I waited patiently for the arrival of my friends and family. Even though they didn't directly mention it to me, I had overheard whispers from them that they wanted to explore the city after our matches, so I planned accordingly.
Once my family had gathered, they sent Mila my way to ask if we could spend some time outside the arena. I was a little peeved that they sent my daughter to convince me, but I had no reason to reject their request and figured it would be a good outing. Lin and Sylas also wanted to join us, but right before they even walked toward us, a person whispered something to both of them, and I watched in real time as their souls withered away.
Looks like they are not joining us today. They may have some House Paine duties to fulfill.
Together, our group, excluding Varnir, who was still recovering after his fight with Sylvia, made a conscious effort to blend in with the crowds more. Now that some of us had fought on the main stage and due to my general appearance being well known, it would be a massive hindrance to the day's plans to be recognized and mobbed by the crowd.
We either used hoods or hats to cover most of our features. We all wore plain clothes and hid any weapons to better avoid being noticed. I sported a deep white cowl that covered my face. Of course, my ears were still exposed, but…that wasn't something I was willing to compromise on.
With our preparations set, we exited a side entrance away from the main docking area and immediately headed into the crowd. The smells of people's cooked food and everything in between assaulted us like a tidal wave. The volume was over the top, as thousands of people mingled outside, but thankfully, it wasn't nearly as bad as the enclosed stadium.
Mila gripped my hand tight, but I squeezed it back in return. That seemed to breathe some confidence into her as she continued to walk forward. In a circle around the massive colosseum-styled stadium was basically an open square for people to enjoy and distance it from the next grouping of buildings.
But now, that open space was jam-packed with tents, stands, and excited people until it reached the next row of buildings. The only clear areas were roads being guarded that directly led to the stadium entrances. Other than that, it was a free-for-all.
Dwarves were yelling into the passing crowds, selling bits and bobs. Depending on the tent or stand, it was either made of metal or stone, and they were all hand crafted goods of the quality you would expect from Dwarves. Some even openly sold weapons and armor hawking them off to anyone willing to stop.
Elves were selling everything from clothing to food, even all the way to dungeon items. I passed by a tent that sold flowers of all different kinds, promising well-kept seeds to expand your own garden. On a whim, I bought a small pouch of seeds of Magic Lilies for a large silver and pocketed them.
Does this mean I plan on starting a garden? I really don't know why I was drawn to them…I suppose I do like the way the plants look. And they do have other uses.
Padraic nudged me the moment he saw me and immediately asked if I was going to hide away and pick up gardening. It was like he read my mind. I just shooed him away, which made him laugh even harder. I didn't think buying the seeds was that weird…
I even saw a group of Humans from The Dunes selling glass items, something I hadn't seen in a long time. That was a big hit for my family. Glass wasn't uncommon in Luminar, but it was costly, so few had free access. Although we saw plenty of it at Forward University, it still had a certain mystique to it when out in the open for sale.
Although the glass being sold is slightly purer than what we could get here in Luminar, it's four times the price.
A foggy glass vase that would struggle to fit two cut flowers in it cost five large silver Ostella Marks or half a gold Mark. Ostella's currency still reigned supreme even here in Luminar, after all. My mother ended up buying that vase as well as two tiny bottles no bigger than a man's thumb for sixty silver each.
My father raised an eyebrow at that purchase. "What are you going to do with the small bottles? Put poison in them?" My mother simply looked at him and nodded in confirmation.
I…I think she is being serious. And why is my father just shrugging like it's normal? Has my mother bought poison before without me knowing?
However, my mother wasn't the only person interested in the glass. Thankfully Mila seemed less than enthusiastic about all of it, but I caught Sylvia eyeing a flower about the size of a palm made of glass. With its impurities and the amount of glass used, it was a murky green color.
I had to admit that it was a fine piece of art, all things considered, but for the whopping price of three gold, it was pretty ridiculous. A family of four commoners roughly needed to make a single gold a year to survive, so spending three years' worth of money for that item was…well, it wouldn't be my first choice.
Sylvia's red eyes darted at me with a stern glare. "What? Why are you looking at me with pity, huh? If I want to buy something, I can get it myself."
