"... And that's how graphemes work, allowing us to more appropriately mimic speech in writing"

I was teaching again, this time on a cloudier day. I put my piece of charcoal down by the stone slab I'd been using as a chalkboard and gently rubbed the dust off my bandages.

"Now unfortunately that's all the time we have today class, but don't be afraid to try things on your own. In fact, I'd like to give an assignment, purely for extra credit more than anything else. Listen to words spoken aloud, and try to mimic the sound of them in writing. Again, completely optional, but it's most certainly an idea for those of you interested in pursuing your education to the fullest. I'd like you all to bring your results once you're done"

There were cheers and calls of 'Yes, Mr. Potts' throughout the class, and they wandered off for the morning to continue with their daily routines. By the time they all cleared, only Todone, Crusch, and myself remained. I sighed once the children were out of ear shot, shaking my head.

"Honestly, if I hear 'Mr. Potts' one more time, I think I'll wake up in a retirement home," I complained, sitting down on one of the logs I'd dragged in as a seat.

Crusch can't help but giggle at my suffering it seems though. "They respect you, you know. You teach in a way that even Miss Runo would have trouble matching".

Todone nods, giving his two cents. "Truthfully, I wouldn't have thought such… 'scholarly pursuits', as you've put it, to be so enthralling"

I wave their platitudes off and shake my head. "Bah, whatever. You say that now, but wait until fall comes around, I guarantee this song and dance will bore them out of their skulls by then"

"That's closer than you think, you know," Crusch spoke with cheer.

"Mmm, that's right," Todone chimed, "It's almost hanging spider season, isn't it?"

I blinked. "Hanging… what now?"

The both of them looked at me, then at each other, before Todone let loose a chuckle. "Oh, Nolan, you didn't know, did you? Tob is fairly kind during the spring and summer time. It's autumn you need to prepare yourself for. That's when the real thrill of the hunt occurs"

I raise a brow at him, before turning my eyes to Crusch. She can only sigh with a shake of her head. "I'm afraid he's right. The reason Tob has yet to be settled by humans is because of the various voracious and deadly creatures preparing for winter that come about from the deeper and more feral sections of the forest. It's still impressive that you've found Tob to be pleasant so far, but…"

"But…?" I press, hoping to get a continuation.

Todone interjects before she can speak however, fairly more serious now. "Forest worms, wargs, ogres, even the barghests come down from the eastern mountains on a feeding spree before they hibernate"

I squinted at that. Did he just say barghest?

"Point being, while winter time is our most opportune moment to reach my people… It's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better"

Crusch nodded at that. "Truthfully, we're fortunate that the forest has been mild up to this point. Our ancestors have been fairly kind so far, and as such we've been able to enjoy ourselves. But unfortunately, the time for labor has come"

I can't help but swallow. Have I been playing on easy mode up to this point? My Patron did help me out with making that bow, but aside from that I figured I've been making it more or less on my own two feet at this point. It wouldn't be too far removed to think that they've been keeping things nice and clean for me in some way. That means I should probably start pushing myself harder.

Yeah, no, I need to get ready. But fuck, how? I need to let my bandages heal, so I can't just spar and hunt, so how else would I grind myself up to get things… wait… maybe…?

"Speaking of labor," I begin, hoping to catch some news on our resource management. "How's the farming coming along?"

Crusch is the one to answer, with a mixed expression. "The farming is… still somewhat slow. We've only been relying purely on volunteers to keep it running, but it is at least showing progress. Not enough to provide us with anything substantial this year, but it will certainly show better results come next year"

Alright, not too good but not too bad either. Now for the second question I was more interested in. "And as for the copper mining?"

"With the proven usefulness to make equipment, the chief and his elders have ordered that production of copper weapons be prioritized. It scares me to say it, but… I believe the chieftain is preparing us for war"

I can't help but grimace. If they go to war, that's going to be the loss of more than a few hundred lives on all ends. And if that happens, then all this work will be set back. Enough so that it would be a little unrealistic to make a 'nation' I can kick back in. Hell, I'm already stretching things as is, if I wanted to make something doable I'd have to unite every demihuman of the area if I wanted to pull that off. Which, I'd still be willing to do seeing as it's helping everyone including myself out in the long run, but that would subtract from personal level grinding. Maybe some way to combine the two while minimizing the loss of life?

I shake my head. I'll have to sit down and meditate on this later.

