[Arc 2] Chapter 11: Plain Old Days

It's been three days after the battle against the boss-spider, and I'm living the good life!!

In other words: no more life-or-death battles!!

Things are proceeding smoothly for the organization's "Velantas take-over"-operation thanks to my recent achievement of being the MVP in the boss-spider battle, Armveil's shop turning into the hottest thing on the market, and the fire woman's rampage in the other tower-towns getting rid of the trash of society in those areas.

To summarize, the boss-spider drastically improved our likability with the city!

Why am I mentioning only the boss-spider? Because the exoskeleton of that guy went to the knights of the city, who had Armveil create new armors for them with that. Oh, and the guy who recommended that idea was, you know it, me!

Another thing the boss-spider helped us with was that he was related to those Avido-punks. No clue why they wanted a big bad spider that would eat even its owners. Skills like [Tame] requires you to either beat the monster into submission or get its acknowledgment in becoming your tamed monster.

Anyway, since the Avido group turned out to be the cause of our spider-problems, the authorities of the city asked the firewoman, who's basically my superior, to help them with rooting out those bastards. Those guys have a bounty on their heads now, and the fire woman's already destroyed three bases now, counting the one in this town. A fourth one's also been raided, this time by the knights themselves. It's just a matter of time before the secretive boss of the group gets dragged before the court.

So yeah, our current good rep with the town's mostly attributed to the boss-spider. Thank you very much~.

"What are you doing?" - Noire

I'm giving my thanks to the spider! You should too, you know? 

I and the fallen angel is currently waiting at a table in the tavern part of the Adventurers' Union. What are we waiting for? Ice-guy and Gust. They're buying tickets for the ferry. We're gonna visit one of the safer islands in this region. It was Gust's idea.

Neither I nor the fallen angel had any interest in standing in a long queue filled with people, *shiver*, so we had the guys do it for us.

I packed away the Magic Stone that I'd prayed to just now, our part of the loot thanks to the knight captain's generosity, and looked what she was-WOOOAAHH?!

The fallen angel was carving a wooden ring, but what's up with those details?! The ring's practically telling an epic saga with the decorations around it!

"What? It was you who wanted me to pick a class that does not consume so much MP." - Noire

I know I said that, but did you have to pick the one you're that much of a natural genius in?! 

The class that the fallen angel's talking about is called Craftsman. It specializes in handcrafts and shares some aspects with other Artisan classes, such as Woodworker and Weaver. However, the Craftsman class is best to be called an Accessory-making class. It's easy to both obtain and train, and more importantly, the fallen angel wasn't against getting it, so I got her to take it.

As for why I had her pick up the class, it's so she's able to train her skills at any possible moment. Why caring about that? Kukuku... that is because of my brilliant... alright. I just read what was written in the Skill Encyclopedia, then cross-referenced those facts with the Kigal-Note and the various books in the Union library.

The point is, it seems that skills turn easier to train if you're constantly using some sort of skill. That's why my skill levels have broken through the roof lately, as compared to when I was wandering around in the Dungeon as a Grey Demon. I'm using them at every waking moment! 

The fallen angel's Thaumaturgy class is nice and all, since support spells are safe enough to use in the city, but there's the problem with the MP consumption. Therefore, I had her pick a class that would give her skills not too dependent on MP until we fix that fuel-problem of hers.

Ice-guy also picked a Sub Class. It's called Angler, and supposedly a class he always wanted. Turns out his family has been fishers and shipwrights for generations. Can't deny him that class if that's the case. Or rather, he's got great synergy with it.

"We're back." - Alf

Speaking of the fisherman. Alf had returned with Gust and four tickets for the ferry. And they're not alone.

"Yo, Millionaire Newbie." - Carion

"...That nickname's just bringing trouble, so stop." - Garami

It's the Union Master. He gave a light-hearted "sorry" before handing me a letter. What's this? A receipt? 1, 10, 100... 100,000, million...!?

