Translator: CinderTL
Moonlight cascaded down like liquid silver as Roland walked slowly through the dappled shadows cast by the trees, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
"Silver Dust is a common material in alchemy. Bronson not only knows about it but actually possesses some. Does that mean he's well-versed in alchemical techniques?"
"But alchemy..."
Fragmentary memories of alchemy surfaced in his mind. The only association he could make was with the stereotypical wizard figure often depicted in knightly romances—either as a mentor or the ultimate villain.
Yet when he recalled Bronson's awkward, impoverished, and timid demeanor, Roland found it impossible to reconcile that image with the mysterious and unpredictable nature of a wizard. Besides...
"How could a wizard possibly work under a noble?"
Even the relationship between knights and nobles could be described as a form of employment.
A wizard, whose strength far surpassed that of a knight, would inevitably maintain a superior, condescending attitude in any dealings with nobles.
"Being stuck in this remote place, the information I can gather is too limited."
"Well, even if Bronson really is a wizard, it has nothing to do with someone as insignificant as me."
With a soft sigh, Roland temporarily set aside his suspicions and opened the cloth pouch in his hand.
The silver dust shimmered like crushed diamonds under the moonlight.
"Now that I have the Silver Dust, all that's left is to gather the medicinal herbs and begin practicing the Mithril Body Tempering Technique."
"But before that, I need to make sure I can pass the knowledge assessment."
Though the sudden acquisition of the Body Tempering Technique was exhilarating, Roland never forgot his most pressing task: passing the assessment to become a formal blacksmith apprentice.
In the rigidly hierarchical Golden Valley Kingdom, even if he successfully tempered his body and gained strength, without formal status, he would remain nothing more than a slightly higher-grade consumable resource.
Moreover, his Body Tempering Technique was a flawed version lacking the necessary breathing techniques.
As for joining the military to earn merits...
With his current skills, he could barely defend himself, let alone engage in battlefield combat.
Unless absolutely necessary, he had no interest in following a knight to seek glory and advancement before achieving absolute strength. And to enhance his strength...
"Wait a minute! When I became an Adept, I was so focused on studying the 'Focus' state that I completely overlooked whether this new job resonated with my previous two!"
After a light tap on his forehead, Roland hurriedly opened the Job Panel.
At the very bottom, a new line of subtitles appeared:
Recruit + Adept
Gained additional bonus: Theory and Practice
Theory and Practice: When engaged in combat, you gain a heightened awareness of the battle's nuances, granting you bonus experience.
"Does this mean combat-related skills can gain experience not only through self-training but also through sparring with others?"
"Though it's unclear how much experience can be gained, or whether this stacks with the [ Combat Readiness ] trait."
After analyzing the description of [ Theory and Practice ], Roland scrolled down further.
Blacksmith Apprentice + Adept
Gained additional bonus: Standardized Production
Standardized Production: When repeatedly crafting the same equipment within a short period, success rate increases, and equipment quality improves.
Roland's eyes lit up at the description of [ Standardized Production ].
Even experienced blacksmiths typically rely on luck when forging tools. Factors like fatigue, substandard ore quality, or damp charcoal can all affect the final product's quality.
"But if the description of [ Standardized Production ] is accurate, I can completely disregard these external factors when crafting equipment."
"As long as I keep forging, my success rate will steadily increase, and the quality of my finished products will improve!"
Roland couldn't help but feel exhilarated at this realization.
"It's a pity Mr. Hawk said we only get one chance to forge during the final assessment. If I could try a few more times, passing would be a certainty with this ability!"
"Still, if I can pass the assessment and become a formal apprentice, this ability will definitely make Mr. Hawk take notice! After that, I'll become a true blacksmith much faster."
With these thoughts, Roland walked briskly toward the dormitory.
In the following days, he maintained his usual study routine, diligently listening to every word of Bronson's teachings.
The secret transaction seemed to have never occurred. The two maintained a perfect teacher-student distance—neither distant nor overly familiar.
During this time, Roland began consciously utilizing his [Focus] ability.
Through repeated experimentation, he discovered the optimal usage rhythm: three minutes of activation followed by a half-hour rest, repeating the cycle.
