Morning: The Shopping Assignment
I woke up in Nina's shop, not because I wanted to, but because she slammed a bag of coins onto the counter with the force of a blacksmith hammering iron.
> Nina: "Wake up! You've got work to do."
> Me: "Ugh… what time is it?"
> Nina: "Time to get moving. I need materials."
I sat up groggily as a quest notification popped up.
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[Tailor's Assistant: Day 1]
Task: Gather materials from the market, organize the inventory, and clean the shop.
✔ Buy the listed materials.
✔ Sort fabrics and sewing tools.
✔ Sweep and dust the store.
✔ Stay overnight as a guard.
Reward: 2 CP
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2 CP?!
I almost cried. This was so different from the 1000 CP auction bid I was ignoring.
> From potential riches to errand boy in one day.
Still, money was money.
I grabbed the list Nina handed me, took the small pouch of coins, and set out for the market.
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The Market – A Test of Patience
The market was already alive with players and NPCs bargaining, yelling, and haggling. Stalls lined the streets, selling everything from food to weapons to strange magical items.
I checked Nina's list.
✔ Cotton fabric – 3 rolls
✔ Silk thread – 2 spools
✔ Dye (Red & Blue) – 1 bottle each
✔ Needles – A full set
> Me: "Alright, seems easy."
I was wrong.
First stall: The vendor was arguing with a player over the price of silk thread.
Second stall: Out of red dye.
Third stall: The old lady selling fabric kept trying to convince me to buy "enchanted cloth that never stains."
> Me: "I just need normal fabric, please."
> Vendor: "But young man! This cloth will resist even dragon fire!"
> Me: "I'm not fighting dragons. I'm running errands."
After an hour of negotiating, backtracking, and nearly getting scammed by a shady merchant, I finally got everything.
✔ Cotton fabric – 3 rolls (not enchanted)
✔ Silk thread – 2 spools (slightly overpriced)
✔ Dye (Red & Blue) – 1 bottle each (had to run across town for it)
✔ Needles – A full set (almost stabbed myself checking them)
By the time I returned to Nina's shop, my feet ached, my patience was gone, and I had a new appreciation for tailors.
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Afternoon: Organizing & Cleaning
> Nina: "Took you long enough."
> Me: "You never said shopping was a boss battle."
She handed me another list.
> Nina: "Now sort everything and clean the shop."
> Me: "...You're joking."
She wasn't.
I spent the next two hours:
Folding and stacking fabric (which kept falling over).
Organizing threads by color (I nearly went blind).
Sweeping the floor (where did all this dust come from?!).
Polishing the sewing machine and tools (I may have broken a needle).
By the time I was done, my arms were sore, my clothes were covered in fabric dust, and I wanted to punch a mannequin.
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Night: Guard Duty
I sat on a stool inside Nina's shop, staring at the front door like a sleep-deprived owl.
> Me: "Why did I agree to this?"
Apparently, Nina had lost some materials to theft, so she wanted me to stay overnight and guard the shop.
The first few hours were boring—just me sitting there, waiting for something to happen. I even started nodding off, only to be woken up by the sound of something moving.
I tensed.
Footsteps? No… scratching.
I turned toward the back room, where the fabric was stored.
The rats.
I grabbed a broom and slowly moved toward the noise. If those little thieves were back, I wasn't letting them escape this time.