As I was testing my skills, Amanda-san came by.
After that, I helped out around the inn as usual, hung my laundry up to dry in my room, and then ate breakfast.
Once I finished eating and changed my clothes, I paid Amanda-san for my lodging.
Just like last time, I handed over ten silver coins for a ten-day stay.
Leaving the inn behind, I made my way to the Adventurer's Guild.
"...There sure are a lot of people."
The crowd had grown even larger than before the dungeon appeared.
Whether this was just a temporary spike or the new normal, I had no idea.
Even so, wishing the place were a bit quieter, I headed toward the room we had rented yesterday.
I had been told yesterday that our training would take place inside for a while.
Having already received permission from the guild, I went straight there.
When I opened the door, Olivia-san and Cain-san were already inside.
"Good morning. You came today too, Cain-san."
"Good morning, Erik-kun."
"Mornin'~. I heard you picked up a new skill, Erik-kun, and I got curious enough that I just had to stop by. Did you really get [Appraisal]?"
With that question, Cain-san held out a single branch.
"Can you appraise this?"
"Sure thing."
I focused my [Appraisal] skill on the branch he offered.
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Name: Mana-Infused Branch
Information: Appears to be an ordinary branch, but exudes a distinct power.
◇
"...It's not an ordinary branch, is it?"
"Oh, you really do have [Appraisal]! Man, that's incredible. Isn't Erik-kun amazing, Olivia-san?!"
"He certainly is. By the way, Cain... why do you have that in the first place?"
"I received it as a small compensation. Well, I don't really have any use for it, so it's just destined for storage~."
As he spoke, Cain-san explained what the branch actually was.
It turned out to be a valuable staff crafted by the elf tribe.
An item known as a Fairy Magic Staff.
"This is a staff?"
"Yup. It's called a Fairy Magic Staff, but we humans are the ones who actually use it. It might be small, but it's pretty handy... Want it, Erik-kun?"
"No, no, I couldn't possibly! Besides, you received it for your work, right, Cain-san? I can't take something so valuable."
"Aw, it really wouldn't bother me. Even if I keep it, it's just going to collect dust in a warehouse."
With a shrug, Cain-san slipped the staff back into his bag.
"Come to think of it, Erik-kun, you can use both swords and magic, right? Why don't you carry a staff?"
"Now that you mention it, I was wondering about that too. Since you can cast spells, wouldn't a staff come in handy?"
"Hmm, well, my role in the party is technically vanguard. Because of that, I never really thought I needed one..."
"Right, you did say your partner is a mage. But it's still good to have a staff on hand, you know? In a pinch, it helps you focus much better when attacking from a distance."
Hearing Olivia-san's advice made me realize that carrying a staff might not be a bad idea after all.
However, since I didn't urgently need one right away, I decided I'd consider buying one once I saved up enough money.
With that settled, today's training got underway.
Since we were also testing methods for acquiring [Appraisal], we avoided any exercises that relied on using the skill itself.
◇
You have trained [Parallel Thinking].
Gained 1 EXP.
87/100 until next level.
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◇
You have trained [Mana Control].
Gained 1 EXP.
100/100 until next level.
◇
◇
Level has increased.
0/100 until next level.
◇
◇
You have trained [Mana Control].
Gained 1 EXP.
11/100 until next level.
◇
◇
You have trained your Mana.
Gained 1 EXP.
25/100 until stat increase.
◇
◇
You have trained [Appraisal].
Gained 1 EXP.
21/100 until next level.
◇
During today's session, my [Mana Control] gained a substantial amount of EXP.
On the other hand, [Appraisal] barely moved, prompting Olivia-san to take notes and conclude that this method wasn't the right approach.
"Now that your [Mana Control] leveled up, handling your mana should feel much smoother. You ought to test it out during your requests outside the city today. It's only a single-level difference, but I think you'll notice a significant change."
"Understood. I'll give it a shot."
With those parting words to Olivia-san, today's training wrapped up.
Leaving the room, I let Reina-san know that we were finished and stepped outside the guild.
Yesterday, Philia had been the one waiting for me, but today it seemed I arrived first.
Before long, Philia showed up, and we decided to grab lunch together again.
Yesterday's restaurant had been a bit pricey for a casual lunch, so today we opted for Sara-san's cafe.
Her prices were very reasonable, and Philia loved the place.
As we ordered our meal and settled in to eat, Alan walked through the door.