Vitmori POV

Once I had left the Adventurer Guild's training hall, I decided to do some more shopping around for the Haven. Mainly, all that entailed was going from store to store around the inner city, checking the prices for various goods and sundries.

All in all, what I saw painted a pretty clear picture for the average citizen of this frontier fort town. From what I can tell, the average household of three can thrive off of two to four silver pieces every week or two, depending on how many preserved or fresh goods they get their hands on.

Beyond that, creature comforts and low-grade luxury goods are rather easy to obtain as they are readily available in the inner city among quite a few stores. My guess is that thanks to the heavy amounts of farming and ranching that is done out here, processed goods made of things like wool, furs, feathers, and cotton are available for relatively cheap. Though I'm sure if I were to look for these goods in the capital, they'd likely be two or three times more expensive due to transport costs... Then again, a port town just might have even more readily available luxury goods...

I'm... Getting off-topic... I'm starting to think there was a reason I was never interested in being a trader or a merchant, I just don't have a head for macroeconomics.

Anyways, based on my best estimates, I'm going to need a total of nineteen gold pieces if I'm going to get enough blankets, pillows, wool, and other kinds of thick furs to pad out jackets and clothes, not to mention the extra materials to make said jackets and clothes for thirty people.

I do feel a little bad for Miriam and Sylvia as they're likely going to be the ones to make the clothes for everyone; though considering that I'm helping take care of the food situation, it might be able to free up a couple of the other adults to be able to help out, or maybe they can take on some of the kids and start teaching them a trade if they haven't done so already.

Aside from those materials, supplying a group of thirty with enough food and preserved goods for a month is going to cost another five gold pieces and change according to what I've seen. The mental list I've compiled is comprised of forty pounds of salt, five pounds of coarse sugar, forty pounds of flour, thirty pounds of grains, thirty pounds of beans, thirty pounds of rice, two pounds of herbs and spices, fifteen pounds of salted beef, fifteen pounds of sausages, two barrels of pickled fish, and two wheels of some kind of yellow cheese.

I may be overestimating just how much thirty people eat, or perhaps I'm underestimating how much people who aren't used to apocalypse-grade rationing are used to eating. In any case, this should be a good foothold for them to start off with in regard to their winter preparation. It'll be up to them going forward if they want to continue to focus on food gathering or if they want to pursue other paths of preparation for winter.

Then again, this is all without taking into consideration that another fifty people, along with an undetermined number of construction workers and mature drakes, will be moving onto my land in the coming weeks. I'm fairly certain that the Drakewardens will be able to more than handle their own preparations, but I suppose I should check in with them once they start their own plans on settling my land.

Since I had the coin for the foodstuffs, I ended up getting all that shopping out of the way first. While I made sure to spread out my purchases between four different shops, I think I still ended up attracting a little bit of attention when I used my spatial magic to pack everything into my storage.

I think it may have something to do with the fact that I'm using my storage space without casting any noticeable spells or distinct magic. I mean I did see someone who looked like an adventurer of some kind pull multiple items from a bag that was not physically big enough to have fit all those items; so it is likely that while spatial magic is not necessarily uncommon, my casual use of it might be noteworthy.

By the time I was done shopping for the food, it looked to be around noon. Given that Legosi and the cubs have been with me the entire time, I decided it was best to let them rest back at the inn. Even Freyli, who enjoyed being around people, was admittedly tired after being around so much constant activity.

After dropping off Legosi and the cubs, I decided to dress down a bit. I stashed away my armored coat, my cloak, and the belt with the loop for my sword. Once that was all stashed away, I looked like the average man as far as I could tell... Well, a crippled man if I considered my missing arm. All I had on now were my boots, my canvas pants, a long-sleeved green shirt, and a single black glove.

Pulling my satchel on, I made my way out to the merchant's district again and began looking around at the various stores before coming across one building that looked fairly nice. There was a sign in the window claiming they buy gems and crystals. It looked to be some kind of pawnshop if I was looking at it right, the store didn't have a name, but had some kind of sign with an emblem that had an old-fashioned scale that had coins on one end and a box with swords on the other scale.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

As I made my way into the shop, I suddenly felt a few sets of eyes lock in on my back, and they seemed to linger there until I stepped out of the doorway. Odd...

Making my way further into the shop, I'm greeted by a birdkin man with nearly glossy black and vaguely purple feathers. "Greetings, welcome to Corvid's Baubles and Blades. How may I help you today?" He asked in a rather cheerful manner.

There were a few other patrons in the shop and two more attendants who polished items or wiped down counters. Regardless, my eyes focused on the birdkin man as I couldn't help but smile at him. "Corvid? Isn't that a little on the nose or beak as it were?" I mused as I approached the counter.

The birdkin man chuckled softly as he gestured to himself. "Well, sir, if you have a look, you may as well play into it." He said cheerfully enough before leaning forward on the counter with his elbows. "My name is Edgar, my good man. How may I help you? Do you need a loan in exchange for your time, or are you here for some other business?"

I shook my head at the mention of the loan before offering Edgar a bit of a smile. "I'm here to sell. Is your sign still accurate?" I asked as I gestured to the window with my thumb. Though as I mentioned the sign, one of the attendants seemed to watch me curiously, and I could feel them getting closer to eavesdrop for whatever reason.

