Tama and I returned from the fields about three hours into our hunt to find potion ingredients just in case. There was a lot to learn, so I wrote down most of what Tama told me, but it was all stored into a backpack with the rest of the ingredients she collected. I, however, stored it into my inventory without an issue.
We returned home and in contrast to Ruby patrolling and making sure everybody was safe, Ipa was up and watching the city turn outside of our window.
"There you two are. I was wondering where you were. So, did you guys have any fun?" He said with a smug smile.
I threw the backpack up onto the table and shut up his lewd thoughts.
"Listen, we wanted to get everybody new gear, and we can finally do that now that we can sell my potions and have some money to go off of. So, how's your equipment? Has anything broken? Need repair? Are your weapons as strong as possible? Tell us what you need." I said to Ipa, sitting down on the table and grabbing another piece of paper.
"I don't need anything, but if everybody is getting new stuff, I could use a new cloak. It's all enchantment related, so it would be pretty expensive." Ipa explained to Tama and me. I shook it off.
"Expensive isn't a problem. We can handle it." I told him. It was weird however because I forgot all about enchantments. I could also learn those... could I create potions to boost enchantments?!
"If that's all, then I don't need anything else. Save the money for Ruby and Ken." Ipa said to us.
"That works with us. Come on, let's go take care of that now." I told Ipa. Tama, Ipa, and I all walked out of the door and into the city. It was dead silent as everybody was still asleep, but the sound of merchants getting ready to start their days by setting up their stands filled the air with some kind of noise that wasn't as deafening as this silence.
"This shop right here, I think. This says enchantments." Tama said, opening a rickety wooden door that hung off its hinges.
"I couldn't think of a more secure place than this one. There's the owner." I said, pushing past all of the small trinkets she was selling to talk with her directly.
"Hey there, I'm looking for enchantment on my friend's cloak and I was wondering what you could do about it?" I asked the girl. She was small and very skinny, but she had bags under her eyes and rounded glasses. Her tan hair and dark brown eyes were sort of scary, but I've seen scarier.
"What are you looking for?" She turned to Ipa and asked him.
"It has a Stealth Enchantment on it and it's around Plus Eight. How much are we looking at to increase it to Plus Nine and maybe repair it?" Ipa asked her.
She went behind the counter, opened a binder, and slammed it on the table in front of her. She seemed irritated with everything around her.
She eventually pointed to a small paragraph with fine print about the Plus Eight enchantment on Ipa's cloak.
"It'll be two-hundred gold for the package deal. Or, one seventy-five to enchant it without repairing. It's all up to you." She told us.
"Gold? Why is it twenty-five extra just to add in a repair?!" Ipa asked her. I put my hand on his shoulder and backed him down from ruining our chances at business with her.
"Is there something else you want? Something you would barter for? We have other things, like high-grade potions." I explained to her. The girl behind the counter shook her head and pointed back to the binder.
"I don't want anything. The strain it'll put on my body because of what the cloak is made out of won't be fixed with a simple potion or other material you may or may not have. It's two-hundred, take it or leave it." She said.
"You're awfully rude, but I guess that doesn't matter," I told her. I slammed a piece of platinum coin, which translated to one-hundred golden coins, and then six potions right beside it.
"I told you, I don't want your damn potions!" She yelled at me, but I pointed back to them.
"You said you receive fatigue from repairing and enchanting. I put in three maximum-grade health potions and three maximum-grade stamina potions. I also happen to be a mage with [Blessing 3], so if fatigue is your problem. We'll solve it. Now, will you take my deal or will I have to learn your trade myself and run you out of your damn business?" I asked her.
Being assertive with rude people by offering them something they want and threatening to take it away works unless they have a big ego. Unless her ego is monstrous in size, she'd accept my offer and repair his cloak for a reduced price. If she wanted more payment, I would throw in more potions until she was satisfied. I have her trapped right now, and as she nervously looked around, I began to smile.
"Fine. Throw in two more of each potion and you have yourself a deal." The girl said. I happily laid out two more potions and she took off Ipa's cloak and ran into a back room.
"That almost felt evil. Well, we saved some money... thanks, Anima." Ipa told me.
"Don't mention it. That's nothing, especially for how much you've helped me recently. I couldn't ask for anything else from you, so I wanted to reward you somehow. I hope it works." I told Ipa.
I felt guilty I was making him fight his brother, but Ipa admitted that he didn't like Joro either, so I guess if he was fine with it, I should probably stop thinking about it and just roll with it.
"Here. It's fixed... you won't run me out of business, will you?" The girl asked while tilting her head away from me.
"Of course not. You have great work and I couldn't match your quality, but try to cheer up more often. You don't have to look like we just killed your puppy as soon as we walk in here. Sometimes a smile is all it takes to convince ignorant customers to pay your ridiculous prices. Ipa, Tama, let's return home." I told everybody.
"Thanks, Enchanter Lady. We'll be back someday!" I said as we walked out of the door.
"Wow, you really know how to get what you want. Well, now that Ipa is in better shape, we should probably go repeat the process with your friends, huh?" Tama asked me. I shook my head.
"You probably didn't do it on purpose, but they're not just my friends, Tama. They're our friends. Let's go." I said.