We walked for some time before eventually reaching the gathering of shops at the end of the street. There were quite a few people lingering around the shops, walking in and out of the various buildings and talking among each other. I couldn’t help but stare at the gathering of people.

  Of course, our arrival did not go unnoticed. Curious stares were pointed in my direction, but I was getting used to it by now.

  I felt an impatient tug on my arm as Bella started to pull me towards a shop at the middle of the district. I hastened my legs to follow the girl. Fortunately, today I picked a shorter skirt and the danger of tripping over its hem was not present, like it is on the longer variations.

  Bella shouted over her shoulder towards her mother and Aria. — “We will be over at the enchantment shop!”

  “I said…” — Aria started protesting, but Lady Nerha quickly handled the elf.

  “My dear… the shop is right there, you can see it from here, let them have their fun.” — I didn’t hear what Aria said as a reaction, but I could suspect she was quite annoyed by the sudden turn of events.

  Regardless, I continued to follow Bella, and soon enough, we found ourselves standing in front of the glass window, which represented the forefront of the shop. There were a variety of items showcased beyond the glass. Most of them were small items, trinkets, earrings, rings, small pieces of cloth made with exquisite materials like gloves, hats or shoes, of all things.

  Some were beautifully made with eloquent designs, while others were more common, at a glance they would be considered as perfectly mundane items with little value.

  However, I could not ignore the wave of raw magical power that radiated from each one of those items. If I didn’t know that those items were enchanted, I would have been quite alarmed by the unexpected sensation. Feeling the foreign wave of magical force by body tensed slightly, my fingers tightening their hold on Bella’s hand earning a curious glance from the girl.

  “Selora?” — She asked in an uncertain voice.

  Surprised by Bella calling me by my name, I was jolted out of my thoughts and focused back on the present. I turned to the girl and explained the reason for my surprise.

  “Magic… raw power radiates from all of those items. It simply surprised me, but I am alright now. Would you like to enter the shop?”

  Bella smiled and nodded happily, pulling me towards the entrance, this time with a well-measured pace. She opened the door and stepped inside, her hand clasping mine.

  “Master Tuz, are you here? I brought along my big sister today!” — The girl shouted into the shop with a happy giggle. There was the sound of a distant crash coming from the back of the shop, followed by a series of muffled curses.

  It didn’t take long before the owner of the voice appeared in the shape of a dwarven man with a deep scowl etched into his soot covered face. The man in question was covered in durable work clothes with long gloves and a pair of glasses pushed up at the top of his head, also covered in soot. He had long, shoulder length hair with a large grey beard and mustache combination. Under the layers of fresh soot, excluding his eyes, which were shielded by those glasses, his face was filled with wrinkles and a handful of warts.

  The dwarf standing in front of me was undoubtedly the oldest dwarf I have so far encountered.

  The man’s fiery gaze focused on Bella next to me, who was entirely amused by the sight, and giggled openly.

  I looked between the two, somewhat amused by the situation, but not very worried, sensing Bella’s careless behaviour.

  “You little crook!” — The man pointed at the chuckling girl. — “How many times do I have to tell you not to shout in my shop! I was in the middle of an important experiment.” — The man stated in open annoyance.

  “Ah-ha!” — Bella snorted. — “Were you trying to brew another type of ale again? Grandpa tells me you are obsessed with the stuff.”

  “Obsessed my arse!” — The man shouted with a freshly invigorated rage. His face was starting to turn red even through the layer of soot covering it. — “Like that foolish man is one to talk about being obsessed with drinking…” — It was at that moment the mumbling dwarf seemed to grow aware of my presence for the first time.

  His face paled lightly noticing my presence, and he immediately rushed over to the counter, picking up a random rag and starting to rub the soot off of his face. It took half a minute before he looked up again, his face somewhat clearer than before. His dark brown eyes focused on me, then turned back to Bella with a questioning glare.

