Skolla began examining the bracelet I had shown her.
“This is… a control-type item? From Marbat? No, looking at the finish, it seems to be more mixed with Veskal.”
“Can you enhance this further?”
“It is possible, but I can’t guarantee it will turn out well… Is that okay?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
There is a very low probability that the equipment could be destroyed, but such a thing probably wouldn’t happen in reality.
The only problem is excessively upgrading repairs unrelated to other machines; I have never seen him fail concerning mechanical equipment.
“Alright, I’ll take it off.”
As I removed the bracelet from my wrist, I felt the sensation of the damage contained within it transferring to me.
“Ugh!”
A burning sensation felt in my hands and feet.
Even though the holes in my hands and feet cannot be stopped, the wounds and pain were being absorbed by this.
The moment I got used to it for a brief moment, the adaptation to the pain vanished.
Nevertheless, as soon as I took off the bracelet, the overwhelming pain surged, and I barely hid it with the influence of alcohol, pretending to be nonchalant as I handed it over.
“This really hurts like hell.”
I bit down on the pain and ate chocolate to swallow it away with the intoxication.
“Is it possible?”
“Yes, it should be possible. I haven’t seen many, but… this is a defective item.”
“Defective item?”
“Yes, the possible value is much lower than the control capacity of typical equipment. Even compared to other equipment of the same grade.”
“…..”
Did these guys really deceive me?
Well, considering I’ve only seen the 2D screens presented outside the game, I can’t check which items have defects and which do not.
Still, the thought of having purchased a defective item made me angry in that moment.
“Ah, but the seller probably doesn’t know they are selling a defective item.”
“Isn’t it usually… easy to tell?”
“No, no. I only know because I’ve seen the item; its durability and capacity cannot be accurately assessed until it’s measured.”
His confident words and demeanor made me nod along in agreement.
“Still, isn’t this beneficial for you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re fortunate to have me here!! I will definitely make this item reborn with astonishing performance!!”
“Ah… yes.”
Well, the earlier discussion about the tournament had me flustered, but Skolla’s original personality is indeed very self-assured and narcissistic.
In fact, he possesses the skills to prove such confidence.
It’s just that others do not yet know how to use him properly.
“Skolla.”
“Yes?”
“Please just increase the existing performance. If possible, don’t add any additional features.”
“No! That’s fine! I need to prove my limits through this item…!”
“Don’t prove it with mine.”
“… Yes.”
Skolla usually ends up breaking equipment by excessively increasing its performance.
Of course, equipment with such heightened performance can show exceptional effects in specific situations, but if it’s not that sort of situation, it can become a useless piece of gear.
That’s why I request only the pure spec increase of the requested elements. All other additional elements should be excluded.
Doing this may lower the chances of dramatically raising the equipment’s grade, but it certainly increases its stability, a fact I’ve learned through multiple failures.
“Is there, by any chance, another item…?”
“Ah, this one!”
Perhaps due to having previously prevented variables, Skolla looked somewhat disappointed, but I could not let my nearly total wealth bracelet be ruined in his hands.
While it wouldn’t be destroyed in one blow like a clumsy blacksmith, the restoration costs could increase if things go wrong.
Thus, I pulled out another item.
“Ah, I’ve seen this before! This was definitely that person’s staff with low presence!”
“…..”
Charlotte, who actually handed over the item, couldn’t recall due to her minimal presence, but Skolla took the staff, looking as if he were seeing a long-lost child.
“It’s nice to see it back in my hands! So, what’s the reason you’re giving it back to me? Surely nothing has gone wrong?”
“You certainly have a lot of confidence.”
“Yes? When have we ever met?”
“… No, I just happened to have seen you pass by.”
“I see! But this item… has never been used until now. Why… is that?”
Well, it’s because Charlotte doesn’t need a staff.
Typically, a regular wizard character doesn’t wear any equipment and normally develops magic with their bare hands. While the staff increases efficiency, Charlotte never attacks using a staff in the first place.
What she needs are lots of ink pens and a canvas to draw upon.
Therefore, this staff, though quite impressive, was brought over because it was useless to Charlotte.
“Um… why? This is certainly a magnificent piece!”
Although he appeared puzzled not knowing the reason, I wouldn’t tell Skolla that reason right now.
At least, it should not be when Charlotte is currently in the spotlight.
That time should come when she reaches the peak of the academy festival.
Until then, I have no intention of revealing anything. She likely wouldn’t want it to happen either.
“Ah, is this wrong? What’s the problem?”
“Rather, I think it would be good to have ink or something come out from the tip of the staff.”
“Yes? Ink… you say?”
Having a staff makes it easier to control magic.
By fundamentally changing the format to project magical energies from the tips of both hands through the tip of the staff, it becomes much easier to manipulate.
