The bell on the shop’s door rang out as Mya entered the store.

Alcoves covered the left and right walls, rolls of material hanging down. Looms could be heard moving in the back room as someone walked through the door.

“Hi we sell materials and items one might need to create their own clothing,” An attendant moved up to Mya.

“That’s good I’m looking to update my own stores. I’d like to take a look at materials in the Rare and I heard you had some of the Epic grade?” Mya asked, smoothly and quickly. Actually, if she was heading to the water plane anyway, why not pull a profit of her own? When she’d been in Maz’s shop they’d been low on cloth. “What do you have for waterproof materials? Any grade, looking for neutral colors, lighter ones if possible.” The saleswoman on the back foot as she rushed to change mental gears.

It was long and thin with rolls of material hanging down. Dust was starting to show on some of the materials.

“Do you have a list of bulk materials for sell?” Mya asked. Dust showed they weren’t moving items, rain was rare here. Could get a better deal on that.

“This way please,” The saleswoman said, pasting on a smile as her eyes were still shaking from the rapid-fire questions.

She reached the main counter and pulled out a book filled with sample pieces affixed next to notes giving information on each.

“These are materials that will be waterproof,” The woman flipped the pages to a section.

“What’s your name?” Mya asked.

“Endia.”

“Well Endia, I hope you work on commission because I think we’re going to become rather good friends.” Mya flipped the pages. “What materials are you using for your fabrics?”

“We started by raising various animals that produce the material we require. We kept up that production even as we imported new materials when we were in the material plane. Thankfully we kept up production with animals. When we were transported here we could continue to use the looms to make more material even without supply routes.”

“Smart, owning the chain from beginning to end.”

“We can offer custom fabric if you require,” Endia offered.

“You can?” Mya kept holding the pages of the book, several marked by her fingers interlaced.

“We have the materials from our various animals, that creates the texture and the base grade of the material. Then we have alchemists that create solutions to treat the base materials, adding in characteristics and color.”

“That gives you a massive advantage being here in the academy.” No wonder their materials grades reach up to the Epic grade. “How much do you have in stock for these ones.” Mya flipped to the pages she was holding in her fingers and pointed to different samples.

Endia took out a piece of paper and made note of the lot numbers.

“I’ll check those for you.” Endia moved around the counter, opening another book. Mya kept flipping through.

Misty Cove could still be a problem, working with Maz would have been great. Though the Coral Bastion was similarly sized.

It’d be a good way to make some extra cash.

Endia put the book she was working from and her sheet.

“This shows the stock of each material.”

Mya looked at them.

“We have three complete bolts, one partial, on the first,” She paused at Mya’s raised finger.

“How much material do you have on each bolt?”

“We usually try to sell one meter by one meter, which is eight standard material units. Each bolt is twenty-five meters long.”

“So that’d be two hundred standard material units.” Mya did the mental math. “I’ll give you a flat fee of five gold per unit on the common waterproof materials per unit, one fifty on Uncommon.”

“These are worth ten, but I can do nine,” Endia said.

“What’s someone going to use waterproof materials here for?” Mya asked. “I’ll go to six.”

Endia squinted at Mya. “I can do that on the common, but the uncommon is two hundred.”

“Split to one seventy five?” Mya asked.

“I can do that,” Endia reached out her hand.

Mya took it with a grin and shook it.

“Alright, well, then I’d like-“ Mya flipped through the pages and continued pointing out different materials. Endia noted them down.

Mya went through all of the materials that were waterproof. Picking out various colors and materials.

“How much of these do you want?” Endia asked.

“All that you have in stock.” Mya said.

Endia’s smile deepend. “Cherise! I’m going to need you to get an order together!”

Another woman moved to meet them, Endia passed her a list. “All of the stock for these items.” She turned back to Mya, Cherise’s eyes widening as she went down the list. Endia had her pencil at the ready.

“What else?”

“Well I think that I’m going to need some inner lining cloth, something that’s breathable and regulates temperature?”

“Oh, we have a number of those kind of fabrics, in great demand right now.” Endia flipped the sample book and the stock book, leaving them open to Mya. “Numbers on the stock were updated yesterday so they could be much lower today.” Endia demurred.

Mya nodded, hiding her grin, feeling the excitement and merchant’s challenge rising from Endia.

“Okay, that should be good for stocks. Now I’m looking for some personal project items.”

Endia leaned forward, ready to help as needed. Her knowledge of the materials had been impeccable and she had all but one of the other women that had been in the front of the store moving up and down the ladders to pull bolts from racks, or in the rear of the shop gathering up items.

