Chapter 188: Chapter 183: Esra’s Fantastic Adventure

The girl cheered herself on and quickened her pace.

Before long, the gates of Grent Manor came into view.

And the two majestic, solemn Gun Cavalry I models once again captivated the girl’s gaze, leaving her utterly entranced.

She only snapped out of it when other interview candidates began to arrive. She ducked her head and meekly got in line.

Today’s "interview" had begun.

Esra stood in the middle of the line, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. Her gaze, however, was involuntarily drawn to the aloof figure at the manor’s gate.

Rosalind stood before a makeshift registration table. Her short, silvery-white hair shimmered with an almost glacial luster in the morning light, a perfect complement to her silver eyes, which seemed to hold the depths of a frozen, snow-covered pool.

Her posture was ramrod straight and her bearing elegant. She was speaking to a candidate in a monotone voice that betrayed no emotion, a slender quill held between her fingertips, which she would occasionally use to make a deft mark in the register.

This innate nobility and air of detachment reminded Esra of the unattainable statues of the Ice and Snow Goddess from the illustrations in her grandfather’s antique books—noble and perfect, yet possessing a chill that made one hesitant to meet their gaze.

’Is she a manager at the Giant God Workshop? She’s... she’s so beautiful...’

Sensing the crisp, professional air of a "senior manager" coming from her, Esra instinctively ducked her head. She felt herself shrinking, and though she was still just standing in line, a strange, baseless sense of inadequacy washed over her.

Of course, many others in the interview line had a similar reaction.

In the presence of Rosalind, who had awakened her Dragon Blood and become a Professional, it was difficult for an Ordinary person not to feel inadequate.

Time ticked by, second by second. Then, a cool voice, as crisp as ice beads landing on a jade plate, reached Esra’s ears.

"Next."

The girl jolted, realizing with a start that there was no one left in front of her.

She felt as if an invisible hand were squeezing her heart, which hammered so violently against her ribs it threatened to burst from her chest. She moved toward the table like a clumsy Mechanical Body, her gait stiff and uncoordinated.

"Name."

"N-Name... Esra..."

Standing before Rosalind, Esra felt so crushed by the woman’s noble aura that she could barely breathe. Her tongue felt tied in knots, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

"Where are you from?"

"I-I’m a local! From Birch Town! I live in the Old Town District, and my grandfather is Old Man Quell—he runs a bookshop!"

Rosalind looked up, her silver eyes sweeping impassively over Esra’s face.

Her gaze was placid, yet it seemed to possess a scrutinizing, penetrating quality.

It made Esra feel as though she were being seen through, completely exposed. Her cheeks immediately began to burn, and she hurriedly straightened her posture.

Rosalind’s expression didn’t change in the slightest at Esra’s nervous display. She merely glanced at the primitive walker by the black-haired girl’s feet before turning a page in her record book.

"Since you brought a Mechanical Body, describe the difficulties you encountered while assembling a basic one, as well as your approach to solving them."

This was actually a very simple question. For a self-taught beginner like Esra, who had stumbled her way onto the path of an Artisan, the pitfalls and problems she had encountered were practically countless!

She ought to have had endless experiences to share.

But as she was about to speak, her throat seemed to close up. Inside her head, vivid images of Jon’s clear explanations warred with the memory of her grandfather’s frustrated nagging about her not living up to her potential.

"I... uh... well... first, you have to solve the raw material problem... gears... drive shafts..."

"And... when assembling the structure... you... you have to add a load-bearing axle... or... no, that’s not right... it’s... it’s adjusting for structural stability..."

Her words grew more and more jumbled and incoherent. She even accidentally knocked over the walker at her feet, its parts scattering with a loud CLATTER.

"S-Sorry!"

Esra scrambled to pick up the pieces, so mortified she was on the verge of tears.

Seeing her clumsy display, a few snickers broke out among the other candidates in line.

’It’s over. It’s all over. I’ve completely ruined it!’

