The OP Lich is a Returnee, Chapter 11 (Patreon)

Chapter 11 – Training

It felt weird to be dressed in a modern business suit and skirt, of all things. Oh, I had worn elegant gowns, religious vestments, regal armor, and all manner of other things before, but a women’s business suit? This was the first time. Thankfully, the tailors who adjusted the fit knew what they were doing.

This was it, the first day of Athelian Arms, her new crafting studio. Well, maybe not the very first day. She’d already interviewed the people on the business end, the office manager, company accountant, and house counsel (conveniently from another branch of Wolfram & Hart). She even had a personal aide or secretary, now.

Speaking of which, there was a knock on the door to her office, and, three seconds later, the door opened, revealing her secretary, Asari Hisa. “Shachō, the woodworker is here for his interview.”

“Send him in.”

I watched the man as he walked into my office. Eto Shiro was average height and looks, and he wore his suit and tie like he was profoundly uncomfortable in it. Given the information I had on him, he probably had to buy or rent the suit for this meeting.

He was an artisan, using traditional woodworking tools and styles to make exquisite pieces. Obviously, his work was more artistic than functional, unless you counted their use as furniture or art pieces, but that was fine. There were plenty of very useful enchantments you could put on objects, even ones as mundane as a table or chair.

I motioned to the chair. “Please, Eto-san, sit. Did you have a good trip?”

“Hai, Akagawa-dono. But I will admit that I am not entirely sure why you wished to hire me for this studio. I know from the news, that you are wanting to make tools to help with magic, but I am not exactly a magician, and I am certainly not a computer technician.”

“Ah, yes. Well, as I’m sure you’ve seen in some of the interviews I’ve done, I do not use CADs as this world’s magicians do. Instead, I use a ‘focus’, which is roughly equivalent to the aiming assists you see in some CADs. Instead of doing the computations for me, it helps me focus and channel my intent into the spells.

“To put it in terms you would readily understand, it is the difference between the Craftsman and the Artisan. The Craftsman measures precisely, follows instructions, and builds very precise pieces, the same way, every time, and in great numbers. The Artisan, however, will produce things that are often of superior quality, but it takes more time and effort to do.”

Eto nodded. “And there is some advantage to… artisanal magic?”

I chuckled. “Yes, and no. It is better at the low end, for simple things, like ‘I want to hit that thing with magic’, and for the more complicated things, like creating undead. However, for a lot of the spells people would use in real life? A CAD would allow them to get similar or better results, for less effort.”

“So, the CAD style would be a mass-produced chair you get from the store, while the focus style would be either a quick and dirty three-legged stool or a finely crafted and engraved traditional chair?”

“Exactly! This studio will be focusing on the high-end things. For that, I need crafters who know their trades. And they need to be either in the traditional styles, or at least not mass production styles. But they need to know their business, so that I can get straight to teaching them the next steps to make their works… magical, for lack of a better word.”

Eto took a breath. “Well, I am a master artisan and craftsman, but I’m not so old to believe that I can’t learn anything new.”

“Excellent! So, will you take the job?”

“Will I be forced into only making pieces you order, or will I be able to work on my own projects?”

“We’re going to use commissions at first. I have a couple metalworkers, a blacksmith, a glassblower, a leatherworker, and a tailor all coming in, so there may be some cross-discipline projects, once people get used to working here. For instance, a staff might use your woodworking skills, but require metalworking for some of the fixings, and glassblowing for a finishing touch.

“As for private projects, so long as the commissions are on track, well, that is up to you. Anything you do above the commissions that you want to sell through the studio and our connections? Go for it, and you’ll get a cut of the sale. Anything for personal use, or to do as gifts? We’ll charge for any materials you use, and if you use any of your coworkers’ work, they might charge you for the labor, but go ahead. The only way to get better is to practice.”

I paused for emphasis, and then said, “However, there will be a noncompete clause in the contract. So, don’t go selling the pieces elsewhere. I’m going to be teaching you things that no one else in this world knows, after all. I know the techniques will get out eventually, in some form, but the longer we have some exclusivity, the better it will be for us all.”

Eto nodded slowly. “I see. Then, I guess the only question would be what is the pay going to be? If I’m not going to be selling my work on my own, I would like to know what I’d be getting paid for my time.”

“Of course. The base pay will be 4.2 million yen per year. Any items you sell besides those expressly commissioned by the company, which are sold through us, you get 30% of total sale, with the cost of materials deducted from that number. If you had any coworkers contribute to the project, they split your take for that project.”

The man’s eyes widened. Not surprising, since 4.2 million was slightly above the average yearly salary for a senior artisan. “Akagawa-dono, I must confess that my wife would do unspeakable things to me if I did not agree to these terms. Especially with the opportunity to learn more. I accept.”

