Armor up!

Bane and Eir walked around the newly renovated faction building happily.

"They did well. When we get some furniture, it could look like an actual faction building. Speaking of furniture, I'll be back in a little while," Eir said abruptly, walking out of the back room.

"Wait, what?" Bane called out.

"The bed. Remember?" Eir clarified. Bane nodded.

"I see…" Bane wanted to ask about tagging along but decided against it. Eir wanted the bed to be a surprise, so he would let it.

"That sounds good. I may go look at armor," Bane said, glancing at the pile of cloth light armor lying on the floor. He carried his weapons and void sack with him at all times but left his clothes and other items of lesser value in the faction building. Even with the renovations, he was hesitant to leave valuables here.

"Alright, when you return, there will be a bed," Eir promised as she rushed out of the back room.

A moment later, crash!

A loud thud came from inside the faction house. Bane rushed out of the back room to see Eir lying on the floor.

She moaned in pain and rolled over. "I'm not used to a door being there yet."

Bane shook his head, holding back laughter at such a silly display.

"Come on," Bane said, holding out a hand to Eir. She must have hit her forehead because her white skin now displayed a red bruise.

Eir slowly reached up and took his hand. "Thanks…" she whispered, averting her eyes to the ground. "Bye!" she shouted, this time exiting the faction building without issue.

Bane shook his head with a sigh before exiting the building himself.

He'd planned on visiting Old Grey's tomorrow, but with nothing else to do, Bane sauntered through the slums and back alleys to the weapons shop.

The usual brass bell rang out as Bane entered the shop. He focused his vision on a rack of armor sets and some mannequins wearing elaborate, colorful metal armor.

Mr. Grey walked out from the back room, rested his elbows on the table, and scratched his grayed hair. After a moment, he looked up and greeted Bane. "Well, how is my favorite adventurer?"

Hearing this, Bane turned and returned the greeting.

"I'm good, Mr. Grey. How have you been?" Bane asked, returning to scanning the armor sets in front of him.

"Not too bad. I see you changed your outfit. Are you looking for some armor?"

Bane slowly nodded.

"Yes, the spiders on floor three did a number on the cloth armor I had," Bane shared as he moved further inside, shifting his gaze from shiny knight armor to lighter textiles.

"Oh yeah, so you've already passed floor three?"

"Yes."

"Wow…" Mr. Grey's words lingered, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Then how about this? Pick out whatever piece you want, and I'll name a price. Since we have a deal in place, I can't have you dying. I'll earn back whatever I'd lose by letting you buy the armor at full price."

Another generous offer from Mr. Grey.

Bane digested the offer and decided to take advantage of it. It made sense: Bane would get better armor at a cheaper price, and Mr. Grey would benefit from his ten percent stipend.

"If you're okay with it, then I'll pick out one that catches my eye," Bane replied, getting a nod from Mr. Grey as he retreated to the back room.

It had been almost a full day since Bane used the system at all. He examined one of the pieces of armor and used Appraisal:

Name: Knight's Chainmail

Forger: Alfred Grey

Description: A durable set of armor intended to be worn by a knight. It has interlocking metal rings over the neck and other joints, offering a great mix of flexibility and protection.

Bane gazed admiringly at the expert craftsmanship required to get the interlocked rings just right. He contemplated it but deemed he would look foolish in such a set. He moved past it and scanned two more:

Name: Iron Plate Armor

Forger: Alfred Grey

Description: A set of armor meant for a tank—incredibly durable and heavy.

'I wouldn't die, but I wouldn't be able to move in something like that,' he thought as he moved to a more familiar set of armor.

Name: Black Brigandine

Forger: Alfred Grey

Description: On the outside, this set appears to be normal cloth armor. However, it is reinforced with metal plates in vital spots, providing protection without sacrificing movement.

Bane nodded and removed the black chest plate and leggings, holding them up to his body. 'Seems like they'll fit,' he thought as he brought the set up to the counter. He laid it down with a thud, and soon Mr. Grey reemerged.

Bane did as he was instructed and chose based on what caught his eye, without even looking at the price tag.