  “Come to think of it, you mentioned something about your sister? That’s curious, since I was not aware that you had one…” — The man stated in a monotone voice, obviously unimpressed by the situation he found himself in.

  Bella chuckled again, letting go of my hand and skipping up to the counter. — “That’s where you are wrong!” — She pointed at me with a proud smile. — “Selora is my big sister now, and she is a witch! A real-real witch!”

  The man’s eyes widened in surprise, some of the wrinkles rolling up on his forehead as his attention once again turned back to me. His eyes narrowing, taking in my presence and seemingly noticing the Dimhollow family emblem on the buttons of my shirt and even catching a glimpse of the ring that Emrum gifted to me when he accepted me into the family.

  These subsequent discoveries seemed to surprise the man even further.

  “For once, you seem to not talk utter nonsense, child. Unless if this is an unbelievably intricate prank, but no… I would recognize that ring, after all, it was me who made it, nearly two hundred years ago.” — The man stated, then coughed up some soot, spitting it right on top of the counter, his face contorting in disgust. — “Curses, it makes my blood boil to even think about it… two hundred years, can you believe it, lass? I am nearly at my third century.”

  Bella leaned her head to the side and said innocently. — “Oh? That’s seems like a lot. You must have a gigantic birthday party then? Still… I can’t wait to reach ten! I will have a large party of my own. You will get your invite too!”

  The old man snorted. — “Bah! When you get to your fiftieth, you will only feel disgust at thrice of that and it will start to turn into desperation. Never understood what was the point in birthday parties past that. Most of my friends are long gone, anyway.”

  Bella pouted, hearing the master’s words. — “Does that mean you won’t come to my birthday?”

  The old man stiffened, glancing at the pouting girl and shook his head, his long beard waving in the air at the subtle movement. — “Bah, fine, but only for an hour. I don’t need you to send your gramps after me. I don’t need that old fart draining my beer supply again. I am yet to completely repair the damages his presence incurred from the last time.”

  Bella cheered, while the dwarf’s eyes focused on me. — “So, how does an elf-maid end up in the main house of the Dimhollow clan?”

  I bristled at the straightforward question, slowly stepping closer to the counter. — “Uh… that is a long story, and not something I would wish to recall right now.”

  The man snorted. — “Complications, I expected that much.” — He pulled down his glasses from the top of his head only to realize that the lenses were still covered in soot. He scowled in disgust, taking off the glances with an angry flick of his hand, starting to clean the lenses with a clean piece of cloth.

  There were a few seconds of silence before he put on his glasses once again.

  “Well… I think I recall some unusual rumors about an elf joining a noble house. I guess that was about you. Not that it matters to me, lass… living under the same roof as this evil spawn of a girl,” — His eyes glanced towards Bella, who was currently watching a strangely glistening ring left on the top of the counter. Likely yet to be packed away from the visit of a previous customer. The man’s hand quickly shot out, his fingers nimbly curling around the ring, hiding it under the counter, locked inside a tiny metal box. His tired eyes focused back to me and said. — “it’s your funeral.”

  He took in a deep breath, then continued. — “So, how may I help the two of you today?”

  Bella spoke before I could. — “Mommy told me you have a new shipment! I want to see it, I want to see all!”

  The old man mumbled, facepalming. — “For all the gods in heaven, fine! At least I might actually sell something today, seeing that there is someone who might have a use for these items… aside from fickle curiosity. Still, before that… Is there anything the young miss desires?”

  Bella bristled impatiently. — “I just said-” — She was cut off by an angry bark from the master. — “Not you, the other one!”

  “Oh? You were talking about big sister Selora?” — Bella’s confusion cleared up and she looked up at me with expectation.

  I didn’t really know what to expect from the surrounding items, therefore I couldn’t quite request anything yet, unfortunately. I only knew that the items were undoubtedly magical in nature, but their capabilities were complete mystery. Still, there was one thing that came to mind, and I decided it was worth a shot to ask about it.

