Chapter 24

As scheduled, I logged in.

《We have changed the system to disclose the acquisition conditions to the user when obtaining skills with special conditions.》

《Please be cautious, as skills obtained by hearing the conditions from others will be inferior in performance.》

《Furthermore, if the acquisition conditions involve the world's mysteries, it may not be possible to obtain the skill at all. Please be cautious.》

Another announcement about finding things on your own.

I wonder how they determine whether you have heard something or not. It’s a bit scary to think that the Visor might have a lie detector effect. Could it be that they can read your thoughts? They say that the scenery is corrected based on the user's memory.

I received emails from Roy and the others, thanking me for the successful hunt and the meal. I replied with congratulations and sent greetings to Peter and Shin as well.

Now, let’s look for a stall that serves breakfast.

I left the inn after being told about places that serve meals in the morning and where to find tableware. The town seems a bit more rustic than Fast, perhaps because there are no large player shops, or maybe because there are no players around who used to fill the streets of Fast during the day and night. In the morning air, only the residents of this world are seen walking around.

Is that it? A hot spring that becomes private after the boss is defeated for the first time?

I want to join a raid group for the first time.

"White, come here."

I’ll sublimate my desire for the hot spring into petting White.

"You’re not thinking of anything good, are you?"

"It’s just my imagination."

As soon as I called him, he said that.

"Is this Fos?"

White, perched on my left shoulder, asked. It feels good on my cheek.

"Have you been here before? I want to buy a tea set because ceramics are famous here. White, you can choose one too."

I called him before breakfast. Since there’s a time limit, I decided to buy the tableware first.

"Me too?"

"Wouldn’t it be better to drink from a cup you like? If a plate is easier for you, that’s fine too."

White shifted on my shoulder.

"What’s wrong?"

"Mmm..."

"What’s the matter?"

White seemed to have something to say but fell silent. With no choice, I headed for the pottery district without further conversation. I didn’t stop petting him.

"...Turn left here."

"Huh?"

As soon as White spoke, he started giving directions. I decided to follow without asking questions. I followed the directions he gave several times.

"It’s not there."

"What’s wrong?"

We arrived at a large workshop that handled colorful tableware. The colors were too overwhelming and not to my taste. White fell silent again, so we left the workshop.

I sat on a bench under a large tree, moved White to my lap, and made a cup of berry tea.

"Did you know a shop from the past?"

"Yes. But it was impossible for a human to remain the same when the elves changed their leadership."

He added, "That woman didn’t have the kind of personality to take on apprentices," and started drinking tea as if to regain his composure. It seems the person was a woman who made ceramics. The time when the elves changed leadership might refer to the period when White was sealed.

"What kind of tableware was it?"

"I don’t understand the tableware used by humans. But when I tapped it, it made a beautiful sound, and it was white with green designs."

The sound when tapped suggests it was porcelain.

I petted White, who was immersed in nostalgia, and got scolded.

I took out a sandwich from my bag, refilled White’s tea, and had a meal. Even after White returned and I was alone, I sat there for a while, watching the street.

I decided to visit more workshops. For beer, I chose six ceramic tumblers, with a black interior and a blue glaze on the outside, and six more with an orange design.

Since the party has six members, the basic options are single, three, or six.

Next, a tea set: a set of white porcelain with blue intricate patterns near the edge, and a few cups. No coffee cups!

It’s a matter of personal preference, but I could continue using the disposable cups that disappear after use.

"Excuse me, is there a shop that deals in old porcelain?"

I asked while paying, just in case.

"The best place is the auction. But if you’re looking for something mediocre, you might find it at an antique shop. It’s where less affluent people buy old tableware and clothes. The area isn’t very safe, so be careful if you go."

A kind lady warned me and told me the location.

On the way, I bought some additional ingredients and arrived at the antique market. In the real world, I wouldn’t go near areas with poor security. Here, many of the items are brought in from somewhere and sold without much maintenance. Besides daily items, there are a lot of short swords.

Is that for thieves? It feels more like the atmosphere of a place with poor security compared to the stalls in Fast. It might just be the difference in the presence of players. The residents here look worn out, with their clothes faded from their original colors, giving a tired and depressed impression. Without the colorful hair and clothes of players, the residents’ appearance defines the impression of this alley.

I avoided being approached by suspicious characters and looked around the shops. My awareness skill was very useful. Being one of the tallest, I wouldn’t be challenged to a fight unless I entered a less crowded alley.

