A few days later, in the quiet of his base, Jericho checked his stats, now polished and honed from all his recent activities.
Name: Jericho
Level: 22
Class: Artisan
STR: 38
AGI: 76 (+20 from gear)
VIT: 42 (+10 from food buff)
INT: 51 (+5 from enchanted accessory)
LCK: 88 (+15 from charm)
DEX: 90 (+10 from gear)
Crafting Proficiency: Advanced
Cooking Skill: Intermediate
Potion-Making: Advanced
Enchanting: Mastery (Foundation Tier)
Evasion: +55%
Passive Perk: Adaptive Balance (auto-dodge minor hazards)
Buff Status: Home-field Artisan (Crafting speed +10% within workshop)
"Alright," he muttered, pushing back his messy bangs. He glanced down at his stats window, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"Physically, I'm still weaker than what Shin could reach by now, but... it's better than before." He flexed his arm slightly, noticing the lean, compact strength built from all his labor.
"I've improved a lot," he admitted. Between crafting, potion-making, cooking, and enchanting, he'd carved a niche for himself.
He tapped the evasion percentage and smirked.
"If I can finish perfecting this evasion plus gun combo... I won't even need combat skills."
He stood and cracked his knuckles.
"Alright, time to stop chilling and start checking the plot."
He'd been away from the story for too long. It was time to attack every minor arc before the big one hit.
Arc One: The Firewell Bandits
Location: The old Firewell Mines outside the eastern ridgeline.
Problem: Miners are disappearing. Local wildlife is fleeing.
Boss: A former soldier turned mercenary with explosives.
Needed Creation: Flame-resistant gear and anti-detonation boots.
Arc Two: The Forgotten Fountain
Location: Ruins below the academy garden.
Problem: A cursed spirit spreading madness among students.
Boss: A weeping spirit with possession magic.
Needed Creation: Anti-spirit charms and food with mental resistance buff.
And the finale of the arc cluster?
The Beastcaller Rebellion
A lunatic ex-mage summons an army of monsters to attack the city, believing humans must return to primitive rule.
The army overwhelms the gates, and only a coordinated defense by students and faculty can stop it.
Shin was supposed to rise then, becoming a true Hero for the first time and seal his friendship with the main characters.
Jericho leaned back in his chair, staring at the exposed weapons in his forge.
Rows of simple-looking, but powerful wooden tools: bows, staffs, rods, and rods disguised as spears.
Kaela was a test run. Give her something overpowered, and hope she'd influence the others. Hope Shin would be inspired.
That he'd show up in time, but he never came.
Then there was the finance. That was another layer.
Clarissa had been coming too often lately, every time in a new dress, always smiling, always bargaining.
Offering him to work for her, with a great salaries, deals, benefits. But he refused.
He wasn't about to trade his freedom for a paycheck. He wanted to chill in a luxurious home, not work for the most spoiled merchant heiress in the kingdom.
Yet, although her persistence was annoying, her numerous visits weren't unnoticed, and people started talking more and more about this guy who actually got the interest of the most influential merchant.
Then came more requests. Students whispering and even some teachers appearing late at night asking for prototypes.
The effect was spreading. Even some of his disguised true weapons were catching attention.
He squinted, looking at a list.
Release Order Plan:
Arc One: Enchanted Weapons
Arc Two: Buff Food
Arc Three: Magic Armors
Arc Four: Shin's Legendary Weapon
With that much work, there was no time for classes. And frankly, the academy was useless now.
He knew how to survive, to live well. The forest was free. The forge, his home. He'd probably never go back unless he had to.
"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Now, I should deal with the gold," he sighed.
He travelled to the city, his bag full of coins clinking heavily.
In Alchemia Tale, banking was just a screen. Press a button, deposit gold. Done.
Reality? He almost got arrested. Apparently, his old account was locked by his noble family, and when he tried to make a new one, they flagged him for suspicious activity.
"Where did you get this gold?"
"Are you laundering money?"
"You're Jericho Vaun Ashenwald.? THE Jericho Vaun Ashenwald?"
He explained. He argued. He glared.
And finally, after hours and many glares, they gave him a basic merchant account.
He deposited 70% of his fortune, about 1,400 gold coins, into the bank.
No need to carry temptation, especially when students were already talking about his growing fortune like hungry wolves.
