Shortly after breakfast, the group made their way to one of the clothiers Nyx mentioned the night before. Brivaria had no way to prove she wasn’t Zenith Penrose but Miss Sweeney of the store appropriately named as “Sweeney’s” wasn’t particularly discerning. That she’d made a dress for a winged woman and there was a winged woman in her shop was good enough to get her to bring it out and hopefully lower the price.
The adventurers waited in the front room of the shop which looked more like a fabric store than a clothier. Rather than mountains of clothes, there were numerous bolts of fabric on display. These long rolls of material were laid out vertically along wooden rollers for display or tucked into square-shaped shelves for customers to peruse at their leisure. The angel was impressed by all of it.
On Zlithia and in other places, there were three primary ways of creating something with assistance from the System. There was conversion, transmutation, and fabrication. Conversion was the lowest level form of production. It was also the slowest form of creation because it involved a lot of manual labor. Someone sitting down to sew a gown, even with the assistance of sewing skills, could only go so quickly. Barring very high level skills, one also needed all the materials to perform the work. For the most part, conversion was something anyone could do but the System just made it better, cleaner, and more reproducible.
Transmutation was the step up from conversion. As long as one had the required material, they could directly convert it to the final product as desired. Someone who could touch a log of wood and produce half a dozen fully-formed chairs was performing a feat of magical transmutation. Other words like alchemy also frequently entered the conversion at this level as magic was a necessary component to the formation of the produced goods.
The advantages of transmutation were that it was fast and efficient. There was less waste in the process as only that which was needed was used. The disadvantages were that it was higher level. This both restricted the number of people who had access to the skills or magicks required to perform transmutation but also meant there were fewer skill upgrades applied to the final process. A sword forged by a high level smith would benefit from every smithing-related skill the smith possessed which could be dozens of skills. A sword created by a similarly leveled transmuter would have far fewer skill upgrades to draw upon and be noticeably lower in quality.
Finally there was fabrication. This was the ability to create something from nothing. It had all the upsides of transmutation but without the cost of needing raw materials. It had all the downsides of transmutation and then some. Magical fabric or metal could greatly enhance any object it was used to create. Fabrication could benefit from none of that so it relied entirely on the user’s skills and expertise. It was, by nature, a very high level skill which put it in direct competition with artisans that had dozens, sometimes hundreds, of levels in their crafts. The result was that fabrication was a rare skill set for comparatively low level worlds like Zlithia and high level worlds alike.
Angels primarily relied on transmutation. That was why most every angel’s armor or weaponry resembled that of every other angel. Nothing of Brivaria’s angelic gear was unique to her nor was it particularly storied. This was part of why her angelic rations were deeply unpalatable, beyond the simple fact that the angels didn’t need to eat them so why would they care about taste? It was easy to create a simple recipe for transmutation and then batch create hundreds or thousands of whatever they needed.
However Zlithia had very little of that. The planet and its peoples primarily worked with conversion. They made everything. Every single object she touched had a history. Everyone from the people who harvested the raw materials to those who sold the finished product contributed to that history. Even in the bolts of clothing the angel looked at, she could almost see the work of every single person that had ever touched it up to this point. It was one of the small things that Brivaria greatly enjoyed about the world.
Miss Sweeney reappeared with Brivaria’s dress. The clothier was a plump, middle-aged woman who had been practicing her craft for ages and took pride in what she did. Her own attire was a cream-colored amalgamation of different aesthetics that had elements of a formal dress, a work apron, and a couple other things Brivaria didn’t recognize. It looked like a blend of comfortable, showy, and practical that very much suited the woman wearing it. Miss Sweeney’s cheeks dimpled with a smile when she saw the angel was looking at her attire.
“You’re your own best advertisement in my business and this is the dress I was telling your cat friend about,” Miss Sweeney said while bringing said dress over. The first thing Brivaria noticed was that it was a deep red color that seemed almost glossy. Style-wise, it was a V-neck dress that cinched at the waist and had straps that tied back behind the neck. A slit opening down one leg and slightly raised skirt allowed for some movement. The open back and ability to step into it were both things a winged girl usually needed.
“This very formal. I was under the impression the upcoming celebration would require something nice but this is a step above, you know?” Kseniya asked while giving Miss Sweeney a questioning look.
“There is always a worst dress of any party. I will not have something of mine be that dress,” the shopkeeper answered. Brivaria shrank her wings, much to Miss Sweeney’s surprise and stepped behind a changing curtain to try it on. This was a far simpler process for Brivaria than most others as she could simply stow all of her attire in her inventory and then don it via her inventory. As a result, she stepped out only seconds later.
“That was fast. Oh my,” Miss Sweeney said before immediately muttering notes for herself. “Shoes are necessary, hem is too low, straps are too short.”
“Oh, it’s so pretty!” Giselle said with a wide smile.
“Wow, that looks good,” Nyx agreed immediately. The catfolk girl suppressed a giggle as Brivaria was spun around and examined herself in a mirror. Kseniya’s smile had vanished and a sour expression took its place.
