Subscriber of the Gods Chapter 201 - New Teacher Training Center (4)

The Ethan Workshop branch in Prochet City finally opened its doors.

Amid the busy preparations of mages dispatched from the main branch before the opening, the mages of Prochet watched with skeptical expressions.

“I wonder if there will really be any demand for this. From what I’ve heard, it’s not real attribute bestowal.”

“I heard the same. Wouldn’t it be much better to sell real attribute bestowal instead?”

Typically, mages despise using magic for profit. To them, magic was something noble and beautiful.

However, this workshop belonged to Ethan, the hero of Prochet and legendary ancient spirit mage.

Because of this, the mages didn’t feel much aversion. But they couldn’t understand the workshop’s business model.

Attribute bestowal that wasn’t really attribute bestowal?

It was truly nonsensical. Who would want such a thing?

“At the main branch in Whiskers territory, word of mouth must have spread, so many people who like this sort of thing would have flocked there. But I don’t think such people will come all the way to Prochet.”

Everyone’s reaction was skeptical.

This was also true for Michael, the lord of Prochet.

Heading to the market with a doubtful attitude, Michael sensed the chaotic atmosphere from the market entrance.

“Why is it so noisy?”

“Wh-What’s going on?”

“Why are so many people gathering here?”

After the life force disappeared and the territory declined in the past, Prochet had been cut off from outside visitors for quite a long time.

The market had been rather quiet for a big city, barely maintaining economic activity thanks to the residents who hadn’t left for other regions.

But now, an enormous crowd was pouring into that same Prochet market.

“Wh-What is this?”

“My lord, it’s urgent! The customers are overflowing, we need to manage this! These are all guests of our territory!”

The steward of Prochet who had arrived first spoke urgently.

“N-No way…”

“That’s right! They’re all customers looking for the Ethan Workshop! Go help immediately!”

The steward shouted at the mages standing there dumbfounded.

“Ah, yes!”

Hearing the news that an Ethan Workshop branch had opened in Prochet, all the customers who had been endlessly waiting their turn at the main branch flocked here.

“We’ll do new attribute bestowal on a first-come, first-served basis!”

“But didn’t they say there were no attributes at all?”

“Why would they want attribute bestowal that’s just effects…”

The mages couldn’t understand the people lined up so long they couldn’t see the end. But the customers were waving purses full of gold over their heads and clamoring.

“Take my money!”

“Hurry! Give my sword that new attribute bestowal! I have as much money as you need-!”

“I’ll pay double!”

“Now, now! Please line up, it’s dangerous! The rules are the same as at the main branch in Whiskers territory!”

At the words of the mage dispatched from the Ethan Workshop main branch, the customers moved in an orderly fashion. With so many people, accidents seemed likely, but everyone maintained good order.

“Wow…”

The mages of Prochet gaped at the scene. They couldn’t believe so many people would obey control so uniformly at a single shout.

But for the mages from the main branch, this level was extremely easy to control.

If the Prochet mages saw the customers visiting the main branch in Whiskers territory, they would scream in shock.

Far more people visited the main branch in Whiskers territory every day, so the mages there had to maintain order through much stronger control than this.

With so many visitors, disorder was bound to happen naturally, but if order collapsed, it would lower the profits of the entire market sharing the same space.

Moreover, customers tired of the disorder would stop coming and never visit the workshop again.

So the mages of the Ethan Workshop voluntarily stepped up to control customers and maintain order. They boldly posted notices that they would not sell workshop items or services to those who didn’t follow the rules, no matter how much they paid.

This wasn’t a direct order from Ethan.

Now the Ethan Workshop belonged to both Ethan and the mages running it.

With a perfect sense of ownership in place, they moved in directions that would maximize the workshop’s profits.

“We’re starting sales now!”

“Please give me green dye and the blooming flame attribute bestowal!”

A new wind called the Ethan Workshop started blowing in Prochet.

***

The whip was one of the most difficult weapons to handle.

To strike the exact target point required excellent wrist control. On top of that, without properly utilizing the snap of the wrist, one couldn’t generate proper destructive power.

If a novice who didn’t know the trick wielded it, they couldn’t expect accurate targeting, let alone destructive power.

However, in the hands of an expert, the whip could slice through anything with its tip, making it a weapon with a huge difference in power between novices and experts.

Crack-!

As Ethan swung the whip, its tip writhed in the air like a snake.

With a crisp sound, the whip returned, and Ethan began to swing it again, using the snap of his wrist.

Crack-! Crack-!

With each crisp sound, acceleration built up at the tip of the whip.

Though the whip in his hand was clearly a single line, it seemed to multiply with each movement of Ethan’s wrist.

“Wow… I didn’t know a whip could be handled like that. It looks alive.”

“Honestly, I thought it was inefficient as a weapon.”

“Not at all.”

Ethan’s whip was like a snake.

Though clearly a single whip, each time Ethan moved his wrist, it looked like hundreds of snakes were slicing through the air.

Whoosh-! Whoosh-!

The sound grew louder, and before long, Ethan had created a solid defensive barrier by swinging the whip.

As everyone marveled, Ethan lightly struck the ground with the whip.

“That’s about it.”

“Wow!”

“What is this! This is beyond just handling it!”

The teachers who watched Ethan’s whip technique began to applaud. Eucalis, watching from the side, also clapped briefly with a satisfied expression.

“When on earth did he learn whip handling techniques?”

