The entire squad gathered around the table, the aroma of roast lamb wafting through the room. The Traveller placed the dish at the center, a proud, almost theatrical smile on his face. "This is a rare delicacy that I managed to procure through great difficulty," he announced without a hint of hesitation.
Difficulty for me!! Lucian muttered internally, feeling the sting of the understatement.
"It has a unique effect," the Traveller continued, "it can help alleviate the price you pay for magic, though it does have a slight downside—making you a bit more... appetizing. But most importantly, it tastes amazing!"
Sally's eyes lit up as she caught a whiff of the savory scent. "It smells delicious!"
Even John, usually stoic, leaned in a bit closer, clearly intrigued. The Traveller cut generous portions for everyone, passing them around. Sally's eyes flickered, her Sight revealing subtle hints of magic within the meat. She gave a nod of approval to the rest, "The price is very light, and it's safe," she confirmed with a bright smile before eagerly digging in.
The first bite brought silence to the room as everyone's eyes widened in surprise. Sally's smile grew as she exclaimed, "My vision… it got a bit clearer!" She turned to the Traveller, beaming. "Thank you!"
"Of course, it's my pleasure," the Traveller replied, bowing slightly.
Even John, who rarely expressed much, gave a small, satisfied smile as he savored the meal. Cassandra, however, seemed less at ease. As she chewed thoughtfully, her gaze kept darting to the Traveller, scanning him for any signs of the toll he might have paid—scars, signs of aging, anything that might hint at the hidden costs of his magic. She was the only one who knew exactly what magic he had chosen, along with its associated prices, and she couldn't help but worry.
Eventually, Cassandra relented and took a bite, her concerns momentarily melting away as the rich, savory flavor enveloped her senses. Despite her lingering doubts, she couldn't deny how much she enjoyed the dinner. But deep down, she made a quiet promise to herself—to work harder on her magical candies to keep the squad afloat without relying on the sacrifices of other members.
"So," the Traveller began, sensing a good opportunity to learn more about his new team, "what kinds of Fells have you fought in the past?"
Cassandra seemed lost in thought, and John, bound by his vow of silence, could only listen. Sally took it upon herself to answer. "I don't usually go out on missions. My role is more about providing intel—finding the Fell or Cursed when they're hiding. I wasn't able to join in the recent missions. You've seen the Candy Witch, right? I wanted to help with that one, but Cassandra said the price of divining a Marked Cursed is too high. Lucky for me, you managed to find her."
"Before that, they dealt with a meat maggot producer who turned into a Fell. It became a giant, monstrous maggot that could swallow people whole... but they were pretty slow, so they weren't too dangerous to most folks," Sally said, shuddering slightly at the memory. "Eh… we really shouldn't be talking about this during dinner, should we?"
Cassandra gave a disgusted expression, leaving her revelerys, then with chuckle, "Nope, you definitely,"
Anyway, I mostly help out at the Divination House to make a bit of money. Vague divinations for non-Cursed folks have a very low price. Most of the time, we don't even need to use magic," Sally added.
The dinner continued, and the conversation ebbed and flowed, touching on lighter topics. By the end of it, everyone was full and satisfied.
The next day brought no new missions, so Cassandra returned to her workshop, focusing on refining her candy-making, while Sally headed off to the divination store to earn some extra coin. Meanwhile, the Traveller was already devising plans for his next round of money-making ventures. With the new magic bag, transporting the lambs and other materials had become much easier, and he had also begun purchasing goblins to use for the Banquet of Kin ritual. Thanks to their physiology and close-knit social structure, goblins were often closely related, making them ideal subjects for the ritual.
But the Traveller soon realized there was a new problem: how to avoid drawing unwanted attention if he was producing a suspiciously large quantity of high-quality magical meat every day. Donning his cloak and adopting the older, cold appearance with the help of his Mask of the Faceless, he made his way back to the House of the Merchant. He carried another bag of magical meat, but deliberately chose not to use his enchanted bag this time, just to avoid any possible recognition.
As expected, Daryl, the merchant, was delighted when he saw the Traveller approach. "Back so soon! You do spoil us," Daryl said, smiling as he examined the contents of the bag. After weighing and inspecting the meat, he announced, "113 gold Imperials altogether."
The Traveller nodded curtly, accepting the payment without a word.
"Would you like to purchase anything today?" Daryl asked, still smiling, but the Traveller simply pocketed the money and left, not wanting to linger.
A few hours later, he returned to the market, this time with a completely different face and demeanor. Approaching the counter, he discreetly purchased a few new items with the money he had earned.
Vest of Concealment
An inner vest that conceals any sign of magic on or around the wearer.
Price: Weakens the wearer's own magic.
Amulet of the Mist
An amulet that interferes with any attempts to divine or track the wearer.
Price: The wearer will dream of wandering through an endless mist.
With these new items, the Traveller felt a surge of confidence. The vest would ensure that no one could sense his magic or leave a magical mark on him, thereby identifying him, while the amulet would protect him from any divination attempts, safeguarding his activities from prying eyes. Over the next few days, he became a frequent visitor to the House of the Merchant. He continued selling high-quality magical meat, all while maintaining his carefully constructed disguise. His wealth grew rapidly, and his strength increased as well, thanks to the consistent use of the Banquet of Kin ritual.
However, there was one lingering frustration—he struggled to obtain any new magic. It turned out that magic was more tightly regulated than he had anticipated. Due to the inherent risks associated with tapping into the Spirit Realm—every act of channeling magic brought the material world a little closer to the Spirit Realm, increasing the chances of creating dangerous borderlands—new magic was difficult to purchase or learn. The Nightwatchers were responsible for hunting down anyone spreading magic recklessly, preventing the proliferation of spells that could destabilize the delicate balance between the realms.