I entered the shoddy smithy. It was more silent than I expected. Had Yusdrolir gone away leaving the door open? He said he would be there.

「Allen: Heya.」

I announced myself as I walked inside. In a corner, the dwarf was sitting at the workshop table, seemingly busy caressing chunks of metals. He looked up at me and grinned.

「Yusdrolir: Allen! Haha!」

He exclaimed, pushing the bench back as he stood up.

「Yusdrolir: How’s it goin’?」

「Allen: I’m trying to stay on the move. That mysterious spirit is still on my track.」

It was the damn squealer from the barracks! Again!

「Yusdrolir: Still? Didn’t ya say the Archmage would deal with it?」

「Allen: Violet has been dispatched somewhere. Ellin said she would try asking her uncle, who is an Inspector, to investigate where it appeared.」

The dwarf scratched his bear.

「Yusdrolir: Inspectors are dangerous, ya know? Best to stay outta their way.」

I sighed.

「Allen: What a pain… Why can’t a man enjoy some peace while his pants are down?」

It had happened the very next day I saw that extraneous mana blob. I decided to temporarily sleep in other inns.

「Yusdrolir: Bah, if that spirit really was a spy, it wouldn’t be so loud. Wouldn’t ya think?」

I shrugged in response. I didn’t understand. Spirits aren’t supposed to have a sex drive, just like my out-of-body experiences. What the fuck is its goal?!

And why wasn’t anyone getting rid of it? Did it decide to follow me for… reasons?

「Allen: So, are you ready to go adventuring with the trio?」

I changed the topic.

「Yusdrolir: Of course. Too bad ya can’t come with us.」

「Allen: Yeah…」

I couldn’t leave. With Violet gone, my only chance was the field test with the Magical Power Armor. Surely Klenn was going to pussy out at the last minute, and since I had been allowed to attend to provide maintenance, I would be there to take the lead.

Unfortunately, that event had been postponed for some unspecified reason. How hard was it to find a bunch of goblins or monsters for a live test?

I stole another glance at the metals arrayed on the table.

「Allen: What were you doing with those metals?」

The dwarf gazed back toward the metal chunks.

「Yusdrolir: Oh, those? Was just training my appraisal senses. It’s been a long time since I dealt with anything but coins. It’s important fer forging proper alloys.」

Is this… APPRAISAL?! The staple skill of many novels! I had to learn it.

「Allen: How does it work? Can you give me a quick rundown?」

Yusdrolir had to take a step back from my sudden looming hunger for knowledge.

「Yusdrolir: Uh… Well, I don’t know if a Human got the sense for it, but er… maybe ya can learn the basics. Lemme show ya.」

He made me sit at the table.

「Allen: What do I do? Do I just sexually caress the metals and wait for them to moan?」

I asked Yusdrolir, who exhaled slowly.

「Yusdrolir: Would it hurt ya to be serious once in a while?」

「Allen: Yes.」

「Yusdrolir: Sigh… Alright. Normally to 【Appraise】 alloys, a young dwarf is taught how to use their smell, touch, and dwarven insight.」

I noted that he had put Intent into that 【Appraise】. Maybe it was worth finding a way to hook my 【Debug Ring】 to analyze Intent, because even a simple word spoken with Intent could carry a plethora of concepts and meanings, quickly forgotten little after.

Quest added (Implement a system to analyze Intent)

Maybe I could become less shit at explaining things. I’m sure everyone would be happy if I managed to properly convey Intent, like the Academy’s teachers.

「Yusdrolir: But ma Grandpa, who suffered permanent damage to his spirit, could still help out my father at discerning alloys with just touch and smell. So…」

He cleared his throat.

「Yusdrolir: Close yer eyes and move your finger from one metal to the other.」

I did so, unsure what he was expecting to happen.

「Yusdrolir: Pay attention to how it feels… Try to listen to the tune of the material.」

I was not sure what he meant, but I tried nonetheless. The metals didn’t moan to me their secrets.

「Allen: What am I supposed to feel?」

「Yusdrolir: Ya should be noticing a difference.」

I tried again, but it all felt the same to me. I blinked my eyes open and shook my head.

「Allen: I’m not getting this difference you speak of.」

The dwarf scowled, twirling a strand of beard between his fingers.

「Yusdrolir: Gimme a breath. I’ll give ya something easier…」

He started rummaging through boxes, looking for something.

