"Quarterly shop association eting…"
Rusty muttered as he studied the piece of parchnt in his gauntleted hands. The rchant who had delivered it was long gone, and the custors in his shop had already returned to browsing the system-made weapon replicas displayed on the shelves.
"Could this be so kind of trap? Should I be worried?"
He asked his two guides, while the people nearby remained unaware of their conversation.
"I'm not sure. Considering you have beco a shop owner, perhaps the people in the settlent simply want to know who they are dealing with."
Alexander replied. He was no rchant himself, so his insight was limited. Hidden contracts and arrangents were common in the city, but Rusty had built his business on his own, without relying on outside help.
"So, it should be fine?"
Rusty posed another question, and this ti, his other guide replied.
"I wouldn't be so certain, my dear Rusty. These lesser beings are driven by greed. They may want to control you, or worse, strip away what you have built."
"I see…"
Rusty murmured. The words unsettled him. Aburdon's concerns sounded reasonable. Money was at the heart of humanoid life, perhaps even the most important part of it. Without it, nothing could be accomplished. Even powerful nobles and adventurers hoarded wealth to secure strength and luxury. In a society like this, almost everything depended on coin.
Rusty tightened his grip on the parchnt, the letters glinting faintly in the reflection of his polished helt. Curiosity appeared within him as he wondered how the other shop owners in the settlent might look. He was still fascinated by this humanoid world and its peculiar rules. It was a contrast to the life of monsters, where strength was the only law. He could not yet decide which side he preferred, but this seed like a good chance to discover more of what the world had to offer.
"I have decided. I will attend this eting!"
"⸜( ˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝"
"You want to co too? Hm… I am not sure how the humanoids will react. It might be better if you stay at the store."
"( •̀ - •́ )"
"I know, Gleam, but you understand how these people are."
"( – ⌓ – )"
Gleam clearly disliked the idea of staying behind, but her movents in the city were limited. A monster wandering freely through the settlent would only stir panic, and the guards might attack her. The only way she could travel safely was while perched on Rusty's shoulder or hidden from sight.
"Rusty is right, Gleam. They will probably not allow soone like you to take part in the eting. And Rusty, I am not sure they will welco you either if you show up dressed like that."
Alexander gestured toward Rusty's armored body. Although Rusty passed as an adventurer who happened to run a shop, arriving at a formal gathering in full plate armor was unusual.
"This is my body. I cannot change it!"
Rusty protested. At most, he could possess another human, but even then they would need to wear his helt to keep the disguise.
"Hm… Perhaps a small makeover is in order. Sothing that softens your appearance."
"There is sothing wrong with the way I look?"
Rusty asked. His armor had been chosen to blend in with adventurers, not other groups. He had seen armored n around the settlent dressed differently, but he was unsure what Aburdon ant.
"Indeed. First of all, we need to get you a cape."
"A cape?"
Now that Aburdon had ntioned it, Rusty recalled that nobles and wealthy rchants often wore flowing capes and glittering jewelry. He had also noticed knights whose armor looked far more polished and ceremonial than his own. Perhaps this was what his companions ant.
"Should I craft a suit of armor more like that of a noble knight?"
He asked, and Alexander replied.
"That would not be ideal, but considering the way your body works, it would certainly look better than this adventurer's armor."
As a living suit of armor, Rusty was bound to tal, yet there were ways to soften his appearance and make him seem less threatening. Cloth and silks could be draped over his fra, and thinner plates could be fashioned to appear more decorative than functional. Still, one problem remained: what to do about his face.
"But how should it look… I am not familiar with these people. What's the word… fashion?"
Rusty admitted that he had no idea how to dress. He noticed so people wrapped in cloth from head to toe and wondered if he could simply throw a robe over his body and call it done. Before he could decide, Aburdon spoke.
"Do not worry, my dear Rusty. When I was Demon King, I was hailed as the most fashionable of all my predecessors!"
Aburdon declared with a triumphant laugh. Alexander let out a sigh and offered a quick rebuttal.
"That is an obvious lie. Let us just copy what the people in this settlent are wearing."
