Ame closes her mouth, aborting her protest that she needs to give the bucket back. Oh well. She can just pay for the bucket too. Also, she's pretty sure she just got ripped off, but a gold for fifteen minutes' work is enough that she doesn't care.

Putting that dude behind her, Ame goes to find the woman with the sword.

She is sipping tea out front of a sort of cafe - the only one in town - watching the little square impassively.

Ame slides into the seat across from her, and waits to be acknowledged.

"I trust you're still interested in my late brother's literal sword. Was your nature walk fun?"

"It sucked," Ame says wryly, placing her hand on the table between them. She slides her palm to the side, leaving fourteen silver coins in two rows of seven. "But it payed off."

Ame puts her elbows on the table, chin on her hands. "Your brother's sword. Does it have a name?"

"The naming of weapons like we do for ships is not a tradition this land has. 'Tis a gauche and braggarty thing. A fine blade is a fine blade - and calling it jetcutter or the kraken's seeking fang or some other nonsense speaks of frippery."

She looks over the coins. Picks one up and rolls it over her fingers with a sigh. "And this is all it comes to? A life's ending, a legacy sold off for two sevens of silver..." She shakes her head despondently.

"Fair enough. I wasn't going to give it a name, myself."

Ame reaches across and pats the woman's hand.

"If I could take the blade itself without also taking the remembrance it provides you, I would call this a generous price, but since that is not how sentiment works, I'll instead call you generous, and offer my thanks. If you like, I can listen and promise to do my best to remember any piece of this blade's history you think I should carry with it."

"Mmh. Yessen was almost fearless, you know. That's what did him in, in the end. Always stepping into danger, but that's not even what caught up to him. It was betrayal and cowardice. His comrades fleeing and leaving him to face an earthblood aurochs alone. If you meet a man named Skag or his gang, be wary. But, well. I think you'll find that weapons as storied as this have proof of their quality in their long lifetime. I think sentiment aside, this blade is worth more. Fourteen silver is a gold, but perhaps a mere tenth of a year's labor - for the unskilled. I am not unskilled, and my ambitions reach further than a tenth of a year's labor, and I am not that desperate to part with my brother's legacy."

"I have more coin, but perhaps not more I can spare," Ame says, her thumb gently caressing the woman's wrist before she lets go. "I can offer you my body, my Skills, and my respect for that legacy, as well as whatever efforts my party might be willing to offer on my behalf. Name your price."

"There is a man I wish to introduce myself to - as a prospective employee. A master mason known for being extremely professional, and discerning in his associations, one Domino Petrocles. Simply appearing at his office would not create the impression I desire - but having an appointment ahead of time arranged by strong adventurers, and having them escort me to his doorstep - will make me seem like a person of importance. If you would stay in the city for a few days, that is more than enough time for me to travel there myself and clean up my look, lay the groundwork, as it were. If I am to escape this village and not be swallowed up by the city, it would be the perfect stepping stone to spend a year or two with."

"That, we can do."

Ame glances to her party, "We were going to stay put in the city for a while anyway, right?"

"Indeed. I presume you can tell us more about what being 'professional' looks like?"

"Oh, nothing too onerous. You fit the bill perfectly already, all stalwart and watchful and exotic! I may wish to dress up miss fucktoy there a bit, though, for professionalism's sake rather than modesty's of course."

"...I'm Abyssia. Gunner, mostly. That's Ameron, melee, Elizabeth, sorceress, and Theodore, wizard."

"Three magic users? Impressive. My name is Isodore Canto. Charmed."

"Will everyone in the city speak Thulian?"

"Enough to have your way around, Thule is the largest empire in the world after all and their... Efficient... Language gets everywhere. Thus why I know it. You will wish to learn the Ilsos tongue at some point."

"You can dress me however you want, for this," Ame says. She bets she can find a way to get the best of both, though.

Ame pauses.

"This is a sentence in the Ilsos tongue."

Huh. That worked. Why doesn't that work on the incantation lang---

"When will you be ready to leave?" Ame asks Isodore.

"-Indeed it is? I can be ready in the morning. The sun is weary for today, and it would not do to arrive late at night at a sprint. Wrong kind of attention. Perhaps you'd like to stay in my home for the night?"

"Sure. Thanks."

"There are just three unused rooms, though I have a fine kitchen. I would be pushed out by the village's lion sooner or later, with my parents living closer to the Demas and my brother no longer serving as one of our protectors, but I can still claim use of it for now. And tomorrow we will be gone, and it will not be my problem anymore."

A room for each of her party members, and herself to end up either in someone else's bed or on her lube slime. Convenient.

"So we will," Ame agrees.

Wait.

"What was that about a lion?"

"-Ah, yes, foreigners. The Noble Lions are our glorious protectors and hunters, a truly mighty bloodline capable of protecting the village even from higher-levelled monsters. They are strong, fierce, have very potent natural levels, and not the same as us demihumans. Take care not to insult one by accident. When a lion deigns to offer protection, it is only right that we offer honor and custom in return."

"Huh. Neat."

Isodore has no further comment. Her party settles in to the house, set to relax for the rest of the evening. Though Theo lurks grumpily in his room instead of joining Liz and Bys's card game.

Ame has a guess about where Theo's mind is, currently.

For a little while, she sticks with Bys and Liz, but she keeps an ear and half an eye out, waiting, essentially, for Theo to get lonely. After a few card games, and after a quick round of sex with Bys, Ame slips naked into Theo's room.

She's being quiet, but not otherwise stealthy. She waits for him to notice her before she slips into his bed.

He's staring at the ceiling holding a pillow on his chest. The pillow is tossed aside with a small noise of exasperation.

"...What, why." Sigh. "Saying you don't need to do anything for me would be pointless, wouldn't it? I don't suppose you're here to talk about spell construction."

Ame flops down next to him, head next to his on the same pillow, facing him.

"We can talk about spell construction if that's on your mind," Ame notes wryly. "But I don't think that's what's on your mind. I'm not here for anything in particular. I'm just going to be your body-pillow tonight. No pressure, just an open-ended offer."

"Not everything is about sex. Not everyone wants to fuck you. Besides, I'm just the crazy necromancer you're keeping an eye on." Sigh.

"If you want me to leave you alone and go sleep on my lube slime, all you have to do is say so."