Finally, Kagu seemed to have seen enough and turned his gaze to look at Pinggu.
"Pinggu, this job should be yours, right? Why is Oscar doing it?"
"This is a misunderstanding, Chief. This guy is always making scrap metal, so I just asked him to help."
Pinggu gave a flattering look and defended his behavior.
Kagu glanced at Oscar, who still had an embarrassed smile on his face and didn't say much.
Seeing Oscar's reaction, Kagu sighed softly and said to Pinggu:
"Oh? Then I can look forward to seeing you on the next job?"
"Work? Huh?"
Pinggu was confused. Kagu spread the parts in his hand in front of him with a smug smile on his face.
"The joints of this buckle are beautifully crafted. Not only are the optimal amount of soft material added to areas prone to impact, but even if it's damaged on the battlefield, it can be instantly reattached with simple refining magic."
"Whoa whoa……"
Hearing Kagu's words, the craftsmen around were shocked and looked secretly at Oscar with indescribable emotions in their eyes.
But Pinggu didn't seem to understand the meaning of Kagu's words, but became even more confused.
Kagu said the most fatal words to Pinggu.
"Rather than boasting about my own skills, this method prioritizes user convenience. While unassuming, it's undoubtedly top-notch technology. Pingu, I'm asking if I can entrust you with a job of this caliber next time. What do you say?"
"..."
Pinggu was sweating pitifully. The expectation was too heavy, and honestly, he couldn't do it. To achieve such meticulous treatment on such a tiny buckle was beyond his skill.
"Thank you, thank you for the compliment, Chief. However, this is one of my rare masterpieces. If I were to produce such perfect works all the time, that would be... a bit difficult, and it would also affect my other work..."
"I see. I see. Then just do your job well. Improve your skills so you can always reach this level... I suppose you don't have time to chat with your colleagues, do you?"
Kagu's gaze was fixed on Pinggu. Even a dragon would probably run away with its tail between its legs if it saw the look in his eyes.
"Eh!? I, I understand! Excuse me!"
Pingu took the box from Oscar and scrambled away. Tolpa and Lor also fled. The surrounding craftsmen seemed to have lost interest and returned to their work.
"Um... Chief, thank you for your arbitration—"
"Come to my office."
Before Oscar finished his words of thanks, Kagu had already turned and walked away.
The huge silent figure urged Oscar to follow him.
Oscar sighed, gave an embarrassed smile, and chased after Kagu.
"What are you doing, Oscar?"
As soon as he entered the office, Kagu immediately spoke in an impatient tone.
At the same time, he sat down roughly on the old sofa in the office, and the springs and legs of the chair creaked.
"You asked me what I was doing..."
"We're the only ones here, no need to use honorifics. And don't make that face, it's disgusting."
"You're being too harsh, Dad."
Oscar's tone of voice had returned to normal, but even after being rebuked by Kagu, his frown remained unchanged. This was the price he had paid for his silent treatment over the past few years.
"When you insisted on leaving the workshop because you didn't want to cause trouble for it, I did try to get you to stay. But I didn't keep you to do the job for that idiot son of the Viscount's."
"I understand, but I can quickly complete that small task during my downtime. I think if that can keep Master Valles in check, it's a good deal."
"Fool, a man like him will just creep over you if you give in... If he gets in your way too much, I'll report him directly to Viscount Valles and have him expelled from the workshop."
Besides Pingu, Torpa and Lor were also able to enter the workshop through the help of Viscount Valles, who had a long-standing friendship with the workshop. Although their vocation was to be Alchemists, their strength and character were not enough to join the prestigious Orcus Workshop.
Rejecting the nobles' request might cause trouble, which is not the best option. That's why Kagu had no choice but to let them stay until now...
"No matter how many times you ask me to tell you, Oscar, you are the next 'Orcus'—"
"Dad."
Oscar interrupted Kagu in a gentle but firm tone.
Seeing that Oscar's attitude was still the same as before, Kagu sighed.
