The Apprentice I [Crafting Solo: Blacksmith]

[Saber]

    A soft bell echoed into the quiet room as the door to a small, low lit NPC shop was pushed open. The bell rang a few times in order to alert the shop owner that someone had arrived and did so elegantly. Warmth swallowed up the black shadow which stood at the door and the man beneath the dark shroud was happy he had chosen the place he had because of that heat. It made him feel at home again. A small fireplace burned to his left, and a few chairs were positioned around it for people to sit and chat in. Over to his right, there was a small couch that ran along the wall for a short distance (the length of five cushions), and next to it there were four tall furniture pieces with large glass front doors to show off the little knick-knacks and portraits which sat inside of them. Back to his left and beyond the edge of the fireplace there were several racks filled with various types of close-combat weapons; battleaxes, swords, pole arms, javelins, and hatchets to name a few. However, those weapons were already made and were up for sale as price tags tangled off their handles or off their hilts. The man at the door wasn’t interested in purchasing anything from this place. Not today at least. He had other plans.



    “Good morning!” Out of the back of a room at the other side of the slightly elongated room, a muscular, middle-aged man stepped out from the rightmost door that the player could see. He left that door open and the player could see that it was dark inside with one warm red light keeping it from being pitch black inside. The door to the left was locked shut and it didn’t seem like he would be gaining access to it.

    “Welcome to the Iron Axe! I sell the best and most pristine weapons in the market at the lowest prices we both can afford. Even so, I’ll be willing to haggle with you if something you see suits your fancy enough.” The man seemed to notice that the person standing in front of his door wasn’t exactly interested in swords or shields, so he didn’t continue with his speech like he probably would have if it had been someone else entering his shop. The bow strapped across the visitor’s chest and the arrows sticking out over his shoulders showed that he wasn’t a man who used weapons made for close-quarters fighting. The player had considered it, but not for now. He may have surged through the levels and was high enough to take on the most difficult dungeon in the zone, but for now he had other objectives.

[Saber]

    Over the past few days, Saber had focused on leveling and perfecting his Assassin class. He fired arrows day in and day out, hunting everything in sight in order to boost the skill up as quickly as possible. The days quickly turned to nights and the nights back into days in a blink, but the player never rested. He did took short naps to keep himself from falling over in the middle of a hunt, but ensured he would wake up by positioning himself in such a way that gravity would pull him down onto his face over time. After the drop, he’d pop back to his feet and get back to grinding without a complaint. Though, he had neglected his subclasses the entire time he was doing that. Now he was an overly strong player without any supporting skills, forcing him to rethink his grinding strategy. At first, he considered leaving his Tracker and Blacksmith subclasses to burn and was going to continue with his Assassin class until he reached level thirty. The only issues with that were the conditions of his weapons and clothing.



    The rough and constant grinding was beginning to wear on his body and his mind, causing him to break down more than once and pass out, but also it was breaking down his gear. The starter bow Saber had resting across his back was on the verge of shattering apart as the wood chipped off in some places, making it a volatile piece of equipment. The man’s clothing was ragged and filled with holes, making staying warm more difficult with every passing day and it decreased the amount of protection he had. Even his tough boots were starting to show strong signs of decay as a small hole poked through his right boot’s left side. From another player’s perspective; Saber looked like a man who was falling apart at the seams. He looked horrible both in the eyes because of how tired he was and because of his deteriorated figure. It was tough living the way he did, but Saber didn’t regret one second of it. He had accomplished his goals of becoming a force in the field, and now he was going to go forth with his second; he would become a force in the market. This time, he would take his take and would be more careful with what he was doing. He’d learn from someone else, and would build up his strength more passively in order to ensure that he learned everything he needed. He was good at fighting and taking down enemies, but making things was a different story. He had the patience, now he just needed the knowledge.

