On this first day of the 4th, fading moon, week of the month called Rasu, my first destination was obvious, [Roder's Leather Crafts].

The store met me with the same lack of a shopkeeper or customers as before, but it only took me a few steps inside to be greeted by the slightly muffled voice that came from nowhere, "Young man, you are right in time. Look in the wooden box behind the counter."

"Good dawning (fancy local way to greet in the early morning) to you, Maester." While Roder forgot to greet me, I did and only then walked towards the counter.

"Oh, morning, but let us not stray from the main topic. Take it out." Roder instructed as if he could see that I just crouched to touch the box (and probably he could, somehow).

"...Amazing!" I exclaimed with a gasp, and neither my voice nor the gasp was fake. What I held wasn't just some reinforced leather clothes, not leather armor as I knew either. In short, it was a true master's creation.

The set consisted of upper, lower, knee-guards, gloves, and leather bracers.

From the outer side, the upper part looked like a simple, long-sleeved leather jacket or even maybe a shirt, as the brass buttons and lack of any visible details was more akin to the latter. But inside, light chainmail went between the outer leather and the inner cloth padding, protecting the chest and back. "It is a single ring set, so it will not entirely protect you against an attack, but it will stop most of the damage, at least once." Roeder commented as I took it out and placed it on the counter.

The pants, or lower part, were of a slightly darker hue of brown than the sleeved vest, and as I raised them, I felt they were heavier. "Guards and boots respectively protect the knees and calves of a fighter. So that leaves the thighs as a vulnerable area, but not for you. Two ring chainmail and a nail-thick plate from the front."

During sword training, I did receive an entire speech about the thigh area and could not agree more. Easier to hit than any other leg part and usually less protected than the torso, it was something that Aison told me to guard and concentrate on attacking when intending to disable an opponent. "Bleeds a lot, and a hit may even make your opponent lose the ability to stand or, at least, maintain his movement rhythm." He had told me as he broke my defense and landed a few assorted hits, indicating what would work better for each situation.

The knee-protectors were simple-looking, half-finger thick knee pads adjusted to my leg with the help of two straps, but I didn't notice anything but leather as I touched them, so I quickly set them aside, which turned out to be wrong. "You didn't notice, right?" The maester's voice asked triumphally, and I shook my head. Actually, I did that to confirm if he could see me.

"Try bending them." Roder instructed, and as I did, a click sounded, and a small, not longer than a centimeter long spike appeared from a small gash in the middle of the knee-guard. "While it is not enough to impair someone, it can be a distraction, or if you are alright with the idea, then as a manner to deliver some poisonous scratch."

Then it was the turn of the gloves and the bracers. The former was indeed a simple pair of leather gloves, although they had a sewn-in metal plate to protect the hand's back and, as Roder explained, should be used with a ring or two on each hand to protect against slashes towards the fingers.

The bracers were also something more-or-less simple, but their effectiveness had been brought to the max by Roeder's skill. Four plated locks in the backside, single ring chainmail sewn-in, a tongue up to the knuckles. I wonder if could I ask him to make me one like this, but with a concealed, extensible dagger? I doubt there are templars around here, but it should be a suitable self-defense weapon.

"Maester, I am truly impressed." I even felt the need to half-bow after seeing all these.

"Hmm, like if someone would be not. You will find the size to be a perfect fit as well. Leave the money on the counter, and that will be it."

"Yes, understood. Again, thank you." I left the 14 crowns on the desk, stored everything in my inventory, and started towards the exit.

Although I wanted to ask how he managed to take the measurements and know they were correct, I refrained from it. Probably it is a trade secret, and even if he told me, I am 100% sure it isn't anything but an enchanted item.

"Maester, before I leave, I have something to ask, if I may?" With a thought emerging in my mind, I stopped in the doorway, turning back and asking.

"What is it?" Probably he wasn't someone social, more like definitively not, so Roder's voice wasn't the most welcoming as he asked back.

"In terms of defensive properties, how good would be a similar armor made of a gloomclaw's leather?"

"Gloomclaw? If you or anyone else found such a creature and allowed me to work with it, the results would be, at least, comparable to a full plate. And probably even an enchanted plate, as gloomclaw leather is very good at absorbing damage, even some from spells. But, it is very improbable, as sightings of it can be counted with the fingers of one hand, and that's in the entire kingdom."

"Full plate?!" My shout was understandable. After all, a leather armor that can resist practically any weapons? And some spells?

"Yes, yes, no need to shout. Now that I sated your curiosity, please leave."

"I have one."

"You have one?" The maester asked back in an irritated tone before he suddenly shouted, "YOU HAVE ONE?!"

