The last thing I want is to make my customers happy. The first thing I want is to find my pants. I can't sell anything looking like this!
-Basen Koh, unprompted
Reid held up the small green orb. It was roughly half the size of his fist and polished smooth. After his long and careful probing of its magic, he had concluded that it was a good thing he could just identify items. It had a passive ability, but it needed to be bound. That was all he could get from the stone.
Daylight slowly faded in the window just behind Reid. They'd come back to the shop in the late afternoon, and soon, the streets of New Avennia would be lit by a combination of oil lamps and magic lights. Inside the Immaculate Collection, the soft glow of many magic items ensured the space wouldn't get totally dark.
----------------------------------------
Raphael's Veil
* 3 Star Utility Orb
* Bindable
* Grants the binder the ability to conceal themselves from mundane senses while still
* Effect is reduced while moving
----------------------------------------
"Interesting. Why do some items have specific names, while some are just 'Lesser Magic Orb of Hiding,' or whatever this would be called?"
Reid handed over the orb. Basen read the description that was now before him and nodded confidently.
"It's the same thing I've been telling you all day. Items aren't just things that we use and discard. They have stories and history, and sometimes, those stories become a part of the item itself. I don't know the story of Raphael and his precious veil, but it must have been a powerful tale to leave behind such a clear change."
"What does that mean? Items name themselves?"
Basen laughed and set the orb back on display. He handed Reid a small necklace. "Not quite. That's a hot topic of debate between magical scholars. I won't pretend to know the answer, but that is a theory. The other theory is more divine in nature."
Reid's family hadn't been particularly religious. Living on the border with Urish engendered a distaste for anything or anyone that claimed to be a god. It was a generational opinion passed on through the years and shared by nearly all the residents of Glarrus. The True Gods were nothing more to Reid than a turn of phrase.
"I wouldn't dwell on the mystery too much. You'll find there are many mysteries in our world—things we just don't know and things that we find paradoxical. Sometimes, the best we can do is accept that some things are the way they are because they are magic. Some say it's a cheat that stops progress. I say it's a shortcut to moving forward."
Reid accepted the advice and moved on to the next item—the necklace Basen had handed him. It was made from small pearls and did not glow. Reid couldn't sense the necklace, so it was at least four stars.
----------------------------------------
Greater Magic Necklace of Binding Potential
* 5 Star Magic Conduit
* Bindable
* Grants the binder the passive ability to sense the unlocked potential of others. The binder can sense an individual's total potential, magical rank, and the number of stars of potential taken by bindings.
* Once per day, the binder can unlock the potential of an individual whose potential hasn't been unlocked.
----------------------------------------
Every item seemed to bring more questions. Reid wanted to know everything, but he also wanted to complete his growth condition before morning. He nodded and set down the necklace.
Basen grinned. "No questions?"
The man seemed to sense his weakness.
"Well. No. No questions."
"Wow, I almost believe you. We can save questions. You must be anxious to unlock the next tier of your mark."
"Thanks. I'll come back to it later."
With that agreed upon, Reid moved through the rest of the front displays. There were only six more items, and he surprised himself by not having any questions about them. There was a bow that conjured magic arrows, a sword that could light itself on fire and cause extra damage, a book that granted a simple fire starting spell, boots that let the wearer walk on water for several steps, a crystal that could cause uncontrollable itching in another, and a staff that conjured magical shields.
----------------------------------------
* Merchant's MarkGrowth Conditions
* Mark and Identify 50 magic items
* 31/50 Items Identified
----------------------------------------
"Nineteen to go!"
"Wonderful! Let's head to the passive items shelf. I have the most things set out over there."
Reid couldn't hide his excitement. He wanted nothing more than to mark nineteen items in a row and see what happened. He failed to anticipate just how weird magic was.
The first item on the shelf was a small figurine resembling a lizard with wings. It took Reid a second to realize it was supposed to be a dragon, but the wings had clearly been added after the rest of the lizard statue had been created.
