Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Black Market Day

It would have been useless to shop the street vendors with the kind of money that had been handed to us. If we flashed that kind of coin in the street, we’d be killed and robbed. Or rather, I’d be killed, they might just beat Justice to near death. 

The challenge for us, however, was that the day before the coronation of a new heir to the throne was an awful time to schedule an impromptu tailoring, armoring, arming, and magical item survey. Half the stores were closed when we stopped by, and the other half were packed to the door. We were still in SoSum, but when I told Justice that we would likely be met with the same challenges everywhere, she frowned as she bent down to hear me over the crowded shopping areas. Her nose was scrunched up, likely from the smell of the fish markets one street over, where the pier was. 

“The city is packed when you get here in the game, the last place you can go shopping before the coronation is a pawn shop on the East side, where you come in. It’s run by a shady guy name Darling who works for the White Rose.”

I gave a small trill of disbelief and then tilted my head to give Justice context for the noise, asking, “Really? You want to do business with The White Rose?”

“They’ve reformed by, uh, this timeline. They are mostly benign.” Clearly my skeptical look came through. “Their leader tried to commit genocide a hundred years ago and she’s dead. And they help you retake the city later in the game?” I mean, it’s not ideal but do you have a better idea?”

I did not, we weren’t getting access to anything. 

“Great, maybe because we are arriving early they will have more in stock! I know it’s, like, closer to the whole crisis, but I am stoked to finally be getting to where my knowledge isn’t all extrapolation.

Sanctum was east of Sumar City so we went east via the rail carts. East was primarily residential for the not-impoverished. It had tall apartment buildings and the city extended pretty far above the horizon. It had been something that the wealthy in the CenSum complained about, that their sunrise was ruined by the number of people. Nothing official was being done about it yet, however. 

Justice seemed as impressed as always with the cart system, which had long become mundane for me. I was not much of a mechanics expert, so the specifics of how it all worked eluded me. 

I led Justice to the city gate she thought she would be familiar with. The streets were packed with people, many trying to find a place to stay before tomorrow’s coronation. There were still cart-sales being done, mostly food but also trinkets and souvenirs. One of these carts caught Justice’s eyes and they lit up. “Oh one second.”

She walked up to the cart selling various symbols of gods, guilds, and even a few royal families, and began chatting with the vendor, an older human woman I was fairly certain was dressing in heavily mended and almost tattered clothes as a sales approach. She was too clean otherwise. 

I stood a ways away, as they haggled, watching the crowds pass. We weren’t exactly out of place, being armed and armored, as many of the people coming into town were traveling some distance, and armed protection was a common service for long distance travel. It wasn’t that the roads were particularly dangerous this close to the civilized heart of the city, but it was tradition and standard. The protection also served as guides and hunters, often having connections along the route for cheaper food and services, as deals were made to benefit both them and the rest areas along the way

Some people stared at me in surprise, a few in worry, but no real fear. Kobolds were not unknown, but were far more common in the forests and hills north where the Drakenguard borders began. As far as smaller sentients go, goblins and halflings were far more common to the east, and I saw more than a handful of them with the crowds squeezing into Sumar City’s walls with the thousands of others

I almost had sympathy for the City Guard trying to track and keep up with potential assassins planning to disrupt the coronation. 

Almost. 

I followed Justice and sorted through my notes at the same time. I began mapping out a timeline of my world, with Justice’s claims both large and small. 

She eventually led us to a nondescript tea shop - small and cramped, if I were as big as most other sentients. I dismissed my screens as we entered. 

Justice walked straight to the counter in back and asked the woman, an older Human with graying hair, “Hi, I’d like to order a quarter of Sorcerer’s Blend and a full pound of Tomb Explorer.”

The woman was bored before, but I could Discern her posture shift and the false tenor of her droll response, “Ain’t you a little young to be hitting the hard stuff?”

I sidled up behind Justice, who was looking more confident in a world she’d explored dozens of times. “As a young woman, I know my way around tea, ma’am.” She spoke more like she was quoting from a script. 

She seemed like she wasn’t sure if she should be insulted or not, as she scoffed and pointed to a door that led deeper into the shop’s interior. “Don’t ma’am me little miss.” 

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We stepped into the next room, which surprised me by housing an elevator. Not uncommon in the city, but usually expensive to acquire the initial spelling to maintain it. This one led down, which was not surprising. The building we were in was too old to have the structure designed for the elevator shaft above ground floor.  

