resistance K Luck K

Each person's status was clearly displayed.

Whoa, this is . . . lower than I expected.

Yes, most are at the lowest K rank, and even when they do improve, it's only by a level or two. They're really weak . . . Even basic Beginner-class jobs like Villager average G rank, and Adventurer averages E to D.

I see. Solo adventuring will be tough with stats like these . . . Speaking of which, what about my status?

We're currently retrieving your status from the god, so it should arrive soon—

Just as the shrine maiden said that, the large wooden desk beside her began to glow.

Then a single sheet of paper fluttered down.

Oh, here it is.

. . . Just like the skill chart earlier—so that's how they show up.

This desk is connected to the God of Career Change's seat. And this is your status sheet, Axel. Here you go.

Following her lead, I looked at the document the shrine maiden handed me. My name and status were clearly displayed on it. However, something was strange.

●Axel Grantz «Courier» Level 1 Strength ○ Magic Power ○ Stamina ○ Speed ○ Status Resistance ○ Luck E Skill: Transport Bag

Strangely, most of my status was filled with white circles.

. . . Hey, shrine maiden, I can't see my status. What's going on here?

When I asked her that while showing the status sheet, the shrine maiden looked just as confused as I was.

Huh . . . ? Oh, you're right. What could this be . . .

Hmm, you don't know either?

N-no. This has never happened before . . . But since your job change is unprecedented, Axel, maybe the God of Career Change made a mistake . . .

After saying that with an anxious expression, the shrine maiden shook her head.

I'll check with the God of Career Change right away. When the corrected version comes in, will it be okay if I bring it to your house later, Axel?

Sure, I'll be waiting in Star City. That's where I live.

Y-yes! It should arrive within a day or two, and I'll bring it to you as soon as it does!

Well, I've got money, so there's no rush to find work. Just take your time with it. After that, I'm planning to take some jobs and do some traveling.

I'd received reward money from the kingdom for defeating the Demon Lord, so I had plenty of funds.

So there's really no problem.

When I told her that, the shrine maiden let out a relieved sigh.

I-I understand. Thank you so much . . .

Don't mention it—I appreciate you looking into this for me. Actually, even though the status is corrupted, there's one thing I can make out: Luck at E rank is pretty decent.

Normally, there would be J and K ranks below that, but E was actually pretty good. I was just thinking that might be decent luck when . . .

But . . . back when you were a Dragon Knight, Axel, all your stats were S rank. You were so incredible then . . . You're being way too positive about this . . .

The shrine maiden said that with a genuinely sad expression.

Why was she more upset about my Dragon Knight days than I was? I couldn't help but give a wry smile.

Well, what's the point of dwelling on the past? Besides, this job doesn't require much fighting. I don't mind combat, but I wouldn't choose it if I had other options. If I can live quietly, that's what I prefer. So you don't need to look so sad about it, shrine maiden.

I . . . see.

Perhaps reassured by my words, the shrine maiden's expression became a bit more peaceful.

That career change was my issue to deal with—she didn't need to worry about that so much. That was fine.

. . . Well, I've gotten my career change and skill chart, so I'll head back to the city and start fresh.

A-ah, yes! Should I arrange a carriage for you?

There's a stretch of grassland between the city and the Temple of Career Change.

Walking back to my place in the city would take several tens of minutes, but it's definitely walkable—there's even a proper road. So, I shook my head and declined her offer.

Don't worry about that. Besides, I've got my companion with me.

A companion?

Leaving the puzzled shrine maiden behind, I walked toward the temple entrance.

As soon as I stepped outside the temple, I called out to the sky.

I'm done, Berzelia!

Just seconds after my voice echoed across the sky, a response came.

I've been waiting for you, Master . . . !

A dragon with scales blending gold and red descended from above.

Seeing the dragon with those jewel-like red eyes, the shrine maiden behind me stood there with her mouth hanging open.

Is that . . . the Dragon Queen that you rode back in your Dragon Knight days?

Even though she's called a Dragon Queen, she's still just a kid . . . Well, I'm heading home now, so I'll see you later, shrine maiden. I'll be waiting for that status sheet.

Y-yes! See you soon!

After hearing the shrine maiden's response, I nodded.

Right, let's go, Berzelia.

Roger!

I called out to Berzelia and started walking toward the city with her.

As we walked, I looked at the new job listed on the skill chart I'd just received.

. . . Courier, huh? I've never had such a Beginner-class job before. The downsides are pretty significant, but I'm curious to see what kinds of skills I can learn . . .

With those thoughts in mind, I headed home with my Dragon Queen companion.

