episode_0025

There was only one path open to me.

Thanks to my parents, who sold their bodies for drug money when I was young, I ended up following them into the workshop.

Within a few days, I heard that both of my parents had died from acute drug overdoses.

Even upon hearing this news, I didn’t feel anything in particular.

I only felt a sense of liberation that the ties binding me had finally disappeared.

Fortunately, the people in the workshop were not so bad.

Although akin to slaves, we were promised freedom after working just enough to pay off what we owed when we were sold.

After tirelessly working for a year, constantly learning from the craftsmen, I succeeded in paying off all my debts.

I was free now.

But I had nowhere else to go.

I started learning as an apprentice blacksmith at the suggestion of the workshop owner.

The workshop that used to be my master became my workplace, my shelter, and my place of learning.

“Hey, you! Why are you so slow? It’s time to finish at least ten by now, but you haven’t even completed one yet?”

“······.”

Reprimands and scoldings followed.

It was familiar.

I had heard such words constantly even during my days as an apprentice.

In this workshop filled with rough individuals, everyone knew they had to teach this way because there were no gentle souls around.

So, I endured and persevered.

All the other craftsmen had walked the same path.

I wasn’t the only one struggling.

By enduring the urge to cry and working hard day and night, I believed that someday I would see the light too.

Though born into poverty, there is no rule that dictates living as a poor person until the end.

Even though I received nothing from my parents, I believed that I could have confidence in at least one area.

With this mindset, I practiced tirelessly, day and night.

“Tei, take in some apprentices.”

“Oh, hello? Are you guys my apprentices?”

“······.”

A group of apprentice blacksmiths came in.

Novices who knew nothing.

I heard they were picked up from the slums by the workshop owner······.

“These dull ones are low-grade gems. When illuminated by light, they shine, but if the internal crystals are impure and irregular when viewed under the light source, they are intermediate gems. Of course, we should know how to distinguish them since the appraisers are often busy valuing the top-quality gems.”

“Yes!”

It was delightful to have these cute apprentices.

Watching them go through the same struggles and hardships I did made me chuckle.

I must have been like that in the past.

Thinking about that, I remembered the craftsmen who had taken care of me and decided to treat the apprentices even better.

“Well done! Allen! You’re amazing, right? You should assist Carl directly! It’s better for you to learn how to handle top-quality gems first!”

“Thank you, Master!”

The apprentices began to move forward.

As a third-year apprentice, all I did was handle the tasks of regular craftsmen.

The apprentices quickly moved beyond me to work with high-grade and top-quality gems.

I felt a sense of discomfort from that moment on.

I was simply slow-witted.

Realizing that the apprentices were surpassing me, I sensed that something was amiss.

“Tei is kind, diligent, and quick-witted, but······.”

“Is his hands just too slow?”

“That’s what I mean. It’s frustrating to watch him sometimes.”

“We can’t keep him as an apprentice forever, but we can’t just let him go either. He’s someone the workshop owner values. Sigh.”

“Hasn’t there been anyone who stayed as an apprentice for three years?”

“There hasn’t. Tei is the longest-serving one.”

The occasional gossip pierced deep into my heart.

I had realized too late.

That I lacked talent.

That not everyone spent their apprentice days suffering like me.

I was just a cockroach.

A rice weevil that eats meals for free as an apprentice.

Although I could easily remove the apprentice label and be promoted to a master, they say they are keeping me as an apprentice because they’re afraid I might starve to death.

Their warm consideration stings me with pain.

“Allen has obtained a Class 1 artisan qualification today! With this, we have added one more artisan who handles top-grade mana stones in our workshop! Please congratulate him with applause!”

“Wow…”

It’s been two years since the disciples entered the workshop.

Everyone starts finding their places.

Except for one who left as an apprentice, everyone else has started receiving commissions and working as respectable artisans.

There was even a child who became the workshop’s top artisan, handling high-grade and top-grade mana stones.

Meanwhile, I remain the same.

Occasionally touching intermediate mana stones.

An occasional errand boy for struggling artisans.

Now, no one bothers to teach me anymore.

They’ve all given up.

Because I’m too dull.

Because no matter what they teach me, I can’t grasp it.

And even if I do, it’s too slow.

“Is this the workshop where I’ll be working? The workshop owner looks impressive, but the workshop itself seems lacking!”

“Hahaha… Let me guide you to your workplace.”

“What’s with that kid? Such a scrutinizing gaze.”

“That kid is an apprentice. In his fifth year.”

“Fifth year? How on earth are you conducting apprentice training? Attach him to me! I need to make him useful right away. Having a rice weevil in a workshop already short of hands is useless.”

That was my first meeting with the master.

Just when I was considering leaving the workshop and returning to a life of poverty, the master appeared like a savior.

The master was already renowned beyond Basel.

After meeting the workshop owner during his travels, he was immediately brought to our workshop.

“This won’t do for training! Leave the low-grade mana stones aside! You’ll learn how to process high-grade mana stones from today, focusing on efficiency. Holding onto items that require quick processing with low and intermediate-grade stones all day accomplishes nothing. You will start learning how to work with high-grade mana stones.”

“What?”

I was speechless with shock.

Teaching me how to handle high-grade mana stones when I couldn’t even properly handle low or intermediate-grade ones.

Naturally, several artisans opposed it.

Calling it a waste of mana stones.

“Look at this! What do you think?”

“Well, this intermediate mana stone is neatly processed. I can’t find any flaws. Is it specialized for mana retention? It even has additional effects for intermediate-level subjects, right?”

“This is a mana stone processed by this rice weevil. Bringing in cost-effective mana stones and causing a stir while displaying artistry, the skill is not bad!”

“If you can’t work quickly, it’s meaningless, isn’t it?”

