MORNING ERRANDS

Thadius woke up to the sunlight warming his face. He had managed to find an inn last night, and had checked in as soon as he left the coliseum. Then he slept like the dead after eating a hot meal from the restaurant on the first floor. Today, he would be running the errands he’d put off yesterday. It wouldn’t be as exciting as visiting the coliseum, but it would be a busy day nonetheless.

.

He looked at the shield that lay beside him. The steel shield now had a huge circle of mythril in the center, like a white sun shining through grey clouds. Then as he sat up, the Silver Champion’s Belt fell off his chest.

Silver Champion’s Belt Type: Belt Accessory Durability: 1475/1475 Quality: Normal Defense: 500 This belt can only be obtained by defeating the Silver Champion in single combat.

+Permits special privileges when worn in the coliseum

Thadius smiled as he looked down at his prize. It had come in handy when he went to visit Sarene behind the kitchen in the amatuer waiting room. One glance at the belt over his shoulder and the old woman had led him to her room in the back.

’Or was it because she knew who I defeated to get it?’ Thadius shook his head as he made his way out the room to the restaurant downstairs, frowning at the lack of handrails for the stairwell.

He stopped just before the door that lead outside and pondered where he wanted to go first. He needed to find Beth; the mage his master befriended. He also wanted to stop by the Adventurer’s

Guild for a status card. The reason for his pause was the last two destinations. He didn’t check in on Yuna and Christina yesterday like he told them he would, so he had planned to go see them first thing in the morning. Yet, he also wanted to start his enterprise today, and that would involve him using his gift from Marshal and his new Pretender skill.

Thadius weighed his options. Then after a few moments, he set out for the Church of Thena. At the end of the day, he was a man of his word, and arriving any later than he'd stated would hurt his pride further.

He walked the streets with caution, and kept his eyes open for any potential assailants or pursuers. Before long, he arrived at the steps of the church without incident. Statues of Thena seemed to look down at him in disgust as he walked for the doors.

’If people knew what you really were, they’d look at you the same way.’ Thadius thought as he entered the premises.

As with the Grand Temple in Yune, the Church of Thena was a lot nicer inside than it was outside. The white stone walls were spotless and smooth, and the silence that fell on the halls gave the entire building a sense of purity.

Three paths opened up, and Thadius stood at the fork, looking for someone who could help him. He'd figured that the path ahead of him led to the actual church, but the paths on either side of him could lead him into trouble. With no one in sight to help him, he choose to go right.

The path led him down the hall and to the left, leading him further into the compound. When he came to another split, he took another right instead of continuing straight. That’s when he saw a group of priests down the hall. They were whispering amongst themselves, and Thadius hid his presence so as not to alarm them with his Fighting Spirit.

“When did she arrive?”

“Yesterday, I gave her the tour!”

“Wow...Thena has truly blessed her.”

“Only a woman blessed by the Goddess could look as beautiful as that…”

The priests were absolutely enthralled by a young woman that was scrubbing the floor further down the hall. There were other young girls beside her, but Thadius knew exactly who they were talking about. Christina wasn’t your average woman.

Thadius just shook his head. It wasn’t a surprise that she’d become the hot topic of the priests upon her arrival.

“Just imagine how she looks under the robe…”

Thadius snapped his head to look at the man who spoke. He was a thin, gangly man with the top of his head bald. Thadius recognized the hunger in the man’s eyes as he watched Christina. The other priests looked reluctant to say such things out loud, but the sudden declaration by their fellow priest made them brave.

“Her fair skin would be quite the sight.”

“I’d rather have her sight on me. Having a woman like that would be a dream come true.”

“Staring down into her eyes as we-”

Thadius cleared his throat and revealed himself. The group was startled as they turned around.

“Good evening gentlemen. It’s a fine morning isn’t?” he asked kindly.

The thin priest spoke up first. He seemed to be the leader among them, and was the first to recover. “It’s a fine morning indeed, stranger. What brings you to the Church or Thena?”

“I’m looking for a young woman who came in yesterday. She wouldn’t be hard to miss.”

“Is that her?” the priest pointed to Christina.

“Ah, there she is. She’s already been put to work I see.”

“How do you know her, exactly?” one of the other priests asked.

“She’s one of my companions. We just arrived yesterday, and I came to check in on her.” Thadius replied as he watched the girls scrub away.

“Well, you won’t have to worry about her here. We’ll take good care of her.” the thin priest spoke up.

“I know I shouldn’t worry so much. I’m sure she’ll be just fine in your care.” Thadius frowned at the scrawny man while he leaked some of his pressure on the group. “But if anything happened to her...I don’t know what I’d do.”

The priests were all stunned into silence. Not even the thin priest could find his voice in the presence such a man.

“Thadius!” Christina called as looked up from her work. She dropped her brush and ran up to him, leaping the last few feet to put her arms around his neck.

