38 Karmin Zola

"Is he the person that Teacher Jeeves endorsed? He doesn't look that special to me... Wait! He's only in the Late Mana Condensation realm?"

"Yeah, I know. I went up and talked to him. I thought he was some genius that Teacher Jeeves unearthed. I figured that I could make a few connections. What a waste of 5 minutes."

Karmin's ears perked up in earnest as he tuned into the hushed discussions lingering within the room. Even though he wasn't magically gifted, through his years of experience he had cultivated a set of skills. This set of skills had been perfected over his trials and tribulations running a business and raising it from the ground.

His most trusted and useful skill was the "Ears of Chatter-Capture". As the name suggested, Karmin had heightened his sense of hearing to pick up on pertinent information fluttering around him, regardless of how noisy the area or how muted the conversation may be. He had used this skill a lot in his youth, to clue in on particular market trends and fortuitous opportunities.

"Who knows though. Maybe he really is a hidden genius. You know how eccentric those guys can be. Like my uncle's friend's second son!"

"Of course! Wasn't he recently picked up by a 3-star teacher because of his affinity in alchemy?"

"That's the one! So anyway, that kid's real freaky. He likes to act as if he's some hidden bigshot. Speaks in riddles all the time- Excuse me, man? Can I help you?"

The two mob characters interrupted their conversation and nudged Karmin, who was leaning in and poking his ear up against them.

"*cough* Sorry. I heard you guys talking about someone Teacher Jeeves sponsored?" He asked awkwardly as he tried to divert their attention. He didn't know how the two figured out that he was eavesdropping in on their conversation.

The two looked at each other in irritation and pointed their chins simultaneously towards the corner of the room. Karmin bowed to show gratitude and slowly edged away.

"Who was that creep? Was he listening in on us?"

"Wasn't it obvious? He was so close to us that he was practically a part of the conversation. What a weirdo!"

Karmin cursed out the two individuals under his breath while walking up to a man seated at the corner of the hall, alone. As Karmin approached him, he saw that the man was completely engrossed in the food in front of him. He was eating it as if he had been starved for days. He was so into it that he completely ignored the jeers and disdainful looks being directed his way from the people surrounding him.

Karmin commended the man internally for his strength of character. Not many people could maintain their calm under such societal pressures. Then again, he did have Teacher Jeeves backing him up, such support warranted a carefree mind. And that rang true since none of those "flies" hovering around him deigned to cause any problems.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Karmin asked jovially while touching an empty seat in front of the man.

"Oh? No, it's not. Please," the man gestured as he pulled his platter closer.

Karmin nodded while sitting down. He had accomplished the first part of the plan: making contact. Being someone without a noteworthy background, Karmin had realised quite early that his survival was contingent on his connections. He could not hold on to his gains using his own powers, even though he was now a wealthy and powerful individual.

A lone tree bears the entire weight of a massive storm, while a forest with many trees can end the storm together. It was a phrase he had heard from a wandering philosopher in his youth. The crowd at that time dismissed it as the ramblings of a mentally affected man, but Karmin could gaze into the truths underlying those "ramblings". In this world, he was a mountain climber without a safety rope. If he wanted to survive, he needed to find a stable footing. Additionally, if he wanted to rise, he needed to do so in earnest.

With those principles in mind, Karmin made it a point to build strong connections no matter the situation. Trouble could come knocking without any warning, and he needed to have a way out.

Others determined that acquainting themselves with this ravenous man was a waste of time. On the surface, they saw a man without potential - an average Joe. But Karmin saw this as an opportunity. This man had the backing of a famous teacher, Al Jeeves. No one in the Solar Empire was ignorant of Al Jeeves' capabilities. The man was a legend!

Apart from Teacher Jeeves' bountiful experience, a vast sea of knowledge, and enigmatic strength, perhaps what he was best known for was his introversion and intense dislike for interaction. Many a famous individual had tried to and failed to gain the acquaintance of Teacher Jeeves.

With all that being said, how did this man manage to do it? This unassuming "average Joe" had accomplished something that others who were incontestably superior to him had failed to do. That, in and of itself, should warrant greater attention. But these numbskulls didn't have the patience or insight to make that connection.

'There has to be a reason!' Karmin declared, 'If I can gain this person's favour, I may get a piece of the pie too!'

As he arrived at that conclusion, his lips stretched into his cheeks, and a cunning smile surfaced. It was time to initiate the second step: the probing.