“I’m looking to get some uncommon material to hold a passive cleaning enchantment, something that’s comfortable against the skin as a shirt,” Mya said.

“Okay, then we have some cotton based fabric, breathable, comfortable and it’ll be strong enough to hold a passive enchantment. The commons would require you putting mana into the enchantment to engage them,” Endia flipped the pages to a sample.

Mya rubbed it between her fingers.

“There are a few more,” Endia flipped to other samples. Mya felt them all and checked them with her monocole.

“I’ll take this one,” she tapped one on a page. She did the quick mental math on everyone’s sizes and the among of material units she’d need. “Forty meters long?”

“I think we can get that to one sixty a unit.” Endia said.

“That will work,” Mya smiled. “I’ll also need a material for pants. I want it durable, stretchy and water resistant if possible.”

“For that I think we might have to move up to Rare grade,” Endina watched Mya.

“Lets have a look.”

Endina flicked towards the front of the sample book and to a specific page. “I think these are the materials you’d be looking for.”

Mya ran them through her tests, picking out a new material.

Endina worked her lips together. “Fifteen hundred, plus we can color it as you desire.”

“Done,” Mya said, the materials were top notch and with their treatments. Mya had done her research there wasn’t another seller in Ilus with the selection of materials at their grade. Endina was giving her a great deal as it was.

“Last, it is going to be a rather serious bit of gear,” Mya looked at Endina.

She held her hands together and nodded.

“I want to make gambesons and padded clothing to go under armor.”

“Okay,” Endina’s eyes were slightly unfocused, Mya could see her running through her materials and items.

“Its main focus is to dissipate the impacts against armor. On the inner layer I’m going to be adding in an enchantment to regulate temperature, its going to need to be heavy duty for the temperature build ups. I’m heading into the Epic grade with adding in passive healing as well.”

Endina breathed in and nodded her head. “Are you layering it?”

“Yes, one material as the inner and outer liner, then several layers of other materials inside, to increase the padding, quilted stitched to remain in place and not clump.”

“I don’t know if this well help but there is a solution that we use on various clothing that is used as armor. When the material is hit with a hard enough force it hardens up. The alchemists call it Dilatant treatment.” Endina looked at Mya.

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

“If it was to harden up and then press against the inner layers, dissipating the force over a greater area,” Mya trailed off. “Yeah that could be great.”

“Then you’re looking for layers that need to have good compression properties.” Endina pulled out another book and flipped through pages. “Really I think that wool is going to be your best there, it has great cushioning properties and it returns to its form well. Now, you can have the loose material, which will definitely pad you up. Though if you’re using this under armor, you don’t want good, you want the best.” Endina glanced up.

“Best money to spend is on what’s going to keep you alive. My friend said that,” A smile rose up at the memory of Petor starting his spending spree. Maybe I should see if he’d like to iuvest into some of this trading too? The others as well.

She pulled herself to Endina’s words as the woman grabbed the fabric book and flipped to the front.

“In that case, you’re going to want to have a wool fabric. Don’t want it super tight as you want it to have give without tearing. Color isn’t going to matter. I think that we have some that’s untreated. A stiffening treatment will bolster the material to really up the amount of impact it can handle. Then just layer them.” Endina turned the book to Mya.

She rubbed her hand over the material, it was soft, she could pinch it right up and spread it out and it didn’t fray.

She used her monocole and sight to see the weave of the fabric.

“If I was to offset the different layers it’d help to dissipate the impact even more. These are thing too, get a lot more material in there.”

“Going to need that heat enchantment to keep the user’s temperature down. I do wonder, will it be too heavy?”

Mya chuckled. “No I don’t think the weight will matter much. Also with the thinner layers instead of just loose material padding even the thin padded vests I wear would benefit from it.”

Also on her actual armor she could do inner layer, few layers of padding, then Vatler’s armor plates and then the outer layer. It would be more complex, but she’d have the padding built in, then with a thin padded vest underneath. She would have her freedom of movement and greatly increased defense.

She squeezed the material again with her strength. It deformed, but there felt like more give to it. The crafter in her started rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

“Going to need strong thread to be sure, so when the sections harden they don’t undo your quilting.

“Endina, you said you have that Dilatant treatment. What material do you create that’s the best for dealing with impacts. Knives, spells, blunt and so on? I’m looking for something that I can still cast through but would be a great outer layer of armor.”

“For that I think it would be good to look at our highly specialized materials.” Endina took out a small menu and opened it. Within there were just eight materials, each behind an enchanted piece of glass, the information detailed out to the side.

