All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

"What have I just gotten myself into?" Justin muttered in his office.

"Just nerves," Alistair replied. "Remember, the stakes aren't that high. You're simply going out with a lady for the evening. Nothing more."

"At the Royal Palace, where I don't know any of the rules," Justin sighed.

"Well, luckily for you, with my advice, you have nothing to worry about."

"For starters," Justin said, "I suppose I'll need a mask."

"Well," Alistair said, "for an event like this, you'll be expected to wear not just a mask, but an enchanted mask. They usually serve as an accessory rather than a traditional headpiece. So we need to visit an enchantry."

"An enchantry?" Justin asked.

"Yes," Alistair confirmed. "And we happen to know a good one, don't we?"

Justin frowned. "Rinna?"

"Not to downplay her abilities, but I was thinking of Master Aliendro."

"Oh," Justin said. "Yes, that makes sense. He seems accustomed to dealing with the nobility since Lord Corrin recommended him too."

"We could kill two birds with one stone," Alistair added. "We can purchase a mask from him—he likely carries them if he caters to the wealthy—and also ask about the Jester's Roulette to see if there's a way to remove that Sticky Curse."

"Yes, I like the sound of that," Justin said. "I'm ready when you are."

"Good," Alistair said. "We have no time to lose."

The two men set off across the city, leaving Mudside and heading toward the Golden District. Justin wondered if Lady Myrelle's opinion of him would change if she knew exactly where his business was located. However, considering her penchant for unconventionality, it might only make him more attractive in her eyes—a bad boy, so to speak. Justin had never fit that image before, but after everything he had been through, he figured he might be giving off those vibes now.

Who was he kidding? Of course he wasn't.

After about half an hour, they reached the Golden District, just a stone's throw from the Royal Palace. As they approached Master Aliendro's shop, Justin noticed it was much larger and more ornate than he had initially realized. The store resembled a department store, standing three stories tall, with fluted columns and well-dressed patrons flitting in and out. The wide windows showcased an impressive array of high-quality gear, and everything inside was of the finest quality, as Justin could tell from his monocle. He saw nothing less than gold-tier items.

"Well," Justin said, "this is quite the place, isn't it?"

"And you'll have to get used to such places," Alistair replied. "You became a Socialite and now an Entrepreneur. This is the world you've chosen, Justin. It's time to step into it."

Justin conceded that Alistair was right.

They entered the store, which buzzed with activity. Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over displays of gleaming armor, elegant weapons, and jewelry that seemed to pulse with inner fire. Rich carpets muffled footsteps as well-dressed customers examined merchandise with the casual air of those accustomed to luxury. The air shimmered slightly, no doubt due to the concentrated magical energies of so many enchanted items in close proximity.

A beautiful yet professional employee approached them, her demeanor suggesting she was well-trained to handle wealthy clientele. She offered each of them a wine glass.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. How may we assist you today? Or would you prefer something else to drink?"

Before Justin could respond, he heard a voice over his shoulder. "Mr. Talemaker. So good to see you."

It was Aliendro, speaking with a sharp accent Justin couldn't quite place. Aliendro nodded at his employee, as if to say, "I've got this one."

Justin removed his top hat and placed it over his heart. "Master Aliendro, it's a pleasure. I'm honored that you personally oversaw the delivery, given that you run such a prosperous shop."

"Well," Master Aliendro said, "I have a commitment to good customer service. I must admit, I was also curious to hear about a new shop opening in Mudside. I have a moment to spare, so what can I do for you today?"

"I won't take too much of your time, but there are two things I need. The first is a mask for the masquerade tonight."

Aliendro's bushy eyebrows arched meaningfully. "Oh? You have an invitation to the Royal Masquerade?"

"I do," Justin said. "And I need a mask worthy of it."

"Well, we have many to choose from," Master Aliendro replied. "Most of them have been created by me personally. I'd be happy to show you."

Master Aliendro escorted them to the second floor, where a wall filled with masks—at least thirty or forty in total—adorned the left side of the building. Justin was not the only patron looking to make a purchase for the evening. A couple of other noblemen, who seemed to know each other and were already engaged in conversation, glanced over at Justin with curiosity.

"Now, what did you have in mind, Mr. Talemaker?"

Justin surveyed the masks, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the options. Each mask offered various enchantments—some could change the wearer's voice, while others enhanced vision or provided limited telepathic abilities. Certain masks bore illusion enchantments that could alter one's apparent age or features, while others offered protection against mental intrusion or emotional manipulation.

Then his eyes fell upon one in particular—a Venetian-style mask crafted from polished obsidian and inlaid with silver filigree. The design was both elegant and masculine, featuring sharp angular lines that swept back from the eyes while leaving the mouth exposed. Small sapphires adorned the silver work, creating an overall effect that was both mysterious and refined.

