Item Synthesis 2-5 part 1

 

Chapter 2-5 : Competition (part 1)

 

「Mmm…? Why is it so noisy outside…?」(Kako)

When I woke up in the morning, I heard people’s voices from the outside as if there was a festival or something.

Leaving Nyat who was still sleeping, I got up and went downstairs.

I saw the landlady in the dining hall. It was still morning, but she was already serving so many people.

She looked busy, but I asked her anyway.

「Landlady, what is going on outside?」(Kako)

「What are you talking about? You have been waiting for this day, haven’t you? The exam starts today.」(Landlady)

「Aa! I totally forgot about that! But, why is it so noisy? Don’t you have to be quiet?」(Kako)

「Hahaha! This is not an exam for scholars, you know? Come, I’ll show you what’s happening.」(Landlady)

The landlady beckoned me and opened the door.

「Whoa…!!」(Kako)

When I looked outside, I saw so many people gathering in the village square which was right in front of the inn.

There were so many stalls displaying weapons, armor, and other equipment. It seemed that they were all made by apprentices.

Some people lined their equipment on desks, some others on the small shelves, and there were also who just simply lined them on mats.

It looks like a flea market of adventurer equipment or something.

「The exam used to be much quieter back in the day, but then there was a shop that displayed their goods outside to catch the eye of outsiders. The other shops imitated the idea and it eventually became more like a festival than an exam.」(Landlady)

「I see. It looks much more fun this way.」(Kako)

「I know, right? It has become a custom in this village, and because of that, many adventurers and merchants come from other regions to see the exam every year and buy some apprentice-made equipment.」(Landlady)

「I see. So that’s why you have so many guests today.」(Kako)

「That’s right. Ojou-san, you said you were a merchant. Why don’t you go hunt some goods today?」(Landlady)

「Yeah, that’s a good idea. But before that, I’ll have breakfast first.」(Kako)

「Haha! You can’t join the war with an empty stomach after all.」(Landlady)

As the landlady got back to work, I returned to my room to wake Nyat up, and then we had breakfast together.

 

◆◆◆

 

「Shall we go now?」(Kako)

「Alright-nya.」(Nyat)

After filling our stomachs, Nyat and I left the inn and went to the village square.

「It really looks more like a festival than an exam.」(Kako)

I could see all kinds of weapons, armor, and other equipment here and there.

They were meant to be shown to the professional blacksmiths who acted as the evaluators in this year’s exam, but other people, even those from other regions were allowed to see them too.

Some of the products that were displayed looked much better than the ones I saw in the shops, but there were also some that didn’t look as great.

「Oh! It’s Scrap Iron Lady!」
「Scrap Iron Lady, would you please see my products?」
「No, Scrap Iron Lady, you should check out my weapons instead!」
「Forget about them. O’ Great Scrap Iron Lady, please take a look at my beautiful armor!」(apprentices)

「Ugh…」(Kako)

I can’t bring myself to like that lame nickname…

I just wanted to casually look around like in an exhibition, but the apprentices behind the stands called out to me as soon as they saw me as if I was a celebrity or something.

They seemed to know me since I bought a lot of their products from the shops, but it felt so awkward when they were fighting over me like this.

「Chill, guys. You don’t need to fight with each other. I’ll visit your stands one by one, okay?」(Kako)

Saying that, I approached the nearest stand from me.

「Welcome, Scrap Iron Lady! I made a good greatsword! Please have a look!」(confident apprentice)

「Alright. Let’s see…」(Kako)

Since I once used my Synthesis Skills on greatswords before, I’m able to appraise any greatswords now.

I looked closely at the greatsword that was displayed in front of me and appraised it.

〈Decent-quality Greatsword : It has a good shape and is made from good materials, but it lacks of durability due to its sloppy construction.〉

「What do you think?」(confident apprentice)

「For an apprentice-made weapon, it’s not bad at all. However, it’s not very durable. A greatsword needs to be durable and strong so that it can handle the huge impact as you swing it to attack your target. Unfortunately, yours is a bit fragile for a greatsword, meaning that you still have to improve your skills.」(Kako)

「I, I see… As expected from Scrap Iron Lady, you have a good observation skill!」(confident apprentice)

Observation skill? Nope, it’s called Appraisal Skill!

After I told him what I thought about his creation, I left his stall and moved to another stall.

「Welcome to my humble stall. I have some cool armor here. I hope you will like them, Scrap Iron Lady.」(humble apprentice)

「Hoo~」(Kako)

As he said, he made unique-looking armor. They look cool and colorful. They kinda remind me of Tokusatsu characters I saw on TV.

But, let’s see if they are any good.

〈Poor-quality Steel Armor : It’s light for a steel armor and it has a unique appearance but it doesn’t have the durability that a piece of armor should normally have.〉

「Hmm… I see. It indeed looks cool. I like the design.」(Kako)

「I’m glad you say that.」(humble apprentice)

「However! It’s too fragile for a piece of steel armor! It seems that you only think about the design and neglect the durability which is the most important factor for good armor.」(Kako)

「Ugh… That’s… You may be right…」(humble apprentice)

「Well, even though they’re a complete failure in terms of durability and defensive power, I must approve that they have great designs, so I think you can use them as decorations in a large mansion or a castle.」(Kako)

「Using them as decorations, huh? I don’t think my master would be happy with that idea… Anyway, thank you for your feedback, Scrap Iron Lady.」(humble apprentice)

He didn’t look so happy with my idea, but he thanked me and bowed politely to me.

「You’re welcome. Alright, next!」(Kako)

I kept visiting one stall to another to appraise the apprentices’ products and give them feedback.

I was planning to have a chill walk while enjoying the exhibition-like exam in the village square, but I ended up becoming an examiner before I realized it.

 

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