Prototype Pump Unit (100 gold)

You had no idea what sort of thing Liens might like, but you imagined she'd appreciate having a piece of sophisticated machinery delivered out to this remote camp. It must be hard for her, working as an inventor with the limitations of a small, mobile workshop, rather than the resources of the inner city she was used to before. The only question is whether she could actually use a weird machine like this. The machine in front of you didn't have an obvious purpose, but that almost made it more attractive-- if you had no idea what it did, that probably meant that it was something on the cutting edge of tech. The thing had a big, red rubber nozzle attached to one end and an unknowable metal box on the other, with a lever that compressed in and doubled as a handle. Of course, the worst case scenario was that it turned out to be a kitchen appliance... there was no way she could use something like that-

“She can use it!” Mot interrupted in a cheerful tone, suddenly springing up next to you, as though through magic.

You nearly dropped the item you were inspecting, but held your grip, realizing the amount of gold you could end up on the hook for. Ignoring the question of how he'd read your mind, you asked the shopkeeper how he knew your saintess would like this.

“Hm hm, you think Mot the Red lives under a rock, do you? I know of the famous inventor, Lien Whitespark! Yes, I know her well!”

You were surprised to hear he'd met her. After all, she didn't seem to venture out of the workshop much. It was hard to imagine her shopping at a frivolous place like this.

“No, no, she does not grace Mot with her presence, no. But who in this area does not know her? Not one with knowledge such as mine!” he chuckled. “And even she would be impressed at the quality of this Prototype Pump Unit! I know this because it is not released to the market at large. It was given to Mot by a secret contact in the tech industry, hm hm. She could not have one. But she may need one! This baby can efficiently extract mana straight from the source of a connected magic wielder and put it in the types of magical engines she uses. Useful for everything, from medium-sized gizmos to magnificent golems. It can extract other things too, yes. Impressed?”

It did sound impressive, even if you couldn't understand a word of it, but it also sounded like a bit of a gamble. Did Liens really need this? Even if by some miracle she was badly missing a magic pump, did she need it badly enough for you to spend one-hundred gold pieces on it?

“Yes, yes, it is a bargain, my friend! It is essential to her work, I'm certain of it! The important work of a saintess, yes?”

Once again, Mot intruded into your thoughts. You asked why he hadn't gone and given it to her if it was actually of importance to her work as a saintess.

The salesman shrugged his shoulders and grinned in a less than apologetic way. “Oooh, you know, Mot the Red, as in favor as he is with his secret friend, he did not get this item for free! He must recoup his costs. That is just business, my friend. Just business!” he answered dismissively. “And if you think of it, imagine if Mot had presented it straight away! He would have deprived you, the squire, the chance to present it as a gift! That would impede your work, would it not? Aaah, you must think forward, my friend! Forward-thinking!” Mot gave you a sly wink.

Part of you wanted to leave the thing on his shelf, just to prove to him you weren't as predictable as you suddenly felt…