***

Several hours after seeing Axel off, I was still at the temple.

F-finally, Axel's status sheet is here . . . !

I discovered a bundle of papers sitting on the desk connected to the god's chamber.

The cover read "Axel Grantz Status Correction Form."

Sorry! The previous status was fake! His abilities are so off the charts I got lazy and half-assed it! This is the real one!

A note with that message was attached.

. . . Nothing like this has ever happened before . . .

While thinking that even the God of Career Change could make mistakes, I flipped to the second page of the bundle. There, Axel's true status was displayed.

. . . This is . . . ?!

Normally, stats should decrease when changing jobs.

The Courier job had the advantage of being able to carry large quantities of items but in return had extremely low stats compared to other jobs.

All his stats are still at S rank . . . ?!

Every ability from his time as a Dragon Knight had remained completely intact.

. . . God of Career Change . . . Should we really have let him change jobs? We've created an absolutely overpowered beginner . . .

●Corrected Version: Axel Grantz «Dragon Knight» → Graduation → «Courier» Level 1 Strength S Magic Power S Stamina SS Speed SS Status Resistance S Luck EX Skill: Transport Bag

After walking for about thirty minutes along the road from the Temple of Career Change to Star City Crete, where we lived, we were approaching the city.

We were almost at the city when Berzelia spoke up.

Master, can I turn human soon? Actually, I'm going to transform now!

Berzelia, who had been walking beside me in dragon form, announced that and stopped in her tracks.

Then, light that mixed gold and red covered her body and began to shine.

There we go. Transformation complete.

As the light faded away, a red-haired girl with dragon horns growing from her head appeared.

That was Dragon Queen Berzelia's human form. She stretched her back with a long stretch, emphasizing her ample chest.

Ahh, walking on two legs is so much easier in this body.

If it's that tiring, you should have come in human form from the start.

Berzelia smiled wryly at my words.

Well, you see, it is your last day as a Dragon Knight, so I wanted to properly witness it in dragon form. Besides, if I walked in this form, it would be harder to carry your luggage. I want to be useful to you.

As she spoke, Berzelia showed me the sword and spear she was carrying under one arm.

Those were the weapons I had used during my Dragon Knight days. Since I was no longer wearing Dragon Knight armor, there was nowhere to equip them, so I had entrusted them to Berzelia.

Strapping them to her back in dragon form was also a remnant from my Dragon Knight days.

So, what should we do with this spear and sword? Should I just keep carrying them like this?

Ah, no, hand them over here. I can use the Transport Bag skill now, so let me try putting them in.

I was no longer a Dragon Knight but a Courier. If that's the case, I should make use of my Courier abilities. I said that while bringing the rucksack I'd been carrying on my back around to my hands.

Hmm, these weapons are pretty big, but will they really fit in that bag?

Berzelia tilted her head in doubt.

Indeed, the sword Berzelia handed me had a blade alone that was about one meter long, and the spear was much longer than my height.

Even I wondered if they would really fit in a transport bag that was only about the size of what you could carry in your arms.

We'll know if we try.

I opened the mouth of the rucksack and tried shoving the sword and spear inside.

The massive sword and spear were instantly sucked in and vanished into the transport bag.

W-whoa, they actually fit!

Berzelia's eyes went wide with amazement. I completely understood her reaction—I'd just watched the weapons disappear into the bag myself.

It looks like an ordinary rucksack, but . . . so this is the power of the Transport Bag skill.

When I looked inside the rucksack, I saw a pitch-black void stretching out before me, with just the hilts of the sword and spear visible in the center. It was pure extradimensional space. I couldn't feel any weight from the weapons at all.

Even though they're way too big to fit, they just vanished right in! Master can use such an incredible skill without any limits—that's amazing!

Berzelia clapped her hands happily.

The transport bag's power was impressive, and I was grateful to have it.

Even though you say there's no limit, the shrine maiden mentioned there's probably an upper capacity for storage, so I should be careful.

Is that so?

Yeah, I don't fully understand how to use it myself.

I was thinking about testing what I could store and how much when I got home . . .

. . . Huh?

Berzelia tilted her head again.

Master, your pocket is glowing.

She was pointing at my pants' pocket.

Hmm? Ah, you're right.

Curious about what it could be, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the source of the glow—the folded skill chart paper. I'd left the status sheet at the temple, but I'd been able to keep that one, so I'd tucked it in my pocket. That kind of glow was something I'd witnessed several times during my Dragon Knight days.

This is . . . could it be . . . ?

The moment I unfolded the paper, the skill chart's light gathered in one spot and carved letters of white light into the air.

