"Excuse me, do you have threads and sticks for knitting?"

"Oh, my. You’re interested in knitting? If that is so, we have several varieties of material here."

Lucia-san offers me four types of yarn: silk threads, hemp threads, goat wool, and sheep wool.

Now, which one should I choose?

For underwear, I think silk is the most suitable material because it is soft to the touch.

Hemp is durable, so it can be used for making outerwear.

Goat and sheep wool is also a good option, I think.

No, no, no. I don’t have any experience yet, so I should choose the easiest one to knit. I can choose the other material when I get the hang of it.

Umm… but think of it again, I shouldn’t just choose by how easy it is to knit. I also need to consider the prize.

Silk is expensive, and as far as I know, the defence of equipment made from silk will be reduced when it gets wet. So, if I choose this material as a base, I need to apply waterproofing adhesive, which will cost me more money.

Goats and sheep yarn are the cheapest. The reason is that you can get this item as a drop item from killing monsters. In fact, their price is so low because there’s an abundance of them and most of the people who sell them away don’t have a use for them.

No, no, I’m not a cheapskate, but I think it’s quite a waste to spend money on something you can get for free with a little bit of effort.

What about hemp?

The price is way cheaper than silk and only slightly more expensive than goat or sheep's wool. In fact, this is one of Lucia-san’s specialty products, which requires her to personally process it. Currently, only in Lucia-san’s place can you obtain this material in Arvan City.

Hmmm.

If I want to knit a scarf for practice, it’s better to use hemp yarn, right?

Besides, if I use hemp as a material, the product will have better breathability, so it’ll still be comfortable to wear it even on a hot day. Furthermore, its durability is excellent.

Yosh, let’s pick this.

The remaining problem is…

"Lucia-san, if I want to order hemp yarn in a large quantity, is it possible for you to supply it?"

"Hemp thread, huh? I’m sorry, but I’m barely able to make it for myself. The problem is that I can’t keep up with collecting the raw materials alone."

Mm-hmm.

It’s true that Lucia-san alone will not be able to collect enough in time.

Hmmm… what to do… what to do…

Should I give up and choose another material?

While I’m still thinking, Lucia-san suddenly proposes.

"If you guys can help me collect hemp, I can make hemp threads for you, and I’ll give you a nice discount too."

Well, even if you say it like that, I can’t harvest the hemp myself, you know?

Speaking of which, what skill do I need to learn that will allow me to collect materials like hemp, I wonder?

"I really want to accept your proposal, but unfortunately, I haven’t learned the skill necessary to do it. If I may ask, can you tell me what skill I need?"

"Ooh… you really want to give it a try? If that's so, I can teach you the skill. Also, you can take all the remaining threads I have here for free. Count it as an additional reward for a good girl like you."

Uuh… being called a good girl at this age is quite embarrassing…

And is there something wrong here? Why did I feel like I was cheating this nice lady with all the advantages I got here?

As if sensing my complicated feelings, Yuna-san suddenly burst out laughing.

Uhh… why am I getting laughed at?

I send a questioning gaze at Yuna-san.

"Eve, you probably get the wrong idea here. Let me tell you, when it comes to learning a skill from other people, that’s what we called "Skill Tutor." The one who learns with this system must spend some skill points."

Oh my.

I don’t have an idea that the skill points can also be used that way.

"Actually, it’s the fastest way to learn a new skill." Yuna-san says and turns to Lucia-san. "Lucia, please join the party for now. Yuka, please learn the skills after Lucia joins the party."

When Lucia-san joins our party, I open the Skill menu and then the Learn section.

There are only a few skills listed in the window.

It is less than I expected it to be...

===

[Craftsman’s Eye] – 5 points

[Woodworking] – 5 points

[Bow Mastery] – 5 points

[Sharpshooter’s Eye] – 10 points

===

What appeared on the list is the one I’m looking for, [Eyes of a Craftsman], plus [Woodworking], [Bow], and [Sharpshooter’s Eye]…

Hey, can this be…

"Did you get it now? The only new skills you can learn with skill points are the skills that the members of your party have already learned."

I see…

I thought that I could learn the skill for free, like how it had been for me until now.

So, this is what you call a "Skill Tutor."

I have to spend 5 points to learn the [Craftsman’s Eyes] but I don’t hesitate and quickly choose to learn it.

This is quite a handy skill to have.

Now I can collect the materials on my own.

Now I think about it from a different angle. Doesn’t it mean that I can see what skills each of my party members has, and they can also see mine?

I don’t mind if it’s my current party member, but I don’t think I can let someone that I don’t trust join my party if that’s the case, nor do I want to casually join another party.

"In normal games, it's common to form a party momentarily and say goodbye afterward, but in this game, I will only form a party with people I trust."

Or maybe, you should only learn the skills that you don’t mind being exposed?

"You spend important skill points to learn a skill. So, it’s not all advantages; there are also some disadvantages to that. Besides, she can expect a stable supply of hemp from now on, so for her, giving you the remaining hemp thread is just a small upfront investment."

Lucia-san keeps smiling and doesn’t seem offended when Yuna-san calls out her scheme. Well, it's a common thing in business after all, so this much is nothing.

I still feel like I'm getting more for my money, but I'm sure I'll offend the other party if I hold back any longer.

Well, let’s just leave it at that.

"If you bring me the hemp today, the new hemp thread will be ready tomorrow, so you can buy that for me."

"Okay, I understand. Then I’ll go right now."

"The hemp grows in abundance in the forests to the west, so that's where you should go."

"Yes, thank you."

"Okay, then, Lucia. See you later~"

I leave Lucia-san's store and head to West Arvan’s Forest with Yuna-san.