Though each activation period was short, the immersive, distraction-free state of [Focus] exponentially increased his learning efficiency.
In just half a day of focused study, Roland had mastered more written material than he had in the previous three days combined.
With such astonishing learning efficiency, ten days passed like a fleeting moment, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
At dawn, bathed in the cool morning sunlight, Roland gently unfolded a yellowed piece of cloth. His fingertips traced the neat characters, and a faint smile unconsciously curved his lips.
"[ Black Iron Ore Trade Contract ]," he murmured, his voice echoing clearly in the empty dormitory.
"Party A: Grayrock City Branch of the Blacksmith's Guild; Party B: Northland Mining Company."
Each character flowed from his mouth as naturally as a gentle stream.
The once-unfamiliar symbols, twisted like tadpoles, were now intimately familiar. When he encountered technical terms, corresponding ore diagrams would reflexively surface in his mind.
"...If the sulfur content of the ore exceeds the standard value, the buyer reserves the right to deduct payment proportionally."
At this point, Roland chuckled softly.
"This 'Focus' trait is far more powerful than I imagined. In just ten days, I've not only become fluent in reading these previously cryptic clauses, but I can even grasp the commercial logic behind each one. It's truly incredible."
"With my current level of knowledge, I'm fully prepared for Mr. Hawk's knowledge assessment. But before that, I should request leave to purchase medicinal herbs. As for Marco..."
Roland set down the cloth scrap, a faint smile playing on his lips as he thought of the blacksmith's son with his perpetually gloomy expression.
It wasn't that he naively believed Marco would suddenly change his ways. Rather, Marco had been too preoccupied these past few days to bother with him.
The blacksmith apprentices who had passed the knowledge assessment were Marco's equals in forging skill. They were currently pushing him to his limits, forcing him to intensify his training. He simply had no time to cause trouble for Roland.
Moreover, in Marco's eyes, Roland—a failure who hadn't even passed the knowledge assessment—had likely already been written off as one of the "eliminated."
Even if Marco still harbored resentment from their previous conflict, he would never dare repeat his old trick of hiring assassins within the confines of this secluded manor.
Roland knew perfectly well that the previous assassination attempt had been purely Marco's personal act of madness.
If Marco's family truly wanted him dead, given his father's influence in the Blackwater Territory, Roland would likely never even know how he died.
Therefore, venturing outside at this moment was actually the safest course of action.
With this thought, Roland no longer hesitated.
He quickly washed up, then pushed open the door and headed toward the blacksmith shop.
Before he even drew near, the rhythmic clang of hammering mingled with Hawk's furious roars reached his ears. Hearing the familiar sound, Roland cleared his throat and slowly stepped inside.
"Hmm?"
Noticing Roland's figure, Hawk abruptly stopped his tirade, crossed his arms, and turned around.
"Roland? What brings you here?"
"Nothing urgent, Mr. Hawk," Roland said, nervously rubbing his fingers together and feigning reluctance. "I just wanted to ask for three days off."
"Three days off?"
Hawk's booming voice immediately drew the attention of the young blacksmith apprentices in the shop.
"Yes, Mr. Hawk, I have some personal matters to attend to."
As Roland spoke, he subtly observed Marco's reaction out of the corner of his eye.
Just as he had predicted.
Marco merely snorted disdainfully and continued swinging his hammer, the hateful glint in his eyes completely gone.
"Have you learned enough characters already?"
Seeing Roland shake his head silently, a flicker of disappointment crossed Hawk's eyes.
"Listen, kid, let's be clear: you have talent, but if you can't pass the knowledge assessment, I won't let you take the formal apprentice assessment in a month."
"I understand, Mr. Hawk, but—"
"Enough! I'll give you three days off, but when you return, you must... Forget it."
Hawk, mistaking Roland's hesitation as an attempt to avoid the assessment, waved dismissively and turned to instruct other apprentices.
"Thank you, Mr. Hawk."
With the matter settled, Roland said no more.
Leaving the blacksmith shop, he slung his already-packed bag over his shoulder and headed straight for the manor gates.
(End of the Chapter)
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