Growing Concessions (4)

"What can I do for you?" A plump man is smiling brightly in my direction. I look around at the strange assortment of objects lining the shelves and ask the question that has risen in my mind.

"Where am I?"

"You're in my magic tool shop. I sell several other magic-related items, but I'm well known for my magic tools." The plump man waves broadly at his wares. Most of what I see are rods with stones affixed to them, but there are several other interesting-looking items. The ostentatious display makes even the mundane pieces seem extraordinary, and my eyes are drawn to a simple leather pouch.

"What's this?" I ask while pointing at the moderately sized bag. It looks like it could just barely hold a watermelon. I don't know why but I can't take my gaze off it.

"You've got a good eye. It's a bag with a permanent space magic spell cast on it. This spell allows it to hold a larger volume than it seems but doesn't mitigate any of the weight."

"How much exactly?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest. I think it could hold at least double my size based on what I've seen in the past."

[If we managed to get something like this, we could take more of the Punctastars with us when we return from hunting. I need to talk with the kids about acquiring something like this as soon as possible.]

"How much?" I ask.

"That's quite a sought-after item. I couldn't let it go for less than two thousand Denarii." I run the number through my head a few times before answering him.

"Okay, I'll be back for that."

"Make sure to hurry. It could be sold at any time. There are plenty of other people who could use an item like this."

I glance at a few other objects before leaving the store. The fact that he went out of his way to encourage me to buy the pouch makes me think that he has had it in stock for a while, so I'm not in too much of a rush. On the other hand, our hunting efficiency would increase dramatically if we had something like that. I can feel my heart pounding with excitement as I imagine how much we would benefit from such an item as I leave through the front door.

"Hey there, sweety. How was your day?" Carroll hums to herself as she prepares dinner.

"A bit strange, but I suppose that's normal at this point."

"What do you mean?" She places a bowl of food in front of me and looks at me with a concerned expression.

"Sakura yelled at me today."

"Did you get in a fight with your little girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend. I'm sure she'd really get angry if she heard you say that."

"But you've been spending a lot of time with her recently."

"She's courting Josh; I'm just the third wheel."

"She's courting that idiot?"

"He's not an idiot, and if you say that again, then I'll get mad." Carroll is caught off guard by my response, so she takes a moment to compose herself.

"I didn't mean to offend you; that's what his mother calls him when we meet up for tea. She says he's a kind boy but a bit slow. He doesn't really get along with the other kids."

"He's going to be one of the strongest adventurers in this town within the next couple of years. I wouldn't call that slow." Carroll places a bowl of stew in front of me as she continues talking.

"Is that so? I'll have to let his mother know." The smell of chicken broth rises from the bowl. I can see carrots, celery, and potatoes floating around in the soup, along with a couple of hard-boiled eggs. My mouth begins to water as I stir the ingredients in the bowl to cool them down.

"I would appreciate it if you kept that to yourself. We are still growing, and unwanted attention will only be a hindrance."

"Vincent, dinner's ready!" She yells toward the library before turning back to me. "If that's what you want, I'll keep it to myself. That being said, I think his mother deserves to know."

"If she's the one calling him an idiot, then I disagree."

"What's for dinner?" Vincent asks, blissfully unaware of our conversation.

"Just some soup I cooked up." Carroll turns to him with a smile.

"Well, it smells delicious," Vincent responds with the same thing he always does. Every time Carroll makes anything, he says it looks or smells delicious. I often wonder if she should make something terrible just to see what he'd say. Vincent unceremoniously begins shoveling the meal into his mouth. I slowly eat my portion while looking at him from the corner of my eye. I can never tell what he's thinking. He is so negative most of the time, but he always seems to know how to make Carroll feel better. She watches us eat with a satisfied expression. I finish my meal and start making my way upstairs.

"Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, bud." Carroll and Vincent call after me, respectively.

"Good night, mom. Good night, dad." Carroll smiles sweetly at me as I leave the room. It's gotten easier to refer to them as mom and dad over the last few weeks. I enter my room and approach a bookshelf by the window. Having visited a magic tool shop today and suddenly having an influx of cash makes purchasing magic items almost inevitable. I'll need to do some research to figure out what I want to spend my money on. I pull a book about magic items off the shelf and flip through the pages. I see a section on magic bags, so I decide to skim it.

"A magic bag is usually a leather pouch with a space magic spell cast to increase the total internal volume. While most magic bags retain the mass of the objects they contain, some more advanced magic bags can also mitigate the weight of the contained objects. These items tend to be more expensive as they are more difficult to create."

The magic bag seems to function as I expected. Further reading informs me that the spell contained within the magic bag must be maintained with Monster Cores. It uses magic every time an object is added or removed. Apparently, this is a common feature of all magic tools. I've been wondering what the Cores are used for, so this makes a lot of sense. I want to find anything else to help us while we're in the woods, so I keep reading. A little later, I come to a section on spell rods.

"A spell rod usually contains an offensive spell that can be used even if one cannot use magic. Most often, these are used by nobles or well-off adventurers who need access to a spell they couldn't otherwise use."

This is also within my expectations. Having some magic tools will give us a lot more breathing room when we're in the forest. Winter is fast approaching, and the woods will soon become much more dangerous. I read a bit more about magic tools to decide which ones I'd like to get when I save up enough money and go to bed while imagining their possible applications.

The next day, I arrive at the north gate a bit early. The guard whom Josh and I met when we were arrested stands to one side. Determined to get his name, I walk up to him.

"Hello."

"Hey there. Nick, right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name."

"I'm Kim."

"Right, Kim. How're you doing?"

"Fine, I guess. I heard you and Sakura had a bit of a falling out yesterday."

"Word spreads fast."

"In a small town like this? What did you expect? People don't have anything better to do than gossip."

"Yeah, I get that. I don't think it was a falling out, just a misunderstanding."

"Really? I heard she was yelling at you."

"She has a bit of a temper."

"That sweet little girl? You're saying she has a temper?"

"Apparently, you don't know her that well." My mind drifts back to the look on her face when Josh and I were arrested. I guess we should be grateful she didn't kill the guards and try to break Josh out. While thinking about that scene, I hear someone call for me.