Leaving the Manor Again

Moonlight poured down like water as Roland walked slowly through the dappled shadows of the trees, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Silver Dust is a common material for alchemy, and not only does Bronson know about it, but he also has it on hand. Doesn't that mean Bronson has considerable research into alchemy?"

"But alchemy..."

Fragmented memories of alchemy surfaced in his mind. The only connection Roland could make was to the wizards who often appeared as instructors or ultimate villains in knight novels.

But thinking of Bronson's disheveled, poor, and timid appearance, he simply couldn't associate the man with an unfathomable being like a wizard. Besides, "How could a wizard work for a noble?"

If there was a semblance of an employer-employee relationship between knights and nobles, then wizards, who were even more powerful than knights, would inevitably interact with nobles from a position of superiority.

"In such a remote place, the information I can get is too limited."

"Never mind, even if Bronson is a wizard, it has nothing to do with a small fry like me."

With a soft sigh, Roland put these suspicions aside for the moment and opened the cloth bag in his hand.

The silver powder glittered under the moonlight like crushed diamonds.

"I have the Silver Dust, now I just need to go out and buy medicinal herbs, and then begin cultivating the Mithril Body Tempering Method."

"But before that, I need to make sure I can pass the Knowledge Test."

Although the sudden acquisition of the body tempering method was exciting, Roland never forgot the most pressing matter at hand.

That was to pass the assessment and become a formal Blacksmith Apprentice.

In the rigidly hierarchical Golden Valley Kingdom, even if one succeeded in tempering their body and gaining strength, without formal status, they would ultimately be nothing more than slightly more advanced expendable material.

Not to mention that his body tempering method was an incomplete version, lacking a complementary breathing technique.

As for the path of joining the army and earning merit.

With his current skills, he could protect himself, but it was far from enough to fight on the battlefield.

Unless absolutely necessary.

Otherwise, before possessing absolute strength, he had no interest whatsoever in following knights to achieve great deeds. As for improving his strength.

"Right, when I took on the [Learner] profession, I was so focused on researching the [Focus] state that I didn't seem to notice if this new profession resonated with the previous two!"

Patting his forehead lightly, Roland quickly opened his Profession Panel.

At the very bottom, a brand new line of text appeared.

[Rookie + Learner]

[Gained Bonus: Theory and Practice]

[Theory and Practice: When you fight an enemy, you can keenly perceive the details of the battle, thus gaining additional experience.]

"Doesn't this mean that combat-related skills, besides self-training, can also gain experience through fighting others?"

"I just don't know how much experience it will grant, and whether it can stack with the [Preparation] trait."

After analyzing the description of the [Theory and Practice] trait, Roland looked further down.

[Blacksmith Apprentice + Learner]

[Gained Bonus: Standardized Production]

[Standardized Production: When repeatedly crafting the same equipment in a short period, success rate increases, and equipment quality improves.]

Roland's eyes lit up upon seeing the description of [Standardized Production].

Even experienced blacksmiths still relied on a bit of luck when forging equipment.

Lack of energy, substandard ore quality, or damp charcoal fires could all affect the quality of the final product.

"But if the description of [Standardized Production] is correct, I can completely disregard these external factors when forging equipment."

"As long as I forge repeatedly, the success rate will only increase, and the quality of the finished product will get better and better!"

Thinking of this, Roland couldn't help but feel excited.

"It's a pity Mister Hawk said the final assessment only allows one forging attempt. If I could try a few more times, with this trait, passing the assessment would be a sure thing?"

"But then again, as long as I can pass the assessment and become a formal apprentice, this trait will definitely make Mister Hawk look at me with new eyes! By then, the speed at which I become a true blacksmith will surely increase significantly."

With that thought, Roland walked briskly towards the dormitory.

In the following days, he maintained his usual learning rhythm, earnestly listening to every piece of instruction from Bronson.

The secret transaction seemed to have never happened, and the two maintained a proper teacher-student distance, neither distant nor overstepping.

During this time, Roland began to consciously utilize the [Focus] trait.

After repeated attempts, he figured out an optimal usage rhythm.

