The Atelier series: getting to play as the kind of person who would run an item shop right outside or even in the final dungeon. Strolling through monster-infested dungeons in search of ingredients and to make money.
Atelier Luke? No, he likes selling and bragging about the stuff (which is part of bargaining), not making it. Still, it's probably where I got a lot of the idea.
I played Recettear recently, long after I originally wrote that A/N. Imagine Luke (and Anise) going "Capitalism, ho!"
I really do like the idea that Luke does the shopping in the game, and I can very much see him going 'I brought you shinies! Like me?' Imagine Noir training him as a pickpocket and patting him on the head.
I had Din start her trade good shop earlier in the timeline.
I do like the 'Maoyu' anime and light novels: they're nicely educational about what trade is supposed to accomplish and wartime economics. 'The one thing that everyone agrees on is that they want tomorrow to be just a little bit happier than today.'
So, what are you bringing me? Swordian Dymlos?
It was supposed to be a surprise.
Luke snorted. Like you wouldn't bring the best you have to offer for me.
You're right. Leal Zaon smiled as the lift ascended. I bought an Elven Bow for Natalia and just for ruining my surprise, you're going to have to buy the Faerie Ring you want to give her fair and square. Merchants might give nobles they want as patrons big expensive gifts as the price of doing business, but other than that you're just my best customer, and a customer is a customer. If I gave you everything you wanted for free Din would have my head.
Luke, having heard about Din, the mini maven who supplied the contacts that turned Leal's rare finds and Noir's ability to transport goods secretly (and Nam Cobanda's ability to produce fontech and custom clothing) into a multimillion gald business, knew better than to argue with that.
When the lift reached the top Leal looked out at a place he had only seen through Luke's eyes except for once, long ago. And now he would finally see Suzanne again. He'd picked everything out carefully. A Holy Ring for Luke's mother, who for a few months had been Leal's as well, armor for Luke's father, Rare Boots that Luke would buy for Guy (to make his servant walk more quietly, of course, not because he wanted to give him a birthday present or anything), and a World Charm for the king.
He'd spent those seven years learning how to be someone else, and the role of Chesedonian merchant wasn't just a role anymore: he was a merchant that lived in Chesedonia. And Nam Cobanda Island. Well, it wasn't a role any more than humanity was a role. Luckily Lorelei had managed to break the fact that as a collection of the seventh fonon with Lorelei's frequency, identifier, he was another aspect of Lorelei to him gently.
Now, he'd be meeting Luke's family, not just any client, so appearances were even more important than they always were. He was a member of the Dark Wing Circus, he knew about performing.
Red and gold were Lorelei's colors: just as Luke's hair had darkened Leal's had brightened in the sun until it was gold with only tinges of red. That was how Lorelei appeared as energy, as the raw fonon did. It wasn't entirely coincidence.
The dwellers of the Zao desert often wore cloths over their mouths and noses to keep the sand out, and what showed of Leal's face was almost as golden as his hair: a far cry from the paleness that resulted from being confined to a manor house and castle the majority of the time.
Din had a point that a blue sephira was always a good thing to have in the wild, every little bit of gald counted, but since he was going for the prosperous merchant look more than the savvy trader look the idol at his belt had been replaced by an alexandrite gem-studded hair ornament that sat at the top of the back of his head where the braid started. Luke hated how he looked in short hair and seeing his memory Leal had been forced to agree. The length of Luke's had been somewhat limited by how practical it was to keep it tangle-free, but Leal had learned how to braid it from one of the people who helped with costuming, liked how it looked that way (unlike Luke) and just kept growing it out. He'd cut it when he started tripping over it. Either that or start wearing a turban and wrap the top part around under it.
Luke disliked that look even more but, as Leal pointed out, Leal wearing his hair ways Luke didn't like and wearing clothes Luke wouldn't be seen dead in was a good thing. Guy and Natalia hadn't noticed a thing when they'd met at the arena for the first time two years ago. That had been a test run, and it had been a bit of a risk to do as Natalia suggested and team up for the team battles the following year. Again, they'd noticed nothing, although the fact that Leal fought with a mythril lance instead of a sword might have helped.
Sword-based strike artes had been contaminated by the man whose memories he had learned his first ones from. Staffs and spears were usually far better for fonic artes in any case, although fighting with a staff had started as an in-joke. No one but he and Luke knew that Leal's name had almost been Lance. The one he had now he'd found in the lair of a sand worm he'd run across in the desert while he was looking for trade goods. That had been a tough fight. He'd had to draw on some of the techniques that he didn't use where anyone could find out about it.
Other than that all of his equipment had come from their shop, the Reflex armor and Rare Bracelet. He normally used the Draupnir he'd bought from another Chesedonian merchant, but he wasn't here to be a walking advertisement for the competition.
