Ruben's mother looked at Arthur and said, "Anyway, you saved my son, and I will always be grateful to you."
She gestured to a long wood table against the living room wall, inviting them to sit down. Arthur, Theo, Ruben, and Ruben's father settled in, while the mother went into another room. A few moments later, delicious aromas of cooking wafted out from that direction.
Ruben's father, casting his gaze upon Arthur, confided, "You know, the Knife Faction is always in search of young men who are courageous and strong like you." He insisted on the opportunity, adding, "And they don't care about the social origins of their recruits. If you were initiated, you would gain considerable powers and a guaranteed interesting position within the settlement."
Ruben, interrupting the conversation, exclaimed, "No, Dad, Arthur isn't interested in joining them. I've already talked to him about it."
Arthur nodded slowly, without a word. He recognized the temptation of gaining new powers. However, he harbored doubts about the possibility of belonging to two factions simultaneously. He was especially worried about his affiliation with another faction being discovered by the Knife Faction.
Shortly after, Ruben's mother returned with a large and appetizing chicken and mushroom pie. Arthur, savoring the dish with relish, couldn't help but compliment, "This is excellent, madam."
"I'm glad you like it. Help yourself to more," she responded with a warm smile.
Arthur generously helped himself to another slice of the pie. A few minutes later, the meal came to an end.
Arthur, taking the Golem's heart out of his pocket, inquired of Ruben, "Where are we going to sell this?"
Ruben, enthusiastic, explained, "There's a magic shop in town. It's very well-known, and they have shops in other settlements run by different factions. They should be able to buy it from you."
Ruben's father, observing the Golem's heart, couldn't help but remark, "You've found a precious object. It can be very useful for factions that use magic. I'm sure the store will offer you a good price."
Arthur, putting the heart back in his pocket, thanked Ruben's parents for the meal, "Thank you very much for the meal. It was a pleasure to meet you."
Ruben stood up from the table, followed by Arthur and Theo. As they were leaving, his mother reminded him with concern, "Be careful, Ruben."
Theo, about to leave, stopped in his tracks and turned to Ruben's mother, "Don't forget to find some women for Arthur."
Arthur gave the foolish Theo a look but decided not to take offense.
Ruben then asked, "Shall I take you to the magic shop?"
Arthur, thinking everyone considered him a savage because of his different attire, decided another step was necessary, "No, take me to a good clothing store."
Ruben, aware of his own limited means, replied, "You know, I don't have enough money to buy you clothes. Even mine are worn out."
Arthur cut him off, "I have the money."
Theo, puzzled, added, "But you asked us for copper coins."
Arthur, in a hurry, concluded, "I don't have time to explain. Ruben, take us to the clothing store."
They arrived swiftly at the store, where they were greeted by a highly professional man who did not lose his commercial smile upon seeing the worn clothes of the three potential clients.
Arthur noted that the store sold magnificent woolen capes, long linen tunics, beautiful leather boots, and cotton trousers.
The seller asked, "What can I do for you gentlemen?"
Arthur replied, "Three black linen tunics and three pairs of leather boots, as well as three pairs of brown cotton trousers and one long black cape."
Ruben and Theo looked at Arthur, puzzled.
The seller's smile widened, "An excellent choice, sir. Is it for you?"
Arthur clarified, "The cape is only for me; the rest is for my companions and me."
Ruben began, "Arthur, we don't have…"
Arthur cut him off, "I'm paying."
Arthur wished to keep the two men as guides, and since Ruben had already proven useful, he preferred that they all have an impeccable appearance to maximize his chances of wooing a woman in the city. Besides, he was beginning to appreciate the duo.
Arthur inquired of the seller, "Do you have a restroom?"
The seller responded promptly, "Of course, if you take the clothes, you can use the restroom to wash up for free."
Arthur nodded and instructed Ruben and Theo, "Pick out clothes that fit you and go clean up before putting them on."
Arthur grabbed his own clothes and headed to the restroom, where he cleaned up before changing into the brown cotton trousers, which were snug but well-cut and did not hinder his movements. He then slipped on the soft leather boots and donned the black tunic, which was pleasantly soft, and finally, he put on the long black cape. The clothes gave him a more polished and elegant appearance, which he liked. He kept his leather belt, to which his knife and machete were attached, but decided to abandon his old, torn, and smelly clothes.
