By the time I returned to the village, I had a new experience of motive. Yamamoto's tip approximately the visiting merchant sparked some thing inner me. This might be my chance to in the end get something useful, maybe even a weapon or an artifact. Anything might be higher than relying on a vain bunny.
Speaking of the bunny, it turned into still hopping alongside me, satisfied as ever.
"You understand," I stated, glancing down at it, "if I do get some thing cool from this service provider, you might should step up your sport. How does that sound?"
The rabbit blinked up at me, its nose twitching barely, after which proceeded to roll round in a patch of dirt.
"Yeah, I didn't assume so," I sighed.
Back at the resort, the innkeeper greeted me with a nod. "Good process with the shipping, lad. Old Man Yamamoto failed to come up with too much trouble, did he?"
I shook my head. "Nah, it went first-rate. Actually, he stated some thing approximately a merchant passing through the village in some days. Do some thing approximately that?"
The innkeeper's expression brightened. "Ah, you are talking approximately Tatsuo, the visiting service provider. He comes via on occasion with a wagon full of thrilling stuff. If you're looking for some thing rare, he's the person to talk to."
My heart raced with anticipation. "Do you observed he will have some thing… beneficial? Like, magical gadgets or weapons?"
The innkeeper chuckled. "Tatsuo? Oh, he is got all sorts of things. Some of it's beneficial, some of it is… nicely, allow's simply say he has an inherent ability for the unusual."
I wasn't positive if that became an excellent or bad thing, however I'd take my probabilities. "When's he purported to arrive?"
"Tomorrow morning, I reckon," the innkeeper replied, wiping a glass with a rag. "He generally units up near the village square. But you may have to be brief; people from throughout come to look what he is were given."
"Got it," I said, already planning to camp out if I needed to. "Thanks for the info!"
I spent the relaxation of the day doing extra abnormal jobs around the village—cleansing stables, handing over messages, and, tons to my chagrin, washing dishes. The work wasn't glamorous, but it kept me busy. And if day after today went as I hoped, I wouldn't be washing dishes for a whole lot longer.
That night, as I lay in my small bed on the resort, I could not help but sense excited. Tomorrow may be the day the whole thing modified. Maybe I'd discover a mythical sword, or a powerful spell, or… something that made me sense less like a potato-shipping boy.
"Let's hope this Tatsuo man would not disappoint," I muttered to myself, closing my eyes.
The next morning, I turned into up before dawn. I wasn't taking any possibilities. With the rabbit in tow, I moved quickly all the way down to the village rectangular in which a small crowd was already accumulating. In the center of the rectangular turned into a large, wood wagon, its aspects painted with colourful colours. A man stood in the front of it, chatting with a few villagers as he unloaded crates and barrels.
"That must be Tatsuo," I muttered, making my way over.
Tatsuo changed into a tall, lean guy with sharp eyes and a smile that appeared a bit too cheerful. His garments have been a mishmash of styles and colorings, and a huge, feathered hat sat jauntily atop his head. He spotted me drawing near and gave a flourishing bow.
"Ah, welcome, welcome! You need to be one of the early birds! Looking for something special, I presume?"
I nodded, eyeing the numerous crates and items he had spread out on display. "I heard you've got some exciting magical objects. I'm, uh, seeking out something that could help with adventuring."
Tatsuo's eyes gleamed. "Adventuring, you are saying? Well, you've come to the right place, my pal! I actually have artifacts, potions, scrolls, and greater! Each object with a tale as grand as the final!"
He reached into considered one of his crates and pulled out a small, glowing orb. "Take this, for instance! The Orb of Illumination—lights up even the darkest of caves! Or perhaps…" He rummaged via any other crate and held up a glowing sword. "The Blade of the Silver Wind! Said to be wielded by using the ancient hero of Lornia!"
My coronary heart skipped a beat. A sword? Now we were speaking.
"How a good deal for the sword?" I requested, already imagining myself reducing via hordes of monsters with no trouble.
Tatsuo's grin widened. "Ah, the sword! A nice preference, certainly. That could be… five hundred gold pieces."
I blinked. "Five hundred gold pieces?!"
Tatsuo gave an exaggerated sigh. "Ah, yes, the rate of greatness may be steep, my pal. But worry not! If it really is from your variety, I even have many different, more lower priced items."
I deflated a bit. There became no manner I had that form of money. I slightly had enough to hold a roof over my head. "Yeah, I do not suppose I can find the money for that," I muttered.
Tatsuo's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Well, let's see… perhaps some thing extra in your finances?"
He rummaged through his crates once more and pulled out a small, nondescript vial. "Ah! Here we are! A potion of… invisibility! Drink this, and you may be unseen by means of focused on a quick time frame!"
I raised an eyebrow. "How lengthy is 'a brief time frame'?"
Tatsuo cleared his throat. "Oh, about thirty seconds."
I stared at the vial, feeling my hopes crash once more. "Thirty seconds? That's barely enough time to run away from whatever."
Tatsuo shrugged. "Well, it's an amazing thirty seconds!"
I groaned. This wasn't going well. Maybe I was waiting for too much. I just desired something that could make me experience less… pathetic.
As I become about to give up, Tatsuo suddenly snapped his hands. "Ah, I suppose I even have just the component!"
He reached right into a small box behind the wagon and pulled out a bizarre, blue crystal, no large than my fist. "This, my buddy, is the Familiar's Stone."
"Familiar's Stone?" I repeated, glancing down on the rabbit who become nonetheless sitting at my ft, searching oblivious to everything.
Tatsuo nodded. "Yes, sure! When you use this on a familiar, it has the ability to unlock hidden powers! Who is aware of what your little associate might be able to with a piece of magical enhancement?"
I stared on the stone, after which on the rabbit. Could this be it? Could this little fluff ball honestly come to be… beneficial?
"How a good deal for the stone?" I requested cautiously.
Tatsuo smiled. "For you? Only fifty gold."
It was nonetheless greater than I wanted to spend, but it become the maximum promising issue I'd visible all day. I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll take it."
As I exceeded over the gold, Tatsuo's smile widened. "A sensible desire, my friend. A very sensible preference. May your acquainted's new power serve you properly!"
I held the stone in my hand, feeling its faint magical hum. This changed into it. My hazard to show matters around. Now, all I needed to do was determine out how to use it.
"Well, bunny," I stated, searching down at my fluffy companion. "Looks like we are about to discover what you may without a doubt do."