"This is my gift to all of you. Please accept it."
"Whoa, this is awesome! Wow! A necklace?"
"It's beautiful! Leopin, you really are so skilled with your hands!"
"And they all match too. Perfect for us as we head off to high school together!"
"Yeah, with Leopin around, our class is definitely going to be number one."
"Leopin! We're going to stay best friends forever, even in high school, right?"
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
Together with my friends, I enrolled in the Royal Pioneer Academy.
The entrance ceremony took place on the observation deck of the castle that towered over the morning mist on the horizon.
We stood there in our brand-new uniforms, listening intently as the principal's booming voice rang out from the stage.
"I am Nekodran, the first principal of this academy!
As you all know, the purpose of this school is to discover and nurture the next generation of talented young people!
Next we will hold the Ability Awakening Ceremony, which will reveal the true power each of you possesses!
You will use this castle as your place of learning and freely demonstrate your abilities in the undeveloped lands surrounding it!
Do that, and you will receive generous support funds from our sponsors. It will be quite the windfall!"
The principal finished with what seemed to be his signature pose, smoothly stroking his shiny, greasy bald head.
The tall, skinny man standing next to him appeared to be the vice principal. He kept rubbing his hands together in a fawning manner.
"Yes! As expected of the principal! Even this yes-man could not help but be captivated by such a splendid speech!
And that cool pose! Please go easy on stealing the hearts of our female students!
With that said, everyone, let's give a round of applause!"
The new students lined up in neat rows and erupted in thunderous clapping.
After the principal's speech, the yes-man vice principal took over as master of ceremonies.
"Yes! Now then, let us proceed straight to the Ability Awakening Ceremony!
When your name is called, please respond and come up to the stage. Place your hand on the crystal orb held by the goddess statue!
Your status will then be displayed on the large crystal board above the stage!"
In the center of the stage stood a statue of a goddess. Behind it hung a massive crystal board like a giant banner.
"We will begin with Class 1-A and proceed in order!"
The academy divided first-year students into twenty classes, from Class 1-A to Class 1-T.
Class sizes varied. Students who had attended the same middle school were grouped together.
My class was Class 1-T, the very last one.
On the stage screen, the statuses and skills of students from the other classes appeared one after another, each time drawing cheers and applause.
The Royal Pioneer Academy had opened this year. Only students who had been especially outstanding in middle school were allowed to enroll.
My grades and athletic ability had been average at best, but I had supported everyone in my class with my skill at working with my hands, and somehow I had managed to get in.
"Now for the final class, Class 1-T! Weiss, please come forward!"
Weiss, the class representative and our leader, stepped up with a confident "Yes!"
He climbed onto the stage, touched the crystal orb held by the goddess statue, and his status appeared on the crystal board overhead.
Weiss
Job: Sage LV: 1 HP: 1000 MP: 1000
Status Life: 100 Stamina: 100 Toughness: 100 Spirit: 100 Resistance: 100 Agility: 100 Focus: 100 Strength: 100 Magic Power: 100 Holy Power: 100 Intelligence: 100 Education: 100 Five Senses: 100 Sixth Sense: 10 Charm: 50 Luck: 50 Dexterity: 10
Basic Skill Divine Wisdom
A roar of excitement rose from the new students.
"Whoa, a Sage?! That's an advanced job right from the start!"
"And almost all his stats are 100?! The average is supposed to be 10. This guy's a total monster!"
"Not to mention his skill is insane! That's a god-tier skill!"
The principal and vice principal were overjoyed as well.
"Indeed, magnificent! Weiss is truly the greatest genius our school has ever seen!"
"Yes! The sponsors watching this will surely provide a large amount of support funds!"
Weiss adjusted his square glasses with a fingertip and smiled faintly.
"Everyone, it's too soon to be surprised. The best in Class 1-T is not just me.
Come, allow me to introduce my wonderful companions! First up is Leopin!"
I was caught off guard when my name was suddenly called, but my friends pushed me forward with encouraging words like "Go for it!"
Weiss shook my hand and proudly addressed the new students below.
"Leopin is incredibly skilled with his hands! Everyone, look at the pendant around my neck!
This is a gift Leopin gave all of us in our class as a symbol of our friendship!
As long as we have these pendants, our friendship will last forever!
Now, Leopin, show everyone what you can do!"
Half embarrassed and half happy, I walked toward the goddess statue.
To be honest, I had been nervous since yesterday.
What if my status turned out to be terrible?
But worrying about that now seemed foolish.
After all, I had my friends.
No matter what my status showed, our bond would never waver.
Because we were best friends forever...!
With the expectations of many friends in my heart, I placed my hand on the crystal orb.
Leopin
Job: None LV: 1 HP: 10 MP: 10
Status Life: 1 (No Growth) Stamina: 1 (No Growth) Toughness: 1 (No Growth) Spirit: 1 (No Growth) Resistance: 1 (No Growth) Agility: 1 (No Growth) Focus: 1 (No Growth) Strength: 1 (No Growth) Magic Power: 1 (No Growth) Holy Power: 1 (No Growth) Intelligence: 1 (No Growth) Education: 1 (No Growth) Five Senses: 1 (No Growth) Sixth Sense: 1 (No Growth) Charm: 1 (No Growth) Luck: 1 (No Growth) Dexterity: 2000
Basic Skill Jack of All Trades, Master of None
The hall fell completely silent.
Someone muttered quietly.
"Huh...? Job 'None'... Does that mean he's unemployed...?"
"Almost all his stats are 1...! And they're marked 'No Growth,' so it looks like his stats won't increase even if he levels up!"
"Yet the only thing that's ridiculously high is Dexterity, the most useless stat of all. That's just pathetic...!"
"And his skill looks terrible at first glance... It's clearly a dud...!"
Suddenly, there was a sharp snapping sound, like something being torn apart.
When I looked, Weiss had violently ripped the pendant from around his neck.
He dropped the pendant on the floor and stomped on it.
"Now then, allow me to introduce my wonderful companions! First, the strongman Monsoon!"
"Ooh, I've been waiting for this!" Monsoon, one of my classmates, stomped heavily onto the stage.
There was no pendant around his neck anymore.
And he was not the only one.
None of the classmates waiting their turn were wearing the pendants I had given them.
Everything went dark in front of my eyes.
As I stood frozen in front of the goddess statue, heavy footsteps approached.
"Out of the way, you piece of trash!"
Monsoon, the strongest in our class, easily lifted me up and hurled me off the stage.
I flew through the air like actual garbage and slammed into the wall at the far end of the venue.
I tumbled across the ground like a kicked stone.
But by then, no one was paying any attention to me anymore.