Spend the day with her

After a few minutes the two of you start to discuss what to do for the rest of the day. Blythe makes it clear that she wants to spend the day with you, so you decide to take her shopping with you. There are three things on your mind: a weapon, some armor, and a book about magic. Blythe doesn’t have anything in mind to buy for herself, so the two of you set out to find the items on your list. You don’t go far, though, before you have an idea. You take Blythe into a deserted alleyway.

“I have a special assignment for you while we go shopping today,” you say. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it.” She looks a little worried, but you don’t let that stop you from grabbing hold of her boots and sliding them off of her legs. Then, standing behind her, you hear a yelp as she realizes that your hands are reaching under her skirt. Her body shakes uncontrollably as you hook your fingers under the straps of her panties, but she doesn’t utter a single word of protest as you slide them slowly down her legs. She watches as you fold them up and stick them in your pocket. As you help her back into her boots, you can’t help but notice how hot her skin is getting already. “You can have them back when we get to an inn for the night.” You start to walk away, and are surprised when Blythe reaches out to grab your hand. Looking back, you watch the panic in her face slowly shift to a small, embarrassed smile. She comes up beside you and laces her fingers into yours. I guess she wants to hold hands for a bit.

Evris’s streets are a little less confusing to you now, especially with Blythe around to help. You find your way to the Adventurer’s Guild, and from there you’re able to remember how to get to most of the places Lia pointed out to you yesterday. Your first stop is an armorer set up at the corner of a busy intersection.

The two walls of the shop that make up the corner of the intersection hold massive windows, wherein sets of armor are displayed: everything from leather ranger gear to the full plate suits you might see set up to guard the halls of an old mansion back on Earth. You enter the shop and quickly decide that you want something that’s a mix of chain mail and leather padding: full plate or chain is going to be way too heavy for you right now, but just leather on its own doesn’t feel like enough. You tell this to the clerk, a human man with unremarkable features and a monotonous voice, and he helps you find a nice piece that costs you seven gold. It’s a padded leather doublet, connected to matching bracers by sections of chain mail. You would have liked to get something in red, but dyed pieces in the same style are selling for twice as much gold, and you need to reserve your funds. You pay for the doublet and head outside. Rounding a corner into an alley, you take the time to remove your red tunic and replace it with the new armor. Blythe watches you change with interest, and tells you that the armor suits you.

Next on your shopping list is a weapon. Luckily, since the Adventurer’s Guild is so large in this town, there are plenty of places selling old, used weapons. You find one such shop ten minutes after leaving the armor store. Shop is a generous term, though, because it’s just a dwarf selling junk weapons out of a barrel on the side of the street. They’re cheap, though, and that’s what matters to you right now.

The first thing you do is grab the nice-looking buckler that he’s selling for four gold. You’re happy with your armor purchase, but an extra shield never hurts. Then, you switch your thinking from defense to offense. As you and Blythe sort through the barrel of weapons, you start to realize that this is an important moment for you. The type of weapon you choose here will probably determine the style of fighting you’ll have to master moving forward. Getting a sword would mean slashing away at your enemies, and you would have a hard time dealing with armored opponents. A mace or club would be better for that, but wouldn’t offer as much in terms of defense as a sword’s protective hilt. With a spear, you could fight at a greater distance than the other options, and you would be able to throw it if you had to. Bearing these options in mind, you fish through the barrel to find the highest quality sword, mace, and spear in the bunch. Blythe looks them over, and then pulls you aside.

“The shield looks to be quite sturdy. It should protect you well. However, I believe those weapons are beyond saving,” she says. “They will be serviceable for now, but I am worried they would fail you quickly. Are you certain you need a weapon? Evris is possibly the safest town in the empire, after the capitol itself, since the Adventurer’s Guild is based here.”

You can’t tell her that it’s those adventurers you’ll be defending yourself against eventually. “I would just feel a lot safer with one,” you say. “Plus, I don’t know how to fight. If I get a throwaway weapon, I can use it to train with you, right?” She is surprised by your desire to have her train you in combat, but that surprise turns to enthusiasm after a few moments. You both step back to the dwarf vendor and look over the sword, mace, and spear options one more time. They each cost roughly five gold, meaning it all comes down to your preference.