"I didn't say anything, though?" I mumbled in my defense.
"It's all over your face. I know it isn't worth it. But I think it's very charming," she said as she crossed her arms.
I looked over to Dallin, who was more interested in a piece of glass that seemed to have some practical use. It was once again quite impure, being a hazy green, but it was cylindrical in shape. It had a fine metal point at the end, which meant it was a reusable pen—something I had yet to see in this world.
"How much for that flower and that cylinder piece of glass?" I asked the merchant.
The man was flanked by a group of burly armed guards, openly flaunting Ruby and Sapphire adventurer tags, but the moment I mentioned the pen, his dark brown eyes shot up, and he moved so quickly his cloth headpiece nearly fell off. "Yes? This one, correct, Good Sir?" he said, holding up the glass pen.
I nodded, and his smile went ear to ear. "Ah, this one is a bit pricy, I'm afraid. It will cost you fifty gold Marks, but I can part with it for forty-five if you buy this and the flower."
"Just make it forty, and I'll pay upfront," I said, already discerning where things were going.
The merchant seemed to chew on my offer for a bit before nodding. "Okay, forty, just for the young boy and pretty woman."
"Hey, I said I could buy it on my own," Sylvia half pouted.
I sighed internally and handed her the glass flower. She immediately embraced me, her eyes practically sparkling. She held it up to the sky and admired it and then put it straight into her Spatial Ring for safekeeping. Dallin looked at me also somewhat expectantly, and I held the glass pen out to him.
"I can hold onto it for you until we get back if you want. Either way, take good care of it, okay?" I told him.
An ear-to-ear smile bloomed on his face as he meekly nodded his head. "Okay…thank you, Brother."
I returned his smile as Padraic pulled my arm again. "Oh! Oh! Buy me that too!" he shouted as he pointed at a simple sword made of glass which cost twenty whole damn gold coins.
"Go away and buy it yourself. I'm not a bank," I said to him more as a joke than anything.
Padraic looked hurt, but Cerila let out a small giggle, and Sylvia stuck her tongue out at him. Overall, it was a good experience, even if it cost me quite a bit.
But I do have a lot of money. I have more than I know what to do with these days as I rarely spend it. That's not even taking into account the priceless assets I own.
However, not everyone was happy. Mila squeezed my hand and looked up at me with her big blue eyes. She was definitely feeling a bit jealous, but that was alright. I knew what she wanted the most.
It didn't take us long to find a humble shack that had a decent line at it. A family of four Dragonkin were slaving away. The heat of their grills was intense, and the family moved as one unit.
When the meat was ready, it was off the grill and into bread. The youngest female and male garnished and finished the sandwich which was then passed to what I assumed was the mother. It was a quick exchange, and sandwiches were flying off the shelves with none in reserve.
Saliva dripped from Mila's mouth, and I had to be honest; I was starving and in need of some good food. I didn't need to check with the others as they all stared straight into the fire, entirely enticed by the smell of the cooked meats. Cerila looked about ready to dive straight in, but she looked straight at me and put two fingers up.
"Nine orders, please," I asked the mother.
Her scales were bright green, and the moment I said nine, she bared her fangs at me in the Dragonkin form of a satisfied smile. Once upon a time, I would have been worried at the gesture and figured it was in provocation and not happiness. Being able to read the facial emotions of Dragonkin, which was that of a reptile, took a lot of time. But thanks to Ciki, I had more or less gained enough experience to discern the difference.
I hope…
"Of course, Sir, right away," she hissed.
After a few salivating minutes, the sandwiches were ready, and we quickly found a spot to eat. A performer was juggling magical knives, but right now, my family was more focused on devastating the food at hand. And I was more than happy to join them.
The meat was truly delicate, and the seasonings, while nothing special, were done perfectly. The fresh crunchy vegetables mixed well, and the soft bread all combined for a wonderful lunch. I thought the steep price of twenty silver a sandwich was robbery, but now I understood why the line was so long.
Mila was shoving entire lengths of the sandwich down her gullet when I sent a pointed glare her way. She knew exactly what I meant and she slowed her eating to a less-than-blazing speed. She wasn't eating quickly because she was that hungry but simply because of her past. I was and, to some degree, still am that way. I often catch myself eating too quickly and need to mentally tell myself to slow down.
