Chương 71: Shopping

"So, what can I get for you today?" Leland asked as Damion walked into his store.

"More durable clothing to wear on missions. Preferably something that can self-clean or repel dirt somehow."

"Tired of looking like you've rolled in the mud while your companions keep themselves looking pristine ehh," Leland answered with a smile.

"Pretty much."

"There are a couple options for you, depending on your budget and your, ahh, fashion sense."

"Just spell them out for me."

"The most direct option would solve both problems at once," as Leland spoke he pulled a bolt of cloth out from beneath the counter.

"This is Ryemo Silk. Woven from the rare Ryemo Bamboo and it has a unique property that repels dirt, mud, blood, any substance that tries to cling to it. Quite handy for the discerning adventurer. And is as soft on the skin as a mother's touch."

"And how is its durability?" Damion asked.

"About the same as ordinary clothing. But! It is easy enough to enchant it so all you would need to do is channel your mana into it to make it quite durable, though of course, not as strong as proper armor."

"I already channel my mana into my sword, my armor and now I'd have to do my clothes. I'm not sure I can focus well enough during a fight to channel mana into so many items."

"Yes, well an experienced adventurer has no issue with channeling mana into each piece of gear on their body independently. It is like second nature to them. I'm sure you will get to that point eventually, just takes practice."

"Focus is one issue, mana is another. How much mana am I supposed to have charge up all those pieces of gear at once?"

"Most mages prepare slowly. Long before combat. By keeping all their items charged all the time it makes it easy to power up your weapon right before a fight."

"And how much would an outfit made from this Ryemo Silk cost?" This was the real question Damion had. No matter how good the material was, if he could not afford it, he would just have to settle for something else.

"100 gold per outfit."

"Is that all?" Damion said sarcastically. Sure, he could afford it, but for just one outfit and it could still be damaged, there had to be a better solution. Plus, the Ryemo Silk would only keep itself clean, not Damion's body or his armor.

"This silk is quite rare. I have enough here for two pants and two shirts. It will probably sell out quick," Leland said smiling, trying to land the sale.

"What if we tackle the problems separately?" Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Durable clothes and then something else to keep you clean. That is doable."

"Great," Damion said relieved. He just hoped that whatever Leland offered this time would not be more expensive.

"For cleanliness, let me recommend a belt of purification," Leland led Damion over to a mannequin that, in addition to a set of armor, wore a red and green belt around its waist.

"While costly, unless you get unlucky and it is damaged, a belt of purification will keep your whole body, and everything on you, free of foreign substances."

"It's an artifact then," Damion said looking at it.

"Correct, a C Rank artifact. When you channel your mana into it, it pushes off all the dirt and anything else that has clung to you. And you don't have to keep it charged all the time. Most people just activate it after a fight and poof, all the dirt and sweat falls right off of them."

"Sounds exactly like what I am looking for," Damion said, though he dreaded hearing the price for a C Rank artifact.

"This one will cost you 120 gold. Though I do have others, with more boring color schemes for less."

"Do you have a plain brown or black one?" Damion asked. He really did not want to advertise an artifact around his waist by having it look flashy. Leland opened a drawer beneath the mannequin and pulled out a plain looking black belt.

"Will this do?"

"Yes, I don't want to stand out too much you know. Not until I have sufficient strength." Damion's comment seemed to satisfy Leland's sense of pride in his stylistic creations and led the way back to the counter.

"The basic belt is not as efficient as the other, though it is still considered a C Rank artifact, it takes a bit more mana to clean you up. This one will set you back 75 gold." While the price was still fairly high, Damion felt it was worth it. Even if he didn't get more durable clothing, having one artifact that kept his whole body clean would be worth it.

"I'll take it, what about more durable clothing? I don't need them strong enough to be armor, but I don't want to be replacing my clothes all the time either."

"Everything I have would be considered an artifact and require you to channel mana into it constantly to give it strength. The materials we use to make clothing just is not strong enough to resist attacks. Unless you want to dress in all leather all the time, but I think you might dislike that."

"Yes, that would not be comfortable," Damion agreed. Leather clothing would be stronger than cloth, but it would be stiffer and harder to move around in. He did not want to sacrifice mobility.

"What would you recommend then for rips and tears?"

"Learning to sew," Leland joked.

"What about an artifact that can do that for me?"

"An artifact to mend your clothing if it gets damaged? What a novel idea. I will have to do some research on this. But you might have just provided me with an entirely new line of products."

"Does this mean I'll get a share of the profits?" Damion asked hopeful.

"No. But I'll gift you one. Assuming I succeed in the endeavor." The prospect of a free artifact was good, though Damion would have liked to have gotten a share of the profits, but he had to admit that Leland would be the one to do all the work and figure out if creating such an artifact was even possible.

"I want to complete my adventurer kit," Damion told Leland. Now that he knew the cost of what he assumed would be the most expensive item he was buying today, Damion decided to finish his kit with the money from his dungeon run.

"Excellent, I know you bought a moderate tent, let's see what else we can get for you," Leland said happily as he began going around his store pulling things off shelves. Damion did not bother to follow the man around. Leland was an experienced adventurer and an experienced salesman. The man knew what Damion needed, and Damion suspected the man had some way of knowing exactly how much he could afford.

"Here we are," Leland said as he hefted a backpack onto the counter in front of Damion.

"Everything you need, except rations and a tent, is in here."

"I already have a bag," Damion said looking at the backpack that appeared smaller than the one he purchased not long ago.

"You have an ordinary bag. This pack is the next best thing to a spatial artifact."