Chapter 117: Jester

Yes, it seemed like it was time to move forward and stop being a rank-one massage therapist. Anyway, before that, I drew one of the cards from the Jester’s Heart deck—the Ace of Swords—and activated its effect.

"All right, now everything’s ready."

With that done, I began to go over the steps involved in this process. If I wanted to advance, I had to develop a solid understanding in my mind of what a massage therapist is—and, according to Iris, who was already ahead of me in this aspect , the subprofession as well, in my case as a Jester.

I knew this moment would eventually come, so I already had what I believed to be a reasonable understanding of both.

At the lower ranks, even a superficial understanding is acceptable.

Iris told me that she simply thought of a massage therapist as someone who used their skills and had the ability to make others feel good... and for her specifically, a perfect job for making unsatisfied MILFs happy.

That last part doesn’t really seem relevant, but technically it’s an understanding of her identity as a user of the profession.

That’s something that’s also required to advance in rank.

It’s technically a dual understanding of what the profession is and of myself as a practitioner of this profession.

And according to her, what she thought when it came to "Berserk" was simply that it’s a profession meant to destroy everything, and she’d be using it to do whatever she wanted and destroy everything.

Yes, she said that with a look of excitement on her face.

I hate to admit it, but when it comes to Iris, that highly destructive profession fits her like a glove—not to mention that when she gets angry, it’s no joke; she fits the definition of a "berserk" perfectly.

As for me, setting the MILFs aside, I already have my own opinion about being a masseuse, but what gave me trouble was the "Jester"—a profession I’ve thought of as completely unsuitable for me from the very beginning.

Jokes, songs, acrobatics, storytelling, games, etc.

All these things were what defined a Jester, and I know objectively how unfunny I am.

Jokes aren’t my thing; I’ve never sung in my life; I’m clumsy and have poor motor coordination, so acrobatics and tricks are out of the question.

Everything else doesn’t seem to fit me at all either.

Damn, sometimes I think even Iris would be better than me at being a Jester.

I’m literally the furthest thing from one.

I’m unfriendly and indifferent.

I always prioritize logic over everything else, and I know I’m way too analytical.

Lately, because of my connection with Iris, I’ve also realized just how closed-minded I am.

If something doesn’t add up with my common sense, I push it aside and avoid thinking about it—or I persistently try to find a logical explanation.

I can’t accept that things just happen for no reason.

But the problem is that, as far as I know, this wasn’t simply decided arbitrarily.

If what Mirror said is true, it’s something tied to the soul—our way, as outsiders, of assimilating into this world. That means there really is a Jester within me...

Which made me wonder: Why? What’s wrong? Am I the problem, or is it my understanding of what a Jester is?

Honestly, I didn’t know much about that extinct profession in our home world. I only had vague impressions, and everything I knew was based on those.

Jester: the fool, the butt of everyone’s jokes, the king’s entertainer, the laughingstock, that idiot whose sole purpose in life is to amuse others, the one no one takes seriously.

Honestly, that was all I knew about this profession, and that understanding would have kept me stuck, since, while I can understand what a Jester is, I don’t understand why I am a Jester, much less my identity as one.

But thanks to someone who pretended to be a loose-lipped gossip when in reality he was covering up what was important, I learned why I was a Jester.

Honestly, even though that encounter was frustrating and annoying, Mirror really helped me.

Without him, I would have remained trapped in a misconception and might have gotten stuck.

Sure, a Jester was still a fool, a laughingstock, the butt of everyone’s jokes, but there was more to this profession than that.

They were the only ones who dared to satirize the king, the only one who always stepped outside the bounds of everything that was properly structured.

He wasn’t above the hierarchy. He was outside of it.

But even so, that still doesn’t resonate with me.

Or so I thought until I remembered the words spoken by Mirror.

"...You’re the one who really understands how things work. That’s why you can play with what you shouldn’t, challenge what no one else dares to touch, and say what others don’t even allow themselves to think. Always testing limits that don’t belong to you... and yet you still come out unscathed. The only one capable of mocking, deceiving, or laughing at a king without fear, and walking away as if nothing happened."

It felt mostly like an insult, but it wasn’t a lie.

