“It might be possible to alter them,” said Alfric. He looked them over. “Bah. It’s tricky with entads.”
“I know,” said Verity, nodding.
“Are we talkin’ entad alteration?” asked Hannah as she came over. “Because I know a thing or two.”
“We were talking about how we all know a thing or two,” said Verity. She gestured. “Alfric wants the pants.”
“Seems rough, from a size perspective,” said Hannah, rubbing her chin. She looked at the tag. “Because you just got done goin’ up against a horde of insects?”
“Partly,” said Alfric. “They’re notoriously tough to deal with. But for alteration… Maybe I could ask Mizuki to wear them, and if we ran into bugs, she could just move forward to handle them.”
“Even for her,” said Hannah. “I’d think you’d have to split the seams on the sides, then hope that the magic held.”
Alfric checked the tag again. “It doesn’t say what counts as wearing them,” he said.
“They need to be on your legs,” said the shopkeeper, whom Verity had heard introduce himself as Rolaj. “I’ve had a few people come take a look at them, but it’ll take either someone quite short, or a cleric of Kesbin, or an actual child. My father has told me not to let them go unless it’s for quite a sum though. We’ve actually used them for labor a few times, with my sister wearing them. Cleaning out infestations, mostly.”
“I suppose that’s a better use than dungeoneering,” said Alfric, nodding. “You could practically make a living on it, going town to town.”
“Dungeoneers go from town to town,” said Rolaj. “It could be work you did on the side, while recovering from the toll of the dungeons.” He looked hopeful. The sale had been completed, and Verity guessed that with what they’d sold, there were some rings in their pockets. “Imagine this, you go into the town, ready to head for the nearest dungeon, but before you do, you put up a notice in the town or put in word at the local taverns that you’re available for pest control. It’s an easy way to make a few hundred rings, I would guess.”
“We’d have to talk to Mizuki about it,” said Hannah.
“Mizuki?” asked Rolaj. “Oh, are the three of you… her party?”
“You met her?” asked Alfric.
“Yesterday,” said Rolaj. “We talked for a bit. Is she… I hesitate to ask this, because it feels a bit unprofessional, but is she partnered?”
“Partnered?” asked Alfric.
“No, she’s not,” said Hannah. “Though I don’t know that she’s open to a relationship.”
“I think she probably is,” said Verity.
“And is she… interested in men?” asked Rolaj. His hopefulness was almost painful.
“I don’t think we know,” said Alfric.
“Definitely men,” said Hannah.
“Men,” nodded Verity.
“Oh,” said Rolaj. “I just—the woman she was with, I’d thought—there seemed to be something there.”
Hannah laughed. “Between those two?”
“Sorry,” said Rolaj. “I didn’t mean to embarrass myself, I just misread.”
“Ay, but how?” asked Hannah. “Granted, I’m a cleric of Garos, but it seems a hard thing to mistake, that’s all.”
“A mistake, nothing more,” said Alfric.
“I thought I saw jealousy,” said Rolaj. “That’s it.”
“Ah,” said Hannah. “Now that, I s’pose, I can see.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “And should we send her your way, our Mizuki?”
Rolaj was already blushing, but the blush deepened at that. “I’d appreciate it, yes, if you think she’d be receptive.”
“We’re in Pucklechurch,” said Alfric. “I don’t imagine we’ll be through Liberfell all that often.”
“I’m not expecting much,” said Rolaj. “I was just… thinking about her, since she came through yesterday.”
“Well, for my own part I’ll put in a good word,” said Hannah, nodding. “You seem like a good enough sort.”
“I’ll let you shop,” he said, backing away. “Let me know if you have any questions, and I apologize for any awkwardness on my part.” He bowed slightly and returned to his position behind the counter, which, in Verity’s opinion, made the whole thing even more awkward.
“I haven’t seen anything interesting,” said Verity. “Or rather, I’ve seen a great many things that are interesting, but they’re either priced too high or of no practical use.”
“We have enough rings that you could get something fun,” said Alfric. “There’d be no harm in that. I saw you talking to that dictionary.”
“Well, yes,” said Verity, looking over at it. “But unless I want to start singing nonsense songs, I don’t imagine that I would get more than a few hours of entertainment out of it. Not what you’d pick, I’m sure.”
“Well, no,” said Alfric. “I see two spears, and if you don’t mind me, I’m going to go look at what they do.” He ambled over to the back wall with all the weapons. He had a grin on his face, which Verity thought was somewhat unusual for him. He looked like a better, more compelling person when he was smiling.
“Well, better to talk to Mizuki now,” said Hannah. “Just in case we were wrong and she’s not so interested. But then it falls to us to let the poor shopkeep down.”
“Go ahead then,” said Verity.
“I was hopin’ you’d volunteer,” said Hannah. She sighed when Verity didn’t budge. <Mizuki, it seems like the shopkeeper Rolaj at the Chixli Emporium is a bit sweet on you, and would like to see more of you, if you’ve got any interest.>
There was silence for a little bit, long enough that Hannah wondered whether Mizuki had gotten the message.
<Neat!> the reply finally came. <He’s cute, right?>
<He said you met him,> said Verity.
<I did,> said Mizuki. <I was asking whether you found him cute.>
<Not particularly my type,> said Hannah. <But he’s got a sweetness to him.>
<Not my type either,> said Verity. He’s a man, after all.
<He seems young for you,> said Alfric.
<Ask him his age,> said Mizuki.
“Are we really doing this?” asked Verity.
“How old are you?” Hannah asked across the store.
“Eighteen,” he replied.
<Eighteen,> said Hannah.
There was a bit of silence. <Is that too young?> asked Mizuki.
<Four years seems like a large gap,> said Alfric.
<That would be like you dating Isra,> said Verity.
<I’m an adult,> said Isra. She spoke differently over party chat, as though she was attempting to be loud and clear. It was subtle but definitely there. One of them would have to take her aside and explain that wasn’t necessary, and Verity imagined it would probably be her.
<Well, I’m gonna go for it,> said Mizuki. <And if it turns out he’s too immature, that won’t be the first time I’ve had that problem, age being an issue or not.>
<Good luck,> said Hannah. She moved over to where Alfric was standing and looking at the spears, and Verity did too.
“This one,” said Alfric, pointing at a thin red one with a gilded tip. “Capable of extending to eight times its length and, per the scratch tests, extremely difficult to destroy. It also exerts force when extending, which means if I could get it under a monster and wedged against the floor, I could use the power of the entad to drive it through the flesh or armor.” He moved his finger down to indicate something that looked less like a spear and more like an enlarged toothpick, pointed on both ends and made of wood. “Or this one, which penetrates the opposite side of whatever it touches and can teleport the wielder.”