----------------------------------------
I am a Dragon?
* 1 Star Dragon?
* Bindable
* When bound, the binder will believe they can fly.
----------------------------------------
"I'm sorry. What the hell am I looking at?"
Basen touched the dragon and burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. He doubled over and wheezed for a minute before standing back up and scooping the dragon off the shelf.
"Ah, sorry. That one isn't for sale. As you can imagine, it's quite dangerous."
"I guess I didn't expect magic to be dangerous like that. Fireballs are one thing..."
"Never bind something without knowing what it is and what it does. There's a reason people pay well for certified identifications."
"Says the man selling things in the market square that he hadn't even identified."
Basen opened his mouth but stopped and cocked his head. "Huh. You've got me there."
Reid tried to put the dragon out of his mind.
The next several items passed without issue. A plate that kept food warm, a plate that kept food cold, and a plate that gave the binder resistance to anxiety—something that deeply confused Reid. After the plates came three rings that granted extreme grip strength, cold resistance, and the ability to detect lies.
The next item tripped him up again.
----------------------------------------
Ezrick the Swindler's Coin
* 6 Star Illusory Constructor
* Bindable
* This coin can be duplicated once per year. The duplicated coin is an Illusory Construct that exists for one year and can be used once to purchase anything from anyone, with the exception of bound items and items that are invaluable to the owner. The recipient of the coin will be satisfied with the exchange until the Illusory Construct coin expires.
----------------------------------------
"Uhh. This doesn't have a binding requirement. Also, WHAT?"
"Oh yes. This one has gotten me into more than my fair share of trouble. I might still be banned from Corvas. Best we put this one into the locked case up front, hmm?"
"Wait. I can copy the coin and buy anything? A house? Another six star item?"
"Sure. If you use that to buy a house, the bank won't be happy in twelve months, but at that point, you could move if you wanted. If someone uses it to buy a six star item, they should ensure the item they buy will make them strong enough to protect themselves from the aftermath."
Reid could only shake his head at the coin's ridiculousness. He let Basen take it before he had any ideas that would get him into trouble.
Reid marked two more items—a belt that kept the wearer clean as long as they wore it and a disc that could hover a foot off the ground and be ridden by the binder.
"It's only a little faster than walking."
Next was a scroll that would put anyone who read it to sleep, a statue of an odd black and white bird that increased swimming speed and cold resistance, and a landscape painting that made anyone who could see it less likely to become angry or violent. Reid mentally noted that they shouldn't sell that one. Keeping people calm around the shop owner's chaotic personality was worth more than whatever they might sell it for.
----------------------------------------
Merchant's Mark Growth Conditions
* Mark and Identify 50 magic items
* 44/50 Items Identified
----------------------------------------
Reid picked up a pair of pants from which he couldn't sense anything. He marked them, and nothing happened.
"Why doesn't my mark work on these?"
"Hmm. Oh, sorry. I was wondering where these went. They're just pants."
That brought up several questions Reid didn't want to know the answer to. He turned back around and picked up the next item, a long curved sword that glowed with a bright white light.
----------------------------------------
Magic Saber of Binding Light
* 4 Star Longsword
* Light Aspect
* Bindable
* Summon up to four bands of light that can restrict the movement of others and interfere with lesser magical effects.
----------------------------------------
"I think this one is in the wrong spot; it has an active ability. No binding requirement, that's nice," Reid said.
"Give it a try!"
Reid had used an item that changed itself—the magic pipe—while on his job with the city maintenance crew, and he had used an item that changed him—the viper's sight marble—but he'd never used an item with an external magical effect. Somehow, that made it feel more magical. He focused on the blade but quickly realized he couldn't sense the magic inside. It had a star rating higher than his potential.
"Can I?"
Basen touched the blade.
"Ah, I had forgotten it's four stars. You can't—not until your potential is at least four stars as well. Hmm. I have something with a similar effect at three stars."