“Excellent!” I smiled, and slid a stack of contracts across the desk to him. Once he was finished signing all the dotted lines, I leaned back in my chair. “Now, since you’ve signed, you are free to go, and I’ll see you on Monday, two weeks from now. However, if you aren’t in a rush, I can begin the teaching, so you will have something to practice between now and then.”

Eto’s eyes widened slightly. “Should we go to the shop, then?”

“Oh, no. This is something we can do right here. In fact, it would be better here, since this room is warded to keep outside magic out. No distractions in here.”

“All right, I’m ready.”

I smiled. He wasn’t ready, not really. No one ever was. Any descriptions of what was going to happen was a pale shadow of the actual experience.

“So, how much magic training do you have?”

“I was able to get into one of the Magic High Schools, but did not have the aptitude to go further. Plus, I was more interested in my trade. I was not able to push things to the same extent as the top scorers, but I was able to at least not fail my exams.”

“That’s perfectly fine. The important part is that you’ve learned to touch magic, to sense it, yes?” He nodded, so I continued, “Then I want you to close your eyes. Feel the magic in the room.”

“All right.”

“Now, you should feel your magic, and start to pull on it, like you would do when casting. Don’t release it, though. Hold on to it. Let it collect, and grow in you. And then, allow a little trickle to go out, throughout your body, circulating. Some of it will be ‘lost’, so draw in a little more to replace it.

“This is going to build your magic pool, and help enhance your body. In time, you’ll even see results for your mental abilities and mana conductivity. But that will take time, and practice.”

“This is the thing you showed off at the American university, yes? Makes you stronger, right? What effect will this have on my work? I don’t exactly brute force things with what I do.”

Ah, good, he was making the connections without me saying them outright. Some people were incapable of thinking for themselves. I was glad Eto was not one of those.

“Well, your strength will improve true, as well as your health and endurance, both of which are good for anyone, but you can also improve your dexterity, allowing you to more nimbly handle your tools, for more precise details and cuts. Your eyes will sharpen, allowing you to more keenly see the wood you’re working, and find any imperfections that might be present.”

Eto nodded. “I can see that being useful, yes.”

“This is just at the basic stage. Once you have mastered this, I will teach you how to select and shape materials so that their natural mana conductivity is retained, even enhanced, allowing them to be better conduits for spellwork. And then, eventually, I will be teaching you to weave the most basic enchantments into your works.”

“Enchantments, like the fairy stories and the old tales from the myths and legends?”

“Indeed. Even the simplest enchantments, like a mending spell so that your table ‘heals’ itself over time, can be very useful. Or, if you wanted something that was a little more active, there’s always the wooden pendant that helps protect the wielder from harm, or a cup that neutralizes poisons, or a pantry that keeps the food inside fresh far longer than it normally would. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination, the power of the magic, and how much power the materials can sustain.”

“Hmph. Tables and cups are well enough, but I expect you wanted a woodcarver more for those pendants, and the staff thing you used on TV. Since the name is Athelian Arms, and all.”

“And you would be right, of course. But don’t think I will ignore the potential of less warlike items, either. I’m sure that there are plenty of people who would just love to have a statue or woodblock carving that was enchanted to promote health and safety to put in their child’s room. Or a simple wooden bracelet, enchanted to keep the wearer cool in the summer heat and warm enough in winter that they don’t need a coat.”

Eto’s eyes opened, and he stared at me in wonder. “Something like that is possible?”

“Anything is possible, Eto. Literally anything. A single man can move an entire mountain by himself. All it requires is knowledge, power, and time. The more of one you have, the less of the other two you need.”

Eto nodded slowly, barely breathing. “This is going to change the world, isn’t it, Shachō?”

“First, shachō is fine, when we’re in the office, or in public. In the workshop, buchō is fine. Or even Akagawa or Akagawa-san, though I can understand why you might be uncomfortable with that. In the office, and in public, we have roles that respect and courtesy demand we play to, but in the shop, we are all crafters, working together. If I wanted to lord over people as a queen, I would have just stayed in the other world. Understood?”

Eto nodded once, and then said, “Then, in that spirit, Eto-san is fine, in the shop.”

“Good. Now, about your question. The world changed forty years ago. But just because the earthquake is over does not mean the changes aren’t still happening. There are aftershocks to consider, or the worry of the quake sparking others. And then there is the possibility of a tsunami.

“So, if you consider my returning to this world as the tsunami following the earthquake of the Awakening, there will be bound to be some changes from the flooding, and other things. Hell, even without me, the Awakening has continued changing the world, as more people gain magic, and find new ways to use it. Or as creatures change, and gain magic. The changes the Awakening are still ongoing.”

Eto gulped, and I smiled. “Lucky for you, then, that you’re now part of the group that is riding the wave, rather than trying to stand against it. And if anything does happen, I look after my own.”

“Well, I’m suddenly very glad I signed that contract.”