“We cannot afford this dress,” the lamia said simply. The clothier stopped her fretting and Brivaria’s wings drooped. The angel also had that feeling the moment she saw it. It wasn’t just nice, it was too nice. She’d wanted to at least try it on first but she agreed with the lamia. “Even not priced for Zenith Penrose’s purse, I think this would be beyond us.”
“Then borrow it,” Ms. Sweeney said with ease. “You need it for only a single night, right? Making the changes needed will not take long and, if you let me take your measurements, I can probably get you some shoes to match. I’ll let you borrow it at a tenth of the sale cost and if you want to keep it then you need only pay the remainder.”
“That is potentially affordable,” Kseniya hedged.
“It’s fine. We can figure something else out. I’ve never worn a dress before so I was just hoping to try one on,” the angel said with a sheepish smile. All three other women blinked in surprise. Nyx slowly turned to Kseniya.
“You know what this means,” Nyx said flatly with her hands on her hips.
“What does it mean?” Giselle whispered quietly though the whispering was somewhat moot since the store was too small to have anything spoken go unheard by all present.
“It means we are borrowing the dress,” the lamia replied with a complex expression on her face. Nyx nodded sagely then turned to Giselle.
“You and Brivaria get to wear dresses for the first time. It’s a special moment in every girl’s life. Kseniya’s sense of fiscal responsibility will destroy our hopes and dreams but not today,” Nyx said confidently. Giselle gave an understanding “oh” while Brivaria glanced toward Trixie.
“What do you think?” the angel asked.
Trixie had been told to stay near the entrance and not shed her golden fur all over the store. Jails, trading bazaars, adventuring guilds, restaurants, and more were perfectly accessible to the golden sunchaser but a true clothing store like Sweeney’s was another animal entirely. While the dog clearly wanted to run up to Brivaria, the golden merely gave a happy bark whose meaning was left to interpretation. Trixie’s tail had only slowed down when Brivaria stepped behind the changing curtain and was back to wagging at nominal speeds. The angel took that as approval.
“Well, okay then. We’ll work something out,” the winged girl acquiesced, albeit sheepishly. With assurances that Miss Sweeney would have the dress and other things ready for the party, the team moved onto their next stop.
The mercantile part of town had seen a drastic uptick in clientèle with all the visitors to Barton. Vendors and merchants from passing convoys setup stalls hawking their wares to the citizens of the city as well as other visitors in town for the hunt. Noble scions, well-to-do adventurers, and more moved through the streets. There were the usual human and lephori that comprised most of the region but also peshmari, catfolk, and even a couple more exotic Celians like crocylen and kjorin. Brivaria was smiling at the interesting crowd and returning the curious looks directed her way when she noticed the shop they were looking for.
“That’s the appraiser’s shop,” she said while indicating the sign that read “Appraisal and Examination” above a worn-looking door. The group made their way toward the establishment and entered. As soon as they walked in, a bouquet of scents from exotic aromas to sweat assailed their noses. Brivaria looked around as it was the first time she was in such a place.
The front room had a worn, weathered look that bespoke years of use. There were tables with countless scratches and dings for goods to be placed prior to examination. There was already a line leading to the counter to see the appraiser so they moved into the last position with Kseniya coiling her tail to make room for whoever proceeded them.
Appraisal shops were very common in the Kingdom of Flynnette. Most cities and some towns had them. They did exactly what their name suggested—that is, they appraised things. While bartering goods did occasionally take place, most trade was done with coin however to make a trade everyone had to agree on the value of what was being traded. For services like food or inn rooms, people charged what they thought was fair. For other things, an appraiser was often needed to certify the value of something before a purchase.
This was particularly useful to adventurers as they often slew monsters in the wilderness either per request or as part of fulfilling them. Monsters, particularly dangerous or magical ones, could be the source of valuable reagents and crafting materials for various tradesmen. It was very common for an appraiser to be one of the first stops in town for any adventuring team that saw significant combat in the wild. From there, the appraiser could likely direct the adventuring team to those who would buy their spoils. Of course, adventurers could also let the guild handle appraisal and selling but such convenience came at a cost that not all teams were interested in paying.
The end result of both everyday traders and adventurers wanting an appraiser’s time was that they were busy. In larger cities this resulted in multiple appraisers or even appraisers guilds of sorts where many appraisers collaborated and split the profits of their trade. In smaller cities, such as Barton, this just meant long lines. The number of people in town and doing business added to the wait. Finally, while there were often traveling appraisers with large caravans, most people tended to trust a local appraiser to be honest. It was hard to trust the word of someone traveling alongside the person trying to make a sale.
The clients ahead of the team were getting some perfumes appraised which were, apparently, from the other side of the continent. The Great Divide was a mountain range that separated the east and west sides. There were very few safe ways through the mountains so any goods that reached Flynnette from the other side of the Divide were often shipped rather than carried. Seeing such things in Flynnette let alone a backwater region like Velk was fairly unusual. Verifying their authenticity was why the customer and merchant were at the appraiser from what Brivaria overheard. Satisfied the perfumes were as claimed, the pair shuffled off to complete the sale. Brivaria and her team stepped forward.