[Condition met: required distance traveled—Courier level up!]

It really is a level up after all.

Yes, that was the light that appeared whenever a job leveled up.

I'd seen it countless times during my Dragon Knight days, but I never expected to see it so soon after becoming a Courier.

Wow, Master, you already leveled up as a Courier?!

Seems like it.

As I nodded while reading the skill chart, Berzelia happily grabbed my shoulder.

Yay, growing as a Courier so quickly is just like Master!

Well, all I did was take a little walk. Actually, I'd heard about this before—Beginner-class jobs level up incredibly fast.

Based on what the text said, it seemed that moving a certain distance was the level up condition.

. . . Though level up conditions vary by job and level . . .

For example, to raise a Dragon Knight from Level 1 to 2, it was necessary to defeat one hundred magical beasts above a specified weight and size.

As befitting a Master-class job, quite harsh conditions were imposed even from Level 1, but compared to that, the Beginner-class job's level up conditions were incredibly easy.

Just moving a specified distance is enough? This is way too easy . . .

If leveling up was difficult from the start, it couldn't be called a Beginner-class job, so it made sense when I thought about it, but that still exceeded my expectations.

The shrine maiden had also mentioned that Beginner-class job levels rose easily at first, but honestly, I didn't think it would be that effortless.

. . . Plus, job level up conditions are usually the same for the first few levels.

Dragon Knight had the same type of condition when going from Level 2 to 3—defeating one hundred fifty magical beasts.

If that pattern held, I might be able to gain Courier abilities just by taking walks for a while.

Oh, that's right. Since I'm Level 2 now, I should have gained a skill too.

I looked at the middle of the skill chart. Next to where it said Level 2, there had previously been "Not Learned," but then that text had changed.

The Level 2 skill is Grade 2 Transport Bag . . . I guess that's a powered-up version of the transport bag?

When I voiced that question, the system responded.

Small text floated up beneath the Level 2 skill. That was supplementary explanation text from the god that only appeared when acquiring a new skill. It was just a single line written in simple text that read:

[Grade 2 Transport Bag Effect—expansion of transport bag interior 100%]

I see. So by simple calculation, I can now carry twice as much.

I believed the shrine maiden said the interior of that bag was expanded ten-fold, but that's then doubled again. It seemed I'd be able to store quite a lot from then on.

Looking between me and the rucksack, Berzelia smiled happily.

Even after quitting as a Dragon Knight, Master is amazing. Growing so much just minutes after changing jobs—

I haven't done anything Courier-like though! . . . Well, I'm grateful that the transport bag became even more convenient.

I'd probably keep leveling up and learning skills, so getting too excited about each one seemed premature.

Thinking about getting new skills one after another really gets me motivated. I'll keep leveling up at this pace. For now, I think today's going to be all about walking.

Yeah, got it. I want to help too, so if there's anything I can do, just tell me, Master!

And so I gained experience points as a Courier by taking walks with my Dragon Queen companion.

When I got home, I first decided to check the capacity of my Transport Bag skill.

Our house in Star City Crete was a two-story wooden building that's quite spacious.

The king had been generous, calling it a reward for defeating the Demon Lord.

The place came fully furnished with state-of-the-art facilities.

I'd been using the second floor to store potions and medicines from my Dragon Knight days, and we had quite a few items scattered throughout the house.

It all fit, huh?

The transport bag had swallowed up everything from the second floor.

I'd been testing the bag's capacity by packing household items, but even after cramming everything from upstairs inside, there was still tons of space left.

Master, there's nothing left on the second floor to pack. Just the maid outfit I wear for housework.

Berzelia, when did you buy something like that . . . ? Well anyway, this doesn't give us a clear idea of the capacity, so let's try a different approach.

A different approach? What do you have in mind?

Yeah, the shrine maiden mentioned this. I'm thinking we should try water in the bathroom.

That house had running water among its modern amenities.

We decided to use that. First, we emptied everything out of the bag.

Then we headed to the first floor bathroom to test how much water the Grade 2 transport bag could hold . . .

Seriously, this . . .

A few minutes later, we were stunned by what we discovered.

It holds an incredible amount, Master . . .

Yeah, I never thought it would hold five full bathtubs worth of water. The capacity is insane.

The bag could hold far more than we'd ever imagined.

Water finally started overflowing from the bag after we'd filled our fifth bathtub.

Ah, so the transport bag isn't bottomless after all.

I actually felt a little relieved.

I guessed that reaction made sense.

We also discovered something interesting—despite having water in the transport bag, we could still take other items in and out without getting them wet.

