I pace back and forth next to the carriage in front of the house, dramatically flourishing my cape to express displeasure as Alan taught me.

Servants stand nervously beside me, and wince when I look at them. I sigh and look at the sundial which reveals I’m already ten minutes late for the appointment and still no word from Alan.

“Fine, I’ll go without him then,” I say, startling the servants. “You know the location?” I ask the carriage driver.

“Yes, I drive Ser Linhal there often.” The driver says.

“Then drive.” I say, getting into the carriage and closing the door– with some force, but not so much as to be slamming it.

The drive takes about twenty minutes as we go from the wealthiest separately walled section of the capital to a neighbouring section one economic rung down. The magic item shop is a moderately sized moderately ornate stone building with no windows. There is no sign advertising its function, nor does it stand out among its neighbours in terms of displayed luxury– either higher or lower.

A servant greets me at the door. “Greetings noble Monhal. Right this way please.” They say as they unlock the heavy door and lead me into an antechamber whose inner metal door they also pause to unlock.

I glance around and notice the murder holes in the walls and ceiling. There’s a magic light dimly illuminating the room which would otherwise be pitch black with the exterior door closed. The light levels would make the holes difficult to detect for those without enhanced night vision. Likewise, the magic symbols providing additional security would normally blend into the darkness. There are marks on the door to reinforce and remotely close it, and a few nasty traps such as removing all the air in the room by means of fire.

The inner door opens and light floods into the antechamber from more powerful enchanted light sources (though I suspect the one in the antechamber could become blinding if needed). Four guards in magic breast plates similar but stylistically different to the standard sets worn by imperial soldiers stand at attention in the hall: two armed with magic halberds, two with magic crossbows, and each pair with daggers and cudgels hanging from their belts and helmets obscuring their faces.

The servant takes me past them, and we climb a stairway to a plush room with cushioned chairs and a lacquered table. A short (though taller than me) balding man in glasses stands upon our entering.

“Noble Monhal, yes? A pleasure to meet you.” He speaks in a soft voice, and we shake hands according to the customs Alan taught me: him making a gesture to his forehead of deference which I make a gesture to my wrist accepting but not demanding. An indication of me being a higher rank, but not drastically. “My name is Thomas.”

“A pleasure.”

“Is Baronet Linhal not coming?”

“He was delayed.”

“Aw, well. No matter. He told me of your circumstances and general abilities, so I have already selected a number of items that might suit you. However, if you don’t mind, I would like to perform a few tests to make sure they are all appropriate.” I nod in assent. “Excellent. It will just be a simple strength test,” he says, going to a cabinet and pulling out a symbolled rod a little taller than me which he stands on one end. “If you please, stand and pull it like this with maximum effort.” He demonstrates.

I do as he asks and find as I expected that the rod resists all efforts to move it. Once I pull full strength for several seconds, he has me push, and then go through several other positions all while jotting down notes on a sheet of paper. At one point he picks the rod up and attaches it to the wall and has me push up against it or pull myself up. He even has me lay on the floor to push up against it from underneath with my feet.

I’m sweating by the time he’s through causing him to smile apologetically. “I am sorry to have asked that of you, but it is necessary to make sure you do not buy any items unsuited for you. I have eliminated a few entries from the list. Alan said you are a mage? Do you have a personal shield spell?”

I nod.

“Do you mind if we test it?”

I hesitate a moment before deciding that Alan could have easily killed me in less roundabout ways. “It’s active.” I say.

He nods respectfully before pulling out a small crossbow which he easily loads with a blunt padded bolt. He shoots me with it, causing my shield to flash as it deflects the missile without much strain.

“A light blue colour. Very good.” He says, writing it down. “Last question, do you have any spells or other methods that could further enhance your strength beyond what you now possess?”

I shake my head, obviously not mentioning the Anar rituals. “I was planning on swearing to another deity before the exam but increases to strength will be minimal due to stacking limitations.”