Once the polished wooden elevator dropped what I’d assumed was two or so stories down, it slowed down and stopped, the doors slid open again. Beyond was a well lit shop, that -  despite the high quality counters and the clean appearance - had all the signs of being a pawn shop. After few moments evaluation, I adjusted my impression to more of an arms and accessories shop than anything. I had wanted to get fitted for proper tail and head armor, but I doubted they’d have something in my size.

As a city guard, my job was ostensibly to prevent theft and fencing among the criminal element. Somehow I was never taken on that sort of job, but I expect this would be the kind of place I would have been told to shut down. 

The glass containers and counters all had a small ledge about a foot off the ground, to allow smaller races, like Halflings, gnomes, and the occasional short dwarf, to see the wares properly. They weren’t exactly uncommon, but I was surprised to see such simple amenities here. 

At the far end of the room, staring directly into the open elevator doors at the two of us was another Human woman, this one younger and less laconic, her eyes evaluating us suspiciously. Her counter was built into the walls, and there were silvered bars separating us from her. 

Justice began roaming the various shelves and cabinets at will, as if this were the safest place in the world. Not the malcontent store of a cult of thieves and assassins. 

The woman seemed a little surprised as well, but with one person completely ignoring the intended air of mystery, the effect was mostly defused. I didn’t put off being alert, but I did mount one of the steps to crane myself almost upright, to see the inside of the cases. 

I went over to a shelf that had a number of hats on display, each with a placard written in neat handwriting. I couldn’t see the top shelf, but the one hat that clearly drew the eye was a black cylindrical hat with a flat brim and a gleaming orange red band. It was called a “Top of the Morning”. It claimed to increased Poise by two, granted one rank in Charm, couldn’t be removed without the user’s consent or a suppress magic spell, and had the ability to summon bright sunlight once a day for an hour centered on the hat.

The hat, and while I glanced around at the other cabinets, making note of what I thought looked interesting, I was primarily waiting for Justice to lead the purchases. She was the one who knew this world so intimately. Several of the cases were threadbare, as if we were not the first people to come through this tea shop’s special selection on the coronation’s eve. 

Justice turned back to me. “So did you spot anything interesting? I already know what I want, mostly defensive items, but I’d like to grab something that would improve my hand-to-hand. We should go for broke. There may not be a next week.”

“I had an idea or two. I agree, we can’t afford to hold back.” I did not care for the present nobility in charge, or any state or authoritative force subjugating people without benefit, but war between empires would primarily kill those without any power to protect themselves for little reason, including all the Kobolds in the city.

I guided Justice to a collection of bracelets, the centerpiece clearly being the black wrist band woven with bright green stones. The label proclaimed it ‘Nature’s Standard’ and explained in small text that it improved the user’s Brawn by one, their natural armor by 100, and allowed the user free-climb over any living feature. 

I asked Justice first because she was likely to know more than anyone, “Will this bracelet improve my ability to cling to people, or is their clothing too thick a barrier?”

Justice had been frowning at the bracelet but looked at me in surprise, “Oh damn, that would be very cool. I don’t think it would work, because Free-climb is super finicky and probably wouldn’t work if they had clothing. But if you want something that will improve your mobility options, this thing over here is perfect.”

She led me over to a small shelf of boots and started to say something when I asked “Will I be able to wear it?”

She paused then looked down at my bare four clawed feet, three digits with one opposite. “Ah, hm.”

She stared around the room and her eyes settled on the cabinet display of weapons. Nothing was priced on the shelves and they were behind a glass I suspected was spelled for anti-tamper. I gather the weapons were very expensive, and the assassin’s quartermaster behind the counter was worried we might turn their wares against them. 

Justice walked up to the case and Inspected a dagger with a hilt guard, like someone had attached a rapier hilt to a squared off knife that suddenly came to a slanted tilt. The hilt was black, even the ornate metal guard was made of darkly gleaming metal, while the blade was similarly black except for the shining silver edge that ran along one side. It was decidedly one of the most ugly blades I’d seen, and I generally had no preferences when it came to my cutlery. 

I dutifully stood by Justice waiting to hear her declare excitedly what made this ghastly blade my best option. Instead she asked in a quiet, soft voice, “How do you feel about possessed weapons?”

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