Reincarnated as an Apocalyptic Catalyst-Chapter 55: Cloak and Swagger

The moment I stepped through the doors of the merchant’s shop, I was reminded why I chose to do business here in the first place. The scent of polished wood and exotic incense lingered in the air, mingling with the hum of energy spilling from the enchanted artifacts–wait, I hadn’t been aware of that before. Interesting... I took time to check out some of what he had for sale. I knew this was a tailor, clothing boutique, or what-have-you, but it appeared to have a multitude of magical artifacts, trinkets, gems, and crystals all over the place. There was nothing to indicate prices on those such items, likely just carefully placed regents to aid in his craft, but still, the way he kept them out in the open was a wonder to be sure. I didn’t believe anyone would try to steal from him, not this deep into the heart of the city where guards roamed in the dozens, but it was an interesting tactic to show his customers exactly what went into every piece he crafted.

Behind the counter stood the merchant, a lanky well-dressed man in slacks, a long-sleeved white shirt, and a dark grey vest. His clothing was impeccable, not a hair or smudge anywhere to be seen, and despite the simple design, there was something sophisticated about it. Perhaps it was all in his confidence or the way he held himself, but he immediately greeted me upon hearing my steps draw nearer.

"Ah, I don’t believe I have had the pleasure of meeting you yet, young man. How may I be of service?" he greeted smoothly, setting aside the ledger he had been perusing. "A student of the Academy it appears, quite the feat simply to be enrolled, and here we are, what, 6, 7 weeks into classes? Even harder still, though it does get easier after the first year." He winked with a knowing smile and caught me off guard. Is he trying to say he graduated from the Academy at some point? I guess that must be where he met his enchanting contact.

I gave a short bow, polite but not overly formal. "Apologies for the delay. Master Lucian was... called away on urgent business. I’ve come in his stead." Disregarding his entire attempt at polite conversation. I didn’t want to talk to this man more than I had to. He seemed devilishly clever, and the fewer reasons I gave him to wonder who I was, or where ’Lucian’ was, the better.

The merchant studied me, his expression unreadable. "Oh, I see, you’re here about his garb. I was a bit worried when he didn’t return. A pity. He struck me as a man of efficiency. Still, I trust you will ensure our agreement remains intact?"

I reached into my coin pouch and placed a small stack of platinum pieces on the counter. "He regrets any inconvenience and is willing to compensate accordingly." I then followed it up with removing a delicately tied bundle of folded snow-cat garb and resting it beside the coins on the counter.

That, at least, earned a flicker of amusement. The merchant picked up a coin, rolling it between his fingers as he examined it with practiced ease. "Generous. Though unnecessary. Master Lucian’s patronage is valued, and his requests are always... intriguing." He set the coin down with a quiet clink. "Now, the snow-cat gear. I assume you wish for the same level of enchantment?"

I nodded. "Lucian wanted enhancements suited for agility and... magic. His priorities have... shifted."

The merchant arched a brow but didn’t comment as he now scrutinized me with an uncomfortable level of detail.

"Unfortunately the change in his order will not be possible. Certainly, I will do my best to accommodate Master Lucian, however, enchantments that boost one’s magical affinity are few and far between, else every wizard with a basic spell book would be more powerful than they had any right to be. I can, however, work with our in-house tailor to stitch multiple mana crystals into his garb. Nothing flashy, nothing that will stand out–they will appear strictly ornamental. However, it should provide a decent reserve for him, should the need arise to cast beyond his means."

I scrunched my face as I took in his words, but with a resigned sigh, I nodded to the man and allowed him to continue.

"The enchantments will be layered as follows: an enduring frostweave to regulate body temperature, ensuring protection against the extreme cold while remaining breathable in warmer conditions.

A subtle dampening charm on the soles of the boots for silent movement, and an acceleration rune along the inner seams to enhance speed and reflexes.

Veilweave enchantments will likely go best with the gloves, it has the effect of subtly distorting the perception of others. Actions done with one’s hands while donning these gloves will become significantly more difficult to notice, be they through touch, sight, sound, etcetera. I wish I could show you, but an excellent example would be... should Master Lucian forget he were wearing them, and say, ring this bell on my counter to call attention to himself–I would in most likelihood, hear little more than a faint muffled clatter, like a small river rock clacking around in a water skin, some thirty feet away

The cloak’s enchantment is quite a marvel in itself. It works on a similar level to the gloves, though rather than a wide spectrum of distortion, it focuses more on manipulating the light around the owner. When moving at a slow or measured pace, and even more so when one is standing still, this enchant will adapt to its surroundings as a form of camouflage, manipulating light until the owner is for all intents and purposes, invisible. The issue, however, lies in coverage and external forces. If Lucian were to look around and scan his surroundings, his face would be exposed and not share the same benefit as any covered portion of his body. In addition, if one were to wave a torch or shine a lantern on his location, the cloak would require precious seconds to adjust, which would do little to stop someone intent on locating him.

Lastly, a passive reinforcement weave to prevent wear and tear, ensuring longevity in even the harshest conditions. Along with the more obvious benefits I have stated in this enchantment, a lovely side effect is that it will maintain the appearance of the material as well. What I mean is that no matter what conditions they are put through, they will come out the other side as clean as the day they were purchased. This will be placed on each item provided, of course. ."

That was exactly what I had hoped for and more. "Perfect. How long will it take?"

"Two days," the merchant replied smoothly. "I will ensure the work is done with precision. Master Lucian would expect nothing less."

I smirked. "No, he wouldn’t."

The merchant nodded, satisfied before his gaze turned into a knowing smile.

"Do thank Master Lucian for me, will you?" The merchant’s words caught me off guard and I wasn’t sure what he meant by that.

"For... what exactly, may I ask?" I responded cautiously.

"Why for all of his hard work of course." The merchant gazed out of the window and watched the busy citizens go about their daily lives. "Those folks out there might not realize it, but they are safer now, more so than in many years..." He let his last word hang, not showing any sign of speaking again as he let a soft smile touch his lips.

"Uh, sure, I mean... Very well sir, I will pass on your message. Thank you." I still wasn’t sure how to react to that. Did he really know what I, or, the man I used to be, what he had been up to?

"One more thing! I had to pick up a set of daggers for him, but I realized that I was not left with anything to indicate that I was working on behalf of Lucian. Could you draft me a quick letter indicating our business, the snow-cat garb, and my association with the master?" I felt uneasy making that request, this man had no reason to believe me, for all he knew I could have stuck down Lucian after tailing him to this location, and then taken advantage of the fact he had already paid to get some more benefits out of the deal. "Of course, I would understand if you are not able to, you owe nothing to me and I am thankful for everything you have done so far."

"Enough of that, young man. I will gladly." Suddenly, with almost unearthly grace, he already had a quill dipped in ink and a piece of parchment at the ready. In a flash, he drew up a beautifully scripted letter of acknowledgment for me, blew on it till the ink was dry, tied it up with a gorgeous ribbon, and stamped it his wax seal. It couldn’t have taken more than a minute, and I was sure at no point did he have wax melted and ready. This man was so much more than meets the eye, and I wondered if he was just playing with me last time when we haggled.

"Thank you so much! I will be back in two days!" I hastily scooped up the scroll and just like that, I was off. I opened the door to leave and thought I heard something else but didn’t quite catch it.

One stop down, two more to go.

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