Edgar looked intrigued as he regarded the sign for a moment before bobbing his head. "Yes, we're still buying. What have you got?" He asked as he stood tall again but still leaned forward on the counter with his hands.

I flashed an almost relieved smile and sighed softly as I made it seem like I was really hoping the sign would be true. At which point I made a show of digging through my satchel and procuring a black shard of diamond and gently setting it on the counter. "I've got a few of these... Do you perhaps have a private room where we can talk business?" I asked, now lowering my voice as I glanced around the shop as if I were a little uneasy.

Edgar looked clearly intrigued as he eyed the jewel for a moment. He then stepped away, pulling open a drawer as he collected a small box before walking to one end of the counter and raising a panel that would allow me to walk behind the counter with him. "Come along, let's take this to the back room." He then looked over to one of the attendants and called out. "Man the counter."

I plucked the gem from the counter and followed Edgar to the back, and before long, we were in some kind of office. It wasn't nearly as nice as Tilzim's, but it looked nice enough to me.

He led me to a sitting area and gestured for me to take a seat on a small couch that sat across another similar couch with a coffee table between them. After setting down the small box on the coffee table, he approached a cabinet and opened it up, revealing a small selection of bottles as he glanced over at me. "Would you like some wine? I've got a wonderful bottle from the north made with some rather delectable vica berries." He asked pleasantly enough as he plucked a glass out for himself.

I simply offer a polite smile before shaking my head. "No thanks, I already had enough to drink with lunch."

Edgar bobbed his head intently, pouring himself a glass before corking the bottle and putting it away. With his glass in hand, he settled on the opposing couch and took a drink before setting it down on the table. "Now then, may I see the gems in question?" He asked as he opened the small box he brought and procured a loupe.

"Of course." I replied politely before reaching into my satchel again and procuring a pouch with six diamond shards, along with the seventh, which was loose from the rest of the bag.

Edgar eyed the pouch curiously before taking up the black diamond shard, bringing it up, and examining it with the loupe, he hummed thoughtfully as he turned it around again and again.

"Is it real?" I asked with a hint of unease in my voice.

With that question hanging in the air, Edgar couldn't help but glance at me as a sense of pity welled up in his heart. He took another look, more thoroughly examining the black diamond shard he had in hand before setting the loupe down and holding the shard out for me to see. "This is one of the most pure diamonds I've ever seen... There is no cloudiness, and the black tint is certainly an uncommon one... If you don't mind my asking, where'd you get these gems?" He asked, setting the diamond down and regarding the pouch that he assumed had similar gems inside.

I let out a heavy sigh and smiled as I made a show of rolling my shoulders to relax some more. "I got it from some adventurers who hired my wagon to bring them here... They initially just paid me with two of those gems, but a couple of days ago, one of them accidentally knocked over a lantern that set fire to my wagon. There was nothing we could do to put it out, especially after that barrel of rum ignited." I explained somberly, running my hand through my illusionary hair before just shaking my head. I then gestured to the pouch in question. "To pay me back for my lost goods and wagon, they gave me a few more of those gems since they claimed they didn't have enough coin on them..." Sighing once more, I just lean back against the couch and do my best to look a little defeated as I 'recalled' the events of the last few days. "I'm just hoping to make enough to buy a new wagon and cover some of my lost goods."

Edgar bobbed his head intently, looking me up and down once more before taking up the pouch as he undid the knot and peeked inside before nodding some more as he looked over a blue diamond shard. I could sense he believed my story, or at the very least, didn't think I was any kind of thief as he regarded me once more. "How much are you looking to get for these?"

"Well... How much are they worth?" I asked while gazing into his eyes.

Edgar held my gaze for a little while longer before looking the gems over once more. "By my estimates, each shard could go for a good eight gold pieces..." He started to say as he studied the black diamond shard once again.

"Praise the gods." I enthused under my breath before sighing with relief.

At that, Edgar does give a little wince. "I'll take them off your hands, but I've got to make a profit here too... Can you do three gold per shard?"

There he goes... Even in another world, pawn shops lowball their clients. I make a face at his words, showing no small amount of despair and disbelief. "B-but you said it could go for eight? C-can't you give me more? How about six, at least?" I asked, sounding a little frantic but still under control of my emotions.

Edgar made a little grimace as he considered some things. "There's no guarantee that I'll be able to sell these right away, I'll need to take the time to even find anyone who's even able to afford gems like these." He lied as he then hummed a little bit before looking me over again. "I can do four per shard. Can you live with that?" He asked while holding his hand out to shake on the deal.

I just sigh a little more before meeting his hand and shaking it. "C-could you give me some of the gold in silver pieces?"

Edgar just offered a bit of a smile as he nodded. "Of course, sir. I'll get it together for you." He said as he stood, though as he stood, I heard movement coming from outside the office... Footsteps going away from the door and back to the front.

The next ten minutes went by as Edgar handed me a pouch with twenty-eight gold pieces worth of silver and gold. All in all, I turned quite the profit with just the remains of some dead bandits. I do my best to at least look a little dejected as I shook Edgar's hand on my way out of his shop. Though as I walked to the door, the same attendant that was eavesdropping earlier seems to match my pace as he goes up to one of the windows, and out of the corner of my eye I watch as he grabs a statuette that was on the windowsill and turns it ninety degrees.

Once I'm outside, I feel a similar set of gazes lock onto me again, but this time, they stay with me even as I start heading down the street... Looks like I might have to see some action soon.