We cleaned our hands of juices as Cerila finished her second sandwich and turned our attention to our new surroundings. The stalls had given way to a rough circle of people crowding around a performer.
A Human man was balancing on one leg on a wooden log, rolling around and catching the magical knives and juggling them. There were two knives each for the four elemental schools of magic. I thought that maybe he was able to cast all four schools of magic, but as it turned out, four other people in the crowd were supplying the mana to keep the spell cores alive.
Well, it is still impressive that he is able to juggle that magic while balancing on an unstable and rolling object.
Dallin and Mila seemed to enjoy the performance, so we decided to watch it through and let our food settle as well. The juggler continued his routine by doing various tricks. He increased the size of the ring, letting the weapons go in larger and larger circles, then shrunk it down to the point where his hands were moving at rapid speeds. He tossed some behind the back and used the wooden log to reach them while balancing.
Eventually, the juggler tossed all the magical knives into the air, and they disappeared into a show explosion that harmlessly peppered the crowd. Everyone watching gave the performer a sounding applause as he bowed to everyone. Many people left silver coins as a tip, and we continued on through the market.
This side of the arena had fewer stalls selling goods and food and was geared more toward services. Women called out to other women offering to scrub their feet or paint their nails. Some also provided to cut hair right then and there, and much to my surprise, these services were in high demand as nearly every booth had a few people in them.
Various game stations were laid out everywhere, being monitored or run by various merchants. There was even a section where a bunch of older men were playing a game that somewhat looked like chess. Some of these things interested us as Dallin and Padraic stopped to ask how to play the chess-like game.
A kind-looking old man slowly explained the game to them and helped them through the process. I caught Mila eyeing a game stand and took her over to it. I could tell it was right up her alley.
"Interested little girl?" the stall worker asked.
Mila nodded enthusiastically, her cheetah tail whipping side to side as she grasped the wooden mallet with her tiny hands. The game was obvious, there were small holes dotting a board, and it was clear that something would pop out of them and then need to be smacked with the mallet. There was a symbol-based point system on a wooden board behind the counter indicating what someone could score if they managed to make it through the game without too many misses.
"Well, for the gentleman to let the little girl play, that will be sixteen silver," he said as he extended his hand.
I brought my cowl up slightly and glared at the man, which made him recoil. There was also another sign written in the Human language, and although many people might not be able to read, I could.
"The sign says eight silver for children," I pointed out.
The man looked slightly nervous, his mouth opening and closing. He must have recognized me.
Mila looked up at me. "Daddy, I want to play."
I smiled and patted her head. "Eight silver?" I repeated.
The man swallowed his spit and nodded. "Yes, eight silver, Sir," he mumbled.
I procured the coins, and as I handed them to him, I whispered, "No gimmicks for my daughter, understood?"
The man nodded slowly as he sat down to operate the booth. I figured since he was willing to openly scam us for eight silver, this game was probably rigged, or at least had the chance to be rigged.
"Alright, are you ready, young lady?" the man chuckled nervously.
"Yes!" Mila shouted.
"Don't miss any!" he said.
And on queue, tiny green heads popped out from the holes. I had only seen pictures of the creatures, but I recognized them as Goblins, the smaller, weaker versions of Orcs. A small Humanoid monster the size of a child that was common on the other content but never appeared on Illyrcium for some reason.
Either way, I watched Mila with wide eyes. It did not take long to understand why, as she had yet to miss a single Goblin head. Her speed was immense, and she was swinging before the head even fully appeared.
The little girl was completely focused on the task at hand. Even though she was not big enough to reach the entire board in one go, she effortlessly moved side to side and leaned into the further hits. The booth worker was getting more and more nervous as Mila contoured to strike down the targets like a professional.
He was furiously working behind the booth and started trying to fake Mila out by only shaking the head and not sending it up. However, Mila only fell for this twice, missing the Goblin head. After that, she slowed down slightly and was able to hit all the targets.