*

I only left the leather smith store two hours later, as first mentioning having a gloomclaw in my possession and then summoning the meter tall, half more than that long, dog-snouted, and saber-like clawed beast's corpse made Roeder almost cry. And while he pleaded with me to leave it with him, then offered to buy it for several galden (!), then offered to create the best armor I could imagine, and so on, time flew.

In the end, I did leave the corpse there as we had agreed to a deal. Roeder would make me an armor set, give me the claws (as they are no less valuable), and keep the rest. Not a bad deal, considering the beast was far more than enough for two sets, at least in his words.

But if something bugged me, if I sought a word to describe the feeling, was the fact that even the gloomclaw's corpse did not make Roeder appear and meet me in person. {But well, to each their strangeness.}

***

Aison was less friendly, almost glacial with me as I arrived late, but after explaining where I was, Aison quickly returned to his usual disposition.

"Roeder's works are true masterpieces, people from other towns come to him even, but he is indeed a strange one. Never have seen him in person, and I have been to his shop more than twenty times!" As he waited for me to take the wooden sword, assume an initial position, and so on, Aison recounted.

"I see. Then, I can only wonder if anyone has seen the maester." Not that I cared, but now I was even more curious!

"Enough chatter, let's see how well you remember what I told you." Aison cut down our dialogue. And without more warning than his slightly slowed-down start, he launched at me.

*

For two hours, wooden swords clashed, Aison shouted, and I groaned a few times as I missed one of the more tricky movements of the sword expert.

I was doing very well compared to the previous session. Maybe even too well. Aison looked at me with surprise as soon as we broke off, "Previously, I required nothing to deal with you. But now, you are forcing me to think about strategy and use my mastery and experience advantage. Why did you conceal your ability before?"

"I did not, I truly did not know most of what you said, but the training is making me recall my previous lessons. And it allowed me to understand what I did read about." Pretty much a half-assed lie, but what else I could say? That my skill growth was just too quick, and I just now discovered that numbers DID matter?

"I see. Concentrate on your feelings and thoughts for a bit, then let's try again. This time, I will fight seriously." It seemed that Aison did buy my explanation or, at least, decided not to ask.

*

Having confirmed that the numbers had influence made me try and attempt to check my other idea, the one about concentrating on the skill when required, to see if it worked in the same way as [Mana Sense].

Surprisingly, or maybe not, it did.

[Slashing], [Piercing], and [Feint] as I attacked;

[Dodge], [Parry], [Counterattack], and even [Block] as I defended;

It wasn't like if I immediately got better with the thing I was concentrating on, but the increase was noticeable. As an example, I will [Record] the situation with a counter. One that I managed to do nearly perfectly (in Aison's words) and the only time I actually landed a hit on him without using my other tricks and abilities.

_______

Aison's sword flew towards my neck, bypassing the attempt at stopping it midway and countering the sidestep that I did by a sudden increase in speed and a change of direction.

There was only one chance to parry, and it would be risky, as with the sword so high, I would open most of my lower body to his rection. At least, that was what emerged in my mind as I concentrated on [Parry].

So, I attempted to change tracks and think about a counter. There was less than a second, and I was unsure it would be enough, but I took the shot. And miraculously, an idea popped into my mind.

An idea I acted on right away, not allowing myself to overthink, as it meant missing the opportunity. Or maybe recalling Aison's words about me spending too much time thinking pushed me into action.

I suddenly dropped to one knee, and as I did, my right arm extended forward in a thrust aimed at Aison's neck.

*Poke* *Thump*

He also reacted, and his sword lowered unto my undefended shoulder a mere instant later.

"For the moment that I would hit you, I would be dead or dying. So, even if I did manage to control my arm, this attack would be a single scrape, and you would be victorious. Excellent, indeed." Rubbing his throat, Aison nodded and then grinned as he added, "But, regretfully, this will be the only win for you."

_______

Aison did not joke about that being my only win, as after he got entirely serious, it was odd for a minute to pass without his sword touching me. Such a situation continued for about fifteen minutes as I got used to his almost unpredictable movements.

First, I started avoiding one or two of each ten. Then, three or four. And by the end of our almost two hours second spar, I could hold my ground against Aison for nearly ten minutes. It did require all my concentration to do so, but still, ten minutes!

"Good, good. If you continue improving like this, maybe it will be a week before I have to concede." Aison laughed it off, but I felt how inwardly he was trying to understand how I was improving so fast.

Understanding that rumors and gossip about my specialness was the thing I required less, I decided to add a brief, concise, Liade-like, and far more worthy of talk reason. And while all that, it was joke-like enough, so I was sure that Aison would dismiss such an explanation.

"I prayed all day yesterday, and seemingly it worked out."