“You act like I’ve been gone for weeks.” he laughed as he caught her. Seeing her smile first thing in the morning was better than any cup of coffee. It filled the body with the power of goodness.

“You didn’t show up yesterday after you said you were going to the coliseum. I was worr-”

“Is that him!? That’s the guy right!?” a voice said from behind Christina. Thadius was surprised to find a legit cat girl jump up to him. Yuna wasn’t far behind. Thadius could feel her circling around the girls.

Christina quickly let go and introduced her friend. “Thadius this is Esaa. She sleeps in the bunk next me.”

*Tink**Tink**Tink*

Thadius looked down at the small girl that was tapping on his belt. “And this is?”

“That’s Teta.”

Thadius looked down at the girl. Her spectacles made her eyes look bigger than normal.

“Hi.” he greeted her curiously.

“Hi.” she replied as she met his eyes briefly. Then she went back to tapping.

’Awww.’

“Teta! You can’t just invade people’s personal space.” Christina cried as she pulled Teta away.

“What was she tapping on?” Esaa asked as she looked under Thadius’ robe. She was just as bad as Teta.

“Esaa!” Christina shouted as her face turned red. Her new friends were embarrassing her, even after she warned them not to!

“What? I’m just taking a lo- Oh, cool! That’s a Silver Champion’s Belt!”

Now Christina was interested, and she moved closer to get a look. “Did you get it from the coliseum?” she asked as she looked at Thadius in wonder.

“I won it yesterday. That’s also why I was late.” he smiled. The priests all turned pale when they saw the belt on Thadius’ waist, and they started to slink away while they thought Thadius was distracted.

Christina smiled in return. Thadius had returned safe and sound, and that was what mattered.

Yuna, on the other hand, wasn’t happy. While Thadius was showing off his belt, she kicked his shin. Apparently, she was still upset that she had been left out.

“Excuse Mr.Thadius," Esaa moved in closer to Thadius so she could whisper, "Do you think you could make us-” Christina came and covered Esaa’s mouth quickly. She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about Thadius’ Wolf Gear, so the fact that Esaa knew would definitely get her in trouble with Thadius. That was not an option.

“So Thadius,” she started as she kindly smothered the struggling Esaa, ”Where are you going after this?”

“Well, first I need to talk to Yuna." Thadius quickly glanced at the hidden Goddess. "Then I was going to run some errands that were neglected yesterday.”

“Will you go back to the coliseum?” she asked worriedly. Esaa continued to struggle feebly. Unfortunately for her, a determined Christina wasn’t to be trifled with.

“I was thinking about it.” Thadius smiled. Then he received another kick to the shin.

“Well then, just be careful ok?” Christina said as she dragged the fainted Esaa back to their work area.

Teta tugged on Thadius robe when Christina was a few feet away. “Can we have undies too?” she asked kindly.

“........!” Christina was absolutely livid.

Thadius shot a glare at Christina before he dropped to his knee to address the girl. “Unfortunately, I can’t help you, but I know someone who can. When he starts up his shop, I’ll be sure to let Christina know. Then you all can go shopping for them. Sound good?”

Teta nodded and skipped of back to work. Christina didn’t even have the energy to scold her. The glare of Thadius was worse than any sugar crash. It sapped energy from the limbs and dampened the spirit.

“Now,” Thadius turned to the ‘Vanished’ Yuna, “Do you want to explain why you feel the need to inflict harm upon my person?”

“No.” she pouted.

Thadius looked around to make sure no one was looking before he placed his hand on her head. She didn’t object, but she turned her head as if to say ‘Nothing you do will quell my anger’.

“Yuna, I’m your scapegoat right?”

“....Yeah”

“So you know it’s my job to protect you from harm if I can, right?”

Yuna glared at him. “What does that have to do with it? You left us so you could go have fun!” she whispered fiercely.

“You think killing another person is fun?”

“.....”

“It wasn’t what you’d expect Yuna. It’s nothing compared to how we sparred on your mountain. I almost died…”

“.......!” Yuna’s fury had completely disappeared. Now she looked at Thadius with eyes filled with concern.

“As your scapegoat, it’s my job to test the waters. I learned some valuable things in the coliseum while I put my life on the line, and you can be sure that I’ll tell you everything so you won’t make the mistakes I did. I’d have no problem dying once or twice if the lessons I’d learn improve your chances of survival. Still, I would have taken you with me if it was just us. You know that right?”

“...Yeah, I get it.”

“Good.” Thadius said as he turned to leave.

“Thadius.”

When Thadius turned to look, Yuna pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry for kicking you. Try not to die, okay?”

“I’ll be careful.” Thadius replied softly. “And I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little fun.”

“I knew it!” Yuna whispered as she poked Thadius in the cheek.

Thadius laughed as he felt Yuna run off down the hall towards the other girls. Thankfully, none of them had seen him talking to himself, or so he hoped. Any future talks with Yuna would have to be done in a secluded space. At least until Christina becomes a full fledge priestess.