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Basen moved to the opposite wall and picked out a golden ring. He tossed it to Reid, who was still holding a sword. He dropped both and, fortunately, didn't cut his foot off.
"Whoops. Sorry about that."
Reid put the sword back on the rack on the shelf and retrieved the ring. He could clearly sense the magic inside and marked it without delving into the details of what he felt.
----------------------------------------
Magic Ring of Binding Light
* 3 Star Equipment
* Bindable
* Summon up to three bands of light that can restrict the movement of others and interfere with lesser magical effects.
----------------------------------------
"Same effect. No aspect, though. Here goes nothing."
Reid found the ability and activated it. A brief exchange of power happened, and he felt something bleed out of him. His head spun, but his vision came back into focus after a moment. A single ring of glowing light hovered in front of him. He felt a connection to it and instinctively knew how to manipulate it.
Reid couldn't help but grin as he moved it around the shop and tried to make it bind a few things. He was doing it. He was using real magic. He tried to summon a second one, but he couldn't.
"I can only summon one?"
Basen nodded. "Unbound and without practice, one is the best you can hope for. If you bound it, you'd be able to summon three easily and control them at greater range."
Reid dismissed the light, and the lingering fog in his head cleared. "So, still useful unbound, but more impactful bound?"
"More immediately impactful, perhaps. You could learn to summon all three bands through practice or sheer brute force."
Basen took the ring and summoned three rings without apparent effort.
"I didn't bind this, but I have a lot more magic to throw around, so I can use it to its full effect without the binding."
"So, is it worth more because the ability doesn't require a binding?"
Basen shrugged. "Probably."
"Your insight is appreciated."
They moved on to the next item. Reid's stomach fluttered. He hadn't expected his first growth stage to be finished so quickly. He knew he'd complete the condition but had expected it to take a few more weeks.
He marked three more items without issue—a shield that actively resisted and suppressed fire, a simple glass that looked much the same as he'd find in any dining room and could duplicate any liquid poured into the glass, and a set of paired pens that could be used to exchange messages across vast distances.
----------------------------------------
Merchant's Mark Growth Conditions
* Mark and Identify 50 magic items
* 49/50 Items Identified
----------------------------------------
"One more," Reid said. His palms were sweaty, and he thrummed with nervous energy.
"Excellent. Here, I have just the item to mark last. It's a good one."
Basen led Reid back to the front counter. He rummaged around underneath and pulled out a pair of black featureless disks. They were perfect circles about a foot wide and thin as a piece of parchment. Reid could feel the magic and tell they were pair bonded. He marked them both.
----------------------------------------
Magic Disks of Transference
* 3 Star Paired Utility Item
* Bindable
* Dimension Aspect
* After binding, when the disks are placed on the ground within 250 feet of each other, the binder can step between the locations of the two disks once every five minutes without restriction.
----------------------------------------
Reid whistled.
"The range and cooldown is restrictive, but I imagine many people would love these."
"Indeed. The only problem with them is the transfer requires binding. Taking up three stars for something so seemingly frivolous isn't something many mages would like, but it does have its uses."
Reid was going to comment further, but he felt something building inside.
----------------------------------------
Merchant's Mark Growth Conditions
* Mark and Identify 50 magic items
* 50/50 Items Identified
You have satisfied a growth condition for Merchant's Mark. Would you like to upgrade Merchant's Mark?
----------------------------------------
Reid gave his mental assent.
----------------------------------------
Merchant's Mark has been upgraded.
Merchant's Mark
* 2 Star Growth Artifact
* Unbreakably Bound
* Ability - Mark
* Use the Merchant's Mark to brand an unbound item with your signature.
* Your brand allows items to be identified. You will always know you branded the item and when you branded it, even if the item is later bound.
* Passive Ability - Ledger
* Your mark serves as a self-contained magical ledger.
* Statistics and facts about you and your business dealings will be automatically tracked and logged in the ledger.
* Items identified through your Merchant's Mark are automatically added to your ledger for later reference.
