After coming to the decision to buy the pricey armor, Lukas and Akira waited around for a few minutes, making it seem as though Lukas hadn't made up his mind almost immediately. This wasn't a haggling scheme to try to drive down the price, but just Lukas feeling a bit bad about having the wolf-man leave only to have him make up his mind so fast. During this time, Lukas took the chance to really look over the armor, and he had to say he was excited to try it on. It would cover every part of his body, and, with the cloak, would make it so that no skin was visible. This had the advantage of better hiding the fact that he wasn't actually an elf and making him more mysterious.

Lukas was looking forward to using the armor and seeing what it was capable of. He had yet to test out the "tat" he was currently wearing, having mostly holed himself up in his guest residence since acquiring the armor. The most he'd done with it is training in the mornings with Akira, and while Aywin had been right about the poor fit being a bit annoying, it wasn't all that bad. He hadn't gotten to test out its durability or usefulness in combat, and, quite frankly, he didn't really want to. This was mostly to avoid buyer's remorse. Lukas didn't want to compare the two armors only to find they were similar enough that he was upset over having spent so much money on something that only offered small improvements.

Even once he got the armor, it would still be a while before Lukas went out hunting, since he felt like he still had so much to learn and take in. He didn't want to take any time away from his studies just so he could wander through the forest killing stuff. Sure, he liked hunting and the growth in power that came with it, but he felt like he was getting more out of studying and learning at the moment. Once he felt like he'd plateaued or hit a wall then he'd go out and clear his mind. For now, he was happy with the routine he found himself in, a routine he wanted to get back to.

Lukas had planned on spending the entire day reading and studying, like he'd done for the last week, but those plans had been squashed. All he could hope for now was for Aywin to finish the changes to the armor as soon as possible, which was why after only a few minutes Lukas and Akira made their way down the stairs toward the first floor. The only problem was what they found waiting for them on the second-floor landing.

It was a cannid woman in rather elegant clothing that suited her rather well, or at least Lukas thought so as he didn't know much about the cannid race. He couldn't even tell the woman's age. He could tell that she was pretty to human sensibilities, her features were soft and smooth, flowing naturally with her cream and orange colored fur. Her soft yellow eyes were very human and intelligent, the same as her expressions, making it difficult to see her as some kind of animal. Then there was her body which seemed extremely human, the only difference was the fur. Lukas guessed it covered her whole body, but could only see what was on her head, arms, and the little tuft she allowed to poke out of the top of her shirt. Finally were the hands and feet. Her feet were in practical boots that any person would wear, and her hands were like any person's, only her trimmed claws replaced a human's nails.

The moment Lukas laid his eyes on her he knew that she'd be very popular with certain people back home.

The cannid woman noticed Lukas and Akira from the corner of her eye and lit up, turning to face them, "Akira!" she greeted cheerfully, "It's so good to see you! It's been a while."

"Luna? What are you doing here?" Akira asked, stopping to talk to her.

"I'm getting my armor improved. I had a nasty run-in with a mud elemental a week ago and my armor wasn't of much help. I swear I'm still cleaning that mud out of my fur!"

Akira laughed, "I haven't had the pleasure of facing one myself, but I fought a buggle bug not that long ago and let me tell you their stink gas is worse than what people say."

The cannid woman, Luna, laughed as well, "What are you doing here? And who's this accompanying you? You didn't get attached to anyone without telling me, did you?" she teased.

"Gods no! This is Lukas, he's a relative from out of town. Lukas, this is Luna Joreen, her family owns and operates most of the mines in the region. We're here to get Lukas some proper armor."

"It's a pleasure," Luna said, giving Lukas a small curtsy.

Lukas just nodded wordlessly.

"He's not much of a talker," Akira said after a moment of silence, getting a mental thumbs up from Lukas. The last thing he wanted to do was to talk to this aristocratic wolf-girl and make some kind of slip up that would cause problems. It was just best to let Akira handle her since she seemed to know this cannid.

"That's a shame," Luna said, sounding genuinely disappointed, "He seems like quite the personage, but it's a good thing you brought him here, that armor is not at all flattering. Aywin will sort him out, and I look forward to meeting him again once he does. Anyway, I should get going, I have a few other matters I need to take care of, but we should do a contract soon, Akira, it's been too long."

"Of course," Akira said as Luna began descending down the stairs, "We'll sort something out."

Just like that, Lukas and Akira watched as Luna made her way out of the store, her hips and tail swaying hypnotically with each step. Once she was out the door Akira turned to Lukas.

"I think she likes you."

Taken aback, Lukas turned to look at her, "What? Why? I didn't even say anything."

Akira shrugged, "Could be a number of reasons, from your intimidating aura to the silent, mysterious thing you were going for, but most likely because you're a new figure in the political arena and she's trying to make a claim on you first."

"How does that work if I'm already with you and your family?"

