As agreed upon, Akira and Lukas left for the city in the early morning, shortly after their training. Their sessions were slowly taking up less and less time as Akira didn't have to correct or guide Lukas as much as before. Consequently, the pair were getting ready to leave the Anuk family grounds just as the sun poked out from behind the horizon, the tall, thick trees of the forest blocking most of the brilliant sunrise.

The only thing they had to do before setting off was go over Lukas' disguise. He was reluctant at first but was quickly brought around by Akira after she told him how high-profile she was at the moment, going on to explain that seeing a strange, unknown human would draw attention. When she explained the plan in more detail he was suspicious—she somehow knew that he could manipulate his aura enough to appear as another race. It took some more convincing, but eventually he agreed and had Akira monitor his aura as he made changes to it.

"This is so weird," Akira marveled, as Lukas sat with his eyes closed, manipulating his aura. "I've never seen anything like it, even around higher-ranked adventurers. It's kind of freaky."

"Just let me know when I'm closer to feeling like a plains elf," Lukas said, exasperated. "I already have a good idea of how to cover as an elf, but smaller details like ethnicity are still up in the air."

"Right, sorry."

They spent the next several minutes fine-tuning Lukas' aura until he resembled a plains elf. It wasn't completely perfect, and he could feel the difference between his new aura mask and Akira's aura. She told him not to worry about it and that most people would just assume it was due to some sort of mixed heritage in his lineage. In fact, most of the other plains elves on the estate grounds had a similar feeling to their auras for exactly that reason.

With that out of the way, all that was left was for Lukas to put on a cloak to hide his non-elf ears. Once Lukas had thrown the cloak over himself and flipped the hood up, Akira gave him a good look-over. As she did so, Lukas could feel her probing his aura, looking for any mistakes or incongruities.

After walking around him a few times, Akira nodded in satisfaction. "It's good— not perfect, but good enough for our purposes. Your aura feels like an elf's, and you have the build of one, so no one will throw questioning gazes your way. Well, at least none doubting whether or not you're an elf."

"You're sure it's good?" Lukas asked.

"Yeah, no one below silver rank is going to be able to see through that ability of yours, and anyone who's made it to silver is smart enough to know that rudely probing those of high social standing is a good way to find trouble. We'll be fine."

Leaving the compound, Lukas and Akira weren't the only ones to pass through the estate gates; multiple other people and teams were heading into the city just as they were. As usual, Lukas got plenty of curious glances thrown his way, and he ignored them all, even when a few people came over to talk to him and Akira. Lukas just kept quiet and avoided interacting with anyone, allowing Akira to handle her family. Sure, he felt a bit awkward just standing off to the side on his own, but it was better than trying to talk with people he didn't know.

When they finally reached the city, Lukas was all too eager to see Akira's hangers-on off, watching as the others split off in different directions, leaving him alone with Akira once more. Now that they were on their own, Akira began leading Lukas through the massive streets. It was all still an unrecognizable maze to Lukas, and he wondered where Lyric's apothecary was in relation to where they were now. Ultimately, the question didn't matter, and Lukas let himself be led further into the city.

Eventually, the two and three-story buildings were replaced with taller monoliths that reached for the sky, matching the skyscrapers in big cities back home. Except Lukas wouldn't insult the buildings around him by comparing them to the concrete and glass eyesores that made up a city skyline on Earth. Was he maybe being overly critical of cities due to his own biases and preference for nature? Absolutely, but he didn't change his mind.

As they walked further and further into the city, Lukas looked around, enjoying the views and smells of flowers and fresh food. Turning to Akira, he asked a question he probably should have asked before they left the estate. "Hey, out of curiosity, how close is this adventurer district to the temple district?"

Akira looked at him strangely, thrown off by his seemingly random question. "Not far. They're right next to each other, but where we're going is closer to the crafting district."

Suddenly Akira's face lit up, as though she'd just realized something. "Oh! You've never seen an actual god before, have you? Did you want to go to the divine square to see if a god would show up?"

"It's not that," Lukas said, shaking his head. "I was just curious, trying to figure out the layout of the city."

'Shit, why does it have to be so close? Why couldn't they be on two completely different sides of the city!? I better not get found out immediately; that would only complicate things and I'd never hear the end of it from Sera. Wait…'

"Sera!" Lukas called the goddess through his blessing.

"Yes, my sweet little mortal?"

"Is this going to be a problem? Will the other gods or any of their priests be able to detect me if I'm that close to the temple district?"

"No idea," she replied helpfully.

"What do you mean you have no idea?"

"That I have no idea—it's pretty self-explanatory. I don't know how big those districts are or how close you'll be getting to the temples. Hell, you'll probably end up running into a bunch of church members. A lot of adventurers belong to one church or another, but it's the priests and higher clergymen you need to watch out for, and they rarely leave their temples."

"So I'll be fine?"

"I didn't say that—don't go putting words in my mouth. Just know I'll have your back in case things get messy. Anything before then is up to you, though."

