Seeing the understanding dawn on Ryan's face, Paul smirked, clearly pleased with himself. Without warning, he pulled Ryan toward a nearby table. Ryan, still processing the earlier conversation, blinked in surprise as Paul casually plucked two sweet loaves from a plate, freshly placed there by the his wife, and handed one to him.
"Master, this…" Ryan hesitated, feeling a bit lost. A loaf like this would cost at least ten copper coins outside. And from what he knew of Paul, the man was not the type to treat a mere apprentice to a meal without reason.
"Young man, eat up," Paul said lightly. "You'll need your strength for the work ahead."
Ryan hesitated a moment longer, then pushed aside his doubts. He took a small bite, chewing slowly, savoring the rare treat. The warm, honeyed sweetness melted on his tongue, a luxury he hadn't indulged in for a long time.
Across from him, Paul took a few casual bites before picking up a mug of milk. He took a sip, then, as if offhandedly, asked, "Ryan, you had a reason for asking those questions today, didn't you?"
Ryan paused mid-bite, his brows knitting slightly. "A reason?" he repeated, feigning ignorance.
Paul chuckled, setting his mug down. "Let me put it another way." He leaned forward slightly, his tone knowing. "Do you think you're ready to carve a complete scroll?"
At that, Ryan finally understood why Paul had given him the bread.
He took a deep breath, carefully considering his response. "I don't know if I have the skill yet," he admitted, "but if you give me a chance, I promise I won't disappoint you."
Paul's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't expected such a direct answer. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "And what kind of opportunity are you looking for?"
Ryan met his gaze steadily. "As far as I know, a blank scroll costs five silver coins. If I provide five silver as collateral, would you be willing to give me two scrolls to practice on?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Paul's face. He arched an eyebrow. "You're really that confident?"
His reaction was understandable. Even the two most experienced carvers in the shop couldn't guarantee success with just two attempts. If Ryan truly believed he could manage it… well, either he was a fool, or he was hiding talent far beyond his rank.
Ryan's gaze remained firm. "Yes."
Paul studied him for a long moment, weighing his options. Then, to Ryan's surprise, he suddenly grinned. "Alright. I'll give you this chance. Come see me after work tonight to collect your scrolls."
Ryan jumped up from his stool, his excitement barely contained. "Thank you, Master!"
Paul waved a hand dismissively. "You only get this one opportunity. Whether you succeed or fail is up to you."
Ryan clenched his fists, his determination unwavering. "Don't worry, Master. If I succeed, I'll do everything I can to help you make more gold in the future."
At that, Paul's smirk faded slightly. For some reason, after hearing Ryan's words, he had a feeling that even if the boy failed this time, he was still worth investing in.
Their conversation ended there. Ryan, carefully wrapping up the half-eaten sweet loaf, tucked it away before diving back into his work.
But today… today was different.
Instead of letting his thoughts drift, he focused harder than ever before. He studied every stroke, analyzing the fault lines in the engravings that others often overlooked. He didn't just want to copy patterns, he sought to understand them.
---
Night fell.
By now, the workshop was silent, its workers long gone. Only two people remained.
Paul stood in the dim light, his gaze locked onto the intricate magic pattern drying on Ryan's workbench. His fingers trembled slightly as he held up the freshly inked scroll, the lines flowing seamlessly, without a single break or inconsistency.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Did you draw this… today?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
For the first time in years, Paul, a man who had seen countless scrolls and carvers come and go, was truly shocked.
Even Ryan himself was stunned by what had happened today. He had been so completely immersed in his work that he hadn't even noticed when the others had left. Time had blurred into a single, unbroken flow. It wasn't until he set down his pen, the final stroke completed, that he realized Paul was standing right beside him.
His eyes flickered to the parchment before him. A fully completed design lay there in crisp, flowing lines. If not for the fact that there was only one sheet on the table, he might have doubted that he had done it himself.
Normally, producing this level of work would take him three full days. Yet somehow, today, he had finished it in a single afternoon and not just finished, but exceeded his previous best. Every stroke felt effortless, as if the pattern had simply flowed through him onto the paper.
Paul, a master craftsman with countless years of carving experience, stared at the delicate lines in silent awe. His trained eye immediately recognized the significance of what lay before him.
Even if this design were handed to a novice carver, so long as they weren't completely incompetent, they would be able to carve a perfectly functional scroll.
Normally, a draftsman needed to refine their sketches multiple times, adjusting proportions, smoothing out inconsistencies, and balancing the thickness of each line. Any slight misjudgment would lead to errors in the carving stage, where mistakes were permanent; one wrong cut, and the entire scroll was ruined.
But Ryan's precision was flawless.
If he could consistently produce drawings of this quality, the failure rate in their scroll workshop would drop drastically. The potential savings and profits, were staggering.
And then there was the most astonishing part: his speed.
In all of Nankai City, only the most elite craftsmen could complete a magic pattern in two days. Just the day before, Paul had challenged Ryan to reach that level, thinking it would be an impossible goal, a way to push him to improve.
Yet not only had Ryan achieved it, he had surpassed it, in a single day.
Paul finally spoke, his voice carrying an edge of disbelief. "Have you… done something like this before?"
Ryan shook his head. "Master, you gave me this blank parchment this morning. Have you forgotten?"
Paul frowned. "That's impossible. Yesterday, you told me you'd need three days to finish."
Ryan furrowed his brows, reflecting on what had happened. After a moment, he answered slowly, "I don't know what changed. I just… lost myself in the work. As I was drawing, I kept thinking about the sculpting process, the proportions of each part, how the pieces would connect. And then… my hand just moved on its own." He paused, glancing at the finished design. "The only thing I know for sure is that even though I was drawing slowly… every single line was completed in one stroke."
Paul's eyes widened. He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a sharp laugh, a laugh of pure excitement.
He understood exactly what this meant.
It was akin to asking a master engraver to draft a magic pattern. Someone with an intimate understanding of carving would naturally be able to design patterns in a way that made them effortless to reproduce.
But no engraver in their right mind would give up carving, a far more lucrative trade, to spend their days drawing blueprints.
If Ryan could already think like an engraver, then his potential… was limitless.
Paul's grin widened. He clapped Ryan on the shoulder, his voice brimming with approval. "Come on. Let's get your scrolls."
---
The two of them walked into the shop's backroom, where Paul unlocked a crystal cabinet filled with neatly stacked blank scrolls. He reached inside to retrieve two, but then, mid-motion he paused.
For a brief moment, he seemed lost in thought. Then, without a word, he reached back and pulled out a third scroll.
When he turned and placed all three scrolls in Ryan's hands, the young man's eyes widened in surprise. He looked up at Paul, uncertainty flashing across his face.
"Master… why three?" he asked, confused.
Paul just smiled, crossing his arms. "Consider it an investment."
Ryan's grip tightened around the scrolls. His heart pounded, not just from excitement, but from something deeper.
This wasn't a test anymore.
It was a chance.