* Growth Conditions
* Sell 200 unique marked items
* 2/200 Items sold
* Seal deals between three or more parties
* 1/20 Deals completed
----------------------------------------
"That's perfect," he said out loud. It was exactly what he'd been hoping for, and he was glad to see that he'd unlocked another growth condition. He wasn't sure how to approach making deals between three or more parties, but if things went the way he wanted, he'd be making plenty of sales soon.
Basen continued talking about the disks, but Reid wasn't listening. He brought up the ledger information that had already been populated. Like with other magic items, he had an intuitive understanding of how to use his new ability.
----------------------------------------
Merchant's Ledger
* [Personal Statistics]
* [Marked Item Catalogue]
* [Associated Business Statistics]
----------------------------------------
On a whim, he picked the associated business prompt with a quick mental focus.
----------------------------------------
Merchant's Ledger - Associated Business Statistics
* [Royal Merchant's Guild]
* [Dusk Guild]
* [City of New Avennia Public Utilities]
* [Mr. Foursprout's Finds]
* [Veris' Tea]
* [The Immaculate Collection]
----------------------------------------
"Wow," Reid said, marveling at how much information had already been added.
"I know, right?" Basen said, and Reid forcibly brought his attention back.
"Sorry, didn't catch that. My new ability popped up."
"Oh? Do tell. Was it a passive effect?"
"Yeah. Merchant's Ledger, it's called."
"That sounds like exactly what you wanted. A dangerous precedent."
"Why's that?"
"Growth artifacts have a reputation by those who have studied them of being...fickle. They provide a concrete path to power but often produce abilities that do not work well together. It creates an imbalance that makes the wielder of the artifact more susceptible to unfortunate circumstances than most mages of similar power. That said, almost all growth artifacts I've seen have been combat oriented rather than the utility abilities yours is focused on. All that's to say don't gamble on the growth of your artifact to solve your problems in the future."
Reid would have to take that to heart. It wasn't a critical moment or anything, but he had gambled on his mark's growth helping him with his work in the Immaculate Collection. He could see how it would be easy to think future growth would assist in future endeavors.
"What does your ability do?"
"Let's see..." Reid said. He pulled back up the menu and picked "The Immaculate Collection."
----------------------------------------
The Immaculate Collection - Employee Quick View
* Inventory:
* Health: unknown
* Turnover: unknown
* Value: unknown
* Accounting:
* Current monthly sales: unknown
* Current monthly expenses: unknown
* Current assets: unknown
* Current debts: unknown
* Staffing
* Employees: 3
* Labor cost: unknown
* Task coverage: unknown
* [Detailed View]
----------------------------------------
"It looks like I can keep track of a lot of different stuff. I can just call it to mind and read it like a book. It doesn't just appear in my head—I do have to read it. I see things like inventory and accounting. There's a staffing section, too. Basically, all the data is unknown right now, though. "
Basen nodded.
"That makes sense since you don't know them yet. I suspect it will keep track of things you learn, enhancing your memory about work and businesses."
"Can you tell me some things?" Reid asked.
"Ninety percent of the rodents in the city carry a disease called Wasting Echos, I wear a size ten shoe, by the scale the cobbler next door employs, and the last confirmed dragon sighting occurred ninety-four years ago in southern Urish, near Aquar. That reminds me, I have another dragon statue somewhere around here that grants the ability to fly. You'll want to avoid confusing it with the other dragon statue."
Reid tried to process Basen's entire response, but he got hung up trying to decide whether the man was serious about any of it.
"I...are you...I really don't understand you, Basen."
"Well, you'll really want to avoid those rodents, then."
"What?"
"Wasting Echos. It makes every sound you hear echo in your mind. Extremely uncomfortable, let me tell you. Fortunately, the only way to transmit the disease is by sharing a secret with an infected rodent."
"Okay. I was going to move on, but how do you know that? Why do you know that? You made that up, right?"
