Chapter 35: Finding a New Tool
Just as Matthew left the laboratory, a silver figure leaped into his arms with a cheerful "Yah!"
Yaya comfortably nestled into position, her slender tail swaying back and forth, her big, adorable eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Daddy, what is that? It looks like there are a lot of shiny things..."
Ah, typical of most dragons—they love shiny objects...
"That's the lab. Right now, it's just for brewing potions. It's small for now, but in the future, I'll expand it and add more functions."
Matthew explained truthfully to Yaya, worried that the little one might sneak in and cause havoc.
At 500 gold coins per set, he had to work for over ten days to earn that back. It couldn't be carelessly "spent."
Yaya's eyes twinkled, and she slightly opened her mouth, letting out a soft "Yah-yah," before adjusting her tone, adding a subtle hint of oriental charm:
"Yah...yah..."
Matthew widened his eyes in surprise and happily patted her head, praising her:
"That's right, Yaya! You can say your name now! You're so smart."
Yaya giggled at the compliment, shaking her little head before awkwardly saying:
"Rebecca...taught...me..."
With the image of a mischievous face flashing in his mind, Matthew smiled knowingly, patting Yaya's head, and with a tempting tone, he asked:
"So, do you want Rebecca to play with you often?"
Yaya's eyes lit up instantly, and she eagerly nodded. Matthew smiled knowingly:
"Then I'll give Rebecca some tasks, so she can spend more time with you. It will also help her as a druid."
Innocent Yaya nodded without hesitation, unknowingly dragging Rebecca into the plan.
As expected, Matthew wrote out a hiring notice and handed it to Yaya, playfully suggesting:
"But you both have a shared task: every day, you have to eat all kinds of food that help you grow strong."
Yaya didn't care about the last part, happily clutching the parchment and flapping her wings as she fluttered around the room, clearly thrilled.
Tonight promised to be extraordinary.
Over the next few days, everyone in Bay Village was kept busy.
Waking up early to eat, they quickly got to work under the supervision of Village Chief Field.
They worked hard until noon, enjoying hearty lunches provided for them.
After working another afternoon, they returned home with the copper coins they'd earned.
Though the wages weren't much, the promise of a good meal and contributing to the village made everyone's spirits improve.
Of course, amidst their work, their curiosity often turned towards the bustling military camp.
Seeing the soldiers engage in "simple" drills every day and enjoy plentiful meals of fish and meat made many of the villagers eager for the same life.
Everyone wanted to eat meat!
A few days ago, Chief Field had been tight-lipped, but eventually, the villagers wore him down, and he let slip some hints over drinks.
The very next morning...
Bay Village was buzzing with excitement as everyone discussed how to become a professional soldier and the benefits it entailed.
As the "instigator," Chief Field no longer bothered to think much about it and urged everyone to get back to work.
Several women preparing food shared the good news that today's lunch would be hearty again, with each person getting a share of fish.
This energized everyone even more, as they noticed that neither the lord nor Ralph the steward had appeared, leaving them to manage things on their own.
Yet, none of the villagers were tempted to slack off. Those who did were quickly whipped back into line by Chief Field.
The soldiers were also training hard, their shouts could be heard from afar.
Many people had learned that after the wall was completed, the next project would be building a new barracks.
Some quickly did the math and realized that speeding up their quality work would result in earning more.
A cool breeze blew as Matthew set aside the alchemical notes from his predecessor, deepening his understanding of the magical environments and their effects.
In the game, players mostly relied on their alchemy level to brew potions, create magical items, or craft scrolls, completing these tasks with the help of simplified systems.
They knew how to perform the actions but not necessarily why.
Now, with Matthew being the only one responsible for research, he had to delve deeper, striving to stay ahead in order to lead the territory forward.
Therefore, the first thing he had to do was select children with the potential to become spellcasters.
Even though the Netheril Empire put great effort into finding and training young arcane talents...
The scale of the annual inspections was enormous, so naturally, some slipped through the cracks.
Of course, the children with obvious talent were taken away early.
But for many others who required more resources and effort to break through higher levels, it all came down to luck.
Additionally, it cost money to test for aptitude.
For most noble or spellcaster offspring, these tests were conducted at birth.
Most commoner children were tested three times: at age 10, 12, and 15.
So now, Matthew's main focus was on the children under 10.
"Learning must start early!"
Ralph the steward spoke sternly, scaring most of the children with his serious expression.
Of course, the children's parents had undoubtedly warned them not to anger either Ralph or the lord.
There would likely be "lessons of love" awaiting inattentive children when they returned home.
After all, despite the Netheril Empire's reputation for relatively kind rulers...
Most lords had some connection to spellcasters and noble families, having received proper education.
But that didn't mean their authority was weak.
The power displayed by their spells, and the occasional massive floating city seen in the sky, constantly reminded everyone to behave.
"Everyone line up by age; those under six, stand to the left."
"You may not fully understand this now, but I'll explain it clearly."
"What happens next could change your future—and your family's!"
Ralph the steward organized the children, watching them with a mix of nostalgia and hope. Many were nervous and scared, but a smile played on his lips.
Matthew pulled out a crystal for testing, slowly infusing it with mana, and handed it to the first group of 15-year-olds.
A freckled girl with gray-brown eyes hesitantly approached, too nervous to look Matthew in the eye.
Merrill
Race: Human.
Age: 15.
Profession: None.
Talent: Not activated.
Attributes:
Strength: 5
Agility: 6
Constitution: 5
Perception: 8
Intelligence: 11
Charisma: 10
Evaluation: 50% chance of becoming a novice mage, 5% chance of becoming an intermediate mage, 0.1% chance of becoming an advanced mage.
Matthew had already seen through Merrill and the harsh evaluation. He wasn't disappointed but rather relieved.
"At least my predecessor wasn't completely unfair..."
Nervously, Merrill placed her hand on the pure crystal. A faint glow appeared in the center, tracing delicate lines but not expanding further.
Her heart sank with disappointment. She had failed to light the crystal fully in her previous three tests, and now, it seemed she had failed again.
"Very good, Merrill. You've passed. You have a good chance of becoming a spellcaster, but you'll need to work hard. Go stand aside."
Matthew's gentle words rekindled hope in Merrill's heart, and she eagerly nodded, her despair turning into excitement.