Jacob made his way through the market with his sack of clothes, stepping lightly between groups of shoppers. He had decided to set off on his own after no one else came to the stall, and Arthur agreed it was a good idea.
"Don't worry about me. This is about the two-hundredth time I have run a stall here," Arthur said. "You go and see if you can find someone interested in magical clothes or weapons."
Jacob left the sword behind but tucked the sheathed dagger into his waistband. He doubted anyone would attack him, though he felt it was better to be safe. The sword was likely better off staying at the stall for now.
With that, Jacob took off on his own. He picked out a spot near the edge of the square, just off the main road, where people could see his gear without getting trampled.
He tried calling out to the crowd a few times.
"Enchanted clothes for sale! They are light and warm, even made to keep themselves clean!"
Most people just glanced his way and kept walking. One woman gave him a curious look, but when he explained what the clothes could actually do, she frowned and moved on.
A younger man in traveling gear stopped to ask the price. When Jacob mentioned a gold coin, the man snorted and muttered under his breath as he walked away.
It continued like that for a while. Many people looked, yet none of them bought anything. Jacob eventually sat down on a short stone wall and sighed.
They don't believe me, he thought. Even the ones who stopped to listen just think I am bluffing.
He watched the wealthier folk wandering by in dyed cloaks and velvet gloves. Their eyes lingered on the sack, and he noticed a few subtle reactions to the aura the clothes were giving off.
They were definitely sensing something. One man even stopped short when he passed too close, though he said nothing and continued on his way.
Jacob stood up again and brushed the dust off his pants. He realized that this must be rare.
Perhaps regular people simply did not make enchanted clothes in this region, which would explain the skepticism.
He glanced back toward the area where Arthur had gone earlier and decided to head that way. There might be another part of the city for this kind of trade, perhaps somewhere that specialized in weapons or magical gear.
He started walking, weaving between wagons and food stalls, until he bumped into someone. A young man with short black hair and a traveling cloak stopped mid-stride. He blinked as he looked down at Jacob.
"Careful there," the man said. His voice was neutral but sharp.
Jacob took a step back immediately. "Sorry, I was being careless."
The man tilted his head and then frowned. "Your clothes and that bag," he said while pointing. "They are all enchanted."
Jacob narrowed his eyes. "You can tell just by looking?"
The man did not answer at first. He studied Jacob carefully, his eyes flicking over the seams of the clothes and the strap of the bag.
It seemed as though he could sense something from them that others were unable to see.
"Did you steal those?" he asked. His tone had become more serious.
Jacob frowned at the accusation. "No. They are mine. I made them myself."
The man looked around quickly and then lowered his voice. "If they are yours, that means you are either the apprentice of someone very talented or you are walking around with stolen goods without knowing how dangerous that is."
Jacob stood his ground. "My father taught me everything I know. He is the one who taught me enchanting."
The man's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Your father?"
"Yeah," Jacob replied. "He said we come from a long line of enchanters. My great-great-grandfather left a lot of notes, and his son expanded on them. We learned from those, and now we enchant all of our own items. I was even named after my great-grandfather."
As the man began to reply, he noticed the medallion around Jacob's neck for the first time. His entire demeanor changed. Instead of suspicion, he now looked genuinely intrigued.
"You are telling me someone in your family rediscovered enchantment patterns on their own? Without a master?"
Jacob shrugged. "I guess so. We live in Ruvka Village, and he passed it all down in journals and notes."
The man let out a surprised whistle. "That would make him a genius or someone taken with madness. Probably both, if I had to guess." He stepped a little closer.
"Most enchanters I have heard of hide their work. They do not leave trails or share patterns. Those are too valuable to their own business. But the flow in your clothes is basically hidden. I can feel the magic, but I cannot see the marks clearly. That is rare for such a backwater place in this tiny kingdom."
Jacob tilted his head, processing the information. "You said you could tell just by being near?"
"Not exactly. I could feel the flow of magic. It is subtle but strong. The fact that I cannot tell what the enchantments do is even more unusual. There are sorcerers who pay fortunes to hide enchantments like that."
Jacob nodded slowly as the pieces fell into place. This was why no one believed him. Normal enchanted clothes likely showed the runes clearly, but his family's work did not.
"I am heading to see my father now," Jacob said. "He is nearby, but I would like to ask him first before introducing you."
The man nodded. "Of course. Most enchanters are a little particular. I know a few from my academy, and meeting one is typically a hassle."
Jacob turned and started walking toward the edge of the market square where Arthur had been. The man followed, staying a single step behind. As they passed a stall filled with spices, the stranger spoke again.
"May I see one of the garments? I would like to get a feel for the enchantment."
Jacob opened the sack and handed over a folded tunic. The man rubbed the fabric between his fingers and then pressed his hand flat across the front.
"This is a low-quality thread," he noted. "But it's warm to the touch and softer than it looks. You used a combination of comfort and resilience, did you not?"
Jacob nodded. The man smiled.
"I do not need them for myself, but I could use a few for my assistants. How much for the whole batch?"
Jacob hesitated for a moment. "One gold a piece?"
The man opened a pouch and placed eight gold coins in Jacob's hand. "Call it even. That is just about fair for this quality of enchantment."
Jacob blinked, stunned by the extra gold. "Thanks."
"You are not charging enough," the man replied as he folded the tunic and set it back in the sack.
"Most enchanters will not even trade in coin. In the world of magic, there are things much more valuable than gold. You might have trouble selling them for what they are worth around here."
As they continued walking, Jacob thought about the man's words. Enchanting must be rarer than I originally imagined. For a stranger to give me so much gold for such simple pieces, there had to be people out there who took advantage of such power.
The man was also deep in thought. He considered the transaction a massive steal.
My enchanted items from the academy are all single-type and cost a month's worth of points. These multi-enchantment clothes would garner me plenty of points from the freshmen! If I could work with this kid or his father in the future, there's no limit to the high-tier items I might obtain through the exchange system!
He was determined to work out a deal, regardless of the cost in gold.
They kept walking until Jacob recognized the back of their wagon. His father was standing nearby.
"Wait here a second," Jacob said, stepping around the side.
He took a steady breath. It was time to see if Arthur was ready to meet a mage.