Chapter 29 — The Cartographer's Society

Ria’s expectations were quickly proven to be her own fanciful delusions. Not only did Hulle not have a specific relic in mind for her to buy, but after telling her to look around for something helpful—an old coin or something—he promptly abandoned her to talk about rumors and current events with the strangely well-informed shopkeeper.

That wasn’t to say Ria was having trouble finding items of interest. A lot of the items in the odd store called to her. But none were all-powerful-relics-of-fiery-doom like she was hoping for… Rather, they tickled her senses in the same way the podium in the reception hall of Parthanex Tower did. She was beginning to think that feeling was from items which had gained an attunement to time.

Ranger stuck with her for a while, but eventually grew bored and wandered off to sniff things on his own.

“So, Hulle, the girl—she seems a valuable catch. Has your family changed their mind about letting you... rejoin noble society?” The shopkeeper was saying, and Ria’s ears perked up at having suddenly become the topic of their conversation.

“I’m not adverse to saying, Martina, but I think information about the girl’s relationship to my House might have value to the right ears,” Hulle hedged.

The woman, Martina, laughed. “You’re such a tease, Hulle. Dangling that she even has a relationship with House Novidus, just to wet my appetite.”

“You know me well,” Hulle agreed with a laugh.

A resigned sigh came from Verenzio leaning against a wall off to the side. “Familiarity with trading in gossip and secrets is hardly something you should take pride in, Young Master.”

Neither the shopkeeper nor the young Novidus boy paid the chaperone much mind and directly proceeded to continue their negotiations.

“Give me a hint. Just how juicy are we talking here?” Martina fished.

“Oh, I’d say information about the girl might be even juicier than whether she attended a certain city administrator’s weekly tea party,” Hulle assured, his voice dripping with smug amusement.

“You’re just terrible, Hulle! But that’s why you’re my favorite,” Martina practically purred out then leaned closer to propose, “And so for my favorite customer, I may have happened upon some interesting rumors about some of your Grand Games competitors—including what a certain cousin of yours is up to. And because you were kind enough to bring me a sure-to-be-fascinating new customer, I wouldn’t mind giving the young lady a significant discount on her purchase.”

Ria wasn’t happy that her information was being sold, but Hulle hadn’t steered her wrong yet, and if it earned her a discount on what was sure to be an expensive purchase, then she probably shouldn’t complain.

An item in a smallish glass display caused Ria to pause and glance down. An iridescent black orb rested in a shallow bowl of bone carved to resemble an open clam. Fancy writing described the sphere as ‘A luck-bringing pearl from the Umbral Sea — Extremely Rare.’

The outside of the pearl felt to her senses like a natural material and was strongly shadow attuned, but the inside was something different. Were pearls normally made of metal on the inside? Ria probed it deeper. The way the metal felt was… not familiar exactly—rather, the way it drew her interest made the misshapen coin from her earlier experimentation feel like a pale imitation of what Ria was beginning to suspect was the real thing.

Was the pearl something Hulle had known about and expected her to readily find it on her own? Was he testing her?

Ria snuck a glance in the third-year’s direction, and to her discomfort, both Hulle and the shopkeeper woman were casually watching the subject of their conversation with interest. The chaperone seemed less interested. Unfortunately, Hulle’s expression wasn’t giving up any hints about whether or not the pearl was the item she was expected to find—if there even was one.

Returning her attention to the pearl, Ria couldn’t help cringing as she considered the likely price. Not that she had any idea how much an elementaly-attuned pearl would sell for. The pearl being larger than any she’d ever seen certainly didn’t inspire confidence.

While Ria was mustering her courage, a teen boy dressed like a tradesman’s son came out the back of the shop reporting that he’d finished his task, and after being handed a bundle of letters by Martina, nervously glanced at Hulle before ducking his head and excusing himself, leaving out the front of the shop in a hurry.

Ria wondered what that was all about. Was the shopkeeper sending out invitations for some sort of viewing event or merchants’ gathering?