  I scratched the side of my face, then admitted the truth with a bit of reluctance. — “Uhm… I am not sure what to expect from these trinkets… However… if there is something that can help me carry more items, then that could be helpful.”

  The old master’s eyes glinted with satisfaction. — “Ah~” — He paused for a while, his fingers habitually brushing along his long grey beard. — “A discerning customer, you my lady, have come to the right place. I believe I have something that you might be interested in owning.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  The old man walked into the back of the shop, I could hear the sound of clinking metal resembling the sound of a keychain being moved around. Then I heard the opening of a metal door.

  My attention was distracted at that moment by a tug on my skirt from Bella. I looked down at the young girl, providing her ample attention.

  “You want to buy a magic bag? They are not cute at all, quite boring for the ridiculous price.” — She said, crossing her arms, unable to figure out why anyone would desire such an item.

  I smiled at her, already excited by the prospect of such an item actually existing in this world. — “Oh, but you see… I can hardly imagine a more useful item in my current circumstances. Carrying more items without them weighing me down is a dream for any adventurers.”

  Bella thought about that, then nodded reluctantly. — “I guess, I never thought about it like that.” — She rolled her eyes. — “It’s not like mommy would let me go on a real adventure anytime soon. She won’t even let me go to the merchant district without armed escorts.”

  I chuckled at that. — “You are still young, she must be worried about you.”

  “True… but that doesn’t make it less annoying.” — The girl said in a frown.

  “You shouldn’t talk about your mother like that.” — I chided her gently, to which she frowned at me, saying with slightly narrowed eyes as she peered up at me.

  “Do you enjoy being tailed by Aria everywhere you go?” — Bella asked, and I froze like a doe in headlights. My face turned slightly towards the glass window of the shop, only to meet the wood elf’s glare pointed at me from the other side of the street. I instinctively pretended to not notice it and even looked the other way.

  I could hear the girlish snort from my left, drawing back my attention. I thought about my next words, then with a sigh, I admitted my defeat. — “I am sorry… Just… try to keep up with it for a few more years. Still, our situation is not exactly the same… and you know that very well.”

  I felt the girl’s tiny hand locking with my own in a comforting gesture. — “She is overreacting, big sister is not that kind of person.”

  I felt a sense of warm peacefulness fill out my insides, slightly squeezing Bella’s hand to let her know how much I appreciated those words. — “That might be true for now… but if I learned one thing in my life, Bella. People change, especially people who stay close to power.”

  Bella leaned her head to the side, considering my words, right when the shop owner walked back into the forefront of the shop. His wizened eyes taking in my form with a newfound respect. — “Listen to your big sister, child, for she have spoken wise words, for an elf so young.”

  I was surprised by the man’s words, especially the part referring to my age. — “How would you know that I am considered young?”

  The man chuckled once again, standing behind the counter. — “It is true that most dwarves struggle to judge the age of elves. Alas, I have spent near a century of my life in your cities. One will learn to pick up the subtle signs and differences, because there are such differences, believe me.” — He gently spread out three small shoulder bags over the counter. — “Still, to pick up such signs on the body is hard, even for me.” — He admitted before adding, suddenly looking up into my eyes with surprising intensity. — “The eyes, however… they always tell the tale of passing centuries, and so I know that you cannot be older than one century, girl.”

  Bella cheered, clapping her hands. — “She is exactly a hundred! You figured that out solely from her eyes? How would you even do that?”

  The old man chuckled mysteriously, as he lay out the last bag with utmost care. — “You may learn it with time, lass. For now, however, let us focus on the merchandise.”

  Both me and Bella nodded as we took in the sight. Three small shoulder bags lay atop the counter, all three of them made with female customers in mind.

  The first was made with a light brown material. Its shape somewhat roundish and flat, about the size of my stretched out palm, slightly larger. It hanged on a long customizable strap that you could easily throw over your shoulder while the bag would hang at the height of your waist. The design was unassuming and simple. It could be opened and locked by a simple button that allowed you to flip the top half open in a single movement.