Thadius left the Church in a hurry. The next place he wanted to visit was the Adventurer’s Guild, so he continued his walk from where he was attacked on the first day. He remembered the directions he had been given, and soon, he was standing in front of a three-story building. Outside was the same stone that all the other buildings were made of, but Thadius had no doubt that the inside was well furnished.

He walked into the building and was surprised to find it mostly empty. The first floor reminded him of the amatuer waiting area in the coliseum, except for the four-sided counter in the middle of the room. The clerk behind the desk greeted him when he walked in.

“Good morning, sir. How may I help you?” she said as he approached the desk. She showed no reaction to his Fighting Spirit as he approached the counter.

’She must be used to it.’ he thought.

“I thought this place would be full in the morning.”

“We serve breakfast a lot earlier. Adventurer’s like to get to hunting as soon as the sun comes up, so we assist in their efforts by serving before dawn.”

“How thoughtful.”

“We take pride in our services. Now how may I be of service to you?” she smiled as she stealthily looked Thadius up and down. She was obviously influenced by his charm stat.

“I seem to have misplaced my status card. I was told to come here to get it replaced.”

“I can do that for you, but you must understand that your previous status card will be destroyed by an enchantment once a new one is made. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes.”

“Then if you’ll wait a moment.” she said as she ducked under the counter. She reappeared with a blank status card and a needle like object. “Have you needed to replace your status card before?”

“No. I’m embarrassed to say this, but I don’t really know much about my status card other than the fact that it hangs around my neck. I hit my head a while back, you see. It healed well enough, but my memory hasn’t been the same since.” Thadius flashed his devilish grin.

The clerk laughed. “Then allow me to reeducate you. You’ll use this needle to draw some blood and then all your information will be burned into the card.”

“When you say ‘all’ information, you mean my stats right?”

“Not only your stats, your skills and current commissions will also be displayed. Simply hold your card, say ‘reveal’, and that additional information will be displayed.”

“What happens if someone steals my card? Would they be able to look-”

“Not at all. The card will only react to the command of it’s owner.”

’No wonder I couldn’t see Corban’s skills.’

Thadius had been puzzled about it for some time, and now he knew why. Unless Corban rose from the dead to reveal the skills hidden on the card, he’d never know what skills his master had learned.

“That’s comforting. So I prick myself with this?” Thadius picked up the needle and stabbed his thumb to squeeze a drop of blood on the blank card.

Within moments, magical text appeared on the card. The clerk made a curious expression as she looked at the information.

“Is there a problem?” Thadius asked in concern. Was there a way to indicate him as a Traveler?

“Not really. It’s just that your title count is rather low. Most people have at least seven or eight by time they reach adulthood.”

’My title count is a dead give away...’

Thadius made a grief stricken face and asked the clerk, “Do you suppose it could be due to my memory loss?”

The clerk put a hand to her mouth. “Oh! I so sorry Thadius, I didn’t mean-”

Thadius raised a hand. “It’s fine, you’re not the first to look at my status card like that since my incident…” Thadius looked away as if in pain.

The clerk quickly put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. “I’m sure anyone will understand if you tell them what happened to you. I’ve never heard of the card erasing information, but it changes often, so it’s possible. Besides, if you get a few more titles, no one will look to closely at it.” she spoke softly. Her voice was filled with concern.

“Thank you. I’m glad to have met such a kind beauty so early in the morning. You’ve been a great help.”

+3 Charm

“I-I’m glad I could help you.” the woman blushed.

Thadius picked up the card and carried it in his hand. He didn’t want to pull out his master’s chain within eyesight of the clerk, so he turned to walk out.

“Wait, Thadius!” The clerk had stepped out from behind the counter and walked up to him with flushed cheeks. “My shift ends around noon. If you were to stop by around that time, perhaps we could stop by a tavern?”

’Say WHAT!?’

“I’m afraid I’ll be busy all day. Though I don’t think you’ve seen the last of me. Who do I ask for? Should I return and find you gone?” he smirked.

“Katherine.”

“Farewell Katherine.”

Thadius turned and walked out. His grin widened with every step he took. The conversation had reminded him of his school days before he reunited with Rose. Back then, he had been a danger to fathers everywhere.

’Damn...Rose set me straight didn’t she?’ Thadius sighed as he reminisced. Then he ducked into an alley to prepare for his next stop.

He was going to visit the tailor next, but he didn’t plan on going as himself. Corban and Marshal had warned him about people nagging him to make clothing, so he’d previously devised a disguise to serve as the face of his clothing brand. Now that he had the Pretender skill, he’d have to make it more than just a disguise. He needed it to be his alter ego.

He pulled out Marshal’s last gift to him from his inventory. It was an extravagant wolf cloak with the head of the beast used as the hood. Thadius had told Marshal about his plan, and was given the cloak as a parting gift. The hood was a bit large, and covered his eyes. But he didn’t need sight, so it wouldn’t be a problem for him to walk around with it up.