"It doesn't surprise me, in a sad sort of way," I reply. "Though we've staved off the worst of the potential food crisis, we still won't fully have enough to keep ourselves afloat. I don't regret introducing copper one bit to your people, but we definitely have to steer things in a way that we won't have to kill and die for what we need"

I finish with a sigh, shaking my head. "I'll assist in the forge then. It's the only thing I can do to keep an eye on things until Zaru gets back. He'll probably be able to plead my case with the elder in trying to keep things as peaceful as possible"

They both looked like they wanted to argue with the point, but I held my hand up. They paused, waiting for me to open my mouth

"Guys, over the past few months, I've grown… attached to you" I admitted, getting a faintly squeak and tail wag from Crusch for… no, actually, that's starting to look familiar but I can't quite place it. That's gonna bug the hell out of me. "As such, I want to help everyone in the forest, give you things that most other humans would frown down upon you for not having, to spite them and show that you can accomplish it just as much. But before I can do that, I need strength. You two have been kind to me, willing to listen to my words, as well as Zarusosa and some of the others, but I know that won't always work. If I'm going to be able to push things in the right direction to give y'all a proper place to call home, I need to grow stronger. And if I want to be able to grow stronger, I need to push myself in all avenues and directions of training"

They stared at me after my last few words, something that I tried to express with earnesty. Then, there was a nod, and they agreed.

"Very well Nolan…" Todone said, before weakly chuckling with a shake of his head. "I can't say I expected anything less of you at this point, but… you truly are crazy, you know that?"

I laughed, patting his shoulder. "Yeah, gotta be a nutjob to get the job done sometimes. S'okay though, I know it's why ya like me"

His meager chuckle became a bellyful laugh, punching me on my shoulder in kind. Lulu meanwhile, still seemed to be confused about something. "I don't get it though, how will working in a forge make you stronger?"

That part would… take a bit of wiggly bullshittery to explain. "Er, remember what I said about ah, you know… my family secret?"

She gaped an 'ah' at that, nodding. I carefully looked around, making sure we weren't in ear shot of anyone.

"Right, well, it isn't the only way to 'grow'. Remember when I mentioned crafting Todone?"

His eyes lit up at that. "That's right! But… how will that make you a better warrior?"

This is the part that's going to be a little weird. "Mm, how do I put it… another one of my family secrets is… hereditary I suppose? For lack of a better words, I can see… strings. Mostly mine in particular. I can pluck and guide them, altering… myself, I guess you could say. So while smithing metal would only provide you better abilities to smith more metal, I can push that in a direction that when smithing metal, I can make those strings flow elsewhere"

Todone gulped at that, and Crusch herself was in shock. Slowly, Lulu asked a question of her own. "Could… it be possible that you could do this for others?"

I open my mouth at that, before stopping in my tracks. I genuinely have no idea how to respond to that. I made that bullshit up for the sake of explaining away the System, but the fact of the matter was that my pseudo-cultish tomfuckery just got me cornered. I rubbed my chin in thought, trying to mimic an appearance of thoughtfulness to the question, when the fact of the matter was I was starting to panic internally.

"Is there a way you could… try?" Todone asked.

I… maybe there is a way? Wait, maybe I could use insight check and work from there? Thank you you froggy fuck, you may not realize it but you just threw me a bone!

"I can… at least look at your strings. The process requires active attention in putting built strings off to the side, as such I doubt you have any free strings I can work with. But… it would still be interesting to at least look at it, see where you stand. As for moving anything, I cannot say for certain"

I place a hand on him, preparing to 'check' his strings. Okay, now dearest System, I know that I can't really look at anything other than barebones shit, but maybe let me at least check his classes and levels or something?

{Notice: You are not a high enough level to access this function. (Level requirement: 20}

Fuck. Okay, let's just work with what I got then.

"You… have more strings than most," I comment, taking note of his current level at nineteen. Which is fucking bullshit, in my opinion. "In fact, you would probably surpass many of the other warriors of this tribe at this point. You've felt stronger as of late, no doubt?"

He stared at me with hardened eyes, nodding. "It happened after the slime incident. I felt more in tune with my… I don't know what to call it, but it feels as though a part of me has been unlocked. My martial arts feel more honed as of late"

His martial arts? Hmm, did he level up in a warrior class outside of his usual skills, or did something naturally come with an internal adjustment of his level? That's something I want to investigate way too much, but I can't with that damn requirement bar in the way.

"Very well. Lulu, would you like to?" I asked.

"I suppose so…" She murmured, and held her hand-claw out for me to make the check

Huh, level twelve? Well, she's still young, I'm sure she'll have room to grow. Still a cut above the other lizardmen for a teenager.

"You carry more than average compared to some as well, though I must admit I don't have a baseline for lizardmen. Todone's baseline was made upon my knowledge of other warriors I'd checked in the past. If I had to guess, you should be able to cast spells of the second tier"

Which was partial bullshit, partial truth. I didn't wanna fully admit I'd checked everyone else beforehand, that would lead to some potentially awkward questions. I let go of her hand, nodding to them both.