"She doesn't know that, she thinks you're a part of my family and that getting close to you means closer ties between our two families. It makes sense, Luna's always been a lot more politically minded and active than me, and we've been friends since we were kids."

"She's not going to try to seduce me or anything, is she?" Lukas grimaced beneath his mask, "That's the last thing I need."

"No, but she may try to beguile you—nothing insidious or licentious, though. Luna's a good person and isn't the kind to just use a person for benefits, which is why we can be friends despite her being more politically active than me."

Lukas just frowned underneath his mask and let out an irritated grunt, "I hate all this, it's exhausting just to think about. I just want to learn magic and fight monsters. Why do I have to deal with all this political outworlder bullshit?"

Akira just looked at him, head tilted slightly, and punched his shoulder, "Hey, it's still early days, no need to get so stressed about any of that yet. We don't even know how people are going to react to you, they might not even care."

Lukas turned to her, and even though he was wearing a mask, Akira could still see the flat look he was giving her, "Yeah, I thought it was stupid the moment the words left my mouth. Just focus on the present, how about that?"

Lukas just shook his head and made his way down the stairs, Akira quickly followed behind, "You're terrible at comforting someone, you know that?" he said.

"Whatever, let's just talk to Aywin and get out of here. I'll take you around the adventurer district while we wait for your armor to be finished."

Making their way down to the first floor, they found Aywin speaking to one of his assistants. Noticing the pair approach, Aywin waved off the assistant and turned to them. Akira was happy to inform Aywin that they'd be buying the armor, to which the cannid excitedly told them that he'd have the armor ready before sundown. Lukas would've liked a more accurate time than 'before sundown', but that was all he got. Before leaving, Akira paid the man for the work he'd be doing on the armor and told Aywin they'd be back around six in the afternoon.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

After leaving Aywin's, Akira showed Lukas around the district, bringing him to a plethora of other shops to show off the kinds of things they provided. None had anything Lukas particularly needed, but he could see how things like a ten-foot pole and floating lantern could be useful. He didn't buy anything, though, he'd just 'bought' a new set of armor. And while it wasn't technically his money and came from a loan with no interest or time pressure, Lukas wanted to pay it back as soon as possible to avoid any potential entanglements. So, he'd have to wait on buying auxiliary tools.

Akira also showed Lukas a few blacksmiths, and while they weren't exactly how one would expect a fantasy blacksmith to look, Lukas was still in awe. One particular place was called 'Ron's Store', run by a guy named Ron. He was a human with a serious expression and an even more serious mustache. Ron made all kinds of things from giant greatswords to small daggers; he also made plate armor and shields. Just like Aywin, Ron was a craftsman focused on functionality, but took it to a whole other level, as none of his work had any kind of embellishment. The reason Akira had brought Lukas to the man was because he had crafted Akira's spear which was elegant in its simplicity and dangerous beyond its appearance.

Lukas didn't need a weapon or anything of the sort, being able to conjure his own and already having a dagger that would likely last him all of copper rank. That being said, Lukas had to say he immediately liked Ron, he was a no-nonsense, self-sufficient kind of guy just like Lukas. While Ron wasn't one to show much emotion it was evident that he approved of Lukas, especially after hearing about how Lukas had built a cabin with his own two hands without the use of magic.

Suffice it to say Lukas would be going to Ron if he ever needed any kind of metal work done.

One of the final places Lukas was shown was the location of a few potion dispensaries. He was hesitant at first, not really wanting to compare himself to the work of alchemists who knew what they were actually doing. Eventually he allowed himself to be talked into checking out a few, thinking he could go in looking for inspiration. Lukas did indeed find some inspiration, taking a few notes on some of the potions he saw and the descriptions provided by his identification. What his identification also did was inform him that all the good potions were expensive and that even some of the pricier ones didn't have the best quality. Lukas quickly came to appreciate that he'd never have to buy potions and could just use his own.

During their time out and about in the city, the pair got a few interested looks and a couple of people came up to them to talk. Akira, despite her dislike for politics, had been trained in the art since she was a little girl and was able to handle each interaction on her own, leaving Lukas out of it. Thankfully, due to her status Akira was rather unapproachable for most, and the only people that came up to the two were those trying futilely to climb the social ladder.

Later in the evening, as they were making their way back toward Aywin's, they passed a shop that caught Lukas' eye. There wasn't anything special about it and it looked like any of the others around. There weren't people flooding in and out of the place, nor were there signs or hawkers exclaiming the store's wonders. What had grabbed Lukas' attention was a certain object in the window. It was a sky blue cube no bigger than four inches on each side and made of a type of crystal Lukas recognized from his reading. The crystal was used heavily in rituals and other forms of mana manipulation due to its ability to store and conduct mana more efficiently than most other objects. On the faces of the cube were what looked like faint scribbles and scratches, but were actually highly detailed magiscripts carefully etched into the cube's surface. A sign above the cube read 'Magic Puzzle Box For Training Mana Control And Curing Boredom! This Puzzle Box Contains Thousands Of Levels And Different Puzzles!'