Chester Dupont was an old hat at appraising. He’d lived in Barton all his life and this was his fifth time seeing the city’s Hunt for the Golden Hind. The dark-haired lephori had taken over the trade after his father got too old for the business and was getting ever closer to the point where he’d need to start training up a son or daughter to take on the family business or take on an apprentice. He wasn’t quite there yet, however, and greeted the four adventurers and the golden dog with a friendly smile.
“Welcome ladies, what can I do for you today?” the appraiser asked.
“We’ve got some things for you to look at.” Brivaria spoke while taking the trio of weapons out of her inventory. Trixie stood up on her hind legs to sniff at them. Brivaria scritched the dog’s head and Mr. Dupont’s inspection began. While making his examination, he asked about origin of the weapons. The group launched into an explanation of how they came to acquire the Ogramite swords and the assassin’s blade. The tale mildly bothered the conscientious angel as they’d taken some liberties with the truth.
In their sanitized version of events, the group had stumbled upon some lost blades and were looking to find the owners. For a reasonable sum, they would then return said blades to the aforementioned owners. They were here to ask Mr. Dupont for both his assistance in ascertaining the value of the items as well as seeing if he recognized them in hopes of seeing them returned to their rightful owners.
The angel was nervous over the admittedly mild deception. Kseniya assured her before coming that it was perfectly normal and not to worry about it but, as soon as Brivaria looked into Mr. Dupont’s eyes, she knew with absolute certainty that he could see through anything they told him. Plenty of classes came with skills to suss out those taking creative liberties with the truth similar to her own angelic intuition. Brivaria didn’t like being on the other end of it.
“I’ve seen the like of these before. I believe they’re from House Decrune’s armory. Unusual to see them in the wild given that Baron Decrune has not made any attempts to sell items from his armory that I’m aware of nor even visited Barton in many years,” the appraiser remarked.
“I suppose that means our odds of getting in touch with him are low,” the angel ventured.
“The baron himself, yes, but I am certain the steward of his estate would be pleased to hear from you as well as learn the details of how these found their way into your possession,” Mr. Dupont moved from the two swords to the ornate dagger. “But this is certainly one of the baron’s most prized weapons. Very good materials, beautiful craftsmanship, and magically enchanted. I would not go showing this around unless you were prepared to explain exactly how it ended up in your possession.”
“A good recommendation. I’m sure the baron himself would be very interested in hearing the specifics. We will contact the steward of the estate here in Barton and see what arrangements can be made with the baron’s household,” Kseniya said smoothly. Mr. Dupont’s amiable expression became noticeably more forced as he looked from Brivaria to Kseniya.
The rest of the conversation didn’t last long. They paid his fee and received valuations on all three weapons. The swords would sell for a good price and the dagger would end all of their financial woes for the next month and then some if they were to find a buyer. Kseniya had a good poker face and Giselle had no concept of value but Brivaria and Nyx had visibly reacted to the dagger’s value. It was an expensive weapon to be carrying around casually and very much overkill for a little midnight stabbing.
"House Decrune instead of Westlake? I thought for sure Cordelia Westlake would be part of this,” Nyx said. The conversation began as soon as they were away from the busier streets and headed toward the adventurer’s guild.
“Not who we expected but that does tell us the monster attacks and the assassin from the other night are related. Also tells us it’s not mistaken identity anymore,” the angel replied. Nyx screwed up her face at the last part.
“How do you figure?” the catfolk girl asked.
“Zenith Penrose probably isn’t sleeping in an inn on the far side of town. Maybe the Ogramites could be argued as just having followed us wherever we were going but the assassin was breaking into my old room, fully expecting to find me.” Kseniya spoke as soon as Brivaria was done.
“That means we don’t know their motives. All the more reason to stay together and be more cautious. No more disguises,” the lamia declared. Brivaria shrugged. It was a good trick to have up her sleeve if or when she was out on her own but her outing to find Giselle was the last time she intended to go off on her own before this whole situation was figured out.
“We could find out their motives if we went to these Decrune people and made them answer a few questions,” Nyx suggested. Brivaria liked that plan. She wanted to go kick down a door and be the one doing the stabbing for a change.
“We need to register Giselle as an adventurer first. If Alden and his team are at the guild then we can talk to them about it. We can sell those swords if we need the coin but I’d rather take the Count’s money, you know?” the serpent woman reasoned. Nyx and Brivaria grudgingly agreed with that. Giselle did too but only because it seemed like the thing to do. The faux Iveskan was learning a lot both through listening and watching Brivaria as well as through her own unique land spirit skill for knowledge transfer.
“What do you think, Giselle? Are you ready to become an adventurer?” Brivaria asked suddenly. Giselle almost missed a step at suddenly being the subject of everyone’s attention but then she broke out into a smile and nodded.
“I can’t wait! Though I do have one question,” the deer girl added shyly.
“Sure, we’ll do our best to answer any question you have,” Brivaria said with an air of supreme confidence. Giselle had one, small question.
“What does an adventurer do?”
