After the smiths rather crass and, honestly accurate, comparison of the size, Rou sighed.

"Know why you never got Soil's attention before? No imagination. Whatever you see is what you think it is."

"I got an imagination kid, I just don't fucking want to run off whipping stupid-looking metal pokers around and calling them swords. What about your magic now? Get to the point, ain't got all day." The gopher huffed.

"Look, let me put it this way… you know how your bellows work of course. Wind plus small hole equals forceful air. Can't just wave air into your furnace, wouldn't do any good. So you understand if you blow air, the smaller the hole you blow it through, the stronger the push on it is, right?"

"Mm… suppose so, yes, fucking what's that got to do with your gnat testicle fireball?"

"Let's see if I can get this setup right. I'm still working on the idea of course, but… been practicing for quite a while. Guess you wouldn't know, but… only started to learn and practice magic recently so I'm not some grand mage or whatever."

The gopher moved to sit nearby, giving Rou a chance. If anyone know what hard work and studying and training meant, it was him and he wasn't about to talk down to someone who clearly was applying things in a creative way. 'Course if it was one of his apprentices he'd have booted their backside for wasting metal but Rou? He gave a bit more leeway.

Rou used earth magic to create a rock the size of a marble, squeezing it and rounding it into a perfect sphere. At which point he slid the rock sphere into the metal tube, and held it in his right hand with his index and ring fingers under the tube, middle finger over it and slid it down just enough so his thumb could tap the end of it and cover the tube.

"It's a bit crude, but it's meant to be a magic tool of sorts. Not sure yet if fire or wind would be better, but the idea is to use fire or wind to push at the back of this thing where my thumb is, perhaps some combination or whatever once I get it better worked out, and shoot the rock out. Like this…"

He used his thumb to create a small fireball right at the back of the tube and caused it to explode, to most anyone else it'd probably blow their thumbtip off, but his physical defenses thanks to his draconic inheritance as well as his general immunity to fire meant his thumb was fine and the rock shot out and embedded.

"Think of it like a little crossbow or something, yeah? On the side of the sword, only just to use my magic there and…"

"Yeah, 's nice and all but why not just fucking throw a wholeass fireball at them. Again, ya idjit, you're off trynna be fancy when you could just go back to the damn basics and quit trying to be a fancy pants. Wanting to wave around fancy swords and now you want fancy magic shootin' tubes on the side and, god damnit Rou I put up with a lot of shit, but if you'd just go and punch things and throw a damn fireball like a normal mage you'd be perfectly well off."

The fantasy-lover in Rou sighed as Affection laughed in his mind, "So boring. Thought with Soil's blessing you might be a little more curious. Even Soil was amused at my thought process, but said he'd rather leave it to me to figure things out."

"Soil! Don't twiddle my cock kid, was that something he actually said?!"

"I mean, yes…" That was a soft lie. What Soil actually said was 'That's a gun and we kind of don't want an arms race in this world' 'But it's magic, not mechanical, so that should be fine right?' 'Enh… knock yourself out but keep in mind we might eventually thump your head and tell you that's enough.'

"Fine then, I'll design and make your dumb blow tubes and your stupid fingerhole knuckleguard swords and… ugh. This is fuckin' embarrassing, get a gods blessing and I can't even make a nice, normal, legendary sword, gotta make some goofy-lookin…'" grumble grumble, the Gopher walked off swearing and cursing up a storm, leaving Rou to grin a little.

"Make them nice and long~ and if you need funds, ask for W'elmas Trading Corp! Oh, and I'm sure the King will pitch in too if you ask nicely."

"Kiss my ass, fancy pants fluffy-ass goofy-lookin'..." grumble grumble. Yeah, the gopher was both in a good mood and a bad mood. Happy as can be at the idea that perhaps Soil would watch his progress. Mad as a swatted bee that it'd have to be the very designs he's been yelling at Rou to quit thinking up.

–

"What is it with your kind and guns? I even warned you when you first reincarnated…"

"It's less the idea of gun for me and more I'm a coward and don't like getting close up. Bows are fun and all and I might look into them eventually but, as far as magic goes, I don't really have any interest in being the most powerful ever or blowing up mountains, I just want to be able to have fun with it and use it creatively. And also protect myself and others with it. So, as far as I'm concerned, being able to amplify magic with creative uses of basic physics should be fine? I mean, air pressure exists, not like y'all can get rid of that. The harder you throw something, the harder it hits, can't get rid of that."

He paused and added, "Besides, who else besides me is specialized in magic perception and has unlimited mana? And also has no interest in just making larger magical explosions?"

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"...fair. General magical practice in this world /is/ power after all."

"Yup. I'm perfectly happy with what I'm going for now, I don't need large explosions. Not like I'm gonna be fighting wars or hordes of monsters."

"You're silly. Come up here for a bit."

Rou didn't even ask questions, he simply walked to the nearest private area and promptly slipped into an aether node.

–

After Rou and Aether had a bit of fun and spent a while cuddling and napping and held hands a lot to satisfy Affection's hand holding urges, Rou went back to the lower domain and wound up walking through the markets, doing his normal thing only to be interrupted by a rather fancy-looking wolf fellow. Thin, older, prim and proper and dressed up extremely nicely in nearly pure white as if to give off the illusion of being clean.

"The Sage of Fluff, I presume?"

The wolf sounded extremely well mannered.

"Yes? Is something the matter? You don't strike me as the type looking for a kiss blessing." Rou said amusedly towards the older fellow.

"Not in the least, Sage Fluff. No, I come at the best of master Borgain sil Krum. He wishes to speak with you."

"Oh? Mm… well, perhaps I'll get around to speaking to him eventually then."

