What had once been a relatively calm time in Norman’s life turned into a madhouse as people scurried about to prepare for the wedding. And he wasn’t exempt from the preparation. Not that he minded.

He didn’t want to be one of those types of men who just made the future bride plan everything. Especially with Kalia a bit overwhelmed by all the new attention. So just being there helped split the focus. He also wanted them to share the choices evenly. This was going to be his only wedding after all. He might as well have some say in it.

“White dress, or should we go with the bone-colored one?” The seamstress, Sarah inquired.

Norman turned away from the starry-eyed girl and toward his future wife. “I am kind of partial to the bone color. But traditional white might be the way to go.”

Kalia nodded. “I think we will stick with the white for the wedding dress. But Maybe we could go with the bone color for the tablecloths?”

Norman jumped slightly as the energetic seamstress squealed in delight. “Marvelous. I can picture it now.” She let a wistful sigh escape her lips before shaking her head and focusing back on Kalia. “Come then, we need to pick a style.”

“Bu- But what about Norman?” Kalia asked as the woman started dragging her away.

The seamstress stopped before turning toward him, her face taking on a frosty look as she spoke. “Lord Norman… can wait out here. It's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding.”

Norman nodded quickly, not wanting to get on the bad side of this fiery woman. “It’s fine. I’ll get fitted for my tux and meet you back here.”

Without waiting for a response, Sarah pulled Kalia into a back room and out of sight.

“She will be fine,” Nolia stated matter-of-factly as she stepped up beside him. “Sarah is the best in the city.”

Norman nodded, he wasn’t worried about Kalia’s safety with the seamstress. Not with all the doors to this establishment secured with guards. He even had Shannon, the Wraith Guard keeping tabs on Kalia.

He trusted most of the people in town but he was taking no chances with the wedding. It hadn’t taken long for the announcement to get out to the general public. Not that he had attempted to hide it or anything. But if anyone did wish to hurt him, this would be the time to do it. And they may attempt to go after Kalia to do so. He could easily picture Donovan or his son trying something during the event.

“Shall we go see Lausu?” he asked.

Nolia nodded and motioned for him to follow.

The two walked a few blocks with his ever-present shadows, Lohr and Nolix keeping a respectful distance behind him.

“Do we know what Lausu wanted?” He inquired as he moved around a stall selling some fried street food. It smelled amazing and if he wasn’t in a hurry, he might have stopped to have one.

“He has not,” Nolia replied tersely. “Lausu… Lausu hasn’t adapted to this new life as much as some of the other jorik. He still maintains the old ways.”

“So, he’s stubborn.”

“No… Not exactly. More like he expects a certain type of interaction.”

Norman sighed. “If he still sees himself as above everyone, how has he managed to build his textile empire?”

“That is part of the reason he still feels like the old ways are correct. His shrewd negotiating tactics and quick thinking allowed him to force out or buy out any competitors before they even got a foothold. As for you, Lord Norman, he probably sees you as an equal. Even if he is technically under your authority.”

“Great,” Norman muttered as the pair rounded the final corner before the textile mill. “Anything I should know before we arrive?”

“A small head nod would be appropriate for equals, but wait until he nods first. If he doesn’t and you give one, he will see you as having lesser standing than him and it will make any negotiations more difficult."

He did his best to suppress an annoyed sigh as they approached the building. A jorik guard wearing a suit of bone armor with a flower imprinted in it opened the door as they arrived.

It was slightly surprising to see someone who wasn’t a town guard wearing the armor. However, he did note that this was the old version of his armor, the one before he added the compression and enchantments to it. It was likely a leftover from when Ashvale was just trying to survive and Norman was cranking spell forms out to protect as many people as possible. It wasn’t as if the spells went bad. At least he hadn’t come across that issue so far.

The armor spell could have also been sold off as surplus after the guard upgraded to the new armor. He hadn’t exactly forbidden the sale of his utility spells. He also wasn’t the only one with the knowledge to recreate them anymore either. Just like with his revival spells, there were mages around town who now handled the production and distribution of armor other than himself. But he should probably have Eugene look into it to ensure the newer stuff wasn’t making it to the street.

After nodding to Norman and giving a lesser nod to Nolia, the guard spoke. “Lord Norman, Finance Administrator Nolia, please, follow me,” he said in a quiet lilting tone that was somehow devoid of any emotion.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Neither he nor Nolia returned the nod before following behind the guard.

They were led through a pair of enchanted doors. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the noise inside assaulted his ears. The building was packed with wooden machines and people turning the tough grass into yarn and then weaving it into fabric.

Norman made sure not to gape at the production as they were led between rows of workers and under massive looms that were constantly in motion, but it was a close thing. He had no idea something like this had been built in Ashvale. Although, now that he thought about it, it shouldn't surprise him all that much. This facility provided most of the cloth for the entire town and beyond. Of course, it was going to be a massive operation.

He wondered how the man was even powering the devices until he spotted a small metallic platform with two metal rods poking up from either side. A gron woman was holding onto each rod and occasionally Norman would see a spark arc away from the device.

Nolia clicked her tongue in distaste when she spotted the platform.

“You recognize it?”

She nodded. “It is called a luath. It pulls the mana from a person. Normally it's used to power ritual magic back in my homeland. I didn’t expect it to be used as a power source. It takes a heavy toll on the user.”

