In the end it's Elzbieta who heads down to the inn while carrying Ulryk, as usual, to get us dinner. It's nothing fancy this time around. Just a few slices of fresh bread with butter, gravy and a few thin slices of roast as well as some pickled vegetables. It's a simple enough cold meal, but it's still hearty and delicious, a combination I would recommend anytime, but even more so on a warm evening like this one.

Surprisingly enough, while I'm still licking my fingers clean, I get a new customer before I can close down the shop for the night. It's a young noble lad, by the looks of him. Fine clothes that look a little out of place on an adventurer and plate armor that is a little more elaborate and expensive than any other I have seen an adventurer wear.

I can't help but note that there is a considerable resemblance to Grazyna, the squire of Ser Tadeusz. He seems a little older than the girl though. Maybe he is an older brother? He could be a cousin too of course. Or maybe I'm just mistaken entirely.

He looks around the shop only briefly before coming straight to the counter and thus me.

Well, it's no big surprise, or it shouldn't be anyway. He doesn't look like the kind of adventurer shopping for second hand gear after all. I greet him with a polite nod.

"Welcome! What can I do for you?"

It's only now, when he answers, that I realize that something else seems a little off about him. He seems nervous. More so than he really should be.

"I … I … uh … could you do an enchantment for me? Real quick? Overnight if possible?"

I blink in surprise while nodding at the same time. I raise a hand to silence him before he can speak up again though, to clarify.

"I can do one enchantment overnight, if it's a simple single enchantment for which I already have all the necessary runes. If you need more than one done or if it's something complex for which I need to draft up a design first, it'll take longer and you'll have to wait. There simply is no way around it. My days and nights don't have any more hours than those of anyone else. Now, what exactly did you have in mind?"

He swallows hard but doesn't protest as he listens to me. Finally he straightens up to answer my inquiry.

"An, ah … enchantment for some self cleaning clothes. Several of them in the long term, but an, uh … pair of underpants will do for tomorrow."

I blink in surprise. That is on one hand not too unusual. Self cleaning clothes are one of the most popular quality of life enchantments after all. That he wants me to start with his underpants, that's on the other hand oddly specific. Maybe I have waited too long to respond, because it seems he sees need to explain all of a sudden.

"Could … could you … could you be discreet about it? I mean, I'm my parties tank. It'S my job to draw the attention of whatever monster wants to brutalize the others onto me … and I'll do it for the others, for sure … but, but I'm just not the bravest, and …"

My eyes widen a little in surprise. That is not the kind of explanation I ever expected to hear. I'm quick to raise a hand to silence him, before he can blabber any more, since he seems on the verge of really loosing it and I don't want to make this any more embarrassing for him than it already is.

"Hush. You don't need to share the details if you aren't comfortable with it. I already know all I need to know. Clothes that are self cleaning, that's an enchantment that's easy enough for me. A pair of underpants is doable until tomorrow morning. I hope you are aware though that rushed jobs like this are never cheap. You are, right? And the enchantment doesn't make any accidents disappear right away either. The magic needs a moment or two to work."

He nods meekly, an impossible to miss blush on his cheeks.

"I … expected as much. I'm sorry to rush you like this, but …"

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He manages to catch himself before he can get rambling again this time around.

"How much will it be?"

I have to actually think about it for a moment. I tap my chin, lost in thought, for a moment. Finally I nod.

"Two silver Crowns. How does that sound to you."

That is more than I would have charged for a self cleaning weapon. It leaves some room for haggling too. To my surprise he doesn't even try to haggle though. Instead he reaches out to shake hands right away.

"Sounds good."

I shake his hand. I pull him a little closer, across the counter too though, to whisper in his ear.

"Two silver Crowns it is then. A friendly reminder though. You usually should at least try to haggle a little. It's kind of expected, especially around here in the countryside. Oh! And I'll need the article of clothing you want enchanted of course."

He blushes and is back to stammering.

"Ri … right. Of course. I … I'll try to remember it."

Even as he stammers though he slips his pack off his shoulders. He doesn't have to actually rummage through it either. It's contents are well organized. Nothing seems out of place or hastily stuffed inside. The garment in question, the one he wants me to enchant is placed on top of everything else, obviously freshly washed and neatly folded.

I accept the underpants he wants enchanted with a nod, as he hands them to me.

"See you tomorrow morning then. You can drop by any time after sunrise. If I haven't opened up the shop already, you can come around to the back and knock there."

"Very well. I'll drop by in the morning."

He nods, shoulders his pack again and leaves.

I in turn close the shop for the night once he is gone. His underpants I take back to the workshop, where Elzbieta is already waiting with Ulryk who is having his own evening meal. A wide, mischievous smirk is gracing her lips. It seems she has heard everything, or at least enough.

I raise a finger to my lips to silence her before she can actually say anything, but we both share a wordless chuckle anyway.

Obviously, not everyone is made to face mortal danger without a hint of fear. In fact, that the lad is willing to face things that scare him to the bone despite everything, to safeguard his comrades and friends paints him in a good light in my eyes.

And anyway, I have high hopes that he'll be back to have more of his gear enchanted. That too is worth something. Especially if you consider just what is under the bottom line. And the enchantment he asked for isn't a tricky or risky one either. This is bread and butter work. Something I should, in all honesty, do more often.

I dust off the enchanting table once more before placing the folded garment at its center. I get my lantern too, to make sure I have enough light, as it's already getting a little dark. Instead of getting started right away I sit down with Elzbieta and her little one for a moment on the bedside. I lean against her and rub Ulryk's back gently.

"This shouldn't take too long. It's a pretty basic enchantment after all. You don't have to wait up for me though. I'll crawl into bed with you two once I'm done."

Elzbieta wraps an arm around me and pulls me close for a moment. For a little while we just sit there like that, but eventually I have to get up again. There is work to be done after all.

I get a piece of chalk and another piece of coal. I consult my notebook once more as well, just to make sure, although I have the needed runes essentially memorized. After calculating the diameter of the circle I'll need one more time I get started.

With practiced ease I place rune after rune. This really isn't a tricky enchantment. I don't let my attention waver anyway. That would be like inviting disaster after all. As I place the last faintly glowing rune, the circle gets drawn into the folded garment at its center. The enchantment takes hold without a hitch. So far, so good.

Ulryk is already asleep, but Elzbieta is still glancing my way, although she is already tucked in as well. I'm not quite ready to turn in for the night yet though. First I focus my attention on the newly enchanted garment to activate my appraisal skill.

[Self cleaning Underpants, Quality: Uncommon, A nice pair of comfortable underpants, enchanted to clean itself. Even the worst of stains will disappear over the course of an hour. With this neither little accidents caused by jump scares nor intimidating monsters will have lasting consequences.]

Well, it seems everything is as it should be, although the description seems a little tongue in cheek. I just roll my eyes. That is something the lad will have to live with. What really matters to me is, that I can finally crawl into bed with Elzbieta and Ulryk.

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