Chapter 23 - Gallus the Gnome
Once again Lilly was making her way through the bustling streets of Thundrel, heading to the Aether’s Echo. This time she was bringing 3 protective necklaces, in addition to the one she was wearing herself. She agreed with Mia that it felt a bit strange to wear, but it only took a bit of getting used to.
The streets of Thundrel were a bit busier than normal, probably due to the announcement of the war having started. Most people had known it was likely to happen, but it wasn’t before yesterday it started for real. The mayor of the city, Mr. Altbeck, had made the announcement in the plaza early this morning, and told everyone to be prepared.
He also mentioned Lady Selene’s protection, ensuring the people of the city that no fleet would get to the city as long as she was here. Lilly thought it could have been mostly to ease the worries of people, but based on what she herself knew, it was also true. Lady Selene was highly regarded, and some called her the greatest archer in the country.
What that meant exactly she couldn’t say, but as a member of the Royal Guard, Lady Selene should have some incredible enchanted items on her. Lilly really wanted to see an item like that, since she only has had access to her own creations so far. Seeing the difference would let her know how far she had left to go, and what was possible in the future.
The Aether’s Echo looked just like the last time she was here, less than a week ago. The strange towers jutting out of the base felt as impossible as always, but the last time she was there she had probably been up in one of them, discussing the price of her bracelets.
The necklaces she finished yesterday had mostly had very similar strengths, but some were prettier than others. Lilly had taken the first one she made herself, since the gem was inserted a bit weird. The rest of the gem setting had gone rather well, but the best looking ones were the ones she had brought to sell.
She entered the emporium, curious about the current state of it. She found it to be slightly less busy than last time, but Gallus still had his hands full with customers. He noticed Lilly arriving, but unlike the last time she was here, he told the assistant Timothy to handle the counter, while he himself approached Lilly.
He wasn’t very imposing due to his size as a gnome, but he still commanded a certain gravitas as the owner of the largest emporium of magical items in the city. His silvery hair was gracefully combed back, and his neatly trimmed beard gave him a sharp and professional appearance.
“Lilly, I’m so glad to see you again,” he said, while shaking her hand. “Are you here to sell us something interesting again?”
“Yes, I’ve made some protective necklaces this time. I was hoping you would be willing to buy them off me for a suitable price.” Lilly responded, trying to stay professional.
“Wonderfull! Please follow me then, I’ll find us a suitable room to discuss things,” Gallus said, signaling her to follow him while he walked towards a set of stairs. “I’ve really been looking forward to your next visit after I saw your last products, the level of enchantment you made from such simple materials were simply astonishing! My assistant doesn’t quite have the eye for such things yet, but I’m hoping he will get there eventually.” Gallus was gushing a bit while they walked up to the room, clearly impressed by Lilly’s last products.
“Thank you, Gallus. I appreciate the praise.” Lilly responded, trying to keep her joy in check. She felt it might have come off as a bit cold to respond so simply, but she was afraid of being seen as an inexperienced young girl with no experience in business. Which would have been the truth, of course.
“Nonsense, I know how long you’ve been practicing so I’m well aware that your level is simply inconceivable. Don’t be modest,” he said, while showing her into a room.
It was much larger than the room she was shown to last time, and even more elegant and grand. Gallus was obviously doing well for himself if this room was any indication. The walls were decorated with gold, and so was the furniture all over the room. Desks, bookshelves, cabinets, sofas, and the table in the center, all intricately decorated and polished. Even the smell of the room felt exclusive.
“I can only thank my teacher then, Eldrin has been invaluable as an instructor and mentor during my teaching period.”
Lilly really felt a bit like a fraud for getting such praise. All her most impressive works were either done with the amulet or the flames, making her own contribution and skill feel insignificant. But she had to accept it.
“Hmm, Eldrin, you say?” Gallus seemed to need some time to think at that, like something wasn’t right. “I consider him a friend, and I’m glad he found someone to teach again. Please have a seat my dear. Would you like something to drink?” He asked, acting like the perfect host.
