Now that the first piece has fallen; Aren is ga, my little mouse will bring all the information I need and set up all the proper etings, with the way he was living, there's no way he could possibly reject .
All I have to do is wait for him to put in motion the next bit of my plans. It will be an arduous wait no doubt. I can't possibly imagine being comfortable in Aste, at least not while I'm plagued with this hunger.
This is the first thing I have to solve; I have to get rid of this hunger and fast. It's co back to bit in the most annoying way, this emptiness, the growling.
It's driving mad.
But I estimate I'll need to hold out for at least a week moreanother week of this growing madness. I'm not sure I can do it and I know Lotar isn't the type of being to go back on deals.
I won't get any escape from him. I don't even know how to contact to giant spirit wolf that acts as my Patron, perhaps if I could, he could help out with this.
But that's all-wishful thinking as things stand, though, the next ti we speak, I'll be sure to demand a thod of contacting him.
I left Aren's house pretty early in the afternoon. But my wondering legs took about the city and to the places I'm most familiar with.
As the sun begins to set, the night shift of sales begins. The food industry blooms to life as many set up shop right on the side of the street.
It's not at all ready yet. The white puff cakes made out of not cake, the roasted fishes and stead at, it's far too early.
But at the sa ti, it's not too late for so shops to be open. I glance a look at the artificer shop I was at the last ti, back then I ca curious about what an artificer with magic could achieve.
It turns out there's a lot. My feet carry into the store, the sign has been brought in and the chairs and tools have been set aside. It's closing ti.
"Hello." I call out. There must be soone in the back or close by if the door is left wide open like this. "Anyone here?"
Soon, the sound of little tals falling is heard, then a grunt, a curse and then a reveal of a rather stout, buff blond bearded man.
"What do you want?" he speaks like he has sothing stuck within his throat.
"You're not the fat boy I t here last ti I ca by."
"Huh? My apprentice you an?" the man grunts.
It's not clear to see behind his beard and with how short he considerably is but, he's wearing a thick leather apron, the gloves on his hands are also quite sturdy and he has on a pair of smudge google-like spectacles over his eyes.
"What do you want? Did you leave an order? You'll have to co by later, we haven't finished any of our jobs yet."
"No, nothing like that, not yet." I mutter.
"Then what is it? You're wasting my ti; I need to close shop." He groans, taking off the goggles and wiping them off with a rather dirty cloth.
"Your apprentice said you could enchant simple clothes, but back then my material wasn't the best for it, what about what I'm wearing?"
He lifts his head up and hobbles closer to inspect my clothes. I'm wearing a variation of my usual red shirt and black leather trousers.
The man hums, squeezing the hem of my shirt and pulling on my trousers. After a bit, he looks up to as says, "Yes, this is a simple enough material. What sort of enchantnt are you looking for, self-cleaning is really popular with travellers?"
Self-cleaning? How would that even work? Shaking my head, I resign to the fact; enchanters are the most creative Mages for sure.
"I need protection."
He turns around, grumbling sothing under his breath, behind his head I notice sothing peculiar at last; his ears they're pointed.
He's a dwarf.
"What sort of protection? Protection from what? Illusion? Physical attack? Magical attack? Minor accidents, drowning? Natural fires? What do you need?" he groans.
"You're a dwarf." I blurt out like an incel.
He turns and looks at strangely, "Yes? Is this just known to you? Most artificers are, if you need a human artificer, you'll have to look for one outside this city!"
"No, no no! I was just a bitI need protection from attacks, I'm a Mage and I'll be fighting a lot."
He shakes his head solemnly, "If you're a mage then what you need is to enhance your own magic isn't it? You can't be in the front of battles. What type of magic to you practice? Evocationno that's too guarded, illusion magic?"
"No, no, my magic is fine as it is."
He raises an eyebrow at this. "Conjuration? Conjurers spend the most mana on their spells, a lot of them power it with artifacts, mana gems on their fingers? So eccentric ones even carry larger gems I have heard of one S-rank that does such."
Truthfully it sounds like a good idea. At the mont, Necromancy doesn't eat so much mana, but if I plan on getting any better that'll change. Plus, having a large battery to power my undead army wouldn't be such a bad idea.
I think I'll need to go that far eventually.
"Okay, you've convinced ." He grins widely at this, "I'll need a large gem like that, to store manaa lot of it. But for now, just get so protection for these clothes."
He nods, "It'll be expensive, all of it, and it'll take ti."
"What do you think you'll need for the gem?"
He scratches his balding head as he thinks, "Well, I'll need so fresh work materials for sothing this big and I'll need to buy the gems as well, they aren't cheap either and then I'll need to get pay the enchanter for the work as well."
"You're not the enchanter?"
"Huh? If I was, I wouldn't be, here would I? I'd be living high and wide off the money schmuck artificers pay for my magic." He shakes his head, "Artificers like myself only build the materials, sharpen them and train them for their sensitivity to mana. We co up with the thods to imbued re objects with magic but never have the magic ourselves."
I see. Artificers are simply the architects of enchantnts like this, they're the ones who figure out how every piece should fit in. But the building is done by Enchanters.
It's an industry alright.
"Anyway, it'll afford at least seventy gold tokus for start and completion."
Seventy?! The hell is that? That's likeI don't even know how expensive that is but I know is costly as hell.
He sees my surprise and he nods. "Yes, that's an amount that can build you a mansion. But magic is sparse and rare, it's worth even more than tokus."
"I see" I murmur.
"You won't be able to afford it will you? Mages are notoriously bad spenders; you earn the most and spend so frivolously. A broke Mage is such a contradiction."
I chuckle at this, "I will be able to afford it. I can give you half of that tomorrow so you get started while I get the rest, trust , if I don't plan on getting the rest I won't co by tomorrow and hand you thirty-five gold tokus."
He grunts, "Very well, until then."
Truthfully, I could affordmore than afford to hand over the seventy tomorrow. I've got a large chest with the maintenance funds of a pseudo-city in it as well as much of Leriva's frivolous riches that can be exchanged for even more absurd amounts of tokus should I so choose.
But I'd like to see so progress first at least. I may be rich now but I've still got the smarts to be stingy when needed. Especially since this goes outside the budget, I planned for my operations in Aste.
But it doesn't matter now, if this dwarf is successful and hands a gem with a large storage quantity for mana then it'll help more than he could know.
I give the dwarf a respectful nod and leave his shop, letting him close at last.
The ti spent in there has been enough to get all the street side chefs ready for sales, their faithful custors are lurking out of the damp corners and streets of the city, allured by the wafting scents of food.
It's amazing how peaceful it is. A lot of these sellers are elves and many of their custors are human. Food really does bring people together.
But unfortunately for , it won't quench this hunger I'm plagued with, but until it canI'll simply savour the various chewy, salty, and vivid tastes of the culture of another world.
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