“Excellent. I will have the selection brought in. Would you like some tea while you wait?”

I nod and sit down, a kettle of the hot beverage being brought in a moment later by a servant who politely pours me a cup. I drink it and find the slightly fruity blend to be at the perfect drinking temperature– though they might have expected for me to let it cool a little beforehand as I do like it hotter than most seem to. There is a small plate of crisp sweet biscuits which I consume one of with the provided berry jam before the door opens to servants with trays of items. They place a small set of their loads on the table in front of me– two crossbows, bolts and a sling.

“I typically start with ranged weapons for exam takers,” he says, putting down his own cup of tea. “Unfortunately, while you have a high strength to mass ratio, your total strength is quite low which limits what I can recommend. It is good that you know how to sling, since that benefits from a high ratio, unlike with bows and similar weapons which only benefit from total strength.

“Unfortunately, magic slings are not very popular and so I only have one in stock. It has enchantments for increased power and accuracy, resizing, self-cleaning and repairing. The price is one large gold piece. I also have a variety of magic bullets, which I will bundle together for another three pieces. A slight discount, as I doubt there will be much demand for any left over, especially after you buy my only sling.”

I nod, examining the silver symbols weaved into the cords of the sling. It’s high quality and should do what he says. There are about four dozen magic bullets whose effects range from poison retention, iron phasing, exploding, and a few others. I gesture in approval and a servant moves them to a side.

The man smiles as he moves on to present the crossbows. “These should go very well with your guidance spell Baronet Linhal told me about. They are standard designs developed during our last war with Hyclion. The goal being for mundanes to be able to kill knights or mages as cheaply as possible. A painfully forced departure from our doctrine of focusing on heavy infantry in melee gear made necessary by the size of the border.

“Most of our wars are against smaller kingdoms in which overwhelming offence is best, but due to the size of that war there were times in which we needed to defend a location from knights and mages, but did not want to shift our own to do so. Thus, these crossbows were developed and produced in mass. They were operated in teams of six. Five of them would wield the lighter ones to cover the sixth heavy one. Unfortunately, only a few dozen were actually in service by the end of the war, but they proved very effective, and so several thousand have been made since.”

“Interesting.” I say. “I’m from the western empire and haven’t heard of them. Were they used any in the Caethlian insurgency?”

“Likely not, as policy was to minimize certain supplies sent so as to prevent the enemy from capturing them. In particular it was forbidden to send any gear that would be too effective in enemy hands.”

“I see.” I say, not sure how to feel about a suspicion regarding a cause of our hardships being confirmed.

He continues. “The main feature that makes them appropriate for you is their enchantment that cocks themselves after shooting.” He taps a symbol on each causing the strings to slowly retract into a shooting position. “Unfortunately, they are quite slow. The heavy one takes about five minutes to be ready to shoot, while the light one takes about a minute.

“They can be manually assisted, however you lack the strength to significantly speed the heavy on your own. You may be able to reduce the light one down to about twenty seconds if you fully apply yourself, but you will not be able to reduce the heavy one’s reload speed by more than ten seconds. They do however come with magical winches and levers to assist you. You may be able to fully reload the light one with the lever and take perhaps two minutes off the heavy crossbow’s time with the winch. The heavy one is one large gold, and the light one is a quarter.”

I examine the symbols on each crossbow in appreciation of the craft necessary to cram as many enhancements as possible on a limited space. Increased power, of course, which comes with resilience, but also self-repair and cleaning with an accuracy boost.

Cleaning is important for reliable shooting in all weather. Likewise, the self-repair is essential as the strain on the heavy one when loaded likely causes constant miniscule damage that would break it before you could shoot otherwise even with its enhanced resilience. It also prevents the bow from permanently bending and so should even add to the force slightly.

“How powerful are they?” I ask.

