Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: 5. The Most Beautiful Thing.
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‘Precision’
A term meaning extremely intricate and meticulous, leaving no gaps or oversights.
Precision.
This simple ability was precisely Edin’s talent.
The insane sense and control that let him perform any action with not even a millimeter’s deviation from what he’d learned.
Not just minor errors, but absolutely none at all.
An ability so super-precise it more than deserved the name.
If scooping something up to measure its weight,
he’d scoop exactly the same amount every time, down to a difference of 1mg.
Even with repetitive motions, he’d repeat them perfectly, without so much as a variance in the tiniest vibration.
An insane talent that made the nearly physically impossible not just possible, but effortless.
He could perfectly replicate sword techniques straight from a manual.
He could execute potion recipes from alchemy books without the slightest error.
How had such an unbelievable talent gone unnoticed until now?
Physical limitations.
To even learn swordsmanship, you needed the physical prowess to grip a sword, assume a stance, and swing it.
And to nail it without a single deviation? That demanded far more muscle power than the average person possessed.
Imagine a 4-year-old genius toddler who could mimic anything perfectly after one glance.
Show him an imperial swordsmanship secret technique afterward—could he replicate it?
No. Impossible.
He’d be lucky just to lift the massive longsword a knight wielded.
That was the crux of it.
Edin’s super-precision meant nothing without a body strong enough to back it up.
On top of that, unleashing transcendent talent required transcendent focus and mental fortitude.
Edin had the raw aptitude for it, but channeling that focus still took time.
Even alchemy—a craft that didn’t demand overwhelming power—required the physical conditioning of a D-rank melee adventurer to perform flawlessly.
In the natural process of honing his body, he’d reached that level, allowing him to showcase extraordinary skill in alchemy.
The funny part? Fields where he had innate talent barely needed any focus.
Ones where his talent lagged? They ate up serious time.
That’s why, hanging with Claude, alchemy came quick thanks to his aptitude, but herb gathering dragged because it demanded more concentration.
Without proper time to focus, he’d just yanked them roughly, leaving the quality in shambles.
Give him time to concentrate, though, and with his physical baseline already met,
he could apply alchemy-level shocking precision to material gathering too—just like he’d demonstrated in the Greenback Forest.
‘Once more... just once more, I want to see it.’
Saella was like a zealot who’d encountered a god, worshiping and yearning for it.
He’d give anything for one more glimpse of that talent.
That’s why he was still trailing Edin, holding his breath.
Rasen and the students had headed to the village chief’s house to report the situation, while Edin had split off to check the village’s general store.
‘Couldn’t get proper materials... Need to whip up at least a few.’
Of course, he still had stock left.
Enough to sell to the students for a few days, even without Edin rushing new batches.
But Edin was itching to use the academy store’s facilities right away.
How amazing would it feel to brew with those?
He was already buzzing with anticipation.
So he’d left the village for a nearby small meadow.
To scrounge some potion ingredients.
Naturally, near a developed village, the only materials available were common low-grade stuff.
Crish grass, maybe, or Edrium ore clinging to stones scattered on the ground.
Even those were sparse—villagers carted most off to the city for sale.
‘Gotta harvest quick and bounce.’
Rasen and the students’ chat with the chief would wrap soon; it was about time to head out.
Awkward to say he’d stick around solo gathering, so Edin planned to wrap up fast before they returned.
‘At least these aren’t as finicky as Clean Mush.’
Moderate focus, and he could harvest them undamaged.
This time, he’d nabbed them swiftly.
“Uooo─”
“???”
A sudden beastly roar from behind—Edin whipped around.
But nothing.
Just the village and meadow in the distance.
“...My imagination?”
Edin tilted his head, turning back.
‘I yelled without thinking. Ugh... Me, an elf, making that blunder.’
Saella, hunkered behind a meadow rock, held his breath.
He kept marveling at Edin’s divine technique.
Inwardly this time—no slip-ups.
‘Unbelievable. Now that I know what to look for, the difference is night and day. Perfectly synced motions, no tremor. Zero damage...’
At that level, it really felt like replanting it would fool the root into thinking nothing happened—it’d just sprout anew.
‘Alchemist, he said. If gathering’s this flawless... what must his alchemy be like...’
Saella’s inner reference for Edin had shifted to honorifics.
He refused to believe talent this profound was limited to gathering.
Handiwork that precise? It had to shine in alchemy’s delicate work too!
‘Now it clicks—Teacher Lunarin and Chairman Mureos have a real eye for talent.’
He’d pegged Edin as a parachute hire at first.
But this? Pure skill. Hell, it wasn’t exaggeration to say Lunarin and Mureos had basically kidnapped him on a shoestring salary.
Lost in those thoughts while watching Edin,
“Hey, mister.”
“...Hm?”
Three male students approaching Edin.
Octo, Ens, and Tom.
‘What are these impudent brats? Daring to interrupt Edin-nim on his eighth Crish grass?’
He’d witnessed the technique over 30 times counting Clean Mush and others, but it shocked anew every viewing—now shattered by rude intruders.
Saella bristled.
The trio, oblivious, kept glaring at Edin.
‘Here to fetch him?’
Probably sent by Rasen.
But the vibe felt off.
“You... No clue how you wormed into the academy. But quit showboating.”
“Yeah, not even a teacher—just some general store clerk.”
“A lowly clerk shouldn’t eye a student with dirty intentions.”
“...?”
Octo’s words dripped hostility; Edin tilted his head.
He hadn’t done anything to provoke them.
And dirty intentions? What was that about?
Strange. Then it hit him.
‘Ah... no way.’
Riley—loving his lessons, lots of chats lately.
Remembered their sour faces every time he was with her.
‘Not me they dislike—it’s Riley getting my attention.’
He’d thought they hated his intrusion, but nope.
Edin figured all three had crushes on Riley.
‘Kids these days.’
No matter how much Riley liked him, he was still an uncle over ten years her senior.
Just the trivia-spouting general store guy—nothing more, nothing less.
She was just a keen, studious kid into that stuff.
Nothing jealousy-worthy, Edin thought.
Well... that was just his take.
Anyway, best move here?
“Got it. Sorry, students. I’ll watch myself. Chief chat over? Ready to head out?”
Acknowledge vaguely, then ignore.
No use explaining—these types believed what they wanted.
Deny all you like; their minds were made up.
Claude, Mary, Sophia—same story.
Edin knew ignoring was the path of least resistance.
“H-Hey...!”
“Hey, mister!”
Seemed too easy an acceptance, but it stung like dismissal.
Tom lunged to grab his shoulder—but
Edin twisted away naturally.
Alchemist main spec or not, no fresh C-rank was grabbing him.
“Hey, he’s going.”
“What now?”
Edin’s swift nod and brush-off left the trio with nothing.
“Whatever. Let him go.”
Ens shook his head.
“No need for us to confront him direct anyway.”
They’d tried playing tough, but against a teacher? Better options.
“Sending that punk packing? Child’s play. Backing or not, public opinion crushes all.”
Sounded like sinister scheming.
‘Oh ho~ That so? Planning something cheeky, eh?’
Too bad they had no idea Saella was eavesdropping every word.