The stored items didn't seem to interfere with each other at all.

When we tilted the rucksack to pour out the water, it came out completely clean with no contamination.

We weren't sure if it would be safe to drink straight from the bag, but as long as we used proper containers, hygiene wouldn't be an issue.

At this rate, we can easily store weeks' worth of water and food.

Best of all, even when I lifted the rucksack, I couldn't feel any weight from what was stored inside.

Your skill is incredibly useful, Master.

Yeah, it more than makes up for my low stats.

The only downside was that the bag's interior stayed at room temperature, so cold water would gradually warm up over time.

. . . With this kind of storage capacity, that's hardly worth worrying about.

I was thinking about that while continuing to pour the remaining water from the rucksack into the bathtub when . . .

Master, let's try putting this in next—oh! The skill chart on the desk is glowing!

What, again?

Sure enough, the skill chart I'd left on the living room desk was glowing.

[Condition met: required distance traveled—Courier level up!]

Another level up, just like that.

Seriously? I took a walk, wandered around the house a bit, and now I'm already Level 3.

Your growth rate as a Courier is amazing, Master. Maybe you really were meant for this job?

It's weird being told I have a calling when I haven't actually done any Courier work yet! Though I guess it is a heaven-sent job.

I said that while checking the skill chart.

I was certain there were still plenty of unlearned skills marked on it. When I looked at the Level 3 section, sure enough, a new skill name had appeared.

[Grade 3 Transport Bag—Interior Expansion 100%, Fire Resistance, Cooling, and Heating Functions Added]

Oh wow, that annoying limitation from before is gone now.

And the capacity expanded again too.

. . . Good thing we tested it before leveling up.

It was helpful to get a baseline before the testing got more complicated.

Anyway, with storage capacity doubling again, we could then store a full month's worth of water and food. And with the new cooling and heating functions, we might even be able to store fresh foods and keep warm items hot.

It's become even better for traveling.

Travel . . . traveling sounds wonderful! Master has taken such good care of me all this time, so I'd love to travel together and take care of Master for a change! That's why I've been learning housework!

You're hopeless at cooking though, and you always leave it all to me.

I-I'll learn from now on! Well, Master's cooking is so delicious it'll be hard to match, but I'll keep improving, so please be patient with me, Master!

All right, all right. I'll look forward to it.

And so I spent about half the day chatting with Berzelia while testing the transport bag's new features.

We confirmed that warm items could indeed be retrieved while still hot.

We also learned that even lit charcoal could be stored and retrieved unchanged, meaning we could transport live fire sources.

. . . The number of useful travel features just keeps growing . . .

I was making plans for the future, thinking that once I became competent enough as a Courier, maybe I'd finally leave the city and set out on real adventures . . .

Excuse me!

Someone knocked on my door and called out:

Is this Axel's house?

Yes, it is. Who's asking?

I called back as I opened the door.

A hooded young man in armor stood at my doorstep.

. . . That's Axel's voice, isn't it? It's been a while. Do you remember me?

As he spoke, the armored young man pulled back his hood.

Beneath were dull silver hair and an androgynous face that could almost be called cute. I recognized that face.

It was a hero I had once fought alongside.

You're . . . Fang, the Hero of the Holy Sword.

Oh, thank goodness! You remember me, Axel! I heard today was your career change day, so I came to celebrate!

One of the heroes had come to visit me right after I'd changed to a Beginner-class job.

Well, to celebrate your career change, I picked out some delicious-looking sake from the royal capital.

When I invited Fang into my living room, he sat at the table and immediately pulled a sake bottle from his jacket with a cheerful expression.

Oh, thank you. But you're working as a military general in the royal capital—how were you able to come to Star City? It must have taken several days to get here.

Fang gave me a sheepish smile and scratched his cheek.

Haha . . . Even though I'm called a general, it's closer to being a military advisor. I'm surprisingly free with a flexible schedule. Besides, I had other business this time too. I rented the inn next to your house.

I see. Being in the national army must have its own complications.

Not at all! Even though I was the last hero to join, I'm living so well that I almost feel guilty about it. And I'm incredibly happy that I could use work as an excuse to come see you this time.

Fang was still looking embarrassed when he was interrupted.

Master, I finished cleaning the experiment room!

Berzelia walked over with a broom in her hand. Seeing that, Fang politely bowed his head.

Ah, Berzelia. It's been a while.

Oh! If it isn't the Hero of the Holy Sword! Hey there! It's been ages since we fought the Dragon God. How have you been?

I've been well, thanks. It's wonderful to see you looking so healthy too, Berzelia.