“Very.” The man answers succinctly, then elaborates when my expression makes it clear that wasn’t sufficient. “The light one is more powerful than any mundane counterpart. You will notice the string retracts farther than the non-magical variety which increases the power significantly. This is made possible by the resilience and self-repair enchantments. Reports from the war state that when shooting magical plate armour at close range a given shot from a light one had about a thirty percent chance of penetrating if hit. Volleys increased the chance of one or more penetrating to about ninety percent, though even then it was seldom enough to kill the knight in the armour.

“The heavy crossbow on the other hand is about ten times as powerful and can easily penetrate any armour if close enough… Well perhaps not the set Tanyth is said to have had.”

“Tanyth?” I ask, trying not to stumble the word in surprise at her being suddenly brought up.

“Yes, haven’t you heard of her? I assumed you had given your interest in Caethlon. She was a rebel leader who had a high-level magic plate that is under a major boon from Muerin, which is said to be invincible. Supposedly it was completely intact when they killed her and was given as a gift directly to the empress. I would love to see it.” He has a wistful tone, which is an abrupt departure from his emotionless sales pitch.

“I see,” I say, hiding my reaction to the confirmation of her death. I suppose that is at least one name off the list from the divination.

“Well, anyways,” he says, not seeming to have noticed my discomfort, “the heavy crossbow should penetrate nearly any armour within normal crossbow range. It is also capable of shooting well over the horizon.

“It is so powerful as to almost be a problem, as only specially made or magical bolts can survive the acceleration. These mundane ones have been alchemically treated in a process that is unfortunately not suitable for armour for extreme durability and hardness. But even they won’t survive hitting anything remotely hard. They cost a medium silver each.

“As such I recommend buying magic bolts as being cheaper in the long term. I have a number suitable for it. They all have the same basic enhancements which are increased durability to aid in penetration, self-repairing, since even with their durability they will be damaged from the impact, and variable mass. The last one will reduce the effective mass in half until shot, and then immediately increase it to quadruple normal once it is done accelerating. This drastically increases range and penetrating power.

“The basic enchantment set costs half a medium gold each. I have bolts with more special enchantment for a whole medium gold. The special ones are iron phasing, air phasing (for maximum range), poison retaining/augmenting, lightning (which is very effective against mage shields) and incendiary. The latter becomes white hot for a time when shot, but someone under a moderate powered fire ward would still be able to handle it.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“I also have similarly enchanted bolts for the light crossbow, which are robust enough to be shot from the heavy, but I don’t recommend it as it may permanently break the enchantments after striking. They cost three fifths as much as their heavy counterparts.”

“All right, I’ll take them both.” I say, taking a drink of tea.

“Both?” He says slightly surprised.

“Yes. Do you have any adhesive straps?”

“Ah, I see. You intend to use the light one while carrying the heavy one as it resets. I suppose you should be strong enough not to be too burdened by that method. Very good. And the ammunition?”

“For the heavy I’ll take 25 of the mundane, 5 basic magic and one of each of the specials. Then I’ll take five more basic magic bolts for the light, and two of each of the specials. Do you have any mundane bolts for the light?”

“A hundred for 7 raem.”

“Then I’ll take a hundred.”

“Very good. One more thing. There is an attachment on the front for bayonets. It comes with mundane ones, but you may also purchase enchanted versions. They are only basic improvements plus self-repair, but they are excellent for armour piercing as their spike shape only allows thrusting. The attachment point can swivel 180 degrees to allow the bayonet to be folded in or function as a stand to rest the crossbow on. Would you be interested in them? They are six medium gold pieces each.”

I examine the attachment point and realize it is slightly adjustable as to what will fit in it. Perhaps about the right size for my silver rod, which could be an interesting combination. “I’ll take one.” I say, a little absentminded.

“Very good,” he says, in an increasingly mantra-like way, and the servants take all the selected items to the side. “Now for the melee weapons. I understand you want a magic sword?” I nod and a servant brings one out. “In which case I recommend this one for you. It is not the best, but it is good for someone who is still growing. It has standard sharpness and durability improvements, plus self-cleaning and repair. What makes it suitable for you is its ability to change forms and a highly variable mass.

