Chapter 10

The skill degradation settings have been changed.

"What is it?"

The elf girl took a step back, as if on guard, when the man suddenly spoke to her.

She seemed to be afraid of Roland.

"Why would an elf have alchemy skills..."

When she said this, the elf girl suddenly looked at Roland with a start.

(How does this person know about my skills...)

For a while, the two of them looked at each other curiously.

"Excuse me, do you need something from my daughter?"

When Roland turned to the voice, there was an elf who seemed to be the girl's mother.

She had a youthful appearance typical of elves, and it was hard to believe she had a child, but at the same time, there was a faint melancholy in her expression and gestures, suggesting she had struggled with child-rearing and life.

She, like her daughter, seemed to be the type who was shy around people, and she looked at Roland with a fearful gaze.

"Excuse me, I am the representative of the alchemy guild called 'Spirit Workshop.'"

"Alchemy..."

"Out of curiosity, I appraised my daughter's skills and was surprised to find that she possessed a variety of alchemy skills, including silverworking, so I couldn't help but speak to her."

"Appraisal... So you are an appraiser?"

"Yes. It's quite rare. For an elf to have 'silverworking,' 'product development,' and 'product design' is quite unusual. Moreover, it seems she still has room to grow."

(This person... He saw through this child's skills in just a moment as we passed by. I've never seen an appraiser with such skill before.)

"Excuse me, how did your daughter come to learn alchemy?"

"Not here..."

She looked around nervously, as if worried about the gazes of others.

"If you don't mind, would you like to talk inside the shop?"

The elf mother said this with a slight smile, though it was clear she was forcing it.

Roland decided to follow her suggestion and enter the shop.

The flower shop run by the elf was filled with a variety of colorful flowers.

Elves have a natural ability to connect with nature and the power to promote the growth of plants.

It was clear that she had used this power to cultivate the flowers, and indeed, the selection was impressive.

There were seasonal flowers as well as those that should not bloom at this time of year, making it seem as if there were no flowers that did not bloom in this shop.

However, the display of goods and the placement of price tags were not well organized, and it seemed that the business was not going well.

After closing the shop, the elf mother led Roland to a room in the back.

There, she reintroduced herself and her daughter.

The daughter's name was Chial, and the mother's name was Silz.

"This child lived in a dwarf's cave when she was young."

"Dwarf's? Why?"

"In the past, there was a conflict between elves and dwarves. During one of the attacks on our village, this child was taken away in the chaos."

"Such a thing..."

"She was treated as a captive, but she was not mistreated. For some reason, she learned alchemy from a dwarf she met there."

"That's why she has so many alchemy skills..."

Dwarves live in caves and work with the minerals they extract, so many of them are skilled in alchemy.

It was not surprising that she had such alchemy skills if she had learned from a dwarf.

"After the conflict with the dwarves ended, the child was returned safely, but she continued to practice alchemy secretly after returning home."

When Silz said this, Chial looked down shyly.

It seemed that in the elf family, it was not well-received that the daughter was skilled in alchemy.

"Would you let her work in my workshop? My workshop is currently looking for excellent alchemists. Although it might be a bit complicated for the parents, with such alchemy skills and potential, she can be treated as a capable worker immediately, and I will prepare a treatment equivalent to an S-class silverworker."

"S-class..."

Silz gasped slightly.

It seemed to be a surprise to her to hear that her daughter had such talent.

"It would be a waste not to use such potential. Please, let me hire her."

"That... I need to discuss it with my husband."

The elf mother, who seemed to be a submissive wife, gave an ambiguous answer with a troubled smile.

Roland suggested to Chial's father that he let her work in the workshop.

However, the response from the elf father was blunt.

"No! I absolutely will not allow my daughter to work in an alchemist's workshop."

Chial's father, Isua, was a typical stubborn old man.

He had a youthful appearance typical of elves, but the age that seeped through his aura could not be hidden.

When he was in a bad mood, the deep wrinkles between his eyebrows revealed the stubborn fixed ideas he had cultivated over the years.

"Alchemy is a dwarf's job. I will never allow my daughter to imitate those who hammer metal in their underground caves."

He had a prejudice against dwarves.

There was a deep-seated conflict between elves and dwarves, and they hated each other.

Isua held a grudge against the dwarves for dumping mercury in the river of his homeland forest.

Because of this, elves had a prejudice against alchemy, which many dwarves practiced as a profession.

