“Once again our hero is the center of attention. Three burly men with beards looking at our delicate young master with pity in their eyes.”

‘Someone has to tell him.’

‘Yes, someone has to.’

‘Don’t look at me! I can’t stand those doe eyes.’

“Guys. Just take a deep breath and tell me, I can take it!”

‘Darl, You do it.’

‘Son. Listen.’

“Sir!”

‘Sorry Dev, I just can’t do it!’

’It’s always up to me to chill my heart.

Listen, boy.

Aii. How are you even going to forge with those dainty arms?

Can you even lift a hammer?’

“I can try!”

‘Aaie! That’s the look. Didn't you mention you needed to learn about other crafting professions?’

“Ye, but.”

‘Maybe he can do alchemy, Fen, You know that old man, right?

Why don’t you put in a good word for him?’

‘I’m not so sure about that, he doesn’t look very bright. All alchemists are eccentric geniuses, dontyaknow?

Maybe we can go talk to the old lady down at the that flower stand.

She does potions and other ointments to. What do you say kid?’

‘You might have it there Fen, he does look like the type to go about picking flowers, look at that smooth baby like skin.’

‘Almost like a lady.’

“Guys. Come on. Listen. I’m very strong, let me at the hammer.”

‘He has spirit; I’ll give him that.’

‘Spirit is important. How about this, kid. If you can strike down ten times in a row we’ll get the old man down here and he’ll have a look at you.’

“What? Aren’t you the old men?”

‘What!? Old men!? We’re barely forty!’

‘If it wasn't for your sickly complexion I’d be in a mind to give you a nice smack.’

‘Can’t you idiots see, his eyes must be suffering. How else would he be this skinny?’

“…”

“A heated debate and a firm consensus that the three burly men are indeed in the prime of their life has been reached.

Finally, after our hero showed his prowess and hammered down ten times, then twenty and then thirty times, did they reluctantly agree to go get their master.”

‘Alright, Fen. Go get him then.’

‘Dev, You’ve always had a great relationship with the old man, why don’t you go.’

’No, no. I feel that it is Darl that is best suited for this task.’

“After three different challenges involving physical strength one of the three ‘apprentices’ was reluctantly sent to fetch the Master blacksmith.”

“Do you guys not like your master?”

‘Who said anything of the sort!?’

“With alarmed faces the two men shiftily look around before whispering.”

‘Be careful, lad. The walls have ears and the old man is surprisingly perceptive.’

“Oh.

Do you take orders to create weapons or armour?”

‘Not us, no.’

‘We create what we want.’

“One of the two points to a corner, filled with discarded weapons and armor.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

‘We only sell products that we deem is either equal to our best work or better.’

“What? That makes no sense, can you live off that?”

‘Of course!’

“Slamming his chest with his over-sized palm he proudly continues.”

‘Not only do we live off it, we could retire in a few years.’

‘Maybe I could, not so sure about you and your shoddy work. I still remember those boots you were trying to pawn off as precious treasure.’

‘Those boots were the pinnacle of all footwear in the continent! Only the master could do better!’

‘They are miles off my great gloves and fist-weapon.’

‘You are going to compare those rusty old things to my wonderboots?’

“Moments pass and the two man are on the ground doing pushups in the hundreds before one gives up, not leaving it there, a round of jumps starts, shaking the entire forge.”

“Something is wrong with these people. Definitely not human.”

“When the master forger finally arrives the two men had devolved into a strange contests of throwing rocks into the air, then throwing another rock at the first rock, with the objective being keeping the rocks in the air.”

“Oh finally! These people are unstable.”

‘Not bad! Darl, Your Rock floating technique has improved! Fen! Not bad at all.’

‘Thank you sir!’

‘Thank you sir!’

“This can’t bode well.”

“After evaluating his two students the elderly man takes a quick look at our hero, his brows furrow before speaking to Dev, who is cowering behind the imposing bearded man.

The oddity of a grown man hiding behind and old man gives one a strange sensation.”

‘This runt?’

‘Yes, exalted sir.’

‘He looks as about sturdy as a fool’s fig leaf!’

“Is that an insult? Can’t people insult properly in this world? Relentless with their nonsense.”

‘Spit it out boy, what do you really want? Did your father send you? From what clan are you?’

“Sir! I want to learn forging!”

“Wild noises start emerging from the master forger, spit and snot can be seen flying out at record speed.

His three apprentices all pale in fright.”

“Sir, are you sick? Some water people that are good with healing magic.”

‘Here!’

“Our hero has been thrown a surprisingly heavy hammer. Then pointed towards a smelter.”

“What?

Want me to forge something?”

‘Fen, pull something out, have him hit it.’

‘Yes, sir!’

“Dumbfounded our hero watches a man, three times his size fumble his way towards the smelter, pulling out a bright red metal object, and then putting it down before our hero.”

‘Hit it, boy!’

“Alright, sir!”

“Relentless hammering can be heard.