"Hi, I'm Karmin Zola, a 2-star Smith," he said while stretching out his hand.

The introduction brought the man opposite out of his stupor and he too reciprocated after first cleaning his palm, "Pleased to meet you. Guy Larks, teaching apprentice."

'A firm handshake,' Karmin commented. Most of the time, the handshake could tell volumes about an individual. A firm and confident grip generally corresponded to a confident and stable personality.

"Sorry to disturb your lunch. It's just that I haven't seen you here before. Are you new?" Karmin asked cordially. Although this small-talk was boring, it was a necessary prerequisite in prying through social walls.

"I guess you can say that," Guy replied with a wry smile. "Can I help you?"

Karmin decided to take a large step forward. "Oh no. If I am being honest, I was just interested in meeting the man who caught Teacher Jeeves' attention. He isn't known for being welcoming after all."

Guy hummed in realisation as he replied, "We're just casual friends. He's actually repaying a favour."

Karmin's eyes widened, 'This is big news! Teacher Jeeves owed him a favour?'

This hinted to Karmin that the man before him was definitely special. Teacher Jeeves was an acclaimed powerhouse, and if there was something that even he couldn't accomplish and Guy could, all the more reason to build a robust connection with Guy.

"I don't want to pry," Karmin replied while shaking his hands. Sometimes, knowing too much can be just as bad as being ignorant. "Anyways, is there anything I can help you with? I'm a long-standing member here. If you're ever in need of any assistance, or if you're unsure about something then please don't hesitate to ask."

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Karmin pulled out a circular token and placed it on the table, "If you ever need to find me, just show this at the reception of The Burning Forge."

Once Karmin's fingers left the token, his eyes landed on Guy's face to observe his reaction. What he did just now was a presumptuous gambit. He was banking on a thin hope that Guy would be impressed by Karmin's fame and lower his guard. In fact, this was all he could do, if he had tried to initiate some forced conversation he would have only pushed Guy away.

Surprisingly, Guy's reaction wasn't as Karmin had expected. The Burning Forge was a pretty big name in Radiant City, he had expected some derivative of awe to flash across Guy's face. Instead, Guy didn't even look at the plate. His eyes were solely trained on Karmin.

Guy's gaze lasted for a while. It didn't waver, nor did it intensify. But Karmin felt as if he was being stripped down and observed; those eyes looked like they could pierce through any facade.

Karmin was growing increasingly uncomfortable at being stared at like this. He thought that Guy was looking down on him for being "just a smith". That was a disconcerting conclusion, he hoped that Guy would be different.

Suppressing his displeasure, Karmin stood up to leave, "Well, I can see that you are busy, I won't take any more of your time."

Right as he was about to turn, a calm and composed voice broke through the din, "It's truly my luck to meet an accomplished individual such as yourself, Smith Zola."

Karmin turned towards the voice and found that it originated from Guy. The man was now holding the token in his hands and observing it with an impressed expression, "I'm grateful to have made your acquaintance. In fact, I do have a few problems that I'm struggling with. I would really appreciate it if you could offer me some guidance."

Guy spoke courteously, without any underlying malice, disdain, or sarcasm in his tone. This came as a surprise to Karmin. He would be lying if he admitted that he wasn't prejudiced against mages. His entire life he had had to contend against them and stand out on his own. It wasn't a pleasant experience.

Karmin sat down once again and entered the conversation with increased vigour, and sincerity.

Although Karmin wasn't an enchanter, he wasn't ignorant of the craft. To sell something, one had to be knowledgeable about it first. That was the only way you could avoid making unnecessary losses and getting fleeced.

Guy mainly asked questions regarding the basics of enchanting and smithing. The discussion hovered around the Practising or 1-star level and Karmin could easily clarify all of them. As the conversation advanced, Karmin felt that while Guy wasn't a typical genius, but the man was a hard worker and extremely knowledgeable. Karmin's impression of Guy reminded him of his youth. He remembered a time when he spent two sleepless days trying to perfect an advanced technique his master had developed. After he accomplished it, Karmin found that couldn't even lift a finger. As he conversed with Guy, Karmin found a lot of common traits he shared with him. Subconsciously, he started to find himself getting drawn over to Guy.

As the talks reached a lull, Guy carefully brought forward a request, "I know that this is presumptuous, seeing as how we just met. But I have a request-"