(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 14)

[Oldmansour]

>"Not the food part?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Not the food part?"

>"Well, they're outfitters, not grocers."

[Oldmansour]

>"Ah. Then where would you reccomend for that?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Ah. Then where would you reccomend for that?"

>"Well, I buy most of my stuff at Quinlan," she says with a shrug, "but that's only because I practically live next door. They're fine, I guess."
>"There's a little market on the south side of the river I like to go to," Kyouko adds. "Actually, I was going to go grocery shopping tomorrow anyway, so you can leave that part up to me, if you want! Um, unless you're really particular about what you eat on the road...."

[Oldmansour]

>"Not especially, but we can talk about that along the way to, uh, North Compass. You know how to get there from here, Kyouko?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Not especially, but we can talk about that along the way to, uh, North Compass. You know how to get there from here, Kyouko?"

>"That's, um... off of West Alder, right?" she says uncertainly. "Near the fountain?"
>The other woman shakes her head. "No, it's up by Hillcroft, just past the... actually, do you know that statue of the old dude with the hammer?"
>"The real grumpy-looking one?"
>She snickers. "Yeah, I suppose he is, now that you mention it. Anyway, it's right around the corner from there. Down Haydon."
>Kyouko nods twice. "Down Haydon. Got it!"

[Oldmansour]

>"Excellent, then let's go and get it over with."
>"Uh, again, unless you wanted to sit down for a bit first, Kyouko, you've covered more ground than me, after all."

[DracoOmega]

>"Excellent, then let's go and get it over with."
>"Uh, again, unless you wanted to sit down for a bit first, Kyouko, you've covered more ground than me, after all."

>"I'm good!" she replies instantly.

[Oldmansour]

>"I sort of figured you'd say that. Well, let's go, then."
>Do that.

[DracoOmega]

>"I sort of figured you'd say that. Well, let's go, then."
>Do that.

>Kyouko thrusts a hand into the air. "Let's go, then! Oh, uh, but maybe I should give this to you first."
>Somewhat sheepishly, she hands you the vial of Athran's Vigor. The viscous liquid within has the look and consistency of cooking oil, but smells more like vinegar mixed with potting soil. Very expensive vinegar and potting soil. It looks so fragile for something so precious; what you stand to lose if it breaks on the journey back doesn't bear thinking about. You place the vial in the safest, most padded pouch of your backpack, and then depart the guildhall.

>You reach two conclusions on this next leg of your shopping trip. One: Kyouko is not to be trusted around anyone with a headache. Two: The Northern Compass is entirely too far away when your body is made of lead and heavy blankets. By the time you arrive in front of the rustic-looking boutique, it is with a somewhat grumpy spirit that even Kyouko's effervescent chatter could not quite stave off.
>The interior of the Northern Compass is all dark wood and exposed rafters, dominated by the smell of leather and metal, oilskin and canvas. The shelves are lined densely with boots and heavy cloaks, camping gear and knapsacks, survival knives, water purifiers, and navigational aids, both magical and mundane. The crowded floor and spacious ceiling give odd acoustics to the space, with footsteps seeming to resonate loudest where they are not; there are several other customers here, even at this time of day.

[Oldmansour]

>We lost that good knife we had back in the spider cave, didn't we?

[DracoOmega]

>We lost that good knife we had back in the spider cave, didn't we?

>The last you saw it, it was still embedded in the spider youkai's torso.

[Oldmansour]

>Good, maybe we can ask for it back if WE get back.
>For now though- Actually, since our money situation is a bit uinque, let's go looking for an enchanted knife if they carry them, nothing fancy, one with a Fire or Frost enchantment would be okay.
>And a magic carpet, we need one of those.

[DracoOmega]

>Good, maybe we can ask for it back if WE get back.
>For now though- Actually, since our money situation is a bit uinque, let's go looking for an enchanted knife if they carry them, nothing fancy, one with a Fire or Frost enchantment would be okay.
>And a magic carpet, we need one of those.

>Well, it wasn't your knife in the first place, and it wasn't particularly remarkable one, either.
>The store does have a decent selection of knives, and some of them are even enchanted, but if you're looking for something that bursts into flame or freezes on contact, you're probably at the wrong store; these are wilderness tools, not weapons. Some are labelled as rust-proof and self-sharpening, one apparently has a glow in the dark blade (to keep one from fumbling it at night, presumably), some are extra-effective at cutting wood and plant matter, and a very pricey model boasts an antiseptic enchantment for butchering kills or performing crude first aid.
>No carpets of any kind, magical or otherwise - not even on their own floor. If you'd wanted magical esoterica, perhaps you shouldn't have asked for a place to buy climbing gear and sleeping bags; those, at least, this store has in abundance.