Next, Thadius pulled out the cloak he’d used as Christina’s ‘grandpa’ and wore it under the wolf cloak to hide his divine white robe.To complete the costume, he removed his shoes and put on a pair of handmade jika-tabi, or 'ninja socks' as he liked to call them.

Once the appearance was set, he practiced the voice he wanted to make as he walked up and down the alley, swaying to and fro as he walked. When he was confident in his new identity, he walked out the alley to go back to the Adventurer’s Guild.

Pretender is active. Experience will be awarded upon shedding the current identity. No experience will be awarded should your act be seen through.

It was the first time he’d seen such a message. It didn’t happen when he’d posed as Christina’s grandpa. Meaning that no one could know who he truly was in order for the skill to raise, and that failure would reset his progress. Pretender would prove to be a troublesome skill in the future.

’What better way to test it than on someone I jus- Thadius just met minutes ago?’ Victor thought as he walked into the building.

Katherine was leaning on the counter with a sulking expression. No doubt disappointed that Thadius had gently refused her invitation.

“How can I help y-”

“I was told I could come here for directions.” Victor interrupted with his gruff voice.

“Do I know you? I feel like I’ve seen you before.”

“If I knew you, it would mean you’ve seen me here before or somewhere in the city, and if that were the case I wouldn’t be in front of you asking for directions now would I? My name is Victor. Victor Wolfe-Jagger.”

“Pardon me Mr.Wolfe-Jagger, you just reminded me of a man I’d met earlier. Forgive me. Where exactly were you trying to go?”

“I need to find the tailor and the blacksmith. There’s also a mage I need to find by the name of Beth.”

“Well, I could offer you a map of the-”

“I have good memory. I only need directions.” Victor interrupted again.

“Very well. You’ll find the tailor seven streets south of here and two streets east. Then the blacksmith will be two streets east of that. Unfortunately, the mage you're looking for left the city on a trip, and no one knows when she'll return. She runs the local apothecary, so you could check there some other time. Should you need any more help…” Katherine’s voice trailed off as she watched Victor walk out into the streets to make for the tailor’s shop.

The sheen of the wolf’s pelt intensified in the sunlight as he walked, and he could tell that he was drawing attention. Traveler’s and Npcs alike stared at the large man in the wolf cloak.

He reached the tailor in a timely manner. A wooden sign above the door labeled it as ‘Thimble Ted’s’. Victor walked in with confidence.

There were people all over the shop browsing clothing and leather armors. A few people turned to look at him curiously as he walked in, but they quickly went back to their shopping. A frail old man with glasses eyed him from behind the counter. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be a line since it was still early.

Victor strode up to the counter. “Good morning. Are you the owner of this establishment?”

“Who’s asking?”

“Victor Wolfe-Jagger.”

“Never heard of him.”

“You will soon enough.” Victor retorted.

“Hmph. What can I do for you?”

“I’ve come with a business proposition. I have an interesting product that could sell very well; however, I’ve yet to test the market for it. I was hoping you’d sell my product for a share of the profits.”

“Is that so? What exactly is it you’re selling?”

“Undergarments.” Victor said flatly.

The old man chuckled. “I have no need for undergarments in my shop. They wouldn’t sell anyway.”

“These will.” Victor said confidently, throwing a piece of clothing on the table.

Wolf Gear Briefs Type: Undergarment Durability: 500/500 Quality: High Defense: 10 This piece was made with supreme care by Victor Wolfe-Jagger. The fine threads were created through long hours at spinning wheel and then woven into a superior cloth on the loom. The battle for this level of quality can be clearly felt, for every single fiber has been infused with Fighting Spirit. How such a thing was achieved is Victor’s secret, but the fruit of his loom is for all to share.

+300 Strength

+100 Dexterity

The old man looked at Victor with a dumbfounded expression. All humor was gone from his face. “I see. I am certainly willing to sell this in my shop for a share. How does 20% sound?”

“I give you 40%. However, I have some conditions.”

“I’m listening.”

“I want my products to hang on this wall.” Victor pointed to an empty space on the wall beside the counter.

The old man was once again dumbfounded. Not only was this man going to give him nearly half of the profits, he was doing it for practically nothing. Such fortuitous circumstances sounded too good to be true. “I can’t see how you profit more from this deal than me.”

“This is a short-term deal. Should my brand sell well enough, then I’ll have a store built nearby and sell there.”

“Why build a store when you can sell it here?”

“This isn’t all there is to my brand. I have other garments of higher levels of quality that come in a variety of colors for both men and women. Not to mention the fact that I could change the design to be more stylish, anything from a day at the beach to a night of adult activity. The downside for you sir, is that you’re getting the bare minimum of the goods at my disposal.”

As Victor talked patrons from all over the shop were making their way to the counter with curious expressions.

