’What in the world is in there?’

An increasingly dense wave of Magic Energy wafted from the restricted area, making Roland frown.

When he had seen the High Elves on the ship, he assumed the Merchant Faction had invited them for the same reason Marston had invited the Dwarves.

To participate in the development of the River Domain.

But now, it seemed the Merchant Faction’s ambitions were far greater than that.

’It seems the leaders of the various nations are also starting to notice signs of the resurgence of Magic Energy. The Merchant Faction probably invited the High Elves here to investigate this Power.’

Recalling Galvis’s words, Roland came to this general conclusion.

After all, when it came to Perception and affinity for Magic Energy, there were few Races in the world that could compare to the Elves.

Although he was curious about what was happening inside the restricted area, the sight of the heavily patrolling Guards on the perimeter made Roland decisively give up the idea.

In any case, the conflict between the Merchant Faction and the noble faction was none of his business.

He had only one purpose for coming to the River Domain: to increase his strength.

With that in mind, he turned and headed home.

Unlike the Golden Valley Kingdom, the nights in the River Domain were even more bustling than the days.

The streets were so crowded that Roland had to take a detour.

On his way back, he glanced at an Adventurer’s Guild.

It was just as clamorous inside as on the street; the boisterous noise passed right through the main doors and spilled out into the open.

However, compared to the Golden Valley Kingdom, the Mercenaries and Adventurers here were much more well-behaved.

At least he didn’t see anyone drunk and causing trouble.

The rest of the way was uneventful.

He took a small boat and returned home without any trouble.

He went into the kitchen, made a simple meal, and honed his Culinary Skill.

After eating, he returned to his room and drifted off to sleep.

「The next morning」

Roland arrived at the Blacksmith Guild right on time.

"Mr. Roland, here is your certificate."

Roland raised an eyebrow as he took the paper from Noel.

Unlike yesterday’s blank sheet, which had only a single red stamp, this piece of parchment was covered in neat, dense text. The handwriting was elegant and clear, even more orderly than that of many humans.

"Thank you, Noel."

Roland tucked the certificate into his waist pouch, offered his quiet thanks, and then asked,

"Is Master Griffin in?"

"He is, Mr. Roland."

Noel nodded.

"Master Griffin specifically told me yesterday that you should go see him as soon as you arrive."

The humble Dwarf pointed in a direction.

"Do you need me to take you there?"

"That won’t be necessary."

Roland smiled, shook his head, and then followed the same route as yesterday.

Before long, the familiar large door appeared before him.

Just like yesterday, the ringing sound of metal striking metal echoed from within, reverberating down the long corridor.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Because of the noise, Roland had to knock harder on the door and raise his voice to be heard.

"Master Griffin! It’s me, Roland!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hammering inside the room came to an abrupt halt.

"Come in!"

Hearing the response, Roland pushed open the heavy door.

The first thing he saw was Griffin standing by the forge, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

The Dwarf Blacksmith glanced at the just-brightening sky outside, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a satisfied smile.

"Not bad! That old bastard Hawke was right about you. You really are a diligent kid."

As he spoke, Griffin didn’t return to his seat. Instead, he tossed the red-hot, roughly forged metal blank into a quenching trough.

TSSSS!

Along with the soft sound and the rising white steam, his rough voice rang out again.

"Kid, now that you’ve joined the Blacksmith Guild, you need to learn the rules. First..."

The Dwarf Blacksmith turned around, holding up two thick fingers.

"After joining the Guild, you have two paths to choose from."

"Either you buy a license from me, get your own equipment, and open a Blacksmith Shop."

"Or, you stay in the Guild. We’ll provide a forging room and basic materials, but you have to pay rent to the Guild every month."

Griffin took a flask from his waist, uncorked it, took a large swig, and continued.

"But with the Guild’s resources, a large number of commissions will pour in every month. You can make money by taking on jobs. Of course..."

He wiped the liquor stains from his beard.

