21 A Respectable Trade (1/2)

Aura took over from me without much prompting and she quickly instructed Luca on which dust ball to choose.

”If we want armor for the officers and still have enough to spare for enticing new recruits then I recommend we choose electrum,” she answered.

Luca followed her suggestion and tapped on the ghostly golden orb.

Like before, all the dust balls coalesced into one glittering, giant mass before reshaping once more into five pieces of middle-type armor.

”These are some popular pieces we currently have in stock,” Kallista rose from her seat and tapped on the surface of the scale breastplate floating in the middle. There was a loud clanging sound. ”As you can see, the fairy dust not only takes in the form of the item they represent but also its qualities.”

Just to be certain she wasn't pulling the wool over our eyes, Luca also tapped on the breastplate. He heard a resounding clang for his efforts.

”This is so cool,” he whistled.

While my brother fawned over fairy technology, I had closed my eyes and chanted under my breath, and when I opened them again my irises glowed with a dim inner light.

Controlling the output of Fool's Insight was one of the boons I'd received after training under the mana pool. This meant that only the wariest of opponents would notice the change when I activated my power. Luckily, Kallista's information network hadn't known of my fairy gift so she was unaware that I now had the means to thoroughly inspect her merchandise.

Only Aura seemed to notice this and she had to hide the smirk that appeared on her face under the pretense of a cough.

Once I'd adjusted to fairy insight's power, my vision scrutinized each piece of armor, from the leather stitching to tiny cracks in the metal sheets, and eventually, my eyes zoned in on the object that was at the far right end of the row of ghostly armor.

It was a sleeveless black leather coat with a high collar and a pale golden chest piece. The coat reached down to mid-thigh with its hem shaped into feather tips. Insight confirmed that the leather material used was supple dire wolf hide, and the metal was a great quality of electrum.

I checked with Varda to see if she had a second opinion but she only confirmed what I already saw.

”It's a really good quality leather. And the metal work's not bad. Not dwarven made though,” Varda noted. ”Looks almost elven?”

”No... it's a drow piece,” Aura answered, almost in a whisper. She pointed to the feather tips of the coat. ”Those raven feathers are a traditional drow design.”

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I scowled at the coat in annoyance as I knew it was the best one of the group and it sort of appealed to my sense of style, but if it affected Aura negatively then, ”Okay, something else—”

”Try it on, Dean,” Aura prompted. There was no hesitation in her gaze, and I understood quickly that our emphatic link clued her in on my interest. ”If you want to become a hero then you better look the part.”

”Um, alright...” I sighed, knowing that I gave in too quickly as I really wanted to try it on.

I stood up only to realize right afterward that I didn't have a clue what to do next.

”Relax,” Kallista waved a hand at me. ”It'll fit itself to you.”

At her gesture, the ghostly coat made of fairy dust moved in my direction and reformed itself to fit me. It even resized to shorten the hemline, which I felt was a jab at my height. But, Luca was right. This was cool.

”For once, you actually look like you're worthy of the commander title,” Edo said, almost approvingly which was the same thing where he was concerned.

”Now he just has to act the part,” Luca added, earning himself a nod from Edo.

Varda gave me the thumbs up. ”Looking good, Commander.”

Aura walked over to me and patted down the few creases in the leather, and it really was life-like how the fairy dust obeyed her touch.

”There, a proper suit for a future hero,” she said while doting on me like she was my mother.

In hindsight, that was the worst comparison I'd ever given her. I certainly didn't want to think of her that way.

After all the fussing was finished, I asked Kallista how much the sleeveless leather coat cost.

”I can give it to you for a hundred and fifty Leprechauns,” Kallista answered coolly.

”A hundred and fifty Leprechauns?!” I repeated in disbelief. That was roughly six thousand US dollars back in Mudgard. It was the price of a second-hand car that was still in good condition.