  As I looked inside the bag, I saw nothing unusual. The inside seemed perfectly normal, my eyes told me that it was nothing more than an empty bag. At the same time, my other senses screamed of an unhealthy amount of magical power condensed in the same bag.

  I turned to the next one, with a bit of bewilderment on my face. This bag was made from a rich green material, its shape more traditional, reminding me to the ones I have seen on Earth. It was considerably larger compared to the previous one, and I didn’t really like that. On top of that, it was designed in a style that screamed extravagance. I skipped the more detailed inspection and glanced over to the third one.

  This time the bag was made with an elegant but not excessive style. It’s shape resembling that of a square equipped with several smaller pockets along with a larger one. Its color was beige, and there were several flowers and a variety of herbs embroidered in the middle of its front like a tiny little bouquet. Just like the first one, this too hanged on a customisable shoulder strap and could be closed or opened by the use of traditional buttons. This time around there was also a lace that could help fasten or loosen the mouth of the bag, allowing to place in larger items than one would expect from looking at it.

  Being aware of the true purpose of the bag, this particular feature seemed especially useful. I placed the last bag back to the counter and decided to ask the very question that bothered me for a while.

  “How do they work?”

  The old master smiled, clearly anticipating this question. — “These bags are laced with powerful magic. Every single part of them had seeped through and through with a variety of spells and incantations, the very materials are strongly magical in nature. I can say without boast that these are the peak of magical enchantments.”

  The man paused for a second, then continued.

  “Aside from a variety of strengthening spells, and the materials’ natural durability, the dominant feature of these bags are the intricately weaved teleportation magic. Yes, every single one of these is connected to its own vault, placed in the most strictly guarded dwarven bank, surrounded by its own magical seals. When you place an item inside these bags and will it to be stored in a safe place, the spell will automatically activate storing the item in the safe individually connected to it. The same way, by wishing for the item in question, you will be able to call forth anything previously stored in the safe. In the case of not remembering what you stored there, you can simply wish for a list of items presently stored in the safe and there will be a list appearing in your bag containing all of your items.”

  My jaw literally dropped. This… wasn’t teleportation supposed to be some ancient magical art that was lost thousands of years ago? How the hell is this even possible?

  I forcefully closed my mouth, hearing the not-so-subtle chuckle of Bella from my side. Clearing my mind from the swirling potentials, allowed by owning one of these things, I decided to ask some more questions.

  “How much can a single bag hold?” — I asked, my growing excitement leaking through my voice.

  “Well, technically speaking, there is no limit since the bag is nothing more than a gate to your safe. If you can place it into the bag, you can put it into the vault. However, there are laws regarding the circulation of such items. For one, you need to be a citizen with clear standing to even own one. You see, these things would be a dream come true for a smuggler on the loose.”

  I nodded, surprised by the unexpectedly realistic approach. I mean… these were magical bags… obviously they would have to be regulated by strict rules.

  “The maximum size of the connected space for civilian personnel is locked at one cubic meter, which is also the capacity of all these bags. Aside from that, you are not allowed to have more than one such item, and it needs to be registered as a potentially dangerous enchanted tool along with its exact parameters. The good news is that you can make the registration right here after purchasing the item. Then I will send over the finished form of documentations.”

  Seriously… I was starting to feel like I was purchasing a car or something along those lines. This have really squashed my balloon regarding fantasy… Why can’t I own a bottomless bag without paperwork and annoying registrations?

  “Fine…” — I said with a forced huff. — “How much is the beige one?”

  “Oh, a good choice. That one is made to resemble an apprentice herbalist bag from the School of Alchemy built at the foot of the Twin mountains in Green Vale. Which is an old and renowned institute that trained and trains mages from all sophisticated races, perfect for an elf witch such as yourself. The smaller pockets are completely regular pockets, mixing the characteristics of a regular bag with a magic bag. The primary material of the bag is wingless dragon skin, without the scales to give it a smooth touch while still keeping a high durability. It has an extendable opening, allowing to store slightly larger items, quite practical indeed. Its price is therefore nothing more than a perfectly reasonable five hundred gold, including five years of free magical recharge for all the enchantments.”

