...Theo shrugs. "Demon Lord stuff is dangerous to play around with. Doesn't the Fischer, I forgot your name, have some sort of divination?"

"Abyssia. You know about Fischers? -Nevermind. I hear whispers of my gods. I imagine they would warn me if we were planning something exceedingly dangerous. And Elizabeth can do simple divinations too, as a sorceress."

"...Probably fine then. As safe as adventuring ever is, ish."

Ame is suddenly wondering if she could survive magma for any useful length of time. Probably not, even with Pelt of Caeris and her Axiom at full power. Not yet.

What is the twist-number for this facility. Ame looks that up and memorizes it. Then she looks up the number for the coastal destination Abyssia suggested.

"We should probably take the books. But we can presumably come back for them after we check out the other end. It's a bit much to carry."

"Should find one that's still sealed and make that home base. After combing it for any traps or dangerous leftovers."

"Good idea. Alright, first I want to finish reading the teleport books in case there's any, like, learnable spells in them. Then I'm gonna run back to Letersoot to buy a blank book to translate any important bits into, especially the twist-directory, so the rest of you can read it. After lunch, we start exploring the network?"

"Yeah. Also get some kind of tea or coffee, healing potions, non-stinky clothes for Theo here, and more food, please."

"I would go hunting but I'm not sure we want to eat anything from the dark magic forest."

"Make a list. I'll go shopping more thoroughly than I did the first time."

She does make a list. A fairly long one with some question marks and maybes and if-they-don't-have-this.

Abyssia scrawls a few things on the bottom - a chainmail maintenance kit, basically.

Theodore looks over the list and makes several revisions, almost entirely rewriting it in fact, neatly written with priority order and notes on acceptable substitutes and reasoning for the purchase. "There. That's easier to read."

Ame looks at the list, then gives Bys and Liz significant 'see, adding him to the party was a great idea' looks.

"Thanks, Theo."

Are there any spells or other grabbable power-ups in the teleport books? Ame has been skimming while they fiddle with the list.

Nothing obvious. There's notes on how to efficiently enchant things, and complaints that wizardry teleports aren't usable in combat by anyone but her because they take so long to say, and a lot of information on how to summon various gribblies from other dimensions (which is a kind of teleportation), but it all involves dhar and sacrifices.

Ame is curious about how the Witch could use the teleport spells instantly, but maybe that was her Tea-Lady-given Unique Skill, who knows.

With one last check for anything to add to the list, Ame tucks it away and darts out of the sanctum and up into the ruins, then streaks away into the forest. Dodging trees slows her down, be even then she feels like she's pushing up against a limit that she can already break.

She arrives at Letersoot and has to slow down before she has much time to examine the feeling.

The city welcomes her just like before - without much note by the gate guards and with a decent but amount of attention from everyone else. There seem to be vague rumors about her, though. Rushing out to rescue someone from the woods, which creates a different flavor of appreciative glances, and some skeptical or are-you-crazy ones.

Fun.

Ame steers by the brothel again on her way to the shops, just in case there's any new metaphorical fires visible from the street.

Lily is serving tea in a suggestive-yet-technically-modest outfit in the front dining room, smiling but without her heart really in it. Otherwise they seem to be doing fine.

When Lily notices her, Ame offers a wave and nod, but doesn't go in.

She has a rather lot of stuff to buy.

Firstly, not on the list, is something to help her carry the rest of the stuff back to the Witch's Sanctum. Her minimalist backpack isn't going to cut it this time.

Bags of Holding: Exist. The very big ones are a bit out of the group's price range, though. "Supporter Backpacks" that are just very large and sturdy also exist. Or an actual cart.

Supporter Backpack it is.

Ame is going to make one of the others carry it if it becomes a staple of their travels, though.

Once that's gotten, Ame works her way down the list. Theodore's organization is once more appreciated, and saves her having to repack her purchases at least twice.

He even grouped it by items that could probably be gotten at the same store.

One shop owner kicks her out, claiming she smells like dark magic, but otherwise no significant incidents occur.

She does notice, when passing the street for the second time, the same Guild clerk from their first day here, window shopping on the same street as the Morning Dew Rose Tea Parlor. He was there earlier, too. And he stiffly walks past the 'tea shop' itself without going in.

If only showers worked on dark magic.

...that is the cute boy from the registration desk. Does he continue walking or does he turn around again? That looks like trying-to-work-up-the-courage to Ame's eye.

He walks through a tailor's place down the road, then down towards the 'tea shop' again, yep!

D'aww.

While he's distracted not-looking at the brothel, Ame quietly slips into step behind him, slowly getting closer, timing it so she's right behind him the next time he turns around to make another pass.

He jumps back in surprise with a little yelp and looks down, mouth agape, before snapping his eyes back up.

"I - You!"

"Me," Ame agrees.

"So, that rule about touching clerks. That's only when you're on duty, right?"