Groaning internally, Lukas spent the rest of the walk toward their destination a nervous wreck, his head on a swivel as though he were being watched. As they made their way into the adventurer district, Lukas noticed that the number of people wearing armor and brandishing weapons increased exponentially. He also noted that many of the buildings and shops in their area were more geared to adventurers, as opposed to things like restaurants and bars. While turning down one street, Lukas had been able to make out some kind of massive street bazaar in the opposite direction, the sound of which reached his ears long after the place left his sight.

During their short time in the district, the pair had gained much more attention, and Lukas attributed that to people knowing who Akira was. He'd already been warned about all the attention she was getting due to her social debut, recent membership in the adventurer society, and her beauty. Lukas did have to admit that no one from back home could hold a candle to Akira's gorgeous looks, but that wasn't saying much, as he'd already noticed that most people in this new world were so good-looking it was unfair. Akira's mother, Kora, was on an entirely different level; then there was Sera's divine beauty—but that didn't count, as she was a goddess.

When the pair finally arrived at their destination, they stood before a rather unassuming-looking building, tucked between two stores that seemed to cater to those with very expensive taste. The building was multi-storied and made entirely of living wood, with little embellishment besides the windows that poked out of the bark yet somehow blended with the trunk itself. Looking at the storefront, Lukas found multiple different suits of armor on stands, all of them of the medium and light variety and containing little if any metal. A large sign above the door read 'AYWIN'S ARMOR AND ADVENTURING ARTICLES' in swooping red lettering.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"This place?" Lukas asked, uncertain. Had Akira brought him here because the armor would be cheaper? Honestly, that was fine by Lukas, but he still found it surprising.

"Don't let the simple exterior deceive you. It's always the simple things that hide the best quality—just look at my armor."

Lukas did, not for the first time noticing Akira's rather simple and bland-looking leather armor. Though taking a closer look, Lukas did notice a few embellishments that improved the overall look slightly while also bringing out the color of Akira's eyes in a subtle way. The make and design of the armor was also impressive for something so simple-looking—flexible and breathable while also being protective and durable.

"Aywin makes the best armor in the city, and while it doesn't look ostentatious or flashy, you'll come to find that items of real quality are always that way."

Going up to the shop's door, Akira opened it and waved Lukas inside. Walking in, Lukas found the interior larger than he had expected, the space filled with armor sets of all different styles, sizes, and colors. Most of the products were displayed on racks or mannequins in different poses to show off the flexibility of the garb. Mixed in with the armor were cases filled with talismans and other baubles that might be useful to an adventurer. Lukas also noticed a large staircase that led up to the higher floors of the building and could just see even more sets of armor at the top of the stairs. There weren't many people in the store, and the few that were present glanced toward the new arrivals, their eyes lingering on the well-known Akira and even more so on the stranger at her side.

Before Lukas could get a good look around, an excited-looking Canid approached the two. He was well dressed, wearing clothes that, while seeming simple and cheap at first glance, were anything but. Lukas also noticed the politely restrained aura he gave off, placing him well within mid-bronze rank. Meanwhile, Lukas kept a tight grip on his own aura, not caring to display the "proper etiquette," instead keeping it as restrained as possible while also maintaining his aura mask.

"Young Mistress Anuk!" the wolf-man welcomed, arms out wide in a greeting gesture. "It's so good to see you again. I see you're still wearing that armor I sold you; I do hope it's been to your liking so far."

Akira smiled at the genial cannid. "It's been great, Aywin, and please call me Akira."

"I'm sorry, Lady Anuk, but propriety is observed in this establishment—especially with guests such as yourself. Now, if you wouldn't mind me guessing, I'd say you're here for the young gentleman beside you?"

"How'd you know?" she smirked.

"Please, I'm a master of my craft; I know bad armor when I see it. The way it drapes off the gentleman is in no way flattering and would be a hindrance in combat. It might be a small hindrance, I'll grant you, but even that can lead to an early death. It's also rather low quality—the craftsmanship is shoddy at best, and there are dozens of mistakes I can see already. Then there's the singular enchantment: it's hardly of any use and not even worth the materials used for the enchantment. It's definitely not something I'd ever expect to see on someone in your circle. Whoever you acquired it from, I'd recommend never returning. The only positive thing I can say about the armor is that the dark green, almost black color matches the mask quite well—but not the eyes."

"I don't care about fashion, only functionality," Lukas said.

"I completely agree—functionality is important above all else, which is why I styled my establishment as you see it, compared to the pompous eyesores I'm caught between. But at the same time, you can't go walking about wearing random articles like some vagabond; you need to look presentable and as though you have yourself together, or else no one will take you seriously. Take the mistress, for example: her armor isn't flashy, and yet it brings out her best traits—from her mesmerizing eyes to her lithe form. One look at her and you know that not only does she mean business, but she knows what she is doing."

Lukas looked over Akira and found himself agreeing. "Alright then," he nodded.