In Orcus Workshop, "Orcus" is the name used to refer to the current leader.
Furthermore, in Atelier Orcus, if someone emerges whose skills surpass those of the current generation of "Orcus", that person will inherit the title of the next "Orcus".
Kaguya, the modern-day "Orcus," said the next in line would be Oscar, which meant—
"Your skills have surpassed mine. No, I'm just too proud. Your technique is simply beyond my reach. As far as Alchemists go, yours has reached a different dimension."
"..."
Oscar only had an embarrassed smile on his face, but this also meant that he did not deny Kagu's statement.
"When I first met you at Maureen's orphanage, you already amazed me. You were using your forging abilities to create toys for children, and your skills were comparable to those of the craftsmen in the workshop... At that time, I thought I was crazy."
Oscar was abandoned as a baby at an orphanage run by a woman named Maureen.
While there haven't been any large-scale wars in recent years, small-scale conflicts and disputes have continued unabated. In this era of instability, the number of orphans and orphanages has continued to increase.
Of course, the government's support couldn't reach every orphanage. Since Kagu was already the head of the Orcus Workshop at the time, he only assisted Maureen's orphanage, with whom he had a personal relationship.
That day, Kagu visited the orphanage to donate and caught up with Maureen. He accidentally saw the children playing and discovered something.
For some reason, there were many toys in the yard that were not there before.
Kagu wondered if the orphanage had other sponsors. After asking Maureen, Kagu learned the shocking truth.
It turned out that those toys were made by Oscar, who was only ten years old at the time, using alchemy magic.
Kagu couldn't help but be astonished, because those toys were made so finely, so finely that he misunderstood that the orphanage had found a rich man to be its sponsor.
The blocks are perfectly shaped, without any deviation.
Dolls are works of art, their shapes are amazingly intricate.
The fake sword, used as a theatrical prop, was flawless and impeccable.
It’s fine for girls to use the kitchen utensils they use when playing house as real kitchen utensils.
Were these things made by a ten-year-old boy using alchemy magic?
Kagu couldn't believe it, so he asked Oscar to actually show him. After watching it, Kagu had to accept the reality that with Oscar's level, even if he joined the workshop now, he could probably do the same work as other craftsmen.
Kagu asked him where he learned to make magic and how he learned such advanced skills. Oscar answered very straightforwardly.
"The last time Uncle Kagu came, I saw you helping us fix the pot. I thought I should be able to do it, too, so I learned it."
Kagu remembered this incident. About a month ago, he did use alchemy magic to repair the damaged pot, and Oscar was indeed very excited at that time.
When Kagu thought of this, he felt a shudder, as if he was struck by lightning on his head and felt the chill of ice sliding down his back.
This kid learned to make magic after just watching it once?
In just one month, he reached the level of a first-class craftsman by relying solely on his own learning?
In this case, if he is taught the skills of an alchemist from the basics, what kind of peak will he reach?
Kagu was in awe of Oscar's natural talent, but was also extremely excited.
And it was at this time that he decided that Oscar would be the next "Orcus".
After about three years of personal instruction, Kagu recruited Oscar to become a craftsman at the Orcus workshop.
"You've been in the workshop for quite some time now, and you should have inherited the name 'Orcus'... Oscar, you once wanted to leave this workshop, no, even give up your job as an alchemist. It was I who persuaded you to stay. However... if your work is truly difficult, I won't stop you this time. I don't want to cause you pain."
"...I'm very grateful, Dad. It's true that the people at the workshop didn't treat me well, but that's unavoidable. I accept the situation and don't feel any pain at all."
"But……"
Kagu showed a bitter expression, and Oscar continued to say to him:
"I love the job of an alchemist. This opportunity allows me to help the townspeople, earn a good income, and provide the orphanage with food and clothing... What more could I ask for?"
"...Oscar, why? Why won't you demonstrate your true strength? If you show your true abilities, you'll achieve a status and honor far beyond the name 'Orcus'. You said you don't want to create war tools, or that you're not capable enough to lead others, and I believe that's what you truly mean. But don't underestimate me. Do you think I haven't noticed? You have a more important reason for willingly accepting your current position."
