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{3rd Pov}
"Sorry, I don't know that one," Ember said calmly, causing the interviewer to exhale audibly in relief.
The Chief Examiner had just asked one of the most challenging questions of the entire interview—a question designed purely to test critical thinking and problem-solving skills rather than rote knowledge.
Ember had answered every other question with precision and confidence, impressing even the most skeptical examiner.
At this point, the Chief Examiner, now visibly sweating and furrowing his brows in concern, decided to pose the single most difficult question of the interview.
It was a question so complex that even he, with all his years of experience and expertise, had no immediate answer.
Ember hesitated, faltering slightly as he pondered the problem, feeling a rare moment of uncertainty wash over him.
A small, inward sigh of relief escaped him; finally, there was one question he could not immediately solve.
For a fleeting second, the Chief Examiner wondered if perhaps Goddess Athena herself had somehow disguised herself as this black-haired, blue-eyed Elf male and was secretly testing the examiners, having a bit of fun at their expense.
But after closely observing Ember's demeanor, the examiner came to the undeniable conclusion: Tithonus Ber was, without a doubt, a genuine genius.
A small, satisfied smile crossed his face.
"Congratulations, Sir Ber," the Chief Examiner said with an approving tone, his voice calm but imbued with respect.
"You have passed the interview spectacularly. Soon, your official passing certificate will be issued, and you will be able to commence your formal training under the Magic Craftsmen."
Ember exhaled in relief, the tension of the past few hours finally releasing from his shoulders.
Though he had struggled with the final question, it was reassuring to know that his overall performance had been more than sufficient to secure his success.
The examiner stood, and Ember rose from his seat as well.
They shook hands firmly, a mutual gesture of respect and acknowledgment.
The Chief Examiner's smile broadened as he said, "Remember, Sir Ber, knowledge is the foundation of everything."
Ember met his gaze and nodded solemnly, replying with determination, "I will etch these words onto my very soul."
The examiner's smile widened further, impressed by both the young Elf's wisdom and his composure.
Stepping out of the interview hall, Ember was immediately greeted by his friends, their faces filled with anticipation, pride, and excitement.
"Tet, how did the interview go?" Lance asked, her eyes filled with curiosity as she looked directly at him, leaning slightly forward.
The rest of the party also turned their attention toward Ember, eager to hear the news.
"I… I passed," Ember replied calmly, though there was a subtle satisfaction in his tone.
The announcement immediately drew surprised expressions from everyone around him, quickly replaced with looks of joy and pride.
"Haha! Now I can finally brag that my party has a certified Magic Craftsman!" Lance exclaimed, giving him a firm, friendly pat on the shoulder while laughing exuberantly.
"Lance, do you really think about nothing but bragging all the time?" Aurielle rolled her eyes, a faint smirk playing on her lips as she teased.
"Passing on your very first attempt… only about five percent of candidates achieve that feat. Be proud, Tet—you are officially one of the best now," Ash said earnestly, offering his compliment with genuine admiration.
Jack, as usual, remained silent, though the slight widening of his eyes betrayed his surprise and quiet respect for Tithonus' remarkable achievement.
"Yeah! This definitely calls for a celebration!" Jasmine chimed in energetically, her excitement contagious.
The rest of the party quickly agreed, and together they headed to a well-known restaurant to enjoy a celebratory meal and toast to Ember's success.
After the festivities had wound down and they returned from the restaurant, Ember took a deep breath and approached Lance with a hint of seriousness in his expression.
"Miss Lance, I'm afraid I won't be able to join you and the party for adventuring for a period of time," he explained.
The reason was simple: his new role as a Magic Craftsman would demand six full days of training per week, and even after he officially assumed the position, he would be required to work at least four days a week, eight hours a day.
After completing all of his duties, he would earn a respectable fifty thousand Atlen per month—a sum considerably lower than what a Level 2 adventurer like him could make by continuing full-time adventuring.
Despite this, Lance didn't seem upset or disappointed.
"Tet," she said reassuringly, "all the adventurers who now hold high-ranking positions within the administration of Altena started out as Magic Craftsmen. Naturally, this role requires a significant investment of time. Don't worry—once you officially get the position, I'll adjust our expedition schedules so you can still go adventuring with the party whenever possible."
Ember bowed slightly in gratitude.
"Thank you, Miss Lance. To be honest, I feel a little selfish making this choice," he admitted sincerely.
Lance laughed warmly, dismissing his concerns.
"Man, Tet, you really are such a considerate person. Most people don't care much about the party they join—they drift in and out as they please. That's completely normal, so you don't need to worry about it at all. Just focus on your new job. After all, adventuring is fun and exciting, but aiming for a higher position, where you can make a real difference, should always be your ultimate goal!"