I don’t think I understand everything, but it’s always in my nature to figure out how things work, to see if there’s a way to achieve my goals.

Even if it seems impossible to achieve, if I find the opportunity, I won’t hesitate to use it, because if I act, it’s because I know I have the confidence to get away with it and achieve my goals.

Which led me to reconsider my thoughts.

It’s true—at first glance, a Jester was all of the above, but a true fool really wouldn’t have survived in that profession.

A competent Jester needed to know just how far he could go.

Yes, because the moment that idiot said something unfunny—something wrong and taboo that would turn everyone against him—that would be the moment his privileges would be cut off, along with his head.

That’s why a true jester would only act like a fool on the outside—performing tricks, acrobatics, and the like—but on the inside, he was always vigilant, carefully weighing his actions and words.

Always analyzing and understanding the unspoken boundaries.

A profession where caution, an understanding of people, and quick thinking were indispensable.

Even his taunts directed at the king or the nobles had to be meticulously thought out and delivered.

Since it was a high-stakes profession, in which a single mistake would be fatal.

A jester is someone walking a tightrope, using everything at his disposal to achieve his goals.

One who puts on a facade so that no one truly understands who they really are.

In that regard, I can relate, and at least it makes it make a little more sense that I’m the one who holds this strange profession.

Badum!

At that moment, I felt and heard a clear beat in my heart, and a strange sensation spread from there throughout my entire body.

It was strange.

It felt painful, but at the same time, it was soothing and refreshing.

I couldn’t explain it properly since I had nothing to compare it to.

Eventually, the sensation spread to every part of my body.

At that moment, another sensation came over me—like an overflowing surge of energy—and it washed over me.

It felt like adrenaline.

But slowly it subsided.

________

Rank 1 >>> Rank 2

______

Yes, just as I thought, that was enough—and perhaps even more than enough.

Maybe my current understanding is good enough to move up one or two more ranks—maybe even three.

Now, whether that understanding is correct and whether deepening it will lead to the ability to keep moving up is another matter.

Perhaps this understanding is what works for me now in the lower ranks, but at a higher rank I’ll have to reevaluate it, think it through, and even view it from a new perspective.

Perhaps this whole approach is fundamentally flawed.

But until that moment comes, I have more time to think it over and gain experience in this profession.

And thus confirm or refute whether what I believe a Jester to be—and why I am one—is correct.

..

.

"Hmm, well, with that done, I wonder... why is everything so quiet? 눈_눈"

Yes, it’s been several minutes since I’ve heard from Iris. That’s a cause for concern.

I got really distracted thinking about the ascension and the Jester.

So I went to look for her.

Obviously, with the ability to see the whole place, I quickly found her.

She was in the room we use for training. She was with the little dragon.

I walked over, and just as I was about to open the door and go in, I heard something strange.

"Rourrr!"

"Huh? Is that what you were worried about telling me? That my honey had cheated on me?"

"Rorur."

"Huh? Why would that hurt me?"

"Rorur."

"Huh? But I already knew. Hehehe, I know exactly what happened. Oh, wait, Goldy, were you spying?"

"Rrrorur."

"Of course it’s important. Honey will get mad if he finds out you were in the room again and will ban all pizza and soda."

"Roourr!"

"Oh, so you were just watching from outside. Hmm... I guess you were outside the room, so you’re safe. Phew, he might ban it for me too for not training you properly—we’re safe..."

"rorrrff... rorur?"

"Huh? But you’re fundamentally wrong, Goldy. That doesn’t count as cheating if I know about it. You know, at that moment I was having fun downstairs too, with Amy. Heuehue~ Do you want me to tell you what Valhalla looks like?"

"Roorr!"

"Goldy, I don’t understand what it is you don’t understand, so let’s break it down with some simple math. Positive plus negative equals negative, which means... I still don’t get it. Oh! Wait, I think it must have been two negatives."

"Roouurrr"

"Oh, if you add another ’I don’t get it,’ it does equal negative, so... I still don’t get it."

"Rooruu!?"

"Uh?, yeah, what were we talking about?... Well, never mind. Oh! More importantly, Goldy, there’s something I want to ask you."

"Rorrru!?"

"Can you polymorph? Can you turn into a cute girl?"