Vivian and Rung got up after a half hour of conversation with Mr. Riley, discussing the upcoming festival. Mr. Riley had rented a stall from Rung in exchange for discounts on his goods, and had used it to buy up some of his rarer pieces. When Vivian asked about the Shard, Mr. Riley smiled while Rung shook his head.
“Buying a Shard is bad luck,” Rung had said over an empty bowl, his third tankard. “Those are meant to be assembled for your final project, where all who are skilled are put to the test. It would be like if I gave a storefront to a neophyte merchant. They must gather contacts, make friends with the traders and hunters of the region, and decide what they’re going to specialize in. Tossing a shop at them would quickly lead to ruin, ruin which would reflect poorly on the Clan.”
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