A minute passed by, and the booth worker was out of breath. "Hahah, well, you did great! I—I haven't seen a child do that before! Which prize do you want?"
The question was answered before Mila even began the game, and since she only missed two Goblins, she could pick what she wanted. I had made a point to ignore it, but Mila saw it right away. She pointed to the middle shelf, and sitting on there was a figure of a doll…it wore silver armor, had tan skin, pointed High Elf ears, and one gold and one purple eye…
It was a doll that was supposed to look like me.
The worker gently gave Mila the doll which she hugged to her chest and then immediately brought it up to me. "Look! It looks just like you!"
I chuckled and took the doll in one hand. "Yes, yes, it oddly does seem to look like me," I said, looking at the man.
He nervously shook his head. "No! I mean, listen, those are from Luminar! A bunch of other merchants, and I bought a box of them straight from kingdom workers! They are supposed to be of the Dragonslayer!"
"I see…I understand, thank you," I said as I handed the doll back to Mila.
Sigh…whose idea was this? The kingdom? That meant it had to be one of the royals…why do I get the feeling it was Lauren?
"Kaladin, your mom is looking for you," Sylvia's voice called out as Mila ran up to her.
"Mommy, look, it's Daddy!" Mila shouted.
My heart fluttered for a moment but in a good way. Sylvia smiled brightly as a tear leaked from her eye. "Yes, yes it does, sweety," she said, not even looking at the doll but straight at Mila.
I let the two of them talk about things. My steps felt a little lighter. That was the first time Mila had called Sylvia mom since the incident. It seems that Mila truly thought of Sylvia as her mother now.
It didn't take me long to find my mother, who quickly waved me over. She seemed to be talking to an Elf man that I recognized but hadn't seen in many years.
The tall, lanky High Elf with silver hair started at me, mouth agape. "Kaladin? Is that really you?"
"Aien, was it? I'm glad to see you are well and that you remember me," I said in greeting.
Aien was the merchant my mother sold her manaweave clothing to in Eastport, just outside of Owlkirk. I had met him a single time as he was the one who sold me Cerila's choker all those years ago.
The man chuckled to himself and shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it…it really is you. You've completely grown up since the last time I saw you."
"Well, it has almost been a decade, right? Things are bound to change," I responded.
A sad smile turned up on his face. "Yes…I suppose it does. I'm really sorry about everything, Kaladin. Your mother tasked me with finding you, but I was never able to do so…"
So even Mom was reaching out to her connections, huh?
"There's nothing to worry about, Aien. I'm safe and sound and with my family now."
That at least elicited a smile in response. Mom was also smiling in return. But now was actually a good time for something.
I let out a breath and raised an eyebrow at him. "I understand you are still a merchant judging by your stand. Do you sell clothes?"
"Ah, yes, I do. Why? Are you perhaps interested?" Aien questioned.
"I am. I have some measurements for someone, and I was hoping you would have something that would fit them," I said, a piece of paper materializing out of thin air.
"You even have a Spatial Ring? I suppose you really are the Dragonslayer, huh?" he mused as he took the paper.
Aien looked confused for a moment and seemed to reread the paper before handing it back to me. "These measurements are…quite generous, Kalain. Are they correct? And judging by the sizes, it's for a woman, right?"
Apparently, Cerila's measurements are generous? Well, looking at the numbers, that is a fair statement.
This entire time I had been observing Cerila, hoping to notice if she wanted something. Yet she had used to show interest in anything besides the food, which hardly counted as a gift. I really did want to buy her something. Something that was unique to her and not just a Spatial Ring full of monster parts.
I also noticed that something has been different about her lately, but I haven't been able to pin it down yet, and she hasn't talked about it. I figured getting her a gift might help open that door. There was also something I needed to do, something I planned on doing very, very soon.
"Yes, they are. I'm not sure if you remember her, but these are Cerila's measurements," I told him.
Aien gave me a look of shock and laughed self-deprecatingly. "Is that really so? Those are little Cerila's measurements? Oh my…it seems she was a child just yesterday."
"Indeed," I agreed. "But does that mean you don't have anything?"
"Well, I should have something that fits her. Let me take a look," he said, escaping into his tent.