“You’re correct,” An elegantly dressed jorik responded before walking over to greet them.

Norman waited as Lausu approached, the man tilted his head ever so slightly. Norman returned the gesture. “If it is so harsh, why use it?”

“The needs outweigh the cost. And you mustn’t feel bad for the people powering it. They all volunteered, knowing it could be draining. And there is no permanent harm to the user.”

“They volunteered for this? Why?”

“Probably because it pays more than most in Ashvale will make in two days. All for a simple hour of work. But you didn’t come down here to discuss my labor practices. Shall we go to my office?”

While that was true, Norman didn’t like seeing his people suffer. Then again, if they had volunteered – and he had no reason to question that – it was their choice to make. He did make a mental note to push more funding into the powerplant to hurry that along.

As the group passed through another warded doorway, the constant drone of the factory cut off once more. It was so abrupt it left a mild ringing in Norman’s ears. The ringing faded quickly though as Norman and Nolia took a seat across from Lausu at a very ornate desk.

The desk wasn’t the only ornate thing. The whole room spoke of wealth and power. It was something Norman had no taste for but he could understand the appeal. What good is money if you don’t spend it?

As Lausu settled, he wasted no time. “I asked you here to propose a deal.”

“A deal?” Norman asked in confusion. “I thought we were here to discuss my clothing for the wedding. What sort of deal?”

“That as well, but we will get to that shortly. As for the deal. With trade opening up and enclaves being located, I find myself feeling the pull to return home. But I do not wish to do so in this form, or as a pauper.”

“You want to sell off your assets?” Norman guessed.

“I do. But gold and Grothlo have little value in jorik society.”

That was probably true. He doubted the jorik had much need for the gron currency.

“What is it you want then?” Depending on what the man desired, Norman just might give it to him. Acquiring the entire textile industry of Normenia would be a blow to the guild and its antics.

“Enchanted items. Ones with unique enchantments would be worth even more.”

Norman winced internally at the request. First off, he didn’t, or more specifically, the kingdom didn’t own that many enchanted items. Ones that weren’t in use at least. And some of those he was not willing to trade.

It was a good thing Nolia was here with him. She knew the value of enchanted items far better than he did.

The trio negotiated for a good forty minutes until they came to an agreement.

“I must say, I had been hoping for more,” Lausu smiled tightly.

“Everything comes with a cost, and restoring you to life is not a free endeavor. Where will you go from here?” Norman asked as he sipped on the beverage provided. It was sort of like tea but had a cinnamony citrus taste to it. It wasn’t bad though.

The man waved his hand. “The enclave near this California of yours. While it is not my home enclave, I do know a few people there. Perhaps one day my home will be rediscovered and I can return. But let us talk about the other reason you came.” He clapped his hands lightly and the door to his office opened. A man stepped in holding a suit that he hung up to the side before leaving.

“A gift, for your wedding,” Lausu gestured to the rack.

Norman quirked an eyebrow but got up to examine the tuxedo. The fabric was soft and seemed to glitter in the light as it moved. Thin red trim ran along the suit, helping define the crisp edges and lapels. It contrasted nicely with the ornate golden buttons.

“How?” Norman asked as he slid the jacket on and found that it fit him perfectly.

“Your tailor is a personal friend of mine. When he mentioned you had stopped by, I loaned him this fabric to create the garment. It isn’t something I would normally make available.”

“Oh? What’s different about it?”

Norman saw Lausu’s eyes flick toward Nolia before coming back to land on him. “It’s imbued.”

He heard Nolia gasp slightly at the declaration. “So, it’s magical?” Norman asked, slightly confused by Nolia’s reaction.

Lausu shook his head. “Not in the way you might think. To imbue something requires that a part of myself inhabit the item.”

Norman wasn’t sure he liked the thought of wearing clothes that contained part of someone. “What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain to an outsider. Your language doesn’t have a word for it. The closest thing would be my essence, or being.”

“Your soul?”

Lausu shook his head. “No. Before I died, I had no concept of the afterlife or a soul. Since then, I have died again and I can say for certain that it is not the soul. Like I said, I can’t really describe it to you in words that would make sense. The chu’kana is what we call it. A gathering of all my experiences.”

“Ok, so what does it do?”

“It doesn’t do anything. The chu’kana is given only to those the jorik hold in high esteem, to whom they are not related to. But even then only to those who have done them a great service.” The man then stood and approached Norman before going down on one knee and bowing his head low.

Norman looked over at his Advisor awkwardly, but the woman had turned away from the uncharacteristic display.

"If not for your benevolence, I would not have been given this second chance. When I first passed from this world, I had not found a mate. To die alone is not something I ever thought would happen. And I wish to never experience it again. The news of your marriage has spurred me into finally finding a suitable mate.”

“This isn’t really necessary,” Norman responded awkwardly.

“But it is,” Lausu insisted. “Just like when Saliu and Nolia presented that imbued staff to you, this is my thanks for what you have done.”

“What?” Norman looked back over at his advisor who was now flush with embarrassment.

“You weren’t supposed to find out,” she spoke quietly.

Lausu rose to his feet, his display of deference complete. “I will prepare my books and get ready to train whomever you decide to take over. Thank you again for coming today, Lord Norman.”