Translator: CinderTL
"What exactly is inside there?"
The increasingly potent magical energy emanating from the Restricted Zone caused Roland to frown.
When he had encountered the high elves on the ship earlier, he had assumed the Merchant Faction's invitation served the same purpose as Masdon's invitation to the dwarves: to participate in the construction of the River Domain Nations.
But now it seemed the Merchant Faction's ambitions extended far beyond that.
"It appears the leaders of various nations have begun to sense the resurgence of magical energy. The Merchant Faction's invitation to the high elves was likely to investigate this phenomenon."
Recalling Galvis's words, Roland reached this conclusion. After all, few races in the world could rival the elves in their sensitivity to and affinity for magical energy.
Though his curiosity about the events within the Restricted Zone burned, the sight of the heavily guarded perimeter, patrolled by layers of guards, made Roland abandon the idea of approaching.
Regardless of the Merchant Faction's conflict with the Noble Faction, it had nothing to do with him. His sole purpose in coming to the River Domain Nations was to enhance his strength.
With this thought in mind, he turned and headed home.
Unlike the Golden Valley Kingdom, the River Domain Nations were even more boisterous at night than during the day.
The streets were packed, forcing Roland to take a detour.
On his way back, he spotted an Adventurer's Guild.
Inside, the scene was as lively as the street outside. The raucous din of voices poured through the open doors and spilled onto the street.
However, compared to the Golden Valley Kingdom, the mercenaries and adventurers here were much more orderly. At least he didn't see anyone drunk and causing trouble.
The journey home was uneventful.
Taking a small boat, Roland returned home safely.
He went into the kitchen and prepared a simple meal, honing his cooking skills.
After eating, he went back to his room and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Roland arrived at the Blacksmith's Guild right on time.
"Mr. Roland, here's your certificate."
Taking the paper Noel handed him, Roland raised an eyebrow.
Unlike yesterday's blank sheet with only a red seal, this parchment was covered in dense, elegant script, neater than many human handwriting.
"Thank you, Noel."
Roland tucked the certificate into his pouch and murmured his thanks before asking, "Is Master Griffin here?"
"Yes, Mr. Roland."
Noel nodded.
"Master Griffin specifically instructed me yesterday to have you come see him immediately upon your arrival."
The humble dwarf gestured in a certain direction.
"Shall I lead you there?"
"No need," Roland replied with a slight smile, shaking his head before heading straight down the path he had taken the previous day.
In moments, the familiar door came into view.
As before, the rhythmic clang of metal striking metal echoed from within, reverberating through the long corridor.
Bang, bang, bang!
Seeing this, Roland had to knock harder on the door and raise his voice.
"Master Griffin! It's me, Roland!"
The hammering inside abruptly ceased.
"Come in!"
Hearing the response, Roland pushed open the heavy door.
Master Griffin stood at the forge, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
The dwarf blacksmith glanced at the sky, which was just beginning to lighten, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Not bad! Hawk, that old bastard, wasn't wrong about you. You're a diligent one, alright."
Without returning to his seat, Griffin tossed the glowing red rough billet into the water trough.
Hiss!
With a soft hiss and a cloud of white steam, the dwarf blacksmith's rough voice echoed again.
"Lad, since you've joined the Blacksmith's Guild, you need to understand the rules. First..."
The dwarf blacksmith turned around, holding up two thick fingers.
"After joining the Guild, you have two options."
"You can buy a certificate from me, set up your own blacksmith shop with your own tools and equipment."
"Or you can stay with the Guild. We'll provide you with a forge and basic materials, but you'll have to pay monthly rent to the Guild."
Griffin pulled a flask from his belt, pulled out the stopper, and took a long swig. Wiping his beard, he continued.
"But with the Guild's resources, you'll receive a steady stream of commissions. You can earn money by taking on these jobs, of course..."
He wiped a drop of liquor from his beard.
"...the Guild will take a small commission from each commission fee to cover operational costs."
"Which path will you choose?"
After hearing this, Roland made his decision almost without hesitation.
The first path seemed free, but it would require money and time to maintain a blacksmith shop and the effort of attracting commissions on his own.
The second path, though requiring rent and a commission, offered immediate access to the Guild's prepared forging equipment and materials, along with a steady stream of commissions.
This clearly suited Roland's needs better.
His primary goal in joining the Blacksmith's Guild was to quickly hone his Basic Forging Technique, enabling him to qualify as an enchanter, an advanced class.
As for financial concerns, with Colin's support, he shouldn't have to worry about money at least while he remained affiliated with the Merchant Faction of the River Domain Nations.
"Master Griffin, I'd like to stay with the Guild," Roland said, making his choice.
"Ho?"
Griffin was somewhat surprised by this answer.
In his view, Roland, at such a young age, already possessed forging skills worthy of Hawk's recognition and should have been inclined to strike out on his own.
But since Roland had made his decision, Griffin didn't press the matter.
"Very well. Go to the front desk and find Noel. That lad will tell you what to do."
"Thank you, Master Griffin."
Griffin waved his hand dismissively, offered a few words of advice on Guild etiquette, and then gestured for Roland to leave.
Roland, sensing the dwarf's eagerness, didn't linger. He quietly closed the door and turned to find Noel.
Perhaps Nielsen's instructions had taken effect, or perhaps it was Roland's own approachable demeanor, but the humble dwarf took a special interest in Roland's affairs. In no time, he had arranged for Roland to use the Guild's most spacious and well-lit forging room.
Roland nodded approvingly as he surveyed the brand-new equipment.
"Mr. Roland..." Noel said, gently placing a thick stack of parchment on the nearby wooden table. "These are the Guild's unclaimed commissions for this month. If any catch your eye, just register them with me, and I'll have the necessary materials delivered immediately."
"Thank you for your trouble, Noel."
"You... you're too polite..."
Roland's frequent expressions of gratitude and gentle demeanor left the dwarf somewhat flustered. Seeing this, Roland simply chuckled and said no more, picking up the commission papers to examine them carefully. They detailed the specific requirements, rewards, and deadlines for each commission.
Aside from the lack of explicit difficulty ratings, the format of these commissions was nearly identical to the demonic beast extermination quests he had previously accepted from the Adventurer's Guild.
Seeing that it was still early in the day, Roland selected a few suitable commissions.
Once Noel's men delivered the materials, he immediately began forging.
In just a few hours that morning, the forging techniques that had grown slightly rusty during his time away from Blackwater Territory quickly regained their former fluency.
Watching the experience points for his Basic Forging Technique steadily climb, Roland nodded in satisfaction.
"With the Guild's abundant commission resources, it shouldn't take long to max out Basic Forging Technique. As for Basic Magic Theory, I have nothing to worry about."
Examining the data on his Job Panel, Roland made his calculations.
Thanks to Bronson, during their voyage at sea, Roland had spent most of his time in his cabin, poring over the scholar's vast collection of books.
Through diligent study, his experience points in Basic Magic Theory now even surpassed those of Basic Forging Technique.
"I wonder what special abilities the enchanter advanced class will grant me..."
With this anticipation, Roland wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, gave himself a quick wash, and pushed open the door of the forge.
Besides his new profession as an enchanter, Roland hadn't forgotten his primary goal: to become an Apprentice Knight.
To achieve this, he needed to meet the requirements of killing enemies and teamwork, as well as master two ranged weapons techniques and one shield combat technique.
These skills couldn't be neglected either.
Unlike in the Blackwater Territory, where he could only learn by asking others, now, as a nominal student of the Knight Academy, he had better resources to study these techniques.
(End of the Chapter)
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