The Academy’s Guide to Useless Students – Chapter 30

“Ugh. This is just pathetic!”

Theodore set down his hammer. He lost his enthusiasm even before striking the iron bar he pulled from the forge. It was quite common for him to abandon his work when he felt uneasy.

At this point, it was just a routine of burning tobacco and dragging his feet throughout the day.

“Ugh. These things are even worse than cigarette smoke.”

His metaphors were incredibly cryptic. Even if someone overheard him, it would be entirely incomprehensible. Only Charlotte, who had been his apprentice for many years, would understand.

“Our dear master, doing it again. Please stop slacking; my workload just keeps piling up!”

“…That guy acted like he would commit seppuku if I accepted him as a disciple. Now, he can’t help but be rebellious. Tsk, tsk.”

“That’s beside the point. Just hold your hammer. Order-made items aren’t my responsibility.”

“Learn a bit from over my shoulder.”

“I can’t see over there; your neck is too short, Master.”

“You ungrateful apprentice.”

“That’s too much flattery.”

Theodore tossed away the half-smoked cigarette. Charlotte reminded him that he had two order-made items due by the afternoon, but he still had more than half of the work left. Even though he was a professional who received payment for his craft, he had zero motivation to get started.

“Ugh. This is just plain annoying.”

“What’s got you so disgruntled today?”

“Do I need to explain that to an apprentice?!”

“No. I hear it every day like a broken record. If that’s the reason, it’s just silly.”

“What’s silly, you brat?”

“Joke, just a joke.”

Charlotte mimicked spinning an imaginary handle in the air.

“I just don’t want to pour my soul into trinkets that have no story behind them. Understand?”

“I get it. I’ve heard it 345 times already.”

Charlotte replied with a standard expression.

Theodore was a dwarf. He possessed unparalleled “traits” regarding “creation.”

However, the line between genius and eccentricity is thin.

Theodore had a unique “personality.”

It was the ability to discern the “story” of the order-made objects. The downside was that the quality of the discerned story influenced his crafting prowess.

“This one… grew up as an orphan… the next one… learned from farming parents and rural life as the eldest of three siblings… What’s with this brat? Ugh, still ordinary after seeing it a hundred times!”

How boring.

He had no motivation to pour his heart into it. Charlotte, looking despondent, shook her head.

“If it’s that tough, why not just cancel it this time?”

“No way.”

“Why not?”

“Just look at that.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened as she glanced at the account ledger Theodore pointed to.

“Oh wow… We haven’t made much in a while.”

“It’s natural when all you do is repairs.”

“And looking at you, Master, your recent performance seems no different from a lazy mutt.”

“You sure have guts to say that to your master.”

“I could say much worse.”

As an ominous silence began to envelop the forge, footsteps were heard approaching.

Creak.

A group of three entered—one man and two women—giving off an unsettling vibe.

Despite their youthful faces, they exuded a sense of completeness.

It showed in the quality of their equipment.

‘They’re all exceptional, aren’t they?’

Having spent quite some time under Theodore, Charlotte had a discerning eye.

She was so captivated that she kept inspecting Yuto’s sword closely.

“Impressive eye. You can recognize my sword.”

“Ah! Sorry! Customers!”

“No worries, it’s a relief to see someone so passionate.”

“Haha. Even a hound learns tricks after three years… Ah, wait! This isn’t the time for that. What brings you here?”

Charlotte realized she had no time for idle chit-chat. She needed to find jobs to cover this month’s losses, including canceled order-made items.

“I’d like to place an order for an order-made item.”

“Oh. An order-made item, is it…?”

Charlotte glanced at her master.

He was still so lost in his world that he didn’t even realize customers had arrived. She sighed at the disappointment of having to send such a valuable customer away.

“I’m sorry, but due to personal circumstances, we won’t be able to take on any order-made items for a while…”

“Seems like you’re in a tough spot.”

“It’s my cursed master who has his brains all tied up, so he’s starved for inspiration.”

“Is he really that cornered?”

“Haha. Looks like he’s hit a slump.”

“That’s unfortunate. I also have my own ‘story’ and came hoping to place an order-made item with Theodore.”

“A story?”

Charlotte’s mind lit up.

A story?

Could it be the spark that reignites her master’s motivation?

“Excuse me, if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask what your story is?”

“I’m sorry. It’s very personal and serious, so it’s hard to explain.”

Very personal and serious?

Now she was super curious.

If it wafted such a delicious aroma, there might just be hope.

Charlotte dashed back to her master.

“Master! Master! You have to hear me out!”

“Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“Stop meditating and look! We have a customer with a story!”

“Story? Tsk tsk. You’re still not wise enough to fall for such plain tricks. Do you think people who are in dire situations don’t usually think their own work is the most important? Now, go do your job.”

“Come on! Just check it out! The items they have look like treasures!”

Theodore reluctantly moved to welcome the customers, despite his lack of expectations.

Who would possibly come to a place like this? If someone did, it’d likely be from the Umberto Duchy, a city just a bit distant from here with a thriving market.

The southern continent’s generous sunlight and fertile lands made farming easy. That’s why the majority of markets were crowded in Umberto’s territories.

Meanwhile, this pathetic land ruled by a greedy count, due to the influence of the “Aldera Plateau,” had long fallen into desolation.

There wasn’t much to look forward to.

“Hmm?”

But what was this? A rare delicacy caught Theodore’s eye. The shield possessed an aura rivaling that of a holy relic. Despite its youthful appearance, its essence burned fiercely with righteous ambition and a thirst for justice.

‘That girl… has lived quite a turbulent life.’

Her desire for revenge against her father was understandable; yet, here she was, going above and beyond to fight for righteous progress. Still, the scars that wouldn’t fully heal showed a distorted sense of self. That’s why her speech seemed so refined.

‘What an excellent story!’

Cletta’s narrative resonated with Theodore’s heart. Was that all? The priest beside her also bore the marks of an undoubtedly tumultuous life.

The frustration of losing a nurturing figure who had taken him in.

Truly commendable.

‘Charlotte was right. If it’s an order from these two ladies, my motivation will surge!’

Theodore felt a pleasant warmth wash over him. The corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily.

Just when he was pumped up to gladly accept the request, the remaining young man stepped forward.

“Nice to meet you, Theodore. My name is Yuto.”

“Huh?”

Theodore frowned at Yuto’s arrival, like a sudden splash of cold water extinguishing his rising flame of passion.

“What do you want?”

“I’d like to request an order-made item.”

“You? Not those two ladies?”

“Yes. They are my companions.”

Well, goodness.

You mean he’s leaving such usable materials just standing around? Theodore’s blissful thoughts were doused with cold water.

‘Looks like I’ll need to use a trick or two. Deal with this guy as a service and focus on those ladies’ items… Huh, what?!’

Just as he attempted to push Yuto aside, darkness suddenly enveloped him.

‘What is this?’

He had never seen such a scene before, and his mouth went dry.

Could it be that this darkness encompasses his “story” in its entirety?

The merest glimpse of the ‘story’ that Theodore’s discerning eye perceived trembled with an unsettling darkness. However, this grotesque dark feel was something he had never encountered. Usually, it was merely the haze of visions wafting around the subject.

But what Yuto carried wasn’t within the depths of a mere personal ‘story.’ It felt profound enough to send chills down his spine that easily surpassed a hundred instances of such darkness.

Theodore could not stare Yuto in the eye.

This kid seemed more like he carried a “despair” that stepped beyond the living realm. Theodore’s hoarse voice emerged quietly.

“What on earth… is your story?”

He couldn’t understand.

He didn’t realize that Yuto’s necklace was shimmering with an unusual light.