The three burly men with average sized beards watch on in anticipation whilst the master forger, with a beard fit for a wizard watches on without emotion.

Over a hundred swings and our hero’s face is puffed red, panting like a an excited dog.”

‘Alright, kid. You got spirit. Your physique has something to left to desire but we can work at it.’

“Do you mean you’ll teach me?”

‘I’m bloody well forced to, aren’t I!? Who asked me to have this job? Aie, these brittle bones need their rest.’

|Forging: Novice.|

“With a soul fit for fire and spirit made of metal, we solder on!”

Novice forging allows one to study the art of forging. Later stages require one to delve deeper into the waters different laws to truly experience what forging can do.

Do you want to learn forging?

Requires: one crafting skill points

“No!

Okay, thanks old man! I’ve got to check out some other places as well.”

‘Do what you want.’

“With indifference, master forger Orl turns around and leaves, a bit anticlimactic.”

“Cya Darl, Fen and Dev.”

‘…’

“Strange expressions is plastered on the three mountains of men. Speechless they watch our hero tired visage, leave the large, flame lit smeltery.”

“This was incredibly time consuming and confusing. I hope the potion maker or herbalists aren’t as difficult.”

“leaving the grand but simple forge, our hero gets swallowed into the crowd of people. The sun is still high in the sky, blaring down at the people and you can see our hero lick his dried lips.”

“I really could use a drink. A nice wine or a cold beer. Even water would do.”

“As if fated, our hero spots a sign, high above a building. The sign portrays a busty maiden hoisting a large class into the air.”

“We’re going in.”

“As we enter the establishment we are hit with the thick alcohol odor, busty women in modest clothing and the bustling noise.”

‘Sir, what would you like?’

“Do you have something cold? Ice cold.”

‘We a popular drink called Winters touch. It comes highly recommended.’

“I’ll take it!”

‘Right away, sir.’

“The places appears to be a restaurant, but most of the customers are older men, all drinking. They are either merrily chatting or ogling the fair maidens.”

“I’m not sure I’d go as far as to call them fair maidens. Maidens, would probably suffice. Busty ladies, maybe.

Alright, so according to the map, there are a few places nearby that I can check out. Too bad they don’t give me any other information, just a dot on the map.”

“Daydreaming, our hero talks to himself in public, attracting the ire and disdain of some nearby customers. But our shameless protagonist bares it no mind.”

“Forging is interesting but I feel like going for something more versatile. Something that doesn’t require a huge facility to use.

I wonder if I need to learn gathering skills as well, or if that comes with the profession.

I’m thinking potion making, or whatever they call it. Maybe enchanting or rune making. We´ll make a decision once we find out what all the professions are.”

“After the drink arrives, Ji drinks it with haste, pays and continues his journey. Heading to the nearest quest objective, as shown on his map.”

“I’m still having a hard time believing how many people there are out here. Maybe I should pick something up for Tio.

Although, most of my money came from her. Would that make it weird?

This should be it. The smell is very medicinal.”

‘Welcome.’

“Hi.”

‘Can I help you, sir?’

“Yes. What is it that you do here?”

‘I’m sorry, what do you mean?’

“What does this place specialize in, what do you craft?”

‘Ah! We make leather related clothing and armor; we also imbue them with runes or other supportive items.’

“That would explain all the leather outfits, I was starting to think this was some kind of a leather fetish store.

I guess it still is.”

‘Fetish?’

“Ye like kink. Dress up in leather, tie people down and dominate them, stuff like that.”

“The poor store clerk has started sweating and slowly inches backwards.”

“Where are you going?”

‘Sir.’

“Hey!”

“The store clerk has swiftly made his escape, disappearing to the backrooms.”

“Might as well follow him in, right? Why can’t people just teach me, I’m not being unreasonable, right?

Hello! Is anyone there.”

“After walking into the surprisingly large workshop our hero starts inspecting the various tools and partially worked leather.”

“Hmm. Smooth.

This probably going to be pants. Or longsocks? Hmm.

I have no idea what I’m doing.”

‘What in Nebag’s name are you doing!?’

“It would appear this newly arrived individual is less than happy with our hero. And might also be a devout Nebagian.”

“Hi! I want to learn about leather crafting.”

“After a short silence, a massive eye roll and a blank look into space. A sigh appears and the leather clad person finally speaks.”

‘Alright. Do some Lacing, skiv the edges and then tool it a bit for flair.’

“What?”

“An extremely impatient look appears on the beautiful older woman. Our hero starts looking around, muttering incoherent words under his breath.

At least this seems to be a quicker process than the forging endeavor.”

“Lacing? Does she want me to make boots? Wait. Do people use laced shoes. I haven’t seen any.

What is skiving?”

|Optional: Follow Madam Drao’s instructions|

“A woman knows her way around a bit of skin.”

Learn the basics of leather crafting

Reward: Rights to learn leatherworking.

“A look of enlightenment appears on our hero’s face when he is handled a needle and thread and lead to some worked leather, ready to be stitched together.”