Ted fell silent. He was just told that the garment in front of him was the cheapest in the Wolf Gear collection, and that was a very enticing thought. He needed to do whatever he could to jump on this in it’s infancy. In all of his years in the tailoring trade, he’d never come across a product like this.

“I could help you with money for the shop, or you could just keep selling your product here-”

“This deal is temporary, and my enterprise is already funded. All I need from you is to sell my product and give me my share. I don’t need you to advertise either, my work will speak for itself. Now, do we have a deal?”

There was no way in for the old man. All he could do was enjoy the boost in revenue for as long as it would last. “You have a deal.”

With the agreement made, Victor and Ted discussed prices. Once that was done, Victor took out the metal stakes he had ordered in Yune, and hammered them into the wall beside the counter. In less than an hour, there was a full display of Wolf Gear undergarments for men and women in white, black, and grey. Victor couldn’t even walk out of the door before the first item of his brand was bought. With any luck, the word of the undergarments with stats would spread like wildfire.

The next stop after Thimble Ted’s was the blacksmith a few streets down. Just like the tailor’s shop, there was a sign out front that read ‘Arm & Hammer’.

’Really Sonsoft...’ Victor shook his head. Before he walked inside, he slid on the hood of the brown cloak and slid the wolf head back enough so that he could see.

“Oi Virgil! Take a look at this bloke! More wolf than man he ‘is!”

The weapon and armor store was open and spacious. Most of the room was taken up by weapons and armors on display on shelves and mannequins while the counter was set all the way in the back. The forge seemed to be in a building behind the shop.

Sitting at the counter was a bald, fat man who was laughing his head off at the sight of Victor. Then a younger man, drenched in sweat, appeared from the back room with a red bandana wrapped around his head. There was no question that he had been hard at work seconds before. Victor decided to address the young man instead of the man laughing his head off.

“Good morning. I’m here to purchase a weapon and some armor, but I don’t want to be in here all day looking.”

“No problem, I can help. Just ignore this ass. He’s been like this since I can remember.”

“But look at him, Tommy! I bet he can’t even see out the damned thing! Haha!”

Tommy just shook his head. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

“I want a short sword and armor that lets me pivot easily.”

“Flexible armor huh. Wait here.” Tommy said before he returned to the back.

Victor took look around while he waited. There were beautiful swords all over the place, and they all looked expensive. He wanted an upgrade from his iron sword, but he didn’t want to spend too much before he bought his shop.

Silence filled the room as he walked back to the counter. The bald man had stopped laughing and was eyeing him with suspicion.

“What is it?” Victor asked.

“What did you say your name was?”

“Victor.”

“Pretty strong aren’t ya?”

“So I’ve been told.”

“What do you think about that sword there.” The man pointed to a sword on the wall. It had a dark green blade that started straight then curved toward the end. Black leather was wrapped around an onyx hilt.

“It’s quite beautiful.”

“Of course it is. It’s my masterpiece.” the smith retorted.

“It’s a shame for a sword like that to just be a decoration.”

“That’s what I said. But it’s been there for years.”

Victor eyed the blade again with renewed interest. “What’s wrong with it?”

“See for yourself.”

Victor walked up to the sword to take a closer look.

This sword has not been named Type: Sword/Scimitar Durability: 3479/3479 Quality: Epic Attack: 4992 Masterpiece of the Master Blacksmith Womack after 30 hours of relentless smithing. The Orihalcum blade has trace amounts of Eternium, the hardest metal on earth, giving it a hidden strength that can only be rivaled by the world’s rarest materials.

+Always sharpened (Sharpened blades deal 1.2x damage)

+Sword skills level x4 Faster

+Hardened by Fighting Spirit

+All sword skills deal +30% additional wind damage in addition

+Automatically uses ‘Wind Cutter’ after being drawn

Requisites:

Level 207

Strength 3000

Sword Mastery Expert or higher

Fighting Spirit 900

“Compare.” Victor whispered. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

Superior Iron Sword Type: Short Sword Durability: 979/979 Quality: Normal Attack: 752 An iron sword forged by a Master Blacksmith. Though made of iron, the blade is strong and reliable.

Requisites:

Level 20

Strength 150

The unnamed blade was leaps and bounds above his iron sword. He had believed the sword that Thadius got from Carson would last him a while, but what Sarene had told him before he entered the tournament still rang true. His gear simply wasn’t good enough. If Thadius had this blade when he returned to the coliseum....

“Well, you know what’s wrong with it?” Womack questioned.

“It doesn’t have a name.” Victor said confidently.

“....Wrong. The weapon is too strong for its own good. Any bloke strong enough to actually use it already has a better weapon. It’s a damn good sword, but it’s simply too much for anyone that level.”

“Is level really that important? Can't someone just swing it?” Victor asked.

“Are you an idiot? Every mama's boy know’s what happens if you try to use somethin’ beyond your level! None of the stats will take effect and the damned thing would be as heavy as holdin’ my fat arse in the palm of your hand!” Womack spit furiously. His pain at forging an undesirable sword was flaring up again.

