Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Equivalent Exchange, a Fundamental Principle

Jon lifted his right arm, revealing the entire power-assisted Arm Armor.

Its hard, industrial lines and the intricate, precise design of its joints immediately captured all of Esra’s attention.

From the look on her face, if it weren’t for the counter between them, she probably would have plastered herself right onto it!

Jon mischievously wiggled his arm, making the girl’s gaze follow its every move.

"Judging by your reaction, you’re also an explorer on the path of the Artisan. It wouldn’t be out of the question to let you have a look."

"However, since you’re an Artisan, you should know the rules of this trade."

He smiled, a hint of temptation in his voice.

"If you want someone’s knowledge, you have to trade something of equal value for it."

"Miss Esra, what are you prepared to trade for my knowledge?"

The black-haired girl froze.

She turned her head like a stiff puppet to look at Jon, her voice tinged with panic and embarrassment.

"I... I... don’t have anything to trade..."

"What a pity, then—"

Jon pulled his arm back under his cloak, his expression returning to one of indifference.

"It seems we can’t make a deal."

"I... I... I!"

Esra stammered out a few "I’s," her pitiful gaze nearly overflowing from behind her thick glasses.

"Th-this... Sir... I... I really... am..."

She gestured with her hands, trying to explain her passion for Engineering to Jon, but her limited ability to express herself left her stammering for a long time without making any sense.

But Jon, of course, remained unmoved, putting on the air of a cool and detached senior.

Only after the girl lowered her head in dejection did the corner of his mouth lift, revealing his true intentions.

"However... it’s not impossible for me to teach you a thing or two."

Hearing this, Esra instantly perked up from her dejected state, and even her stutter vanished.

"Really!?"

She stared intently at Jon, her face a picture of pleasant surprise.

"Sir, you’re such a good person!"

Jon’s lips twitched at being so abruptly handed the "good person" card, but in the end, he decided not to hold it against the clumsy girl.

He pointed at the large book on the counter, his meaning clear.

"I can teach you, but you have to waive the test and let me take a book from here directly."

"So, do you accept these terms?"

"This..."

Faced with this condition, the black-haired girl couldn’t help but swallow. The eyes behind her glasses blinked nonstop, clearly caught in a mental whirlwind.

Her grandfather’s instructions and her own craving for knowledge clashed wildly in her mind...

In the end, one desire won out.

Esra snapped the book shut and nodded earnestly at Jon.

"I accept!"

"Excellent..."

Jon looked at the quest notification that popped up before him and chuckled inwardly.

[Ding! Quest information has been updated.]

—

[Knowledge Exchange (Ordinary - Random Quest)]

[A novice Artisan, a "knowledge exchange." Will you provide something that satisfies the other party?]

[Quest Objective: Complete the "knowledge exchange" 0/1]

[Basic Reward: 400 general Experience Points, any one book from Old Quill’s collection.]

[Bonus Reward: An additional Experience Point reward multiplier will be granted based on quest completion percentage.]

"Note: The more the other party approves of the knowledge you provide, the higher the quest completion percentage will be."

—

’Newbies are so gullible!’

But while it felt like a trick, Jon didn’t actually intend to deceive Esra.

It was just a small bit of inducement to save time, proving that in the real world, there was more than one path to achieving a goal. Persuading someone to change the conditions of a quest was simply another strategy that worked in his favor.

He glanced at the Engineering components scattered on the floor, then looked back at Esra.

"Are you trying to build a Mechanical Body?"

Although it was phrased as a question, his tone was one of absolute certainty.

As a former max-level Mechanical Artisan, Jon could tell from the scattered parts alone that the girl was trying to build a [Primal Walker Mk. I], a basic Mechanical Body that novice Artisans often used for practice.

Its greatest features were that it was sturdy and durable, with a high degree of customizability. It could later be modified by adding different components to become an Advanced Mechanical Body like a [Carrier] or a [Guardian].

Upon hearing Jon’s words, Esra was first taken aback, then nodded eagerly and repeatedly.

"Yes! I... It’s my first time trying to assemble it..."

"But... for some reason, I always fail at the very last step... Could you help me see where the problem is?"

"Of course. But in that case, I won’t be showing you my Arm Armor, you know?"

"Huh?"

The black-haired girl stared at the placid expression on Jon’s rugged face, looking dumbfounded for a moment. Even her shoulders slumped a little.

But she still mustered some courage and said haltingly,

"B-But... didn’t we agree on an exchange?"

"We are, of course, making an exchange."

Jon crossed his arms, glanced at the rookie before him, and said coolly, "But the items being exchanged should also be of equal value. I’m only taking one book from you, so naturally, I will only give you one piece of knowledge. Do you want me to help you solve the problem with your failed Mechanical Body assembly? Or do you want to see the structure of my Arm Armor?"

"You can only choose one."

"Is... that so?"

Esra dejectedly lowered her head, caught in a dilemma.

As a self-taught Artisan, she had been stuck at the threshold of successfully assembling a Mechanical Body for a long time.

For a senior Artisan to come to this remote little bookshop, willing to guide her and help solve her problem, was something that could only happen in a dream!

But she also desperately wanted to see the greater heights of Engineering!

This senior’s Arm Armor looked simple and understated, but the precise transmission structure at its joints, along with that streamlined device of unknown function, also made her heart itch with curiosity.

’What do they do? How do they work?’

’How am I supposed to choose?’

’Solve my current predicament, or gaze upon the distant future?’

’This is too hard to decide!’

Seeing her fall into a state of "analysis paralysis," Jon had no intention of giving her more time to think and simply raised his hand to tap on the counter.

"Make a decision, quickly. I’m in a hurry."

That tap was like a knock on Esra’s own head.

She snapped her head up, pulling herself out of the unbalanced mentality of "wanting both," and took a deep breath.

’Grandpa said not to covet things that don’t belong to you.’

’And what I need most right now is to become a true Artisan! Even if I could see that more distant future, I wouldn’t be able to touch it! So...’

The black-haired girl looked at Jon with determination in her eyes.

"Sir, I’ve decided! I want to know why my Mechanical Body assembly keeps failing!"

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