Although Gae Bolg was hidden in the item bag and he had a version of desert wear made out of very expensive material on over the armor. It didn't do to be openly combat-ready when meeting with a king or other head of state, even though Peony was Peony. Ever since he'd started commissioning custom outfits for random people and his rappigs the Grand Chokmah office had been swamped with orders from the rest of the court. Leal was here to open up a Baticul office: Din was working on gaining approval for an office in Daath since a certain Sheridan blacksmith had become a junior partner and therefore the company didn't have to work at gaining access to the weapons market there.
Leal stayed well away from Daath. He didn't even go to Padamiya if he could help it. Between the Order's headquarters and the fact the Yulia Road came out there… Van might be persona non grata in Kimlasca for the kidnapping, Malkuth for framing them for it, and Daath for the embarrassment he'd caused, but Mayor Teodoro of Yulia City wasn't going to let any of those Outer Land savages who didn't understand the majesty of the Score execute his grandson.
Leal had been to Yulia City once, when Van had been spotted elsewhere by dear Noir. Theft? Of course not. As Leal had figured out and Din had refined, smuggling was where the money was. Avoid those pesky tariffs and pocket the difference in price. Since people could detect hyperresonances Leal had to use travel methods that actually took time, but he could still be first on the scene when a sudden need for a good appeared and he always only bought where it was least expensive. The Sonic Wing arte he'd invented was his and his alone. He hadn't even taught it to Luke yet, although he would if he ever truly needed it.
Nam Cobanda's a great place for a big kid to grow up, Luke agreed. And I don't need your artes, I have my own.
Hey, do you want to spend some time traveling with the circus, 'Asch?' Leal asked, smile hidden behind the cloth. You envied me for it, remember?
Maybe. Six days until the new year. Even if he destroyed the Tower of Rem, buried his old identity and thus fulfilled the Score the Kingdom of Kimlasca would still want the Score fulfilled its way. 'Asch' would have to stay gone until 2018 was over and they couldn't claim that those ten thousand deaths would be sanctioned by Yulia's legacy and Lorelei's will.
That sort of thing made Lorelei sick. If you make up your mind about proposing to Natalia, I have the Faerie ring. If not, I brought an Elven Cape that would match the bow.
Luke was silent. He and Natalia had been a couple since before they could remember, but to propose right before vanishing for a year and very likely being labeled a traitor? Natalia wouldn't lose faith in him, but everyone else would. They've been gradually increasing the guard on me for six months now. Leal had guessed they would, but Luke hadn't wanted to talk about it. I don't think I'll be able to escape Baticul without using hyperresonance.
If you don't have time to set a destination then you should just end up in the core. Lorelei will look after you until either you manage to get out on your own or I can come pick you up. It's going to be okay. They won't be able to trap you into mass murder: I won't let them. Those thoughts were unshared: the reality was too grim.
I know. Luke's determination was his answer to what he knew Leal was thinking. We should disconnect now: you're almost here and if we have a conversation during a conversation again we might lose track of who said what how. If Luke knew something Leal had only told him via the link it might attract curiosity.
See you soon. Leal's eagerness shone through. On the one hand, he would be entering the manor and seeing Suzanne, not to mention Guy, Natalia, and Luke. He'd missed them. But even if he wouldn't see them again for a long time he would get to spend a year traveling with Luke. They'd been dreaming of it for years, since their few days together.
Duke Fabre's holdings (and share of the loot from Hod) were not to be sneezed at: he was anything but a penniless noble of the type that Din occasionally bought and sold. However, Kimlasca was building up for war and thus people who could supply such high-quality weaponry, equipment, and tax money were in high demand. Having a Baticul office would be a wonderful front, but most of their representative's dealings here would have to be outside it. They were cracking down on smuggling very, very seriously at the moment.
Of course, their investigations were nothing compared to Col. Jade Curtiss' ardent quest to shut down the source of half the outfits Peony kept trying to force him into. That secret passage between the palace and Jade's office let Jade sneak in to see what they had in store for him and sabotage their efforts if things were going to be too bad, so Peony had learned to outsource anything he wanted to be a surprise. Jade'd almost caught Din herself once, and they'd had to use the representative there as a semi-scapegoat on one occasion and replaced him with one of the Dark Wings. Leal's first encounter with the father of fomicry had been while the legendary Necromancer was being measured for a farmer costume: Peony needed a rappigsitter and wanted him to look the part.
Still, 'legitimate businessmen' had a lot more respect than usual right now, which was why Luke had been able to prevail upon his father to allow Leal to stay in one of the manor's guest rooms instead of the inn. The gifts also hadn't hurt. A Holy Ring was a godsend for someone with a degenerative disease.