This mask possessed a single enchantment called "Veil of Privacy." The description read: "Prevents all scrying of core-bound equipment worn by the user, up to platinum quality."

Justin instantly knew this was the mask for him. It would conceal all of his gear, including the Amulet of Equilibrium, from any potential enemies. He didn't want anyone knowing he wore the Amulet of Equilibrium, famously worn by King Alaric of Highcliff. As for his cane, which was quite visible, he could use the Jester's Roulette tonight—something Valdrik wouldn't recognize. His Sapphire Star was hidden beneath his jacket, and its properties could not be detected except by ascendant scrying abilities, which were exceedingly rare. Such abilities couldn't be acquired through normal means; only a very high-level individual who had taken significant risks in a Vault would have access to something like that, or a literal god. If a literal god were present at the royal masquerade tonight, he would have much bigger problems.

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"How much for that one?" he asked.

"Oh, that one," Aliendro said with a slight shrug. "That's one of our gold-tier pieces, but it has a very powerful enchantment that's quite expensive to create. I can sell it for about five golden crowns."

"Five golden crowns," Justin replied, feigning indifference. "I don't suppose I could persuade you to lower it to four crowns? It's still a commitment to quality, but it would be an excellent discount for a repeat customer like me."

Master Aliendro chuckled. "I appreciate a good negotiation, Mr. Talemaker, but we have a policy against negotiating on lower-priced items. It helps protect us from being taken advantage of by those in the Merchant class."

"I see," Justin said, realizing that in this place, five crowns was considered a minor expense. "Well, five crowns is no trouble at all. I'd be happy to purchase the mask from you today."

"Excellent," Master Aliendro replied. "You've made a fine choice, sir. Simply bring it to the front counter, and we'll check you out. You mentioned there was another matter you wanted to discuss?"

"Yes," Justin said. "It might take a few more minutes of your time, but I believe you would find it professionally interesting."

"Oh?" Master Aliendro raised an eyebrow.

"This cane," Justin said, producing the Jester's Roulette. "Would you mind taking a look at it to see if anything seems unusual?"

"Of course. Normally, my consultation fee is ten silvers for basic scrying, but I'm happy to do this for free out of curiosity and appreciation for your business."

"I appreciate that," Justin replied.

Master Aliendro focused on the cane, and after a moment, he frowned and reached into his pocket to retrieve an ornate scrying lens. Justin's monocle identified it as Mythic in quality, clearly a very advanced piece of equipment.

At last, Aliendro spoke. "This one is finicky. It's almost as if it's trying to conceal something from me."

Justin waited patiently, not wanting to reveal anything.

"Yes, I see. The Jester's Gamble enchantment provides a free random enchantment and attribute boost once per day. It seems quite powerful for a gold-tier cane, and by my estimation, such an item should be platinum tier unless it is balanced by a corresponding negative effect. However, despite my skills and acumen, I am not seeing that negative effect, which is quite frustrating."

"So you can't see anything strange about this cane?"

"Well, the Jester's Gamble and Jester's Roulette are both powerful on their own, but the random aspect isn't enough of a drawback for them to be classified as gold-tier. They should be considered platinum unless balanced by something that amounts to a curse. I know that sometimes curses can remain hidden, even from someone as experienced as I am, and it's been quite a while since I've encountered a curse advanced enough to evade my detection."

Justin felt a chill settle in. "Do you want me to give you the answer?"

Master Aliendro nodded. "Yes, please do."

"Apparently, it has some sort of enchantment—or rather, a curse—called Sticky."

"Ah, yes, I have heard of that one," Master Aliendro said, his eyebrows shooting up. "That would explain why I couldn't detect it. As high-level as I am, I'm not high enough to see hidden enchantments of that magnitude, at least when fused to a gold-tier cane."

"Basically, as soon as I core-bound this to myself, the Sticky enchantment ensures that the Jester's Roulette will affect me every single day, whether I'm wielding the cane or not."

"That would definitely be a curse strong enough to provide those benefits while keeping the cane at gold quality," Master Aliendro said.

"So my question to you," Justin said, "is there a way to remove this Sticky enchantment? I would love to enjoy the benefits of the cane without the curse of the Sticky enchantment constantly activating on me, imposing certain disadvantages every day without my consent. It could lead to a dangerous situation."

"Yes, it can," Master Aliendro admitted. "Normally, random enchantments are quite beneficial to their owners, but certain powerful ones can come with drawbacks to balance them. Usually, they aren't harmful—usually, I say, mind you—but in certain situations, they can become quite dangerous or disadvantageous. You have my sympathy, sir."