Roland said that he would only have Chial do silverworking and not rough work, but Isua was not convinced.

"Besides, a workshop is a place with smoke and soot, with bad air. We elves cannot breathe easily unless we are surrounded by greenery and clean water. Even in this city, we are already hungry for clean air, and I cannot let my daughter be in an unclean place any longer."

Isua was a merchant who came from the elf country.

In this free city, people of all nationalities, races, and species come for trade and adventure, but Isua came to buy weapons.

Although he had a prejudice against dwarves and alchemy, the elf country could not avoid wars and territorial disputes and had to rely on weapons.

Being dispatched to the city was a poor draw, but for the sake of the elf country, he managed to make a living by selling flowers and buying weapons.

"Anyway, I have no intention of letting my daughter work for you. Please leave."

Disappointed, Roland left the elf's flower shop.

The next day, Roland was having a meeting with Lilianne at the usual café.

"So, we will deliver 150 Earthcrafts this month, correct?"

Lilianne said, looking at the documents Roland had presented.

"Yes, please."

"The new dungeon will appear soon. We need to prepare Earthcrafts in advance."

"Can we clear more than two dungeons next month?"

"It's still tough."

Last month, 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' had obtained the occupation rights for one dungeon, but the other two were taken by 'Golden Eagle.'

In this city, about three dungeons appear stably every month, but until last month, all three were occupied by 'Golden Eagle.'

As a result, second-tier adventurer guilds like 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' had to gather resources or complete quests before 'Golden Eagle' cleared the dungeons, or participate in resource collection after the dungeons were cleared to earn a living.

This month, Lilianne's main force of 'Guardians of the Magic Tree' managed to clear one dungeon before 'Golden Eagle,' but the other two were taken by 'Golden Eagle' as usual.

It was not surprising.

The basic unit for dungeon exploration is 30 people.

'Golden Eagle' has three elite teams of 30 people each, capable of exploring the deeper levels of dungeons.

It was impossible for other guilds to prepare such teams.

Even 'Guardians of the Magic Tree,' the second-largest guild in the city, could only manage one elite team of 30 people.

"I see. It must be tough for you, Lilianne."

"Yes, it really is. The fate of the guild rests on my shoulders, and the pressure is immense."

"If only we could form another main force..."

"..."

Roland answered absentmindedly.

Lilianne looked at Roland with a pained expression.

(Are you still not over the pain of being expelled?)

Lilianne remembered Roland when he was expelled from the guild.

At that time, he was like a discarded puppy.

Compared to then, he seemed to have recovered a lot, but Lilianne still felt that he was dragging something behind.

Now, Roland was supporting her from behind, but Lilianne wanted him to return as an adventurer.

She wanted Roland to form another main force for 'Guardians of the Magic Tree.'

Furthermore, she wanted him to command that force.

If that happened, it would not be a dream to occupy two dungeons and gain an advantage over 'Golden Eagle.'

She wanted to say something but stopped when she saw Roland's melancholic expression.

(It's too early to rush him.)

She regained her gentle smile, as if watching over Roland.

(I'll wait for him to regain his confidence.)

Meanwhile, Roland's mind was preoccupied with the elf girl, Chial, whom he met the day before.

(I have no right to meddle in the affairs of an elf family. But that girl...)

Roland recalled her skill composition.

It was not just about having potential.

She had an extraordinary interest and passion for alchemy.

(I can't let that go to waste.)

"Shall we go?"

While Roland was lost in thought, Lilianne stood up.

(I shouldn't. Lilianne is right in front of me.)

Roland put Chial aside and focused on responding to her.

"I'll see you off part of the way."

"Oh, thank you."

Lilianne accepted Roland's offer with a smile.

"By the way, have you heard about the Earl Elsen's silverwork competition?"

While walking and chatting, Lilianne brought up the topic.

"Silverwork? It sounds familiar."

(Ah, right. Zens mentioned it. Some noble is holding a silverwork competition for his daughter's dowry.)

"I think I've heard about it. Someone in the same industry said they were busy because of the competition. They were also complaining about the unreasonable conditions set by Lucius."

"Why don't 'Spirit Workshop' participate?"

"Can we? I thought it was only for established artisans."

"Yes, Earl Elsen is seeking alchemists for the competition regardless of the guild's status or size. He seems to expect to boost the industry's competitiveness and discover new talent."

