Chapter 212. More than Furnishings.
I stopped at the inn I’d stayed at on my way out of Somhagen, enjoying a meal there as I checked to see if Gary was lurking nearby. He wasn’t in the restaurant and, thankfully, wasn’t burning the bedding of the room I’d rented. After paying for my meal, and for the room, I made one last stop on my way out of town. Tzes’zod mentioned that a place called Chaladoom’s goods could offer furnishing for my personal space.
The innkeeper knew of the store and gave me directions. It was a bit off the beaten path and located in a more residential area of the city. I was a bit surprised that it seemed smaller than I’d expected. Most furniture stores back home were large affairs where they could display all their different offerings. Here, they’d be lucky to fit a couple of couches and a bed or two inside.
“Welcome to Chaladoom’s! How may I assist you today?” A rather enthusiastic gnome said as I entered the shop. He stood behind a long counter and other than a few tables and chairs scattered about for guests to sit on, I didn’t see a single stick of furniture on display.
“Hi, your shop was recommended to me by a friend. He said you offered furnishings that summoned beings could use for their personal spaces,” I said, a bit unsure if this was the right place.
“Absolutely, please, have a seat and we can go over our offerings. Tell me, sir, what shall I call you?” the gnome asked. He was dressed like he was related to Gimblewalt, Tzes’zod’s disguised persona. The gnome wore multi-colored pants and a coat that looked like someone had purposely tried to make the ugliest garment they could come up with.
“I’m Rico, pleased to meet you,” I replied, sitting at one of the tables as the clerk brought over a large tome he dropped on the table, motioning for me to open it.
“And I, am Chaladoom himself. Please peruse the perfect and plentiful offerings. Each tab is divided by price, so you can shop the way you want, with your budget in mind. Tell me, Rico, is your personal space of the standard size, and do you have any existing furnishings?” Chaladoom asked.
“Everything is standard as far as I know, but I do have a rocking chair that I bought a while ago,” I said.
“Excellent, a blank slate is the best an artist can hope for,” Chaladoom said as he pulled the book back from my grasp. He muttered something and mana poured from his hands and into the book which he passed back to me, pointing toward the pricing tabs on the side, and motioning for me to open it.
The prices weren’t exactly cheap, and I was reluctant to spend all that much on my personal space. Given that Tzes’zod seemed to place some importance on it, maybe it would be a good thing to present myself in a bit better light if we had to host more guests. The prices started at 10 gold and went up, rapidly, from there. With the next tab stating it was 500 gold, I’d have to stick with the bargain basement section of the book, though 10 gold was hard for me to spend on such things.
Opening the first tab, the cheapest one, I was shocked at what I found. Instead of a furniture catalogue with pictures, this book seemed to draw me in, and it felt like I was back inside my personal space looking around at its newly furnished glory. Chaladoom appeared at my side, assuring me this was all just an illusion to showcase his wares.
The furniture was a tasteful, medieval style, with a long table like I’d used in my negotiations, and ornate padded chairs placed around it. Tapestries featuring forests and castles lined the walls, and lanterns in sconces lit up the room, giving it a homey feel. In the far corner, a tall, four poster bed was placed. It looked comfy enough to me.
I also had a reading nook, complete with an overstuffed chair and a side table surrounded by bookcases. A rocking chair, not my exact one, but a stand-in for Chaladoom’s illusion, was placed near the reward chest. The armory and training center had also been redone in the same motif, with carved shelves holding my gear, and racks for weapons and armor storage.
The floor had transformed into rustic slate tiles, with several rugs placed about to keep any bare feet from getting too cold. The training center flooring was solid stone, but there were several quilted training mats stacked in a corner like you’d see in a martial arts dojo.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“This is nice, but not exactly my style, how do I change it to look at the other options?” I asked.
“Just swipe your hand like you’re turning the page of a book. Each tab is arranged with the least expensive option first, then they go up from there based on the features and quality of the build. This option is the 10-gold special. It’s simple, but functional. When you’re done looking at the other offerings, just pretend to close the book and the illusion will end,” Chaladoom explained.