He's sitting next to Suzanne at dinner (she sits at her husband's left, Luke at his father's right hand with Natalia to his right), and even though Noir was really his sort of mother for longer (and Lorelei is far more than even a real mother would be) she's still Luke's mother and what they have they share. The food is good, he hasn't had a chance to talk to Guy yet and they can't speak openly but this lunch almost like a family dinner (he's had those with the Dark Wings: Nam Cobanda, home of the abandoned by fate, is all one big family).
One of the problems with traveling as fast as he does is that he gets places before the messages meant for him do. A maid comes with a tray holding a scroll left at the door for him and he sticks it in his bag (it would be incredibly rude to open it now).
By the time lunch is over he's forgotten about it, because he hasn't had a chance to spar with Luke in months. Thus, when the agent of Daath (a descendant of Yulia!) comes to pick Luke up (Yulia City knows that Van told Luke about Akzeriuth: he learned that from Teodoro while he was there) to make sure that he keeps his appointment with death and destiny Leal is utterly blindsided.
All he knows is that someone's using a Yulian Fonic Hymn to put people nearby to sleep and when he and Luke charge to the aid of the guards she attempts to use it on them. When he, outraged, swipes at her to knock her off her feet and interrupt the arte he realizes too late that his anger loosened his control. Lorelei doesn't get angry (two thousand years taught him the futility of it): Leal wasn't taught how to handle it.
It's not until he finds himself in Tataroo Valley (only a bit north of Chesedonia and by far the best of the possible endpoints under the circumstances) that he reads the coded message from the Dark Wing team that watches the Road.
It's when he reads her that he finds out she's Van's sister. Mystearica Fende, Tear Grants.
The Order thinks she's here to make sure Luke goes to his death. Her brother convinced her to work to save him. Bring him back, bring him over to their side, create another replica. Or, possibly, track down the one that escaped.
After all, Yulia City hadn't failed to notice the many hyperresonances the yet-unnamed Leal had caused trying to find Luke. They thought he'd probably died in the core, fallen apart under the pressure the way Fon Master Ion's first replicas had kept doing.
Van doubted that even a mere shadow of the Light of the Sacred Flame would be that weak. Not one that had passed Dist's quality control, at least.
This complicated matters. Luke had seized the opportunity to make his own escape while Leal and Tear were pulled away: with any luck they wouldn't realize it was two hyperresonances and wouldn't have any reason to think Luke had run away instead of vanished.
Tear woke up when the butt of a spear hit her shoulder. It wasn't even strong enough to bruise, but someone was clearly willing to. "Wake up."
"I'm awake." She opens her eyes to see someone as battle ready as Major Legretta, although the Major is this way all the time and whoever this is seems to be clearly especially irritated right now. There isn't that sense of disciplined detachment that the Major has and Tear works so hard to cultivate.
"Who are you and why were you invading the fon Fabre manor?" That was classified, but that was a very powerful weapon being held to her throat, and the number of people strong enough to beat the arena who weren't already affiliated with Kimlasca, Malkuth or the Order could be counted on one hand.
"I'm Mystearica Fende and I was on a mission for the Order of Lorelei. Kimlasca intends to use Luke fon Fabre's death to win a war against Malkuth and kill thousands of people along with him. I was sent to infiltrate the manor and remove him to protective custody."
"After what God-general Grants did to him, I doubt Luke would have found your custody reassuring." That was classified! Seeing the alarmed suspicion in her eyes, the man explained, "I'm a merchant venturer, Tear Grants. Knowledge is money. I've fought beside Luke in the arena and he is one of our company's patrons in Baticul. Of course I did my homework, and it's his nightmare, he can choose who to tell about Akzeriuth."
This man knew about Akzeriuth?! She would have to either capture or kill him, or else the Score could go off-track!
"Just try it," he warned her. She couldn't see his expression, but his eyes didn't seem at all afraid of her. "Descendant of Yulia."
How had he known?
"That was a Yulian Fonic Hymn you used back there." Why was he telling her this much in these ways? Perhaps because she was Van's sister and he was enjoying seeing her trapped like a mouse and out of her depth, just like poor Luke had been. "And I'm a seventh fonist, as the hyperresonance should tell you. I can read the score and I help run a company that explores the middle of nowhere and brings back rare goods for a living. I even possess pieces of the seven fonstones, so don't think you can lie to me. "
"You have a piece of the seventh fonstone of the Planet Score?!" That got her attention.
"Not on me, no." He shook his head. "Now, what should I do with you?" Should he throw back his head and laugh evilly? He wasn't very good at it, though. He really envied the kids that got to play the part of cliché villain, it was really fun!
"They'll have tracked the hyperresonance here. The Order of Lorelei will hunt you down if you kill me."