“I never knew.” Victor shrugged.

“What level are you?”

“54.”

“Then try on that vambrace on that suit of armor behind you. You’ll see what I mean.”

Victor turned to obey. He immediately recognized the suit of armor the paladin had worn in the coliseum on the mannequin. He took the vambrace as instructed and put it on his wrist.

Equipment is beyond your current level. Defense will not be registered.

Just as the window popped up, the vambrace became extremely heavy. Victor could hold it just fine, but he could tell that Womack hadn’t been lying about the weight increase.

“See what I mean?” Womack said sarcastically as Victor replaced the vambrace.

"I do. What is this made of exactly?"

"Hard silver. Why?"

"Would iron be able to pierce this?"

"Are you nuts?" Womack asked in concern. He seemed to truly be questioning Victor's sanity.

“Who's nuts?” Tommy asked as he walked back in with a suit of armor.

“Nobody.” Womack said quickly. “Hurry up and get him sorted out. I’ll be in the back.”

Tommy waited until Womack was out of earshot. “He told you about the sword didn’t he?”

“He did.”

“The man can’t let it go. I swear, he’s gonna give up smithing if someone doesn’t take it soon. More work for me I guess.” the young man shook his head and sighed. “How's this? Does it look like what you had in mind?”

Victor took a look at the armor. Unlike regular platemail, the chest piece was segmented to allow bending and twisting at the waist. It was exactly what what he needed.

“I’m thinking of wearing this along with my cloak. Is there an armor set with torso like this that could easily integrate it?”

“The inside of our armors are lined with leather and cloth, so you could probably get a tailor to sew it in however you like it.”

“Good. Now all that’s left is an armor set with the right level.”

“Level 54 right? I heard. We have a full set of steel armor for that level. It should last you about 30 levels.”

’Then it won’t be long before I come back.’

“That’s fine.”

“Alright then. That’ll be 9G.” Tommy said as he held out his hand to collect the funds.

Victor reached into his robe for his inventory, but he stole a glance at the unnamed sword. “How much did it cost to build this place?”

“Arm & Hammer? Hmm….I’m not sure. Womack! Womack come ‘ere a second!”

“What is it!?” Womack came storming into the room. “Why haven’t you finished with ‘im yet!?”

“He asked how much did it cost to build the shop.”

Womack looked at the youth then at Victor. “Cost me 200,000G for the place. Why? You looking to build your own place?”

“Soon enough. Right now I’m looking to buy that sword.” Victor pointed to the orihalcum blade.

Silence filled the room for a moment before Womack exploded. “You must be joking! You're nowhere near level 200! I won’t let my greatest work go to some bloke who can’t even use it!!”

“Swords are different for me.” Victor said flatly.

“Are they now? Well that’s all well and good, but you won’t even be able to lift the damn thing of the wall at level 54!”

Victor walked over to the wall where the sword was and easily removed it. A warm breeze blew when he touched it and warmth spread out from the blade in a heat haze. “You were saying?”

Womack was stunned into silence. Even the youth had trouble summoning words.

“How much?” Victor asked.

“...me it.” Womack whispered.

“What?”

“Name it first. A good blade can’t go without a name.” he repeated after clearing his throat.

Victor looked down at the scimitar. Had it been red, he knew exactly what he would have called it. Blue would have been good too. Yet, the blade was green, and only one woman came to mind when he thought of that color; an amazon with the luminous hazel eyes.

“Serenity. The final breeze.”

Womack nodded, then closed his eyes as he quietly walked into the back. His shoulders racked with muffled sobs.

The unnamed scimitar has been named ‘Serenity, The Final Breeze’

Victor turned back to Tommy after Womack left. “Would I be able to get some throwing knives as well?”

“How many?” he whispered. His eyes had moistened over as well.

“20.”

“15,010G total.”

Victor quickly handed over 151N. He needed to leave soon. The atmosphere was beginning to pierce through his hardened exterior.

The young man returned with the steel armor, Serenity’s scabbard, and Victor’s change. After Victor replaced the iron sword with Serenity.an endless breeze ruffled both his cloaks, as well as robe underneath.

“Your Fighting Spirit must be pretty high.” Tommy said.

“It was one of the swords requirements.” Victor replied.

“Yeah, but that’s the first time I’ve seen it react like that. The other guys could barely get a wind goin’, but with you it doesn't stop. Anyway, thank you for your purchase. I hope we see you again.”

“Of course.” Victor said as he turned for the door. The fact that he would have to return as Victor Wolfe-Jagger didn’t hit him until he was outside.

’They would recognize me immediately if I walked in as Thadius with Serenity on my hip!’

Victor shook his head at his own stupidity as he walked down the street.

Now that he had a rough estimate of how much it would cost to start his own shop, he didn’t have to be so frugal with his money. Unfortunately, the purchase of the property would take a chunk out of Yuna’s half of the money. When the time came, he would have to ask her permission, even if he knew she would say yes.

