As we headed down the road I was surprised by how excited Selene was. Walking down the road we passed by several store fronts where she stared into the windows practically glued to them as she turned to me.
"A-Aiden, that's an Echosteel rapier sporting a sunspire pine grip. I bet the echosteel would make any clashes sound like music, and the sunspire steel must be to reduce the reverb going to your hand."
I had no Idea what she had said, but I was happy to nod along as we continued down the road. While the shops we were currently looking at had some very nice items, they also had very large price tags.
While Liora had opposed it, Thalia and Selene had argued for us that we had fought, we got the gold, selling the sample item we had gotten we ended up getting around 900 gold that we divided the gold up into batches of 300.
Considering my prior savings I was at almost 2000 gold. I didn't want to spend it all on a weapon, but I did need something. Selene pulled my arm as we ended up going a strange shop, however as we approached I dug my heels in a bit, while we didn't stop, Selene noticed she was dragging me effortlessly and turned back confused.
"Selene, that's a noble only store, we can't go in there without a noble with us."
I said looking to the golden stamp in the window of the door. It was a simple standard, nobles are often rather posh and prefer to have shops only they are allowed into, and shop owners can charge higher prices for it. Selene looked at me, blinking a few times before she reached into her pocket and pulled out a golden badge. I stared at it for a moment as I seemed to space out for a moment.
"Did you seriously forget that she is a noble?"
Will asked rolling his eyes. However, I was too busy spiraling at the thought of how I would be executed due to what was basically flashing a noble earlier. I was so stunned I didn't even feel Selene bring us both inside as she started to talk to the smith within.
The store seemed to be mostly empty, but there were no weapons on the walls. Instead, the walls were covered in a variety of materials, ranging from ingots to dried monster tongues. As Selene talked to the shop keeper I looked to a menu on the wall.
Forging selection
At the Fusing forge, we perform a special service, combining all kinds of materials to make special weapons with properties of each of them. You are able to select materials in the shop and bring them to the front. Do note that one material per section may be brought forward, prices per material below.
E-rank: 50 Gold per
D-rank: 1000 Gold per
C-rank: 7500 Gold per
B-rank: 50000 Gold per
I refused to look at the C and B rank costs, instead focusing on the E and D rank that I could afford. Selene walked over next to me as she asked.
"W-What budget would you like?"
I thought for a moment before I asked.
"What do you recommend?"
Selene took a moment to look around. She mumbled to herself before she turned back to me.
"W-With 1300 Gold, I can make you a really good spear."
The price, it hurts my wallet, and yet Selene had this look on her face, the kind of expression that asked for faith, and while a part of me wanted to say no because of the price, I knew that no good item came without cost. So, I took a moment before nodding.
Selene actually jumped up and down making an excited noise as she quickly started running around the shop gathering materials, bringing them to the front. He shops keep, a dwarven man with a long beard looked over what Selene brought over and nodded along to her choices like she was making good calls. As she finished bringing the materials over, the dwarven man nodded.
"A good selection, as expected of a daughter on the frontlines of Tessegog, you know your materials. I will have your spear ready in 1 hour."
The man took the materials to the forge where he began to work as Selene walked back over to me excited.
"S-So I know Jax mentioned that you were gathering materials like Titans Hide, w-what else are you looking for?"
"You say that like you found Titan hi-"
I was cut off by Selene pulling out a layer of thick blue leather that she handed over to me, a sheepish smile on my face.
"So should I wait for the sound of church bells?"
Will asked smugly. I wished for the hundredth time I could punch Will as I took the material and looked up at Selene.
"Where did you get this?"
"W-Well when I set off to adventure my dad gave me a letter that he said I could use to purchase materials if I needed them as long as I didn't use it too often, so I bought a section of Titan Hide."
"Do you Aiden Hallowcreek take Selene to be your lawfully wedded w-."
Will started in my head in a mocking priestly voice. I chose to ignore it as I pulled out the book I found, and Selene started to look the list over. As she did, I heard a guttural growling noise as I looked around the shop expecting to see some kind of pet the dwarf had, but as I looked back to Selene to see if she had heard where it came from, she was beat red. Realizing what that was I smiled and said.
"Let's grab lunch and see what the others are up to, my treat."
We headed out to the road where we went towards where the Inn was stopping by at the tavern called the Divine delicacy. Inside I could see Jax, Liora, Kaelen, and Thalia were inside sitting at a table, Jax was sobbing into his arms.
"Why, why don't they sell alcohol here, it's so mean."
He sobbed as we walked over. Looking the others over, they all seemed to be wearing new equipment.
Jax wore a new jacket, his old one was thin and designed more for appearance than armor, but his new one had plates of thick leather in places.
Kaelen who seemed to be trying to console him was wearing his old robes, but they seemed to now be lined in golden colored text, in a strange way it gave off the same energy as the ring on Lioras finger.
Speaking of Liora she seemed to be wearing a new set of robes, the robes seemed to be sporting several feathers all over them.
Thalia didn't seem to have any new clothes or items, instead she had what seemed to be a strange brown bag at her side that seemed to give off a similar but weaker energy as my cloak did.
As we all sat down to eat Kaelen looked up at Selene and I.
"Oh, hey guys, where did you two go?"
"We ended up going to a weapon shop to see about getting a new spear for me."
I said turning to Selene who nodded. I had a hunch that if I said we were in a noble only shop, everyone would bombard Selene trying to get into noble only shops, so I didn't mention those details.
As food arrived and we began talking, a strange feeling washed over me. I wasn't sure what it was exactly. It felt in a weird way like guilt.
"I believe that would be the inferiority kicking in again."
Will said painfully unhelpfully from my head. What do you mean inferiority kicking in again, what's that even supposed to mean? I thought as I crossed my arms nodding along to the conversation at dinner but not actually paying attention.
"Well, compared to most adventurers you have a great start, you have a vehicle, you have savings you can use to procure items and equipment, and you have allies like Selene willing to assist you with things like noble only shops, and yet you feel inadequate to be with the party."
Each point felt like a weight on my chest as I thought. Ok, but that shouldn't make me feel that inadequate, right?
Will took the chance to tear me apart as he said.
"Look at the last encounters, protecting you is everyone's priority, so they can't really fight at full capacity, if things continue how they are now, you will end up a liability."
I scowled at the ceiling a bit as I thought. Then what am I supposed to do? Even as I thought it I remembered back to when I was 12. My grandfather outside our house with what looked to be buckets of water on each side of a long stick as he did squats. T had been every morning, an exercise of some kind, pushups, sit-ups, running, squats, on and on day after day. In a weird way it reminded me of Jax. So turning to him I had an idea.
"Hey Jax, you know how you do your morning exercise?"
Jax turned to me a bit puzzled as he asked.
"Yea, why you want to join me?"
I nodded.
"Yes, but I also was wondering if you would be willing to spar with me in the mornings."
Jax took a moment to look at me before he said.
"Are you sure, I won't hold back, so you better be up to it."
I grinned a cocky smile and said.
"You better not hold back on me."
To this day I have never spoken more stupid words.