Jake wasn’t at the rchant’s Guild office when Arwin got there. Instead, he was greeted by a wooden sign.
“On break?” Arwin read, a frown crawling across his lips. It was the middle of the morning. Nobody took a break this early. Not a normal one, at least.
He glanced around the rchant’s Guild to see if Jake just happened to be hiding sowhere, but as far as he could tell, the rickety building was empty. Arwin pursed his lips and headed back out onto the street.
If Jake wasn’t here, then he was probably out on business. Tracking him down would be impossible, so he’d probably have to wait until Jake swung by himself or check the office again later.
There was always the option of standing around and waiting for him to return, but there was just too much to do for him to waste that much ti doing nothing. He had armor to craft, new skills to learn, and — if he was lucky — a dwarf to find.
And that’s not to ntion all the work we’re about to get as more people discover us. The days of working in the corner of the market praying for a single sale are over. I need to make sure I can transition into a more exclusive smith and make custom order items for higher prices. That’s the only way I can sustain this without working day and night to et demand — and it’ll be better for advancing my class than making a ton of crap that the sh doesn’t even acknowledge.
Lillia was going to have her own growing pains. She’d also have to find a way to continue making more money. The bigger they got, the more of it they needed. More people visiting the Devil’s Den ant more boons for her. It also ant more demand, and unless she really scaled up the quality of the inn, that wouldn’t translate to considerably more cash on its own. She just needed a way to either significantly expand the number of rooms the inn had or provide more services to the people that visited.
I’m sure she’ll figure sothing out. In a way, my own path is a lot more straight forward than hers. It’s not like she can just serve a single person a day and charge them an exorbitant amount like I plan to.
Arwin stepped out of the rchant’s Guild and wandered down the streets of Milten. He half scanned for Jake on the way back, but he didn’t expect to be nearly lucky enough to just randomly run into him.
A part of him had been slightly worried that the previous day’s efforts would have ended up drawing too much attention to him, but fortunately, aside from a few glances, nobody in the city paid him much bother.
Everyone had their own work and there were a lot of adventurers that passed through the area. He definitely wasn’t the first person to walk by in heavy plate armor that day.
It struck Arwin that he was wandering down a dark street he didn’t quite recall. He was pretty sure he’d taken the sa way back ho that he normally did, but the alleyway he was walking down was definitely a lot darker than it should have been given the position of the sun above.
His eyes caught on a building nestled into the alleyway. It was rickety, made of rotting wood and weathered brick and topped by a slanted roof of misplaced shingles that were one strong wind from crumpling under their own weight.
The old door at its front had a cracked sign depicting a cauldron hanging just above it, swaying from a single chain, the other one having rusted and broken long ago. Arwin’s eyes lit up in recognition.
It was the store of the lonely old woman that had sold him the feather for Anna’s armor.
She probably hasn’t had a chance to speak to anyone recently. I didn’t think this was the alley it was in, but I was kind of distracted the last ti I found it. This is pretty convenient. I never knew it was on the way. I suppose I should grab so feathers before I head back. I need to make the rest of Anna’s armor at so point. Hopefully she’s got so more.
Arwin pushed the door open and headed inside. He nearly stepped right into a large pile of daggers and broken weapons directly at the front of the store. Several of them were inlaid with massive gemstones and trimd with gold.
He repressed the urge to shake his head in distaste.
Bunch of fancy pretend weapons. Who would want to walk around looking like the noble pricks and the adventurers that think looking pretty is more important than using worthwhile equipnt?
I suppose so really nice artifacts do look like this, but anyone using one is probably just trying to look fancy. There aren’t a lot of incredible artifacts to go around. I’d take a normal, effective sword any day of the week. Or a hamr. Probably a hamr.
“Welco to my humble abode. I have much within these old walls, adventurer,” an elderly voice said with a dry chortle. “Do you see sothing that calls to you? It can be yours. For a cost.”
Everything cos with a cost. We’re in a store.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“Hello, Esrelda,” Arwin said. “Have you been well? I just happened to stumble by your store again.”
Esrelda stepped out from behind a tilted bookshelf, her chortle slamming to an abrupt halt as she saw him.
“Oh. It’s you.” Her voice shifted, losing the honey laden lilt and turning flat. She glanced down at the pile of weapons and a hint of optimism entered her expression. “Did you want—”
“I did,” Arwin said with a nod. “More feathers, that is.”
Esrelda’s shoulders slumped and her eyes practically rolled into the back of her head as she turned to head deeper into the store. “Ah. Of course. More feathers. Are you crafting a pillow?”
Arwin chuckled and followed after her. He nearly walked straight into the hilt of a huge broadsword protruding from a shelf and ducked out of the way to avoid bringing half the shop down on top of himself.
“I’m using the feathers as crafting materials. The last one you gave worked perfectly, but I need to make a few more things. I wasn’t actually planning on coming back this soon, but now that I’m here, I figured it couldn’t hurt.”
“I really need to modify that,” Esrelda muttered under her breath as she started shuffling through a shelf in search of what Arwin hoped to be a feather.
