Although there were some shops that sold things for people around the town who also went to the dungeon, there were some shops that only sold to the people who worked to defend the city. The second example had to sell a certain amount of products weekly, but their gains were guaranteed.

Weirdly enough, all the shops had a paper in front of them telling the visitors that they were hiring. All of them also had announcements, things like the skills of those applying had to be tested and based on that, their pay and other things related to the job would be decided, like duration and number of products required to be produced.

‘I guess in a place like this, there wouldn’t be any need for them to offer different working conditions when their work was the same. In the end, when it was mid-afternoon, I decided to do the test on the southernmost workshop. I want to work in peace from the attacks, so that was the best option, the attacks would be in the opposite part of the city. Since all of them needed workers, then perhaps they would be offered the best conditions in order to secure me.

I entered the shop and found a pretty organized place with a large variety of things being sold. Skill books, weapons, defensive gear, and even enchanted items.

‘For everyone, huh? I guess it is fine since I will have the chance to hear adventurers…’

“How can I help you?”

The clerk was a guy who looked to be in his late teens. Short black hair and brown eyes while wearing an apron and a piece of cloth to keep the place spotless. He didn't seem like someone who made things, but only the one who sold them… he didn't seem like the owner of the place either.

“I would like to apply for the job of bow crafter here. I got my Bowyer class a while ago and I have confidence in my skills.”

“Hmm, you do? You seem a bit too young to try to become a crafter.”

The guy had a really hard time avoiding not looking at my head. I shouldn't cut low the next time, but then everyone will see my white hair. I still had some dye, but it would be a pain to keep applying all the time.

In any case, he had a point… kids around my age would try to become adventurers even with no combat classes and then give up after some years for a more stable job. They would get tired of sleeping rough and then smelling like blood and sweat for little to no fame.

“Follow me… you will find all the materials to make a bow here. Make the best bow that you can craft in one hour and then I will check its quality.”

The room was spacious yet cluttered, with wooden workbenches lining the walls, each one stacked high with various tools and materials for crafting bows and arrows. Shelves were filled with packs of different woods that seemed similar to oak, yew, and ash, or so they looked perfect for me, carefully sorted by quality and flexibility, ready to be shaped into bows of all sizes. Leaning against the walls, were raw logs wait to be carved down.

To one side, piles of horn and sinew were ready to be laminated into composite bows, while coils of waxed string sat next to spools of silk and linen, all used for bowstrings. There’s a faint smell of varnish and resin in the air, where half-finished bows hang from racks, drying after their first coats were applied.

Along another wall, crates and bins hold arrow shafts of different lengths, feathers for fletching, and heaps of arrowheads, some plain steel, others barbed or fire-hardened. Small whetstones and files sit nearby for sharpening the arrowheads. A large quiver rests against a corner, filled with finished arrows, neatly organized by type.

Bows need some strength to be used too, so I wondered why only wood was available there. Was it only to make them break faster in order to make the clients come again? In any case, one hour was quite a short time too… Maybe they just wanted to mass-produce them instead of making high-quality ones. I wanted to make a balanced choice in order to max out the experience gained, though.

The guy closed the door and then I started working. That would be a good experience if anything. The knives around were better than mine, pretty sharp and slightly curved too.

Although I had experience making slingshots, I had zero experience making bows, but I knew the process in theory. I also had my own and I could just copy its appearance while using my skills. I also studied a bit in the library at home.

Making a bow begins with selecting the right wood. The wood pieces around were mostly free of knots and imperfections and then shaped into a bow stave. Using a drawknife I carved the stave into a rough bow shape, ensuring the back was thin and flexible, while the belly was thicker for strength.

Next, the tillering process ensured both limbs of the bow bend evenly. I used a tillering stick to assess how the bow bends when under tension, adjusting by removing small amounts of wood from stiffer areas to achieve a balanced curve. This step was crucial for creating a bow that shoots smoothly and efficiently. Once tillered, I sanded and smoothed it, then treated it with oil to protect it from moisture and wear.

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The final steps involved crafting the bowstring from linen and twisting and waxing it for durability. The string was attached to the bow’s nocks, carefully adjusting the brace height for optimal performance. After stringing, the bow was supposed to be tested to ensure it bends evenly, draws smoothly, and shoots accurately. Once any final adjustments were made, the bow was ready for use….

