Is it wrong to fleece adventurers at the item shop?

After lunch I return home, accompanied by Elzbieta. While she busies herself with the mana mill once more, I prepare the shop for Olgierd's arrival. I re position some of the bins with used equipment to make room for the new sign by the counter. I get the broom and sweep the floor as well.

I might have to dust off the shelves as well, but that is something that will have to wait a little, as it isn't long until the craftsman arrives, carrying a large, cloth wrapped bundle.

Just seeing it like that is enough to get me all giddy. Who doesn't like to unwrap a present after all. Never mind that it is a rather costly present I make myself in this case. Silly little details!

I greet the fellow craftsman with a cheerful wave and a smile on my lips.

He comes over, eyeing the space I cleared in preparation for this delivery.

“Right here?”

I nod, as I grab the coins I'll need from the reinforced chest under the counter.

“Yes, please.”

As he sets the big bundle down and pulls off the cloth wrapping I can't contain myself any longer. I clap my hands excitedly. It really came out very much like I imagined it, except, it is even better!

I imagined a pretty plain and simple wooden blackboard. This one goes well beyond that though, as It comes with a finely carved, and painted decorative frame. Olgierd has really gone all out on this! I just can't keep to myself anymore.

“This! Is! Perfect!”

Its a good thing that the counter separates us, otherwise I might have hugged him. Not that that would be a bad thing, but it would be a little childish and embarrassing.

Olgierd chuckles and scratches the back of his head.

“Glad you like it.”

The rest of our exchange is rather anticlimactic by comparison. There can be only so much emotion involved when coins change hands and said hands get shaken afterwards to finalize the deal afterwards.

The man leaves my shop humming happily anyway. He takes pride in his work after all and apparently my reaction pleased him quite a bit.

I certainly can relate. More importantly though, I have a new sign that needs to be put to good use. Lost in thought I run my fingers over the smooth, dark surface. It is smooth, but at the same time not too smooth. And the carved and painted ornamental frame keeps it from looking plain or severe.

It really is perfect. As far as I'm concerned I couldn't ask for anything better to do some advertising.

Humming to myself as well, matching Elzbieta's tune in the process, I head back into the workshop to get some chalks. Using enchanter's chalks for this might be a little wasteful, but I don't mind right now. I have enough anyway, thus I can splurge every once in a while.

Elzbieta pauses in her work as I return to the workshop, shooting me an inquiring glance.

“You seem to be in an exceptional mood. Did something good happen?”

“Sure did! Sure did. That sign, or rather that blackboard, Olgierd mentioned at lunch turned out even better than I could have hoped. Now I just need to put it to good use!”

She nods and resumes her work, as well as her low key singing.

I in turn grab one of my new, gently glowing chalks. It is one of the pieces, more of a stump by now, I used before. I maybe could still use it for another enchantment, if it is a simple one with a rather small circle. I'm not quite sure though, thus I put it to a different use.

Once I return to the shop, chalk in hand, I bit my tongue as I stare at the empty blackboard. I could advertise double enchantments, but somehow I don't feel quite ready for that yet.

Instead, after thinking about it some more, I decide on some simple, quality of life enchantments instead.

The self cleaning enchantment is the first. I price it at fourteen bronze Crowns. It is immediately followed by the self sharpening blade enchantment for the same price. The last one I add to the board, at least for now, is a classic as well. It is the everlasting candle for one silver crown per candle.

For a moment I ponder adding the more general self repair enchantment as well, but in the end I decide against it. People who really want it, can still ask for it in private anyway.

The self sharpening blade enchantment is already toeing the line after all, since it might cost the smithy some business. Not sure how many adventurers would go for the enchantment though, instead of paying much less every once in a while to get their blades sharpened the old fashioned way.

I shrug and take a step back to a long hard look at my work. In the end I nod in satisfaction. My handwriting is as neat as it can be and the slight glow of the chalk is eye catching.

Overall it looks pretty neat. Just like an advertisement for enchanting services should be. The only way it could be even better where if I had some more glowing chalks of different colors.

I tap my chin as I think about it a little more. Then I nod to myself.

Yes, more color would be nice. Red for the price would look neat.

Too bad that I don't have any red pigment. Except, maybe I could make some? The slightly off white ocher I collected recently could serve as a base. If I were to burn it, it might just turn red.

I certainly could give it a try. At worst I would have to look for a different more yellow ocher to try again. But I'm getting ahead of myself again. First things first.

Time for a little experiment! I still have a little of the off white ocher left after all. It might be just enough for what I have in mind. Time to get creative!

As I head back into the workshop I instinctively start humming again, once more matching Elzbieta's tune. It's just natural.

I start by getting everything I'll need to make more chalks lined up on the workbench. Starting with the molds, all the way to the night candle oil and ectoplasm mixture in its jar.

First I need to take care of the ocher though.

I can't burn it in any of my iron cauldrons. It could react with the metal at the temperature I need to achieve. That would be less than ideal. Instead I get a simple, nondescript ceramic bowl.

First I crush the leftover ocher. Then I get some more wood and stoke the fire a little higher, while the pregnant archer watches me with a raised eyebrow.

The crushed ocher goes into the bowl and the bowl is then placed right into the fire, where it burns hottest. It's a good thing I have a good set of prongs. I really don't feel like burning my fingers.

Then all that is left is to wait. Except, that is of course not what I'm doing. I have other preparations to make for my newest chalks. Thankfully there is more than enough room in the fireplace for a little cauldron over the fire without it getting in the way of my experiment.

Eventually I retrieve the ceramic bowl with its now much darker contents. I let them cool a little and then I start mixing things together. Before long I have a new set of softly glowing, red chalks cooling in their molds.

“That color looks a little ominous.”

I turn to face Elzbieta who appears to be done with the mill and shrug.

“A little. Maybe? I'm not quite sure how this will turn out yet. I have never made red chalks before. Well, not any containing enchanting dust anyway. I really just wanted red chalks to add a little color to my new blackboard.”

“Uhu. Those will take a while to cool, won't they? And I doubt they will run away on their own, despite the color and the glow. Feel like having some dinner in the meantime?”

She puts the mana mill on the workbench and I check the drawer with the gathered enchanting dust before putting my seal on her quest papers. In the end I agree with her suggestion.

“Sure. Lets go and have something to eat. Do you think there might be any leftover turkey? Maybe with a nice dollop of gravy?”

She snorts out loud.

“And here I thought that I'm supposed to be the one with the weird cravings!”

I nudge her in the side gently as we head out after closing the shop.

“There is nothing weird about craving delicious, juicy meat and some hearty gravy! Mhm! Maybe together with some soft bread as a nice sandwich!”

She doesn't even try to hold her laughter in.

“Well, I won't argue with that. Lets go and find out!”