"Look at you, shopping for Cerila. It brings back memories, doesn't it?" Mom said softly.
"It does," I said with a smile.
"Even now…do you still care about her as much as you did before?" Mom asked rather vaguely.
I looked her in the eyes and nodded. "Yes, I do. Knowing what she has gone through and done for me even more so."
Mom looked hesitant but eventually returned my gaze. "But you've gotten closer to Sylvia, right? Then, does that mean you—"
"Yes, we have," I interrupted. "But I'm not sure if Cerila told you, but we talked about it. There are some…things we need to do before we can continue. It was hard to say but so far…I think it's moved in a mostly positive way. What happens after that…we will just have to wait and see."
My mom slowly nodded her head with a sad smile. "I understand."
Shortly after, Aien returned and set a few things out on the counter. "I know you said you wanted clothes, but I also took the liberty of a few other things. You don't mind, right?"
"Of course not. But that looks like paper, yes?" I questioned, carefully looking at the thin cream-colored sheets stacked on the counter.
"A good eye, as usual. I assume Cerila is still using the diary you bought her all those years ago?" I told him, yes, and Aien smiled. "Then surely she is due for some rebinding. This paper is straight from the Republic of Elshara and the Magical Forest. It is some of the nicest paper I have ever laid my eyes on and is very rare. For anyone who has ever used paper before, this is indeed high-quality. I think she will enjoy writing on it very much."
Aien slid the paper to the side and placed three neatly folded shirts, one blue, another red, and the last one white. "All three of these shirts are of the highest quality. This red one is from Tel'an'duth, dyed with their flowers and crafted using silks from a spider monster. While the white and blue ones are from the Holy Kingdom, they are both incredibly soft as they were made with their special cotton."
I laid the back of my hand against each shirt, and sure enough, all three of them were equally as soft as the next. The silk one was especially nice.
"These shirts could be used for a wide variety of activities from daily use to physical activity. And everyone needs a good, clean new shirt. So, how is it?" Aien asked with raised brows.
These are nice, and I will definitely buy them, but…
"I—"
"Say no more," Aien interrupted with a smile. "It's not what you were looking for, right? You wanted something a…little more personal…" he trailed off.
"Yes. Was I that obvious?" I asked, rubbing my face.
Aien chuckled and shook his head from side to side. "Of course not, Kaladin. I've been a merchant for well over a hundred years now. I would be remiss if not noticing the signs. I've seen many men in your position. So allow me to help you," he said as he laid something on the counter.
It looked…like a clear white undershirt, perhaps? But it was nearly see-through. I touched it and sensed a cool touch to it, almost like a spring breeze. It was light, almost like it wasn't even there. Yet it was so soft and comfortable. My hand was almost wholly shown through the fabric but was still hidden just enough to hide the details.
"Manaweave…" I muttered.
This must have been made with someone who is more attuned to wind magic. It doesn't have that same tingling sensation that my mother's has.
Aien smiled. "As Seana's son, I would expect nothing less. Although this manaweave is not as high quality as your mother's, I can still vouch for it as it was made in the royal capital of Tel'an'duth."
"I see. What exactly is it, though? I'm unfamiliar with this design," I said.
"It's called a camisole. It's an undershirt that can come in many different variations, but this one is more the form-fitting kind that could replace a woman's undergarment. Judging by Cerila's measurements, this should be a good fit for her."
"And due to it being made of manaweave, it can be worn under anything for any reason. Nightwear, under regular daily clothes, even under armor if one wished. I think anyone would be pleased to receive this as a gift. And due to its nature, I believe it would be a more personal gift. If I knew all of Cerial's measurements, I would pair it with undergarments as well, but…" Aien said, trailing off after his explanation.
"Oh? Why didn't you say so? Here…" my mom said as she started to rattle off numbers that didn't make much sense to me. "Ah, but do size up slightly. I'm positive she has grown."
Aien nodded and quickly headed back to his tent, and I turned to my mother. "How do you know Cerial's measurements for her underwear?"
Mom cocked her head to the side. "Why wouldn't I? I helped raise her for how long, Kaladin? Do you really think she went and bought her most personal clothing by herself?"