“It can shorten or lengthen at will and can do so automatically to better suit cutting or thrusting as you use it. It is not instant, changing no more than an inch in length per second, with a maximum size of a normal longsword, but it is easily customizable to suit you as you develop your style. Moreover, the highly variable mass makes it very nimble in the hand while still hitting hard.

“It is an excellent weapon for a beginner. It does not have any special features like electrifying or iron phasing, but those are more expensive and can be harder to use. Especially iron phasing as those cannot block most swords. It comes with a sheath that shares the resizing, cleaning and repairing function and costs half a large gold.”

I nod causing it to be carried to the side with my other purchases. It’s a bit more expensive than I expected since I really just wanted something to look the part, but the versatility is excellent for me, and I can keep it in its shortest form to avoid encumbrance.

“Very good. Now would you be interested in any magic daggers?”

I nod, always wanting more, especially ones with unusual effects. An array is presented before me which I go through, reading and listening to the effects. There’s an iron phasing one which is redundant with the one I got from the pirates. Most are just basic enhancements, so I have those taken back. There are a few interesting effects, but the one I choose is a poison retaining/ augmenting one which will preserve any poison placed on it until used and augment it when it is. It can also absorb up to three sets of poisons and store them for later in case I want to use it without using up a placed poison, have different poisons for different jobs or just have multiple doses ready.

It costs two more large gold pieces. There are other daggers that look interesting for similar or greater prices, but I have them set aside for now.

“Very good. Protective gear is next. The first item… ah.” The door opens behind me causing the man to stand up with a smile. “Baronet Linhal, a pleasure.”

“Thomas.” Alan says, eying the pile of intended purchases and then me.

It’s only now that I realize I have completely forgotten the man’s, Thomas’, name. I really must get better at that. While he has a subservient attitude, he isn’t a servant but the proprietor of a high-end business. Really, I should try to remember the servants too, but I should remember this man, Thomas, for reasons other than just principles.

Thomas bows his head slightly at Alan’s slight acknowledgement. “We were just about to move on to armour. Perhaps I should tally up the total so far while the two of you enjoy some tea?”

“Please do,” Alan says, and the man, Thomas, respectfully gives us some space to talk as we drink the second teapot that’s brought out– the servants leaving the room for the intermission.

“I thought we were going to come together.” He half whispers to me.

“You were late.” I say, not bothering to contain my annoyance.

“Not really. The appointment had a four-hour window. I doubt it will take one at the rate you’re going… You’re buying a lot of gear.”

“I thought that was the point.”

“Remember that you can lose points for excessive items.”

“Only if I use them poorly.”

“… Just try not to spend your entire ‘allowance’.”

“My lords.” Thomas says deferentially as he brings a sheet of figures. “So far, your total comes to 34,573 raem. Shall we continue?”

“Please.” I say, ignoring Alan’s side eye.

“Very good. First, I will say that due to their popularity and logistical benefits every item I am about to show you has a standard array of enchantments that include self-cleaning and repairing, colour changing, and resizing in addition to whatever protective properties they also have.

“The first item is very popular with the nobility and is a good first layer of any protective set up.” He gestures to a servant who brings out a simple white thin outfit with silver symbols running along it. “It is a full body silk undergarment, including socks, a single layer for maximum mobility and enchanted to resist edged and thrusting weapons at the same level as a standard issue imperial army breastplate. Its protection against bludgeoning is limited, but it does have a feature to go rigid upon impact which does distribute the force somewhat.

“In addition to its protection from weapons it has a moderate fire resistance in the form of a temperature alteration enchantment that has the added benefit of keeping you cool or warm depending on your desire.

“Finally, it has an interesting interaction with poisons of all varieties. It will detect any substance causing harm and draw it out through the skin regardless of whether it would normally be carried through sweat. Once out the self-cleaning enchantment will neutralize it. Unfortunately, this process takes time, at least ten minutes and up to an hour depending on solubility. It also allows the poison to continue working in the meantime and can even effectively make it more potent on its way out.”

