Having gone to bed feeling pissed, I woke up in the same state, though I felt calmer about everything. This apparent understanding allowed me to paste a smile on my face and not let my inner turmoil affect the girls during breakfast. And even if my mood actually took a turn to the worse, with their main plan for the day being to visit Welo, as well as not taking me along, citing that I should rest a bit, I still ended up sending them off with the same smile.

Though, my mood took a turn not because of any worries I had but because they decided to cut me off for that. Not that I couldn't understand the girls - it was visible in their eyes, especially in Kierra's, just how they wanted to prove themselves capable of what Welo offered them.

Honestly, I was barely worried about either Kierra or Angelique, at least in the safety department. Not only Dart went with them, but I also knew that no matter my feelings about the [Hounds] and last night's interaction with Arxibiela, the latter was definitively going to keep all required eyes and take all precautions to guarantee their safety.

Why did I know it to be so? Well, it was nothing but pure logic. After all, if Xiela wanted to use me for something, she knew just what would make me snap, and she wouldn't permit it to happen. Manipulate me? Oh yes. But to put the girls in actual danger? I had no doubt it wouldn't happen, at least if she didn't want me to do something extremely stupid.

In any case, it was morning, and just after breakfast, I had been left alone to my own devices. With the plans to spend some quality time with the girls foiled, as my previous night's ones were, I was left thinking about what to do. So, after considering everything, I decided to go with what I had wanted since my return to spend some time on my projects. But before that, I had something important to do - check on Maester Roder!

***

[Roder's Leather Crafts] met me with the same tidy but lonely interior, with neither a customer nor the shopkeeper in sight. In truth, I almost had to wonder just how did the Maester keep his business afloat? With its location on the main street, it wouldn't be very cheap to maintain, but since my first visit, I had seen no one entering or leaving the store. And even now, when outside, it appeared to be a very busy time, people entering and leaving nearly every store around - there was not a single person coming with who happened to be the best and most recognized leather smith in the city..?

"Good dawning, Maester." Used to Roder's mannerisms, I greeted him as soon as I stepped into the store while inwardly preparing a small list of questions I wanted to ask of the mysterious leather smith.

...

"Good dawning, Maester Roder..?" Prepared for whatever I was, the Maester not responding was something I didn't account for. So, after getting no response, I attempted to call him again and then again.

...

{Is he away? Why would he leave the store open in such a case?} With no luck calling for him and reluctant to use spells as I still had no idea of just what methods the store owner counted on, I decided to leave and return later. Still, before crossing the door, I turned around and, after looking around the countertop, left him a note using the writing utensils found there, even if I had to spend one of my paper sheets, not a single one being in open view.

***

Half surprised and half disappointed of not getting my awesome - in both Roder's promises and my expectations - [Gloomclaw] armor, I started my walk back home, intending to do some of the experiments I planned to, especially the one about gold plating. The reason for such a jump from all of my other ideas to this one? Nothing more than convenience and some of my own speculations.

_______

With the problems I have been part of and some of the information I have learned, as well as everything I could surmise from the general situation, it was clear that I, at some point, would have to involve myself in the so-called main confrontation of the Kingdom - The [Crown] versus the [Council].

Honestly? It was far from something I wanted to do, but regretfully, no one asked me last time when I got involved in the plays of the King and the Count of Central, which took place in Chubu along what had appeared as nothing but a simple errand. And since that moment, my view on the matters surrounding me changed, now being something like; To be atop the situation, or having an ace in the sleeve, should be better than just dumbly waltzing around.

And about that trump card, what could be better but a way to undermine someones or some of the involved groups' money? After all, no matter how high and noble the [Crown] and the [Council] callings and goals could be, they all involved and revolved around money and power. And while by now I couldn't even hope to affect the latter, the former was something else alright, especially with a card like faked-up gold, something criminal even for the King himself!

Plus, even if I managed to live my dream and avoid such problems, gilded items such as jewelry and other vanity stuff could be a very strong source of income, at least in my opinion, and accumulated knowledge of local prices. And well, even my Sepyre-related goals would require money. Enormous amounts of money, not even comparable to the small fortune I already owned, courtesy of not only Count Rien but also the reward for my silence about Chubu's events.

And the latter had been far more impressive!