Victor walked the city to get a better feel of his surroundings. He passed several vendors selling fruits and vegetables. Other vendors were selling things like jewelry and accessories.

Travelers walked around discussing their lives back home or what they would do before they had to log out. Npcs did their morning shopping and conversed with their neighbors. It would have been a peaceful scene, except for the way the Npcs looked at the Travelers as they passed, and how they whispered with concerned expressions.

It was a beautiful morning, yet there was tension in the air. Why hadn’t he noticed it before? Was it because Thadius was attacked? Or was it because he was too busy looking for possible assailants?

Victor observed his surroundings as he wandered. There certainly was tension in the air, and it had something to do with the Travelers. The more he walked, the more he was convinced that posing as an Npc was a good idea. Some Travelers would no doubt recognize Thadius, but the Npcs wouldn’t. If the Npcs started asking questions, the status card and a good story would take care of it.

Victor decided to head back to the inn to change after almost an hour of aimless walking. He could see the coliseum, so he used it as a guide to find his way. He turned a corner to head into the direction of the inn, and received an unexpected surprise.

Sitting outside of a large building was a familiar old man playing chess by himself.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Victor walked up to the old man’s table. “You need an opponent old man?”

“Ho ho! It’s been a while since someone’s asked me that. Have a seat youngin’.”

Victor took his place across from the old man, and the game began immediately. Victor commanded his troops ruthlessly with his queen leading his forces. The resistance was laughable, and any attempt to control the battlefield was quickly thwarted. It was a one-sided battle from the very start.

“You seem to be struggling old man.” Victor taunted.

“The game is just gettin’ good!”

Knights were sent in to infiltrate Victor’s castle, but he saw the move a mile away, and promptly sent his queen to deal swift justice to the perpetrators. Unfortunately, his bishop was slain in the process, leaving his brother to pick up the slack.

In the final battle Victor's infantry were falling left and right, but their sacrifice would not be in vain. Victor sent in his queen to corner the opposing king.

“It was a good game old man. Better luck next time.”

“Thadius, dear boy. It’s gonna take a lot longer than four years for you to outsmart me. Ho ho!”

’WHAT!?’ T

Your act has been seen through. No experience will be awarded until the next identity is assumed.

Thadius cleared away the message in time to watch Old Man Tony’s queen come face to face with his king. Behind her was a gallant knight who was prepared to give his life for her.

“Checkmate.”

“Where did she come from!?” Thadius protested.

“Ho ho, you’ve gotten better Thadius, but you’ve still got a ways to go!”

“Dammit.” Thadius sighed in frustration, but the anger soon turned into a smile. “It’s good to see you old man. I thought you were dead.”

“Dead? Me?”

“I went by your house, but it looked like the hut was turned upside down.”

“Hmm...must have left the door open.”

They both enjoyed a good laugh and reset the chess board. Then Thadius pummeled the man with questions.

“How’d you know it was me?”

“I didn’t at first. I thought you were Corban in disguise. He was the only one I knew with Fightin’ Spirit like yours, but then we started playin’ and you came to mind. Even if you had died the mountain, I knew you’d come back, you bein' a Traveler and all. So when the first year passed and you didn’t return, I figured you’d met an old friend. ”

“But how did the way I play tip you off?”

“I’ve played enough games with you to know that you favor your queen ho ho.”

Thadius sighed again as he sat back in his chair, but it was Tony’s turn to ask the questions.

“How is the old goat anyway? You must have finished his trainin’ if you’re all the way out here.”

“I finished his training, but Corban’s dead.” Thadius aid sadly.

“Illness?”

“Me.”

“Hmm, he was gettin’ pretty feeble. At least he died fightin’. That’s all he ever wanted.”

“Yeah.”

“Still, what brings you to Todos youngin’? There’s a war goin’ on you know!”

“I’ve heard about that, and I think that’s what I’ve been seeing on the people’s faces as I walk through the city.”

“What you see in the city is somethin’ a little different.” Tony said as he shook his head.

“What’s goin’ on old man?”

Old Man Tony was silent for a while before he spoke. “It’s the Travelers here Thadius. Some of ‘em are up to no good.”

“I can't say I'm surprised. I was attacked in broad daylight the day we showed up.”

“We?”

“Christina and Yuna.”

Tony looked at Thadius with a confused expression. So Thadius explained in detail what had happened on the mountain. He talked about his progress in restoring Tegaia’s power and Yuna's banishment. Then he explained how he used Tegaia’s power to restore Christina’s sight, and their journey to the capital.

“So Tegaia is and runnin' again. You actually did it...” Tony said in awe.

“I’m not done yet, old man. I still need to build her a church.”

“It’s not about the building Thadius. It’s the people you need to worry about.”

“But there still needs to be a building right?”

“If you feel the need for it, sure. But what good is a church with no one to fill it?”

