Scroll 31: The Counterfeit Elf
Alaster walked into the shop with Jinneth holding firmly onto his arm. A few steps inside, they noticed a blonde elf approaching an elegant customer, clearly a noblewoman.
—Lady Kisandra, this dress is perfect for you,— Feralt'hesterel said, his voice modulating with practiced, deliberate smoothness. He held a sumptuous gown with both arms, displaying it with ease and elegance.
—I am certain it will make you stand out among all the noble ladies of the duchy. Furthermore, the dark dye of the fabric creates an ideal contrast with your porcelain skin.
The customer, a stunning noblewoman of about twenty-eight with jet-black hair and a refined bearing, stared at the elven merchant with slightly flushed cheeks. She was completely spellbound—both by the flawless drape of the garment and the cold, captivating gallantry of the owner of the Sea Sapphire.
—I'll take it! —Kisandra exclaimed, her eyes locked onto him—. But... is our tea plan still on?
—Of course, —Feralt replied with a polite, professional smile—. We have that engagement scheduled at the book club for next Tuesday.
With a subtle wave of his hand, Feralt handed the dress to one of his human employees with fluid movement, signaling her to guide the noblewoman toward the magical payment counter.
Kisandra walked away, dragging the lavish train of her own dress behind her, her eyes never leaving the blonde elf until she was too far away.
Feralt watched his client leave. Moving the intricate gold and purple trim of his white overunic, he turned toward the shop's entrance.
Resting upon his blonde hair was an ornament resembling a crown of golden branches—an accessory Alaster recognized as a marker of high civilian status, though far from anything denoting true royalty.
Noticing the new couple, Feralt walked toward them with light, graceful steps. His first move was to offer Jinneth an elegant bow.
—Welcome, milady. And it is a pleasure to have you here, brother from foreign lands, —he greeted them in his measured cadence, his sharp green eyes locking onto Alaster, evaluating him in a fraction of a second.
Seeing the imposing shopkeeper, Alaster tensed. Until now, his only real contact with members of his supposed race had been with Arya. This was the first time he would interact directly with another neovan—the correct elven term for a male elf.
Glancing sideways toward the main entrance, he took a small breath of relief.
«Excellent, at least there are no guards nearby,» he thought.
—The day is bright today, —Feralt added.
—It's a wonderful day to visit your shop, —Jinneth replied somewhat shyly, holding onto the black-haired elf's arm.
In her heart of hearts, the young baker couldn't help but compare the blonde merchant's slender elegance to the imposing, robust, and masculine build of her boyfriend. To Jinneth, Alaster won by a landslide.
—I am Feralt'hesterel, but you may call me Feralt, —the merchant introduced himself.
Alaster stepped forward, emulating the bow as naturally as he could recall from his readings.
—I am Alaster. If you like, you can call me Al, like my friends do.
Feralt briefly arched an eyebrow, surprised by the peculiar phonetics of the shortened name, but maintained his composure.
Behind him, the three human assistants watched the scene with wide eyes, hiding their faces behind their hands as they whispered with clear excitement.
—No way... That's our ultra-gorgeous boss standing right next to another ultra-gorgeous guy, —one of the girls whispered, biting her lip—. I think the black-haired one is a solid ten on the Feralt scale.
—What are you talking about? No! —the second hissed back, staring intently at Alaster's torso—. Look at his abs and the way he carries himself in that combat coat. He's a mandatory eleven. He is way more sculpted.
—You have no class, Feralt is much more stylized and elegant, —the first retorted with the indignation of a devoted fan—. You throw yourself at anything with muscles.
The third employee nudged them both gently.
—Shut up, both of you. If either of them offered you a night of passion, you'd accept without a second thought. But that's a damn dream; those elves are as handsome as they are cold. Neither would ever notice us. Wait... look at that girl. She's completely glued to the black-haired guy's arm.
The three assistants froze in astonishment. They knew that an elf would never allow a common human girl to get that close unless there was a powerful reason.
Was this magnificent specimen actually paired up with a country girl?
Ignoring the murmurs of his employees, Feralt began displaying several magical items arranged over fine velvet cloths. He moved his long, well-groomed hands, pointing toward a row of mage rings lined up on a shelf.
—Rings are the most discrete tools for a channeler, —Feralt explained methodically—. This one, for instance, is the most expensive in my current inventory; it can store up to 500 mana points to be used in spells whenever you require them.
As he spoke, Feralt's green eyes repeatedly drifted back to the couple, paying special attention to how Jinneth remained tethered to Alaster's arm. The blonde elf paused, clasped his fingers in front of him, and cleared his throat subtly.