  “That… wait, what?” — I paled as my brain caught up to the ridiculous price of a single bag. — “I uh… kind of wanted one… but, I only have about a hundred gold, and it’s not like I would want to blow all of that at once…”

  As the viciously stunned clogs in my mind started to work, I was getting a bit frustrated at the unexpected price. — “I mean… You can hire a hundred carts, fill them with items and hire guards while still having spare money for a hundred gold…Here you are talking about five hundred gold for a one cubic meter space? Is this some sort of scam?”

  “Scam?” — The dwarf asked in disbelief. — “Do you have any idea how much effort is put into the creation of this single bag? I can assure you there is no scam!” — He grumbled. — “Only in the process of hunting down the wingless dragon that was its base material, several fatalities must have occurred. After that it went through many rigorous preparation processes, not even mentioning actually tailoring it only to be sent to a magical tower specialising in spatial enchantments… Let me tell you, aside from the high elves, there are not many such places on Rixa, especially reliable ones. Several mages have spent hours on completing the enchantments on that bag and where are we yet from buying a permanent safe slot in the most trusted dwarven bank, which too has to be laced with magical enchantments and anchored to the fixed teleportation runes?” — The master stated in a frustrated tone, slightly getting out of breath at the end of his monologue.

  “No, young lady… there is no scam here… in fact, this is considered cheap! I have seen bags like these going for a thousand gold and more on auctions.” — The master barked at the end.

  “A thousand g-gold?” — I felt faint from the idea. — “I… I think I need to sit down…”

  “Humph! What kind of witch cannot appreciate the sheer effort and beauty put into a magical artifact? I cannot fathom!” — The old man grumbled quite annoyed by my reaction.

  In the recent days, Emrum, Nerha and Aria, in a somewhat focused effort, managed to teach me various things regarding this world’s economy which naturally included the worth of money, this time beyond the simplest of exchange rates thankfully.

  Thousand dwarven gold coins were essentially the amount of money that would allow someone living in the capital to retire at twenty and live a fulfilled life for several hundred years.

  For that price, you can buy a smaller mansion in a well off street of the capital.

  Seeing my disappointed expression, the master’s features seemed to soften somewhat, then he reluctantly added.

  “Do you have anything else of value you can offer, lass? I don’t solely deal with gold, if you have rare enchantments or magical knowledge you are willing to share, I might be willing to make a deal with you, anyway.”

  I was still too shocked at the time to react in a comprehensible way, and I only answered with a half hearted mocking tone. — “Anything of value? Sure! I can draw you a circle of runes that can create an unusually juicy carrot for a ridiculous amount of mana. The last one I fed to a goat that thrown me off a hundred times, the bastard.”

  At this time, I was already collapsed on a chair placed into a corner and presently contemplating my life choices.

  The fact that I was in a fantasy universe with magic, while still unable to buy a magic bag, seemed to shake me more than I ever anticipated. What sort of injustice is this?

  Before I know what happened, I found a thick notebook along with a pencil pushed right under my nose. I peered up at the master, who was offering the tools with a teasing smile.

  “Now-now, don’t you dare to start crying in my shop, lass. Instead, why don’t you try to show me those runes? Who knows, they might be worth something. Anyway, I never heard of a spell even remotely similar to what you described, at worst, we get a good laugh out of it.” — The man laughed good-naturedly.

  I nodded, taking the note and the pencil. — “There you go, girl.” — The man smiled, then turned his attention to Bella.

  “While you are at it, I can show her some of the new merchandize, but only the ones that are not boring adult stuff.” — The man teased Bella, ruffling her red hair mercilessly, which elicited a bell like laughter from the girl.