The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 84: Workshop and Tasks

The next morning, Sylutia returned to the Task Hall. Many students were coming and going; some were at the counters asking about tasks, while others sat aside talking with people they had already arranged to meet.

Sylutia glanced at the bulletin board and found that the task concerning the Gemstone Bearing was still available, so she noted the task number and went to the counter to inquire.

“Are you planning to accept this task?” The attendant looked at Sylutia with some surprise; after all, the girl was only Second Tier and should be a freshman.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you have sufficient knowledge of rune and gem processing techniques? This task requires a relatively high level of skill.” She reminded her again.

Sylutia thought for a moment, took three finished gemstone bearings from the pouch at her waist, and placed them on the counter.

“These are my own work. They should show my ability, right?”

“Please wait a moment.” The attendant nodded, took out a special single-lens inspection glass from under the counter, and then picked up one of the bearings for a close examination.

Under the light, the delicate, refined rune patterns inside the gem were revealed. The formed runic circuits were praiseworthy, with no redundant traces; the lines flowed smoothly and clearly.

“If these are your own creations, then they do meet the task requirements.” The attendant nodded, then notified the staff backstage.“Please fill out this form and register your student ID first.”

Soon another uniformed staff member came out and led Sylutia to the second floor of the hall, where several alchemy labs were located. He opened one of the rooms, then took out an exquisite small box. Inside the box was a neat set of six rubies, each graded as Third Tier·Excellent.

“Because the gemstones you will process are relatively precious, I will wait here until you finish this portion of the work.”

“I understand,” Sylutia said.

She sat at the workstation, adjusted the tools briefly, then picked up one of the gems and began to study its structure and texture carefully.

Once she finalized the blueprint in her mind, she started cutting the gem with tools, then ground and polished it bit by bit, and finally used a special secret art to inscribe the runic lines and circuits inside the gem.

About an hour later, the first gemstone was finished. Sylutia allowed herself a small sigh of relief.

[Ruby Bearing (Thrust-Stop)] (Third Tier·Excellent); a clock bearing crafted from First Tier ruby, inscribed with four runes. (Mercury·Sturdy·Wear-Resistant·Fine Lines)

The aspect power contained in a Third Tier gem far exceeded that of a First Tier. When carving the runic lines and circuits, one had to be extremely careful. Otherwise, it could agitate the gem’s internal forces, causing an explosion or shattering the stone.

Because she was not yet fully practiced and worried about damaging the gem, Sylutia worked especially cautiously, which made the process take longer.

Although she felt an hour was already slow, the staff member beside her considered the girl to be exceptionally gifted. After all, Second Tier mental power sometimes cannot keep runic lines steady during inscription; even a slight lapse or fluctuation could fracture the gem.

After inspecting the completed bearing, the attendant nodded with approval.

“Good quality, continue.” He estimated that for this girl today, finishing three bearings would be the maximum, since using tools to inscribe runes also consumed mental power, and a Second Tier apprentice could not work for too long.

But what happened next exceeded his expectations.

Forty minutes later, the second gemstone bearing was completed, graded Third Tier·Excellent.

Thirty minutes later, the third one was finished, graded Third Tier·Excellent.

Twenty-five minutes later, the fourth bearing was completed, graded Third Tier·Excellent.

Twenty-one minutes later, the fifth one was finished, graded Third Tier·Excellent.

Twenty minutes later, the sixth bearing was completed, graded Third Tier·Rare.

When she processed the sixth one, Sylutia successfully raised its grade by one level, reaching Rare quality.

The attendant picked up the finished bearing and examined it again and again, feeling incredulous.

“Excellent” quality meant that after processing, the entire runic line was clear and smooth with no redundant traces; it could operate cyclically under standard conditions for a long time without power leakage.

“Rare” quality required that after processing, the entire runic circuit be flawless, able to bear intense operational cycles without internal fissures or damage.

Although it was only one grade higher, the difference was like scoring ninety versus one hundred on an exam: it seemed small but was extremely hard to achieve. Even high-level enchantment specialists could only occasionally produce one or two Rare-quality pieces when in excellent condition, with probability below five percent.

“You were lucky this time.” The attendant nodded and carefully put the bearing away.

“Although there are no strict rules, by convention if your craftsmanship exceeds the task’s requirement, the task issuer will often provide additional compensation afterward.”

“You processed six today, you must be tired. Let’s stop for today; come back tomorrow morning.” He stood up and packed the items.

“All right.” Sylutia actually wanted to say she was not that tired; she had only just begun to find a rhythm.

But continuing would indeed draw attention, because Second Tier apprentices normally did not possess such strong mental power; processing three bearings would already be pushing it.

After descending the stairs, Sylutia did not leave immediately. She stayed to browse the various task notices and requests.

After slowly reading through the notices, she started summarizing and thinking.

Although processing parts could bring decent income, it still couldn’t compare to selling complete constructs. Besides, who were all these large-batch constructs being sold to? There shouldn’t be that much demand just among the academy’s mages.

With some curiosity, Sylutia went to an unoccupied counter to ask.

“Oh, you want to know about this?” The woman behind the counter smiled a little when she saw Sylutia’s youthful appearance.

“Large orders posted here are often outsourced by powerful alchemy workshops.”

“After graduating from the academy, many mages join or start their own workshops to attract business and obtain funding and resources.”

“Some workshops have big reputations and secure many good orders, but their members are fixed. Sometimes they get overwhelmed, or they simply don’t want to expand staff, so they outsource parts of their needs and post them in task halls across academies.”

“The academy takes a portion of the profits. Also, these tasks provide practical experience for many students, so everyone benefits.”

“As for whether customers mind outsourcing, usually they don’t.”

“If the product is from that reputable workshop, even when outsourced, they guarantee quality. Compared with unknown shops, their reputation is higher.”

“However, some distinguished clients may insist that a particular workshop expert or master produce the item. That’s an internal arrangement and not our concern.”

...

“You want to know what kinds of constructs are in high demand lately? Let me think.”

“Currently, the Mage Alliance is conducting campaigns in the west, fighting mountain barbarian tribes. Consumables for war are selling very well.”

“Also, the Shadow World is exploring new mineral veins. If you can make corresponding insight lenses, or other consumables needed for exploration, you can quickly find buyers.”

After hearing the explanation, Sylutia bowed in thanks.

“Thank you.”

“Heh, no problem, little sister. You must only be a first-year, right? Don’t be in such a hurry to make money.” The woman noticed the Griffin family badge on the girl’s chest and offered kind reassurance.

“When you reach Third Tier, you’ll be able to take Shadow World-related tasks; the academy will gradually familiarize you with them.”

“Although expeditions into secret realms carry certain dangers, the pay is still quite good. Even if you’re not powerful, you can operate under team protection.”

“I understand.”

The Shadow World, huh. She had not been there for a long time. It seemed the Mage Alliance had a different development plan; the academy only allowed members to go when they were Third Tier.

That made sense; mages at low tiers were too weak in combat and without core secret arts to transform, their available spells were limited—nowhere near as powerful in fights as Second Tier apprentices from the Hidden Grove.

After saying goodbye to the receptionist, Sylutia returned to her lodgings to rest. Just as she was about to sleep, she remembered something.

She had classes tomorrow, so she couldn’t go to the Task Hall.

Sorry, she’d have to stand that staff member up.