"Neither of you have free strings, as expected, but you're certainly of an excellent cut"

"Is there any way we can work with you to… improve it?" Lulu asked.

I shake my head. "I'd be walking into dangerous territory, I cannot say for certain if altering your strings mid training would be even remotely safe for yourselves. To do it on one's self is natural, like breathing. I cannot breathe for you, else I may take too many or too little breaths. All I can ask is that you focus your efforts in training on fields that you prefer most. If you cast magic, use magic to accomplish your tasks. If you are a warrior, strike your foes dead. There isn't much else to it"

They were mollified by my answers, accepting the situation and explanation. And to be honest, I'm happy with that. I'm already balls deep with this shit, it's starting to get a little stressful trying to come up with new ways of explaining things that would require so much infodumping it isn't even funny.

I sigh, crossing my bandaged arms. "With all this said and done… perhaps you can understand why I'm going to be working the forge now?"

They nod in understanding, with Crusch speaking up. "As you're still recovering, working into something else would only be your best bet of growing stronger. And this way, you're ah, killing two birds with one stone?"

I nod. "Yeah, that's the gist of it"

Though I would be keeping an eye on the copper production, that wouldn't be the only reason. As strong as I've gotten compared to some of the other lizardmen at this point, I'm still behind when compared to them. Unfortunately, it seems that no matter what, there's a disparity between humans and demihumans on this field. I've more or less been able to say for certain that level most certainly does not mean everything in the scheme of raw strength, and as such I'm going to have to grind as hard as I can wherever I can. Even if that means I'm gonna have to Skyrim this shit and start spamming daggers.

We chatter idly for a few more minutes, before parting ways, and I'm left to my own for now. Not to say I feel lonely, as I easily greet and wave at various lizardmen as I pass them by on my way to the next destination of the day. Speaking of loneliness, Yulg has been a little reticent as of late. I'm not sure why, I've been trying to talk to him. Er, about as much as I can with such a quiet goblin. Not that he hasn't been friendly, but he seems to have preoccupied himself with other things. Something I'll need to ask around, should anyone else figure out what it is he's doing on his lonesome.

Eventually, after idle chatter with a particular lizardman that happened to be heading the same way as myself, we parted ways at the artisan hut, where I could see the forges were in the process of being expanded on. Even a couple of albinos were assisting in the process, using magic to mold earth into shape and supercool metal on a small scale. Overall, it was a fascinating fusion of magic and blacksmithing taking place here. Something that oddly made me feel proud.

I wave to the lizards working on the forge's expansion, and almost knock on the doorframe of the main hut before I'm caught of guard by the sight inside. It was now lined with half-finished copper projects, some spearheads merely needing sharpening while others looked more like… rings and amulets? Huh. With the emphasis on gear production, I'm surprised they're making those. I've got questions, but for now I'm willing to believe it's simply a side thing for the villagers to enjoy.

And then I spot her, that mammoth of a lizard woman. She's huddled over a worktable, clearly in thought. On the table is a scroll of paper, something I'm surprised to see, while one of the children I recognize from our classes is actually here. So this is where the little guy goes.

"So this… paper… you say we can use this to keep records?" I overhear, opting to stick to the shadows and hiding my presence, curious to know an unfiltered thought from the lizards on the stuff. I nodded to a lizardman that spotted me and held a finger to my lips, getting a nod back in understanding.

"Correct Miss Kika. Of course, that's not all it can be used for, but it's one of the more important ones," The young boy explained. So that's her name. Or part of it, at least.

"So why bring this to me? We don't really have much need for record keeping in a workshop," She mentioned, and I almost sighed at the narrow sightedness.

"Well, you could use it to take notes on techniques, and figure out which methods work better, not to mention that you could use sketches to better work out designs as to what works better so you don't have to waste time and effort on materials only for them to be wasted"

Atta boy. I think it's my time to shine now.

"Not only that, but you can build upon the sketch idea to create complicated schematics for machinery and construction planning, as well as cartography maps to gain a better understanding of your surroundings and pin down potential resource veins"

They both turned to myself, the boys eyes lighting up while 'Kika' herself merely raises a scaled brow.

"Mr. Potts!" The boy exclaimed excitedly, his tail wagging and a sparkly look in his eyes.

"Just dropping in to ask if y'all need another hand to work in the forge. I've got a bit of free time now that I'm pretty much banned from going outside of the forest for a little bit. And to be honest, with autumn rolling around I'm gonna need to find a way to make myself useful during these times"

The big lizardwoman snorted, shaking her head. "You've proven more than useful, but additional help is always appreciated. I could always use another hand, we're still working out the details of smithing, so an additional hand is appreciated. In fact, I'd like to ask what else we can do with copper, as well as making 'steel' as you've called it".

