Chapter 24

After having breakfast at an early morning stall, I headed to the Adventurers' Guild.

The guild master was absent, and the middle-aged male staff member I usually see was waiting there.

"I'm sorry. I've been on site for the expansion construction since last night."

"Is there a problem?"

"The construction is delayed, so I'm here to urge it along. I think the mayor is also involved in the negotiations."

Being in a position of authority must be tough.

There are a lot of meetings.

Sometimes there are even meetings about meetings, which can be a hassle.

"So, what's today's request?"

"The same as yesterday."

Making potion bottles, huh.

Well, I can't say no.

《A guild-nominated request has come in. Do you accept it?》

"Of course I accept."

《You have accepted the guild-nominated request! After work, please receive the invoice from the workshop and submit it to the guild window.》

It's a continuation of the work I did yesterday.

Today's goal is to make more bottles of better quality than yesterday.

I'd like to make all of them at least quality C-.

The goal is achievable, but the higher the hurdle, the more motivated I get.

"Oh! You're back, I'm glad! Thanks for coming!"

"Nice to see you again."

Nils is always in the workshop whenever I come.

Yesterday, he had shorter breaks than the other craftsmen.

His breaks are actually informal meetings and guidance sessions with the other craftsmen.

He's a middle manager, I guess.

I immediately start working.

I use Physical Enchant Aqua to boost my dexterity.

In addition, I use Air Current Control to fine-tune the airflow into the glass.

It's the same procedure as yesterday.

The first three bottles were all quality C.

The next two were quality C+, and one was quality C.

Yeah, I'm starting to remember the feel of it from yesterday.

I got a bit absorbed in the work and continued.

After the first break, I continued working.

Yeah, I'm in good form today.

After the second break, I entered the workshop, and it seems Fay has also started work.

The new player I saw yesterday is also there.

"Hey, good morning. You're starting work early after a break?"

"Yeah, good morning. I just finished my second break."

"You're early."

"It's good to have a clear break for lunch."

"I see."

The new guy also bows, and I nod in return.

"I'm Mikado, a glassworker!"

"I'm Keith, a summoner. Nice to meet you."

Mikado seems energetic. He looks young and likable.

But there's no time for chit-chat.

With Nils watching, we just introduce ourselves and start working.

We're making bottles side by side.

He's a beginner, but I can't let him beat me in quality, even if he's faster.

When the break time came, I checked the results. The quality of the bottles Mikado made was between C- and C, and the quantity was slightly more than mine.

Hmm.

Not bad.

"Have you seen the board since then? The momentum was incredible, and the effects were immediate."

"Stray dogs?"

"Yeah. I think the number of stray dogs has drastically decreased. No party has reached the boss yet, apparently."

"They're swarming too much, I think."

"Yeah. That's the greatest charm of hunting at the cutting edge."

Fay and I mainly chatted.

Mikado seemed to have something he wanted to ask.

"I have a question for you two."

"Hmm?"

"What is it?"

"Actually, I haven't taken any magic skills yet. Which one is the best for a glassworker?"

I'm at a loss to answer!

I listen to his concerns.

I heard that taking too many magic skills can slow down your growth, so you should narrow it down.

Watching Fay and me work today deepened his dilemma.

Fay only has fire magic skills.

He recently reached level 3 in fire magic and uses the Resist Fire spell and the Heat Resistance auxiliary skill to withstand the heat.

This allows him to focus better on his work.

I also checked the bottles he made, and they are quality C, but he can make them much faster than I can.

He's a pro, after all.

In my case, I use a different approach to improve quality.

I use Physical Enchant Aqua to boost dexterity and Air Current Control to improve work precision.

Thanks to this, I can make high-quality bottles even though it's not my main job.

Mikado was working between Fay and me, so he saw us using spells on both sides.

This deepened his dilemma.

"Resist Fire is definitely helpful. But I think Keith's method is also good."

"Is it really that effective?"

"Sure. How about we try casting spells on each other and working?"

"Sounds good. Should we include Mikado in the test?"

"Is that okay?"

"I'm also interested in fire magic."

"I want to know the effects of the spells Keith uses. I'm curious about how much the quality can improve."

So, the testing began.

I love this kind of thing.

It's my favorite.

First, we started with Resist Fire.

When players cast enhancement or recovery spells on each other, they are almost 100% effective if not resisted.

Naturally, we didn't resist.

The effect duration of Resist Fire is about 10 minutes.

We also checked the effect duration of Resist Wind and Resist Aqua, which were the same.

How effective would it be in that scorching work environment?

It was extremely effective.

I also have Heat Resistance, which probably contributed to the effect.

I could work with a clear mind.

Quality C- bottles easily became quality C.

This is great.

The only problem is when the effect wears off during work!

The work here lasts about 30 minutes, so I had Fay cast it twice more.

It was indeed easier.

I could probably work without breaks if I wanted to.

"More or less like this. How about it, Mikado?"

"It's easier and the quality is a bit better."

I agree.

Hmm.

Maybe I should take fire magic.

I have enough bonus points.

What should I do?

What should I do?

After the break, it was my turn.

I used the combination of Physical Enchant Aqua and Air Current Control.

The effect durations are different, which is a bit troublesome.

Physical Enchant Aqua lasts about 15 minutes, and Air Current Control lasts about 10 minutes.

Fay also cast Resist Fire for the last 10 minutes.

This was the most comfortable and effective.

I could consistently make quality C+ bottles.

This is great.

I want to be able to use Resist Fire too.

Before I knew it, I had taken fire magic.

What did I just do?

Ah, what have I done?

Mikado mentioned earlier that taking too many magic skills can slow down your growth.

I really acted without thinking.

Before I knew it, I had also taken dark magic.

If you're going to do it, might as well go all the way.

I had enough bonus points.

Fire magic costs 2 points, and dark magic costs 3 points, for a total of 5 points.

I hope the damage is minimal.

When the break time came again, we checked the current work.

Fay made a bottle with quality B by working slowly and carefully.

Wow.

In my case, I could only make quality C+ bottles.

"How about it, Mikado? This is the feel of it."

"On the contrary, I'm at a loss. I want to use all of them. And something felt different."

"Different?"

"During the bottle-making, I could take the Precision Handling skill."

"Wow, lucky you. I have it, and it's great."

Fay also has Precision Handling.

It's definitely useful for production jobs that require dexterity.

"I immediately took it and activated it."

"But do you have enough bonus points?"

"It's fine as long as I take magic skills."

"I see. What do you think, Keith?"

"Well, if you have Heat Resistance, taking something other than fire might be an option, but considering the feel of bottle-making, fire magic might be better."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, I think the effects of wind or water magic would be weaker. If you think about the future, fire is probably better."

"Then, Mikado, what will you do?"

Mikado looked troubled but made his decision quickly.

"I'll take fire magic."

"Okay. But the combination of wind and water magic was pretty good."

Fay then spoke to me.

"I also want to hear the opinions of my hunting companions before taking wind or water."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Quality B is attractive, and it can increase your growth rate, so it's not something to ignore."

The break ended, and we lined up to make bottles again.

This time, we started with all three spells.

The work went very smoothly.

Just as the last batch was finished, an info message popped up.

《Your Glassworking level has increased!》

《Your Heat Resistance level has increased!》

《You have a message from a friend.》

The last info message was a duplicate.

The message was from Saki.

Is the armor ready?

'Head armor is complete. Currently making