—Forgive the intrusion, brother from foreign lands, —Feralt said refinedly—. But if it causes no offense, might I be permitted to ask a purely personal question?
Inwardly, the blonde elf's mind was processing the scene with profound bewilderment. He knew it was rare to see any elf in a relationship due to the inherently apathetic nature of their race, but seeing one bonding with another species was entirely unheard of.
«Is this neovan under some form of slavery or contract of servitude to this human?» At the thought, Feralt tightly clenched his fist beneath his robes in a flash of suppressed anger, though he masked his expression instantly.
Alaster, catching the subtle spike in tension, smiled calmly and laid out the reality without beating around the bush.
—Actually, we are dating. We're a couple.
Hearing her boyfriend's words, Jinneth nodded enthusiastically, a vibrant, innocent, and prideful smile lighting up her crimson face.
Feralt watched the young baker's reaction closely; his extensive experience in reading people told him instantly that the girl was entirely genuine. The blonde elf relaxed his posture, letting go of his hidden fist.
Taking advantage of a moment where Jinneth became distracted looking at a nearby glass display case, Feralt leaned in slightly toward Alaster to speak in a low voice.
—Why would you date a human? —Feralt inquired with genuine, puzzled curiosity.
Alaster raised an eyebrow and looked at Jinneth. The pretty girl was holding a necklace, looking at it with attention. Her young profile of enchanting beauty made Alaster smile involuntarily.
But then, he went into a panic. Well, it was none of the merchant's business... but why was he asking? Did he have suspicions? Red alerts blared in his head.
«That's it, I'm caught! This guy suspects me and at any moment he's going to dissect me to see how I work inside! Think fast, Joseph!... Wait! If I tell him it's a field study, I might pull it off!»
Swallowing his nervousness, Alaster composed a serious, mystical expression:
—I wanted to experience love... exactly the way humans do. To study their affective dynamics from the inside.
Feralt fell completely silent, lost in thought. The blonde elf placed a hand on his chin, adopting a look of deep concentration.
Almost mechanically, and without breaking his blank stare, he reached his arm out toward a side shelf, picked up an object, and handed it to Alaster. It was a translucent crystal orb emitting a subtle, sky-blue glow.
Alaster took the sphere in his hands, weighing it, and asked to break the silence:
—What's the difference between a ring and this orb, Feralt?
The merchant, still deep in reflection, answered abstractedly:
—Orbs possess an internal structure that keeps mana circulating constantly, making them the ideal tools for maintaining magical barriers and active protection spells. Another crucial advantage is efficiency: they can absorb mana directly from the surrounding air, saving you a considerable percentage of your own energy when casting.
That particular model grants a 15% mana savings. Its maximum storage capacity is 700 points.
Alaster nodded, pleasantly surprised. Setting the orb aside, his violet eyes landed on a long artifact made of dark wood with metallic fittings resting on an upper shelf. Alaster reached up and grabbed it.
—And this... is pretty heavy, —he commented.
—Yes, —Feralt nodded—. That is a concentration staff. Its commercial name is [Excellent: Staff of Flames], though the attribute is adaptable.
—Excellent? —Alaster asked, pausing. —Does that mean it is very good?
Feralt smiled slightly. —It seems brother Al is not familiar with the different quality tiers of merchandise.
Alaster shook his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
Feralt smiled. —I will gladly explain it briefly. Quality tiers range from Common, Enhanced, Excellent, Rare, Atrocious, to Legendary. That staff is an Excellent-tier piece.
Alaster nodded silently, making a quick mental note:
«Wow, so all the basic equipment I have right now must be Common tier.»
Wanting to test his theory, he slipped off the ring he had been wearing since Deinderatrix gave it to him.
—Feralt, could you tell me what tier this particular ring is?
The blonde elf took the piece of jewelry delicately, inspecting the magical engravings on the metal. A flash of genuine appreciation crossed his face.
—Oh... this is an accumulation ring of the [Enhanced: Flow Band] tier. Enchanted jewelry work on pieces this small is extremely difficult... Are you selling it, by any chance? I would be willing to make a generous offer.
—It was a gift from an acquaintance, —Alaster replied with a polite smile—, I'm afraid I couldn't part with it.
«No way in hell am I selling this to him,» he calculated skeptically. «This could be ridiculously valuable on the market, and this merchant might just want to exploit my ignorance to resell it for triple the price.»
Feralt simply nodded without showing any frustration and handed it back.
—Understandable. You can accumulate up to 450 mana points inside it. The downside to this design is that it possesses no additional passive properties; it functions purely as a storage battery.
The shop owner shifted slightly, resting his arms on the polished wooden counter.
