"Deal!"
The words leave the mans mouth almost before I finish speaking myself. And that's probably why I earned that slight increase for my haggling skill just now. He said he doesn't like working based on guesses, but he still agreed to do the job without taking any asurents. Sure, his estimation probably isn't far off, but what seems like an enormously generous paynt now might still turn out to cut it close to breaking even in the long run.
He still needs to provide other materials, leather, cloth and rivets after all. Let's not forget about the ti he and his family will have to invest either. And of course he will have to sell any remaining scales on his own. That might turn out to be an adventure on its own.
At least I can be moderately certain that he will do his best to deliver a suit of armor that will et or surpass my expectations. Although, maybe I better still add so more encouragent for him to not just ditch to make a run with the scales? Yes, I better. As we shake hands to seal the deal I pull him up from his seat and close so I can whisper in his ear.
"You better not even think about running without delivering. And if you do, you better never stop running, because there won't be a place in this world where I won't find and get you. But neither of us needs to worry in that regard, right?"
My [Intimidate] skill ticks up a notch as he swallows hard. By the ti he sits back down, his hand still clutching mine, he nods eagerly though.
"Of course. Wouldn't ever think of it!"
He shoots his daughter Marla, who is still busy fanning her mother, who is just coming around, a glance that promises an intensive talk so ti in the near future. He'll probably want to know what kind of impression she left with to make suspect him of such lowly behavior. Before it can get really awkward though his attention is on again.
"We should get precise asurents. This piece will be sothing else. This has to fit perfectly! Marla! Get the patterns for leather vests and bodices. Those should provide a good base. Ilone dear, please take our custor's asurents."
I guess I just learned his wife's na then, as the woman imdiately gets a piece of wood with set of strings affixed to it, to take my asurents. Each string, with a unique mix of colors is used for one specific asurent which in turn is marked with a knot at the right distance. It's a simple yet precise and concise system that makes do without any actual units of asure.
I follow Ilona's instructions best I can. I don't want to give her a hard ti after all. I really want this brigandine to be as good a fit as possible too, even if I could cheat a little using my ability to change shape.
Marla's father in the anti is busy inspecting and asuring each individual scale. He sorts them too, first by width and among those of similar enough width by height. He has a look at their thickness too. He even tests how flexible they are. One of the scales that's already a little scratched up he even uses for a hardness test with a number of his tools. It seems he will be sweating quite a bit just punching the holes for the rivets. Well, or possibly Marla as his apprentice will do that sweating. It doesn't really matter to as long as the work gets done. And just from what I'm seeing and experiencing right now I'm tempted to assu that they are all serious about this commission from .
By the ti Ilona is done with the asurents things are starting to co together already. She and her daughter get so sturdy cloth, probably for the innermost layer of the armor and start transferring a pattern onto it with chalk, adjusting it for my exact asurents as they go under the older woman's guidance.
This already allows the father to place the scales to figure out how to best use and overlap them. As I watch on its Marla who finally approaches .
"You know, now that we have your asurents and the materials … you don't have to stick around and watch. Uh, that is unless you want to? It probably would be best if you drop by so ti after noon tomorrow, so we can finish fitting the inner layer. That will improve the precision of the rest. Uh, if that is alright with you?"
She is clearly nervous. She is still very much aware that she will probably have to explain things to her parents too as soon as I'm out the door, but that's her problem. And anyway, I'm sure she will manage. Unless they sohow ss up this job could end up as a considerable landfall for her family after all. Especially right now while Sezemat's caravan is in town and a lot of business goes that way instead.
I already made it abundantly clear that I won't take kindly to any attempt at cheating . I don't need to watch their every move either. Besides, I have so more places and people I should visit. And, if at all possible, I'd like to take advantage of the adventurers' guild dormitory for a change. I really feel like spending a night in a real bed for a change. Thus I nod in agreent.
"Fine. I drop by tomorrow after noon."
Since I have no hat to tip and since I don't want to disturb the busy pair already deeply engrossed with their work, I'm off with a casual salute and a wave. I just hope they don't forget about the things they have been working on, which need to be finished too, to avoid upsetting other custors. Well, I'm not going to explain to them how to run their shop. As long as I get my armor out of this I'm happy.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not ant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
And right now I have one more important visit to make before I can really decide how to proceed with the rest of the day, or rather the evening. Ti doesn't slow for anyone, not even . Unless, maybe, one happens to know the right kind of spell. Oh, and maybe I should make another visit to the Flea and Flotsam too. I still need to get the things I wear right now fixed. That's not quite as important in the grand picture, but it matters to .