“Some tea would be nice, thank you.” Lilly said, while gently sitting down on the couch, afraid to make a scratch. She took out her bag of necklaces, getting ready to negotiate.
“Coming right up my dear. I must say, it surprises me to hear Eldrin was the one who taught you. I didn't even know he was proficient in enchanting,” Gallus said askingly, while pouring some heated water into elegant porcelain cups. The fragrance of mint tea soon drifted through the room, making Lilly look forward to tasting it.
“He didn’t know all that much, honestly. But once I expressed an interest in it, he did everything he could to teach me what I needed to know. I still owe him a lot…” Lilly became thoughtful at the end of her sentence, thinking back at Eldrin’s effort and dedication to teaching her.
“That does sound like him, indeed. Here you go,” he said, while serving two cups of tea and sitting down on the other couch. Lilly couldn’t help but notice it took him a bit of effort, hoping she wasn’t being rude.
“Well then, as I said I was immensely impressed after seeing your flame-resistant bracelets. They were made from volcano roses you bought from me, right?” Gallus inquired, hiding a clever glint in his eyes.
Lilly was a bit surprised he still remembered it so well considering all the customers he must get. “Indeed, they were. I must admit I’m still learning a lot of things, but the results I get might not reflect that too well.”
She took a sip of the tea, finding it to be a bit colder than usual. But the tea was steaming, so it was probably just her immunity to heat that caused it. It tasted very good in any case, and had a refreshing aroma.
“Lilly, I know more than most about magical items. Even in this entire city I think none are above me in that regard. So believe me when I say, your enchantments are extremely peculiar.” He was looking at her with a slightly worried expression for some reason.
Lilly was getting nervous, hoping he didn’t learn too much from them. She wasn’t very confident she could trust Gallus with her secrets, even though he might have an idea after she clumsily asked about ancient amulets the first time they met.
“I, uh, how so exactly?” Lilly asked, letting the nerves show a bit too much.
“Well, for starters, the power. Considering the celestial time, the opposing forces in the materials, and the simple ingredients, nothing like that should be possible. Particularly one of them had more power than anything it should be capable of.”
“I see… Well, maybe I just got lucky with those materials.” Lilly said nervously, trying to distance him from the truth. She noticed she was fidgeting with her cup, and stopped rather abruptly.
“Other than that, the purity of the materials were much higher than they should have been. It’s possible I overlooked something while grading the flowers I sold you, but even the electrum used was of exceptional quality. And I know of very few things that can improve the natural purity of materials.” Gallus was looking almost angry now, clearly displeased by what he had told her.
“I see,” Lilly said again, hoping Gallus really was as nice as he appeared. It felt like she was being scolded somehow, but that didn’t make sense. Her stomach was tied in knots now, and she felt like everything she had tried to keep secret was on the table.
"You've been too thoughtless, Lilly. Showing off abilities like these would in most cases put you in grave danger. Luckily, I’m the only one aware of what ingredients you used to make those bracelets. Otherwise there’s no telling what could have happened to you, or to the Vermilion family.”
“Y– you know about my family?” Lilly questioned, shocked. She never would have thought anyone currently alive would know much about it, or rather that she was part of it.
“Anyone with a deep knowledge of magical items and this city’s history should know of them. But I might be the only one that knows it’s still going, which I only learned after you sold us the bracelets. The Vermilion Flame still lives on, huh?” Gallus now looked a lot more thoughtful, while also smiling slightly.
Lilly was so surprised by all this, she barely remembered where she was. All her secrets were revealed by a simple enchantment. The fact that everything she only learned recently herself was so easily read by this gnome was disturbing. ‘Can I trust him? Or is this a big problem?’ Lilly asked herself, trying to keep it all together.
“I’m very happy to know your line is still going, Lilly. It all clicked after I saw the bracelets when I remembered your flaming red hair, and I started laughing with joy! The Vermilion family, it is ancient history, so not much is known about them. But we know that they were the founders of Thundrel, although it probably had another name at that time. And they had a sort of family motto, one of the few remaining pieces of their history; The Vermilion Flame lives on!”