“These materials are taken from the highest-grade animals we have, or from inorganic substances. They are all Epic grade. Though their price is higher as their strength is equivalent to that of Dimantium, with varying properties.”

Mya looked through them, hiding her grimace at their prices.

“Most are blended weaves, taking threads from various sources, then weaving them together into a dense fabric to bring forward new properties. For impact resistance and durability. I would suggest the Vecora fabric. The Ferona fabric is very similar, but it has a higher resistance to heat. If you are not looking for that then the Vecora is cheaper, more comfortable in my opinion and it will passively increase the strength of spells cast while wearing it.”

Mya ran her finger over the Vecora, there was a slickness to the material, scratching it her nails barely found grip. “Tight weave, hard for anything to get between the threads. Smooth almost a bit lit ribbon, if you hit on an angle or slash then its going to be hard to find purchase.”

She would need a new vest, armored pants and bracers. Also a new inner liner to her hat. Desari’s cowl was great, but she’d need something to offer greater protection around her head and face, same with Valter and his scarf-hood situation.

“Can you do these in different colors?” Mya asked.

“Of course,” Endina said.

Mya ran the math in her head. The cost would bring her savings down below a million gold. Cutting her off from buying her information from Limos. Selling it she could recoup her losses and make a profit. Though she’d be just putting that cost onto the others bringing them below what they needed to get their information.

It just wouldn’t work. I’ll make Desari and my armor, in the future maybe I can make the underlayers too.

She hated leaving things half done, but the market and costs dictated. At least she could make a cap for Valter’s head, a hood for Desari and a head wrapping for Petor.

Endina put down the numbers and checked her stock book.

“With all the items for your crafting. The one thousand units of common material, fifty eight uncommon, and our entire stock of fifty thousand water proofing potions at two gold.”

Mya nodded along. “That sounds right to me.” I’m going to need to catch up with Jaxus and get him to convert some of my credit with Limos into cash.

Endina turned the piece of paper over to her.

“That’ll be Seven hundred and twenty four thousand, five hundred gold pieces.”

Deducting the cost of information that left her with just over three hundred and two thousand gold. She was tempted to buy more materials to sell in the water plane. A good merchant knew that a diversity of wares not just quantity kept one in healthy profits.

Also she had all that powder to buy.

Maybe she could get Desari to come up with a potion that could capture the air more. Then get the students to make it in massive quantities. Applying that to the sails of ships in the water plane, they’d go further with less sail, even on becalmed days they might get movement from their sails.

Spices always did well in trade, but they were a longer-term item. You needed to get the people to understand what they’re trying and how to mix it with their food, little trial samples and over time you build up the user base.

I need goods that are readily understood and used to make a quick and easy profit.

“I can give you a deposit for the materials and then upon delivery I will have the remainder ready. Does that work?” Mya asked.

“Of course,” Endinaa grimaced and dipped her voice low. “Though would it be too much to ask for an oath on this? I believe that you’re trustworthy, but my boss may not be so willing to agree. I also locks in the prices we’ve talked about.”

“Very well,” Mya pulled out contract stock and a pen, quickly filing out the contract.

“I never did catch your name,” Endina said.

“Mya.” There was a frown of recognition at the name in Endina’s eyes. Thoughtful contemplation.

Mya cut her finger and put it against the contract, feeling as if someone was gripping onto her soul.

“Are you the Mya?” Endina asked.

“Well, you’re really elevating my status,” Mya buffed her fingers on her sleeve.

Endina gave her a warm smile, slightly amused, but not thrown from her line of questioning, her eyes becoming more intense, in that moment she made the connections.

“You are her, Mya, one of the four horsemen. You’ve been running the economic development of the city, of all of Dragon Falls.” Her eyes moved to Mya’s hair, her hat and her pistols.

Mya gave her a wink and tapped the side of her nose.

Endina looked to be filled with questions, but also drawn back trying to remain professional. It bubbled up, clamped down and Endina leaned close, her face softening into genuine lines to impress her feelings. “Thank you.”

“Just doing my job, the parts were all there. I like to think I just helped to open up new avenues. The traders, makers and crafters of the region made it happen. Gold is rarely best spent sitting in some vault.” A smile snuck onto her face to bring levity. “Especially when there are so many fabrics out there to be bought.”

Endina laughed, a genuine one, that of someone sharing in a mutual joy. “Certainly the biggest order of fabric I’ve ever overseen.”

“Can’t have enough of it,” Mya chuckled, drawing the chat to a close.

