Exiled in a Class Trial for “Poor Dexterity”.

I returned to Onesco as I tucked the collected drop items into my coat pocket.

Onesco was playing with Tom the whole time, and seemed to be enjoying herself more than ever.

Her eyes, which are always lifted tightly, seem to have become somewhat calmer.

Suddenly, she murmured.

“…… I dreamed of being a holy knight. I came from a family of knights, and we’ve served great men for generations. My parents also told me to be a knight in the future. …… At first, I didn’t want to go down that predetermined path.”

“But,” she continued, turning Tom over and stroking the hairs on his back.

“I changed my mind after I became Monaka-sama’s classmate in middle school. I was touched by Monaka-sama’s kindness and deep compassion. …… I began to feel strongly that I wanted to protect her. But in order to really protect the saintess, you have to become a holy knight. ……”

The “Holy Knight” is one of the higher positions of knights.

It is possible for a knight to serve a saint, but he cannot accompany her to a sacred place such as a sanctuary.

But a holy knight is a knight approved by God, so he is allowed to enter the sanctuary.

Maybe, I think.

“Did you need that gem to become a holy knight?”

“Yes, it is, and there are a few trials involved in becoming a holy knight ……. For the first test, you have to fit three jewels, red, blue and yellow, into the hilt of your sword, the initial equipment of a knight.”

Onesco said so, and pulled out the sword she carries on her hip, sheath and all, and showed it to me.

There was indeed a small indentation on the handle for the jewels to be inserted.

“Three different colored gems, that’s a lot of work.”

In a pioneering academy, it’s quite difficult to get gems.

“Well, it’s very hard to find. You have to find the mine first, and gems are hard to come by.”

I’ll take over the word.

“Even if you’re lucky enough to get a gem, it’s not considered a gem in its original state, so you have to process it. It’s got to be the job of Jewelers.”

A jeweler is a higher job than a stonecrafter.

It is only at the end of the pioneering period that higher-level jobs appear, and there are not always students who become jewelers.

Filled with a full body massage, Tom slipped out of Onesco’s hands and jumped onto the rock.

Onesco says regretfully.

“The trials of a holy knight are not limited to that. There are many students in this academy who aspire to become Holy Knights, but maybe not even one of them can become one. But I’m not going to give up and I’m going to do my best for Monaka-sama.”

I almost didn’t hear that determination in her voice.

Because I was distracted by Tom on the rocks.

Tom clawed at the rocks, scratching them crisply.

The rock is torn to shreds like a wafer.

Onesco marveled.

“Wow, Tom, you really do claw at rocks.”

To me, that in and of itself wasn’t a surprise.

The Black Panther’s claws are too soft for wood, so he uses rocks to sharpen them.

I saw that scene a few times when I was in the forest house.

I made a new discovery today.

Tom is not only licking his claws, but also occasionally licking the rocks with his tongue.

Countless spike-like objects sprang from its tongue, scraping away at the surface of the rock like diamond files.

I’m suspicious.

“When I tamed Tom in Pet Battles, he jumped on me and licked my face ……. But then, Tom’s tongue was slippery. ……”

I approached Tom, wondering what if.

“Tom, can I see your tongue for a second?”

At my call, Tom looks up with a “?”

Tom always forgot to put his tongue away when I called him when I groomed him, and he had the same expression on his face.

Tom’s scowling tongue is renewed.

I looked at the spikes coming in and out of the surface of his tongue and I was convinced.

“Well, Tom’s tongue is like a claw, and the spikes can move in and out at will: ……! It also has spikes that can …… scrape off rocks!”

I turned my palm toward Onesco.

“Onesco, lend me a bit of that gem you got earlier!”

“What the hell are you going to do?”

Just lend it to me for a bit!”

I accepted the stone that was offered to me with a look of being caught off guard.

I pinched it between my index finger and thumb and held it close to Tom’s mouth like an examining vet.

“Tom, can you get the spikes out?”

Tom made a strange sound, and then, with a jerk, a spike popped out of his tongue.

It was as long as a sword mountain, so I was a little surprised.

“I didn’t know spikes could grow that far, but it doesn’t have to be that far, just enough to show the tip.”

Then Tom makes a small, difficult face, but answers the request.

As he leans in closer to the golden eyes, he retracts the spikes as if they were linked.

When it was about the size of a coarse file, I put a stop to it.

“Okay, that’s the length, can you stop it at that length?”

“Hyuah.”

I changed my job to ‘Stonecrafter’ just in case.

I place the gem on Tom’s tongue and move it around as if I were rubbing it.

With a “zari!” sound, the rough stone was scraped away.

My heart races at the sight of its smooth surface.

“Oh, ……? You can’t process jewelry without high-level tools, but ……!”

“Hey, hey, Leopin-san, what the hell are you doing?”

Instead of Onesco’s words from behind my back, I got carried away and chipped away at the gems.

All the while, Tom didn’t seem displeased and stayed put with his mouth open as if he was getting a cavity filled.

“Okay, that’s roughly the shape, now can you make the eyes more detailed?”

Then Tom’s eyes narrowed and he became jittery.

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant, I just need you to retract that spike on your tongue a little more.”

“Hyuah.”

When Tom retracts the spikes just far enough, the surface of his tongue becomes like sandpaper.

‘Good, good,’ I said as I applied more of the gemstone to the surface, polishing it.

“Okay, I got it!”

“Hey, you got what?”

At the voice behind me, I turned around and threw the jewel, “Here, I’ll give it back.”

Once a rough stone, it’s surface was cloudy, but now it’s as clear as the water’s surface.

The geometrically cut surface sparkles and shines when it catches the sunlight.

==========

Aquamarine

Quantity 1

Quality Level 24 (Material Level 20 + Dexterity Bonus 4)

A jewel in which the power of the water spirit resides.

By processing and decorating your equipment, you can gain the power of water.

==========

“Eh- Eeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”