"Then you had to erect a temple or something, as no gods have been so good in response to a simple prayer, at least in my knowledge." He responded, and seconds later, we both laughed it off.

***

During the break for a meal, I decided to find Zelindo, but regretfully I missed him. Falko explained that the Guild's Maester had been summoned to the Viscount's palace since morning and probably would be there until late night. In a whisper, Falco commented that Viscount Cantgethen was like his guards, slow, pedantic, and would never let go of someone without drying his guest from all energy.

Walking home, especially as Kierra would not be around and Angelique probably went with her, meant cooking. So when Falko mentioned I could eat in the Guild's cafeteria, it felt like a good idea.

*

The food in the cafeteria of the Guild was simple. But as I received a plate of grain soup, a couple of sausages, bread, and a mug of the cheapish beer, I considered it a very decent, more as nobody charged me anything for the food. I am becoming cheap, probably.

A lucky occurrence was that the duo of guards from the Guild's gate that I knew was also having their meal, and the older one, the same one I had asked most of my questions from, approached me with good news. "The items you asked for, the piece of iron and what else, we got them."

"Nice. Do I owe you anything?" I did give them over the assumed price, but who knows.

"Oh no, you gave me over what we spent." The guard smiled as he scratched his unshaven cheek.

"Then, have a drink on me. I will come by before leaving, is that fine?"

"Yeah, we will be covering the seventh shift as well." As I learned, the guards had eight shifts, with seven of them being three hours and the eight just one hour, at the gates. And the eight, near midnight, was the one that guards shunned, as while it was only one hour at the gates, you had to spend two hours on several added duties, like closing each door, checking seals, walking the entire compound, etc.

"Mm, thanks."

"You asked them to gather something for you? Could have asked me." Falko did not interrupt our conversation but added as the guard left.

"Oh, never intended to bother you with something like that. After all, aren't you the important one around?" Lightening the mood, I joked. Or maybe it wasn't even a joke, as while Falko wasn't considered anything but a guard, at least from his own words, it did not change that Zelindo trusted him entirely or that everyone listened to him.

"Me? Well, then maybe you should try and butter me up!" He started up seriously, but in the end, we both ended up grinning at each other.

"Speaking of asking you to do something, I do have a thing." I wasn't having any money issues, and hopefully would not meet any in the near future, so I avoided the topic before. But now, with someone offering, and money being spent all the time, it again occurred to me.

"And what would it be? But remember, I am important, and my help will cost you more." Falko lightly chucked at the end.

"I have a bounty to claim but would prefer to avoid doing it myself, and I also have no idea how to either." I did not hide my true motive as for the latter one, it was just a matter of asking any of my acquaintances.

"I understand, and you are right to ask me or anyone of the Guild for the matter." Falko's face grew serious, and he deeply nodded as he spoke.

"Why would that be?"

"When a bounty is claimed, one's identity is registered, and so if the criminal has companions, they may find out who was the one to deal with their buddy. But if I or any one of the guards go to claim it, the ledger will say the name of the Guild, not ours."

"Oh, because the guard that encountered the bounty probably was a caravan one, and could have already left?"

"Mmm, that and because the money is paid to the Guild, and we then pass it to the one that submitted the bounty." Falko nodded again and finished his explanation.

*

I also asked him about how a bounty was determined to be, well, a bounty. Like, if I bring the head, how will the officials know it is the correct one? And what if I don't know who's head is it?

Thankfully, Falko was well aware of the system, and he explained it to me. Basically, the bounty was nothing else than a permanent effect from a spell, or treasure item. Some mages and items would require the presence of the bounty, and so it was more like an escape-proof measure, while some would apply the bounty over any distance, simply by gathering a hair, blood, or something of the criminal. DNA?!

In any case, the bounty status would remain even if the person was dead, hacked apart, etc. Checked by a simple identity plate, it would disappear only after the bounty was paid and the fact registered in the ledger. As I understood a check happened every few weeks, and claimed bounties were notified to the Capital (for Kingdom-wide ones), the organization, or people to set it up.

On my pestering (thinking about the future, what if I need it sometime?) Falko explained the existence of items like the [Identity Changer] or [Bounty Cleaner]. Both were rare and expensive, not to mention illegal, but could be used to delete the Bounty status, even though it would remain in the ledgers.

*

After passing him the wrapped up head and asking him to take care, I left Falko near the cafeteria, and returned to Aison.

And then, a special, personalized (his words) training regime began. In truth, nothing else than him attacking me with each and every weapon imaginable (just where do all of that wooden training weapons come from?!), mixing it with a few painful lessons with his sword, and me trying to counter, parry, dodge, and so on. All while learning the manner to react to all of that...