Reincarnated as a random race, of course I got goblin.

Chapter 28 - Meeting of the Diplomats

Since I have a day to kill before the meeting, I decide to visit the exotics market. It's a legal venue for Tool makers and mages to get their hands on rare and/or dangerous items. According to World Knowledge, it's the only one of its kind in Parshura, and was created to stem the tide of fakes and imitations that flood the illegal black market. 

Fakes and imitations of what? Well, monster parts, components to magical tools, and magic crystals. The prices here seem high, so I'm guessing spending money on a fake would sting anyone's pocket. 

Still, this feels all sorts of shady, even if this is a legal market. I guess it just comes with the territory that a stall selling pickled or dried monster parts looks hella creepy. I walk over to a stand filled with crystals of various shapes and colors. I can see the magic emanating off of them, even without focusing my eyes.

Used as cores for wands, staves or tomes, these crystals are usually harvested from the remnants of elementals. There's also other uses, such as for Weapon Twisting or Armor Warping, but those require high purity crystals. I refrain from touching any of them, as just getting close to them seems to cause the magic within to swell, as if it was feeding off of my own magic.

I'm not looking for anything in particular, so I just wander the market until I'm bored. Checking my time display, I've still got six hours to kill before supper. I decide to head to the waterfront. B'dur sits next to a man-made lake, kept filled via the weather manipulating powers of the Tear of Ashala. 

The season's moving towards fall, but there weather is still warm. Maybe I'll finally get to go for a swim without almost drowning? Nah, better not push it. I head down to the docks, walking close to the edge and looking into the water.

I used to do this in my previous life as well. Stare into the water and try to spot fish. I don't have much luck though, as the waters around the docks are filled with algae, making it impossible to even see the bottom. I look across the lake, several fishing boats lie out by the middle of the lake.

Meandering around the docks for a while, I eventually start heading back towards the Guild Hall. I spend until supper sitting in the bar, listening in on the myriad of conversations that happen around me. It's nothing out of the usual, what someone was doing yesterday, a tale of a hunt, etc.

I decide to go to bed early, so once I've eaten I go right to bed. My Draugr Servants are still in their bag. I look them over just to be sure, but their HP, MP and SP are all full. Seems these fellows don't require much upkeep, huh. I put the bag back onto the chest of drawers before laying down to sleep.

Bunsen greets me outside the Guild Hall the next morning. "Please follow me" He instructs before leading me to the castle once more. This time, we do not head for the throne room, but instead into a different wing of the castle. "Please enter here, the maids will take care of you." He holds open the door for me, closing it after I've entered.

The room seems to be a bathroom of sorts, with tiled floors and drains. A rolling table and a wall covered in assorted brushes and scissors indicate that this is in fact, a grooming room. Probably for royal companion monsters? "Greetings, your majesty. His Highness wishes you to look your best before the meeting, we're here to make that happen." A sweet-voiced Photian curtsies at me.

Along with her there's a somber looking Accan, both of them dressed in something closely resembling a Gothic maid uniform. "If you'd please assume your true form, we'll get started." I do as she says, noting that both their expressions shift only slightly when I revert. Maybe they're real professionals?

It takes a while, since I'm so big, but eventually I'm sparkling clean. My furry half is soft and groomed, my scaly half is polished almost to a mirror sheen. They even brushed my teeth! Next, the Accan woman brings out an armored case with a heavy lock on it. "Some decorations, his Majesty insisted." She explains, her voice somewhere emotionless and simply dis-interested.