She gave him an encouraging smile.
She was right.
After all, the position of a Magic Craftsman was a prestigious and highly sought-after job that attracted people from all across the world.
The primary reason for its appeal was the unique potential it offered: Magic Craftsmen had a significant chance of unlocking the Development ability known as Mystery.
This rare ability could elevate an magician's skills beyond the normal limits, making them far more powerful and versatile.
However, most of the individuals who pursued the Magic Craftsman path were not adventurers to begin with.
If more adventurers had taken this path, the number of Mystery users in the world would undoubtedly be much higher.
Moreover, the laws and scientific theories introduced by Goddess Athena were notoriously difficult for the general populace to comprehend.
For instance, she had stated the simple law of inertia: an object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion continues moving in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force.
At first glance, it seemed simple enough, but for many, this single law caused weeks, if not months, of confusion and debate.
Countless individuals argued that it was obviously wrong, reasoning that moving objects eventually come to a halt.
Athena had carefully explained how this law operated under real-world and cosmic conditions, yet most people had never ventured into space and had no true understanding of what a vacuum or the cosmos truly entailed.
As a result, their incomplete knowledge led to misinterpretations.
One misconception compounded another, creating a tangled web of confusion that made even the most basic principles feel insurmountably complex.
This was precisely why passing the Magic Craftsman exam was such a formidable challenge and why only a small fraction of aspirants succeeded on their first attempt.
Soon after, Ember received his passing certificate, officially marking his success, and he was assigned to work under a senior Magic Craftsman.
Standing in front of the sprawling workshop, he took a slow, deliberate breath, inhaling the familiar scents of metal, ink, and magical smell that filled the air, and then stepped inside.
A worker approached him promptly and guided him through the workshop, eventually leading him to the senior craftsman he would be training under.
"So, you're the one I'm supposed to teach, huh?" Ember heard a deep, gravelly voice, and he turned to see the person in question.
The senior craftsman was a burly Elf with jet-black hair and equally dark, penetrating eyes.
His skin was tanned, weathered from years of labor, giving him the appearance of more of a blacksmith than a Magic Craftsman.
The sheer presence of the man radiated authority and experience.
"My name is James Chadwick," the Elf said firmly, his tone carrying both command and curiosity.
Ember almost choked on his own saliva at the unexpectedness of the name, momentarily stunned by how his name was same as a Great Physicist's and in another world, this James Chadwick worked for Athena as Magic Craftsman.
James frowned as he caught sight of Ember, initially thinking the young man might be about to laugh at him.
His sharp expression quickly hardened, radiating a mix of authority and caution.
"Remember this clearly! Just observe what I do! You are not supposed to interfere or disturb me in any way," he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Ember, feeling slightly embarrassed by the stern tone, quickly nodded in acknowledgment, while the worker standing nearby shook his head in quiet disapproval.
'It seems this newcomer has already started on the wrong foot with the Magic Craftsman,' the worker mused to himself.
'I wonder if he will quit soon, frustrated by not learning anything at all.'
Ember moved swiftly to take his assigned position, keeping a careful distance while James began his meticulous work.
The senior Magic Craftsman was focused on creating the most sophisticated components of the machinery, intricate parts like Mana Circuits and other essential magical mechanisms.
The simpler, more common parts were crafted by the regular workers; however, these were merely empty shells until the complex magical components were carefully integrated.
Ember observed intently, taking note of every movement, every precise adjustment James made as he shaped the parts.
On average, James completed a single Mana Circuit portion in roughly thirty minutes, demonstrating both speed and precision.
Ember watched the sequence of steps, paying close attention to the function of each component and how they interacted harmoniously within the larger system.
The process itself did not seem overly complex in theory, but Ember realized that his lack of prior hands-on experience with delicate carvings, assembly, and the precise joining of fragile parts posed a significant obstacle.
Simply observing James would not suffice; without attempting to create a circuit on his own, he would never truly understand the process.
Determined to learn, Ember gathered the necessary parts and tools, preparing to attempt constructing a Mana Circuit himself.
However, James immediately noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye and stiffened, his frown deepening.
"What are you doing?" he demanded sharply, his tone carrying both surprise and irritation.
Ember, maintaining a calm and smooth demeanor, replied politely yet confidently, "I am going to try and make a circuit myself."
James' eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening at the audacity of the response.
It was clear that this decision both irked and challenged him, but Ember knew that hands-on practice was the only way he could progress.
Despite the stern reprimand, he remained resolute, ready to dive into the intricate work that awaited him.
