"Is that all a dwarven woman needs?" Rune asked, amused. "Lots of money and shiny things?"
"Silly human. That's what women of any race want." Gretta waved a hand as if it were obvious.
"Except maybe elves. Who knows what those tree lovers want, flowers?"
She spat to the side at the very idea, like the word itself had left a bad taste in her mouth.
Then her expression shifted to something more focused.
Gretta knew his secret. She also knew what kind of trouble Rune kept throwing himself into.
She tapped her fingers against the counter, already measuring possibilities in her head.
"With a green core, I can use half of it to make an accessory that helps you heal small wounds automatically. It won't mend bone or fix internal damage, but it will close cuts and stop bleeding."
"That sounds exactly like what I need," relief slipping into Rune's voice. "I've also been having trouble with the mental strain. Keeping my element active at its limit for too long."
Gretta narrowed her eyes, thinking.
"Alright. I can do something about that." She reached for the orange core, weighing it in her palm. "I'll use half the orange and the rest of the green to make something that reduces fatigue and fortifies your mind."
She pointed the core at him as if it were his fault the materials weren't better.
"These are Grade 1 cores. It'll help, but don't expect miracles. If you drag fights out too long, you'll still hit your limit."
"Cores have grades?"
"That would require explaining too much, and I don't feel like giving you a lecture." Gretta waved a hand. "Short version, the grade is tied to the floor of the dungeon it comes from."
"Alright." Rune nodded. "What can you do with the rest of the orange one?"
"Two things." Gretta's grin returned to her face. "You'll like one. The other, you're going to hate."
Rune tilted his head, bracing himself. "Alright. Hit me."
"First," Gretta began, "a simple lacquer you can apply to a weapon. For a short time, your hits go boom. Easy. Clean. Effective."
"That sounds perfect."
Gretta continued without mercy. "Second, I can make you 10 potions. You drink one, and it hardens your skin. Fortifies it. Makes you more resistant to damage."
"That sounds great. But I'm guessing there's a downside."
Gretta smirked.
"It hurts like hell while it takes hold."
"Sounds like your specialty." Rune laughed. "Alright, I'll take all of that, and I want some of the higher grade healing potions too. How much?"
Gretta did some quick math, eyes flicking between the cores and the shelves behind her.
"About 100 gold coins all in."
"We can do merits, right?"
"Oh, you've got a system now." Gretta's grin turned sharp. "Yeah, of course."
She tugged one glove off with her teeth and held her hand out. "Come on, beautiful. Take my hand."
Rune let out another laugh. "Who's flirting with who now?"
He took her hand and focused on the amount.
1,000 merits.
[Transfer of 1,000 Merits Complete.]
He released her hand. "I'm heading to see your brother real quick to order something. I'll be back tomorrow to pick everything up."
Gretta slid her glove back on and rolled her shoulders like she was already settling into work mode.
"Then I'd better start right now."
*****
Rune found himself sitting in a small park along the main street of the city, perched on the edge of a fountain while chewing on meat skewered on a stick.
'You know… ever since I got here, I've always been moving.'
'One goal into the next, like if I stop I'll fall apart.'
He took another bite and let his gaze drift.
Children ran through the park in messy circles, laughing as they chased each other with little carved toys. Street stalls lined the nearby road, vendors calling out over one another as they sold spices, cloth, tools, and odd trinkets hauled in from the provinces.
The city felt full today. Not just crowded, but alive.
'My armor and supplies won't be ready until tomorrow. So what am I supposed to do with myself?'
A woman walked past with a small child tugging at her sleeve.
"Honey, you can eat your apple when we get home," she said. "I'll peel it and cut it for you then."
Rune's chewing slowed.
'Home.'
The word landed harder than it should have. He stared at the fountain water for a moment.
'That's it. That's what I'm doing today.'
Rune stood, tossed the stick into a nearby bin, and wiped his hands on his pants.
He was going to find himself a home.
Rune hadn't walked through one of the empty districts while the sun was still up. He usually returned to the inn at night, when the darkness hid how abandoned everything truly was.
In daylight, the difference was impossible to ignore.
He had left behind streets packed with noise and movement, only to step into silence. Buildings of every size lined the road. Shopfronts with empty signs. Houses with clean stonework and unbroken windows. Everything looked maintained, even elegant.
And yet it was all… empty.
'Everyone says this city was here long before humans started arriving. But who built it?'
He kept walking, boots tapping against clean stone, the sound carrying farther than it should have.
'It's like the city was made for when humans showed up.'
The innkeeper had said something when he first came to this world, something about a cage being left for mice.
Rune slowed, forcing himself to think practically about the problem at hand.
If each person could only claim one residence, then he didn't want something small. He wanted something that could serve him for a long time.
Room to store supplies. Room to train. Room to breathe.
And more importantly, he wasn't exactly making friends. He needed a place that would be easy to defend.
His eyes lifted toward the end of the street.
'There's that large walled off manor near the inn,' he thought. 'I should go look at it.'