Whatever it was, Ria had her own matters to worry over, and if she finished up here quickly enough, maybe Hulle wouldn’t mind taking her by the Temple of Ellnys. With the rate Ranger was improving, delaying much longer before starting the soul strengthening was likely unwise.

Having motivated herself enough to set aside further thought about the ridiculous item she was assuredly about to pay a ridiculous price for, Ria carefully took hold of the magically-sealed display with both hands and carried it to the counter cradled against her chest so she wouldn’t drop it.

In all honesty, there was no need for her to wrestle over whether she would attempt to buy the pearl. An item that could unlock her natural affinity’s energy transformation? How could she not at least try? That it likely could pass as a focus tool for shadow magic—what they were pretending her affinity was until the Games—was just cream and fruit on the cake.

“I’m interested in purchasing this pearl, Shopkeeper Martina,” Ria said as she placed it on the glass counter.

Ah! The magically-warded glass counter was probably where the powerful relics were kept! Ria realized, a bit too late.

Martina glanced at the display and gave Ria a pleasant smile. “Oh? That pearl has quite the interesting story, having formed into its current material and shape over thousands of years, squeezed and refined in an environment rich in shadow energies. It was found by a pair of Explorers looking for Shadow Pearls. Having gathered several Shadow Pearls while on that expedition, the pair thought this pearl was merely a larger than usual specimen, but after purchasing it from them, I soon realized that they had found something rather special.”

“Do pearls normally have metal inside?” Ria asked, unable to keep her curiosity in check.

Hulle let out an amused snort, and Ria shot him a glare.

Martina seemed amused as well, but her eyebrow was raised for some reason. “Oh no, dearie, not at all. Rather than the usual bit of sand or such, that particular Umbral Oyster seems to have ingested a gold coin from a lost treasure that had spilled nearby. Over time, the gold inside was changed into orichalum. Or that’s my theory anyway. Such a pearl would surely be an exceptionally lucky item likely to bring its owner much wealth over time, don’t you think?”

Orichalum! Ria’s eyes widened. A legendary metal storied to be used by Dwarven kings!

The sound of the door opening distracted Ria from her disbelieving thoughts, and a glance in the direction of the newcomer settled her eyes on a young woman in a dress cut way too low and displaying entirely too much.

While Ria was staring, the woman strode toward the glass-covered counter, her assets jiggling scandalously.

“Busy night, Sephi?” Martina inquired.

The woman, Sephi, laughed, and a shake of her head and flick of her hand made her burgundy locks sway sensuously behind her. “We’re always busy. I think you’ll find today’s delivery particularly interesting though.”

“How lovely!” Martina eagerly rubbed her hands together. “Today is certainly looking to be a profitable day.”

Sephi paused to glance at Ria and then Ria’s hair, smirking derisively before pulling a stack of letters from a shoulder bag and handing them to Martina.

“Oh, you weren’t exaggerating, Stephi,” Martina enthused as she parted the bundle several times to peek at a sampling of the letters. “This is indeed quite the delivery.”

“Sure thing, Martina.” The burgundy-haired woman placed a hand on her hip as she turned to take in Hulle and his chaperone while waiting. “Pardon me for interrupting your business with Martina, Young Master of House Novidus.”

Annoyingly, Hulle seemed to be enjoying the view—if the faint smile was any indication. “We aren’t in a particular rush.”

“That’s a relief to hear.” Sephi leaned against the counter and traced her chin playfully. “You know, I think some of the girls would actually pay to have such a pretty young master as yourself avail himself of our services.”

“Young Master…”

Verenzio started to object, but the insufferably flirtatious woman raised a hand in surrender. “We do have ways to make such enjoyments safe for nobles, as I’m sure you know, but the offer was mostly in jest.”

“Here you go, Sephi,” Martina interrupted to hand over a discreet amount of coin in a small nondescript sack.

