Chapter 1244: Guardian Swordking

（Master, what do you think?）

『Hmm. Changing jobs right before a battle seems risky… But this is clearly an upgraded version of Swordking, right?』

My biggest worry is losing Sword God Transformation, the Innate Skill that comes with the Swordking job. That said, the current Fran is now capable of using divine energy on her own.

We’ll be spamming a lot of spells in the upcoming battle against hordes of undead, so one might think losing Sword God Transformation isn’t a big disadvantage. Still, it’s a good skill to have available in case we encounter a powerful opponent…

As I was contemplating the options, Fran asked me again in a begging tone.

（Can I do the change?）

『You really want to?』

（Nn. Nell went out of her way to invite us. Then we found this new job. It’s gotta be strong.）

It seems Fran felt this was a fateful encounter.

And if this job is really an upgrade over Swordking, it must be top tier.

『…!』

Whoa! What the hell? The Evil God Fragment started making some kind of passionate appeal, as if telling me to choose the job. Is this how the Evil God’s divine revelations work or something?

『…!』

Ugh, fine! I get it already! You better not act up like this during a fight though, because it will break my concentration!

（Master?）

『It’s nothing. Anyways, let’s try out the job change.』

（Nn.）

After the final push from the Evil God Fragment, we decided to take the Guardian Swordking job.

Guardian Swordking: The path only available to Swordkings who desire to protect many.

There was no clear criteria described for the job change. Well, the same goes for Unique Skills in general, so I expected as much.

However, it came with a few surprises. First of all, we didn’t lose Sword God Transformation. Perhaps that is the default skill for any job with Swordking in the name.

In addition, Fran obtained a new skill and title. The new skill was “Guardian Deity’s Shield”, which apparently allows the wielder to create barriers with divine power. Sounds like an easier way of infusing divine energy into barriers, maybe?

Any improvements to defense are greatly appreciated, since the Swordking job was basically completely focused on offense. It’s always been about striking our enemies down before they can get us.

The moment Fran changed jobs, she gained the “Guardian Swordking” title, the exact same name as the job. The effect was somewhat vague, only stating that “your stats increase based on how many people are being protected behind your blade”.

I’ve seen similar titles before, such as Amanda’s “Guardian of Children” and “Dungeon Guardian” from a dungeon skeleton.

We can probably expect a considerable boost while the title is active. Truly a great find.

「Thanks Nell. You helped me get stronger.」

「Don’t worry about it. All we can really do is cheer for you now. Make sure you come back alive, okay?」

「Nn.」

Nell sent us off with a smile, but her eyes were still brimming with worry. After all, Amanda and Donadrond had yet to return, and Nell was pretty close to them.

No matter how strong an adventurer might be, there is no such thing as a safe battlefield. Nevertheless, Nell was trying to encourage Fran with her smile.

「I’ll definitely come back.」

「Right.」

「Alright, I’m going now.」

「Take care.」

With Nell and Klimt seeing us off, Fran mounted Urushi.

No, they weren’t the only ones. Various staff, soldiers, and townsfolk came out as well, waving Fran goodbye. We set off again with their cheers at our back.

Looking down from the sky, Alessa had finally recovered from the chaos caused by the earthquake, and the town’s liveliness had returned. However, there was still anxiety about what might happen after the sudden disappearance of the barrier.

I looked at the garden of the orphanage, where many children had gathered. A member of the group apparently noticed us, and they all started waving. Such sights are always heartwarming.

「We will definitely protect them!」

The moment Fran muttered those words, her body was enveloped in a pale blue light. This was, without a doubt, the effect of Guardian Swordking. Her stats had increased by over 10%.

『Of course!』

「Woof!」

Our first target was the closest undead legion to Alessa, the same massive army we had been harassing earlier.

We headed north, and found the undead shrouded in an evil aura once again.

『Are the knights farther north?』

（Nn. They haven’t been overrun.）

First, we headed towards the knights.

We found the knights resting by a stream, allowing their horses to rest as well. They seemed to be using a barrier tool for concealing themselves from the outside.

Probably not a high-level magical tool since they couldn’t hide from Fran and me.

「You guys alright?」

「Oh, Black Lightning Princess-dono! What happened to the undead?」

「Their front lines are a little ahead that way.」

「I see…」

It seems the undead were faster than we expected, so the knights struggled to escape. I guess even knights on horseback aren’t a match for tireless undead in a prolonged chase.

So, taking a chance, they deviated from the direct path to Alessa and decided to rest using the barrier magical tools.

「Perhaps they were simply aiming for Alessa from the beginning, so they had no time to waste on us.」

The knight commander, who couldn’t hide his fatigue, shrugged his shoulders as Fran conveyed the plan. Well, it was basically just a request to maintain some distance and avoid getting caught up in our flashy spells.

I’m sure the knights already realized that charging at the legion would be a futile sacrifice.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

「In that case, we will head to Alessa via an alternate route.」

「Nn. Go ahead.」

「…I wish you luck in the battles ahead.」