—Would you mind if I asked you another question, Al? What does it feel like to date someone? Personally, I have never had any interest in the matter. I have always held the firm conviction that a partner would directly interfere with my business or my research into magical formations. Does a relationship truly not steal valuable time away from your studies?
Alaster smirked, amused by his conversational partner's extreme pragmatism.
—Hmm, I think it's entirely relative, Feralt. You always have to invest a certain amount of time in your girl, that's undeniable; but there is a reciprocity to it. For example, Jinneth took care of me and nursed me back to health with total devotion when I was beaten down, right after an intense battle we had against a Wyvern on the outskirts.
Feralt's green eyes went wide for a brief second, losing their usual aristocratic composure.
—Were you the neovan who brought down that Alpha Wyvern a few days ago?
Alaster looked at him, astonished by how fast news traveled. Scratching his cheek with a finger, he clarified the situation:
—Well, I was directly involved in the fight, but I only managed to inflict some damage... about 600 points of health damage, to be exact. I think the most useful thing I did in that fight was inflicting the frozen status condition to grind its movements to a halt.
Feralt nodded, absorbing the data. Then, tapping his index finger against the wood of the staff Alaster had set aside, he steered the conversation back to weaponry:
—Al, this [Excellent: Staff of Flames] can concentrate around 900 mana points for a single attack. And the best part is that it achieves a 30% mana savings during concentration. That means out of the 900 total points, only 640 come directly from your internal reserves; the rest is drawn from the environment.
Alaster was left open-mouthed. However, his logical programmer's brain immediately began calculating regeneration speeds and charge times:
Let's see... if I calculate how long it would take to fill a staff with a 900-mana capacity at my current rate, that equates to about eighteen continuous seconds of channeling... That is an eternity in the middle of real combat!» he thought, feeling a slight chill.
Anxious to move on to more practical topics for his tactical survival, Alaster leaned over the counter.
—Hey, Feralt, changing the subject... do you happen to have grimoires available for sale? I need powerful Area of Effect spells, and also some direct combat spells that are fast to cast. Preferably ice attribute.
The blonde elf stared at him for a moment with a slight frown, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
«Hehe... Brother Alaster is an exceedingly peculiar neovan... I like his demeanor. It definitely doesn't feel like dealing with the rest of our kind,» Feralt thought.
—Very well, ice is an excellent attribute, —the merchant commented, regaining his professional poise—. It isn't as dangerous and inconvenient as fire, which tends to fill the entire battlefield with dense smoke that obstructs vision, not to mention it can set structures ablaze far too easily.
Right then, follow me this way... By the way, where did your companion go?
—Oh, she went outside to buy something to drink for the three of us, —Alaster replied, turning toward the entrance—. Look, there she comes.
Jinneth crossed the shop's threshold carrying a tray made of a rather precarious-looking thin sheet of wood. Balancing precariously on top of it were about seven wooden cups filled with a steaming liquid.
—Al, Mr. Feralt, would you care for something to drink? It's coffee, —she offered with a warm smile.
Alaster instantly spotted one prepared exactly the way he liked it. He looked at Jinneth with affection, and she gave him a smile.
Feralt, curiosity piqued, reached out and took a cup containing a lighter blend, looking very much like a café latte with plenty of froth. Jinneth gave Alaster a playful wink and turned around with the tray.
—I'll leave you two alone so you can keep talking about your complex mage stuff, —she said cheerfully, heading straight toward the back of the shop where the three employees were waiting.
Within a few seconds, the salesgirls began chatting animatedly with Jinneth in the distance, sharing the remaining cups of coffee amid bright laughter.
Feralt watched the scene from afar for a long moment, completely bewildered, and then looked down at the wooden cup in his hands.
—Al... is that what a girlfriend is for? To help fetch coffee and attend to guests?
Alaster had to exert tremendous effort, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from bursting into a full laugh at the blonde elf's bizarre, naive question.
«Wow... who would've thought,» Alaster thought ironically. «Now it turns out I've become the love doctor of the new world. And to think this is, in all likelihood, my first formal relationship that doesn't qualify as toxic.»
Taking a long sip from his wooden cup, Alaster replied in a calm, mature tone:
—It's not a matter of what she is "for," Feralt. A partner isn't an employee. It's a person who voluntarily chooses to accompany you on the difficult, chaotic, and sometimes dangerous journey of life. You provide mutual support for one another.
«Though I don't even understand how I went from being worried about having my cavities examined to acting as a sexologist for Feralt...» Alaster added to himself.
Feralt weighed the words, staring intently at the foam of his café latte.
—I see... I was under the firm understanding that the sole purpose of forming a union was the preservation of the species and producing offspring... By the way, do you already have babies with her, Al?