_______

{Copper and iron I do have. Vinegar to act as the agent or whatever it is called, plus vials of [Earth's Blood], which is nothing more than magic clay... It should work, shouldn't it?} Thinking of the viability of my first idea, nothing more than a wiki's random knowledge, I walked towards the [Trade Guild] street, trying to force my mind to remember any other easy-to-do battery-like constructs.

So engrossed I was in the project inside my mind that I didn't even notice the people around, not until I suddenly bumped into a man in his late-thirties, dressed as the average working-class citizen of the city, his plain grey shirt somewhat dirtied with what appeared to be some red pulpy juice.

"I am sorry." With the man appearing equally flustered, I immediately excused myself, flashing a small smile.

"Oh, sorry!" The man spoke up nearly as I did but quickly composed himself to give me an attempt at a bow and redo his excuse, "No, no, Il, I am the one sorry."

"Eh, no worries, I was the one not to look where am I walking. Do forgive me." This double 'sorry' made me, somewhat painfully, recall my foiled date from the previous night, so I quickly adjusted my wording and, after giving a deep nod to the man, started walking away.

And so I would have walked away, not even noticing anything, if not for a sudden shoutout from a well-known voice, as well as a couple of guards suddenly rushing towards the man that started walking away as soon as I did, "Lindar, shouldn't you check what you lost?"

***

"You see, we have had some reports of pickpocketing taking place on the main street, even in the mornings, and so I decided to investigate it myself." As if a damn confidante or best friend I was, Esme leaned on me, her chainmail grinding against my clothes, while explaining the reasoning behind our meeting.

"Oh?" And while I had basically told Xiela to fuck off with her plan, I still went with it as a damn dog, faking interest in Esme's story. Not that I wasn't interested, after all, after checking, I did find out that my wallet, the one full of pure spare change, did disappear from my belt.

"Mmm, but for him-" Esme pointed to the slightly purple, probably because of the combination of 'small' (and 'light') nudges and pats from the guards, man before continuing, "-to go and act brazenly before an actual patrol?-" She shook her head before finishing, "-What a character, isn't he?" Esme looked at me, our faces nearly touching, so close she was, asking as if she actually meant to ask for my opinion.

"Well... yes, what a character." One of the reasons for carrying nothing but some coppers and town coppers in the wallet was my own fear of being pickpocketed, so I cared nothing about the theft, but as she asked? What else could I say?

"Anyway, I am glad we stopped him, and as I saw everything, you can go. Still, do be more careful!" Esme unlatched from me, and after nodding to the guards, she even lightly smiled as if indicating for me to go. Damn, she spoke as if genuinely caring for me!

"...Thank you." It was somewhat unexpected, but as I was allowed to go off with just that, and my wallet returned to me without anything but a quick confirmation that I wasn't missing anything else, I smiled at her genuinely as I turned around to leave.

"Hmm, maybe I should accompany you during your outings?-" Still, her following words were definitively unanticipated, and I couldn't avoid turning around in surprise, "-You know, like during your night outing to taverns and so!" With the guards pulling the guy away and moving out of hear-distance at least, Esme even chuckled, giving me a playful look.

Here it was clear that it was either play along or fuck everything and while my gut told me to do the second, I still ended up going for the first.

"While I would be so grateful for such a gorgeous escort, I'm unsure that a Captain of the Guard can spend her time covering for someone like me." Fuck, I even smiled while acting all bashful, complimenting her!

"Oh, thank you for the worry." She smiled back, looking into my eyes as she continued, "But be sure that your so-called escort is all up to do that for someone like you."

"Then I suppose I will have to request some protection one of these days..." Well, I took the first step, so now it was either jumping down the cliff or appearing as an idiot, and the latter was far less of my liking.

"And I would be glad to hear and fulfill that request." Esme gave a bright smile as she turned around, her shoulder-length red hair creating a beautiful figure in the air, and started walking away, hastening after the guards hauling the supposed pickpocket. Well, not so supposed; if I considered my own wallet.

***

{No stats and no criminal title as to show him as someone experienced, what the hell, how I didn't detect him as he stole it?!} Doubting my own skills, even so far as considering that [Danger Sense] failed me, I only calmed when I got back home, having arrived at the conclusion that the skill worked just fine, just that my wallet wasn't anything close to danger for me and so the skill basically ignored the pickpocket. As for not noticing it? Well! Who asked me to walk while thinking about something and not looking around?!