「Yusdrolir: A-ha!」

Yusdrolir came back with two cut pieces of wood. He slapped them on the table.

「Yusdrolir: There, close yer eyes and do these.」

I closed my eyes and alternated touching both. This time I did notice a difference. One of them felt more… Denser? Stronger? I wasn’t sure.

「Allen: Hmm..-」

「Yusdrolir: Can ya feel it? Which one would ya say breaks easier?」

Without hesitation, I pointed to the flimsier-feeling wooden piece.

「Yusdrolir: Aye! Ya learn fast! Haha!」

I arched my eyebrows. I had never noticed these nuances until he pointed them out.

「Allen: So, what kind of magic is this?」

I asked, opening my eyes and staring at him.

「Yusdrolir: Magic? No this ain’t magic, Allen. The touch thing can be done without mana.」

「Allen: Eh?」

「Yusdrolir: In my birthplace, we had a game… With a blindfold, ya’d try guessing the fullest mug only by touching it lightly on the rim. The winner would have his mug refilled from the fullest mug, the loser would hafta refill the emptiest mug.」

「Allen: That doesn’t answer the question.」

「Yusdrolir: Even brats too green to harness mana could learn the trick.」

「Allen: Oh.」

「Yusdrolir: Telling brittle from tough, or narrow from thick, is easy once ya get the feel. Just hafta pay attention.」

He said, slapping a hand on my shoulder. That was surprising. Did that mean that something like this was possible even in my original world? I had never heard of it. Maybe I was just focused on wage slaving and consuming to notice?

「Yusdrolir: We dwarves call it “Getting the timbre of a material”. But without a keen sense of smell and dwarven insight, ya can only get so far.」

「Allen: Interesting…」

I said, losing myself in thought. I really could tell the difference between the two wood pieces. And if could feel it, then I could measure it thanks to magical constructs.

「Allen: Thanks, Yus. You gave me much to think about.」

My subconscious was clearly interpreting some cues, I just had to figure out what exactly. Although I couldn’t simply measure this stuff directly with magic, yet, I could turn my sensory perceptions into numerical values with my 【Debug Ring】 and learn how to make sense of the data.

Then it would just be a matter of building up from there. Sooner or later I would find a way to conjure remote perceptions, just like I could perceive mana within my casting range.

「Yusdrolir: Err… Why are ya staring at emptiness with that creepy smile?」

I stood up and grinned at the dwarf.

「Allen: I was thinking of possibilities.」

Yusdrolir grunted.

Skill acquired (Material Perception: LV.1)

「Allen: Oh yeah… Before I forget…」

I grabbed the messenger bag hanging on my shoulder and put it over the table.

「Yusdrolir: Ah, yer using the gift. I chipped in too, ya know.」

He said, talking about the bag.

「Allen: Someone should tell Grastel to put a ribbon or something next time… Just so I know it’s a gift and not something someone left behind by mistake.」

How was I supposed to know it was a gift?! Nobody warned me about the custom of unceremoniously dumping gifts in random places! Put a ribbon, wrap them, or something, at the least!

Grastel had been in charge of sneakily delivering it. He succeeded in the sneaky part. I glanced at it once and thought someone had forgotten their bag and would pick it up next time. Then it sat there collecting dust until Namrick asked me if I was liking their gift.

「Yusdrolir: Heh. Fair.」

I poured the bag’s contents over the table, then put the strap around my waist and activated its magic. It shrank into the shape of a pouch.

Enchanted elven fabric.

Sturdy. Cutpurse-proof. Of a sober unassuming brown color. It was a nice gift.

Yusdrolir picked up one of the vials and inspected it closely.

「Yusdrolir: Healing potions?」

「Allen: Pro-grade health potions. Zavir, my Master taught me the whole process.」

「Yusdrolir: Ohh, the renowned senile Grand Master Alchemist you complain every day about.」

He said with a nod.

「Allen: Exactly. I had my patience challenged to the extreme, but he’s starting to remember things more often. There’s hope.」

I had to force him into basic meditation to restore his spiritual strength. I also had to apply some of Vallachio’s practices and dietary tricks to get him back into shape.

As ancient-ass Romans used to say, mens sana in corpore sano.

Master Zavir kept asking unnecessary stuff like “Why are you doing this?”, “Barabaz would never approve of this!”, and “Somebody help me!”, but the cougar lady had wisely given approval to all my lines of treatment.