It’s early in the morning, so such people might still be sleeping.

I looked around the shops that handled tableware, avoided being sold unnecessary items, and found a white cup with a light green design. It’s a porcelain cup with plant leaves drawn on the edge and center, covered in dust but still beautiful. Unfortunately, the matching saucer was not available, but I found a small plate with a different design in another shop. One had a vine pattern and gold edge, and the other had leaf patterns in four directions with gold script-like text.

Both had a small green rectangle with a white animal mark on the bottom when flipped over. It must be the right one, I think. I was happy that both White and the other person had chosen white for the mark, and I paid more than the asked price before heading to the temple.

It would be a while before I learned that the same mark on tableware was being auctioned for a frightening amount.

After buying the tableware, I headed to the temple to move to Fast early. I’m curious about the quests in Fos, but there are still places in Fast I haven’t visited.

The temple in Fos is smaller but has the same basic functions as the one in Fast, with a prayer hall, a room for job changes, and a transfer room in between.

Since I’m using the temple, I decided to pray in the prayer hall. The room is spacious, with statues of deities arranged around it. The statues are on pedestals, so they are high up but only about half my height.

I wonder if they sell palm-sized versions.

Now, I’m back in Fast. It’s too early to visit the used bookstore. I might as well go to the northern district I haven’t been to yet and start by filling in the map. I also need to visit the Alchemist Guild.

There are many things I want to do, but I don’t want to ride in a carriage.

"Excuse me, is there a teleportation gate for moving around the town?"

I asked a plump female priest at the teleportation gate, hoping there might be one.

"Hehe, unfortunately, there isn’t. This is a gift from the gods, you know~"

Apparently, to build a new temple and set up a stone plate, a few priests perform a ritual, and the plate displays text, creating a gate. The structure and how it works remain a mystery, but it’s in operation.

The stone for the plate is expensive, but since it’s a one-way transfer from the temple to the plate, a simpler ritual can create it, making it a privilege of the temple. However, the cost is still out of reach for the average person.

"Is there something like a 'Return Stone' that can move from outside the city to here, made through alchemy, but not for moving around the city?"

Oh, such a thing exists.

"Isn’t the carriage sufficient?"

"The carriage makes me sick."

"Oh, there’s a skill called 'Drunk Resistance' that also prevents you from getting drunk on alcohol."

"Where can I get it?"

"It’s given as a penalty for those with bad drinking habits."

Do you want it? The priest looked at me as if she couldn’t believe it.

The temple offers paid enchantments that last for about an hour before adventures, and I paid a fee to receive the 'Drunk Resistance' skill.

It’s usually given as a penalty, but occasionally, women who get very sick from carriages come to get it.

Since it’s not a combat skill, it doesn’t consume skill points, but I received many looks like, "What kind of man wants to be immune to alcohol?"

I can’t drink anyway!

The temple’s enchantments are not attribute-based but provide effects like increased physical defense and speed. The blessing from the gods enhances these, so it’s a good choice for healers.

I’m interested, but I don’t have enough skill points. Six types × 3 points is impossible!

Now that I can ride in a carriage, I decided to walk to the northwest district, which I hadn’t visited before, behind the temple. This area is where farmers and workshop employees live.

The houses are more solid and of higher grade than those near the market in the southwest, but as you enter the narrow alleys, you see laundry hanging out, giving a strong sense of daily life.

And now, I’m at the Assassin’s Guild.

Why am I here?

They shouldn’t build such a place in a residential area!

"I’m not a Thief or a Spy."

"There are also Mage Assassins, you know?"

Well, there are also Doctor Assassins, who have legitimate jobs to avoid suspicion. I thought Assassins were a Thief subclass!

The man said that finding this place is important. He has an average build and a nondescript face that would blend into a crowd.

"Besides, you should have good compatibility with us. This place is well-hidden, and you wouldn’t find it just by observing."

"Even if I have good compatibility, I’m not happy about it."

What am I supposed to do with good compatibility with assassins!

"You have a dark aura, even though you’re not a Thief. Without that, you wouldn’t be able to enter even if you found this place."

Dark aura, huh. I have a blessing too. Maybe the blessing makes it easier to find this place.

I thought it was a hidden restaurant because many people came and went. Now that I think about it, knocking three times with my toes and kicking the door twice before knocking once is odd.

It’s not because of Verna’s blessing, I’m sorry.

"Anyway, as long as you don’t break the rules,