The security checkpoint is little more than theater. The guards don`t even check our inventory, doing little more than a cursory glance at our persons before waving us into the town proper. At first, I dismiss it out of hand as merely a time-saving step. It`s not like the city commons are a high-security area, and the main purpose of such checks is to prevent monsters and known criminals from entering. But then I start wondering if we`re the only ones with access to an inventory. And that thought leads me down further lines of questioning: what do the people know about the world`s system? Certainly it can`t be exclusive to the protagonist`s party. Can it?

　　Ravioli, being the seat of government and the center of trade and commerce on the continent, is easily the largest city in the first half of the game. The city itself is laid out as a series of concentric circles, with the castle and surrounding administrative buildings comprising the northernmost sextant of the city, and various commercial, industrial, and residential districts making up the remainder. The central plaza, an open-air commons surrounded by the most prominent shops and restaurants, is the crown jewel of the kingdom, a beacon of opulence not too far removed from similar districts on Earth, though with marvels of magic replacing ones of technology.

　　Despite my stomach`s earlier rumbling, I don`t find myself finding any of the choices super appealing as the two of us stroll through the plaza. True to the kingdom`s namesake, there`s a ton of pasta dishes being sold in the market. And normally, I love pasta, but right now, I`m craving a lighter meal.

　　It takes some time, but the two of us eventually find a small sandwich shop a couple of rings off the beaten path. I get a turkey wrap while Sammy gets what`s functionally a Cobb salad, save for turkey meat in place of the traditional chicken. We grab a table and begin eating, and I learn that it`s my turn to sit in awe and minor embarrassment as Sammy scarfs the whole gigantic plate down before I`m halfway through my wrap. I look at her, and she smirks back at me.

　　"I thought that`s how you always ate, Ash. Figured I should eat according to your cultural customs too."

　　My cultural customs? I`m not sure that spending hours in front of a computer screen talking to people thousands of miles away who have parasocial relationships with you` qualifies as a culture`, but I still appreciate the thought. Misguided though it may be.

　　I share a smile with her and pick up the pace of my own eating, and before a few minutes pass, the two of us have each cleared our plates and are back on the streets. And there`s a lot to do today - we made great time sprinting here, but I don`t want to waste the rest of the day.

　　First order of business is getting some new accessories for Sammy. We head into a jewelry store just outside the central plaza, and the first thing I notice is how completely underdressed we are compared with the rest of the clientele. Men in immaculate three-piece suits and women wearing elaborate sequined dresses straight out of a fashion magazine, while the two of us are wearing little more than adventurer`s tunics. Ones covered in grass stains and dirt, I might add.

　　"Perchance did you enter the wrong establishment?" an older gentleman asks us, bowing slightly. Bald head, gray mustache, black bow-tie. A stereotypical Jeeves if ever there was one.

　　"I had hoped to find a cute brooch or charm for my friend here, but it seems that we might be a bit out of our budget here."

　　"And what sort of a budget are we talking?"

　　"About 10,000 dols." Most of our money, but I`m not too worried. There`s plenty more available now that we`re at the capital.

　　"Oh, please forgive my earlier rudeness. I had assumed that you were mere commoners, not adventurers seeking our wares. Please, follow me."

　　I turn to Sammy and give her a nod. She looks down for a moment, no doubt her fears gripping her. I hesitate for a moment, unsure if it`s appropriate to do so, then take her hand in my own and give it a gentle squeeze.

　　"It`s okay, Sammy. I`ll be there with you the whole time."

　　She forces a smile and we follow the man, her clasping onto my hand the entire time. I look down and blush as her fingers weave in-between my own. Is she trying to convey feelings for me? Some cultural norm? Or am I just reading too much into it? My body`s reactions to the sensation aren`t helping as the man walks behind the counter and approaches us.

　　"Ladies, do you know what sort of accessory you`re looking for?" he asks.

　　"Hmm. I don`t suppose you have anything that reduces mana consumption? My companion is a mage, and anything that would reduce the need for mana restoratives would be a substantial boon."

　　"I`m not sure if we have anything of that sort in your price range, but I think we have something that may work. Let me check the back&"This narrative has been purloined without the author`s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

　　The man walks into the back and the two of us turn to each other. Our hands are still grasping one another as our eyes meet. Simultaneously, we both look down at our hands, back to our faces, back to our hands, and back to our faces, then blush and look away. By the providence of the goddess, no one seems to have noticed, or at least made any deal of our arrival. We continue on in silence until the clerk returns, carrying a ring of silver with a massive inlaid yellow gemstone - topaz, maybe garnet if I had to guess.