"It's the check for your share of the profit from auctioning the spider queen you brought to the Union on the first day. Unprecedented monsters always go for a nice price~." - Carion

T-t-t-t-t-that's nice and a-a-a-a-a-all, but 5 million-, 5 MILLION SOL?!

I've learned a little more about the currency in this world, and 5 million... it's a lot. Like, you can live at an inn for around 90 years or so with that amount of money without needing to work!

"Garami! I want that awesome fishing toolset that Armveil's store got in the previous day!" - Alf

"T-the newest crafting box!" - Noire

"Sushi at the best restaurant in town! My stomach needs to be provided for as well!" - Gust

*Splat!* *Splat!* *SPLAT!!*

You gotta love sticky threads. The perfect way to glue up troublemakers when they start making noise.

"Hmm, so you are going for these..." - Carion

While I was preoccupied with storing the check, the Union Master had been peeking on my notes that I had been working on before. Hey! That's private material!

"And here I thought that you only wanted to take the test because you were bored, you little devil. To think that such a promising candidate would walk the path of Alchemy." - Carion

Alchemy. A type of crafting method that's limited to the Alchemist class. By using mana and something called an Alchemy Circle, one can combine several materials into a new item. There's practically no limit for what's possible to create, but there are some drawbacks.

First off, the quality of the products made with Alchemy can never exceed quality rank C.

Second, unlike other Artisan classes, there is no means of mass-production with Alchemy.

Third, the usage of Alchemy Circles can be called magic, so those not proficient in using magic will have difficulties in using an Alchemy Circle.

Even I have to agree that it's a class that's not what you could call 'me', but there are some perks with this. First, those magic circle-like things that [Necromantic Rite] and [Create Undead] uses are variants of the Alchemy Circles.

It was just a coincidence that I got to know that, you know? One day when I was going to the Union to kill some time, I saw the Union Master creating a golem in the backyard. The process and magic formulas were almost exactly like my necromancy skills!

Therefore, I had the Union Master teach me how to unlock Alchemist, which was only a Legacy Quest like how I got the [Weaving] skill, then I started to study the relationship between Alchemy and Necromancy.

And what you know! Necromancy turns out to be the result of Alchemists in the past wanting to recreate other monsters than just golems and synthetic monsters! They tried with chimeras before, but the result wasn't what you would call a success...

After the failure with chimeras, the Alchemists of the past turned their eyes on the second-best option for artificial monsters, meaning undeads. It's just to create an artificial soul and put it into a dead body and voila! The techniques were based on Alchemy, but in the end, it turned into its very own class!

I explained to the best of my abilities while showing my notes for help.

"Well, good luck with that. But what are you going to do with the second class?" - Carion

The second class?

"You didn't know? Alchemist is a special class that will not advance unless you combine it with another Intermediate-tier Artisan class or two." - Carion

Guh?! I didn't know that! 

Wait... then if I take Alchemist when I get the last level before reaching Lv.20... then speed-running through the Weaver class or something when I unlock the fourth slot...

Yeeees! I like that~.

"Even so, shouldn't you hurry?" - Carion

Hurry? Hurry for what?

"Weren't you going to take a ferry? The other three have already left during your explanation." - Carion

They did what!? W-wait for meeeee!!

---

After catching up with the other three, we got on board the ferry. Leaving me behind, what are they thinking?

Ice-guy and Gust went to the deck to try out some fishing luck with the other old men, leaving behind me and the fallen angel at the resting area inside the ship.

The ship looks more like a ferry ship from my world than wooden galleons or whatever from the age of discovery. Still made of wood though, with glass windows so you can enjoy the lake's beauty even inside the ship. Is it some Migrant-brought invention?

There are no sails or whatever, so I think it moves with some Magitech motor. Definitely Migrant-originated.

The fallen angel wasn't any good company, as she was solely focused on working with the ring from before. Now she's adding some kinda magic effect? I think that's what she's doing. Did Craftsmen have that kinda ability? Or is it a skill she's taken on her own?

