Alia had already picked out the cantrip she wanted.
Druids don't have that many common cantrips to choose from.
Mending was something Gauss already knew. Produce Flame—same idea; Gauss had cantrips and spells that could cover that function. Thorn Whip is a weaker version of Entangle, of which she already knew.
For the team's sake, she bought Guidance.
Guidance is a non-combat support cantrip that places a blessing on yourself or another target. Because it's a cantrip, the effect is modest and won't really land during intense combat, but in other scenarios—exploration, trap-finding, negotiations, climbing and jumping, deciphering runes or complex lore, recalling details, and so on—casting it helps the target perform better and complete the task at hand.
After paying, the two of them moved next door to the magic-item shop.
This was the very place where Gauss had bought the small storage pouch last time.
Magic items broadly fall into a few categories:
First are weapons—various blades with special effects, and wands fall under this too. Prices range from low to high.
Second is armor: by inscribing arcane sigils, armor gains stronger protective power.
Last is the broader grab-bag of wondrous items: amulets, alchemical ewers, storage bags, flying carpets, elemental gems, cloaks of illusion, and so on.
Wondrous items can be crafted or naturally formed. Either way, they carry uncanny power, and wearing or using them grants corresponding effects.
By quality, magic items are graded white (common), blue (rare), purple (extraordinary), and gold (epic). They're color-coded because, under Identify, they display different sheens.
Low-tier professionals mostly handle white-grade gear—simple and practical enchantments.
Gauss headed straight for the robe section.
A salesgirl bustled over with a bright smile, her gaze lingering a moment on the two stars on his badge—then turning even warmer. Professional rank usually tracks with buying power.
"Adventurer, looking for a robe? This season's new styles—care to try one?"
"What's different about them?"
"This one is a self-cleaning robe—less prone to grime and bloodstains, and it slowly purifies itself over time so you don't have to wash it.
"This one self-repairs minor snags and tears.
"And this one is a defensive robe—more flexible yet tougher. It won't match medium or heavy metal armor, but it protects better than plain cloth or leather and stays far more agile than conventional armor."
Even the most basic white-grade robes come in a profusion of cuts, colors, and trims, generally running 5–10 gold.
Gauss looked carefully and finally chose a plain black defensive robe.
A robe is, in essence, armor—and armor ought to protect. So his first concern was defense; color-wise he picked practical, dirt-hiding black.
Unlike leather, a mage's robe suits both battle and daily wear—just throw it on over an undershirt.
After paying 7 gold, Gauss cast Prestidigitation on the new robe, then changed on the spot.
The moment he put it on, he looked like a mage.
He studied himself in the mirror and nodded, satisfied. At least around town he no longer looked like a commoner in homespun linen. And for 7 gold, it felt worth it—plain black or not, the robe lent him a certain austere mystique.
Craftwise, beneath the matte black surface was finely-spun spider-silk: very soft, very light.
The sleeves were wide as a raven's wings; when he moved his arms the cuffs billowed with a quick, airy grace.
Money well spent. Whatever the exact protection, the presentation alone left nothing to complain about.
Alia, for her part, bought Ulfen the gray wolf a saddle that reduced load and slightly boosted agility and speed; she also picked up a dusk-blue protective shoulder-mantle—mainly as a perch for the raven Echo—with self-cleaning and sturdy properties. And she bought a small trowel that senses root systems in the soil, handy for everyday gardening.
After a round of shopping, both wore satisfied smiles. They'd spent plenty, but gold exists for moments like this, and every coin had gone to the edge of the blade—no regrets.
Leaving the Guild, they also stocked up on holiday goods together.
The days ahead would be for settling and digesting the winter hunt gains—and for focused training. After the festival, when the wind and snow eased, a new string of commissions would begin again.
That's an adventurer's life—no long vacations. Even in "rest" periods you have to maintain a training baseline; bodies and brains get lazy, and many skills and combat techniques regress if they aren't pushed. Take several months completely off with no maintenance, and a professional's power drops fast.
Not that every retired professional declines like that—it comes down to self-discipline.
Back home, Gauss started decorating his little second-floor room.
Outside, the snowfall thickened.
A few nearby houses with occupants glowed with warm candlelight, cozy even under the swirling white.
After half a day's rest, he pulled out the newly purchased Identify spellbook and lay on the bed to read.
A Level 1 spell's model is far more complex than a cantrip's. But maybe because he'd advanced to Level 2, studying a Level 1 model now felt noticeably easier—like returning to middle school after you've started high school: the difficulty plunges once you've learned more and your thinking has matured.
He meant to cram spell study and practice; once the festival passed, he'd be back on the job.
Next year, he planned to farm goblins first—his Reptilian Racial Trait was still at its initial tier, and he wanted it at least up to Proficient. Then he'd push progress on the Path of Elites and start hunting elite monsters.
As for picking simpler 1-star or tougher 2-star commissions, he'd decide when the time came.
1-star jobs are usually closer, finish faster, with lower odds of danger or mishap—you can chain several in a row.
2-star jobs lie farther out, include elite monsters, more fodder mobs, and a higher chance of running into other strong creatures along the way; they often require downtime afterward.
Each has pros and cons. He'd weigh next year's plans and choose.
The good news: now that he was Level 2, with stronger power backing him up, he had more options—higher-tier commissions, wider ranges, even traveling to other towns to take jobs could go on the table.
Outside the window over Grayrock Town, the low, leaden sky kept shedding snow. At the horizon where it met the Jade Forest, black clouds billowed and the snowfall swelled.
From deeper within the kingdom, the thick cloudbank was split by several streamlined, massive shapes.
A piercing, sky-rending cry cut through the air, riding a heavy downdraft.
Several huge griffins, wings flinging snow-spray, broke through the drooping slate clouds and slowly descended onto the frozen, rock-hard plaza at Grayrock Town's center.
~~~
A patron named SquiddlyWinks doesn't like the robe and wrote a long rant in the comment hahaha 😂 (love the guy still a member despite the hate on the robe). What do you guys think, like or dislike?
Anyway read the Author's Thoughts for more rant.