Keen Eyesight

I left the villagers' burdensome praise behind and headed to the inn.

The moment I arrived in my room, I set up simple traps first.

Just in case.

If bandits' remnants sneaked in while I was resting, it'd be my loss alone.

"Haa... I'm beat."

I finally washed up with warm water.

It was just an inn, and given the circumstances, I hadn't expected any special service.

But thanks to the hand pumps and rocket stoves I'd made, the service was on another level.

I hadn't even asked, but warm water was ready, along with everything else I needed.

"Lena, you okay?"

I suddenly glanced at Lena.

She must have been rattled by the sudden battle, but she showed no sign of it.

Instead, she was trying to look after me.

"Is there anything you need, Theo-nim? If you tell me..."

"Nah, go rest."

"Ah, yes..."

Lena trailed off with a hint of disappointment, but I had no time to worry.

Sleep crashed over me in an instant.

As the sun set, a warm glow began to spread through the village.

"Look at this—no smoke, and it's so warm!"

Exclamations rose from the crowd gathered in the village hall.

Someone tossed firewood into the rocket stove the mage had made, and the room heated up in seconds.

Hardly any smoke came out.

The villagers marveled endlessly at the unfamiliar sight.

"To make something like this... what a remarkable person."

"Yeah. And he drove off those bandits too."

"Did you see? The bandits fleeing in terror—it felt so damn good!"

Everyone shared stories about the mage.

Thanks to the hand pumps, drawing water was far easier now.

What used to take half a day was done in moments.

"Drawing water this easily... is this what magic is?"

"Nah, this is better than magic. Look—we can keep using it ourselves."

"Oh, yeah?"

In one corner of the hall, children sat in a circle, chattering away.

"I saw it! He made it! The tools floated up—whoosh—and spun around, and boom, a pump!"

"Liar! No way!"

"Waaah—it's true! Mom saw it too!"

The terror of the bandit raid had faded, and the village buzzed with life again.

Around the rocket stove, people gathered, sharing warmth and stories.

"Even in the capital, I've never seen anything like this..."

"Right? Not even the nobles there."

"We're blessed. For someone like that to come to our village."

Now the villagers whispered that the bandit attack was a blessing in disguise.

Because it brought them this incredible mage.

A woman holding a child spoke up.

"I wish someone like him would stay in our village forever."

"That'd be greedy. A person like that, in a backwater like this...?"

"We can dream, can't we?"

People sighed and nodded.

Everyone knew the mage would leave.

But tonight, they didn't want to think about it.

They just basked in the warm peace.

Watching them, the village chief's son made a quiet resolve.

'If we had just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a few more of these things, we could rebuild the village in no time...'

It was a shame.

But he couldn't back down.

It might burden the mage, and he felt sorry, but at dawn, he'd have to ask.

That was his duty as the chief's son.

The sun set, night deepened, but the village's warmth didn't fade.

The rocket stoves kept pouring out heat, and in each heart, tales of the enigmatic mage took root.

Knock knock knock—

The knock snapped me awake.

Lena was already up, Sunogi in hand, standing by the door.

Outside the window, dawn had broken.

"Um, Mage-nim? It's me! From yesterday..."

I opened the door to find the village chief's son standing cautiously.

I soon learned why he'd come so early.

"I... I know it's shameless to ask, but could I commission some items? If ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it's too much, forget I said anything!"

He seemed overly deferential, but I let it slide.

By this world's standards, it wasn't odd.

Still, the mood was stiff, so I tossed in a joke.

"Come as a customer, eh? So, what's your budget?"

"Pardon? What do you..."

"Never mind. Ahem."

The joke fell flat.

I just sighed and pondered prices.

'How much should I charge?'

It was tricky.

Here, 1 copper was worth about 100 won, 1 silver 10,000 won, 1 gold a million.

A commoner's meal ran 20 coppers.

Hard to price it right.

In the capital, I'd gouge them, but I knew their plight too well.

Made it tougher.

"Mine's pricey. Still good?"

"O-Of course! The villagers want it too! So, if you could..."

"Hand pump: 35 silver. Rocket stove: 23 silver. Deal?"

Honestly, cheap.

Too cheap.

Mage-crafted premium goods.

High-efficiency items unknown here.

Sure, similar pumps and stoves existed, but not this efficient.

So, I was cutting them a deal.

'Can't just give 'em away, though.'

Yesterday was relief aid from pity.

Now, business.

Got to collect what's due.

"Gr-Great! Two pumps, ten stoves... too many?"

"Oh? Big spender, huh?"

"It's what the villagers need..."

"Fine, I'll take the commission."

The kid had a good head on his shoulders.

Total: 3 gold.

A fortune in this rural hole.

Spending it for the village? Promising guy.

I liked him.

"I'll make 'em now."

No need to drag it out.

Good seeds deserve reward.

I stepped out and started crafting.

"It's the mage!"

"Mage-nim! Thank you!"

"Making something?"

"Like yesterday? Look! Told ya! See?"

Villagers reacted like spotting a celebrity as I left the inn.

Crowds gathered as I worked.

Awe filled their eyes.

'This reaction... maybe opening a workshop wouldn't suck?'

Even in a big city, a showy specialty shop could work.

Silly thought.

But later.

Focus on crafting now.

Dizzying messages flooded my vision.

Easy money, but mass-producing made it tougher.

Still, difficulty scaled with proficiency gains.

"Don't disturb the mage-nim! Everyone, step back!"

Despite the time passed, villagers stayed glued.

Only after finishing did they applaud.

The chief's son stepped forward through the crowd, bowing deeply.

"Thank you! With these... the villagers will rally to rebuild!"

"No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠need for thanks—it's paid work. Made 'em special, so they'll last."

"Truly, thank you!"

The guy spouted "thank you" at every turn.

Too awkward to speak.

Then a voice shattered the warm mood.

"Out of the way, you lot! Clear the path!"

They shoved through the modest crowd.

Impressively dressed.

And the soldiers they brought furrowed brows.

The chief's son whispered then.

"That's the estate administrator. And beside him, Knight Frail."

Lena pressed close to my side.

But they weren't hostile, contrary to expectation.

"Oh! What's all this? Don't tell me you made these?"

The man eyed the uninstalled pumps and stoves, grasping their use instantly.

Sharp-eyed administrator.

"I'm Seize, handling the estate's administration. Do we have a craftsman like you in our lands?"

Seize's words made me chuckle.

Craftsman? Hardly.

Just the facts.

"Mercenary. Not a resident here."

"A mercenary? Bandits rampant, yet you stayed in this village."

"Village was in a bind... so yeah."

Chatting with the administrator.

Meanwhile, the chief's son vouched for my feats.

Sweating, passionate.

Seize looked shocked, asking back.

"You alone repelled that bandit gang?"

"No way. Me and her—two of us."

"Even so... those weren't pushovers."

"Got lucky."

"Luck? A mage crafting like this doesn't leave it to chance."

Seize seemed thrilled.

Thrilled enough to skip formalities and pitch straight.

"Fancy working with our esteemed Baron Sellevan?"

Seize's keen eye worked on people too.

Background unchecked, yet headhunting me.

True to first impressions—sharp administrator.

And bold.