An Easy Task

An Easy Task

At some point, the five of them split into two groups. It was somewhat inconvenient for them to stay together given the sheer number of crowds in the town square. Of course, Mrs. Aileen suggested that she accompany Noah, alone. But Mr. Edric intervened on his behalf. After some discussion, Noah ended up accompanying the eldest daughter Eyolian, while the other three formed the second group.

Noah and Eyolian's task was simple: she would help him pick out appropriate clothes for the festival, and he would do the same for her. For Noah, he would go for something simple, coordinated, and not flashy. Money wasn't an issue; he had more than enough. His monthly salary from the antique shop was barely used, mostly only for food and books.

With this in mind, Noah and Eyolian made their way to the clusters of clothing shops in the large square. It was a long way to go, without accounting for the crowds. Luckily for Noah, Eyolian showed no interest in any passing shops, very focused on their destination. In no time, they quickly passed through clusters of fast food stalls, accessories, tools and crafts, herbs and medicines, and reached their destination in the clothing and textiles clusters. Given their starting point in the antique and book clusters - where Mr. Edric's shop was located - they had almost crossed the central square lengthwise, which was very impressive and extremely tiring.

Noah pulled up his screen to take a look while catching his breath.

Overview:

Name: Noah

Race: Unknown

Class: Unawakened

Level: 22

Experience: 12000 / ??? XP

Status: Stable | Fragmented Soul | Sustained by -Winter

Attributes/Stats:

Health (HP): Not available

Stamina: Not available

Core Stats:

Strength: 8 — Basic physical power.

Dexterity: 9 — Moderate agility and speed.

Intelligence: 15 — Above average cognitive ability.

Constitution: 8 — Average endurance. 

Wisdom: Not available

Charisma: Not available

System Message:

"The system is in its limited state. Full access to skills, magic, and advanced attributes will be available upon awakening."

Though Noah's Stamina was listed as Not available, he suspected - no, he was sure - it was very low and he shouldn't ignore it as he did with anything physical. Even his Constitution was only 8, an average endurance, which was something he should be ashamed of. But it was good that having a system, as Noah called it - Winter's Gift, was a secret only he knew.

Noah dismissed the blue screen that only he could see, not wanting to draw Eyolian's attention to his actions, and refocused on his surroundings.

Noah and Eyolian stood at the entrance of the clothing and textiles cluster, a long row of various upscale shops on either side. Eyolian looked at Noah, who hadn't made any move to get going, and asked calmly, "Where to?"

They had agreed that Eyolian would first help Noah choose his clothes, and she would be next. Noah looked around and pointed to the first men's shop that seemed decent enough. They entered without much thought.

Upon entering, they were welcomed by the scent of fragrant wood and candles, the morning sunlight highlighting the diverse fabrics on display. Clothes designed for various purposes lined the shelves, some overly adorned and flashy, others quite the opposite. What prompted Noah to enter the shop was seeing the latter from the display windows before entering.

In one corner of the shop, an old tailor with combed-back white hair sat behind a wooden table, in front of him delicate sewing tools and scissors. He wore a small smile as he spoke with a customer about something Noah didn't hear. The old man noticed the two of them and his smile widened as he said, "Feel free to look around, I'll be with you as soon as I'm done."

Noah hesitated, wanting to leave for another shop, as tailoring requests always took forever. And Noah wasn't in the mood to wait. But Eyolian reassured him, "He's just asking for a simple adjustment to his new coat... the customer."

Noah looked at Eyolian with suspicion, he didn't give words to his thoughts - so how did she know? Eyolian noticed his gaze and said nonchalantly, "I have good hearing."

Noah brushed the matter aside, it wasn't that important, she was an awakened after all. He took a few steps to a rack of clothes that caught his interest, especially one complete outfit. He pointed to it and inquired, "What do you think?"

It was a practical black outfit with dark blue accents. It featured a long coat that buttoned at the chest and had simple details on the sleeves, with a leather belt around the waist equipped with a small pouch. Black trousers made of soft wool, with a straight, comfortable cut that easily paired with the long coat. The shoes, black, practical and closed.

Eyolian looked at Noah oddly, before saying anything, Noah explained the logic behind his choice. "The weather is very cold this time of year, it's the most logical choice for me. I'm not going to wear something light just to please someone else's opinion. It's decent enough already."

She looked at him with the same odd expression, slightly more so, and said, "It's good enough."

They waited for the tailor to finish his discussion with the customer, and as Eoulian said, it didn't take long. From there, things went smoothly. Noah got permission to try on the clothes in one of the fitting rooms; the clothes were good and suited him well. He received Eyolian's moderate approval. He paid the slightly high price, not bothering to bargain. Then the two left the shop, and now it was Noah's turn to help Eyolian choose suitable clothes. Not that Noah knew anything or had any taste, but he decided to try.