"Ahem!" the servant said as Rou ignored him and began to walk away. "I meant presently, Sage."

Rou stared at him a moment as the surrounding crowd had stopped to watch. This was really the first time in this world he'd ran into anyone who had kind of given him problems about anything. At least directly.

"I'm busy."

"Sage, you are simply wandering the marketplace on a whim. You do this nearly every day. I know full well you are not now, or are you ever, busy at this time of day. I took the time to pay attention to your habits to approach you at a reasonable time of day." the wolf insisted, leaving Rou actually quite irate.

Irate enough that he thought about acting out and using the Kings name to get out of it, but refrained. "My business is my own business. If I say I am busy, I am busy. I am not here to make enemies of anyone, but every minute of my time in this world is precious to me and I will not give a moment of my time to anyone that I do not wish to." Being about a foot taller than the older wolf, Rou stepped closer and leaned in slightly.

"Do not press me on this. This is me granting you a kindness. Walk away, inform your master I may come to speak with him on my own schedule, whenever I feel like it, or I will make a point to never speak with him in his, or my, remaining lifetime. Besides, the sil Krums have already personally pissed me off in a manner I will not speak of. Cut your losses, because if you do anything other than turn and leave, I will inform the nearby crowd and let them judge my dislike of this."

The older wolf didn't back down, but did relent after that last bit, choosing to save his master the risk of public displeasure. "Very well, Sage of Fluff. Please do not regret your choices. My daughter and son both adore you. Despite our… differences I wish nothing ill of you." And with that, he offered a small bow to Rou and turned to walk away.

Though Rou's proverbial hackles were raised at this, he calmed down as he noticed the crowd around him seeming concerned. Especially as a maiden who looked a few years older than him walked up, "Are you well?"

Rou smiled and nodded, only to be surprised as she hugged him. "Whatever it is, we will all voice our support of you publicly if need be." Her sudden words actually confused Rou. He knew the people adored him for bringing them a comfort, but at the moment, it felt a little… more somehow.

"Thank you for the kind words, I'll hold them close to my heart. Were you seeking a kiss blessing, or simply offering support?"

She paused a moment from her hug and stepped back a little, slightly embarrassed now that she'd been called out, "Ah, no, I really was just offering support. I think everyone in the capital and beyond would stand by you." She offered a smile towards him before adding playfully, "Though I also wouldn't say no to that."

Rou and Affection both laughed and he kindly granted her just that, watching her trot off happily to her friends as she now had something to brag about.

"I know everyone was happy with me but.. Didn't know it was that pronounced that they would stick up for me like that."

–

Despite insisting to the wolf he wouldn't go, after going back to his parents place and discussing with them, and especially Millet given her… past association with the sil Krums, Rou decided to just go and deal with whoever this Borgain was.

According to Millet, he wasn't actually her previous employer, simply another in the sil Krum line. That said, Borgain was /very much/ not a nobody. Both Millet and his parents knew who he was.

"I guess you wouldn't know considering you've been isolated for so long, but Borgain is what most folks would consider a hero. At least, by birth and luck." Dominic, Shiela, Millet and Rou all at around in the den area of their home and Rou took the time to listen and learn a little before going through whatever ordeal was going to be present. Stubborn noble, some idiot trying to 'demand' a kiss blessing, wanting something of him? Couldn't say so far.

"He was born what one would consider a 'chosen one'. Will Affection not elaborate?"

Rou shook his head. "She seems to think it's better if I deal with this end of things on my own. Something about not the Gods business despite what it seems."

"How strange." Shiela muttered. "If anything I would very much think it's the gods business all considered."

"We simply set up a process in which a few individuals each generation have the ability to change the world for better or worse, generally better. Who those individuals become is your own doing, again for better or worse."

As Rou softly parroted Affection's remark, the others nodded and finally Dominic continued.

"Chosen Ones are born with a title accordingly, if I recall right the title is [Chosen of the Gods], and their general growth and capacity is greatly enhanced compared to normal types like us. Then upon their fifteenth birthday they receive a unique class, one that either has never been seen before, or is simply so rare that it only comes up once in a generation or two and thus isn't recorded very well. Borgain was one such individual."

Rou was left to think about his own class, or lack thereof. The way his parents saw him fall silent they kind of realized what he was thinking of. "Want to go to the Church and see if you can't get a class? It's a bit late but all considered I can't imagine the gods holding it against you. Any thoughts from Affection?"

"Well, it's not unheard of for individuals to simply not be able to make it to a Church in time for their fifteenth years celebration. Naturally some seem to think if it's missed they're pocked for life, but that's not quite the case. With Rou… Give it a try? I cannot claim to know how all that works, was never my division of labor."

Rou snorted despite being the one to voice her response. "Sure, let's go then. I take it you all want to come? My parents at least I imagine. Millet?"

She smiled up at him, "Wouldn't miss it unless you forbade me."

Of course, by this point his parents knew he and Millet were… quite close. Not exactly /dating/ but they had put two and two together. Nothing bad to say about that, and Shiela and Dominic were already kind of treating her as a stand-in daughter accordingly. And were also sharing their thoughts with Millet in regards to how to increase fertility and all that given Shiela had gone down /that/ rabbithole a long time ago and had basically absorbed all common knowledge regarding what aids in babymaking.

Rou had no idea others were conspiring against him in this manner. He didn't exactly want a child at the moment.

"In that case, I will go clean up and we can head out after lunch? There is this nice little restaurant I found going towards the far side of the residential area two over away from the port that serves these little meat pastries and…" Him having become a bit of a foodie since his time with Affection got a knowing smile out of his parents and even Millet, who had casually taken his hand and simply kept him company as he rambled.