This ti around I move at street level since I don't have to cross the wall. I move at a slightly more leisure pace too, to have a look at what shops and eateries along the streets have to offer even though I have no intention to actually buy anything. That only changes when I slip into the Flea and Flotsam. I'm not aiming for a stealthy entry this ti around. Instead I make sure to be easily noticeable without being obnoxiously loud.
The lady running the shop is the one greeting .
"Welco back! What can we help you with today?"
Polite, friendly and to the point. I like it. I move a little closer and point at the hole the lich's spell punched through bodice, blouse and , although the latter is of no concern to this woman.
"I was wondering if you could do so nding for . There are matching holes in the back."
The woman winces a little at the latter, as does her daughter who is peeking around a shelf. The older steps a little closer to take a look anyway. Finally she nods.
"It's a pretty clean hole. Whatever you took there tore right through. It didn't sever any of the strings of the bodice either. Shouldn't be too much trouble to patch that up nice and solid."
That is quite a relief. There is a little detail that is bothering though. I scratch the back of my head and laugh in embarrassnt.
"I guess I'll have to leave these things with you for the ti being? It wouldn't do to rush you. I … I might need a blouse I can change into. You wouldn't happen to have sothing that would fit?"
She snorts in amusent.
"You adventurers. Always getting yourself into all kinds of trouble without even having a change of clothes."
Then she calls out to her daughter.
"Dear, would you help our custor to find a blouse."
Before the girl can even respond though, the shop owner turns to once more.
"So, nding of blouse and bodice and a blouse, second hand but clean and without any holes that ought not to be there. One shilling and four pennies."
I groan dramatically, but at the sa ti this awakens a desire to haggle a little. I should do that more often anyway. For a change the price she asked allows for so wiggle room too.
"First you ask to take off my last shirt and now you go after my poor purse too? I go out and risk my life fighting undead monstrosities and in the end all I'll have to show for it is a new blouse? If you take a shilling and two pennies you'll still turn a tidy profit, won't you? How about that?"
The girl waiting for at the mouth of the narrow lane in between two heavily burdened shelves, starts to giggle as I counter her mother's offer, but she quickly reigns herself in as the older woman shoots her a stern look. In the end she reaches out to offer her hand for a shake though.
"Fine. A shilling and two pennies. My girl will show you to the blouses. Just pick one. The price is the sa for all. Leave the things that need nding with her too."
We shake hands and my [Haggling] skill improves another little bit. Then I hand her the coin, making sure she can't get a good long look at my not so empty purse in the process, which in turn makes my [Sleight of Hand] skill improve a little as well. Then I'm off to follow the younger of the duo to the section with the blouses.
The girls looks over briefly to gauge my build. Then she pulls two garnts that should fit out of a stack of other blouses. She helps out of the things that need patching too. As I try on the first blouse she tilts her head, her brows furrowing.
I raise an eyebrow in turn, to prompt her to speak her mind.
"It's the collar and the cuffs. I'm not sure the lace is your style."
I laugh out loud, but I can see what she ans. This one, despite being patched up in a few spots, looks a little more fancy than what I usually wear. I change into the other which is more plain. I like the color of that one too. It's originally a rich red and not even the fact that it too has been patched with patches of two slightly different shades of red can change my opinion. This is the one for .
The girl nods in approval too, which is good enough for . I adjust the garnt and my sword belt a little, then I'm ready to go. I don't leave right away though. Instead I nod at the things I'm leaving behind for nding. The girl is still holding those tightly.
"When should I expect you to be done with that?"
"Oh? Well, so ti tomorrow should be alright. We might even have it finishes in the morning already. We do much of our nding over night."
I raise an eyebrow at that. Does the girl get enough sleep? Then another idea strikes .
"Want a magic light for your workshop? I could use the practice. It's brighter than candlelight and it should last a few hours at least."
"For real? Uh … I an, please?"
Now it's my turn to chuckle.
"Lead the way. This shouldn't take long."
The workshop in question is a rather cramped room in the back behind the shop. I look around, then I nod at a currently not lit lantern dangling from one of the rafters.
"Would there be alright?"
She nods. That's all the confirmation I need. I focus on a spot just below the lantern and channel so more of my spare Mana into the spell. My [Light] spell improves a bit and the glowing sphere bathing the room in bright warm light springs into existence as desired.
"There you go. It should be good for about six hours. Now, if you'll excuse , there is a dragon I haven't visited in a while. See you tomorrow!"
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