"So there's really no way to fix it?" Justin asked, his heart sinking.

"Well, as far as removing the curse itself, it's quite complicated. If it were just connected to the cane, then yes, I could remove it. It would be expensive, but I could do it. The problem is the way this curse functions—it doesn't affect just the piece of equipment and your connection to it; it affects your very core."

"My core?" Justin asked, dawning horror spreading across his face.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. The only way I could possibly fix this is by destroying the cane itself. I would do this at no charge for you. Normally, whenever someone sells a piece of enchanted gear that's core-bound, I pay them for the privilege, as I can make use of some of the leftover components by breaking them down. Many Enchanters run a business like this in addition to selling their own enchanted items. However, in this case, I can only offer it as a courtesy. Breaking down a cane of this magnitude and curse would require some rare ingredients on my part. While I would be happy to do it mainly as an intellectual exercise, I can't offer you any money for it as I normally would."

"That makes sense," Justin said. "So I basically have to decide if I'm willing to live with this or if I want to give it up."

"Yes," Master Aliendro replied. "I could give you a couple of names of other Enchanters, but neither lives in Belmora. One of them, Thessarian Goldenweave, resides in Velandia. The other, Grak, lives in Karadesh. He's quite possibly the best Master Enchanter in Calidon, and I'm absolutely certain he would be up to the task, though his services don't come cheap. But I understand if you don't wish to go that far to fix your cane."

"I see," Justin said. "Well, I appreciate your help. I'm ready to pay for the mask now. Will you accept payment here, or should I go to the counter?"

"Whatever you prefer, Mr. Talemaker."

Justin handed over the five crowns, and the mask was his.

"Congratulations, sir. Enjoy the masquerade tonight! I hear the Starlet Ballroom is quite enchanting."

Justin nodded in thanks.

"Oh, one more thing," Alistair said. "My friend here would like to wear these clothes, but the issue is that the lady he's taking tonight has already seen him in them. He wants to retain the same enchantments. Would it be possible for you to modify his gear in a way that allows him to switch things out?"

Master Aliendro's eyes brightened. "Yes, of course I can! The thing is, I'm fully booked today, but this won't take much time. However, I will need to charge more than usual if you want it rushed."

"How much are we talking?" Justin asked.

"Examining your gear, fifty silver marks will get you multiple color options and details that you can swap out. For a gold, I can offer maximum flexibility."

Aliendro's gaze lingered on Justin's amulet and the Sapphire Star concealed beneath his clothes, though the Master Enchanter made no comment. Justin doubted that Aliendro could scry the Sapphire Star, but as a Master Enchanter, it was possible he could scry the Amulet of Equilibrium. Hopefully, a man in his position was accustomed to dealing with such artifacts.

The idea of changing his outfit's look with just a thought for a mere gold seemed like a bargain. Personally, he didn't mind wearing the same thing every day; it simplified life, especially with his Ring of Hygiene keeping him clean. Yet, he understood that for vanity's sake, it was better to appear different at various events, lest others take offense.

"Sounds fair to me," Justin said. "Let's go for the gold."

"Very good, sir."

"It'll take about five minutes," Master Aliendro said. "Please wait here while I retrieve my tools."

Aliendro returned with a collection of fine brushes and small vials filled with glowing inks. He instructed Justin to stand still while he carefully painted nearly invisible runes along the seams and edges of the Founder's Regalia. The enchanter muttered in an arcane language, his words flowing in rhythmic patterns that resonated with the magical energies building within the fabric.

"Now," Aliendro said, stepping back, "focus on the color you want and the style modifications you'd like to make. There are limits; you cannot exceed the basic cut and overall appearance of your clothing, but you might be surprised at how far you can go in some cases. In your case, you can switch styles every hour. That's how long it takes for the enchantment to replenish."

Justin concentrated, envisioning a deep navy blue instead of burgundy, with silver threading replacing gold. He imagined the coat taking on a more formal cut, featuring a high collar and silver buttons. To his amazement, the fabric shimmered and transformed before his eyes, the colors shifting smoothly while the cut refined itself into something more suitable for a royal ball.

"Remarkable," Justin breathed, examining his reflection in a nearby mirror.

"You can also add or remove a cloak, adjust the collar height, or even incorporate decorative elements like a sash," Aliendro explained. "The enchantment is quite versatile."

"This is great, Aliendro. You are truly a master of your craft."

"I'm glad you're pleased. I'm sorry to hear about the cane, but please feel free to return if you ever decide to change your mind."

"I will," Justin replied. "Have a good day."

Justin and Alistair walked out of the store.