Chapter 102
Magic Crossbow
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The shelves were a collection of rainbows . Claude picked up something that looked suspiciously like a bamboo tube . It glowed like spring grass . He focused on it and noticed soft lines etched into its surface, runes on the inner surface of the tube .
"A water accumulator . It fills up over the course of a day, and contains one person's daily rations . It's essential for long journey or expeditions . It's priceless to people that do a lot of field work," Hurian half-whispered over his shoulder .
Claude put the tube down again .
"Why use it at all? A simple spell is more than enough to do that a dozen times over without even breaking a sweat . "
"It's not much use to magi, true . But what about people who can't use magic? It's just one crown, too . "
Did he really just say it was 'just one crown'? Claude's fists clenched slightly by his side . He could make them himself and the materials wouldn't even cost three riyas per tube, but Hurian was trying to make him pay a whole crown -- fifty riyas? Cheap Claude's arse!
"A magical alarm," Hurian chimed when Claude picked up a small golden cicada, "It rings the moment someone activates a spell within five metres . A thale, a crown for six . "
So it was Appraisal crossed with a whistle? The mechanism was quite simple, really . A circuit of three runes worked together to make it work . An appraisal rune triggered when magic was used within its effective range, triggering a kind of telekinesis rune Claude didn't recognise, which pushed a reed down over a small tube in the cicada, as well as the third rune, a rune Claude vaguely recognised as being a variant of a wind spell, which no doubt blew air through the tube, making the reed vibrate and the cicada whistle .
The old merchant made it sound wondrous, but it was really not worth much . If a magi got that close without being detected, one with bad intentions, that cicada was not going to save your life . And you were a real fool if you let a hostile magi get that close in the first place .
"An axe . It's enchanted with Sharpen . It's deadlier than your average axe, of course . I have one enchanted with Toughen as well, it'll last longer . "
The two continued their dance thusly up and down the shelves for several dozen minutes . Claude would pick something up, and Hurian was chime in his ear, doing his best to convince him to buy it, without appearing pushy . Claude used the dance to learn some more about various magic stuff . For one, for example, he learned that enchanted weapons had a glow tied to their enchantment . Sharpen was white, Toughen was grey .
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It made him wonder about his dagger . It had a black glow, unlike everything else he saw in the shop . Maybe it was poisoned? No, he remembered reading poison had a putrid-green glow .
" . . . These are never-lose sewing needles," Hurian continued .
"Never-lose?"
Claude had to stifle a chortle . What use did he have for such a thing? The needles were in a small silver container, stabbed into a piece of cork .
"Yes," Hurian's mercantile voice chimed again, "Some people have a tendency to misplace things . These return to their container if left alone for a while . As long as they're within a couple of metres from the container, they'll magically reappear in it . It's the perfect gift for mothers and wives . "
Claude fought back another chortle . He was really just describing a particularly far-reaching magnet . Really now, couldn't they do something more interesting?
His eyes glazed over as he lost interest . He scurried around a few more times, picking up only a couple more random items, then stopped . His eyes stuck on a metal crossbow .
"This?" he asked, reaching for it .
"Eifrey's Vengeance . "
Was that supposed to mean something?
"Its name . Eifrey's an infamous pirate . He died a century ago in a mutiny . He made extensive use of this crossbow throughout his career, and it tasted a lot of blood in his final minutes . It got its name from that mutiny .
"It has three enchantments; Toughen, Rustproof, and Restoration . The strongest crossbows are made of mithril steel, but they don't last long . Toughen slows that, and Restoration repairs the wear . Mithril rusts easily as well, hence Rustproof .
Claude was more intrigued by the delicate, intricate design than any of its enchantments . It could even be called alluring . The enchantments were nice, but unnecessary . All that was really needed was better materials . Steel, for example, stainless steel would solve all the problems at once . There was no need for Toughen, Rustproof, or Restoration, so he could enchant it with more useful things .
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"That's it? What's the price?"
"One shaliun . "
Claude nearly lost his lower jaw . His Aubass was far more effective and only cost six crowns . How on earth was this worth a shaliun?
"Too expensive . I'll pay three crowns at most . "
"It's an enchanted crossbow . It can't be compared with normal weapons!" Hurian snapped .
"Enchanted, sure, but with three rubbish enchantments . It might be worth a shaliun if it could make its bolts home on a target, or if it was exceedingly accurate, maybe if it was much stronger than a musket . As it is now it's barely more than a nice-looking, durable, normal crossbow . Come to think of it why am I even willing to pay three crowns?"
"Fine, three crowns!" Hurian quickly shut him up .
"How far can it shoot?"
"Ten metres . "
"Ten? Are you kidding me?! The bolts?"
"Sold separately . "
Claude's jaw fell of for real this time . He stared at the man, jawless, for several long, silent seconds, then put the crossbow back .
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"I'll throw in six mithril bolts enchanted with Sharpen!" Hurian crumbled .
"Fine . Damnit, why did I make such a stupid offer?" Claude sighed .
He wasn't happy, but he had to admit he wasn't completely rueful . He could at least experiment on the mithril and try to make steel .
"Everything's packed," Hurian said a few minutes later, "When will you settle the bill?"
Claude reached for his pocket, and froze . He hadn't brought anything with him .
"My original intention wasn't to buy anything today . I wanted to take a look today and come back tomorrow if I found anything worthwhile . If you can hold it for me till tomorrow I'll come pay you then . How much for everything?" Claude said in as calm a voice as he could .
"Are you kidding me?!" Hurian asked, his warm smile vanishing, "You're just here to waste my time!"
"You honestly think I'd bring that much money into a shop I'd never been in? I'm not stupid . "
Hurian's face went blank . What Claude said was exactly what he would've done himself .
"Fine, but only for three days . They go back on the shelves if you haven't paid in three days . And then I won't do business with you again . "
Claude nodded .
"My teacher is back in three days and I need to finish the array before then, so don't worry . I'll be back tomorrow with the money . "
The two parted ways, and Hurian locked up the shop before returning to the mulberry tree .
"What'd he want?" a bearded man asked .
"A few ingredients, much the same list as yours," Hurian answered .
The four sitting around the table exchanged rogue glances . Rogue magi or not, Hurian and they were good acquaintances, if not friends .
"What did he want?" another asked .
"He's done a good job disguising himself, but he oozes inexperience . He's very young; no older than twenty . He has a teacher and this teacher has several other disciples . He's apparently destroyed his teacher's array and needs to make another one before he returns . Do you know of any rogue magi in town with several disciples?"
"None I've heard of . "
"Not sure . . . "
The remaining two shook their heads .
"Whatever . We'll find out in time . He said his teacher was informed of my opening by the capital . We'll interact with them more in the future . He'll at least come buy more materials for his experiments, I know that much for certain . "
The bearded man smiled .
"You made a killing tonight, yes? Arrays aren't cheap . I don't have enough savings for one even now--"
"Only killing being done is on your arse! Anyway--" the fat merchant downed his cup of wine, "He didn't bring any money along . He said he'll come pay tomorrow . I can't be sure whether he's lying or not . . . Agh, whatever . You're leaving tomorrow, yes? Let's drink to your departure, then!"