"Copy them? That is… possible. Hm."
Rusty pondered for a mont and glanced back at the paper. The gathering was exactly five days away, so he had enough ti to create sothing presentable with the help of his guards. He would have preferred to spend that ti increasing his levels or forging more enchanted weapons, but designing a suit of armor suitable for formal encounters was not a bad idea. The future was uncertain, and it was best to have a variety of fras ready in his system.
"Good, let us do it then. We will need a schematic first."
With that in mind, he headed into his forge. By now, he had grown used to the life of a craftsman. Making steel armor and altering it had beco simple after he had rebuilt so many pieces in the past few weeks. The only challenge would be the clothing elents, but if they sketched out a design, it would be easy enough to pick up the right materials from nearby shops.
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"I think it should cover the neck area. Considering the limits of your borrowed 'face', we could disguise the helt with a hat or a hood. Maybe even chainmail coif."
All three quickly discussed their ideas and studied a drawing of how the suit of armor would work. It would be much thinner than his usual fras and shaped to resemble a human body more closely. Over it, they planned to place a tunic that would cover his entire body and neck. His face would remain exposed, but beneath his chin, he would still need to wear part of his helt. To hide this detail, he would use a cape trimd with fur to draw attention away from it. To cover the rest of the helt, he would combine a padded coif with one of the peculiar rchant hats that others often wore.
"This is perfect."
When the schematic was complete, Rusty reviewed it. Aburdon seed delighted with his design, but to Rusty it looked a little ridiculous.
"Is it?"
"Have so trust in , my dear Rusty. You will be the talk of this lowly human gathering."
"Sure…"
Rusty was not entirely convinced, yet the design was still far better than the one he had originally planned to use. With the plans complete, it was now ti to bring them into reality, and the first step was shopping. He decided it would be best to find the tunic first and only afterward build a fra that would fit beneath it.
The marketplace bustled with life, busier than ever. Since the last orc attack, nothing else had disturbed the city, and as a result, trade had flourished. Stalls overflowed with goods: tunics, belts, leatherwork, and even vests. Though the prices were not exactly low, gathering everything he needed proved simple enough, and before long, he returned to his lair to continue his work.
Once he returned, it was ti to begin. He chose one of the smaller fras, considered dium-sized for adventuring armor, and built around it. The tunic he had purchased was a deep blue, paired with black pants and sturdy leather boots of fine quality. Each piece had to fit over his fra while still allowing him to keep his balance and move without losing his footing.
"Ti to work!"
Rusty laid the tunic and pants across the workbench, eyeing them like he would raw ore before slting.
"These fabrics are softer than tal. They will rip apart if the tal body is too rough."
He knew that if he did not prepare his new body properly and left sharp edges exposed, the fabric could tear. To prevent this, he would need to polish the surface to a shine and hamr out every imperfection. Fortunately, this body did not need to be especially durable, since its purpose was only to walk and speak among others. If danger arose, he could always summon a different form, though doing so in the middle of a rchant gathering would reveal him.
'I don't think this is a trap, but if it is, I'll just use that thing.'
Rusty glanced at the side table where several potions rested. He had purchased a few alchemical concoctions that could help him escape if he were attacked.
"Now then…"
He began hamring the pieces into place. The fra he had chosen was slimr than his usual build. The plates were narrower, and he had left several joints unarmored so the fabric could cover the gaps. It felt almost vulnerable, but with his system at hand, he was never truly defenseless.
Next ca the cape. The fur trim shimred faintly in the forge's glow as Rusty pinned it around his shoulders. The garnt softened the hard outline of his armored torso and concealed the strange angles where tal t cloth.
"Doesn't it look a little too eye-catching?"
It had taken several days to assemble his new body, and now he stood before the mirror, admiring the result. Only a single day remained, leaving little ti for further adjustnts.
"You look magnificent! Trust this demon lord. There is just one more thing you should take to complete the look…"
Rusty turned his gaze to the side, where the final piece awaited. His new costu was complete, with nearly all the tal hidden beneath layers of cloth, though a portion of his human head remained uncovered. The last step was to appear at the gathering scheduled for the following afternoon.
