Stepping out of the tailors and feeling like a new man…
A newer… new man. Dressed in some common affair for now, consisting of a long sleeve white linen tunic and black breeches that are clasped at the ankles, along with a pair of shin high shiny new black leather boots, Kai walked back out into the alluring and fantastical city of Corinth toting a sea chest that had two wheels at one end and a long handle at the other end kind of like the 'roller luggage' from his old world.
He definitely isn't going to win any fashion pageants, but everything he has on is brand new and clean which won't really turn any heads in this part of the city because he is currently in tradesman district, but he would stand out if he were in some of the other parts of the city that passed though on his way to get here.
The sea chest itself is nothing fancy, just a wooden rectangular box that's about 4' long and 1 ½' wide and painted blue, is not important but inside contained a whole new wardrobe complete with waistcoats, a couple of wool long coats, more tunics and breeches, a couple of leather belts, and even another pair of leather boots.
All together he paid princely sum of 20 gold coins, more than some people make in a whole year. At first, the shop keeper, a middle-aged man, didn't even want to let Kai in with him being shirtless, barefoot, and wearing breeches that had essentially turned to rags. It wasn't until Kai flashed one of his dominion coins that the shop keeper started singing a different tune and was all of a sudden, a very gracious host.
Another problem occurred when after Michael got his measurements taken and of his selected items tallied. He only had dominion coins to pay with. A dominion coin is worth a thousand gold coins but even after buying an entire wardrobe, it only cost him 20 gold coins. The poor shop keeper had to use his entire life savings just to give Kai his change and was still a few golds short. Kai told him to keep the rest as a tip which led to another round of fawning and 'valued customer' this and 'valued customer' that. Kai had to rush out of there as the shopkeeper was starting to creep him out.
At least I now know more about the purchasing power of a gold coin… I'm filthy fucking rich!! Kai exclaims internally because even in this nicer part of town, shouting such things would just paint a target on his back saying 'please sir, if you would be so kind as to rob me of all my wealth, I'd very much appreciate it.'
Speaking of being robbed… Kai decides to head to a shop a couple of blocks up with a sign that reads 'Gunther's Gunsmith'. As he is walking, he sees a couple of people with holstered flintlock pistols and even a superbly dressed man with what he knows to be a mana pistol, which is a mana crystal powered pistol that shoots out a spell called [Mana Bullet]. One phalange sized mana crystal holds up to six charges which can be fired as fast as one can squeeze the trigger, release, and squeeze again.
What a time to be alive Kai thinks while looking around at the seaside city straight out of a pirate movie. Nestled on the rugged coastline, the Victorian-era port city of Corinth thrives as a hub of commerce and culture. Its skyline is a charming tapestry of ironwork, brick facades, and the iconic gables that define the architecture of the age. Lining the cobblestone streets are bustling markets, where the aromas of freshly caught fish mingle with the earthy scents of timber freshly harvested from the nearby ancient forests.
The lifeblood of Corinth is definitely in its vibrant docks, where tall ships with billowing sails arrive and depart in a constant rhythm. These vessels, reminiscent of seafaring adventures and trade routes, carry the city's main exports: the hardy wood that craftsmen covet and the bountiful fish that feed distant lands. The forests surrounding Corinth are a verdant treasure trove, supplying strong oak and pine, which are fashioned into everything from elegant furniture to sturdy ships.
Arriving at the Gun smithy jolted Kai out of his reverie. Looking closely he realizes the shop would be easily missed by passersby if not for the smell of gunpowder and hot metal. The gunsmith's shop was an unassuming affair, with dusty windows that hadn't seen a clean cloth in years, displaying an assortment of weapons that seemed to have stepped out of a bygone era. The wooden sign above the door, painted with fresh white letters that seemed to have once displayed something else but now read "Gunther's Gunsmith" The door, slightly ajar, allowed a sliver of warm, golden light to escape onto the cobblestones, inviting yet mysterious.
Pushing the door open all the way and stepping inside causes a small bell to chime signaling his arrival. Inside of the dimly lit shop, Kai sees a young man who seems to have previously been sleeping bolt into a standing upright position. "Welcome to Gunther's Gunsmith my friend, my name is Gunther, how can I help you" he says jovially as if he wasn't just sleeping.
Inside the shop itself is the complete opposite of what its dilapidated outside appearance would suggest. The inside very clean and orderly with a long wooden countertop dividing the shop between customers and the shopkeeper. There are multiple pieces of finely crafted firearms hanging from hooks in a very neat and well-organized fashion. The walls displayed both flintlock pistols and muskets and the unsuspecting shop even had a double-barreled flintlock out in the open for perusing.
But what caught Kai's attention the most was the masterpiece hanging in the center of the backwall over a doorway that probably led to Gunther's workshop or lodgings or maybe even both.
A Mana-Pistol Kai thought to himself in excitement at the prospect of owning such a fine weapon of war. The long barrel of the pistol seemed to be made of some type of mysterious black steel and the wood of the stock and curved pistol grip also seemed to be charred black and covered with a coat of glossy resin. The black pistol had a menacing look that screamed 'death was near' to all who opposed. In fact, Kai believes that if the grim reaper actually had a choice in weapons, it would definitely choose this one.
The only contrasting color to the domineering black of the firearm are the blue dimly glowing runic carvings that were artistically placed where the hammer and frizzen would be placed if it had one. He had seen a couple of mana-pistols, but none were so artfully made as this one is.
Including the mana-pistol, every piece in the shop looked masterfully crafted. They look so nice that it made Kai sort of suspicious. Taking another look at Gunther, he could see that young man was only slightly older than himself but had much more stocky muscular build, albeit Gunther is still a bit shorter. But even behind the well-groomed beard, one could still see Gunther's youthful face which couldn't be older than 25 years of age. "You made all these?" Kai asks in wonder trying to keep the suspicion out of his voice.
"Sure did" Gunther replies with a proud knowing smile. "Except for that one" he continues pointing with his thumb back behind himself at the mana-pistol. "I did the body work, but a mage buddy of mine who's a genius when it comes to runic spells, and just as good when it comes to building ships, did the rune carvings."
Realizing that he failed to hide his suspicions, Kai decides to go for broke and speak his mind seeing as how Gunther seems to be the friendly type. "My name is Kai, and I know I should not be one judge someone else based on their age, but these pieces are superb, and that mana-pistol looks fit for a king." Kai finished leaving the unasked question hanging in the air.
"I've been making guns since I could walk" Gunther answers the subtle question without further prompting bearing the proud smile of a man that is having their hard work and labor appreciated and admired. "My father was a gunsmith, may he rest in peace, who raised me by himself and taught me everything he knew." Gunther says. His voice turned solemn after mentioning his father but quickly changed back to being cheerful as if it never happened.
Sensing a kindred spirit in Gunther he decides to believe in his words before asking outright "how much for the mana-pistol?"
Gunther, knowing that question would come up eventually, was already prepared with an answer. "I can't let Jezebel go for anything less than 5,000 gold and I know I shouldn't be one to judge someone else based on their age but…" Gunther finished with another friendly smile to show there was no hard feelings, only playful banter which causes Kai to laugh out loud.
"Ha, I deserved that." Kai says before placing his right hand into the pocket of breeches to summon five dominion coins from his inventory. Placing the coins on the table, he asks Gunther in a nonchalant manner with a smirk of his own.
"Jezebel huh? A fine name. Does she come with extra ammunition or is that sold separately?"