"Do you even realize how incredibly expensive these parts are?" James bellowed, his face flushed with anger.
"If you break any of them or waste even a single component, my salary will be deducted without hesitation!"
His voice carried a sharp edge, warning Ember of the potential consequences.
Ember, unfazed by the outburst, replied calmly with a confident tone, "Don't worry, I will pay for any parts that get wasted."
In truth, he had amassed around seven million valis over the past six months through adventuring and trading magic stones.
Additionally, he had another three million valis worth of magic stones carefully stored, giving him more than enough resources to cover any accidental damages.
His wealth made the idea of a broken part inconsequential to him.
James' frown deepened, his hands tightening into fists.
He himself had spent an entire year training before he was allowed to craft Mana Circuits independently.
The components were fragile, and assembling them correctly required a combination of precise skill, years of experience, and in-depth knowledge.
To him, Ember's casual remark about paying for mistakes sounded like the reckless words of a complete madman.
After a long pause, James exhaled sharply and muttered, "Fine, do whatever you want," deciding it was best not to intervene.
He wanted Ember to face the reality of the task and, hopefully, recognize the foolishness of his confidence through experience rather than argument.
Ember, however, paid no mind to James' simmering frustration.
He carefully followed the steps he had memorized while observing James, methodically assembling the parts.
On his first attempt, he failed to create a functioning circuit, causing James to smirk subtly, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he watched the young man struggle.
Yet Ember felt no discouragement.
He analyzed the mistakes he had made, adjusted his approach, and tried again.
The second attempt yielded a complete circuit, but on careful inspection, he noticed several flaws that would prevent it from functioning properly.
Without hesitation, he discarded it and began anew.
By the third attempt, Ember's perseverance and skill paid off.
He successfully assembled a flawless Mana Circuit, perfectly aligned and free of defects.
A wide smile spread across his face as he looked over his work, satisfaction filling him.
All that remained now was the practical test.
While the circuit appeared perfect in theory, it still needed to be tested to ensure it functioned as intended and that no hidden errors would compromise its operation.
It had taken Ember a total of forty-five minutes to complete the Mana Circuit, and without wasting any time, he headed straight to the Chief Manager, the person responsible for supervising and approving all work produced in the workshop.
When Ember approached him, the Chief Manager looked up with a puzzled expression, clearly not expecting a trainee to seek him out so soon.
"You're one of the new trainees, correct? Did something happen?" the Chief Manager asked, sounding mildly confused.
Ember then calmly explained the entire situation—how he had asked to practice, assembled the components on his own, and completed the circuit.
"I… I see," the Chief Manager muttered, genuinely taken aback as he accepted the circuit from Ember.
He examined it with a careful and experienced eye.
Although the structure was a little rough around the edges—clearly the work of someone still getting used to handling delicate parts—there were no functional issues.
Everything was aligned properly, the inscriptions were correct, and the circuit had no visible defects.
"This circuit is indeed usable. You want me to test this by installing it into a fridge unit, yes?" he asked, and Ember nodded firmly.
The Chief Manager exhaled in disbelief.
He was shocked—not mildly surprised, but genuinely floored—by the fact that Ember had managed to produce a functional looking Mana Circuit on his very first day, especially considering the difficulty of the circuit type he attempted.
To put things in perspective, the Mana Circuit used for basic lamps was known to be the easiest to craft.
Those circuits were priced at around 5,000 valis each, with a combined material and labor cost of roughly 2,100 valis.
A standard magic lamp that used such a circuit cost about 10,000 valis in the market.
Even at that price, magic lamps were considered far superior to oil-based lamps due to their reliability and drastically lower operational cost.
A single 50-valis magic stone could power a magic lamp for roughly twelve hours.
In contrast, an oil lamp would consume about 600 to 800 valis worth of oil to stay lit for the same duration.
And that was during normal market conditions.
When oil production suffered shortages—due to bad harvests, transportation failures, monster activity, or political disputes—the price of oil could skyrocket.
In the worst cases, it could shoot up to 2,000 or even 3,000 valis just to keep a lamp burning for twelve hours.
Because of this volatile market and the constant risk of scarcity, traditional oil lamps had gradually fallen out of favor.
Most households, businesses, and even remote settlements had begun switching to magic lamps.
They were cleaner, safer, more reliable, and significantly more cost-effective in the long run.
This shift in everyday living standards was precisely why Magic Circuits had become so valuable.
They were the heart of every magical device—lamps, fridges, ovens, heating units, cooling units, and countless other appliances.
And the craftsmen capable of producing these circuits with precision were considered extremely valuable assets.