>Kyouko picks up a long spyglass from a shelf and peers through it, turning around in place until she nearly hits you in the head with it, unaware.
>She giggles as she stares at you through it, one eye squeezed firmly shut. "Your nose is so big!'

[Oldmansour]

>"All the better to smell you with."
>Price check on a mundane hunting knife and rust-proof knife. And anti-plant knife.

[DracoOmega]

>"All the better to smell you with."
>Price check on a mundane hunting knife and rust-proof knife. And anti-plant knife.

>Kyouko lets out a peel of laughter.
>On the more budget-conscious end of the scale, you find a perfectly serviceable knife for 16 guilders. Once you move up to self-sharpening ones, the best you can manage is 32 guilders and the blade is somewhat small; there's one with much more satisfying heft for 44. The plant-cutters range from 24 to 50, though you question the effectiveness of the enchantments on the lower end of that price range.

[Oldmansour]

>Wait a second, we didn't have a spyglass either, did we?
>What's the damage on those?

[DracoOmega]

>Wait a second, we didn't have a spyglass either, did we?
>What's the damage on those?

>You do not.
>They seem to range from 26 to 185 guilders, depending on size, magnification, and enchantment. One of the more expensive ones claims to compensate for foggy weather and poor lighting. Another has a built-in range finder. There is even a frighteningly expensive one ornamented with patterned bronze feathers that claims to accurately identify any bird the user gets a good look at through it. Well, you guess if someone really really likes bird-watching....

[Oldmansour]

>Well we don't need a GREAT one for now, so let's select a 26 buck spyglass, a good length knife for around 20, then go find us a sleeping bag we can carry without too much hassle.

[DracoOmega]

>Well we don't need a GREAT one for now, so let's select a 26 buck spyglass, a good length knife for around 20, then go find us a sleeping bag we can carry without too much hassle.

>You select the cheapest spyglass available - a compact brass model with only modest magnification, though hopefully still useful. Sadly, your eyesight is too far gone to gauge its focus and clarity with any confidence. Next, you try out a few knives and select an affordable one whose grip feels most comfortable in your palm; it's always more satisfying to have a tool that feels right to hold. Then you move on to the sleeping bags. Probably you're not doing any better than 32 guilders here, and if you want perks like waterproofing or self-heating or ultra-compact, it could cost as much as 78.
>"Oh look," Kyouko says, pointing at a black sleeping bag dappled with tiny stars, "This one twinkles in the dark!"

[Oldmansour]

>It wasn't wet enough for us to really need waterproofing on the way to Yuuka's, was it?

[DracoOmega]

>It wasn't wet enough for us to really need waterproofing on the way to Yuuka's, was it?

>It rained for almost an entire day on the way in; it was difficult to find any place to sleep that wasn't hopelessly damp and muddy. Good shelter is always better than a waterproof sleeping bag, of course, but waterproofing is always a perk.

[Oldmansour]

>How big a bill have we racked up so far? Taking that amount away, how much cash would we have left?

[DracoOmega]

>How big a bill have we racked up so far? Taking that amount away, how much cash would we have left?

>The knife and spyglass you have selected come to 47 guilders. Purchasing them would leave you with 90 guilders.

[Oldmansour]

>And if we opted for the cheapest waterpoof sack, how much would that leave us with for the rest of our supply shopping?

[DracoOmega]

>And if we opted for the cheapest waterpoof sack, how much would that leave us with for the rest of our supply shopping?

>The cheapest waterproof sleeping bag you can see is priced at 46 guilders, which would leave you with 44 remaining, once your other two purchases here are accounted for.

[Oldmansour]

>Ouch.
>Did we pass flint around here, we need that, too, how much was that?

[DracoOmega]

>Ouch.
>Did we pass flint around here, we need that, too, how much was that?

>You are running a little shorter on money than you'd like after today's shopping expedition, but it's hard to put a price tag on your own life.
>The shop carries a variety of fire starters, though the waterproof matches you already possess would seem to serve that function adequately. For that matter, you imagine you could strike sparks from either of your knives, if you really needed to.

[Oldmansour]

>Apparently we need to start counting pennies.
>Let's price out- Oh wait, we don't really need to do any climbing on the way back, do we, not with our increased knowledge of the area.

[DracoOmega]

>Apparently we need to start counting pennies.
>Let's price out- Oh wait, we don't really need to do any climbing on the way back, do we, not with our increased knowledge of the area.

>There is a little climbing, though more in the sense of a steep hike than a cliff face - nothing that requires any special gear. The one you fell off of while pursuing Fearless Grapefruit was a detour for the main route towards the garden, as it turns out.