Shinji Shiro's pursuit of a peaceful life

Hemdal’s market district crowds the street with weapon racks, polished armor, blue-white mana crystals, stoppered potions, and bundles of rope, oil, and dried food. Nearby shoppers barter beneath striped awnings.

A narrow stone-fronted hall stands between a shield seller and a provisions stall. Above its open door, bright paint proclaims: “Sorcery Guild, always looking for new members!”

A middle-aged man steps into the doorway, a thin, sharp-featured figure in a charcoal robe with silver stitching. His iron-gray hair is tied at the nape, and a violet crystal hangs at his throat.

He turns toward a desk crowded with ink, parchment, and shallow brass plates. One plate bears a dark rune, which begins to glow before Shinji even crosses the threshold.

The rune flares violently, spilling purple light across the stones. Conversation falters around the stalls as shoppers turn toward the guildhall, while Oren’s welcoming expression, his angular face marked by a small mole beneath one eye, tightens into wary concentration.

Shinji keeps his voice gentle despite the rune’s violent glow. The sorcerous mark upon him draws the plate’s attention, but his steady will carries him past the doorway.

Oren lowers one hand toward the brass plate without touching it, smothering the purple flare beneath a controlled veil of light. His guarded gaze follows Shinji only briefly.

Shinji continues along Hemdal’s crowded street. Nearby shoppers resume their bartering around him, though a few glances linger on the guildhall’s fading glow.

The Sorcery Guild slips behind him between the market stalls. Ahead, painted signs point toward the inn, the Adventurers Guild, and the town’s busier central square.

Streetwise judgment guides Shinji to a quieter market lane. A middle-aged woman with dark braids, a patched green dress, and broad capable hands, weathered brown skin, and a square, sun-lined face, tends a food stall beside a young man in a faded ochre tunic sorting plain garments, with a lean build, brown skin, close-cropped black hair, and a narrow face.

Shinji pays the food seller and receives a wrapped bundle of beans, oat cakes, and smoked roots. The provisions settle securely into his pack without straining its seams.

Tobin measures Shinji’s shoulders with a strip of cord and selects a plain brown shirt, dark trousers, and a weathered gray overshirt. The fit is serviceable, and the cloth costs little.

With food purchased and new clothing bundled beneath his arm, Shinji leaves the stall prepared for practical work. The guild’s violet glow is already hidden behind the busy market.

Tobin pauses over the clothing bundle and glances toward the sorcerous mark before answering. Shinji’s practical request is clear, but the mark makes ordinary bargaining feel watched.

Tobin unfolds a dark cloak from beneath the garments. Its red border is plain but sound, and the hem shows careful recent stitching rather than fresh damage.

The bargain clears, though Tobin’s suspicion remains attached to it. He accepts the coins, wraps the cloak over Shinji’s clothing bundle, and hands it across.

Shinji reaches for his payment, but the expected coins are not there. The sorcerous mark draws Tobin’s eyes again, making the honest offer sound less reassuring than intended.

Tobin takes the black wool cloak before Shinji can leave with it and folds it over his arm. His suspicion turns the failed bargain into a boundary, not an invitation to haggle again.

Still, Tobin nods toward the central square. He will hold the cloak until Shinji returns with a guild advance or another witnessed payment, giving the purchase a practical path forward.

Tobin studies Shinji’s earnest offer, then the cloak’s careful stitching. The sorcerous mark keeps his caution sharp, but the straightforward bargain outweighs his suspicion.

Tobin extends his hand. Once the silver rests in his palm, he tests its weight with his thumb, then folds the payment into a hidden pocket beneath his tunic.

He places the cloak across the clothing bundle and indicates the recently mended hem. The nearby shoppers return to their bartering, leaving the bargain settled without spectacle.