"Anyway, let's forget all that shit, especially Esme and my words... To work!" Words for no one but me, as the house was empty as I left it, but still required, as I could hardly concentrate on the project if I continued dwelling on this new coincidental meeting and my actions in response to it.

And so I would have done, went to work, if not for the sudden knock just a moment after I entered the house. {Fuck, already?!} It was more on instinct than anything else that I felt who the visitor would be. And indeed, it turned out to be Xiela, who quickly ushered herself inside, even without my invitation.

***

Whatever thoughts I may have had about the pickpocketing incident, they were quickly destroyed or fouled by Arxibiela, who told me that the culprit, called Pasj, worked for the guards as a handyman. And while she didn't elaborate on his work, it didn't actually matter anything, as just the fact that he worked for the guards was enough to guess that the incident was anything but coincidental.

"I still did what you wanted, even set up the ground for a date or something, happy?!" But even if Arx had come of good faith, maybe, I still lashed out at her, shouting out my inability to break free of the eternal circle of games I appeared destined to take part in. Okay, maybe it was my own fuck up, now that I think about it, but the fact was still there. I couldn't break free from all this shit!

"Can't say I am, but well! It is the only way to discover anything." Honestly, I should applaud how easily Arx shrugged out my outrage, giving me a somewhat offended look but killing the topic there and quickly excusing herself after that, not even trying to say anything as her justification. Not that she had to, as indeed, it had been both my decision and words which led to my situation and the anger along it. One that I projected at her, not without some reasons, though.

***

Arxibiela's visit actually hardly took more than a few minutes. But it did prevent me from even attempting to work on my gold plating project for over an hour as I tried to assimilate the entire situation, find where I fucked up, and then chastise myself for the fuck ups.

Thus, it would be around the 4th hour of Sun, somewhat close to Earth's 11 am, when I stopped dwelling on the subject and moved to my room, stored out the bed, table, cabinet, stool, and everything else I placed around (which amounted to nothing but the writing utensils on the desk), and sat on the wooden floor while summoning the different parts of my experiment.

...

Mold the iron piece into two bars with the help of a projected [Shaped Mana], a spell which, while holding the strength of steel (by description at least), was still brittler because of no mass behind it.

...

Repeat the same with the copper piece, which was easier by a lot. Either because of the experience or the metal being far softer than iron.

...

Supposing that maybe MythBusters had a thing, I went for two batteries, so I spent some time cutting some copper coins into thin strands, which I tied together in an attempt of a cable.

...

Summoning three lumps of [Earth's Blood] from the already dwindling reserves, the ones I was ready to use for my own stuff, I created three containers, filling two with vinegar while the last one got the [Dissolving Spit] that I got from Soni.

...

I hoped for nothing as I placed the rods into the two vinegar-filled jugs, placing lids over them to prevent iron and copper from touching. Then I connected the negative to the positive while wiring the other positive to conduct the electricity. I touched it with my bare hands but felt nothing. Still, it was at most some volt (at max), so what could I expect?

...

Selecting a bronze dagger of the ones I had as a test subject, I first inserted it, checking that it didn't dissolve immediately as the effect said (Soni did briefly mention that combined metals were far harder to dissolve with it, after all). Then, I threw a gold coin into the so-called spit, checking if it would suffer a different fate. And indeed, the liquid with the small bubbles immediately foamed, the coin disappearing in the dark soapy water (well, spit).

...

After ascertaining that the bubbling dark liquid stopped foaming and became somewhat golden, with no coin in sight, I inserted the dagger after making a few coils of the electricity-fueled cable around it.

{Okay, hopefully, it doesn't dissolve the dagger entirely, and the process works somewhat}. Honestly, as in hope? I hadn't much, as the spit was supposedly capable of dissolving more stuff than gold, but even a small result, some gold dots on the dagger (or its remains), would be enough for me to work on it further.

...

With what I recalled to be somewhat of a long process, I decided to spend my time productively. So I moved to another project to attempt and scent, soften, and overall make comfier the so-called soap made of pure lye, which was basically a damn chemical attack on anything but stone...