[Saber]

    With his mind set on reaching his next goal, Saber began to make his way over towards the Blacksmith. He slithered his way quietly passed the cabinets, passed the chairs and fireplace, and passed all of the weapon racks without breaking eye contact with the NPC. He stepped onto the elegantly designed strip of carpet on the floor and moved between the two glass cases which were filled with knives and smaller tools as he headed straight for the place the blacksmith was standing. When he reached the other side of the room and stood in front of the final piece of furniture that kept him out of the NPC’s face (a small island with a collection of weapons to its sides), Saber placed his hands down on the fine wood and leaned forward slightly. He looked up boldly, glancing over his dark gray scarf with a pair of two dark, tired red orbs, at the blacksmith. He stared the man right in the eyes, refusing to divert his gaze even though the NPC began to lean away to get some of his personal space back. Saber was silent for a long time as he stood there, staring at the older man, until finally the Blacksmith took in a breath, showing that he was about to open his mouth.



    “I request to become your apprentice.” The words caused the Blacksmith to hold his tongue. The man stood there, taken aback by the bold authority of the adventurer in front of him and it seemed he lost the words he was about to speak. Such a demand Saber assumed wasn’t exactly rare, but by the look in the Blacksmith’s eyes it didn’t seem like this man got asked it a lot. Yet, Saber’s opinion on that changed when the man smiled and stepped back. Saber took the unconscious movement as a sign, so he relaxed and took a step away himself, causing a bit of distance to grow between the two men.



    “You know I have been asked that by many other Adventurers, and I have told them all no. Why should I say yes to you?” The hefty Blacksmith was a smart man it seemed. He was as wise as he was wide, and it supported Saber’s choice of this shop as the shop he wished to work in. This place would be perfect. However, first he needed to answer the question.

[Saber]

    A job interview in reality was dictated by only one actual interaction, but it was fueled by several other checks behind the scenes. Those checks were composed of the application, things people had heard about both parties, the speed of the applicants response to receiving an application [how fast did they fill out the sheet(s) and return them], the speed of the response to the applicant from the hiring corporation, as well as any meetings prior to the job interview and the interaction immediately before the interview itself. All of those checks would give the Hiring Corporation insight on the character of the applicant as well as a look at their daily life without the applicant knowing. For the applicant, they would be able to learn if the job they requested would really be an enjoyable one to have or if it the proportion of work to money was truly worth the effort. Once both sides had done their pre-checks and were satisfied, then they would contact each other; the applicant would send in their application and the Hiring Corporation would schedule an interview.



    Saber had skipped the sequence of research events and after just hearing one thing about the shop (that it had a master blacksmith), he decided to waltz in and give it a shot. Now he was standing across from his potential Teacher at the interview stage without any prior knowledge of the man and he had only one question to answer. However, his answer to that single question would dictate his future here so he would have to be careful. If he said one word wrong then he was going to be thrown out the door and left searching for another place to practice. If he said the right words, then he would be in that back red room in five minutes. The only question Saber personally had was how to word his answer. There were hundreds of ways to say “I want to work here”, but only one would get this man to say yes. Saber could see it in his eyes, and its obviousness was the problem. The grin on the man’s face told Saber that the man was enjoying watching the Adventurer’s mind tick.



    “Glad I could entertain you.” Saber narrowed his eyes slightly and then turned away from the Blacksmith in order to help him keep from speaking up. He had his answer but there was an alternative to the one-question-one-answer situation that he could use. Saber hadn’t learned to be good at conversation for nothing. Conversation was key in becoming a powerful person who had influence in the world, so he had spent plenty of time practicing it. For some, money was a quick way to power. However, a person’s contacts and their network was a deciding factor in everything; politics, jobs, acquiring materials, security, and the potential for growth. Saber only wished he had started trying to spread his name around the city when he was starting the game. Doing so could have increased his chances here, but at the same time it could have hurt him. Being someone who randomly appeared had its advantages; one of them was that the Blacksmith had no idea who he was.