“Not just sword and magic, now even whips…”

Ciron and Iris wore surprised expressions. They thought they knew Ethan quite well.

Excellent sword skills and magic abilities.

And teaching skills far superior to those, as Ivecar’s top new teacher.

But on top of that, he could handle a whip to this level?

“No, wait a minute.”

Ciron and Iris looked at each other, thinking the same thing.

“But… didn’t he say he could handle them all?”

“He certainly did, could it be, could it be…!”

It wasn’t just the whip.

Ethan had said he could handle all the weapons here.

“Really?”

“For real?”

All the teachers looked at Ethan with disbelieving expressions. The very person who had made that incredible statement wore an utterly calm expression.

Putting down the whip, Ethan next picked up a spear.

-Becomes a master of the spear.

The spear was a weapon that Kai Felix had previously handled well and shown an excellent performance with. So Kai Felix’s eyes lit up with interest in Ethan’s spear technique.

‘Just three things to do well.’

Spinning, pushing, and thrusting.

‘The effect of the trait is too good.’

It was astonishing. Just as with the whip, the feeling of the spear fitting perfectly in his hand as soon as he grasped it was unbelievable.

‘My hand moves at will. The trait is directly adjusting my movements.’

The trait, Weapon Master.

Was this what it meant to become a master as soon as you pick up a weapon?

Swoosh-!

Ethan stomped his front foot down hard and swung the spear from top to bottom, slashing through the air.

Then he pulled the spear shaft inward and immediately thrust forward with speed.

“…!”

The teachers watching felt as if there was an opponent right in front of Ethan.

That’s how realistic his spear technique was.

Kai Felix watched Ethan’s spear technique closely from beginning to end.

Ethan’s spear technique was not just at a level where one could say he could handle it.

If he were to pick up a spear right now and face Ethan’s spear, could he claim victory?

The answer didn’t come easily. He couldn’t see a path to victory.

Meanwhile, Eucalis was beaming, apparently much more pleased with Ethan’s weapon skills than those shown earlier by Kai Felix.

When Ethan said he could handle all weapons, Eucalis initially thought there might be some exaggeration mixed in.

Anyone can simply handle a weapon.

What’s important is how well you handle that weapon, how well you understand it.

Ethan handled both the whip and spear perfectly. Moreover, he clearly understood the traits and essence of both weapons.

With skills at that level, he could answer any question students might ask.

“That’s excellent skill! Then how about this?”

Eucalis handed Ethan a mace.

“A mace?”

“Isn’t that just something you swing?”

“I think even I could handle that.”

But some teachers versed in blunt weapons frowned.

“That’ll be difficult…”

“It’s not just about swinging it.”

As some teachers had said earlier, blunt weapon techniques look very easy at first glance.

It was a simple weapon that you just had to swing with all your might.

But that’s why it was difficult to say you could handle it well.

“You have to show clear characteristics to call it blunt weapon technique. If that’s not visible, it’s no different from just swinging it.”

Because creating those characteristics and making them your own was extremely difficult, blunt weapon techniques were easy to start but hard to master completely.

Eucalis knew this too, which is why he deliberately tossed the mace to Ethan.

But Ethan, who received the mace, was grinning.

‘This is easy.’

Even without the Weapon Master trait, he could handle the mace perfectly.

Ethan had fully internalized the knowledge in his mind while training the inquisitors.

On top of that, he had once used the mace as his main weapon in MePan, so the mace was a very familiar weapon to Ethan.

Grip-.

Ethan gripped the mace tightly.

-Becomes a master of the mace.

Then he swung the mace in the way of the inquisitors. A merciless onslaught that ruthlessly punished heretics burst forth through the mace.

The teachers’ admiration erupted once again at the sight of Ethan handling even the mace at an expert level.

“Hmm!”

Eucalis once again watched Ethan’s demonstration with a pleased expression.

After the demonstration ended, Ethan picked up all the weapons Eucalis had prepared and showed movements appropriate for each weapon.

Starting with the sword, then spear, knife, and even bow.

The bow, in particular, created tremendous synergy combining the previously learned Divine Archery and Weapon Master.

“Ah, no way, is that possible? The arrow went all the way around before hitting! And he didn’t even use mana!”

“Hahahahaha-!”

Eucalis was now outright clapping and enjoying himself.

“Can you handle this too?”

A slender sword emerged from Eucalis’s embrace.

It was a weapon called a urumi, with a flexible blade that showed varied movements according to the swordsmanship.

“Yes.”

-Becomes a master of the urumi.

“You can handle even this? This is insane!”

By now, Eucalis was in ecstasy.

Where on earth did such a genius come from?

A genius who could handle all weapons was right before his eyes.

Even he couldn’t handle all weapons this well at that age.

“A perfect talent! How on earth did you come to handle so many weapons so perfectly?”

That was information other teachers wanted to know too.

How on earth could he handle so many weapons so well?

“Not just handling them, but so excellently. It must not have been easy.”

Ethan thought for a moment at Eucalis’s question before speaking.

“Didn’t you say earlier, Sir Eucalis? That a teacher should be able to answer whatever students ask. I think the same, Sir Eucalis. So I learned. Because I wanted to be a better teacher for the students.”

For a moment, Eucalis was speechless. Who would have thought there was a teacher who understood and realized his beliefs?

Eucalis’s eyes gradually began to moisten.

“You… 100 points. And by any chance, would you consider working as a teacher directly under me? I need an assistant!”

Eucalis’s eyes were completely smitten with Ethan.