Is it wrong to fleece adventurers at the item shop?

The rest of the morning passes quietly. Elzbieta is busy cranking the handle of the mill and I'm brooding over my design notes for the enchanted ribbon. The way it turned out was not due to chance of fate. It isn't cursed. It isn't what I want it to be though. Which means that I must have made a mistake somewhere.

Usually mistakes would result in the enchantment not taking to the item at all, fizzling out instead. It is already pretty unusual that it still turned out to work, even if not as intended. That can happen if you place a negation rune in the wrong place. At least that is the only explanation I can come up with. Except, my notes look good. Everything is where it is supposed to be.

I run my hands through my hair and groan. That probably means that I messed up when I wrote the runes on the table. That's what I get for being in such a hurry. I should have taken more time.

My gaze wanders to the trunk at the foot of the bed. I'll have to try again and be more careful this time around. Too bad that I used the ribbon that matches my hair best for the first experiment. I'll have to settle for another one for the second test run.

Without much enthusiasm I start digging through the clothes and various odds and ends in the trunk until I find another suitable ribbon. This one is plain white. It probably is only intended to complement another, colored ribbon, but for my purpose it will serve well enough.

I put everything else away again and clean up the trunk a little in the process as well. Rummaging around in it really doesn't do its contents justice after all.

Once I'm done I turn towards the enchanting table. I don't get started right away though. No, I want to be a little more careful this time around. Well, I already have more and better light today, since I'm not working during the night. No, noon is approaching and I'll make the best of the light provided. I get the lantern anyway as my body will shield some of the light when I'm working at the enchanting table.

I have a decent sized piece of enchanter's chalk ready as well. It is more than large enough to finish this job.

The table though. That has me worried a little. Sure, it is good enough. It will serve for now, but in the long run I want to replace it with one that has an integrated turntable. No more writing upside down for me, if I can help it!

For now though I can't help it. I'll have to use the table I have. I could move it though. Maybe I could even move it outside. The light doesn't get much better than what the sun can provide around noon.

I nod to myself and start to drag the table to the door and out into the backyard. That does cause a little more sound than I would like. It is more noisy than Sour Cream likes as well. The look she shoots me as she covers her head, and more importantly her ears, with one paw, says it all.

The commotion draws the attention of Elzbieta as well. She doesn't have the mill with her, which means that she probably isn't done yet, but she comes to check what all the ruckus is about anyway.

“Do you need some help with that? Together we should be able to lift and carry it instead of dragging it along the ground, you know?”

That makes sense, but I'm not quite sure I can impose on her like that.

“Are you sure?”

She rolls her eyes and moves in to help me.

“Yes, I'm sure. I'm pregnant, not a cripple. If we both lift it in unison, it shouldn't be too heavy either. It isn't that big anyway.”

She isn't wrong. It isn't that big and if I wasn't still favoring that one ankle, I could probably carry it on my own. As things are though, I'm quite grateful for her help. Together we move the table out the rest of the way into the backyard without any trouble and without disturbing Sour Cream's nap any further.

I wipe away some sweat and Elzbieta takes a moment to stretch before returning to the bench out front where the mill is still waiting for her.

I in turn get my notes and the piece of chalk, after making sure that the table doesn't wobble on the not completely even ground. Once that is taken care of there is no more reason to stall though.

I do the math to calculate the circle's diameter once more. I don't just do it in my head this time though. Instead I write the calculations down to make it easier to spot any mistakes. That isn't what went wrong with the first ribbon, but I want to be really thorough this time.

The calculations match my expectations and that doesn't change either when I do the calculations one more time. Very well.

I draw the circle on the table with a piece of string of the appropriate length and some coal. Then I get started for good. This time I don't rush writing the runes this time. Quite the opposite is true. I take as much time as I can without disrupting the enchanting process, deliberately checking everything twice.

By the time I finish it is already slightly past noon and Elzbieta has returned to watch me silently. She sits on the bench besides the backdoor, next to the mana mill. It seems she is done.

She grins as she realizes that I'm looking her way.

“You seemed pretty focused. Didn't want to disturb you.”

I nod in appreciation.

“Thanks. Now that I'm done I shouldn't keep you waiting any longer though. You got your quest papers?”

She waves me off.

“Lets get the table and the mill inside first. Did your enchantment work out as you wanted? If you don't mind me asking?”

We move the table inside again together. It really is much easier this way. And while she heads back outside to get the hand mill I squint at the white ribbon, activating my appraisal skill.

[Pest bane ribbon, Quality: Uncommon, A ribbon enchanted to ward off ticks, lice, flea and a few other, similar pests. They will usually avoid the wearer of this ribbon without ever realizing they are doing it. The effect only works against bugs that are not yet within the extended aura of the wearer.]

I breath a sigh of relief. This is more like it. This is what I wanted to achieve the first time around. And then, while I still look at the ribbon I realize where I messed up. I really must have misplaced a negation rune in the circle. Thus the other ribbon affects beneficial bugs while this one affects pests. And the other ribbon attracts them instead of repelling them. Well, that is one little mystery solved.

As Elzbieta returns with the mill, I take a peek at the contents of the mill's drawer. Then I stamp her quest papers and we head down to the inn to have a slightly late lunch together.

Today's meal is steamed vegetables. There is no meat today, but the vegetables are steamed just right which makes up for it. I place another mana mill quest with Krystina as well, before heading home.

Curiously enough the pregnant ranger doesn't snatch it up right away. She smiles apologetically.

“Maybe a little later. I need to see about getting the fur of that fox treated first though. Can't let it go bad. It is worth some good money after all.”

I nod. Of course, even two mana mill quests each day will barely cover her living expenses. She probably needs to earn a little more in other ways to make ends meet, and a well preserved fox fur, bushy tail and all, is probably of considerable worth.

We part ways after exchanging one last, brief hug.

Well, I'm plenty busy anyway. I have plenty of enchanting dust which needs to be turned into chalks to be useful. That takes up the early afternoon hours. And even then I still have to wait a little longer for the chalks to cool in their casts.

In the meantime I prepare the table again, cleaning its surface of any residue. Next I'll take care of the blessed candles the priestess wants enchanted. Before I can get started a commotion from the direction of the dirt road draws my attention though.

I put everything away again for now and head out to have a look.

The source of the commotion is pretty obvious in hindsight. It is the returning adventurers.

I do a quick headcount, just in case. There is no one missing. They all look a little tired and dirty, especially sooty, but no one seems have suffered any serious injuries.

Some of the village youngsters have spotted the returning heroes well before me and are already pestering them with questions.

Danuta's father spots me, as I look on. He waves and calls out.

“Hey lass! Join us at the inn for a drink or two?”

The graying barbarian sounds like he might have already started on the drinking.

Danuta in turn slaps the back of his head, as he calls out to me like that out of the blue. She too turns to address me as they walk by though.

“Please don't mind the old man and his lack of manners. If you happen to find some time, we would appreciate it though if you were to join us.”

I roll my eyes, but nod anyway.

“I have to finish some candles for the temple first. I take it, you won't turn in for the night early anyway, right?”

She nods and waves.

“See you!”