[Saber]

    The man didn’t know if Saber was a good man or a bad one. The man didn’t know about how hard of a worker Saber was, nor did he know if Saber knew anything about smithing at all. In the Blacksmith’s mind, he was most likely thinking about the same possibilities that Saber was. If the Blacksmith took Saber as his apprentice, he might have to start from the basics because of the Adventurer’s lack of knowledge. Yet if he gambled and Saber was able to learn everything well enough, the Adventurer could be an amazing asset to his shop. However, that’s exactly what this would be; a gamble. He had chosen not to with the other Adventurer’s and that fact showed many others that this man was tough. Saber, the optimistic man he was, thought of that as another advantage. The man had gambled plenty before and he had been approached many times. As traffic increased, so did the man’s ego, boosting it to the point that he would deny anyone and everyone to maintain a brick wall image, especially if it meant people would keep coming in. On the other hand, it also meant that he had most likely been thinking about the position. In the beginning he would most likely turn people down because he didn’t want an apprentice. Now, he was doing it because he had a reputation to keep; but it was on his mind. That was why he asked Saber the question he did. Rather than just say “No, buy a weapon or leave”, the Blacksmith asked Saber “Why should I say yes to you?”. He had opened the door and showed that there was a position, not a brick wall that could not be climbed.



    This was a battle Saber had come prepared for, and he was ready to prove himself to the Blacksmith no matter what it took. What was even better was that the man behind the counter had supplied Saber with plenty of tools for him to do so. Yet Saber only needed one thing to prove his worthiness. On the side of the room with the weapon racks sat one of many hatchets. It didn’t stick out like several of the others, not at all, but instead it blended in. It was dull on the side of the blade and its handle wasn’t to particularly comfortable to grab onto. It also didn’t look worth any more than a few pieces of gold; however its price tag was almost six-times the amount a lower level would even consider spending on it. That single fact was a red flag to Saber who had been searching for a decent secondary weapon. The player lifted the weapon off the rack and grunted lightly because of the surprising weight to it. It was heavy towards the tip and the edge of the weapon was sharp. It was completely off balance and Saber found himself having trouble holding it due to the hatchet’s constant urge to tip forward.

[Saber]

    “This weapon… This hatchet…” Saber mumbled softly as he tossed the weapon back and forth in his hands. He looked up to his right towards the Blacksmith, catching the hatchet in his right hand. The older man seemed intrigued at the sight before him.

    “...It’s not made for woodcutting or hacking at enemies. That’s why it’s still in your store.” With the hatchet in hand, Saber walked back towards the counter the Blacksmith stood behind and placed the top-heavy weapon onto the fine wood countertop. The player looked up towards the large man and pushed the hatchet across the platform to the NPC.



    “What makes you so sure of that, Mr. Adventurer?” The Blacksmith grinned wide, even more entertained by the actions of the player in front of him. Saber grumbled at the grin and looked down at the weapon he had brought over and gave it a strong spin. Due to the bump by the lip of the handle, the weapon was raised slightly off the table and when Saber gave it enough velocity, the edges lifted and it rotated around in a circle with ease.



    “The weapon is heavier near the top and it has more refined features towards the top as well, meaning that you put more care into forming the head than you did the rest of it. The metal is also denser, which makes it as top heavy as it is. You smelted a higher concentration of the metal into the top than you did the neck and the shaft, creating that stronger feeling of weight near that location, moving the center of balance on the weapon. The edge of the hatchet is sharper and is made in a similar fashion to a sword, not an axe, making it better for slicing and not chopping. This weapon is not a hatchet like you have labeled it.” Reaching out, Saber hovered his hand over the spinning weapon. Then with a hard push, Saber pressed his finger down on the weapon’s shifted center of gravity, causing it to stop mid-spin with the metal top of it pointing directly at the Blacksmith. The man furrowed his eyebrows and looked up towards Saber curiously.