I swiped my hand and the room instantly changed. Gone was the medieval motif and in its place, my personal space had transformed into a Victorian mansion. I was inside what I’d expect a wealthy man’s study to look like. A fireplace was centered on one wall, complete with spaces for hunting trophies. Bookshelves and built-in cabinets lined the walls, and a weapons locker with a glass door was prominently placed near my rewards chest.
Instead of a long table, I had an oversized office desk with enough room for both me and Tzes’zod on one side, and several chairs for any guests we might need to negotiate with. Wood floors and rugs that would make a home improvement show host green with jealousy finished out the place. A chandelier and lanterns on the wall gave the place more enough light and created an ambience than I enjoyed. A price tag showed that this room was considerably more expensive at 50 gold.
“There’s just one more offering at this price range, though I should warn you that it’s not to everyone’s taste,” Chaladoom warned. After hearing that, I had to see what he meant and turned the page. My personal space was transformed into a medieval torture chamber, its price was 100 gold.
“Nope, let’s go back,” I said immediately and flipped back to the other two offerings.
“Both are popular, and you can’t go wrong with anything at my shop,” Chaladoom added.
“It’s a lot of gold for me to spend at this point, and I was doing just fine with the personal space the way it was. Maybe I’ll just rent furniture again if I need to entertain a visitor. I’m sorry, but I think I need to focus on gear that improves my chances at survival,” I muttered, wanting my place to look nice, but not willing to waste gold I might need for something important down the road.
“Oh my, I believe there has been a misunderstanding Rico. This, as amazing and lovely as it is, offers more than luxurious accommodation. Perhaps your friend did not inform you of the additional features of my goods? They were kind enough to refer you but didn’t bother to tell you why so many seek out my services? A shame, really.
“Please, Rico, tell the room that you have honored guests visiting,” Chaladoom offered.
“Okay, hey room, we’re having honored guests over,” I said. Instantly, a half dozen humans appeared, dressed as maids and butlers. Several of the staff held trays with food and drink, ready to entertain, while others were placed around the room to watch over the gathering.
“In this mode, the summoned servants will offer refreshments and stand ready to assist in any way possible. The magic powering the room can create whatever your guests might need for nourishment, though some, more exotic nutritional requirements cannot be met. At this price point we are limited I’m sure you know,” Chaladoom said as I stood there shocked. I hadn’t expected this at all.
“Tell me, Rico, if you don’t mind. What type of class are you? I ask this not to pry, but instead to help tailor the room to your personal specifications,” Chaladoom asked.
“I’m a summoner of sorts,” I replied, not wanting to get into too much detail with a stranger. He may have been recommended by Tzes’zod, but that didn’t mean I could be careless.
“Excellent, with this offering, you get the option of installing one upgrade module. In your case, I’d suggest the summoned minion recreational upgrade. It allows your minions to freely utilize the room, adding to their contentment and generating a chance for them to improve by one rank on their next summoning. The chance of improvement happening at this price point is minimal, but it’s a free upgrade with this décor choice,” Chaladoom said.
“What about the place that’s ten gold, are there upgrades and servants there?” I asked. Chaladoom flipped the illusion back to the first page, and instead of my team of butlers and maids, I had a pair of servants in simple peasant garb.
“This is the standard model, and as such there are no upgrades. You’re also limited to two assistants with this one. Before you decide, you should also see the second setting the room has. Tell the room that you’re under threat,” Chaladoom said.
“I’m under threat,” I said, and the room changed again. The two servants were replaced with guards in leather breastplates with shortswords in hand.
I then shifted to the second, 50 gold offering to see the changes there. My six servants were now also dressed as guards, the butler’s fancy garb replaced with steel breastplates and longswords, while the maids wore full leather armor and held crossbows. This was great, I had servants and guards included with my room furnishings.
“How strong are they?” I asked.
“For the first offering, they will range between tier one, rank zero, and tier one rank five. For the second, they will range between tier two, rank zero, and tier two, rank five. It’s a random assortment, but you’re always going to get at least one at the highest tier in the mix. They are simple automatons made from mana and possess only basic combat skills. They’re not meant to handle a threat on their own at this price point, but they can buy you time to prepare.
“Tell me, Rico, do you see the value in my furnishings now?” Chaladoom asked.