“True.” Thadius agreed as he quickly tucked his cloaks in his inventory. He had waited until the coast was clear before he shed his Victor Wolfe-Jagger costume. His belt flashed when he stood up to take it off.

“Ho ho, I see you stopped by the coliseum. Did you have fun?”

“You’re not the first person to ask me that today.” Thadius sighed as he shook his head. “The fighting gets my blood pumping, but it’s not like I wake up and say ‘Let’s go killin’!’”

“ You’ve still got a good head on your shoulders then. It's good to know that Corban didn’t infect you with his fighting disease. He couldn’t wait to go to the coliseum. The fool was in there almost everyday, talkin’ ‘bout how ‘practice makes perfect!’”

Thadius swallowed hard. He had thought the same thing. “Isn’t that the best way to get combat experience? Exposing yourself to fights?”

“Ho ho! You too huh? I spoke too soon about that head on your shoulders.” Tony chuckled. “Did you consider the army Thadius?”

“I did, but I don’t want to stray too far from Christina. And Yuna would have a fit if I went off to battle without her.”

“Thadius, who did you pass in order to get into the city?”

“The...city guard.” The moment the words left his mouth, realization dawned on him. “But they don’t do much fighting do they?”

“The city guard has to be strong too, Thadius. They rotate shifts to go out into the wilderness to get real combat experience. And out there Thadius, you don’t have to hold back. You didn’t fight at full strength in the coliseum did you?”

“I didn’t try to kill everything in sight if that’s what you mean.”

“That too, but what I’m talking about is your hunger to learn Thadius. That thirst for knowledge that I saw in the young man in my hut. The coliseum is too restricting for a youngin' like yourself.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Then tell me, how do you think you did in the coliseum?”

Thadius took a minute to look back and collect his thoughts. “Truthfully, It was like everything I learned from my master went out the window when those drums sounded.”

“How so?”

“Being surrounded by so many people that wanted my blood just made me lose it. My form was terrible, and the whole thing just turned into a hack and slash festival. At least until the last fight anyway.”

“Your fight against the Silver Champion?”

“Yeah. I kind of regained a little bit of my reason then. Corban told me that I needed to gain experience through application and experimentation, but I can’t do that if I don’t apply what I’ve learned. If the coliseum showed me anything, it's that I'm far from my final form. With that in mind, my first hurdle is maintaining discipline during combat..”

“And the city guard is just the place for you to learn that.”

“The city guard, huh. How long are these excursions in the wilderness?”

“Less than a week. Every soldier in the army started in city guard, and every last one of 'em has taken a trip into the wilderness. But truth be told, I don’t think the city is gonna have very many guards in the near future.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I know what I know, so mark my words. In half a year’s time our armies are' gonna come beggin' for reinforcements. They'll conscript anyone who knows how to swing a sword and anyone that can use magic.”

“You think they’ll take Christina?” Thadius was already on the edge of his seat when it came to her safety. If they took her to fight on some battlefield...

“Wouldn’t it be best if she was assigned to your unit instead of some stranger’s?”

“But I'll be a guard right? If the army comes for her…”

“Ho ho. I don’t think you’ll be there for long, and Christina won't be an initiate forever. Once she graduates, she'll assigned to a squad in the city guard like every priestess before her.The real question is, where will you be when she’s sent to the wilderness?”

“.......”

“And I don’t know anyone who needs Tegaia more than fresh rookies who just finished basic training.”

As Tony talked, switches went off in Thadius' brain, multiple birds were being hit with one stone, and light bulbs were lighting up all over the place. Needless to say, he was convinced.

“When is the next excursion?”

“Tomorrow.” Tony smiled.

“Where do I sign up?”

“Right here.”

Thadius got up to go into the building, but Tony stopped him. “They don’t leave until early morning. Take some time to think on it first, then if you still want to go, come back. This also gives you time to tell the girls that you won’t see ‘em for a while.”

“Right.”

After saying goodbye to the old man, Thadius ran off down the street. He quickly made his way back to the inn to kill time. Since he saw Christina and Yuna only a few hours before, he decided to wait until the afternoon before he went back to the church.

He stormed inside the building, and was ready to jet up the steps to his room before he remembered something. He backed up and went to the counter where a middle-aged woman was wiping the surface.

“Excuse me ma’am, are you the owner of this establishment?” Thadius asked her in a urgent tone.

“Y-yes. Is there a problem?”

“Yes there is.” he said, pointing to the staircase. “There are no guardrails for those stairs. Gods forbid if someone were to slip. They’d have no way to catch themselves on the way down. As a patron, I fear for my life everytime I go up and down. Please address this immediately, lives are at stake.” Without another word, Thadius turned and climbed the staircase with his robe swishing from an unnatural wind.

Once he was in his room, he pulled off his robe and went to work stitching it into his new armor. Just as he started, a message popped up in front of him.

Jeeves is watching.