　　"This is a Ring of Restoration. It won`t reduce your friend`s mana consumption, but it will channel mana from the surrounding air into her, regenerating her pool over time."

　　"May I?" I ask.

　　"Please."

　　I put on a glove handed to me and pick up the ring. No cracks, no signs of any noticeable imperfections in the stone or the precious metal. I pull up the ring`s parameters.

　　Ring of Restoration

　　(Minor)

　　A ring that channels nearby mana to restore its wearer`s mental stamina.

　　[Restores 1.5% Max MP per 12 seconds (combat only)]

　　I turn to Sammy. "What do you think?"

　　"I think it`s cute. Will it really do what he says?"

　　"To some extent." I turn from Sammy to the salesman. "Alright, and how much do you want for this?"

　　"Hmm& Considering the stone`s rarity, the ring`s craftsmanship, and its abilities, I think 11,000 is a fair price."

　　I shake my head and lower my voice. "Not a chance. If this were a true Ring of Restoration, your price would be a bit inflated, but fair, especially here in the capital. But that`s not what this is. This is a Ring of Minor Restoration which you`re attempting to pawn to me as though I can`t tell the difference. I`m not saying I`m not interested, but you`re going to have to bring the price down to something more reasonable."

　　"I`m sorry, but I must remain firm. You wouldn`t want your lady friend to go without such a lovely stone, would you?"

　　I wouldn`t, but I won`t succumb to his sales tactics either. "And you wouldn`t want this establishment to be reported to the Merchant`s Guild for defrauding customers. If word got out that you were trying to pawn off cheap imitations, well& Let`s just say I wouldn`t want to deal with the fallout. Especially if the royal family were one of the victims in this little scandal. 2,000 is a fair price and we both know it, Mister."

　　The righteous catharsis fills me with everlasting joy as I let my vitriol seep into that last word. I`ve been waiting to chew this place out for twenty years - they sell some decent accessories, especially for this point in the game, but at prices far above what you can buy them for in later towns. As a player, I`d always just written it off as the price of getting some powerful accessories early. But I never imagined the in-universe explanation was that they were deliberately scamming their customers. And judging by the mortified expression on the man`s face, I think he`s in on the scam.

　　He starts to sweat and I keep on the pressure. "Two thousand and I don`t say a word to anyone," I whisper. "That`s my last and best offer."

　　He`s visibly nervous - his eyes dart about and I see him pull on his collar, and I meet his eyes, tracking his eye movements and mirroring them. My expression has become a scowl.

　　"Not a word?" he finally says.

　　I smirk. "It`ll be our little secret."

　　"I have no choice." His expression turns to a smile, the professional shark that he is. "Meet me behind the other counter. I`ll ring you up."

　　I turn to Sammy with a smile and flash her a brief thumbs-up as we walk up. I lay out the cash, pick up my partner`s new ring, and exit the store without saying another word.

　　Once we`re clear of the store and trail off toward the southwestern sextant of Ravioli and the industrial corridor, I pull the ring out of the bag and turn to Sammy.

　　"Shall I?" I ask.

　　"Oh, um, sure," Sammy stammers out.

　　She holds out her right hand and I slip the ring on her finger. The one nice thing about magic items, beyond all the obvious ones, is that they automatically adjust to fit their wearer. And this one even manages not to be the vessel of a world-devouring evil. Probably. It also looks great on her, the shining stone glistening from the sun`s rays from high above us.

　　"Do you like it?" I ask.

　　Sammy smiles and, faster than I can process, wraps me in her arms, spinning me around in her embrace. It`s a little dizzying, but it feels really nice. Especially the pressure around my chest. After a few seconds, she sets me down and flashes her new ring at me.

　　"I`ll take that as a yes," I say.

　　"Well, of course, Ash. Silly!" She pokes her ring finger at my shoulder, which pushes me back a half step. "I`ve never really had any really nice things like that. I mean, I`ve learned to be thankful for the things I have and the quiet, modest life I had with my parents back in Penne. Sometimes I`d ask for something nice and I`d get a we`ll see` but then it never happened. Over the years, I just stopped asking for anything. And when you said we`d get me something later, I guess I thought it would be the same."

　　I look down for a moment, unsure what to say. "I`m sorry, Sammy."

　　"Oh, it`s not your fault! Don`t apologize! Now, let`s go somewhere you want to go!" She marches onward and I`m forced to jog after her. Again.

　　I sigh. But still, seeing her happy makes me happy. I turn to my inventory and note the two slabs of orichalcum ore. Finally time to put these to good use and make the sword that`s going to carry me through the next three dungeons.