Lilly's mind spun with the weight of Gallus's words. 'The Vermilion Flame lives on' echoed in her head, stirring a mix of pride, fear, and a sense of overwhelming responsibility. ‘My family founded the city, and I’m the only known descendant… Well, the Vermilion Flame certainly lives on…’
“I can tell you’re surprised Lilly, and probably a bit worried, but don’t worry about me. I’m just a history fanatic, and finding the remains of the Vermilion family has been a dream of mine for a long time. I would never even think about harming you in any way. In fact, I would even kneel to you if you were interested in restoring your family to its former glory.”
That was a heavy promise, kneeling to someone meant swearing fealty. Lilly had no plans of seeking any power, but hearing someone say they would follow her if she did was a strange experience.
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Lilly opened her mouth to speak, but the words seemed to catch in her throat. “I... that's a lot to process,” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt a tremble in her fingers as she set down her teacup, making the cup clink softly against the saucer. She hoped Gallus didn’t notice. “I, uh, have no intention of seeking any power, at least. My only real goal is to become a great enchantress, and to keep those I care about safe.”
Gallus seemed only slightly disappointed, and quickly cheered up again. “Well, those are admirable goals as well, my dear. I might even be able to help you with one of them. At this level, you would be welcome to work for the garrison of the city, arming some of the strongest soldiers we have. And I admit, I am extremely curious about what you could do with some powerful materials.”
Lilly's mind whirled with Gallus's offer and the revelations about her lineage, casting a shadow of uncertainty over her thoughts. The idea of working for the garrison, especially amid the burgeoning war, was both daunting and compelling. But she needed time to think, to breathe.
“That sounds very intriguing, Gallus. But first, I have a lot of questions, and I’m not quite, uhm, ready to make any big decisions right now. Could we maybe focus on the necklaces I’ve come to sell first?” Lilly asked, hoping to get some time to digest everything he had told her so far.
“Certainly Lilly, I understand you might need some time. I truly am curious about those necklaces. Could I see one of them?”
Lilly opened the bag and handed him one of the necklaces. She didn’t feel very nervous about the negotiations any more, but her thoughts were elsewhere so it was to be expected.
Gallus studied it intently for a while, at first looking at it discerningly while turning it around in his hand, but then closing his eyes. Lilly assumed he had a similar method to herself of sensing items through mana.
“Ah, even more impressive than last time! The orange crystal certainly wasn’t wasted. Has something happened since your last trip here?” Gallus asked. He set his piercing blue eyes on her, and Lilly felt he was looking right through her.
“Yes, actually, my powers awakened properly after I made the bracelets last time. A lot of other things happened as well, but nothing important for the enchantments I think.”
“Really, your powers were only partially awakened last time? Well, that explains the difference in mana and purity at least. But I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the other things that have happened, Lilly. From this necklace I can somewhat sense a spark of passion, but also some cathartic joy. I won’t ask about your personal life, but you should know that emotions have a significant effect on enchantments.”
Again, Lilly was mildly shocked. ‘He could sense my relationship with Mia, and my meeting with Mom, through an enchanted item I made? If Eolande wasn’t keeping watch, I would think he had been spying on me.’
“... Does it affect the strength of the enchantment?” Lilly eventually asked, guided by her usual curiosity before her emotions caught up.
“It would depend on the enchantment, but in this case I would say it did. Love and joy usually helps empower protective enchantments, while for example anger helps offensive enchantments. It’s a smaller effect than others though, so I wouldn’t be too focused on it.”
“So it’s part of the effect emotion has on enchanting, then. That’s good to know. Do you also see what I had for breakfast before enchanting?” Lilly asked, hoping it was a ridiculous enough question to count as a joke.
“Hah, no, not quite. But just for the future, you should know what information can be hidden in an enchanted item. You should be fine as long as you don’t tell anyone what raw materials you use though.”
“I promise to keep that in mind. I would prefer not to repeat something like this, at least.” Lilly said, her fingers nervously tracing the intricate patterns on the armrest of the plush couch, betraying her discomfort.