I sigh at that. "I've told you all I can really. Great for weapons, tools, and jewelry, but nothing else. Maybe if we had access to aluminium ores like bauxite or tin ores like cassiterite we could work with alloying, but until then we're pretty much stuck with what we have. I guarantee that the moment we can get that stuff then we'll broaden our horizons though. Which won't be any time soon seeing as we're in a swamp. Maybe work with the albinos to extract soils in various places around the swamp, we could probably get lucky and find a deposit that's been leaching into the environment, but I wouldn't hold my breath on it"

Kika hums in thought, scratching her crocodilian chin. "I see… an as for steel?"

I smile a little, nodding. "Now thankfully, there's a little more we can do with steel that we couldn't with copper on its own. Never mind stronger equipment, especially with magic enhancements, but we could also use it to make more suitable cutlery and scientific equipment, as it has an overall higher heat resistance than copper while also being significantly sturdier on average. Now, the magical forging process we've been using makes it a little less significant, but we shouldn't forget it. Steel was a staple in my homelands, the active weapon and armor material of choice for hundreds of years before being phased out by the killing power of powder and lead. It should never be underestimated, especially its reliability for standing the tests of time.

Of course, that's just steel. Iron on itself still has uses, primarily in the creation of magnets. That's a whole different discussion however, as I'd have to get into the finer details of magnetism, electricity, the poles…"

I realized I was starting to drone on about something that probably wouldn't fully click with them and coughed, clearing my throat and sheepishly smiling. "Point being, I'd be standing here all day explaining the uses of the metals we have on hand"

Kika nodded, smiling as she stepped up from the table. God is she big, I just can't get over that.

"I have all day. Young one, go back to helping your parents with the forge, I'd like to speak with this human"

The little lizard boy nodded, slipping out of the artisan hut and leaving us be. She turned to me with a sudden fire in her eyes, grabbing me by the shoulders and staring into my soul.

"What else can you tell me?" She spoke in demand, though not out of negativity.

I couldn't help but gulp at the tight grip she had me in. "U-uh, well, iron c-can uh… be used for nails, and uh…"

I got the feeling this was gonna be a long day.

Nolan Potts, Human (Karma: 70 [Neutral]) [19/24 Spell slots used]

Classes: Brawler (5), Ranger (3), Druid (5), Clothier (3), Translucer (1), Unused Levels (1). Total Level (18).

Spells (Druid): Frostbite, Entangle, Create or Destroy Water, Guidance, Jump, Cure Wounds, Dust Devil, Protect from Poison, Hold Person, Spike Growth, Lesser Restoration, Water Breathing, Darkvision, Sleetstorm, Ice Knife

Spells (Ranger): Animal Friendship, Speak to Animals, Ensnaring Strike, Conjure Animals

Items of Note: {Humble Beginnings}

Party Members are as follows…

Member One: Todone, Son of Kodrotti, Toadman (Karma: -10 [Neutral])

Classes: Toadman Warrior (9), Brawler (9), Martial Artist (1), Total Level (19).

Member Two: Yulg (Karma: 50 [Neutral])

Classes: Goblin Marauder (1), Brawler (8), Warrior (4), Cleric (1), Total Level (13)

Member Three: Crusch Lulu of the Red Eyes (Karma: 50 [Neutral])

Classes: Awakened Elder Blood Lizardman (1), Druid (6), Spirit Shaman (3), Summoner (1), Scientist (1), Total Level (12)

AN: Ding ding ding, chapter thirty folks. Once again, can't help but be surprised with myself. So, news. It's kinda good, kinda bad, I'm just trying to look at it with a half-full sort of look right now. I finally managed to talk to my superiors about the whole mess, and they 'fixed' it. And by fixed it, I mean they completely took me off the schedule for the days they messed my hours up. So I've got the next five days off instead of a clusterfuck, and I'm probably gonna spend that writing. Huzzah? I appreciate the worry you guys have about my situation though, and don't worry. There's a reason I stated in the first chapter that there was always the chance I could drop off for months, and that's because I'll always prioritize my time being put into important stuff first.

Rathalos: I've worked with them at a different location before actually, and it was nothing like this beforehand. This particular place is just boned in the organization department because of a mass clean up of poor workers and incompetent management, so all I can do is roll with it until we can clean things up and make it better.

Fan Mexicano: I'm a little surprised I've got a Mexican fan actually. I don't know Spanish other than a few words, so I hope you don't mind if I just put your stuff through Google Translate. I do appreciate that you enjoy my work though, hope y'all will stick around