Three minutes of activation, followed by a half-hour rest, repeating this cycle.

Although the duration each time was not long, the immersive feeling of single-minded concentration in the [Focus] state caused his learning efficiency to increase exponentially.

In just half a day of focused study, the amount of text he mastered far exceeded the sum of the previous three days.

With such astonishing learning efficiency, ten days felt like a fleeting moment, passing by in the blink of an eye.

In the early morning, bathed in the slightly cool sunlight, Roland gently unfolded a yellowed piece of cloth. His fingertips traced the neat characters on it, and a smile involuntarily bloomed on his lips.

"The Black Iron Ore Trade Contract."

He softly read the title aloud, his voice exceptionally clear in the empty dormitory.

"Party A, the Blacksmith Guild's Grayrock City Branch, Party B, the Northern Mining Guild..."

Every character flowed from his mouth as naturally as a trickling stream.

The once distorted symbols, like tadpoles, were now intimately familiar to him.

When he encountered technical terms, he could even reflexively conjure images of the corresponding ore in his mind.

"...If the sulfur content of the ore exceeds the standard value, the buyer has the right to deduct the payment proportionally."

Reading this, Roland suddenly chuckled.

"It seems this [Focus] trait is far more powerful than I imagined. These clauses, which were like riddles before, have become easy to read fluently in just ten days, and I can even understand the commercial logic behind each one. It's truly incredible."

"With my current level of knowledge, it's more than enough to handle Mister Hawk's Knowledge Test. However, before that, I should ask for leave to go out and buy medicinal herbs. As for Marco..."

Roland put down the cloth and thought of the blacksmith's son, who always wore a grim expression. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

It wasn't that he naively believed the other party would suddenly change his ways, but rather that Marco had been too preoccupied these past few days.

Those blacksmith disciples who had passed the Knowledge Test were no less skilled in forging than Marco. They were currently pushing him to the brink, forcing him to train intensely. He had no time to bother with Roland.

Moreover, in Marco's eyes, someone like himself, who hadn't even passed the Knowledge Test, had likely already been categorized as "eliminated."

Even if Marco still harbored resentment from their last conflict, within this enclosed manor, he would never resort to the same tricks again, like hiring assassins.

Roland knew very well that the previous assassination attempt was purely Marco's personal act of madness.

If it were truly Marco's family trying to kill him, with his father's influence in Blackwater Territory, Roland wouldn't even know how he died.

Therefore, going out at this time was precisely the safest option.

With that thought, Roland no longer hesitated.

He quickly washed up, then pushed open the door and headed towards the blacksmith shop.

Before he even got close, the clanging sound of hammering, mixed with Hawk's angry shouts, reached his ears. Hearing the familiar voice, Roland cleared his throat and walked in slowly.

"Hm?"

Noticing Roland's presence, Hawk stopped his scolding, crossed his arms, and turned around.

"Roland? What are you doing here?"

"Nothing important, Mister Hawk,"

Roland nervously rubbed his fingers together, feigning difficulty as he spoke.

"I just wanted to ask for three days' leave."

"Leave?"

Hawk's booming voice immediately drew the attention of several youths in the blacksmith shop.

"Yes, Mister Hawk, I have some personal matters to attend to."

As Roland spoke, he observed Marco's reaction from the corner of his eye.

Just as he had expected.

Marco merely snorted dismissively and continued to swing his hammer, his previous resentful gaze completely gone.

"You've learned enough characters already?"

Seeing Roland shake his head in silence, a flicker of disappointment crossed Hawk's eyes.

"Kid, let's get this straight. You have talent, but if you can't pass the Knowledge Test, I won't let you participate in the official assessment a month from now."

"I understand, Mister Hawk, it's just..."

"Enough! You can have three days' leave, but after you return, you must... forget it."

Hawk mistakenly thought Roland was looking for an excuse to avoid the assessment, so he simply waved his hand dismissively and turned to instruct other apprentices.

"Thank you, Mister Hawk."

With the matter settled, Roland said no more.

After leaving the blacksmith shop, he shouldered the backpack he had prepared earlier and walked directly out of the manor.