"Is that so..."

"So, why don't 'Spirit Workshop' participate? You can sign up at the quest counter."

"Yes, but we don't have a silverworker..."

"Think about it. By the way..."

Lilianne smiled mischievously.

"You can't be ignored, Roland."

"Huh?"

"Since just now, a cute girl has been giving you a heated look."

She glanced behind her.

Roland looked in that direction and saw pointed ears peeking out from the shadow of a building.

They were elf ears.

"Ah, Chial?"

"So, you know her. I'll take my leave now."

"Wait, but..."

"That girl wants to talk to you. You must have something to talk about too, right?"

Lilianne said with a knowing smile.

Roland chuckled.

(I can't win against her.)

"Sorry. I always make you worry."

"Not at all. If it helps you focus on your work, it's no trouble at all."

Lilianne looked at Roland seriously.

"Guiding lost talent in the right direction is something only you can do. Please have more confidence."

"Thank you, Lilianne. I'm sure her talent will benefit not only 'Spirit Workshop' but also you and 'Guardians of the Magic Tree.'"

"That sounds exciting. I look forward to seeing what talent you bring out in her."

Lilianne bowed and left, leaving Roland behind.

Roland approached the pointed ears peeking out from the building.

"What are you doing here?"

Sure enough, it was Chial.

She smiled shyly.

"Come on. I can't offer much, but I'll treat you at the workshop."

Roland led her to the reception area of the workshop.

She was hesitant to speak at first, but when Roland brought up a safe topic, she started to talk hesitantly.

Once she relaxed, Roland got to the point.

"Chial, your father said he doesn't want you to work at the workshop, but what do you think? Do you want to try being an alchemist?"

When he asked, she looked down shyly but nodded slightly.

"I see. I understand. That's enough. Chial, 'Spirit Workshop' wants to officially recruit you as a silverworker. Will you accept?"

"But my father..."

"Don't worry. I'll try to convince him."

The next day, a new house was being built next to the elf's flower shop.

It was a wooden building with vines covering the walls and a door made of vines, looking like an elf's house.

The inside was also unlike a human dwelling.

Everywhere was surrounded by greenery, like a forest.

There was a spring that constantly produced fresh water, and the space was filled with trees grown indoors.

The room was always filled with fresh air.

All the plants were bought from the elf's flower shop.

"This is..."

Isua, who had come to deliver flowers to the owner of the building, was confused when he saw the room.

It was like their homeland.

In the center of the building, where the spring flowed, there was a small wooden table. On it were a hammer with a carefully crafted wooden handle and other basic tools, along with various silverwork items.

Sitting in front of the table was the elf girl, Chial, who was hammering and bending silver to create silverwork items.

"I'm sorry. She came in on her own, and I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen."

Roland spoke to Isua from behind.

"You're... from the alchemy guild..."

"I'm Roland."

"Did you build this place?"

Isua felt a mix of emotions.

On one hand, he was happy to have a customer who bought a lot of goods from his shop, but on the other hand, he was worried about having a troublesome neighbor.

"Look at this."

Roland showed Isua the items Chial had made.

"These were made by her in this building."

"Impossible. There's no way she could make such intricate items without a fire..."

"She is a skilled silverworker. Look at her."

Chial was hammering the silver, shaping it as if it were clay.

The silver was slightly red and emitting heat.

Chial could control the heat of the silver by adding a spirit to it.

She was working enthusiastically, her eyes shining.

(Amazing. I've never seen such high-quality silver. I can shape it so easily to my liking.)

Isua was impressed by Chial's alchemy skills, which were even better than he had expected.

Roland spoke to Isua again when her work reached a good stopping point.

"Isua, I will never make her work in a dark, airless underground cave. It won't harm her health, and I won't make her do rough work like smelting or shaping. Please, let her work for our guild."

"Father, I want to work for Roland. Please, let me."

Isua was taken aback by his daughter's earnest plea.

"...Do as you please."

Isua said this and left the place quickly.

His face showed a mix of bitterness and happiness.

From the next day, high-quality, highly refined silver was delivered in large quantities to 'The House of the Forest.'

The silver was turned into various items, including rings, necklaces, hair accessories, brooches, earrings, bracelets, and everyday items like deep plates, flat plates, spoons, forks, and goblets, and was delivered to the warehouse on the outskirts of the city one after another.