"Oh, no. It's a very real magical disease. As for how and why I know about it, when you've lived as long as I have, you start to look for ways to entertain yourself."
That hadn't answered his question at all, but it was getting late, and Reid wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. He steered the conversation back on topic.
"Can you tell me something specific that my ledger might record? Wait. More specifically, can you tell me how much you're paying yourself, Kris, and me?"
They hadn't talked about his payment yet, but he wanted to test his ability.
"Of course, why didn't you ask? Unfortunately, my business and personal funds are rather tied right now. I don't strictly pay myself, but once money comes in, I hope to keep around ten silver per day for reinvestment into some of my other projects. Kris works in the shop two days per week, and I pay him fifteen silver per week for that portion of his duties. We haven't discussed your pay yet. What do you think is fair?"
Reid shrugged. All he wanted was to afford his rent of ten silver per week. He planned on working every day. There was a lot to do.
"Honestly, I can probably get by with relatively little right now. Maybe...thirty silver per week?"
Basen frowned at him, and Reid worried he'd asked for too much.
"Come now, Reid. Don't sell yourself short. Kris is a nice fellow and strong as an ox, but he's not exactly prime employee material. I pay him fifteen silver for two days of work. If you're trying to save the shop some money, I can appreciate that, but your identifying alone is worth far more than thirty silver per week. I'll tell you what. I'll pay you fifty silver per week and say we'll reevaluate in a month, assuming we manage to keep my little vanity project afloat. It's still too little, but something makes me think you'll refuse any more."
Reid was happy with the number. It was enough for him to start saving and living comfortably while still not being so much that he worried about sinking the shop because of it.
"That works for me."
Reid felt something turn over in his mind, and he could pull up the update without wading through menus.
----------------------------------------
The Immaculate Collection - Detailed Staffing View
* Weekly labor cost
* 65 silver
* Employees: 3
* Basen Koh
* Owner/Founder
* Current Pay: 0 silver/week
* Future Pay: 70 silver/week
* Unknown schedule
* Job skills:
* Identification
* Potential sensing
* Magical Knowledge and Experience
* Quips
* Reid Aveno
* No title
* Current Pay: 50 silver/week
* Future Pay: 30 days until salary renegotiation
* 5+ days/week, Unknown schedule
* Job Skills:
* Identification Marks
* Ledger
* Kris
* No title
* 15 silver/week pay
* 2 days/week, Unknown schedule
* Job Skills:
* Strong as an ox
----------------------------------------
"There we go. I have a list of employees with pay, job skills, and schedules. I'm guessing things will become more specific as I learn more."
"Wonderful. I think it's fair for me to allow you to set your own schedule right now. If you'd like, I can meet you back here tomorrow morning. I'll have a key made, and we can talk through whatever else you need to know!"
Reid couldn't wait. He had so many questions and plans. Imagined future visions of a store packed with people and a ledger filled with profits danced through his mind. He couldn't help but think about all the more practical things he could learn from Basen. This wasn't just an opportunity to become a better merchant. It was a chance to learn about magic and the world.
"I just really want to thank you for the opportunity, Basen. I'm really excited about what we're going to do together. I almost want to stay and just keep working, but I think the drain from earlier is finally weighing me down."
In his excitement, Reid had forgotten about his fortitude drain earlier in the day. Now that he'd accomplished his goal, he was nearly dead on his feet.
"It is my genuine pleasure to have found someone so eager to improve and work at my shop. It's not a race, so of course, go home and get some rest. I think I need to prepare for tomorrow as well. I don't wish to scare you off as soon as I've found you, but it will be...challenging for me to admit how poorly I've run the Immaculate Collection. Don't worry about it now."
Rather than feeling worried, Reid was excited. He wasn't about to tell that to Basen, but the chance to take something from a place of hardship to the heights he could only imagine was the kind of thing he'd always dreamed of doing.
After making arrangements with Basen for the morning, he practically skipped home, feeling like he'd found where he was meant to be.