“Well, I’m sure you won’t forget in the future after this. Still, I apologize for the direct manner in which I’ve confronted you,” Gallus said. His eyebrows furrowed in a sincere expression of regret, his small hands clasped together as if to emphasize his apology. “But let’s discuss the price here. You have made some very strong protective necklaces, fitting the current market well. We will probably be able to sell these soon, so I can give you a higher portion of the end price than usual. What were you looking to sell for?”
“Oh, I’d like to get about 1500 for each of them,” Lilly said, straightening her posture, trying to exude more confidence than she felt.
“Hmm, there are some problems with that price.” Gallus began, leaning forward, his eyes narrowing slightly as he entered into the nuances of business negotiation. “It’s an unusual enchantment, able to withstand most normal arrows and sword slashes I presume. It’s not overly intrusive, and can easily be worn by most people in everyday situations. But it is a bit overpowering, in relation to the effects.”
“What do you mean by overpowering?” Lilly asked, not understanding what he was referring to.
“Oh, it’s about the limit of equipped items. People have limitations on how much enchanted power they can handle at one time, related to their core and their bodies limitations in relation to mana. Otherwise people could walk around with hundreds of enchanted items, either protecting them or offering other effects. These necklaces have a high requirement, and would only fit people that don’t have many other enchantments equipped, or people who can handle higher than normal amounts of mana.”
Lilly had considered that there would be a limit to wearing magical items, but she had never thought about the specifics before. It made sense that the body would have a limit to the power it could handle from an enchanted item. The mana would have to move within the body’s natural channels, and depending on the power of the item it could be more than some could handle.
‘I really hope that won't be a problem with the people we’ve given the necklaces to so far. Mia will be fine, but the others, Gramps and her family, might feel some discomfort…’ Lilly thought, thinking of the consequences of this new aspect of enchanting.
“That makes sense... And these necklaces will be hard to find customers for because of that?”
“Yes, most of our customers buying protective items are relatively normal people. And as the price rises, so does the difficulty of selling them. Rich people usually have other enchantments on them as well, which makes these undesirable. And adventurers aren’t buying any more than usual. A lot of them even left the city to join the frontline. This is part of why I thought the army could use you, they usually have high tolerances for magical items. And not to mention deep pockets, especially right now.”
“I understand. Do I take these to the army then, or do you still want to buy them?” Lilly asked, her eyes returning to Gallus, trying to gauge his reaction.
Gallus stroked his neatly trimmed beard, pondering for a moment before replying. “I could put you in contact with the army, but I also wouldn’t mind buying them myself. But in that case I think 1000 for each would be close to my best price.”
“That’s a bit too low. I was hoping to use this money for something, as well as buying some new material, so I’d really like to get at least 1200 for each.”
“Could I maybe ask what you intend to spend the money on? Maybe I could help with that to sweeten the pot.”
Lilly hesitated a bit before answering, slightly embarrassed. “Uhm, I was thinking of going on a date at the Skyview restaurant. My… girlfriend really wanted to go.”
Gallus’s reaction was warm, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. “Oho, I see! Well then, I think I can help. I know the owner well, and he owes me a few favors. Especially after I helped him off the ground, rather literally. How does 1100 for each necklace and a lovely evening at the Skyview restaurant sound then?”
Lilly’s eyes lit up at the offer, a mixture of relief and excitement washing over her. ‘That would leave Mia with 250 gold after deducting cost, and me with 750. And a free date, it's perfect!’ Lilly calculated, and found the deal to be very good.
“I’m very satisfied with that deal, Gallus,” Lilly said, her voice steadier now, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “But I have some questions now if you don’t mind.”
“Very good, Lilly. I’ll answer as well as I can,” Gallus said, leaning forward with a look of earnestness, his eyes reflecting the seriousness of the conversation.
“What does the purity of the materials decide?”
“Oh, it has to do with the speed at which mana can pass through an object. If these necklaces had been as impure as I suspect they were before you enchanted them, the draining capacity and maximum protection would be lower. It’s sort of like a resistance within the material.”
