Chapter 63

Yuri stood among the appraisers, holding the letter containing the secret that his mother had given him, using it incorrectly.

Together with the apprentices☆

"Alright, it's a miss. Next person, please~"

Seeing the raw ore and ingot placed before him, Yūri waved his hand and declared it a miss. Yack, who had been holding the two items, looked disappointed and slumped his shoulders, returning to his spot. Between Yūri and the four apprentices, there were two piles. One pile consisted of raw ores, and the other of processed ingots. The apprentices were looking at these two piles with serious expressions.

There was one more thing. In a small basket, there were several pieces of paper. These pieces of paper were cut from Yūri's notebook and folded in half, so it was impossible to see what was written inside. Camille, who was next after Yack, reached out and took one of the pieces of paper. She then opened it.

"Ugh..."

"What is it, Camille? Is it a tricky one?"

"I got a tricky one... Well, I can tell which one is the ingot. Gradio steel is redder than other steels."

Muttering to herself, Camille held up the reddish ingot, the Gradio steel ingot. The other three also nodded in agreement, recognizing it. The problem was the raw ore. It was already difficult to distinguish raw ores, and there were many types of steel. Even if they looked similar, the characteristics and names could change depending on where they were mined.

It was a troublesome situation. One might want to complain, "Why can't all steel just be steel?" Camille tried her best to find a similar-looking raw ore, mostly by guesswork. She picked one and showed it to Yūri along with the ingot. Yūri glanced at it and said,

"The ingot is correct, but the raw ore is a miss~"

"Damn! I knew it!"

"Everyone seems to find the raw ores difficult. Keep trying~"

"We will!"

In contrast to Yūri's carefree attitude, the four apprentices shouted in frustration.

What they were doing was studying. Knowledge was essential for treasure hunters. To complete requests, they needed to know about the materials involved. So, every day, they not only trained their bodies but also worked hard to build their knowledge.

The instructor for academic subjects was usually Jake, but the laid-back scholar, as usual, gave them a large number of raw ores and ingots, along with identification books, and retreated to his room. The basic explanations had already been covered, so today's lesson was about matching the raw ores and ingots with their names—essentially, memorization.

Thus, Mr. Jake was immersed in his research in his room, as usual. Everyone had given up on him.

When it came to explaining things, he was very good at teaching the group, who knew nothing, and could break down complex concepts. He never got angry, no matter how many questions they asked. He was a kind teacher. However, when it came to memorization, he would give them the materials and disappear, which was a bit of a problem. But that was Jake for you.

Tired from staring at the identification books, the four apprentices were greeted by the familiar Yūri. The cheerful young man, who had apparently found some good ingredients, proposed a game after checking on their progress. This was the task they were currently working on.

First, they prepared papers with the names of all the types of raw ores and ingots, keeping them separate. Then, they took turns drawing papers and showing the corresponding ingot and raw ore to Yūri for verification. Successful matches were placed in designated spots with name tags. The person with the most correct matches when all the items were gone would be the winner. If they got it right, they could continue answering. The game was similar to a memory game.

"So far, everyone is about the same~"

"It's difficult!"

"I can handle herbs, but I have no connection with stones..."

"Even without knowing stones, one can live..."

"Mag..."

Yūri's carefree comment was met with a chorus of complaints from Ulug and Camille. They seemed to be saying, "It's not our fault!" Yack's comment was also true. Growing up in a rural area, they might have some knowledge of plants, but not of ingots or raw ores. They didn't live in a mine, after all.

When Mag, who had grown up in the slums, stated the obvious, the others looked at him with strained faces. As usual, the quiet boy's comments were off the mark. It wasn't so much his words as his sense of things. The city-raised Ulug and Camille couldn't understand, and the rural-raised Yack understood even less. Of course, the otherworldly Yūri had no idea at all.

Mag was right. Knowing herbs and poisonous plants was crucial for survival, but not knowing ingots or raw ores wouldn't kill you. Unless you worked with them, they were just objects you wouldn't encounter. This was true, but the way Mag put it was... Ulug sighed, "That's not the point."

"..."

"That's why, don't always tie everything to life and death."