"The Guild takes a small cut from the reward of each commission to cover its operating costs."

"Which path are you going to choose?"

Hearing this, Roland made his decision with almost no hesitation.

The first path seemed to offer freedom, but it would require money and time to maintain a Blacksmith Shop, and he’d have to put in the effort to find his own commissions.

The second path, while requiring rent and a percentage cut, allowed him to directly use the Guild’s prepared forging equipment and materials, with a steady stream of commissions available.

This clearly suited Roland’s needs better.

His primary goal in joining the Blacksmith Guild was to hone his [Basic Forging Skill] as quickly as possible so he could take on the [Enchanter] High Tier Profession.

As for money, with Colin’s support, he shouldn’t have to worry about it, at least not while he was still affiliated with the River Domain’s Merchant Faction.

"Master Griffin, I’d like to stay in the Guild."

Roland stated his choice.

"Oh?"

Griffin was a little surprised by this answer.

In his view, a young man like Roland, with Forging Skills acknowledged by Hawke, should have been more inclined to strike out on his own.

But since Roland had made his choice, he naturally wouldn’t say any more on the matter.

"Alright, then go find Noel at the front desk. The kid will tell you what to do."

"Thank you, Master Griffin."

Griffin gave a casual wave, mentioned a few other things to keep in mind at the Guild, and then waved Roland away.

Roland took the hint and didn’t linger.

He gently closed the door and turned to find Noel.

Perhaps it was due to Nelson’s instructions, or maybe it was Roland’s own approachable nature, but the humble Dwarf was exceptionally attentive to Roland’s needs.

In no time at all, he had arranged for Roland to have the most spacious and well-lit forging room in the Guild.

Looking at the brand-new equipment inside, Roland nodded in satisfaction.

"Mr. Roland..."

Noel spoke as he gently placed a thick stack of parchment he was holding onto a nearby wooden table.

"These are the commissions for this month that haven’t been claimed yet. If you see one you like, just register it with me, and I’ll have someone send over the required materials right away."

"Thank you for all the trouble, Noel."

"You’re... you’re too kind..."

Roland’s frequent thanks and gentle demeanor left the Dwarf a little flustered.

Seeing this, Roland just chuckled softly and said no more, picking up the commission papers to look through them carefully.

They detailed the specific requirements, rewards, and deadlines for each commission.

Aside from the lack of a clear difficulty rating, the format was nearly identical to the Demon extermination quests he had accepted at the Adventurer’s Guild before.

Seeing that it was still early, Roland selected a few suitable commissions from the stack.

After Noel had someone deliver the materials, he immediately immersed himself in forging.

In just one morning, the Forging Skills that had grown a bit rusty from disuse since he left Black Water Territory became proficient once more.

Watching the Experience Points for his [Basic Forging Skill] increase, Roland nodded in satisfaction.

’With the Guild’s abundant supply of commissions, it shouldn’t take long to get [Basic Forging Skill] to Full Level. And I have even less to worry about with [Basic Magic Theory].’

Roland calculated mentally as he examined the data on his Professional Panel.

Thanks to Tobronson.

During his days sailing on the sea, besides telling adventure stories to Galvis, Roland had spent most of his time holed up in his cabin, studying the scholar’s various book collections.

Thanks to his diligent studies, his Experience Points in [Basic Magic Theory] were now even higher than his [Basic Forging Skill].

’I wonder what kind of Traits the [Enchanter] High Tier Profession will grant me...’

With this anticipation, Roland wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, washed up briefly, and then pushed open the door of the forging room and walked out.

Besides becoming an [Enchanter], Roland hadn’t forgotten his other main goal.

Becoming an [Apprentice Knight].

To achieve this, in addition to the requirements for killing enemies and teamwork, he still needed to master two Long-Range Weapon Skills and one Shield Fighting Skill.

These couldn’t be delayed either.

Unlike in Black Water Territory, where he could only ask others for guidance, now, as a nominal student of the Knight Academy, he had a much better place to learn these skills.