"..."
Oscar gave an embarrassed smile.
This means that he doesn't intend to continue discussing this topic and wants to just laugh it off.
"...I haven't asked for your opinion, but...I've always treated you like my son. I simply want you to succeed and become a man recognized by everyone. Are my expectations not what you wish for?"
Oscar has been with Kagu for a long time, so he understands Kagu's feelings very well.
Although he was embarrassed to say it in person, Oscar's way of addressing Kagu unconsciously changed from "Uncle Kagu" to "Dad". This was because he began to feel that if he had a father, he would probably be like Kagu.
Oscar was very touched by Kagu's expectation that he would become a man.
He felt bad that he couldn't reveal the reason why he hid his strength.
even so……
"Dad... you just said my strength is already on a different level, but it's not..."
"Are you still trying to be modest with me after all this? I know your strength perfectly well—"
"It's not a different dimension. My strength is a kind of - abnormality."
"..."
This time Kagu remained silent.
Because he understood that Oscar's evaluation of himself revealed part of the reason why he concealed his ability.
Oscar's expression was stern, and his eyes seemed to be looking into the distance. Perhaps he was looking at the future he would encounter after exerting his strength.
Judging from his attitude, it doesn't seem like that will be a bright future.
Kagu didn't know what to say, but he felt he had to say it. However, before he was about to open his mouth——
"Anyway! I'm enjoying my current job. I think Dad knows that the daily necessities I make are well received by the public. I think I can also help improve the reputation of Orcus Workshop, right?"
Oscar spoke in a light-hearted tone, as if to dispel the heavy atmosphere.
Kagu also understood that today's conversation could only end here, so he sighed and nodded in affirmation.
"...Ah, that's right. Whether it's the Rimister Workshop or the Wagner Workshop, they don't care about the civilians at all. Whether it's procuring ore or other items, it's because of the support of the civilians that we can enjoy the best working environment."
The two workshops mentioned by Kagu are ranked among the three major workshops in the royal capital of Berunega, along with the Orcus workshop, but they only accept orders from nobles, royal families, or wealthy merchants of equal noble status.
While their approach wasn't entirely bad in terms of job differentiation, it certainly didn't sit well with the common people. Furthermore, setting up a workshop in a civilian area where solidarity and cooperation were valued was a complete lack of participation in "mutual assistance." This alone was enough to draw disdain.
In this regard, Orcus Workshop does not specifically prohibit taking on work from civilians. While in reality, they must prioritize orders from nobles, they also accept orders from the general public as long as they can handle the workload. Furthermore, the current generation of Orcus also regularly supports orphanages.
In this situation, Orcus Workshop is well-received because it has specially arranged craftsmen to be responsible for the public's orders, so the public always looks at them with warm eyes.
Of course, the craftsman who is specifically responsible for civilian orders is Oscar.
Oscar is praised for his diligence and quickness in work, as well as his ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Because they were a group of artisans, they often had to work for three days and three nights straight. However, during these times, civilians would naturally visit the Orcus workshop. When purchasing from civilians, they would give them preferential prices, give priority to selling materials that were in short supply to the Orcus workshop, and even take the lead in preparing work clothes for the workshop.
Oscar's work has been of real benefit to the studio.
But because it is so ordinary, few people realize the benefits it brings.
"Dad, it's almost time for me to make the delivery."
"Alright, alright, you can go now—ah, that's right—"
"?"
Kagu was about to end the conversation, but he seemed to remember something and suddenly stopped talking midway.
"A lot of people have gone missing in the civilian area since a few months ago, right?"
"...Yes, I heard that."
"You should pay as much attention as possible to the children in the orphanage. Many of the missing are young people. Since most of them are from the slums, they're probably desperate to make a fortune and end up dead in the wilderness."
Kagu seemed to have a bad feeling and spoke in a serious tone.
"You can go home today and visit your hometown."
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