This isn’t part of the game’s content, but it’s what I learned in an academy class recently.
However, Charlotte’s ‘recording magic’ does not utilize natural mana like ordinary magic principles, drawing it into her body.
Instead, it strikes information straight into the world, utilizing nature itself.
Thus, if the drawings made on the ground in a chaotic battlefield aren’t easily erased, the possibility of Charlotte performing significantly rises.
“Using the staff more will definitely happen.”
“Is it possible to meet this person again? I can ask…”
“Hmm…”
I wonder if that’s feasible.
Charlotte talking to someone other than me?
I can’t quite imagine that scene.
Though, it would surely be quite nostalgic.
“I’ll let you talk to her. After all, you’ll meet soon.”
“Ah, the person who will go together to the tournament?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“I thought it was too little; I’ll understand. I’ll… take care of this item for now. Oh, and the ink too.”
“Thank you.”
I finished delivering the item, but I still had discussions about the operation left to cover.
Since I hadn’t properly explained the operation for the tournament to Skolla, I must perfectly conclude this to draw him to my team.
He needs to fully comprehend and be convinced by the operation.
“Now, let’s talk about the plan. Skolla, you’ve surely been held back, right?”
“….”
Originally, he should have been a second-year like Noah, but because he had been held back, he’s still a first-year.
Thus, Skolla has already experienced the academy festival once.
“If you saw last year’s academy festival, you’d know.”
The area where the tournament of the academy festival takes place exists separately.
Even with the huge capital of the central academy, they can’t keep demolishing and rebuilding a building every year for each festival.
The academy has a specially built massive set for doing the tournament.
While the composition of these set pieces changes every year…
“There is a certain pattern.”
“How was last year’s festival?”
“What do you mean? What are you asking…?”
“I mean, what was the basic direction like.”
The set pieces change every year.
Sometimes it’s a forest backdrop, sometimes a city; sometimes, the ground can even be a lava field.
Sometimes, these backgrounds can even be mixed and separated within parts.
However, due to the inability to constantly change these terrains, the academy rotates the stages to prevent people from catching on.
Ordinary people might not notice, but I can judge the next terrain based on certain rules.
“I’m pretty sure the whole battlefield was a forest terrain back then.”
“Oh.”
This was excellent news for me.
After the forest terrain, there are two possible terrains that may follow.
The city terrain and the factory area.
While there could also be chances for different terrains to mix, it doesn’t really matter which one.
As long as there’s a place for machines and steel, it will provide ample materials for Skolla.
“Well… that seems right. …Alright! If all this proves true, I will faithfully follow your will!”
Having completed another persuasion, I succumbed to weariness and lay down on the corner bed that looked like it had been used by Skolla.
“Is this just an ordinary bed?”
“Oh, this friend contains my latest technology…!”
And as the suffocating fatigue wrapped around me, I quickly fell into a deep sleep.
“No…! Why are you sleeping here…! No matter how much my magnificent bed possesses great performance!!!”
I think I heard something strange.
***
As Skolla looked at the girl who had fallen asleep, he sighed.
“Is it possible?”
Pushing aside how this girl is privy to all that information, he wondered if he could indeed be of help should such a situation arrive.
He still didn’t quite know.
Having spent his life merely handling other people’s equipment, he had never considered the thought of directly participating in a battle.
“Still… I have to be prepared.”
Yet, in a situation where a promise had already been made, pulling back would be a weak choice.
Once a decision is made, one must act.
There is never enough time to create more works.
So, Skolla began to take out the bracelet, one of the two items that the girl had handed over, to try and repair it.
“Oh, this.”
What he discovered was that a considerable amount of physical parameters was contained within this bracelet.
‘Is there something wrong with her health?’
The equipment designed to allow control over the impact inflicted on the body.
The fact that there was already some wear on an equipment with its thresholds set means that the girl had likely sustained significant damage or is at risk.
Even though the equipment itself is inexpensive, it is not something an ordinary person would readily purchase, so it implied there must be some considerable clan backing.
The fact that it hadn’t been repaired despite having this level of impact could imply that it wasn’t just for defensive purposes but perhaps a desperate measure for survival.
“If this is the case, I can’t ignore it…!”
Although he was requested not to add or subtract anything beyond the existing control capacity and durability, from an inventor’s perspective, it was evident that this product could be further advanced.
Thus, Skolla made a resolution.
“They seemed like a kind person… but if I don’t say anything, they won’t know…”
He knew the saying that the angriest person is the one who looks the kindest, but his desire as an inventor could not be held back.
There could be no failure.
All that mattered was the stepping stones toward progress.
Thus, excessive elements began to attach to the bracelet.
“Yes! This is it! Ooooh… inspiration is surging!!”
And the sound of quiet welding and mechanical noises filled the room.