“Thanks, Martina. Sanya will also have a delivery ready in a few days,” Sephi advised and gave Ria and her hair one last amused glance before leaving the shop with a confident swagger that Ria couldn’t help notice Hulle’s eyes follow.

Ria was feeling huffy about the encounter, but Martina’s earlier answer and the odd results of the earlier experimentation with the gold coin had provoked a question Ria eagerly wanted answered. “Is orichalum really just enchanted gold?”

She was finding such a thing hard to believe.

Martina laughed and replied coyly, “I guess you could say orichalum is gold in the same way mithril is silver.”

Ria’s eyes widened. No wonder her gold coin… wait. Did that mean she could make orichalum?! “Um… can I buy it? I only brought 24 gold crowns with me.”

The woman placed a finger to her chin and considered. “Well considering the value of the information Hulle here just provided me with, I could see selling it for that price and a future favor—nothing nefarious of course.”

Ugh. Almost all her money—a sum worth more than two years of tuition to the Grand Academy!—and an unknown favor… which, considering the young woman who just made a delivery, could be something unsavory. Ria glanced back at the door Sephi had left out of.

Martina laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, the favor wouldn’t be anything like that. Just delivering a letter to someone at the academy or arranging so I can meet someone of interest, or such.”

Ria nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed, an embarrassment that quickly turned to irritation upon noticing Hulle shaking from his own amusement at her assumption. Grrr.

After the moment of mirth, Martina’s expression turned more serious. “Though, I do worry that you’re only interested in that pearl for the orichalum inside it. It would be rather sad were such a rare treasure to be destroyed in the harvesting of its materials...”

Ah! If the core melted when she put her molten energy into the pearl, would the pearl’s outer shell crack?

The woman sighed and bent down to retrieve an ornate box from inside the glass counter. “I thought as much. I do have another item made of orichalum that I’d feel less bad if it ended up used for materials.”

Ria leaned closer, and as the box opened, the weighty feel of the item drew her eyes.

“A bracelet worn by an elder ember spirit for so long that she likely forgot the reason why she found it sentimental and traded it for a favor. The original enchantment is long gone, but the material can withstand a tremendous energy density,” Martina enticed, reverence in her voice as she slid the box closer.

Reaching out, Ria ran her finger along the irregular thicknesses of the bracelet’s curves. The metal so black it appeared to absorb light was shaped like molten flows that must have encircled the spirit’s arm in everchanging liquid rivulets rather than a fixed shape, an appearance that was eldritch in it’s impression.

Having let Ria get a feel for the bracelet, Martina spoke up, “I’m willing to part with that piece for 10 gold crowns.”

Ria glanced at Hulle and his chaperone to gauge their reactions to the price and neither seemed to have much of a reaction, though Hulle’s attention was still rather intently fixed on the bracelet, as if trying to understand something.

“I’ll buy it,” Ria decided and placed the 10 coins onto the counter’s glass surface. “I’d also like to come to an arrangement for the pearl as well, if possible. The pearl would make a powerful focus tool, and adding a reinforcing enchantment in a way that doesn’t mar it’s beauty should be easy enough.”

“Oh, are you an enchanter, Ria?” Martina inquired, again raising an eyebrow. “That’s unexpected.”

“I am,” Ria confirmed and placed her guild card on the counter.

“A full member, no less,” Martina “That’s a different matter then. I suppose I could be convinced to further reduce the price in exchange for other valuable information or enchanted items you wish to trade. What did you have in mind?”

Other… Ria held back a grimace at having given away valuable information for free. Hulle shaking his head in bemusement at her mistake wasn’t helping things.

What did she know that someone else might find of value? Ria doubted the sort of gossipy information Desi had been interested in would be of much interest to Martina, and most of what she would be willing to give up was information that Hulle had already traded.

Information about the Ravant Kingdom was probably old news by now, or being kept secret on purpose, and either Lord Vorshan or the High Council would probably not be pleased with her blabbing if that was the case.

Giving up information on her Order or her friends wasn’t something she felt comfortable doing… though Orlisi might deserve it.

