(Silly Nissen: Heh, Tyler-san, I’ve been looking forward-o to today when you’d-o fall into the trap!)
Exulted the stupid loli, though Tyler didn’t pay her any mind.
The situation was entirely under his control; the stupid loli’s glee only served to underscore her wasted time in his tutorial.
“Thank you, Emilia,” Tyler placed his hand on Emilia’s shoulder, infusing his words with sincerity. 𝔬𝗏𝓵𝒩𝐞xt.𝔠𝓞𝑀
—『Combat Occupation skill ‘Deceiver – Lv10’ has been activated and remains in effect…』
“However, I don’t want you to take such a huge risk. I’m uncertain about how stringent the verdict of the ‘curse’ might be… According to your approach, it might be harmless, but it could also result in your demise, something I cannot bear.”
“Do you understand my sentiment, Emilia?”
After a series of “combo attacks”, Emilia was dazed.
Caught in a state of infatuation, she automatically translated Lord Banning’s words.
The translation read: “Emilia, I like you, but I don’t want you to get hurt, so we can’t be together for now.”
The translation left Emilia intoxicated with the joy of victory.
—(He likes me!)
—(He really likes me!)
For Emilia, this answer was all she needed for now!
Even if they couldn’t be together in the short term, as long as she could confirm Banning’s feelings, she was satisfied!
“I understand, I can understand!”
Emilia bobbed her head enthusiastically, much like an automatic hydraulic piling machine.
“Thank you for understanding, Emilia,” Tyler responded with a small smile.
Mission accomplished… but perhaps he was a bit too eager.
“Rest assured, Lord Banning, I will maintain a proper distance between us,” Emilia declared solemnly, which left Tyler, who thought he had everything under control, slightly panicked.
“Maintain distance… and then?” Tyler inquired cautiously.
“Of course, to defeat the ‘Singular Demon God’ with you.”
Just last night, Emilia had thought that defeating the “Singular Demon God” was impossible.
But now, she was brimming with confidence, as though she could obliterate the “Singular Demon God” with just a bit of preparation.
Perhaps, this is the power of love. *ahem
.
Later, Emilia reluctantly Banning farewell, then spent the night sleepless in her joy.
Meanwhile, Tyler, utterly exhausted, fell fast asleep as soon as he returned to the inn.
Rising the next day, Tyler shook off his fatigue and resumed his routine.
Increasing his skill proficiency, mass producing antidote potions, he was now adept.
━━━━━━━━━
Calculation Boost – Lv6+1↑
Intelligence Attribute: 179+10↑
Maximum Magic Power: 1790+100↑
Pharmacist Experience: 200+100↑ / 400
━━━━━━━━━
After breakfast, Tyler first inspected The Quest Guild, then the Adventurers Guild.
All was quiet.
He speculated that the Mayor, after failing to find his son yesterday, would probably make a move, such as sending people to The Quest Guild to demand manpower.
Mayor’s son, Keven, had last been seen causing trouble at The Quest Guild, and now he was missing. Even without evidence, The Quest Guild would find it hard to disassociate itself.
This was unfavorable for The Quest Guild, yet it was precisely the development Tyler desired.
Compared to open threats, it’s way more difficult in defending against hidden threats.
As long as the opposition between two guilds could be established, The Quest Guild would be less vulnerable.
Since the Mayor hadn’t acted until now, it could only mean he was “gathering strength.”
He wouldn’t be like Keven, creating trouble for no reason. He would come armed with either irrefutable evidence or overwhelming force to level The Quest Guild.
(Surely, he won’t find any solid evidence… So, he must be waiting for outside help.)
(The local security forces can’t be used for personal vendettas, but if he hires mercenaries from outside, it won’t tarnish his reputation as Mayor.)
With this in mind, Tyler quickened his pace towards the equipment shop that Oleg, the former branch chief, had introduced to him.
.
“Good morning, sir!”
“Ah, it’s you! Eager to see the designs, are we?”
Today was the day Tyler and the craftsman had agreed upon; once the designs were confirmed, the forging of the equipment could commence.
“Indeed, I’ve been eagerly anticipating this day for the past three days. I’m certain you’ve crafted an extraordinary design. Let me see it!”
The craftsman, heartened by the young man’s enthusiasm, cheerfully presented two design sketches.
The first was centered around the “Poison Blade Rat King’s Venomous Claw.”
Given the claw’s remarkable hardness, it was deemed suitable for direct transformation into a sharp weapon.
Thus, they decided to craft a curved blade dagger from it, incorporating a blood groove to amplify the inherent poison of the claw.
The second design incorporated the “Rogue Shadow Demon’s magic core” from Swarerock.
Magic cores from demons are not suitable for direct conversion into equipment; their purpose is to be embedded at the heart of a piece of gear, endowing it with unique attributes.
The success of imbuing attributes greatly depends on the tier of the magic core.
Typically, the success rate for second tier and below is almost zero, while third tier cores have a success rate of around 5% to 15%.
Compatibility between the core and the equipment is also crucial, a factor largely left to chance.
In the event of failure, the magic core can be totally rendered useless, deterring most from gambling with third-tier cores.
Most prefer to sell them for a substantial amount of money.
Even when the imbuing process succeeds, the attributes are random, and some may even yield negative effects.
Hence, equipment with superior inherent attributes is exceedingly rare.
“This core is relatively small; we suggest crafting a glove or a boot. The choice is yours, young man,” the craftsman offered, leaving the decision to Tyler.
After a moment’s contemplation, Tyler made his choice.
“Let’s go for boots.”
“Are you certain? Don’t blame our craftsmanship if the imbuing fails.”
“Sir, I trust in the skills of Sunny Town’s craftsmen.”
Upon hearing this, the craftsman was eager to display his skills.
Using such rare materials to forge equipment was an exhilarating prospect.
“How long until it’s ready?”
“Four days. The cost for materials and labor will total two gold coins. Given your status as Sunny Town’s benefactor, we won’t require immediate payment. You can pay whenever you have the funds.”
The craftsman was a good man; Tyler could tell he wasn’t overcharging. Two gold coins was essentially a break-even price.
However, four days was too long for Tyler.
“Here’s a counteroffer, sir.”
Tyler placed four gold coins neatly on the table.
“Two days, four gold coins, paid upfront. Is that doable?”