"The Order of Lorelei? Don't insult Lorelei like that. It was Daath the traitor who founded your Order, and he persecuted Yulia and Lorelei." His memory ability meant he could do trial runs of things, but this was just abusing it, mostly because he did not like her. Well, more like he did not like her brother. This was just unfair to her, wasn't it. He sighed. "Never mind." He got rid of everything since he'd woken her up and put her back to sleep. He didn't like it, but he needed to know if he could still do it. Why had it worked on her and not Van?
Alright. Luke?
I'm not in the core. I'm in some place with lots of flowers.
I think you tagged along with us.
Who's us?
She's Van's sister. Luke's response was the desire to kill her. The Order sent her to secure you for Akzeriuth. Van sent her to save you from repeating Hod. They want to try making another replica.
Never. Neither of them would happen. One of you is more than enough.
Ha ha. I'll make some light. Do you see it? Leal held up his hands, summoning sixth fonons.
Yes, you're close. Wait a minute. Soon, Leal could hear him stamping through the bushes.
"Luke!" Leal hugged him.
Luke blinked at him a bit, surprised since he was used to Leal's mature mask when they met in person, then smiled. "Well, I guess you're still seven on the inside." Not to mention that the Dark Wings weren't big on the respect due nobility. He patted Leal on the back before separating, hoping that Leal would get the message that this was how these things were done. "What are we going to do with her?"
"Haul her to Chesedonia and turn her in to Aston for attacking fon Fabre manor and stuff. Well, I am. You were never here. Then we wander south across the desert instead of taking the ferry after I send a letter to Natalia asking what on Auldrant happened. After all, I would wonder what happened to my potential patron and Baticul's going to want to debrief me as well as her. Hey, don't frown at me, I have a cover identity to maintain! You wouldn't want them to think I had something to do with this, would you?" Leal folded his arms at him. "The problem is, though, there was only one hyperresonance. Well, only one destination. So they're going to know you ended up here. You could just say you didn't see me and vice versa."
"That's a little fishy. Wouldn't we have ended up in the same place if we were using the same hyperresonance? And I would try to take her captive, not run away from you." Luke shook his head. "I say we keep her our prisoner and go together."
"That means we'd have to drag her along and take the ferry when we get to Chesedonia."
"Not if I tell the consul I'm worried about the ferry being infiltrated or ambushed." Luke smiled. "You're not the only one who knows how to lie. I was preparing for kingship, even if I wasn't expected to live to see that day."
"So she gets sent home on the ferry, you sneak across the desert? Wouldn't work, they're too determined to keep you under their thumb right now." Leal shook his head.
"Oh, I think it would. Care to place a bet?" Luke grinned at him. "And if all else fails you can make them think it's their idea."
Leal looked a little rueful. "Okay, I just used the memory erasure thing on her because I wanted to gloat a bit-give me a break, she's Van's sister! But it's still not right."
"Your point?" Luke folded his arms. "She's our enemy, Leal. And in the matter of Akzeriuth the Kimlascan Court itself is our enemy. Right and wrong don't come into it when that many lives are on the line."
Leal sighed. "I suppose. But are you sure you want to return to Baticul?"
Now it was Luke's turn to sigh. "I didn't get to say anything to Natalia."
"You realize if you go back it's going to be a lot harder to break out, right? They might assign you bodyguards 24/7. Bodyguards who aren't Guy." Otherwise known as Gailardia Galan Gardios. Leal had found that out the first time they'd met again at the arena, wanting to see how Guy was doing. He hadn't told Luke. Luke would get all weird about it and it wasn't like Guy would actually hurt him.
"I can always pretend it's an accident. And what are they going to do?"
"Three words. Fon. Slot. Seal. They're expensive, but winning against Malkuth would be well worth it. They stick it on you, they take it off at Akzeriuth." Leal folded his arms. "And if they did that we wouldn't be able to talk. I'd barely be able to find you!"
Luke looked away. "I know. So… I'll go with you to Chesedonia and I'll vanish. Maybe break her out at the same time so they'll think she kidnapped me and leave her in a ditch somewhere. I'll write to Natalia along the way."
"Oh, I see. This is an excuse to make it look as though you didn't just run away."
"Can you blame me?"
"No, not really. If you're held captive somewhere then you're not a traitor." Luke, his… he wasn't Leal's original, Lorelei was, but his… Seven years and they'd never come up with a way to describe each other that felt right. Regardless, Luke had been raised almost like a rappig for the slaughter. His father hadn't let himself get attached enough to refuse to do what was necessary for Kimlasca's glory.
Luke didn't quite flinch at the word traitor, but close.
"Well, we should probably go tie her up before she recovers on her own." Time to change the subject.
"Good idea."