He was slowly getting used to following the tasks provided by the refurbished ring, so the amount of investment and aggravation on my side was decreasing.

Master was managing to stay focused long enough to provide proper explanations, so I was learning new things. Like his S-grade health potion recipe, with variations, and important magical plants to keep an eye out for.

I had much to practice before I could brew potions at his level, but these health potions were already on par—if not better—with the usual.

Just this morning, I posted a quest for the Adventurer’s Guild to request Viridian plant seeds. Zavir knew a good deal of information on the magical plant, which I shared with Grohm. I had arranged everything so the seeds would be delivered directly to Grohm’s office at the Academy.

The Guild clerks assured me they had staff trained to discern magical plants, so there would be no issues.

The whole thing cost me 41 gold coins. An appalling amount of money. Named plants grow in dangerous places, they said. However, I had little choice, this plant was to be both a source of income and an aid to Zavir’s mental acuity. Grohm himself had suggested this plan.

It was sad that the special bonus I had been recently awarded for making the MPAs a reality, had been erased so quickly. 30 whopping gold coins, gone. Whoosh. At least Grohm pitched in the rest.

Until the apprenticeship ended, I couldn’t sell anything. My main source of income remained those 27 gold coins a month from the military enchanter job, dispensed in weekly installments by Overseer Lorinthar.

「Yusdrolir: Why are ya looking so grim now?」

「Allen: Expenses rising. Gold dwindling.」

「Yusdrolir: Ain’t that right.」

He said, shrugging his shoulders.

「Yusdrolir: Don’t ya worry. I’m gonna repay ya for this.」

He pointed his thumb at the smithy appliances behind him.

「Allen: Free repairs and discounts are enough. You should focus on getting your shop up and running.」

「Yusdrolir: Nonsense! I would’ve never gotten here without ya and the trio. No one ever put their faith in me since I left ma damn town.」

「Allen: That was probably the alcohol…」

The dwarf laughed heartily and bumped my arm with a fist.

「Yusdrolir: How do ya do it?」

「Allen: Do what?」

「Yusdrolir: Ya never stop. Never falter. Ya twist every situation to yer advantage. Where do ya find this strength?」

Power gamer isekai delusions and hatred for losing.

「Allen: I know myself and use every trick to deceive my mind into getting things done.」

The trick was making it feel like a game. I also had self-hallucinatory spells, which I subtly used as naturally as I breathed. I just needed those little pushes when the quest system failed to spur me into action.

The fact that magic was also my childhood dream helped a good deal.

I wonder what my friends would think of me if they knew how my brain works.

Yusdrolir grunted, caressing his beard in contemplation.

「Yusdrolir: Well, I gotta say. Yer dedication inspires us.」

「Allen: I see… I created a positively challenging environment.」

I said smugly, rubbing a thumb over my chin.

「Allen: Alright, gotta go. The healer class should approach magical healing on oneself today. Can’t miss it.」

According to the teacher, healing yourself is magnitudes easier than others.

「Yusdrolir: Heh. Ellin will rejoice not having ta patch ya up every time.」

「Allen: Make sure nothing happens to them, Yus.」

I put a heavy hand on his right shoulder, for extra emphasis.

「Allen: Those three have a nose for trouble.」

「Yusdrolir: Hahah. Fortunately, this dwarf can smell trouble a hundred paces away.」

「Allen: Just… make sure you don’t piss over a sand elemental, or a sacred tree, or other dangerous sources.」

The dwarf sniffed loudly.

「Yusdrolir: Don’t ya worry, I’ll keep my nose as sharp as my ax. The young lads are in good hands.」

He said, face serious. He meant it, so I nodded.

「Yusdrolir: We just gotta escort a group of merchants, though. Besides, we ain’t alone.」

Right… there was also Edward and a bunch of other adventurers. All people with more experience than me.

Anyway, it was an escort mission. I wasn’t losing much. Low chances of killing stuff. Unless you camp near a goblin nest.

「Allen: Have fun adventuring.」

I said and left.

Yusdrolir’s accent was all random. He reminded me of my grandma. She would degrade into Italian when reminiscing or swearing. She was the one who taught me the passion for swearing like a sailor. Bless you, Nonna.

Ah yes… cooking too, but that was less important.

Anyway, this new thing Yusdrolir had taught me would keep my mind away from all the pent-up stress.

The day of the bloody massacre where I would drench the battlefield with endless ichor while maneuvering the MPA would soon come.

I could feel it.