Step-step-step-step-step
Leon strolled through the bustling market streets of the kingdom, his ears keenly tuned to the scattered conversations around him.
“Hey, did you taste the new apple and honey candy? It’s so sweet!” a girl asked her friend excitedly.
“Ah… I don’t have that kind of money,” her friend replied with a dejected sigh.
“So, there’s a new clothing shop that opened on Free Street’s corner for commoners. Wanna go check it out? I heard they’re selling cheap clothes for slaves too.”
“Yeah, let’s go and check it out.”
Leon’s mind drifted as he walked.
‘If I want a steady income, especially one that lets me stay warm in my bed through the winters.
I need a business idea soon. First, I thought about making beauty products for noble ladies, but they’d never buy such things from a commoner’s shop. Worse, there’s a high chance that my idea gets stolen by some noble asshole trader.
Luxury goods won’t work either. I don’t have the resources or the money to produce them and I really don’t want to create glass utensils since it’s very hard and need fine craftsmanship.
Although I can sell them for so much… It’s just too much work and they will get copied very soon.
I need something low-profile, something profitable… and something that keeps me off the nobles’ radar and something that can’t be copied easily-‘
Kick!
“Stay the fuck away from me, you filthy beggar!”
The angry shout snapped Leon out of his thoughts.
He turned around, spotting the source. A man in his twenties, dressed in fine leather and wool — clearly a noble — was kicking a small, poorly-dressed child wrapped in a thin black blanket.
“Fuck off!” the noble snarled, delivering another harsh kick.
The kid stumbled and fell onto the dirt road but, trembling, he got back up and continued forward, searching for another person to beg from. His face remained hidden beneath the blanket, but his frail, dirt-covered body told Leon everything he needed to know.
[Name: Ellie]
[Class: Chef]
[Race: Beastkin]
[Mana: 50/50]
[HP: 100/100]
[Description: A beastwoman begging for money to help her family survive the winter.]
‘Wait… he’s a she and a Beastkin at that ? But, Isn’t she too young for a class or is it different in Beastkin ?’ Leon thought, his brows furrowing in confusion. Then, like a spark in dry wood, an idea struck him.
‘Hold on… this might actually work.’
Without wasting a second, Leon approached her.
“Oi, kid… here.” He pulled a copper coin from his pocket and held it out to her.
“T-Thank you, good sir. May you have—”
“Enough,” Leon interrupted, his voice steady. “If you want to earn money — real money — and never beg again for your family, come back here in two hours.”
He placed the coin in her trembling hand and turned to leave.
“W-What…?” Ellie muttered, baffled, watching him walk off.
—
Merida’s Shop…
“I’m here,” Leon announced as he pushed the door open.
The front counter was empty, but the sound of chopping echoed from the back.
“About damn time,” a woman’s voice called out. “You’re ten minutes late — on your first day, kid.”
Leon stepped inside, finding Merida rising from her wooden stool, her apron smeared with blood from the fresh cuts of meat she’d been working on.
“Sorry. There was something—”
“I know. There’s always something.” She tossed him a knife without missing a beat. “Get to work. I’ll handle the counter.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Leon replied, catching the knife. He moved to the side table and got to gutting immediately.
In just thirty minutes, he’d already gutted over ten animals — pigs, hens, cows. Nothing exotic. No monster corpses, either. Not that he cared. Leon was just waiting for his skill to reset.
[Cooldown: 06]
[Cooldown: 03]
[Cooldown: 00]
…
‘Phew… skill crafting time. This skill that I am about to craft is not something special but I read it in a manga back on earth and the main character was really good with it.’
Let’s see if it works in this world too.’
[Please pick a name for the skill…]
“Loose Grip.”
[Skill ‘Loose Grip’ has been created.]
[Rank set to ‘F’ by default.]
[State the skill’s function.]
‘When used, this skill forces the target to loosen their grip on their weapon for a split second.’
[Description accepted.]
Leon’s grin widened.
‘If this works like I’m imagining, those three human pigs won’t stand a chance.’
[Please select the chant for skill: ‘Loose Grip.’]
“Loose Grip.”
[Chant ‘Loose Grip’ has been set.]
[Estimated mana cost: 5 mana per use.]
[Cooldown: 12 seconds.]
[Would you like to learn the skill or destroy it?]
‘Learn it,’ Leon confirmed without hesitation, his smirk growing sharper.
[Skill ‘Loose Grip’ has been learned.]
Satisfied, Leon got back to work, gutting the next carcass with renewed energy as he waited to make another skill.
[Cooldown: 59:55]