Already getting approved to take classes on spellcraft was probably of value. Ria doubted many first-years qualify for that. So, that was one at least.

Her attunements might be another possibility. It was risky, and Hulle wanted to hide information about her capabilities, but her attunements were already displayed in Parthanex Tower’s student lounge, so it was probably only a matter of time before someone noticed and made them public.

Clearly, just those two pieces of information weren’t going to be worth enough gold. And realistically, Ria couldn’t even offer all her remaining gold coins since she needed money to buy the incense from the Temple of Ellnys and one of her gold crowns was currently misshapen and maybe full of orichalum energy?

Wait… if Tallien was willing to pay for filled spirit tokens, maybe Martina would be as well. If she could actually produce spirit tokens filled with orichalum energy, Ria had a suspicion they would be valuable. It was worth a try, and might also be a good way to quickly earn her money back.

She was getting closer but it still didn’t feel like enough. Ria mentally walked through the list of enchanted items stored in Jeni’s magic pouch. Only finding two items that she was grudgingly willing to part with: her stamina scroll and her newly made lightning hand cannon—a weapon she had designed with Master Rigure’s help after her lightning wand had disintegrated. Hopefully, that would be enough.

Ready as she was going to be, Ria turned back to the patiently waiting shopkeeper and made her pitch as she’d worked out with 10 gold crowns to be paid in coin, the personal information, enchanted items, the favor, and owing one Elven spirit token containing orichalum energy.

“It could work, considering that House Vesali has taken an interest in you.” Martina made a thoughtful hum then decided, “Make that 2 orichalum spirit coins, and the number of favors you’ll owe will depend on how much profit I make off your information.”

Ouch.

Ria looked to Hulle to see if her offer was okay, and she didn’t like the evil smile the third-year boy was giving her as he shrugged and said, “With an increased commitment to significantly improving your attunements before the Games, I suppose it’s fine.”

Ugh! That was surely an implication that he would be making her training more harsh if she agreed to this...

No, she couldn’t get complacent. Ria set her jaw as she decided. She was here in the capital city to push herself to the limit and beyond.

While explaining about her acceptance into spellcraft classes and letting Martina read her recommendation letter from Master Marlow, Ria jotted down the results from the attunement challenge in the student lounge.

The more she wrote the wider the shopkeeper’s eyes became, and when Ria slid the note over, the woman gave a low whistle and said, “That’s a fair bit more impressive than I was expecting. Especially for someone yet to awaken their bloodline… Is it accurate, Hulle?”

Hulle glanced through his glasses and shrugged. “Close enough.”

Martina chuckled. “Gotta say, selling you those aura-viewing spectacles sure has paid off handsomely for me—one of my best decisions, particularly with all the lucrative information you’ve been able to provide me with these last few years.”

Ria’s eyebrows went up. Was that how Hulle was able to scout her and knew so much about her affinity? Did the others know?

“Any reason you omitted your Divine attunement?” Martina casually asked, and Ria couldn’t help cringing.

Of course, omitting it would make it obvious she was hiding something!

“That one’s kinda personal, isn’t it?” Ria tried.

“Suppose so,” Martina allowed after a glance at Ria’s prominently worn Hemse medallion and nodded as if accepting her excuse, but if the woman’s crinkling eyes and Hule’s raised eyebrow were any indication, neither of them were fooled!

“So, it’s a deal?” Ria asked, trying to divert from revealing anything further.

“Sure,” Martina agreed and motioned toward the pearl’s enclosure. “I’ll even include the display. I look forward to doing business with you again.”

“You don’t need a contract?” Ria asked, surprised.

“Nah. I always get paid,” the woman said with a sinister smile then brightly added, “Besides, Hulle’s good for it. I bet from the start, he was planning to pay however much you were short.”

Was that true? Ria glanced at her senior Order member.

Hulle shrugged. “Since you didn’t need my assistance, it’s not really relevant.”

Like hells it isn’t!