Lukas stopped dead in front of the storefront, staring at the puzzle box in wonderment. Akira, who hadn't noticed, walked for a few more seconds before noticing Lukas' absence. Walking over to him curiously, she looked at him questioningly before glancing in the window.

"You're a big fan of puzzles, right?"

"Yeah, I used to do them all the time back home. At the end of the day I'd sit down and read or do a puzzle before bed. I had a ton of different puzzles, all of them strewn around the cabin because I sucked at getting myself to clean up," he said.

Akira looked at him, "Well, are you going to buy it? It's only a few hundred copper coins."

Under his mask Lukas pursed his lips, tempted, "I don't know, there are plenty of other more useful things, and after the armor…"

"Just get it, you obviously want it, and it's not like I'm going to push you to repay that 'loan'. The armor was meant to be an investment of sorts, one you didn't have to pay back, so you're not in a rush to repay me."

"Mmm."

"Go on, just do it," Akira said, slapping him on the back, "Besides, it'll help you improve your mana control."

"You're right," he nodded, eager to be convinced, "I'll get it."

Five minutes later they were back outside, Lukas fiddling with his new puzzle box after having ripped it out of its packaging nearly instantly. Though he had at least wanted to wait until they were outside the store. Akira, for her part, was both amused by Lukas' childlike excitement and annoyed that she had convinced him to buy the thing. He was so absorbed with trying to figure out how the thing worked that Akira constantly had to keep him from walking into someone or something.

By the time they had returned to Aywin's, Lukas had figured out his new toy, only needing to infuse mana into it in a certain way. What resulted was an image appearing not only within the cube itself but also in Lukas's mind. It reminded Lukas of a maze, but one that existed on multiple different levels. It took some figuring out, but Lukas quickly realized that the goal was to first figure out how the maze was meant to go together before solving the maze itself.

Lukas quickly began manipulating the maze pieces with his mana, and his control was sloppy and frustrating. It was like playing a new videogame, one where you knew exactly what you had to do but didn't know the controls yet. Lukas struggled to get the pieces in the right spots and correct orientations, and it felt like he was trying to precisely move boxes in zero gravity with nothing but pieces of string and very long sticks, which was pretty much exactly what was happening in his mind and the box.

Lukas was so enamored with the puzzle box that he didn't even realize they had arrived at their destination, only pulling his attention from the puzzle when Akira grabbed him by the collar to drag him in the door. Once he realized where they were Lukas put away the puzzle box and looked around, finding one of Aywin's assistants hurrying over.

"Ah! Mistress and Master Anuk, Aywin said you'd be here around this time. He is currently in the back, and I will inform him that you have arrived. In the meantime, please feel free to browse the racks."

After a quick nod and thanks the attendant left them, heading for the rear of the store. Lukas moved to pull the puzzle box back out, but Akira quickly swatted his hand as though he were a naughty child reaching for the cookie jar.

"We're going to be here for all of five minutes. You can wait for that long, can't you?"

"Not really, no."

Akira rolled her eyes, "Just wait until we're back outside, alright? You'll have plenty of time to play with that thing later."

"Weren't you the one who told me to buy it?"

"I didn't think you'd throw yourself at the thing like you did with all those books."

Less than a minute later, the pair spotted Aywin as the cannid wove his way through the many mannequins and racks between them and the back. He was carrying a small wooden box between his hands and wore a pleased expression, one mirrored by his tail.

"Mistress and Master Anuk, you're back and just in time. I finished up the armor not thirty minutes ago and it's even better than I could have hoped! Why don't we go on over to the changing rooms so that the young master can try it on?" he said, looking to Lukas

Lukas gave the man a nod and was quickly led to a corner of the store where a line of changing rooms waited. Going up to the closest one, Aywin opened the door for Lukas and waved him in, offering him the box as he did so.

"The box is spatially expanded and has all the armor inside. Putting it on should be fairly intuitive and shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

Taking the box, Lukas entered the changing room and locked the door behind him. Setting the box down on a bench inside, Lukas opened it and pulled out its contents.

[Umbral Aegis (Epic)] - A set of full-body armor expertly hand-crafted by a master craftsman. Made from the hide and leather of a Duskbody, the wearer finds it easier to meld into the darkness around them. Soaked in an alchemical solution, the cloth and leather of the armor are reinforced and more durable. Modified by the craftsman, this armor better suits its intended wearer.

Enchantments: One size fits all (adapts fit to wearer within a certain range). Self repair (takes ambient mana from the surroundings to repair itself, can be infused directly for increased repair speed). Self cleaning (takes ambient mana from the surroundings to clean itself, can be infused directly for increased cleansing speed). Poison resistance (makes the armor more durable against poisonous liquids and gases, protecting the wearer).

It was exactly what Lukas was looking for.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.