I walk into the shop and hear a bell ring above my head as I open the door. Looking around, the shop seems large and has a wide variety of items. Jackpot, a general store. A shorter portly man in his 40s comes out to greet me with a friendly but calculating smile.
"Good evening, sir. I'm the owner and part-time operator of this general store. Are you looking for anything in particular today?" (merchant)
He seems to wear an expression that's a mix of curiosity and confusion when assessing me.
"Ah yes, thank you for asking. I'm wondering if your establishment sells simple clothes. Nothing fancy, just a basic tunic, trousers, boots, and belt of moderate comfort. I'll also be needing a coin purse to accompany them, if possible." (Mizuki)
Since I'm sure I look quite young, and by extension perhaps poor and/or gullible, I try to put on the most professional attitude I can. Upon hearing my request, the merchant looks genuinely shocked, but he quickly hides it well.
"You came to the right place, sir. We do have just the kinds of attire you requested, and the coin purse as well. However, I must say that I'm a little surprised you'd be in the market for new clothes. As a merchant, your current clothes seem to be of significantly higher quality than anything sold in my shop. Would you tell me where you acquired them?" (merchant)
His voice and face appear calm and disinterested, but his eyes have been scanning me up and down with an alarming amount of focus. He's anything but indifferent.
Alright, so how should I play this? I obviously can't tell him where I got them, but I want him to buy them for a nice chunk of change without tipping my hand. If he found out that I'm virtually broke, I'd lose all the negotiation power here. Starting with a little offhand flattery never hurts.
"Oh, noticed, did you? I heard you were quite the reputable merchant. Indeed, there aren't other articles like them in this region of the world, and they would be quite difficult to come by. The production technique for them isn't known by humans, you see. Sadly, I acquired them through a somewhat fragile connection in another part of the world, and I gave my word I would not disclose where I acquired these items if they drew too much attention. As a merchant, I'm sure you can appreciate the importance of protecting your networks." (Mizuki)
The merchant seems a bit disappointed by my dodging his question.
"However…" (Mizuki)
His eyes widen in anticipation. This is too easy.
"I need to move on for another job soon, and I can't attract too much attention. As you've just pointed out, these clothes are anything but discreet. So, I can't wear them, and they'd just be along for the journey. While I'm prevented from revealing the source, I made no promise to my acquaintance that I wouldn't sell the clothes. So, if a skilled merchant such as yourself wanted to buy them off me and try to reproduce them, I couldn't be faulted for that. I don't mind parting with them for the right price." (Mizuki)
At the end, I flash him a knowing smile to emphasize that he'd have to make the price worth it. He goes stiff and acts like he's contemplating whether the purchase is worth it, but the greed in his eyes has already answered for him.
"Well, that's a very interesting offer. I'm taking quite a lot of risk with such a limited market, but in the interest of fostering our business relationship I'd be willing to make the investment. Would you be willing to part with the full set for 2 gold coins?" (merchant)
Holy shit, two gold coins!? That's way more than they're worth! Would I be a dirtbag for taking advantage of him like this? Eh, he can probably handle the loss. I'm in a tight spot right now, so sorry dude.
I glance back at him and notice he's staring at me nervously. What's that about? Oh, right, I bet haggling is still a thing in this world. I think he's wondering how much I'm going to try and raise the price. I'll be nice.
"Hmmm…two gold, huh? Well, you asked me at a good time since I need to travel light for the rest of my trip. I'll tell you what, if you throw in the items that I asked for, you've got a deal." (Mizuki)
He can barely contain his excitement. Poor guy.
After that, he manages to find a white tunic, brown trousers, brown belt, leather boots, and basic coin purse all in my size. I change in a room in the back and leave him the sneakers, athletic pants, and t-shirt. He hands me two gold coins as promised and thanks me for my business.
Before I leave, I ask him where the best blacksmith in town is.
"Ah, that'd be the dwarven blacksmith, Percivil. He has a shop down the street just past the adventurer's guild. Please tell him that Zevy sent you." (Zevy)
I thank him and make my way back towards the guild. The boots I obtained are surprisingly comfortable and much sturdier than my sneakers. Unfortunately, the tunic and trousers are kind of scratchy on my skin by comparison, but I can live with it. At least I blend in now. I'm glad I took care of this immediately.
The blacksmith that Zevy mentioned, which is evident from the sign with a hammer and anvil, is only a couple of minutes past the guild. I walk inside and it is a little darker than I am used to, and I am greeted by the vague smell of…blood? Iron? Gunpowder? I can't quite place it, but it definitely smells appropriate for a blacksmith.
"Hello? Anyone here? I'm seeking the dwarven blacksmith, Percivil. Zevy the merchant sent me." (Mizuki)