Reborn as the Ultimate Inventor: Crafting My Path to World Domination

I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, noticing how much I had grown. The face that stared back at me was that of a 16-year-old teenager, framed by the same messy black hair as my father's. The same piercing silver eyes of my mother. My jawline was strong and defined, mirroring the rest of my physique, which had become more muscular over the past year. 

I had traveled with my father through various regions, hauling countless shipments that had shaped my body through hard labor. I learned a great deal from my father's business, which focused on selling textiles, an industry with slim profit margins. I tried to convince him to switch to more profitable products, but he was adamant that our family had always been in the textile trade. While he had established a loyal customer base, it wasn't hard to see they were taking advantage of him. The only reason he kept those regular clients was by constantly lowering his prices to ensure their return. I had accompanied him on a few sales visits and noticed that even a small price increase would prompt complaints, to which my father would always yield.

The carriages and caravans faced the same issues as those in my previous world, unreliable and prone to breaking down easily. Unlike the mercenaries from my old world, protection here was provided by the local guilds. The guilds were highly respected and, while their fees were steep, they guaranteed excellent protection and ensured no conflicts of interest.

"Are you ready Altair?" My father questioned from outside, his voice traveling through my open window. 

Waking up early had become part of my routine, though it was a struggle at first. I spent countless nights tinkering with various magical inventions, hoping they would help my family thrive. One invention, in particular, I was eager to test. It just so happened that today would be the perfect opportunity to put it to use. I quickly put on my spectacles and made my way out of my room.

"I'm on the way out!" I quickly responded to my father. 

As I entered the carriage my father had prepared, he looked at me confused. It was understandable, as I was wearing a pair of spectacles I had just finished creating the previous night. Their primary purpose was to analyze the quality of the items my father purchased. Developing them had taken some time, as I had to infuse my own mana and acquire a few missing components. Since I was still a novice at controlling mana, the process took longer than I had anticipated.

"What are you wearing? Are you having trouble with your eyesight?" my father asked, his voice filled with concern.

"No, my eyesight is perfectly fine. I'm testing out a new invention. I'm hoping it will help us when acquiring raw materials for the textiles," I replied. Although my explanation seemed to raise more questions for him, he ultimately relented and dropped the subject.

The carriage rolled forward, marking the beginning of our new adventure. The past year had been a turbulent one. We had narrowly escaped death at the hands of a spawn of undead. It was only thanks to the local guild's adventurers that we managed to survive. They fought off the creatures just long enough for us to escape. On top of that, my father had been embroiled in a dispute with a group of merchants who insisted on taking a percentage of his profits, simply because he was from outside their kingdom. Of course my father relented. 

"We're losing too much money on raw materials, Father, it wouldn't be so bad if we had quality materials, but we're also losing money because we've been buying poor-quality batches." I said, breaking the silence as I glanced over his ledger.

The ledger over the past few months revealed consistent results: poor quality led to the disposal of nearly half the materials my father purchased, further draining his finances. I had assumed that after so many years in the textile industry, he could easily distinguish between good and bad materials. But I quickly learned that wasn't the case. It turns out that I would need to rely on my inventor's system to stay ahead in every situation.

With the help of my inventor's system, I also updated my father's carriage. I upgraded both the wheels and the frame. The new wheels were significantly sturdier and much smoother, greatly improving our comfort. According to my system, further upgrades could still be made.

As I opened the system's interface, I realized I still hadn't unlocked several skills necessary for my inventions. There was a specific goal I needed to achieve before I could use my mana efficiently, and that became my primary focus. To meet the system's criteria, I had to successfully infuse my mana into ten seamless inventions. So far, the only one that had met the requirements was the spectacles.

The next tier required me to create ten pristine items. After that, I would need to craft ten elite items, followed by ten legendary items. The final milestone, which would grant me the ability to create anything at will, was to produce ten mythical items. It felt overwhelming, especially since I had no idea what materials or magic would be required to create such inventions.

So far my stats were unimpressive:

Level 2 Inventor: Novice

Intelligence: B

Strength: C

Dexterity: D

Mental Fortitude: S

Mana Control: F

Intelligence: Determines how quickly you can learn new skills. Increasing this stat enhances your ability to control mana quicker and boosts your capacity to create inventions. 

Strength: Impacts endurance and physical power. Improving this stat increases your overall strength and physical capabilities. 

Dexterity: Affects reflexes, agility, speed, and finesse. Enhancing this stat improves all related attributes, including reflexes, agility, speed, and finesse. 

Mental Fortitude: Represents willpower and psychological resilience. A higher stat improves your ability to withstand mental strain and resist manipulation. 

Mana Control: Determines how efficiently and precisely you can manipulate mana. Increasing this stat not only improves your control but also expands your mana reserves. 

"I will not leave the textile industry," my father interrupted as I was viewing my system's interface. I looked towards him as I closed my system's interface.

"Yes, I know, our family has been in the textile trade for generations. I'm not asking you to leave it; I'm just suggesting we diversify into other areas," I reminded him once again.

"What's the plan for today, aside from buying raw materials?" I asked, gazing out the window of the carriage. The morning sky was calm, and the streets were lively, filled with people in the marketplace trying to sell their goods.

"I was planning to enroll you in the kingdom's academy," my father replied. "I'm hoping you can serve at a noble's court, so you won't be stuck as a merchant like me."

I continued to gaze out the carriage window, watching the merchants try to sell their wares to the occasional passersby. It wasn't a particularly terrible occupation, but it required both persuasion and dedication to truly excel in the craft.

