Chapter 244

Despite the long night dealing with the issue that was Helori’s competition, Ben woke up feeling refreshed and energized. Not only had he won the contest and presumably gained his god a new source of faith good enough that he’d move past the fact that Ben had agreed to it without his consent, but he could now count Helori amongst his teachers. He was always working on doing his best to learn more, and he was already thinking of how he was going to put this new source of information to use.He was positively giddy as he prepared breakfast for both Falk and Thera, making up plates and knocking on their doors to draw them out to eat in the hallway with him.

“You seem to be in a good mood boy, feeling that ready for today?” His teacher asked in reference to the main reason they were there, the crafting competition, starting that day.

“Or did you actually manage to get a magic skill from whatever god you decided to compete against?” Thera wanted to know, curious about how it had turned out.

“Well, I did win and I got her blessing, but no magic. Myriad was right in that regard sadly. On the plus side though, since she couldn’t fulfill the promised reward I get to use- I mean learn from her.”

Thera only shook her head as his teacher gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “You know boy, as much as I didn’t want you when you first showed up in my shop, I’m going to miss you when one of the gods decides to throw your butt into the infinite hells.”

“Not happening,” He said as he brushed off his teacher's touch. “Admittedly Eneth isn’t a fan, but he can’t just do that to another god's apostle willy-nilly. Hell, I’m pretty sure he couldn’t even do it to one of his own believers without good reason. As for Helori, she’s fine with it.”

“Sure, but one day you're going to manage to piss off the wrong one and things are going to go downhill fast,” The yeti said with a laugh. “But let's not worry about that for now. Got everything packed?”

“In a few bags, yes.”

“Good, in that case let’s start heading out.”

The streets were more packed than they had been on any of the previous days and it was clear to see why. This was the start of the competition that brought him there, with plenty of people who’d gotten out earlier than they had already setting up their tables and displays as they tried to sell their wares while making something that would do well, at least for the regular part of the competition. Ben wouldn’t be participating in that section though, instead devoting his efforts to a group that existed through invitation only.

As they reached the signup desk, Falk handed over that very invitation, making clear in no uncertain terms that it would be Ben alone who participated for the shop.

“But are you sure sir?” The attendant asked nervously. “He’ll be the only person participating on an invitation that will be working without a team. Shouldn’t you be helping your apprentice?”

From the way he was acting, Ben couldn’t help but wonder if the attendant had been told to keep an eye out for that invitation, as well as the skills of the yeti holding it, but Falk was having none of it.

“Neither of us could care less about winning. Since the opportunity came up we’re using this as his graduation exam. If he does well enough then he’s officially done being an apprentice. If you have an issue with that then we can leave.”

Threatening to leave seemed to do the trick as the attendant directed them to a group of larger stands, their table clearly marked with a forge and other supplies already prepared by it for use as they made their way over, Ben joking with his teacher as they went.

“Just want you to know that even if I take home the gold you aren’t getting rid of me so easily. I’m going to steal every bit of knowledge you have, just you wait.”

“Please, if I thought telling you that you’re good enough to go off on your own would give me back my freedom I’d have done it over a year ago. Just wanted to make sure I didn’t have to explain why I’m not helping.”

He laughed as they got to the table and began setting up, pulling out the tools he’d made sure to bring as Falk set up a display for the items he’d prepared, making signs with their price to put beside them as he went and leaving Ben’s eyes to bulge as he caught a look.

“Oh damn, you’re actually going to let me price these correctly?” He asked as he gawked at what was written.

“You don’t have to match my prices here so we’re going with proper market rates right now, or at least around them. You know damn well I can’t have my apprentice selling things at a higher price when your items aren’t as good in the shop.”

He could only sigh. He couldn’t deny that something would look funny if the apprentice’s stuff was selling for more than the teacher’s, especially since it was obvious to anyone with the eyes for such things that Falk's items were superior to his own to a shocking degree.

“Well, whatever. And so what should I make then?” He’d have to present an item he’d made over the course of the competition to be judged at the end, but a week was a long time to make anything. He didn’t think he had any projects with Falk that he’d spent more than two or three days on, and even that was long for him. Unfortunately, his teacher couldn’t give a concrete answer.

“Whatever you want really. I’d say maybe spend the first day planning a bit and figuring things out and then just do the best you can. You work fast boy, but it would be interesting to see just what you could make if you took your time on making something perfect.”