“You don’t have any items that grant poison immunity?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I am afraid that is quite impossible. Select poison immunity is easily done if you have something in mind, but I know of no item that grants general immunity to harmful substances. I do not even know how it would be done, as every toxin must be neutralized in different ways. For instance, an organic toxin might simply be broken down on the cellular level, while a metallic toxin would be immune to such efforts. If such an item did exist it would likely be a major one.”

“I see. It sounds like a very good item then,” I say, referring to the poison removal part.

“Indeed,” he says, “if you would purchase nothing else today then I would recommend you purchase this. It is highly protective against the most common forms of attack and can be worn under normal armour for greater protection or with regular clothes in any social circumstance. Well, any that requires you to keep your clothes on.” He glances at Alan with the slightest of smirks.

“Thomas, I’m so glad you care.” Alan says without missing a beat.

“Indeed. Regardless, the item is a half large gold.”

I glance at Alan who gives no hint of approval or disapproval, so I rely on my instincts and nod for it to be placed in the purchase pile.

“Very good. Now, the next item is much more robust and is the lightest standalone battle armour we have. We do have lighter, but those are meant to go underneath metal armour for added protection and so are not sufficient for your purposes.” He pauses for a hooded full body gambeson to be brought out. “It is nine layers of silk, each individually enchanted for protection before being sewn together for maximum effect.

“For additional vital protection it has an alchemically treated and enchanted hardened steel plate over your heart, a much smaller piece on the throat, in a band around the forehead when the hood is up, and a very thin and light strip along the outside of the forearms to help block sword strikes.

“It has a standard level of heat and cold resistance, both active and passive, plus a moderate level of lightning protection. The hood is enchanted to not obstruct hearing, and it has a cloth section that acts as a facemask which will filter out any smoke or air borne toxins and diseases.

“It has enchanted pockets, two on the legs, four on the chest front, and another hidden on the inside of the back. The openings blend in a way that is difficult to notice, and will only open for you but will open easily when you want. They are water and airtight and the active heat and cold resistance from the armour can be used to maintain a separate freezing to boiling conditions in individual pockets.

“Finally, it has an enchantment at the joints to reduce mobility impairment, plus a small boost to the wearer’s strength to offset the weight, which will also help you reload your crossbows. The price is one large gold coin.”

I nod for it to be placed on the pile without looking at Alan. Even a cursory glance at the visible symbols tells me it’s a high end item that might rival lower end magic plate. “About how far away would I need to be to survive a shot from the heavy crossbow in it?” I ask, half because I’m reminded by Alan’s presence to be conversational, and half out of genuine curiosity.

There’s a slight quiver in his face as he obviously decides between which item to sell up, before giving an emotionless estimate. “With magic bolts? Oh, at least a mile. Though I would remind you that distance affects the air phasing one very little.”

“Noted. What about if I have every defence in place including my shield spell?”

“Including anything else I am planning on selling you and assuming it hits you in your most protected location? I’d say about 200 yards, or mundane crossbow ranges.”

“Good to know.”

“Please do note that while the heavy crossbow is meant to take on knights, many of them have their own bows that can achieve equal or greater power, from which you may not be safe at any distance. However, I doubt that any exam takers would be able to use those.”

I nod in acknowledgement of the warning. “I notice there’s a large gap in the eyes. Do you have something for that?”

“Yes, the next item. A pair of lenses that strap around your face. The protective enchantment is less than the other items I will be showing you, but it should be enough to stop a stray mundane arrow and has an added enchantment to instantly darken to reduce bright lights– going so far as to completely block all illumination if required to protect your vision. Being on the lower end it is only one medium gold.”

I nod in agreement, causing him to go on to the next items.