"Thanks for the offer but I'm okay. I think we'll manage." I sighed, attending the academy sounded stressful.

"You know the laws Altair. If you're not enrolled in the academy you will have to join the town guard or join the ranks of their army" my father pushed. 

This world, like my previous one, was steeped in outdated customs. For males under the age of eighteen, there were only two choices: either join the kingdom's academy to become a more dignified member of society, or serve as cannon fodder on the front lines, like the rest of the commoners. While merchants were considered commoners, they occupied a higher status due to their wealth, allowing us the opportunity to join the academy, though not without facing discrimination.

Joining the kingdom's army was a five-year commitment, but most who enlisted never lived long enough to fulfill it. On the other hand, if I joined the academy, I would constantly be reminded, no matter my merchant status, that I was still a commoner in the eyes of the nobility.

Although it wasn't something I particularly wanted to yield to, it was an option to further explore my system, specifically, to research which items in this world qualified as successes for each of my creation goals.

"I will think about it." I assured my father.

Before the conversation could continue, we had reached the factory that produced the raw fibers needed for my father's textile business. The factory was an old building made of brick and iron with smoke being emitted from its chimney. 

As we entered, the air was thick with the scent of freshly made fabrics and dyes. The machines hummed steadily, weaving precise and intricate patterns into the fabric. The factory floor was a maze of conveyor belts, with workers moving seamlessly to ensure the machines ran smoothly. We navigated through the maze of machines until we finally reached the person in charge of selling the raw fabrics to my father.

"Garwen my friend it's been a few months." My father started the conversation. 

Garwen embodied the stereotypical image of a merchant. Middle-aged with a round, jovial face, he had a few wrinkles, marks of the years spent managing a high-risk business. He was already balding, likely from the stress of his trade. His sharp, calculating eyes were always scanning his surroundings, constantly looking for opportunities to turn a profit. His clothing, though practical, was carefully tailored, with numerous pockets for utility. Unlike my father, Garwen favored bright, colorful attire, a bold contrast to the more subdued clothing my father preferred.

"Elric, it's always a pleasure to see you. You've been a regular client of mine for quite some time," Garwen said with a feigned smile.

As they continued exchanging pleasantries, I adjusted my spectacles to focus on the raw fibers and dyes. With each one I examined, my glasses provided detailed information about their quality.

The silks were neatly arranged on a sturdy table. When I picked one up, the spectacles immediately indicated that it was of poor quality. I went through all the colors, ultimately finding only one that met my spectacles standards.

Red Silk - Quality : Poor - Damaged: exposed to excess moisture. 

White Silk - Quality: Poor - Damaged: Overexposure to the sun. 

Green Silk- Quality: Poor - Damaged : Damaged from high heat.

Blue Silk- Quality - Normal/Acceptable : Slight inconsistency in threading. 

It was fascinating to discover that my spectacles not only enhanced my vision but also explained why the silks were of such poor quality. I smiled in triumph, realizing they were far more useful than I had initially thought. Noticing the quality of Garwen's raw textiles weren't the best, I decided against further inspecting the rest of the items placed on other tables.

"Father." I called out.

My father abruptly ended his conversation with Garwen and approached me. Garwen quickly followed, smiling to himself, convinced that he was about to persuade my father into purchasing inferior products.

"Altair, did you find something you liked?" my father asked, noticing I was still adjusting my spectacles. 

I glanced at Garwen, who continued to smile. There was something unsettling about it, his grin felt almost sinister. He had no hesitation in trying to deceive my father, and I wouldn't be surprised if he'd been doing it for years, selling him poor-quality items at inflated prices.

"The only silk worth considering is the blue one; everything else is not to standard. We may need to visit another factory." I removed my spectacles and glanced at my father, who looked at me puzzled.

I glanced past my father and saw Garwen fuming. His eyes were wide with shock and anger, his face flushed red. The smile had vanished, replaced by clenched teeth.

"Elric, what is this boy talking about? You know all the products I've sold you are of the highest quality," Garwen interjected, stepping in front of my father. 

My father looked back and forth between me and Garwen, clearly confused and unsure of whom to believe. One of his flaws was that, under pressure, he struggled to make decisions. It was why, when another merchant approached him last year, demanding a tax on his profits for being an outsider, he had given in so easily.

"Father, I'm certain of what I'm saying. If you choose to buy from Garwen, it should only be the blue silk," I said, my voice firm and commanding.

My father stood there in silence, glancing between Garwen and me. I began to lose hope, but then he surprised me.

"Garwen, only the blue silk, please." My father said, handing over a pouch of bronze coins. 

"Elric, please, I've selected the best options for you," Garwen tried to persuade him. 

"Enough. Just the blue silk. We'll go to another factory for our other needs," my father replied firmly, turning to leave. I quickly followed him out of the factory.

As I entered the carriage, my father looked at me with a genuine smile. I was a bit confused by it, surprised that he had chosen to side with me rather than folding under Garwen's pressure.

"I've been trying to sever my business ties with Garwen for a while now. Every time I returned, his prices continued to increase." He slumped back into his seat and let out a sigh of relief. 

"Why is that? I thought you two were good friends?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Your grandfather was good friends with his family, but our relationship soured after Garwen took over. I was just waiting for a valid reason, and you provided it," my father concluded.

"Good for you," I reassured him. 

"Now, let's actually buy some quality raw materials. It seems your spectacles really do work," my father said with a proud smile.