Although I didn't have that much mana, I had some regeneration and I managed it well to use it on the right moments. Thanks to that, I finished my first bow after forty-five minutes. When I checked drawing the bowstring again, I felt the stability of the weapon and it's lightweight as well. Compared to the one I used until now, it seemed around thirty percent better. However, I had used it for a while too.

You received 20 experience points.

While I was checking the bow, someone kicked the door and I almost had a heart attack. I thought that I had been found for a moment, but then I found a woman in her thirties looking at me with her left eyebrow raised.

“Shaved head… are you planning to become a monk, kid?”

The woman looked a bit like the clerk, so I assumed that she was his mother. She had long hair and the same eye color, but she had a sharp gaze as well, like the guards that I saw working for Rayner. Maybe she was a former adventurer or something.

“When are you planning to answer my question?”

“Was that a serious question?”

“Of course it was. I never heard of a boy with much baby fat in your face planning to join their monastery, though. Your aura and height makes me think that you are a bit older, but your face…”

“I just don't like my hair, that is all.”

“What about the cloak and hood?”

“It is cold in these parts. I came from a warmer place.”

“This seems warm enough for me… well, this isn't half bad. It is an uncommon ranked bow. It can receive a decent enchantment and last for a while.”

I couldn't identify the bow, but I could tell its rank based on the experience I received, so I wasn't surprised by it. Seeing someone also looking satisfied at my creation was quite fine too.

“All right, you are hired. You will be granted a room and three meals a day in exchange for making at least eight bows of this rank per day. You will also receive fifty breeze coins per bow and eighty for any extra. Work harder and I might invest in you a bit more. Orland! Write the contract!”

“Yes, sister.”

She was his sister… Maybe the difference in their ages was that big, or maybe she had some rough years. In any case, she acted like it was obvious that I would accept the job. Still, the offer wasn't half bad. I didn't have to pay for the materials, so my money would pile up nicely.

“What if my bows obtain a better rank?”

“Oh? Do you think that you can make them? I will pay two times more for every rare ranked bow.”

I nodded in satisfaction… focusing on quantity was fine and all, but I wanted to improve my skill in order to create the best bow for myself and modify it in interesting ways. Perhaps the bows would be more valuable than that, but if they invested in them to enchant them or put runes, then perhaps it made sense. In that aspect, I felt like I had been ripped off with the bow I bought.

The contract that Orland wrote was a magic one… he had the magic scribe class. The contract was supposed to last one year, and it also had a clause that we could negotiate to change the contract or cancel it every month. If either party decided to break it before that period, then we would suffer a penalty. In my case and my boss case, we would lose half of our dexterity for a month and that would be lent to the other side. I had no idea how that worked and I had tried to research it.

They even had a magical pen that sucked my mana to write my name in magical letters. I felt the urge to write my real name, probably because of my mana, but in the end, I wrote down the name Clive. Our magical signatures were tied up in the contract, not our real names.

“Get back to work, then. You need to make at least two more to earn your dinner.”

Her name was Ovelia and she was a slave driver, but at least she seemed to be well off to pay me. Since I also wanted to earn more money and experience, then I had no reason to refuse.

I put my things in the corner of the room and then began to work on the next bow. I wanted to earn the same amount per each now and more by creating high-ranked ones, but I had to do some experiments first.

I made one without using any skill and the bow came with the common rarity. How I could tell that without identification? With the experienced earned.

You received 10 experience points.

On the next test, I made one using mana the whole process. Since I didn't have enough mana during the whole process, I took some breaks, but eventually, I confirmed what I could do.

You received 40 experience points.

You received 40 experience points.

“A rare one, huh?”

I couldn't help but smirk… the downside of that was that it took four hours to make. I needed to increase my mana regeneration or my Dexterity. Perhaps becoming more experienced will help as well.

Once I was done with the bow, Orland came to deliver my dinner. I was expecting simple like some water and bread, but I got a large bowl of soup that was still warm and it tasted good as well… perhaps I hit the jackpot with that job and my luck was finally turning around.

Still, my mood soured when I recalled what had happened… The first people that invited me to a party betrayed me. I didn't have any intentions of holding a grudge, we didn't have any reason to be loyal to each other, and we didn't even know each other's names, even. So, I had to be mindful that people would betray me as long as they knew that they could gain something from it. That was the cruel reality… with that in mind, I also had to use this chance to create some useful things for myself.