The next day, Rusty arrived at the rchant guild hall in his newly crafted "rchant attire."
The building was large, with carved wooden beams and lanterns swaying outside its doors. Dozens of voices carried through the entrance as people were welcod inside.
'It's similar to the Adventurer's Guild.'
He did not understand why humanoids created so many associations and guilds. They divided themselves into countless smaller groups, each with its own leader, usually soone with great experience in the trade. After adjusting the fur-lined cape draped across his shoulders, he stepped forward toward the man holding a clipboard and marking arrivals.
"I was told to co here for the quarterly shop association eting?"
His only proof of invitation was the parchnt the rchant had given him, and he held it out to the man with spectacles.
"Ah, good day, sir…"
The man turned to him, but his words faltered as soon as he saw Rusty. His eyes darted up and down, studying him with hesitation. He blinked several tis, his pen hovering above the page as though he could not decide whether to record Rusty's na or call the guards.
"And who might you be, dear sir?"
His smile was strained, and he rifled through his notes, clearly uncertain of Rusty's identity.
"I'm Edmund, owner of The Living tal Forge."
Rusty straightened his cape and lifted his chin, imitating the noble posture he had studied. His secret weapon, a cane in his right hand, supported his stance exactly as Aburdon had instructed. The people nearby had been watching him closely, but when he turned his head, they all averted their gazes at once.
"L-living tal Forge, you say? Please wait a mont."
The man dabbed his forehead with a cloth before scanning his notes again. At last, his pen stopped, and he placed a check mark beside a na.
"Y-yes, of course, Master Edmund. Please proceed inside."
Rusty strode through the wooden doorway, his boots ringing softly against the polished floorboards. Inside, dozens of rchants had already gathered, seated around long tables laden with wine, roasted ats, and baskets of bread. Iron chandeliers above them cast flickering candlelight across their silky robes, velvet shirts, and jeweled rings.
This hall was unlike the Adventurer's Guild. The tables were arranged in a ring around a central floor where an entertainer sat plucking a song on a large harp. Before him, three won in light clothing danced gracefully to the tune.
"Is this really a rchant eting?"
Alexander had expected sothing formal and professional, yet what he found instead resembled a celebration.
"It is not so different from the demonic gatherings. Even if these lesser beings appear to be enjoying themselves, many are only using the drink as a cover to conduct business."
Aburdon's sharp gaze missed nothing. He understood that the music, the alcohol, and the dancers all served the sa purpose: to loosen tongues and soften the mood, making negotiations easier.
"I am certain there is a price for such things…"
Rusty made his way to the edge of the room, scanning the faces. So rchants stole glances at him, whispering behind their cups. A few looked amused at his overly formal attire, while others frowned, unsure of who this "Edmund" was. But most ignored him, far more interested in the food, drink, or their own circles of influence.
Rusty found a bench along the wall and settled onto it. From there, he could see the entire gathering. He was still unsure whether this was a genuine eting or so kind of elaborate trap. The settlent was small, and when everyone finally arrived, the number of store owners was fewer than he expected. Only about twenty people had co.
The music stopped without warning. The dancers withdrew, and the mood shifted at once. Conversations faded to murmurs as three figures entered from the far end of the room.
"Those must be the true leaders."
Alexander murmured. The three seed to command attention without effort. On the left walked a man broad as an oak, his arms heavy with muscle. His beard was white but thick, and scars showed beneath the rolled sleeves of his shirt.
In the middle strode a tall man whose gaze swept over the rchants as though he were surveying property already in his possession. Gold rings glead on his fingers, and although his smile was thin, it carried the calm authority of soone long accustod to obedience.
On the right ca a narrow-shouldered figure, thin as a quill. Spectacles flashed on his face, and he clutched a thick ledger tight against his chest as if it were more valuable than any treasure. His sharp eyes moved constantly, calculating and weighing, noting every detail.
These were the true overlords of the rchant group, and Rusty could tell that one of them was looking directly at him…
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