Their skills were in high demand, not only inside Altena but throughout the entire world.
Therefore, for Ember—a complete newcomer—to create a fully functional and flawless Mana Circuit on his first day of training, without prior hands-on experience, was something that bordered on unbelievable.
It was no wonder the Chief Manager looked both surprised and impressed as he examined Ember's work.
The Chief Manager, after giving Ember a stern warning that if anything went wrong he would personally be responsible for paying for the fridge, finally ordered the circuit to be tested inside the appliance.
Deep down he already had a feeling that the circuit was practically flawless, yet he still found it hard to fully believe what he was seeing.
Even so, he wasn't arrogant enough to dismiss the possibility of encountering a genuine genius.
Having worked directly under Athena for years, he had carved a rule into his mind—never be arrogant, no matter how confident you are in your own knowledge.
Before long, the results came in, and the fridge operated smoothly without even the slightest malfunction.
The Chief Manager immediately hurried toward James, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer.
"Hey, James, did you teach Tithonus how to make these circuits?" he asked.
James froze, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"A-Actually… he just watched me work and learned everything on his own," he confessed honestly.
The Chief Manager nodded slowly, but as he processed the answer, a realization struck him.
"You didn't teach him anything at all?" he asked again, this time with a clear reason behind the question.
After all, Ember—Tithonus—was officially supposed to be a trainee under James, and it was James' direct responsibility to guide him.
He had even been given extra payment for tutoring Ember, a detail Ember himself had no idea about.
James opened his mouth, struggling for words.
"I-I actually…" he stammered, unable to provide a proper explanation.
The Chief Manager instantly sensed that something was off, and the atmosphere grew tense until Ember stepped in.
"Sir, James told me to observe him first. I managed to make the circuit on my third try, and he was busy with his own workload, so he didn't really notice," Ember explained with a straightforward tone.
The Chief Manager didn't bother digging deeper after that; he simply accepted the explanation and moved on.
"Sir Tithonus, could you make a few more mana circuits right in front of me?" the Chief Manager asked, now far more serious and invested in the situation.
Ember nodded without hesitation.
A few hours passed as Ember crafted one mana circuit after another.
The Chief Manager remained patient the entire time, watching each movement carefully, analyzing every step with increasing astonishment.
With every new circuit Ember completed, the time he needed to assemble it decreased significantly, showing clear signs of rapid improvement and an almost frightening level of natural talent.
By the end of the demonstration, the Chief Manager was completely convinced that Ember's ability wasn't just luck—it was something extraordinary.
"Your Dexterity must be really high," the Chief Manager remarked, sounding both impressed and genuinely curious.
Dexterity was the parameter that determined a person's technical skill, precision, and overall finesse.
When paired with other stats like Agility, it also affected reaction speed, hand–eye coordination, and even the smoothness of combat movements.
Every seasoned adventurer possessed an almost inhumane degree of mastery with whatever weapon or tool they used, and the foundation of that mastery always came from Dexterity.
It was a unique parameter—one of the most important, yet ironically the most overlooked.
Countless adventurers put all their focus into Strength, Endurance, or Magic, thinking those were the keys to becoming powerful.
Only the truly smart and genuinely strong adventurers understood that Dexterity wasn't something to be ignored.
While overall stats increased with each level-up, Dexterity was the parameter that grew the slowest, often requiring tremendous effort or repeated skill usage to see any meaningful improvement.
This was why most people pushed it aside.
Ember, however, had already possessed an inhuman level of skill even before he received his falna.
After all, it wasn't common for someone without divine blessings to slay an Orc.
Very few people could accomplish such a feat, and Ember had done so long before becoming an adventurer.
Now, combined with his already absurd base capabilities and the parameters that shot up after breaking through S-rank, his Dexterity had reached a level equivalent to a low Level 4.
His Strength was currently comparable to a low to mid Level 3, while his Magic was already nearing the threshold of Level 5.
All of this clearly reflected how much it paid off to wait patiently for his parameters to overflow before leveling up.
Meanwhile, James stood off to the side, feeling increasingly ashamed of his earlier behavior.
Ember, however, didn't think much of him.
From the moment he met James, he could tell that the man wasn't an adventurer; being a Magic Craftsman was probably his only source of income, and Ember didn't view him as someone worth holding a grudge against.
Ember wasn't petty, and he certainly wasn't interested in wasting time dwelling on something so insignificant.
His ambition was to reach Beyond the Heavens, a goal so enormous that it made holding onto revenge for such small matters seem pointless and childish.
Besides, no one was going to remember James after a few chapters anyway.
To be continued...
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