“Mmh, well I’ll do the best I can then,” He said, not feeling the sort of direction he’d been hoping for. It was just so much time. He supposed he could make an item a day and submit the best one at the end to be judged, but his teacher was right, it would be a change of pace to take all the time he had and put it to just one thing.

“Well, it’s not like you need to start immediately,” The yeti said with a laugh. “Why don’t you two look around for a bit, maybe it will give you some ideas. I’ll watch the table in case anyone wants to buy anything but don’t be gone for too long, okay?”

“Sounds good uncle,” Thera answered for him, excited to see everything the contest had to offer as much as he was. “We’ll be back soon.”

With that she grabbed his hand, happy to see just what the contest held as she dragged him along.

“It’s like they’re trying to ruin my day!” Ben complained after they finished wandering the streets filled with stands, each person holding a crafting-type skill showing off what they’d made to the world.

Thera patted his back, trying to reassure him as she had to any time he realised just how good the quality of his work had become. “There there, we still have to look through the tables that were specifically invited like you were so cheer up. I’m sure they’ll have something to catch your eye.”

“Ugh, I hope so at least.”

It just felt ridiculous. His items were only making it to rare still after all. Sure, Falk had told him early on how uncommon ultra-rare and legendary items were, but he still wanted to see more of them. If he only had his teacher to draw from then he wouldn’t grow as much as he knew he could, but from the way things seemed, the easiest way to see a few was to find a way to get his eyes on whatever different nations were hoarding.

He tried to work the plans he could to take advantage of the other believers in his faith, only to lose focus as he got to the first set of the invited tables. With people coming from all over the world, he’d been able to see a variety of different races at work, even if they didn’t leave him satisfied, and seeing as how the invitees were supposedly the best of the best amongst those without awakened skills it wasn’t surprising to see that they hailed from a variety of nations too, even if each table was mostly composed of the same race.

There were the races he expected to see from what he had read of the various craftsmen of the world and he stopped to introduce himself and chat with them all. The dwarven table was selling thick steel weapons and armour, able to take hits and deal damage by virtue of both the technique that went into them, along with their sheer weight. Gnomes whose items were more like trinkets, but the incredible skill behind the enchantments on them gave them effects he wouldn’t consider, while a table of cyclops made what would look like knives to them but swords to someone Ben’s size, as one of them imbued the hot metal with magic in a way he’d only read about due to the rarity of the skill, not enchanting with whatever magic they possessed, but bestowing its effects, at least that was what he thought as he ran up to ask.

“Excuse me!” He called out, waving excitedly to get their attention when they were done and getting a confused look from the one-eyed giant. “Am I right in thinking you’re a bestower?”

The man looked surprised at first before breaking into a happy grin. “You recognise the skill do you? Well, you’re absolutely right.”

The excitement of meeting someone with such a rare skill filled him to the extreme. It was similar to enchanting, but instead of doing anything complex it allowed the user to make a spell a part of the metal in an almost permanent way. There was no known way for one to acquire it through training or effort, it was a skill that was gained by certain mages and craftsmen seemingly randomly if they got it, or else either being born with it as their blessed skill or receiving it as the bonus skill that comes with awakening something, usually enchanting or a different magic skill.

“Well it’s great to meet you, I’m Ben,” He introduced himself, wanting to ask a million questions. “Can I ask you some things about it? Did you gain it yourself or was it blessed? Does it affect enchanting the item after in any way? What’s the mana cost like? Oh, more importantly what magics do you have that you use it with? Wait, before anything else I should probably say I’m your competition and I really don’t want you to think that this is me trying to get some unfair info about you right now I’m just really really curious and if you don’t want to tell me right now I get it but then would you want to talk after about it-”

“Hahaha, woah now, I don’t mind at all, do you fellas?” He called back to his teammates, getting a round of no’s as he did. “A love of making is a wonderful thing, and the fact that you could recognise the skill on sight is flattering enough as it is. Sit a while if you have the time, I don’t mind answering a question or two on the first day.”

He happily took the offer as Thera sat with him, listening with her own curiosity. It seemed that items bestowed with magic rather than enchanted could still be enchanted on without giving up any space or weakening the item, meaning that even though bestowal allowed for far less complexity, if a competent enchanter got to an item after it could be made significantly more powerful, making Ben want the skill more and more.

After talking a bit longer and promising to stop by to chat again they moved on to greet the last few tables, home to the less expected races participating. First seeing a table of goblins, a race he knew had a complicated history in a similar way that elves did since there was the standard variant, as well as hobgoblins, with their table filled with items using materials in unconventional ways to surprisingly good results. He stopped to ask why they made some of the choices they did, while also seeing some familiarity to the work, a touch of it seeming to make it to how his teacher chose what to put in an item.