Then, out of curiosity, he walked by the property listings. Just to check.
City Properties (Average 200-300m²):
Merchant Row Loft: 1,950 Gold
Lakeside Cabin: 31,200 Gold
Near-Library Rooftop: 51,800 Gold
Rural Lands (Large plots, no structure):
Hillside Plot (5km from city): 112,400 Gold
Deepwood Clearing (bordering monster territory): 53,100 Gold
Northern Ridge Crag (weather unstable): 112,700 Gold
Jericho sat down on a nearby bench, rolled his eyes, and stared into the void.
"These numbers... are you kidding me? What kind of fantasy economy runs on hundred of thousands of coin properties? I could terraform the continent before affording this."
He sighed, arms crossed.
"Maybe Clarissa's offer wasn't that stupid after all... Nah. Even she wouldn't pay a million."
He looked toward the clouds.
"This will take so long..."
Later that afternoon, Jericho walked along the forest trail, a bag of materials slung over his shoulder.
With linen, threads, leather scraps, and thin fabrics, he planned to start crafting casual outfits, the kind that would pass for normal student wear but secretly grant buffs.
Speed, agility, charm, even magic resistance. The trick was subtlety. Everyone wanted results, but not everyone wanted to look like they were wearing battle armor every time.
"If I make a few dozen of each and rotate enchantments... I could basically stack bonuses without anyone knowing," he muttered with a grin, shifting the bag on his back. "One set for speed, one for evasion, one for stamina, and maybe... socks that increase evasion again. Because why not?"
Halfway through calculating how much thread he'd need for twelve shirts, he noticed something strange up ahead and stopped.
Two people stood in front of his house. Two figures stood by the door of his forest home, one wearing the formal black and gold coat of an academy councilor. The other...
He stopped breathing for half a second.
The other, however, made Jericho's breath catch.
She had long golden hair that gleamed like sunlight, her posture regal without trying. Her azure eyes, sharp and intense, stared at his door as if it had personally insulted her.
She wore the academy uniform with a perfect badge on her chest, the insignia of the student council president.
"...Stella," he murmured.
Stella van Halstein. Princess of the Kingdom.
No, to be more accurate, she was supposed to be "Anna" a recurring background character for most of the early arcs.
But in the third arc, her identity as the hidden princess of the kingdom was revealed.
Intelligent, prideful, and dedicated to justice.
To romance her, you had to avoid hanging out with Lena or any other main girl, and instead spend hours poring over books, attending etiquette seminars, and answering philosophical questions in moral alignment mini-games.
Why was she here now?
Anna turned to him, arms crossed, already irritated.
"Jericho Vaun Ashenwald."
He slowed down, glancing at the teacher, then back at her.
"That's me. Can I ask what the student council president is doing in front of my house?"
Anna frowned.
"You seriously don't recognize why we're here? You haven't been attending class for days now."
Jericho shifted the bags in his arms.
"... Ah? That?.... Well, I still attend, from time to time... and... I... I'm still doing the exams. Turning in papers..."
The teacher smiled kindly, stepping in.
"Jericho, this isn't meant to be a punishment. You're doing very well academically. Your written work is excellent, and your mock battle performance was... quite the topic."
"Still," Anna cut in, "students are expected to attend class. Not stay out here like you're freelancing."
Jericho gave a light shrug.
"It works for me. I focus better like this. No distractions, just me and my projects."
Anna's gaze sharpened.
"You mean no accountability."
He raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, I turn in everything on time, my grades are fine, and I haven't missed a single exam. Seems efficient."
The teacher stepped in, his voice calm.
"No one's denying your ability, Jericho. Actually, your results are impressive, very impressive. That's why we're here. With performance like that, you could qualify for a high-tier scholarship next term. It would open many doors, recommendations, mentorships, and long-term research access."
Jericho's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Scholarship, huh? You mean the one coming with obligations? Like helping out with student council, participating in academy-sponsored activities?"
The teacher smiled gently.
"That's standard, yes."
"Yeah… I think I'll keep the status quo, thanks." Jericho answered.
More and more annoyed, Anna muttered, just loud enough to be heard.
"Offering scholarships to sexual offenders..."
The words dropped like a stone. The silence afterward was immediate. Jericho's head turned slowly. His expression, flat a moment before, now tightened.
"What?"