...It's... not bad? The fallen angel's growth, I mean. From normal people's view, growing this much in just a few days must be pretty impressive. Or, that's what my sneaky Identification of the townspeople tells me. 

Or rather, her growth with the Crafting Skills she got from Craftsman's grown a lot in this short amount of time! What's this, a talent-related proficiency boost? 

The last Crafting Skill is the culprit of my suspicion from before. It adds the effect of whatever spell you can fling out to whatever item you're making with a different Crafting Skill. Then, the result is...

A wooden ring carved by an angel. Is capable of using Life Magic: Heal, for a small cost that is the wielder's mana.

WHAT THE-!? Did the fallen angel just make an accessory that lets you use magic?! Without any Magic Skills or any other junk?!

I stared at the ring in admiration towards the fallen angel for the first time... ever, when she suddenly tossed the-, hey! Don't toss that!!

I grabbed the ring right before it entered Davy Jones' Locker with my threads. Too close!

"Garami, what game are you playing at now?" - Noire

"That's my line!!" - Garami

Whoops. I broke my character. Ehem...

"This ring, it lets people use the Heal spell." - Garami

"I know that. I made it after all. And so?" - Noire

...I didn't get through to this blockhead.

"It means anyone can use Heal with this ring equipped. Even those without [Magic Power Perception] and [Magic Power Operation]." - Garami

"...? So what?" - Noire

"...It means that even someone useless with magic like Ice-guy can use Heal to perform first-aid on themselves in case of emergency. Why toss it?" - Garami

"Having something that can only perform Heal would be like tarnishing my reputation. Even as a beginner, I will only strive for what will make me look like the best. And wood looks cheap." - Noire

...I've always had an inkling to this thought, but the fallen angel... she's pretty vain. Rather, don't toss sellable accessories just because they clash with your artistic sense!

"Just give me all the rings you make from now on, and I'll make sure that you will get some cash outta them." - Garami

"Eeh? But it is a pain if is a job~." - Noire

"...We're just doing Armveil a favor here. Also, even if the rings are no good for you, doesn't mean everyone else is on your level." - Garami

"Eh? Is that true? No, wait, that is obviously true!" - Noire

And the fallen angel fell for it, hook, line, sinker, and even the fishing rod. She then gave me the other rings she luckily didn't throw away... oi, these are all A-Rank quality stuff. She only bought cheap wood for training purpose, wasn't it? Only one of them lets you use a magic spell, which is the Light Sphere spell, but still...

And only four rings? And she's already at that high skill- and class level? Geniuses are damn cheats...

I left my seat to get some fresh air, and stumbled over Ice-guy and Gust fishing on the deck with some other folks..., no wait, ain't Ice-guy asleep? No wonder he chose the [Rest] skill... rather, aren't I the weird one here?

I only took the skill three days ago or so, but my skill level's closing the gap between Ice-guy's at an alarming pace, despite that I've turned into an early-riser so that [Sunlight Resistance] can get as much proficiency as possible. 

L-let's not think too much about that. I feel like it's gonna hurt me more than the headache I got from the fallen angel just now.

"We are soon to reach Plain Island. Plain Island. Home to various farms such as Libira Farm, Ariens Farm, and Caprac Farm. We are soon..." - Announcement

...They even got speakers on this thing. Better not think too much about it. 

Guess it's time to visit some old friends. 

Greydra

Kigal-Note/Special Classes: Angler

Description:

The Angler class is the starting-line of the Fisher classes. It starts with the fishing rod, improves their baits and lures, for then taking to the sea where they learn to use nets and fight the worst of sea monsters.

Anglers are one of the Gatherer-line Special Classes, which has a close relationship with several Artisan Classes. Angler in particular acts as customers to Woodworkers, while they sell their goods to Cooks.

They are well-received and easy to find in port-towns or other cities with bodies of water that contains fish. It is a class often taken by Sailors as a Sub Class, or by elderly people that have some Skill Points left after their retirement. 

Alf's comment: The only thing Anglers are dissatisfied with the class is that it lacks skills suitable for fishing with nets.