Chapter 45: Jenga

Chapter 45: Jenga The Goatfolk gathered, their faces a mix of awe and frustration. Borin sighed, running a hoof through his beard. "We can’t even try to resell these wonderful pieces," he said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "They’re already expensive enough. And to add to that, their production is slow. It’s not a volume business." Skall, ever the optimist, piped up, "What if we buy them and auction them to the other towns? Not just sell, but make an event out of it." Brum nodded, thinking. "Yeah, that could work. If we auction these, we can sell them for 10 golds more, easily." He pointed towards the area where the ornate steel swords were displayed. "Do we even know who forges weapons like these? These look more like ceremonial swords. If we sell them to the nobles, we could earn even more. They love unique, fancy things." Borin sighed again, a deeper, more resigned sound. "We’re not authorized for such high-stakes auctions, Brum. That’s Master Bjorn’s territory. We’ll note your suggestion, but only Griz can decide what to do and report to Master Bjorn. Let’s just hope we find something productive during our visit here that Master Bjorn will approve of. And I’m pretty sure the Lupens won’t even let us hog these to ourselves. They’ll find out about this quality soon enough." The three of them sighed, the weight of their limited authority pressing down. Borin turned to the skeleton staff, who had been patiently observing them from a respectful distance. "Thank you for entertaining our curiosities. Your products are... impressive." The staff bowed slightly, his masked face unchanging. "The honor is mine, valued customers. We are always pleased to share the craftsmanship of the Necro Market." As the Goatfolk walked away from the weapons stall, Brum stretched his arms above his head, letting out a groan. "Ahhh... that guy’s scarily professional," he said, shaking his head. "It feels like I’m facing a noble, not a shopkeeper. He didn’t even flinch when we talked about two gold for an iron sword." "Tell me about it," Borin muttered, still replaying the silk-slicing demonstration in his mind. "It’s unsettling how calm and precise they are. Like they’ve practiced every movement a thousand times." Meanwhile, Cluma, Darek, and Flin were still lost in awe in an expansive section of the woodwork department. The air here smelled faintly of polished wood and something sweet, like sap. Five life-size wooden figures stood proudly, depicting characters from different ’anime’ – a word they didn’t understand, but the figures themselves were captivating. Along the shelves, miniature versions of these figures, along with countless others, displayed precise and detailed features, with carved effects and dynamic poses. Though without paint, the sheer artistry was stunning. Darek was the first to speak, his eyes wide. "Woaaahhh!" he exclaimed. "This is... just incredible. Look at the muscles on that one," he pointed to a figure of a muscular warrior, every sinew and vein carved with unbelievable accuracy. Cluma, usually the more reserved of the three, nodded slowly, mesmerized. "Yeah... even in an Ursarok captain’s room, you wouldn’t see art figures this many, especially the mini figures." He reached out, his hoof hovering over a small wooden figurine of a grim-faced man with a flowing cloak – Levi from AOT, though Cluma didn’t know the name. "Can I?" he asked the staff, who was observing them from a distance. The staff, a skeleton in a similar suit and mask, nodded politely. Cluma carefully picked up the Levi figure. It was surprisingly light, yet solid. "Do you even know who can carve things even on such very small detail?" he wondered aloud, turning the figure in his hooves. Flin, his eyes sparkling with an almost childlike wonder, thought for a moment. "What about Master Murba, though? The elder Ursarok. He’s popular among the bearfolk for his works, especially his large statues." Cluma scoffed lightly, still observing the Levi figure. "I agree, Master Murba is good, but even then, the smallest thing he can do is half our size." He then showed them another figure, a grinning man with a straw hat – Luffy from One Piece. "And this," he said, gesturing to Luffy’s tiny, expressive face, "is already insane. Look at the eyes! Who can make things with such tiny details? Even if Master Murba lacks detailed carvings and half the quality such as this, his services are already booked for months. Depending on the size, quality, and time it will take for a commission, he’s always busy. Did you see the large statues of each beastkin representative on the town center of Tallowshade Town? That was the work of Master Murba and his apprentices. Do you know how much they earned from that? 10 royal golds! That’s 1000 gold coins! Now, what if we sell these?" He held up the Levi and Luffy figures, his mind racing with possibilities. Darek, ever the calm one, nodded. "Yeah, I’ve heard from my sources that the Ursarok commander on Stonehorn Crossing bought so many of these, from the rumoured market sellout, using his entire savings as Knight Commander. If my guess is right, he at least paid 1 royal gold for 35 of the same figures." Cluma and Flin’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?" Cluma gasped. Darek shrugged calmly. "It’s just a rough guess, but at least each can sell for 10 silvers per piece, not taking into account for Ursarok’s impulse spending on any artistic products that caught their eye. They have a weakness for art." Cluma, a new idea forming, hummed. "Hmmm... let’s ask the