Is it wrong to fleece adventurers at the item shop?

An evening at the tavern, spent with celebrating adventurers? It is something that most people either dread or look forward to. I'm a little torn in that regard. I don't mind a little celebration every once in a while and there even is a good reason this time around. At the same time I know that I'm not good with any alcoholic beverages of any strength worth mentioning. They tend to go straight to my head. Sure, that might be fun at first, but that fun can turn bad quickly once my head and my stomach start protesting.

I should know, I have experienced it all before after all. And more importantly, I should know better. Yet, I don't even consider not going. Not even for one moment. At the same time I'm stalling for time.

Well, I already said that I would finish the candles for the temple, thus I might as well get to it. I wouldn't want to be called a liar after all. And having another project off my plate always feels good. That too is something I know from past experience.

Thus I see about finishing the candles for the temple first. I can worry about everything else later. I unwrap the candles in question. They are slightly bigger and longer than any I use. They are made of exceptionally fine and pure wax as well. I look at them while activating the appraisal skill.

[Blessed Candle: Uncommon. A fine candle infused with a little divine power. In this candle's light everything will be revealed as it really is. No mirage and especially no fey gossamer can prevail where this candle sheds light. This candle will burn for eight hours once lit.]

I'm left speechless for a moment. I never even suspected that the candles in temples have this effect. Or is it just the ones out here at the frontier? Well, never mind. I certainly have to do my best when enchanting these though.

Blessings in a way are a little like enchantments, except they are provided by the divine and supposedly paid for in Karma. I wouldn't know for sure though, how exactly that works. Karma is notoriously hard to earn after all. I can't imagine that any priest or priestess would spend it willfully.

On the other hand, this might explain why Wislawa wants these enchanted to last longer. It might make all the difference, when a candle like this lasts a year instead of just a few hours.

As I proceed to enchant the first candle, I take great care to get everything just right. Although the enchantment is deeply familiar I take my time, placing each rune with care and deliberation. It wouldn't do to forget the lesson I have so very recently learned.

As the last rune is finished, the candle draws in the completed circle, the enchantment taking hold.

I in turn activate my appraisal skill again to study the now enchanted candle.

[Everlasting Blessed Candle: Uncommon, A fine candle infused with a little divine power and enchanted with magic to last longer. In this candle's light everything will be revealed as it really is. No mirage and especially no fey gossamer can prevail where this candle sheds light. This candle will burn for a year once lit.]

I let out a deep breath and wipe away a drop of sweat. The anxiety that had my heart beating faster subsides. Good! Very good even! Everything is as it should be.

I put the enchanted candle away. I don't put it back on the cloth the candles came with though, as I don't want to mix it up with the others. Instead I put it up on the shelf above the table for now.

Then I proceed to enchant the other two candles as well. I force myself to work with the same deliberate care as the first time. First one and then the other is enchanted before long anyway. I check these with appraisal as well, getting the same result as with the other candle.

No irregularities. No problems. Only now do I allow myself to relax for good. Sadly there is no divine whisper. It isn't that much of a surprise, but I'm a little disappointed anyway. There are rumors that the divine are a little less frugal when handing out Karma for tasks performed in their service after all. I guess those are just rumors after all.

Now that all the enchanting I have planned to do is done I wrap the candles back up in the cloth. I'll return them when I head down to village square to join the celebration.

Before I leave the house I have to do something about my clothes first though. I have no doubt that even the weary and tired adventurers will clean up before celebrating their victory.

The first step is the easy one. I take a moment to freshen up at the creek behind the house.

The second step is a little more tricky. I can't just show up in my well worn everyday clothes on such an occasion. Sadly I don't exactly have many options. Agnieszka isn't done with the ordered clothes yet and I haven't exactly brought anything fancy. This leaves only the things from grandma's trunk.

I eye the big chest at the foot end of the bed. I know that it contains at least one very fancy dress, by some standards at least, but I'm not quite ready to wear something like that. Never mind the kind of trouble it could cause when worn to a busy place like the inn where plenty of beer and wine are sure to be consumed. No, no thank you. I'm not ready for anything like that.

I swallow hard and begin to sort through the clothes in the trunk once more. By now I'm actually getting pretty familiar with everything. There are two dresses. I spread both of them on the bed, taking care not to disturb Sour Cream too much. She carefully watches what I'm doing anyway.

Both dresses are pretty plain, made of simple fabric, mostly just one color and only sparingly used decorative stitching. They still are a change from what I'm usually wearing. They are both in good condition as well. They probably have not been worn all that often. At least that is my best guess.

In the end the decision I have to make isn't one. One of the dresses is designed for winter weather. I carefully fold it back up and put it back in the trunk with the other things.

This leaves just one dress spread out on the bed and I'm a bit torn about it. At a first glance it looks harmless enough and the dark brown fabric is simple and innocent enough as well.

It's sleeves are pretty short though and it shows a little more cleavage than I'm used to. Nothing scandalous, but still unlike anything I have worn before. What really worries me though is the length of the dress.

Judging by the way grandma's overall fit, my build is pretty similar to hers, except for the legs. Mine are longer. Noticeably so.

On grandma this dress probably would have been a little more than knee length. Just right.

On me? I'm not quite sure. Well, only one way to find out. I slip out of my working clothes and put on the dress instead. Thankfully the built in bodice is to be tied at the front and it fits well enough. It is as I expected though. The dress is a little short on my frame. It doesn't even reach the knees. It isn't too short entirely, but it is a bit short.

I can wear it to have a good time at the tavern, but I probably shouldn't consider wearing it on any other occasion. I can't wear this if I just go out shopping, and most certainly not for a wedding or, gods and goddesses forbid, a funeral.

Well, there is nothing I can do about it right now. This will have to do. I twist and turn in a clumsy attempt to make sure everything sits right. Then I grab my newly enchanted white ribbon and tie up my hair in braid that incorporates it. I can't really do anything more fancy with my hair on my own. Well, it isn't like anyone will care.

With that my preparations are almost, but not quite, finished. I grab some dried lavender from the rafters under the ceiling and crush it in a mortar, only taking a moment to make sure it isn't the same mortar I used for the coffee. I use the aromatic plant instead of perfume, since I don't have any. Now I'm done.

I close the shop, pour Sour Cream, who has been watching me all the while, the last from the jug of her favorite treat. Then, at good last, I grab the bundle with the candles and leave.

My first destination is the temple, although I can already hear music and the sound of animated talking spill from the inn. The priestess meets me in the antechamber, almost as if she is expecting me. Just how does she do that? Well, never mind. She accepts the bundle with a big smile and sees me off again with a cheerful wave.

I take one last deep breath before I enter the inn's common room. Then the cheerful atmosphere swallows me up. It isn't just the adventurers either. The common room is almost bursting at the seams. Pretty much everyone old enough to drink has to be here. And pretty much everyone seems to be drinking.

For a moment I think that no one noticed my entry. Then Danuta waves and proves me wrong. I head over in her direction. She is sitting with the youngsters, Tamara and Odolan, instead of her father, who seems to sit with Ser Tadeusz.

Before I know it I have a mug of beer in my hands.

The witch grins at me.

“Seems Lord Antek provided enough coin not just for the emergency quest itself but for free beer for everyone afterwards as well.”