“Modify what?” Arwin asked.
She glanced back at him, then shook her head. “What is it that you’re making with these feathers? Are you certain they’re the best material? Perhaps sothing more… exotic could be of use?”
Absolutely not.
“No, normal feathers. I don’t want anything else.”
“Of course you don’t,” Esrelda grumbled. She pulled out a pair of white feathers and held them out. “Is this enough? I’m not a feather store, you know.”
“You do sell feathers, though.” A small grin pulled at the corners of Arwin’s lips as he accepted the feathers and gave her a gold in return. It was still definitely overpaying for them, but he really didn’t mind given how hard it had been to find them anywhere else.
Esrelda just sighed and handed them over to him. “And you’re certain you don’t want anything else? Anything you desire could be at your fingertips.”
Poor lady probably doesn’t get much chance to talk to people with her shop being this far out. I guess she doesn’t want to leave yet. I’m kind of busy today, though. I can’t just stand around doing nothing all day, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes.
“Well… is there sothing you recomnd?” Arwin asked.
Esrelda’s eyes lit up.
***
Fifteen minutes.
After a few centuries of life, that was how long it took the idiot adventurer to break Esrelda.
She showed him rings of great princes. Powerful swords that had traveled from one great warrior to the next, leaving a path of death in their wake. She’d told him the stories of every legendary weapon in her shop.
The adventurer smiled and nodded along, asking every question that a buyer would — only to completely lose interest an instant later and ask her about what else she had.
Esrelda’s fingers twitched at her sides and she fought to keep her teeth from grinding. There was one universal truth in this world.
Greed.
Everyone was greedy. n stole from their brothers and killed their closest friends for power. They betrayed and killed and did all things vile, all in the na of greed. Not all forms of greed were the sa, but in the end, it was the great unifier.
So were greedy for wealth. So for power, and so for fa. There were thousands of different ways to greed — and this adventurer seed to have absolutely none of them. That was impossible. It went against the basis of her very power.
A pure person could not exist. And, if they sohow did, they most certainly did not just walk into her shop to mock her. Esrelda went through so of the strongest artifacts she’d gathered. Weapons that she didn’t even have any plans of selling under any circumstances.
Not a single one of them caught the adventurer’s eye. He just smiled and nodded.
“That’s lovely,” the adventurer said. “It sounds like you have an incredible collection. I hope you find appropriate wielders for everything soon, but I’m a bit pressed for ti today. Perhaps I can return another ti if you want to talk more?”
Esrelda’s eye twitched. She couldn’t help it.
“Who are you?” Esrelda demanded.
“Oh, did I forget to introduce myself the last ti? I’m Ifrit.”
No, you didn’t forget. But there’s no way —
Esrelda paused. Her eyes narrowed. A demon’s na. Was it possible he hadn’t been lying — or more accurately, had he been simply twisting the truth?
Ifrit was no demon. That much was certain. She’d have recognized one on the spot… but demons were descendants of devils. There hadn’t been a devil in the Kingdom of Lian in at least thirty years, but there were ways for them to break through.
A flicker of excitent passed through Esrelda’s chest. That would explain everything. Devils had absolutely no interest in mortal weapons. It had been a long ti since she’d last dealt with their ilk.
Their desires were rooted in chaos. Political power and war, not swords and knives. She swallowed. Devils were masters of disguise and subterfuge. It was possible Ifrit had co to seek her out.
Ifrit didn’t want her items. It wanted her powers. She could still rember the last ti she’d worked with a devil — it had been so of the most fun she’d had that century. Esrelda repressed the grin that threatened to erupt over her features.
The years I spent hiding in this miserable city must have rusted my mind, but they might be about to pay off.
“I wouldn’t seek to keep you here,” Esrelda said, picking her words carefully. “But would you be in desire of any services? I am a uniquely capable woman.”
Ifrit glanced at her from under his helm. “Uh… that’s kind of you to offer, but I’ve got a girlfriend. Sorry.”
Esralda nearly slamd her fist through a shelf. There was no doubt about it now. No mortal was this idiotic. Ifrit was a devil, and he was testing her determination and ability.
“My apologies. That was not what I ant to insinuate. I was asking if you were seeking more than the objects I sell in this humble store. If there is sothing else you seek, I may be able to procure it.”
“Oh!” Ifrit’s eyes lit up. “Actually, that could be very useful. I’ve got a rchant I’m working with that desperately needs to get set up with a supplier. Could you help?”
Ah. There it is. No re rchant, I suspect. This is what I have been seeking.
“I would be thrilled to see what I could do to help you,” Esrelda said, interlacing her fingers. “Where will this eting take place?”
“Perfect. I had no clue you were that connected. I guess today is a lucky one,” Ifrit said. “I’ll introduce you back at the Devil’s Den. It’s not too far from here.”
“Lead the way,” Esrelda said with a hungry smile. It had been far too long since she’d had so proper entertainnt.
User Comments
0 comments from readers