That left the last two tables, the only two that were of mixed races. The first of which was a team of sentient ant-people working with two hecatoncheir, a race that looked similar to the apostle Zandale whose whole body was a mass of tentacles, only instead, they were a mass of arms, with every other one having a very human-looking face on it. It seemed the team-up was to allow each species to play to their strengths, the ant-people shaping items, not through the heat of the forge but instead using their earth magic, while the hecatoncheir did the finer work of refining any areas on the items the level of magic couldn’t handle, as well as applying the enchantments.

For the last table Ben couldn’t be certain if they were all truly members of a different race, or instead just part of a race with significant levels of diversity, but each member appeared to be an octopus, or at least creatures with similar body plans. They varied in size, colour, and number of limbs, and not one seemed to have a problem on land the way he would expect from looking at them. He had absolutely no idea what they were making as he stared at them while they worked, seeing some sort of magic trapped within crystal balls but unable to decipher their finer points.

After going to the trouble of saying hello and introducing himself as a friendly competitor he couldn’t help but probe them with questions too, getting a surprising answer.

“Each one is a carefully created feeling,” They explained cheerfully, clueing Ben into the fact that at the very least, dark magic was involved. “Feel free to touch one and run some mana through it, you’ll get the idea.”

He did exactly as suggested, picking one at random instead of learning what it was ahead of time and passed some of his mana through it, feeling barely any change, but what he did was familiar.

“Not the strongest effect, is it? Though my dark resistance is way too high so that could be the reason,” He thought aloud, intrigued nonetheless as the octopus chuckled.

“Well, we’ve enhanced it with empathy magic so your resistances couldn’t be doing too much with something non-affinitied making up the base of it. If it’s a feeling you’re used to it doesn’t stand out as much, I might suggest trying another.”

“Um, sure, in that case how can I tell what feeling it’s supposed to be ahead of time?”

“We inscribe the feeling’s on the bottom. Give it a look.”

He flipped it over to read it as Thera tried to peek over his shoulder, only for him to flip it back fractions of a second after to keep her from seeing the words ‘young love’ carved into its bottom.

“Hey, what was it?” She asked in curiosity, drawing another laugh from the octopus.

“Why don't you try it out yourself and find out? See if you’re as used to the feeling as your companion?”

“Ah, I’d love to but it would break if I did,” She said, sounding disappointed. “My mana control is pretty rough on things like this.”

“Ahem, well why don’t you recommend one for us,” Ben ask the clerk, trying to draw attention away from the one he’d grabbed. “I can stick a few sacrificial enchantments on it so you can use it Thera.”

“Hmm, in that case I would suggest ‘a pleasant memory’, it typically creates good results, but I’ll give you a discount if you show me whatever enchantment you’re adding to it.”

“Deal.”

He tapped his card and transferred the funds before picking up the suggested crystal ball and running his mana through it, feeling the exact emotion described. It was the sort of warmth that came with thinking of his home and family, only without the crushing sadness that came with the knowledge he’d never see them again.

After experiencing the effect himself he began modifying the enchantment for it, explaining sacrificial enchantments as he went and how they could be used to keep other enchantments from breaking if too much mana was passed through them, gaining not only the close attention of all of the other octopi at the table, but also the table of ant-people and hecatoncheir as well.

Once he was done he handed it to her to try, and though she was cloaked the smile could be heard on her voice. “Well that’s lovely.”

“Isn’t it though,” The octopus said cheerfully. “Why not get your companion to modify the other one he tried for you too, see how it turns out?”

“No thanks, this is already plenty,” Ben said in the face of their meddling, waving them off as they laughed to go back to his table.

Thera could see he was doing his best to avoid whatever the first one he’d touched was, provoking her curiosity. “What was the other one? Come on, don’t go keeping secrets from me.”

“It was ‘experiencing good company’. Since I’m with you I’m obviously in good company, and if you felt anything from it you’d be breaking my heart,” He joked, a statement she could immediately tell was a lie as she decided to drop the matter for the time being while making a note to go back and ask later.

“You’re obviously good company Ben, I wouldn’t have come all the way out here if you weren’t.”

“Ha, so you would have stuck in Stonewall’s heatwave?” He teased.

“Well, even if there wasn’t a heatwave I would have come,” She told him, giving his hand a squeeze as they both got back to the table, seeing Falk talking with two unexpected visitors when they did.