Alaster violently choked on the sip of coffee he had just taken. The dark liquid nearly went down the wrong pipe; he began coughing compulsively, slamming a hand against his chest while his face flushed bright red from a lack of air.
It took him nearly a full minute to calm the spasms and regain his composure, wiping the corner of his lips with the back of his glove. While he was calming down, he thought: «Well, the truth is that today I almost became a father, but I don't even know how this situation came to be, and I am definitely not discussing that with him.»
—Are you well? —Feralt inquired, tilting his head, entirely unphased.
—Yes... yeah, all good, —Alaster managed to say, catching his breath—. Regarding what you mentioned about babies... I think that is something of a much deeper nature. It's a step couples take only when both decide on it by mutual agreement, and when the economic situation and environment are completely favorable.
Before reaching that point, a relationship consists purely of mutual support, companionship, daily affection... and the physical aspect, of course.
—Are you referring to the act of mating? —Feralt inquired, narrowing his eyes as if taking mental notes on a lecture of high philosophy.
Alaster looked left and right, internally thanking the heavens that Jinneth and the employees were far enough away chatting and laughing that they couldn't hear a single word. Eyes narrowed in disbelief, Alaster asked the merchant:
—Hey, Feralt... how much do you actually know about interpersonal relationships and intimacy?
—Absolutely nothing, —the blonde elf responded without the slightest hint of shame or hesitation.
Feralt turned around and began rummaging through a large three-tiered shelf completely packed with heavy leather-bound volumes. After a few seconds of searching, he pulled out a dark blue book with a fine and aesthetic binding. The title engraved in silver letters read [Frozen Needles]. Feralt extended it to Alaster.
—This is a highly efficient, mid-tier spell. It allows you to materialize a large quantity of high-density flying ice spikes and launch them simultaneously at your enemies. Though I must warn you, it is rather costly; its sale price is 30 gold coins.
As he spoke, Feralt continued sliding his fingers along the spines of the books across the three shelves packed with magical grimoires.
—I do not possess a wide variety of purely ice-based spells at the moment, but if you are interested, I have this other water-attribute one that conjures a dense mist...
This one is considerably more affordable, costing only 7 gold coins. It covers a fairly large area; it does not inflict direct damage to the targets' health, but obscuring yourself within it or blinding enemy lines of sight is remarkably easy.
Alaster took the mist grimoire into his hands, feeling the weight of magical knowledge, but internally his personal finances took a devastating blow:
«Between what the inn stay, the meals, and the expensive clothes I had to buy out of necessity cost me—including this outfit, the exhibitionist armor that Jinneth loves, and more than ten other sets of casual wear—it amounts to only about 40 to 45 silver coins. Honestly, I think there is some expense I am forgetting.
Damn it, grimoires are incredibly expensive compared to daily life! The mage class is definitely exclusive to millionaires.»
With a sigh, Alaster looked up at the merchant.
—Do you have any attack that is... you know, a bit more economical for my current budget?
Feralt didn't answer immediately. He took two more books from the shelves and placed them carefully onto a low dark-wood coffee table located in the center of the reading area.
Then, making an elegant gesture with his hand, he invited Alaster to sit down while he took a seat in a cushioned armchair directly opposite him. The blonde elf rested his elbows on his knees, interlacing his fingers once more.
—So, Al... returning to our previous topic, what purpose does keeping a partner truly serve if it is not for immediate procreation?
Alaster, who could already feel a drop of cold sweat rolling down the back of his neck at the merchant's analytical persistence, shifted in his seat and tried to find simple words.
—It's to have constant companionship in the world, Feralt. To share the good moments, face hardships together... and well, enjoy everything that the intimacy of being united implies.
Feralt stared at him fixedly, analyzing the response with a meditative focus.
—I comprehend the concept of companionship... but you continue to elude the topic of mating. What exactly do you mean by "enjoying what it implies"?
Alaster closed his eyes for a second, praying internally that the blonde merchant would just drop the subject.
It was glaringly obvious that Feralt knew absolutely nothing about intimacy or pleasure. To him, sex was just a cold, mechanical process for conception—a sterile give-and-take purely for reproduction.
«If I didn't know it was impossible, I'd say this elf is... No, it's not possible. Is it...?»
Suddenly, a logical suspicion struck Alaster's mind like a bolt of lightning. He stared directly at the blonde elf and asked in a very low voice:
—Hey... Feralt... by any chance do you... not know what it feels like to be intimate with someone of the opposite sex? I mean, the physical act itself?
Feralt lowered his gaze to the shop floor, remaining pensive for a few long seconds. Finally, he gave a soft shake of his head.