"Another great set—a solid upgrade from the armor you had," Mr. Grey said, looking at Bane.

Their eyes met as if it were Bane's turn to speak. "What?" he asked.

"Take it."

Bane was taken aback.

"What?" he questioned.

"Take it. I think it was around one hundred thousand. I'm not tight for money, and I'll make that back in a matter of months," Mr. Grey reasoned.

"Are—"

"Yes, I'm sure," Mr. Grey said before Bane could even finish his question.

"Okay," was all Bane managed to say as he looked down at the set on the counter. He felt guilty but didn't know why. Mr. Grey was actively telling him it was free.

"Anything else?" Mr. Grey asked, clearly eager to get back to whatever he was doing in the back room.

"No, that was all. Thank you," Bane thanked the old man and scooped up the armor set.

"Of course, anytime," Mr. Grey said and retreated once more to the back room of the shop.

Bane was surprised by the speed at which all that had occurred but didn't complain.

'Mr. Grey isn't one to waste his time,' Bane reasoned as he walked back to the faction building.

And so, Bane was alone once more. In the newly repaired faction building, he decided to occupy his time with something useful to Eir, himself, and any future members. He simply walked through each room and started to plan out what furniture was needed. However, as he did, a question came up.

'Why haven't there been any new members?'

It was just a passing thought with no real answer. It just surprised him that no other adventurer was like him—wanting to join a faction but not being scouted.

'Maybe it's because it's in the slums,' he thought.

Bane pushed the thought aside and continued his way around, planning different rooms of the building. He wanted each room to have some sort of basic furniture. After getting a rough estimate, he thought the furniture would cost around 150,000 Shill. He based that on his estimate of a bed being ten thousand or so.

He finished assessing each room and heard shouting from outside.

"Don't drop it!" a woman shouted.

Bane opened the door to see the commotion and spotted a familiar-looking black-haired goddess bossing around two burly men carrying a small bed over their heads.

"Oh, hey Bane, could you move really quick?" Eir asked, motioning him out of the way of the door.

Bane stepped aside.

"Now, careful…" Eir said as the two men turned the bed to fit through the door frame. "Now, to the back!"

Bane ordered, and they pulled the same maneuver, dropping the bed in the back room.

"Thanks! Here you are," Eir said, handing the men a few hundred Shill each. They made their way out, mumbling their dissatisfaction at working under Eir.

"Who were they?" Bane asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I hired them to deliver the bed," Eir said, smiling as she showed off the bed.

It was simple: a white, uncomfortable-looking mattress sat atop a sturdy wooden frame. Bane took a seat and smiled as he sank into the straw-filled mattress.

'I hope we can get one of those feather or cotton mattresses the rich use,' Bane thought as he rubbed his hand across the mattress and over to the pillow that sat next to the headboard.

"Well?" Eir asked, hoping to get Bane's approval.

"It's really nice. Thank you," Bane said. It wasn't what he had hoped for, but a little white lie here and there never hurt anyone. And it would beat sleeping on the stone ground any day.

"I'm glad," Eir said, taking a seat next to him. She, too, sank slightly into the mattress. "Ah…" she let out a short sigh, quickly realizing it wasn't the most comfortable.

Night was approaching, and the two of them prepared for bed. Bane kept on his casual clothes and slipped into the bed, while Eir laid on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Bane asked, giving Eir an odd look.

"What?" she questioned innocently.

"Aren't you going to sleep here?" he asked, motioning to the empty space next to him.

Eir blushed and got ready to refute but calmed down and accepted his offer.

"Okay," was all she said as she, too, slipped under the covers. Little did Bane know, this had been her goal all along.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The two of them exchanged awkward goodnights as they lay looking away from each other.

'I thought a bed would help me get more sleep, but this is not helping,' Bane thought as his mind raced. Sharing a bed with someone other than a family member for the first time in his life made him hyper-aware of everything—Eir's subtle movements, her breathing.

Even though he had offered her the spot in the first place, he was slowly starting to regret it.

Eir was much the same, her heart racing as they both eventually fell into slumber.