As I step into the room, I’m greeted by a sight of understated opulence. The space is dominated by a desk crafted from rich golden wood, complemented by a plush red chair adorned with intricate golden trims. Seated behind the desk is a figure of refined elegance—a slender man with silver hair cascading over his shoulders, accented by a meticulously groomed, elongated moustache. His fair complexion is accentuated by eyes that gleam with silver sclera and golden irises, giving him an otherworldly aura. Dressed impeccably in a sleek black suit with subtle silver accents, he commands attention effortlessly. The ambiance is further enhanced by the subtle hum of power that seems to emanate from every fixture and corner of the room. As our eyes meet, he offers a knowing smile and remarks, “We seem to have an intriguing individual in our midst, Mr. Anavrit. So, what treasures do you have to offer me today?”
Feeling a bit nervous, I open my backpack and present my wares. First, I reveal a pair of dentures. “This here is an item I call ‘Fangs of a False Vampire.’ It can be worn by any awakened person. It will seamlessly fuse with the wearer’s teeth, giving them the appearance of pristine vampire fangs. Additionally, the wearer can drink blood to heal themselves, albeit with reduced efficacy. Though, it passively consumes a small amount of the wearer’s aether.”
“Intriguing. Can this rejuvenate someone? Can it be removed after someone wears it?” he asks.
“It can rejuvenate someone to a minor degree. No, it cannot be removed once worn. I was just about to mention that,” I reply, feeling a pang of nerves for forgetting to do so.
“This is quite remarkable! So, how much do you want for it?” he says. “I’ve invested significantly in crafting these—using rare materials, time, and aether. So, I’m seeking 6000 credits,” I assert, testing the waters, though I initially anticipated around 4000 credits.
“Hmm, I will give you 5000 credits for it, no more. You may not be aware of my ability, but I possess ‘Look of Wealth,’ allowing me to assess the value of items, individuals, creatures, or places. Therefore, I’m well-informed in these matters, so don’t challenge me. Let’s examine something else,” he declares firmly.
Feeling slightly intimidated, as I had heard that he just gives you a price without saying much, yet pleasantly surprised by his offer, I proceed to reveal the next item—a gnarled branch adorned with a thin green vine. “This is an item that can be used as an ability focus. I call it ‘Dryad’s Finger.’ By using it as an ability focus, the user can connect with their surrounding plants to manipulate them to a minor degree and check on their health. So, how much?”
“Are the results of the manipulation permanent, or do the plants revert back?” he asks. I reply with a bit of confidence, “If the changes made through minor plant manipulation are kept to a certain degree, the plant can survive, or they will die out. But, your answer is that it is permanent.”
“For this, I will give you 7000 credits. What’s next?” he says.
Gratefully accepting the generous offer, I unveil a crystalline wooden hairpin shaped like a tiny snake crafted from ivy. “This is the ‘Hair Serpent Pin.’ By wearing this, the wearer’s hair is strengthened to a minor degree and can be manipulated easily with aether. How much for this?” Surprisingly, he says, “Let’s go with 4000 credits. Next.”
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I could not believe that a hairpin would sell for so much; I thought I would get 2000 at most. So, I shut my mouth and took out a necklace with a single shimmering pearl. “This is called ‘Thieves’ Call.’ By wearing this, the wearer can draw more attention from almost everyone in a room, or they can set it so that almost everyone ignores them, even when they are close by. Though if someone is hitting them or wearing something flashy like full gold plate armour, even this cannot make them ignore the wearer.” Slightly chuckling, he said, “Now I see why you call this the thieves’ call. It can attract or aid a thief. I will give you 6000 credits for it. Next.” I thought I would get around 7000 credits, but it will do. I take out six wooden rings. “For these, I don’t have a name. These are generic bark skin rings.” He looks at them, saying, “I can give you 500 each, so a total of 3000 credits, next.” Just as I had thought, these are not worth making as the ingredient cost is 480 credits. I also take out some more generic magic items that I made; in total, I made 12400 credits from those.
Next, I take out a cloak seemingly made of leaves and scales, “I call this the ‘Cloak of the Wilds.’ Wearing this, the wearer can blend into almost any terrain by the cloak mimicking surrounding foliage and color. It can fool most senses, including sight, heat vision, and smell.” He looks at it and says, “For this, I can give you 8000 credits. Next.”
Next, I take out an ordinary-looking sea shell, “This is the ‘Sea’s Calming Whispers.’ Putting this shell near someone’s ear and channelling aether into it, it can calm whoever hears it, and if heard for long enough, put someone to sleep.” “I will give you 4000 credits for it. Next.”
As I pull out the last item I had prepared to sell, his eyes widen slightly after seeing it. “This is a masterpiece of mine. I call it the ‘Seed of Prismatic Aether’.” I then fully pull out a crystalline orb the size of half my fist. “This is a growth item. By bonding with it, regularly infusing it with one’s own ability mixed with aether, and planting it in good soil, it can grow into a magical tree. But I cannot tell you what the tree’s magic will be, as that depends on the bonder’s ability.” I say and look at Mr. Oliver, who has a slight twinkle in his eyes. He stands up abruptly and almost yells, “Marvelous! This is a truly unique item. I cannot take it from you like that. My ability cannot truly place a price on it, but it suggests that with the right bonder, it will be legendary.” He stops and takes a deep breath. He looks at me with a serious look and says, “Let us discuss a deal.”
“ A seer friend of mine said that today I will come across someone that will be a very good enchanter and I should employ them myself. Later today I have meeting with a man, Hiroto Tachibana, he is called a prodigy in enchanting with a ability that lets him create aetheric cores in even mundane materials. I had thought that he might have been that individual that my friend was speaking of. But after seeing your creations and not to say your masterpiece I am certain that you are that person, even by ability is saying that your value is nothing to scoff at if given opportunity. So I want you to work for me.” He asks with almost a batted breath.
I get a little flustered from his speech. To say that highly of me, I just look at him for a moment, not knowing what to say. I muster up a reply, “ I-I cannot be employed by you, I have some problems, but if you give me materials I can sell you my crafted products.”
He look at me a little revealed, “ That can be arranged. Though I will say that you should not just sell them to me directly, you should auction them through my company. If the auction is successful we take a 5% share and the rest goes to you .” I let out a relieved sigh. He continues, “ To give you materials, I have to know about your ability, please tell me about it.” I get a bit nervous about that. Then I have to remind my self why I came here, to get away from my criminal past. I start to tell him about my ability.....