The black-haired girl was devastated. She didn’t dare look at Rosalind’s expression, feeling the silent stares and indistinct whispers from the crowd press down on her like a mountain, pinning her head down.

Her dream of joining the Giant God Workshop, along with her grandfather’s rare support and high hopes, seemed to be turning to dust amidst the mess of parts and her own stammering answers.

Just then, the sound of extremely light footsteps approached from behind her.

Esra instinctively glanced over her shoulder and saw a tall, slender Elf in a simple green robe standing quietly not far away. He had appeared without her noticing.

His expression was serene, marked by the characteristic aloofness of the Elf Race. His deep eyes were fixed on her scattered parts and her flushed face.

"Hm?"

A soft, surprised hum escaped the Elf, as if he were wondering where this clumsy ugly duckling had come from, daring to dream of joining the Giant God Workshop.

The immense pressure she was already under suddenly doubled. Esra’s mind went blank with a roar, turning completely to mush. She couldn’t hear what Rosalind said next, and her own responses became even more jumbled and incomprehensible.

She lowered her head in despair, waiting for the cold pronouncement of "Next." Then she could scoop up her shameful pile of "junk" and flee this place that made her want to crawl into a hole.

However, the expected rejection never came.

Just as Esra was about to bury her face in her chest out of shame, Claudio’s gentle, calm voice spoke up.

"Rosalind, let this child pass."

Esra’s head snapped up, and she stared at the Elf in disbelief.

Claudio’s gaze remained on her. A faint, inscrutable light seemed to flicker in his deep eyes, as if he could see something past her current pathetic state and her crude creation—something others had failed to notice.

He didn’t explain his reasoning, only giving Rosalind a slight nod.

"Have her come find me directly at my Workshop later."

With that said, he vanished as if he were an illusion.

"Yes, Mr. Claudio."

A flicker of surprise, barely perceptible, crossed Rosalind’s eyes, but she raised no objection. She held absolute respect for this elder Elf who had once saved Jon’s life.

She simply looked at Esra again, picked up a stiff card from beside the register—one printed with the emblem of a giant fist encircled by gears—quickly wrote something on it with her quill, and handed it over.

"Take this. Once you’re ready, report to the Workshop and ask for Mr. Claudio."

Esra was completely stunned. The sudden turn of events left her reeling.

She dazedly extended a trembling hand and took the small card, which seemed to be imbued with Magic Power. It wasn’t until her fingertips touched its cool surface that the moment felt real.

I passed?

’I passed, even though my performance was so terrible?’

’I’m joining the Giant God Workshop?’

’And that unfathomable Elf... asked for me by name to find him at his Workshop?’

She could clearly feel the gazes of the surrounding crowd, which had once been mocking, instantly transform into looks of astonishment and jealousy.

Among them were Artisans older than her and apprentices from clearly affluent families. Now, they all stared in disbelief as this stammering, ugly duckling of a girl won the favor of the Elf elder and received a pass directly to the heart of the Workshop.

Esra clutched the card, which felt both as light as a feather and as heavy as a mountain. Her heart still hammered erratically, her cheeks burned, and her mind drifted in the clouds. It felt like she was walking on air.

As if in a dream, she bowed to Rosalind, then dazedly started walking toward the manor.

The two Gun Cavalry I models shot a beam of light from their eyes, scanning her and the card in her hand before letting her pass.

Then, Esra entered the manor. Guided by an apprentice who had joined the Giant God Workshop before her, she passed through a courtyard where a white manticore was perched, an antechamber where the skull of a "Giant Dragon" hung, and a hallway displaying several types of Mechanical Bodies, before finally arriving at a door.

"This is Mr. Claudio’s Workshop. You can go in."

The senior apprentice’s earnest voice snapped Esra back to reality. She looked up at the heavy oak door before her.

She knew that from this moment on, her Destiny would change.

The girl took a deep breath and knocked.

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