"Fantastic!" Aywin said enthusiastically. "Now, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself so that we can find the best armor for you?"

"What do you need to know?"

"Classes—I don't need specifics; most clients are touchy about that, and for good reason. I just need general information. Fighting style is also important; I need to know whether you're looking to move fast or take big hits. Judging by that tat you're currently wearing, I can make a decent guess there, but any additional information would be useful."

"I'm a rogue and an alchemist. I move fast, but I'll take a hit to deliver one in turn."

"Rogue and alchemist, you say? An assassin—shadows and stealth, perhaps? Is there any preference in armor you have, whether that be in material or otherwise?"

"I strike from the shadows and use a fair bit of poison. I don't have a material preference, but I don't want anything too heavy, nor do I want cloth armor that won't stop a bludgeoning attack."

Aywin nodded to himself. "Darker medium-light armor, preferably black to go with the mask." The Canid looked at Lukas with a thoughtful expression. "I think I have something that will interest you—follow me."

Without waiting to see if they were following, Aywin made for the stairs, his bushy tail wagging behind him with excitement. Lukas and Akira followed, allowing themselves to be led up to the third floor and through a maze of armor racks and mannequins in strange poses. Eventually they came to a stop near the back wall of the room; all the armor on display here was of darker shades and looked to be the type Lukas was searching for.

"Here," Aywin said, pointing out a mannequin wearing a specific set of armor. "It's all black with hints of gold embellishments in the right places to give the perfect amount of style while also avoiding anything too flashy that might break stealth. And as you can see, the chest piece is made of hardened Duskbody leather, good at taking both blunt and slashing attacks. The stomach area consists of interwoven leather strips to provide flexibility without compromising protection. Naturally included are the vambraces and greaves; they're alchemically treated and hardened to aid in blocking if need be. Under it all, you'll notice black under-clothes—they have similar properties to cloth armor and, like the leg guards and vambraces, have been alchemically treated for increased protection. That being said, it's not indestructible, and a blade will still pierce you should one find its way between your armor. Then there's the cloak—every rogue needs a cloak, after all. It's made of the same material as the under-clothes but with faint golden trim on the hem and a few more things to make it tougher overall. The whole set has the standard enchantments you'd find on any respectable set of armor: one to fit nearly any wearer, a self-repair enchantment, and one for self-cleaning."

Listening to the shopkeep's words, Lukas identified the armor:

[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.

Enchantments: One-size-fits-all (adapts fit to wearer within a certain range). Self-repair (draws ambient mana from the surroundings to repair itself; can be infused directly for increased repair speed). Self-cleaning (draws ambient mana from the surroundings to clean itself; can be infused directly for increased cleansing speed).

It was as Aywin described and was head and shoulders above what he was currently wearing, that was for sure. There was just one thing.

"Would it be possible to add an enchantment that increased the armor's resistance to poison?"

"Uh—yes, of course; that's a possibility. It will naturally cost extra to add such a thing, but should you choose to add it I would be more than happy to adjust the gold on the armor to be more of an amber color to match your distinctive eyes—completely free of charge."

"How long would that take?" Akira asked.

"More importantly, how much would it cost?" Lukas added.

"I could have it done by the end of the day," Aywin said dismissively. "It's been a while since I've done a poison-resist enchantment, but they aren't that difficult. The coloring will only take half an hour, if that. As for the price, you're looking at about one hundred and eighty iron mana coins."

Lukas naturally had absolutely no idea how much money that was, only knowing that he had a few hundred copper mana coins. Not knowing exactly what to say or do, he glanced at Akira and found her looking back.

Akira seemed to understand Lukas' situation as she turned to Aywin. "Would you give us a moment to think it over?"

The cannid nodded. "Of course, Mistress Anuk. I'll go ahead and head back down. Just let me know what you and the gentleman decide."

With that, the wolf-man left Akira and Lukas alone, Lukas taking a step closer to Akira. "How much is that? I have no idea how much the money here is actually worth."

"It's… a fair bit of money for copper-ranked equipment, but with the self-repair and self-cleaning you'll be saving yourself money and time down the line. It's up to you."

"But how much is an iron mana coin worth exactly?"

"Okay, so the basic coin of the realm is the copper mana coin; after that is iron, bronze, silver, and so on. It's ten copper to an iron, ten iron to a bronze, ten bronze to a silver, a hundred silver to a gold. It's the same the rest of the way up, as the higher-ranked coins are worth a lot more."

"So that armor is worth one thousand eight hundred copper mana coins?"

"That's right. Again, it's your choice on whether or not you want it."

Lukas thought about it for a few moments, wondering whether or not it would truly be worth it, but ultimately he decided it would be. In the long run, he'd need something he could keep on continuously, so having armor that not only fixed but also cleaned itself was important. The properties of the materials used were also a bonus, and no doubt something that would help him out in combat. And he had to admit that despite what he said, the black armor with amber highlights would look awesome.

"I'll take it."

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.