staff. See what we can find." The three Goatfolk walked towards the skeleton staff. The staff, seeing them approach, said politely, "Have you made your decisions, esteemed customers?" Cluma cleared his throat. "Just a question, though. How much would these go for?" He gestured to the figures. The staff’s synthesized voice was smooth. "Each piece is a testament to our artisans’ hard work and time consumed into crafting these figures. Thus, each piece is unique and only the artisans are allowed to price them, ensuring their artistic integrity. It does not mean if they are priced low, they are poorly made. The value is in the artistry." He then pointed at the Levi figurine Cluma had been holding. "In particular, that one costs 34 silvers." Their eyes widened. The staff continued, pointing to the Luffy figure. "And that one costs 45 silvers." Darek, ever the analytical one, frowned slightly. "What’s the difference in the prices, though?" he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. "The 45 silver one, the one with the straw hat, is less... detailed and less pleasing to my eye, unlike the 34 silver one, which truly caught my eye. No offense there." The staff’s masked face seemed to convey a subtle smile. "Yes, a great question, customer," he replied. "At this time, I am allowed to share pieces of information regarding them. In the future, our establishment will start selling ’manga,’ or in simple terms, story illustrations." Flin’s eyes widened like stars. "You mean like novels?" he practically squeaked, his voice filled with childlike excitement. The staff nodded. "Yes, but in illustrated pictures through painted actions and dialogues. They tell a story visually." The Goatfolk looked confused. "Illustrated pictures?" Cluma mumbled. The staff chuckled, a dry, soft sound. "The prices of the figurines vary upon the character’s story exposure and their popularity within the stories and their roles. Some characters are simply more beloved, thus their figures command a higher value." Darek, thinking quickly, asked, "Will we be allowed to resell them?" The staff’s head inclined. "Yes, of course. In regards to the prices, I believe only the manager can help you with bulk deals, but let me remind you, our artisans can only produce at least 3-7 pieces per week. Thus, we are obliged to sell limited pieces per customer, excluding our official retailers." Flin’s eyes were still like stars, shining with a sudden, wild idea. "Do you accept commissions?" he blurted out, stepping forward eagerly. Cluma facepalmed with a soft thud. "Here we go..." he muttered under his breath. The staff, unfazed, replied, "Yes, we do, depending on the size and your requested details. A 1:1 ratio, meaning life-size, takes 1-2 months to finish. A 1/7 standard, depending on your request details, takes 1-3 days. Do you have an apt description of your character?" Flin nodded wildly, his head bobbing. "Yes! Yes, she is a real person! An amazing one! She is coming tomorrow! She is my savior! She is the Captain of Stonehorn Crossing, Captain Luma!" he declared with a dramatic, romantic flair, his voice swelling with admiration. "She is a Lupen, a wolfkin, with fur as white as fresh snow and eyes like the winter sky!" The staff smiled, a subtle tilt of his masked head. He reached into a drawer beneath the counter and pulled out a small, intricately carved wooden figurine. It depicted a wolf-furry female character, her stance powerful, her features noble. "Does she look like this?" the staff asked, holding it up. Flin’s eyes widened in utter surprise. He snatched the figurine. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! She looks exactly like that!" he exclaimed, holding the figurine next to his face, almost hugging it. "I would lik—" His voice cut off abruptly as Darek, with a swift, decisive motion, punched him unconscious. Flin slumped to the floor, the figurine still clutched in his hooves. Darek bowed deeply to the staff, his face a mask of polite apology. "I apologize for my companion’s behavior, and mine. He gets... overly enthusiastic." He gently took the figurine from Flin’s unconscious grip and returned it to the staff. The staff took it back, his movements smooth. "No problem at all, valued customer. We understand passion." Cluma sighed, looking down at the unconscious Flin. "Looks like I’m alone from now on," he mumbled. He then turned back to the staff, trying to regain some professionalism. "Anyway, back to where we were. What about the toys? How much do they go for?" As he spoke, he picked up a wooden piece from a Jenga set, turning it over in his hooves, confused by its simple shape. The staff pointed to a section filled with various wooden games and puzzles. "Yes, since toys and puzzles require less time to produce, they go for 3-10 silvers, depending on their complexity and size." Cluma nodded in acknowledgment, still holding the Jenga piece. "How does one even play this?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. The staff explained patiently. "The game can be played with up to six players. Each player must pull a block from the tower, carefully, and then place it on top, without letting the tower fall. If a player knocks over the tower, they lose. The last player to complete a successful move before that wins." Cluma smiled, guessing. "That looks like a very fun game at the Inn. Can we resell them, though?" The staff nodded. "Yes, of course. Official distribution and retail partners are free to sell them. In regards to the bulk price and deals, I believe the manager can entertain you with such."