“Next, we have a pair of elbow length protective thin leather gloves. Enchanted to be as hard as steel, and heat, cold and lightning resistant, with a special enchantment to feel like a second skin. They cause no impairment to dexterity, and relay sensations through them as if contact was made directly with your hands. They can be used in conjunction with the metal strips in the forearms of your armour to provide sword blocking ability as good as nearly any magic plate. A quarter large gold.”

I nod again, and I feel a slight tension from Alan, but ignore it.

Thomas continues. “The last two items are best taken together as they both have an effect on mobility, as well as having a good protective capability that includes against weapons, heat, cold and lightning.

“First is a pair of boots, which has a number of enchantments that aids movement in various ways. First, they alter how your weight is distributed with each step, making it so you do not sink down as much in loose terrain such as mud. This has added side benefits of leaving shallower footprints and reducing the sound of your footsteps. They also improve traction, which improves general running and balance, especially on slick surfaces like ice, even allowing some to briefly run on water. Finally, it augments jumping and kicking force as well as cushioning landings.

“Next is a protective cloak. Like the boots it can cushion the impact on landings by automatically spreading out rigidly and even expanding to glide when falling far enough. The two of them combined should allow you to fall from any height with little danger.

“It also has a clever way of increasing your running speed. A large problem for those with enhanced strength is that while they can move faster, they lose efficiency due to a tendency to leave the ground with each step when they try to run too fast. The cloak solves this problem by shaping itself to force the air flowing past to push down allowing you to stay grounded and continue running in a normal way. Given your high strength ratio I would estimate the cloak would increase your speed by 20-30%. With the boots I would increase that up to 40.

“It will also automatically move itself to block and wrap around blows that you detect, providing a surprising level of protection against all weapons. Due to the self-moving nature the cloak is half a large gold while the boots are a quarter.”

I nod, having kept loose track of everything in my head and knowing I’m about tapped out. “They all sound excellent. Is that all the items you have selected for me … Thomas?” I add at the end because I suddenly feel awkward at forgetting his name earlier.

“…I have a few backup items that might interest you, but they come in the form of jewellery which provide interesting effects. Since you’ve purchased everything so far, I don’t think you will be needing them, and they are relatively expensive compared to items with function matching forms. Did you have anything you were looking for in particular?”

I shake my head, as the head-to-toe protection already selected seems like it’ll suffice against anything other than a knight or advanced mage. The only other things I’d be interested in are more magic daggers and maybe enchanted regular clothes, but I doubt I have the coin. But then I raise my hand having thought of something. “It’s very minor, but I have recently acquired a magic belt whose colour I find very garish. I was wondering if you had a way of changing it?” I say, removing the belt that I am wearing as a resized choker.

He examines it carefully. “Hmm, a very good item, especially to supplement the ones I am selling you. We might be able to add a colour changing feature for say… half a medium gold. Or we could just permanently change the colour as a courtesy service with an item we have.”

“How much for that item?” I ask.

He grimaces at the question. “I am afraid it is the only one we have at the moment and so we would have to ask an unreasonable amount for it.”

I nod understandingly. “Then I’ll graciously take the courtesy service. Black should do.”

“Very good. Then your total today comes to 82,453 raem.”

Alan gives me a meaningful look that I have trouble understanding. “Do you need me to lend you a few thousand?” he finally asks after a moment of growing frustration.

“No, I’m good.” I say, feeling a rush as I lift the pouches that contain all of my coin and hand them to Thomas. I’ve just gone from having more money than I’ve seen in my life to barely enough to live for a month and I feel fantastic.

Alan is pointedly silent as Thomas counts all the coins, much of it copper. Eventually he takes an amount he deems satisfactory and produces a pair of receipts for me to sign and a contract officially transferring ownership which Alan also signs as a witness. He goes over a few terms regarding liability and return policies, and then hands me a copy.

Finally, he has his servants pack up my purchases and put them in the carriage (the one Alan came in, as he sent my transport back already), though I wear the boots, cloak, dagger, gloves and sword out with a satisfied smile.

Alan does not look happy.