Upon exiting, he saw Theo and Ruben waiting their turn to wash.
He approached the seller and pointed to a leather bag, which was large and had a circular compartment where he could slide the pole with the lasso. "I'll also take this bag," he declared.
"Of course, sir," the seller replied.
Arthur slid his lasso pole into the dedicated compartment of the bag and then placed the golem's orb inside before slinging the bag over his shoulder.
A few moments later, Ruben emerged from the bathroom changed, and soon Theo joined them as well.
Their appearance was neater, and the clothes suited them well.
The seller turned to Arthur, "Will that be all?"
Arthur nodded, "Yes."
The seller announced, "That will be two silver coins and five copper pieces."
At these words, Theo and Ruben exchanged uneasy glances.
Arthur paid little attention to their discomfort. He observed the coins he had retrieved from the vehicle of the two slave hunters; he had seven silver coins. He handed three to the seller under the incredulous gaze of Theo and Ruben.
The seller said, "Thank you very much, sir. I look forward to seeing you again," as he returned fifteen copper pieces.
Arthur replied to the seller, "Have a good day too."
Arthur then handed one copper piece to Theo and two copper pieces to Ruben.
Ruben protested, "But I only lent you one copper piece."
Arthur insisted, "It's for inviting me to eat."
Ruben objected, "No, I can't accept this."
Arthur was firm, "I'm not giving you a choice."
Ruben thanked him, "Thank you very much for the clothes, Arthur."
Theo added, "Thanks, Arthur."
[Your control over two humans exceeds forty percent.]
Arthur felt uneasy about the system's message. It made him feel like all his actions were self-serving.
Ruben asked, "Where would you like us to go?"
Arthur decided, "Let's head to the magic shop."
Ruben led the trio further along to a large, elegant three-story building that exuded luxury with its ornate colonnades.
The shop was bustling with people.
Ruben approached one of the salesmen and said, "Good morning, sir, we have something to sell."
The man looked at him with disdain, "We're not interested."
Arthur approached the salesman and took out the golem's heart, "Do you recognize this?"
The salesman's eyes lit up, "Where did you find that?"
Arthur replied, "Where I found it is not important, how much do you offer?"
The salesman said, "Two silver pieces."
Arthur had no idea of the object's value and turned to Ruben, who simply smiled and nodded joyfully.
Arthur shook his head. It seemed that Ruben didn't have any idea of the exact value of the object either, but given the salesman's interest, it was surely more than two silver pieces.
Arthur bargained, "I won't go below five silver pieces."
The salesman's eyes hardened, "No, I have to make a profit too. I'm can make a gesture and buy it from you for three silver pieces and ten copper pieces."
Arthur countered, "No, but we can make a deal for four silver pieces."
The salesman nodded, "I'm willing to make an exception for a promising young man like yourself. Let's call it four silver pieces. And if you ever stumble upon anything else as unique as this in the future, you know where to find me."
Arthur grinned and clasped the man's hand. "Thank you, if I find anything else as interesting, you'll be the first to know."
He handed over the orb and took the four silver pieces the salesman handed him, tucking them away securely in his bag.
Arthur noticed the predatory gaze of a group of four customers watching him from the corner of his eye.
"It looks like I've attracted some scavengers. Next time I'll demand to conduct transactions of this kind in isolated rooms," he thought.
He observed the four men; one was tall and slender, the others rather short and stocky.
Arthur glanced at Theo's hunched body and Ruben's small stature before slowly caressing the handle of his machete. He was positive it would give the two men some time to get used to combat situations. He warned Theo and Ruben, "There's going to be trouble, stay close to me and do as I do."
They left the shop flanked by the duo and ducked into a parallel street.
Then Arthur and the duo quickly pressed themselves into the shadows of the alley.
A few moments later, Arthur noticed out of the corner of his eye the four men who came out of the shop and looked around for them before splitting up.
Two stocky men approached the alleyway they were in, a wicked grin spread across Arthur's lips as he slowly drew his machete.