“What’s meaningless about it! High-grade mana stones naturally require a lot of effort and time! This kid needs to handle high-grade mana stones!”

It was praise like I had never heard before.

Though rough in tone, the master was clearly advocating for me.

From that day on, I began learning how to handle high-grade mana stones from the master.

“Just the raw stone alone costs more than the monthly wages of many artisans. If you mess up, I’ll have to starve for a month. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes!”

“But don’t get too tense. If your body stiffens up, your weevil-like skills will only diminish further. I am prepared to go hungry for a month, so do it with peace of mind.”

High-grade mana stones were vastly different from low or intermediate-grade ones.

Seeing the actual stones up close was a first for me.

The arrangement of the crystals was as meticulous as it was consistent.

Unlike the flexibility in carving based on the stone for lower grades, high-grade mana stones demanded uniformity in work.

Indeed, my slow hands did not pose a significant problem.

At the advanced level of magic stones, it seemed like I wasn’t the only slow one.

Even skilled craftsmen sometimes spent hours meticulously scraping away dust when processing advanced magic stones.

I’m not the only slow one.

I’m not falling behind alone.

I can do it too.

With that thought in mind, I pushed myself even harder.

“Tei. Just stop.”

“M-Master?”

“Leave the workshop now. It seems clear to me that this path isn’t for you.”

“······.”

The expression on my master’s face hardened as he examined the results.

And without hesitation, he dismissed me.

Despite his harsh tone, my master used to teach me kindly and patiently, but now he turned away from me.

“This isn’t my path?”

From the beginning, this was the only path open to me.

I had struggled along this path less traveled.

And now you want me to turn back?

My heart sank.

“I can’t leave this workshop… I’ve dedicated my whole life to this, Master…”

“What life? You’re still a young one! If you can’t handle it, just disappear!”

“Please, I beg you. I won’t ask you to teach me anything. I’ll start from scratch with what I can find. So please don’t cast me out. Please?”

“······.”

I couldn’t even imagine another path.

So I clung to my master, tears streaming down my face.

As a result, I succeeded in becoming a parasite.

But even my master no longer looked at me with kindness.

He only asked for the necessary tools in a cold voice.

He didn’t teach me anything or demand anything from me.

Even if I processed lower-grade and intermediate magic stones and put them out for sale, the response was lukewarm.

They sold, albeit at a high price.

Selling them for one and a half times the usual price of magic stones, but considering the time it took to process them was more than six times, it was hard to see it as making money.

By the time the second batch of disciples came and surpassed me to remove their apprentice badges.

So, in my sixth year as an apprentice.

I had completely lost my confidence.

The dream of persevering and living on had long been abandoned.

I would forever remain a parasite in this workshop.

Thanks to someone who left the workshop long ago and never returned, I continued to live off the scraps of the workshop.

“Hello, customer. What brings you here today?”

“I want to sell some raw magic stones. And I want to entrust one for processing.”

“Please come this way.”

It was just another day.

Assisting my master who ignored me.

And in the remaining time, working on rejected raw magic stones, lost in thought on such days.

“This is the magic stone I want to entrust for processing.”

“This is…?!”

A bright light shone from the reception area.

Surprised, my gaze involuntarily shifted there.

It was a top-grade magic stone.

One of the top-grade magic stones that our workshop had only dealt with five times in six years.

I caught a glimpse of the top-grade magic stone that briefly revealed itself from afar.

Its form seemed to contain a dazzling universe.

Captivated by its beautiful irregularity, I stood there dumbfounded for quite some time.

“Tei! Chisel! Get me a chisel!”

“Ah, yes…”

But soon after, I averted my gaze and returned to my work station.

That place was a world different from where I lived.

A world where hundreds of thousands of dollars exchanged hands, a world I dared not even peek into.

Merely glimpsing it as a pauper like me was a grave offense.

“Well then. Shall we choose the artisan to proceed with the work before discussing its purpose?”

“Of course, that’s fine. Seems like you know the artisans in our workshop well.”

“I do. A very excellent one.”

I stood quietly by my master, waiting for the next instruction.

Before hearing another word, I turned around completely from the reception area.

But gradually, footsteps began to approach from this side.

“Hahaha. Do you wish to entrust this to someone with a separate acquaintance? However, please believe me. Those three undoubtedly boast the highest skills in our workshop. I don’t know who you are looking for, but entrusting it to one of them······.”

“Oh, there you are.”

“Yes? Whom do you mean?”

Seems like they are pointing out another artisan without choosing someone with a first-class qualification.

In an instant, I recognized who had come.

It was my master.

The master not only possessed a first-class certification but also handled top-grade magic stones as skillfully as Allen.

However, due to laziness, they focused solely on high-grade magic stones without bothering about certifications.

Claiming to be a craftsman rather than an artist, their mission seemed to be supplying high-quality magic stones or something like that.

They said they had quit the life of a famous artisan who completed a top-grade magic stone and spent the money traveling on yachts all year round.

Quite an impressive person.

Having reached the pinnacle in their field and descended on their own.

As such a person, there are guests who purposely come from afar like that.

A fleeting smile crept up on my face secretly from my master’s gaze.

As my master took off their goggles and stood up, a look of confusion spread across their face.

“Tei. Look behind you.”

“Pardon?”

Then, with an expression of disbelief, they tell me.

What could it be?

Turning around, I met the eyes of a well-dressed indigenous man.

My face was covered in soot, not even washed, feeling embarrassed just by facing him.

The cleaner, more polite, and stylish the other person, the more shabby I felt in comparison.

My body involuntarily shrinks.

But the man continues to look at me with a smile.

Is he really looking at me?

Puzzled, I point at myself with my index finger.

“I will entrust it to that child.”

“What?!”

And today,

my world changed.