Lilly nodded thoughtfully, her eyes fixed on Gallus, absorbing every word. “I see, so that’s something that’s more important with high level enchantments then?”
“Absolutely, the requirement for purity in high level enchanting is very high, because otherwise the effects are greatly reduced. You're at the level where it’s starting to have a pretty large effect, as you can tell by comparing the draining power of the bracelets and these necklaces.”
“Oh, I was wondering why that happened. But isn’t the draining power and maximum power decided by the power of the enchantment?”
“It is, but impurity can act as a restraint on those aspects. So the purity has to be higher than the power for it to be unrestricted. If you think of the power as the water of a river, the purity is like the size of the channel. As long as the power is lower than the purity, it has no effect. But if there is more water than the channel can handle, it overflows and wastes mana, making the effect limited.”
Lilly found that explanation easy to understand, and she was grateful he shared it so willingly. “Okay, that’s certainly nice to know. I also wanted to know more about my family, if you know anything else.”
Gallus leaned back, steepling his fingers as he delved into history. “Yes, I imagined you would. Little is known unfortunately, but they were closely associated with the color red, and flames. It’s been assumed they were able to purify materials, since so many artifacts they left behind were near perfect in purity. The last time their name was recorded was over 2000 years ago, so it’s an old family. It’s surprising that your ancestors kept so many of their traits for so long, like the red hair.” Gallus recounted everything he could remember, and he had an interest in the family, so anything he didn’t know would be hard to find.
“I see, it is very surprising that my family stayed here for so long…” Lilly mused aloud, her voice trailing off as she lost herself in thought, her gaze settling on the intricate patterns of the carpet, contemplating the amulet and her family's long history. ‘I probably won’t get an answer from thinking about it’ she thought. “Then I only need to know more about the army. I think I’d like to help.”
“Excellent, I can have someone from the army come over in a few days and I’ll notify you. Ah, about the dinner as well, I’ll have someone come over tomorrow to give you the date.”
“Oh, will I need my own material if I decide to work for the army for a while?” Lilly asked, a slight crease forming on her forehead as she contemplated the logistics.
“I doubt they would let you use normal material after seeing your work so far, so they will most likely give you some. They will probably give you the items to enchant as well.”
That wasn’t good, Mia would be very unhappy if she started using some other blacksmith’s work. And Lilly preferred to only use Mia’s work as well. “Oh, that’s not, that doesn’t work for me. I have a partner blacksmith, and all my work has been made by her.”
“Oh, well, you’ll have to discuss it with them later then. In that case, I’m guessing you just want the gold, and no materials yet? Oh, maybe you’d prefer palladium plates instead? It’s a lot easier to carry.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. That sounds great, Gallus,” Lilly said, giving his hand a shake to seal the deal. Lilly had seen plenty of plates before, but she had never owned any herself.
As Gallus left the room to fetch the payment, Lilly leaned back, letting out a quiet sigh. Her eyes roamed the lavish room, reflecting on the whirlwind of conversation and decisions. ‘Well, that was terrifying. And educational. Gallus really seems like a nice person, as long as we’re not haggling about price… Mia will be happy though, and I’m also looking forward to the date. Do I have anything to wear?’
As she was pondering, Gallus came back carrying a small pouch filled with palladium plates. “Here you go, Lilly, 33 plates for 3300 gold. It’s been a pleasure once again, and I expect to see you soon.”
Lilly weighed the pouch in her hand, feeling the heft of her new wealth. “It really has been a pleasure, mostly. I really appreciate your discretion though Gallus, thank you.” Lilly's voice carried genuine gratitude, her eyes meeting Gallus’s with sincere thanks.
“Don’t mention it, Lilly. It was the least I could do,” Gallus said, sending her off with a smile.
Lilly left him alone in the room, walked down the stairs, and eventually walked out of the Aether’s Echo once again.
‘Doing business is really exhausting. I hope my future visits here will be less demanding.’ Lilly thought, as she strolled on the familiar road home.
She walked with a purposeful stride, her mind already planning the next steps, anticipating the upcoming date with Mia.