"That is true…"I mumbled.
Aien returned shortly and set out a neatly folded white cloth. "White with white should pair nicely. This is naturally of high-quality Tel'an'duth silk, just like the shirt." Aien rolled his hands out wide as if welcoming me in. "So? What do you think?"
I didn't really come here with the express idea of buying Cerila undergarments, but…I can hardly just give her a few shirts and paper and call it a day. Then again, the last time I listened to Aien and my mother, I was left in quite a predicament…
But this is different…there isn't a secret cultural meaning behind this that I am not aware of. I've bought Mila and Sylvia undergarments plenty of times now…this is nothing crazy. Right, this is an excellent personal gift. This is the right move, Kaladin.
"I'll take it all. Thank you, Aien. How much do I owe you?" I asked, taking a sack of gold coins out.
Aien extended both his hands and waved me away. "No, no, no. There is no need for you to pay. I have plenty of money. I owe your mother a great deal, you see. Her manaweave was so superb it landed me into a massive success. Repaying a small fraction of that debt here is nothing for me."
Is Mom's manaweave really that great? Well, of course, it is. It's my mom we are talking about here.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
Aien smiled and nodded. "Absolutely. I plan on opening my own merchant shop soon, and it's all thanks to your mother's high-quality mana weave."
Oh?
"Is that so? Where do you plan on doing that? And what will your merchant company do exactly?" I questioned.
Aien started absent-mindedly packing the items for me, a grin on his face. "Well, I'm thinking of staying on this side of the Keldrag mountains. Probably in Tel'an'duth. As for what we will do… move supply and set up shops like this, as most companies do."
"Have you looked into starting and basing in Luminar?" I asked casually.
Aien let some air through his teeth and shrugged. "I did, but I'm not sure. Tel'an'duth is actually where I was born, so it feels better to go there. I also have more connections there than here in Luminar."
"I see…" I said, grabbing the bag Aien handed me and putting it into my ring. "Well, how much money does it take to do all of this?"
Aien rolled his head from side to side. "Well, about a large gold, give or take. I have to buy a few horses and carriages as well as hire people to man them. So there is a salary aspect as well as hiring protection. I have to have a shop to hold supplies, and then I have to buy supplies actually to store or move…"
I smiled faintly. "A large gold, huh? Would this be enough to convince you to set up in Luminar? Specifically, Vinovia?" I asked, putting three large gold Marks on the table.
Mom gasped, and Aien's eyes looked ready to burst from his skull. "What?! Kaladin this…I—"
"No need to think about it. This is an investment," I said simply.
"An investment?" Aien asked hesitantly.
"That's right. This isn't free money, and you aren't the only one running an operation in the future. I might need transportation services, and instead of hiring a random group or company, I would prefer to have a direct connection with someone," I explained, separating the three coins into a stack of two and a single.
I slid the single coin toward Aien. "You can have this right now if you plan on staying with your original plan of Tel'an'duth. But…you can have all three if you go to Luminar. Naturally, I will help you find property and even connections if need be. Perhaps even directly working with a noble house or the royal family. But not guarantees on the royal family."
Aien stared at the money, at a loss for words. Mom watched on, just as surprised as him. Sure, it was an exorbitant amount of money. It was three hundred gold coins. That was more money than 99% of the population would ever see. But having a merchant company at my beck and call, even if it needed to grow, was worth the price.
Aien chuckled to himself. "I went from talking to a little boy about a gift to getting funds for my dream…what a life. I'd be a fool not to accept this, right?"
"That depends on your point of view," I said simply.
After a moment, Aien grabbed all three coins and looked up at me. "Who do I talk to, Sir?"
"When you get to Vinovia, write a letter to a JD at Forward University. I'll make sure to clear you and let them know you are coming. He will get you sorted," I instructed.
Aien clutched the coins to his chest. "Yes, Sir. I'll make my preparation and be there within four to five months."
"It was good seeing you, Aien. Thanks for the gift, and it is a pleasure doing business with you," I said as I waved him goodbye.
After I stepped back into the crowd, I heard Aien say something to my mom that made me smile.
"He really has grown, hasn't he? He's just like you."