"Why?"

"Well, why..."

Mag tilted his head, looking genuinely puzzled. The others couldn't help but wonder if they were the ones who were wrong. His expression was so genuinely curious.

"Death is equal. Not dying is important."

True, but something was off. At that moment, the four of them felt a unity of thought. Mag was right, but his perspective was different from theirs. They didn't want to die and would try to avoid it, but Mag's view was different.

Perhaps it was his acceptance of death. Growing up in the slums, Mag had seen many deaths and had probably come close to death himself. Even as an apprentice, he had quietly learned various skills. His life was likely more dramatic than theirs. ...They didn't want to know, but...

"Let's end this conversation here. It's just going in circles."

"Agreed."

"No objections."

"Let's keep going!"

"..."

"Come on, it's your turn, Mag. Draw a paper."

"...Alright."

They forced the conversation back on track and resumed the game. Or rather, what looked like a game was actually a study session. It might seem like they were playing, but they were learning. Discussing and moving their bodies while talking helped some people remember better than just staring at the identification books alone.

After a few rounds, Camille suddenly asked a question. By then, their success rate had improved. Or rather, with fewer options, they were bound to get more right. They were all working on the same set of items.

"By the way, Yūri, do you know all of this?"

"I don't know and don't plan to memorize it."

"Really?!"

"Because I can tell just by looking."

"Appraisers are so unfair!!"

Probably what 80% of adventurers would think. Mag didn't join in the complaint but seemed to agree. It was unfair to have someone with a built-in cheat sheet right in front of you while you struggled to memorize everything. But skills were different for everyone, so they had to accept it.

Incidentally, not everyone who performed the same actions would acquire the same skills. Factors like race, gender, innate abilities, and aptitudes played a role. So, even though the apprentices received the same training, they didn't necessarily grow at the same rate. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses.

"Even if you complain about it being unfair, I'm not aiming to be a treasure hunter."

"But! But...!"

"Also, because I have the appraisal skill, we can play this game."

"That's true, but!"

"Besides, whether I know it or not, you still need to learn it, right?"

"Stop hitting us with logic!"

Yūri tilted his head and honestly shared his thoughts. Because they were all true, they hit the apprentices hard. They knew their complaints were misplaced, but they still felt a bit frustrated and thought it was unfair. They were human, after all.

Seeing the apprentices punch and kick the ground in frustration, Yūri smiled, looking a bit troubled. He opened his mouth as if to say, "What can you do?"

"Once we finish this, how about having a snack a bit early?"

His comment was very motherly, and it felt like he was using food to bribe them. But the four apprentices perked up immediately, looking at Yūri with hopeful expressions.

"By 'snack,' I mean we got some delicious fruit today, so we'll just eat it as is."

"Yūri, what did you buy!?"

"That's a surprise~"

"Knowing the reward would spoil the fun," Yūri laughed. Yack, who was from a rural area, was more familiar with fruit than baked goods, so he was excited. Ulug and Camille weren't as enthusiastic, but for some reason, Mag was very motivated.

The reason was simple. Fruit provided nutrition, hydration, and sweetness, making it a wonderful food. For someone who grew up in the slums, it was a welcome treat. ...Just to be clear, at the "Scarlet Lynx" hideout, they were properly fed, and they received fair rewards for completing simple requests.

"Ah, Mag seems motivated."

"Last time with the herbs and poisons, we fell behind, but with ingots, the conditions are equal, so we won't lose!"

"Right, right. No more Mag winning and getting an extra piece!"

"...I will win."

"Will you lose!?"

"...Everyone seems very motivated. Alright, let's continue!"

For some reason, the four apprentices were hyped up. Yūri, in his carefree manner, urged them to hurry up, and they focused even more, engaging in a heated battle. Yūri thought they should have been this serious from the start but decided to keep quiet.

In the end, experience seemed to make the difference, and Ulug narrowly won first place, getting a slightly larger piece of fruit.

This is the same pattern as the herb and poison game from before.

So the title is similar.

I enjoy writing stories where the apprentices are all over the place, but Mag is getting weirder and weirder. 😂

I look forward to your comments and feedback.