Endina took out a needle, poking her hand and pressing it to the contract, the blood stained the paper and Mya felt her soul drawn forth as the oath took.

Mya took out a bottle of alcohol pulling off the cork and taking a swig, handing it to Endina. She took it with a pale but thankful nod and sucked back some. Her eyes widened as she quickly let it fall from her mouth, swallowing the drink with will.

“Strong stuff ain’t it,” Mya received the bottle back, corking and storing it.

“I think I feel it in my eyes,” Endina blinked and swallowed again, wincing at the aftertaste.

“Well, now you’re not feeling your soul get all twisted up in knots,” Mya said, trying to look on the bright side of it all as she took out another piece of paper and wrote down Desari’s address on it.

“Delivery to this address please, when might I receive it by?” Mya asked.

Endina, took a second glancing out of the store’s front door, judging the time.

“I think that we should be able to deliver it tonight.”

“Perfect, and the deposit?” Mya asked.

“I have a chest over here,” Endina moved along the counter and pulled out something heavy, wood on wood. She brushed it with her hand, unseen but the noise familiar to Mya.

She dragged the chest over to the opening in the counter.

It was made of a dark wood with metal bracing covered in runes. She undid the front latch and opened it.

“If you want to drop your gold in here, it will count out the amount,” Endina said.

“You got someone strong enough to move that much gold?” Mya asked.

Endina’s face pinched in the way of someone who hadn’t thought of that problem. “What if you were to put it in a place where it wouldn’t be in the way and I can dump the gold into there, then you can move it as you need to?”

“Okay,” Endina said, distracted as she looked around behind the counter, and closed the lid. Spotting a place she dragged the chest back and put it in a corner. She checked the position and pushed it the last few milimeters against the wall.

“That should work, you can come behind the counter.”

Mya walked around and Endina opened the top of the chest again.

“Good?” Mya asked.

“Good,” Endina smiled.

Mya held out her hand, gold sparkled in the mage lights, drowning out the noise of the looms just a door away, it had to have an enchantment on it for them to be so quiet.

The chest filled quickly, ghostly blue numbers appeared on the top of the chest, climbing rapidly.

The coins as they reached the chest grew smaller before they reached the bottom. Some kind of enchantment so it might hold more?

Mya nearly drained her cash reserves, keeping her cores and a little extra cash.

The flow stopped Endina shaking herself into movement, checking the numbers on the top of the chest.

“Three hundred and fifteen thousand gold,” Endina said.

“Good doing business with you.” Mya put her hand forward to break Endina from checking the chest’s interior and the numbers ontop of it.

“And you too,” Endina shaking off being stunned her voice getting stronger and gaining a sureity. “Well as you’ve given us a deposit I should give you some of your materials as a show of good faith.”

Mya cocked her head to the side. Didn’t think they’d give me anything right now.

“Just a second,” Endina closed the chest and its clasp before going into the back of the store.

Mya looked around, the counter had blocked what they were doing and Endina’s voice had been low enough that the few people in the store hadn’t heard. The chest had muffled the noise of the falling coins too.

Spending that much gold, no matter where one was, was sure to gather attention.

Endina came out of the back with several materials, putting them on the counter.

“The others are still gathering up the rest. Though this is the wool material for your padding,” She patted a bolt then moved her hand to another. “Then this is the material we talked about for your pants. I was also able to the get the Uncommon material we were talking about that would be best suited for those shirts you want to make.”

This’ll let me get started this afternoon instead of waiting for the shipment. Endina’s smile grew and she pulled out some thread. “This is the thread I was talking about that would be good for keeping the gambeson material tight to the layers underneath.” She pulled out another thread. “Now this one is good for enchanting but is not too ostentatious or eye catching.”

“Thank you Endina,” Mya said.

“Had the feeling that you’d be excited to get started right away.” Endina handed over the two thread wrapped spools.

Mya accepted them.

“Thank you Endina.”

Endina dipped her head. “Is there anything else you require?”

“Not at this time, thank you for your help,” Mya said, waving her hand over the bolts and storing them away, moving back around to the other side of the counter. That drew some attention, storage devices weren’t rare in Ilus but they weren’t common in the least.

“Have a good day and thank you for your business,” Endina placed her hands over one another on her stomach and bowed her head.

“Till next time.” Mya pinched her hat and walked out of the store. One of the store reps opened the door for her. “Thank yah.”

Now where the hell is Jaxus? I should sell the extra cores Valter got from the port raid too. She’d also need to follow up with Desari, see if she could get the student body motivated to craft up air drawing potions. Every Captain could see the use of such potions on their sails.