    “This is a tomahawk that is in the form of a hatchet because of the way you crafted it. Even the hilt is formed in a way to support the aerodynamic design of the weapon.” Saber paused, letting his theory sink in. The Blacksmith nodded lightly, showing that Saber was indeed correct.

    “You are a master craftsman, and I require your knowledge of smithing so I can survive in this world. I do not plan to steal your money or your customers, as I have other plans for this place.” With that, Saber leaned away from the counter and pulled his scarf down away from his face. The Blacksmith uncrossed his arms and placed his hands down onto the wooden platform in front of him as he looked towards the bold player that stood there. Saber could feel the power in the store shift, but he felt as if he was suffocating.

[Saber]

    The silence was heavy and Saber stared uneasily towards the tanned man in front of him. It was tough trying to figure out what the NPC in front of him was thinking and that was the hard part. On the other hand, Saber didn’t particularly want to know. If he did know, then that would have taken the fun out of the situation at hand. He had done his best to try and spark something in the Blacksmith’s mind but whether it was enough or not, Saber didn’t know. The look in the Blacksmith’s eyes didn’t show hatred or annoyance, but it seemed he was remembering something, something important. The man wasn’t looking at Saber, but someone else that Saber couldn’t see. It made Saber feel as if he was a ghost in the middle of some memory. It made him feel a little awkward just standing there.



    “You remind me of myself when I was young.” The Blacksmith finally said with a wide grin as he stood up from his leaning posture. He grabbed the tomahawk disguised as a hatchet and began to examine it for a moment. He tipped it forward and wiggled the weapon before finally releasing a loud, booming laugh that shook the wooden floor beneath Saber’s feet. Saber narrowed his eyes on the man and considered speaking up, but bit the inside of his cheek. Silence was a better option to choose for now as the Blacksmith looked over at him.

“I do not know your name, Adventurer. What is it?” How rude to ask such a question after laughing. Even more, the man didn’t even give Saber his own. Such an exchange meant that the Blacksmith was smart and seemed to know the game Saber was playing. Perfect.



    “It is polite to introduce yourself before asking others for their own titles.” Saber brushed the Blacksmith’s attempt to become in control of the conversation by bouncing the question right back. The man chuckled in response to the defensive move and set the hatchet down on the counter.



    “My name is Salvestro, Salvestro Ilyamti. I am the Master Blacksmith of this fine shop. Now, what is yours, Silver-Tongued Ranger?” The Blacksmith slowly made his way around the counter, eliminating the boundary that kept him and Saber away from each other. He stepped out onto the middle section of the room with the unknown Adventurer and stood only a few feet away, arm’s length to be exact. Saber extended his hand as he quickly realized why the Blacksmith had come out from behind his shield. The Blacksmith grinned, showing the pearly whites beneath his lips, and grasped only the puny Hunter’s hand in the mutual form of a silent pact.



    “I am the Adventurer known as Saber, I am indeed a Ranger, but I am also one who will prove to be worth your while.” The Blacksmith laughed loudly again at Saber’s curt introduction and released the smaller man’s hand. As he laughed, he walked to the right of the counter and began to walk towards the door there. He looked towards his new Apprentice with a triumphant face. Saber had achieved victory, but it was one that he and the Blacksmith shared. Salvestro had earned a new pair of hands that would help in his shop and Saber had earned the right to learn from someone wise like his father.



    “Well, Saber, I will teach you everything I know over time but first, we much figure out how much you know. How does that sound?” Salvestro’s proposition was a sound one and Saber nodded in agreement. Saber didn’t know much about smithing but he knew his way around a weapon. If he could put that into use with the actual creation, then he may be able to speed the process up.



    “Sounds like a great idea to me, Sir.” The player pulled his bow and arrow pouch off his back as he walked around the edge of the counter. Salvestro patted the player hard on the back as he released another laugh after Saber released the word “Sir”. Saber stumbled forward a few paces and grumbled as he made his way into the back room. Salvestro followed closely behind.