Chapter 71: Aglaea
The Weaving Workshop's interior was even more spacious and bright than it appeared from the outside, with various richly colored fabrics draped like waterfalls, and exquisite clothing and accessories displayed on specially made racks, each piece a marvel of craftsmanship.
Several young women in uniform quietly busied themselves, merely nodding politely upon seeing you enter.
"Hey! Where's the person in charge here?" Cipher's voice sounded somewhat abrupt in the quiet Weaving Workshop.
A young woman walked over lightly and asked softly, "Two young customers, how may I help you?"
"We want to sell things, the best things! Get your boss out here!" Cipher lifted her chin, trying to make herself look more imposing.
The young woman was not intimidated by her attitude, and said softly, "Please wait a moment." She turned and walked towards the inner hall.
After a while, a faint sound of footsteps approached. A young woman, dressed in simple but noble attire, slowly emerged from the inner hall. She had soft, light golden hair, part of which was elegantly tied up with delicate hair ornaments, and her green eyes were like the purest emeralds, calm and profound. Her demeanor was like the Weaving Workshop itself: beautiful, serene, and with a sense of authority.
"Two young customers, what can I do for you?" Her voice was as gentle as her demeanor, yet it carried a certain distance. She observed you, her gaze sweeping over the parcels you brought, then settling back on Cipher. Finally, it lingered on you for a moment, and you felt that her gaze seemed a bit gentler than when she looked at Cipher.
"You're the boss of this Weaving Workshop?" Cipher looked up at the woman in front of her, "We have good things to sell. If you know their worth, give us a fair price!"
"My name is Aglaea, and I am indeed the owner of this Weaving Workshop."
"My Weaving Workshop does indeed acquire rare treasures. May I ask... what are your names?"
"My name is Cipher! As for him, he's my little cat..." Cipher eagerly answered, nudging you with her elbow at the same time, signaling you to say something and not leave her to do all the talking.
You glanced at Aglaea; her green eyes were like a spring forest lake, clear yet bottomless, making her a bit hard to read. You stated your name: "Hello... My name is Orion."
Cipher impatiently placed the parcels you brought onto the exquisite wooden table, untied the cloth wrap, revealing the treasures inside—some you brought from your uncle's house, and a few others you had recently "acquired" together.
"Boss Aglaea," Cipher tried to make her address sound more formal, "Look at these, they are all rare and good things! We want to exchange them for Liheng coins!"
Aglaea's gaze carefully moved over the items. At the same time, extremely fine Golden Threads seemed to flutter at her fingertips. She picked up a gem, gently turning it between her fingers, reflecting a strange brilliance. "Hmm, they are indeed valuable items."
Aglaea put down the gem. "However, my Weaving Workshop has its own rules. We primarily accept bartering—exchanging your treasures for ready-made clothes meticulously crafted by my 'Golden Weave' Weaving Workshop."
"Exchange for clothes?!" Cipher's cat ears immediately perked up in alarm, and her voice rose an octave, "Are you kidding, Tailor Woman! What we need are Liheng coins to fill our stomachs, or hard currency that can be exchanged for money! Who wants your pretty clothes? Can they be eaten?"
You were also stunned, not expecting such a rule. Although clothes were beautiful, for your current situation, they seemed to be the most impractical things.
Aglaea, facing Cipher's outburst, still wore that composed smile on her face: "Miss Cipher, that is not entirely correct. In Ohema, and even the entire Amphoreus, especially during this period of eternal night and widespread panic, the ready-made clothes produced by my 'Golden Weave' Weaving Workshop are not merely simple fabric for covering the body."
A hint of pride appeared in her eyes: "Every piece is woven by the best weavers with the finest threads, and may even have some of my little 'blessings' attached. They are a symbol of status, a circulating hard currency, sometimes even more effective than cold Liheng coins in opening certain closed doors. With them, you can not only exchange for food, but also for information, opportunities, and even... the protection of certain people. Here, I never make a losing deal, and naturally, I will not let fated customers suffer losses."
Cipher listened, dumbfounded. She tilted her cat ears and scratched her cheek with her hand, seemingly trying to digest Aglaea's words. You were also thinking. Aglaea's words sounded very reasonable, and her confidence did not seem feigned. In this unfamiliar holy city, perhaps this unique "currency" was indeed more useful than ordinary money.
Cipher seemed to suddenly remember something, her eyes lighting up: "Oh! I remember now! I think I did hear someone mention before that 'Golden Weave' in Ohema, their most valuable piece of clothing could be exchanged for a small house outside!"
"Alright! Tailor... Boss Aglaea, then let's trade! But, you have to give us some really valuable, easy-to-sell good clothes!"
Aglaea nodded, but her gaze sharpened, falling upon you: "Since that is the case, may I ask where these items... came from, two young customers?"
Her gaze lingered on your and Cipher's worn clothes; clearly, you did not look like people who could possess such treasures. However, this was only a partial inference based on the current situation, and Aglaea would not jump to conclusions.
"Huh? Where did they come from? ...Why ask that?"
"While my Weaving Workshop is happy to acquire rare treasures, I also need to ensure that every transaction is clean and trouble-free, to avoid unnecessary disputes between us in the future. This is a necessary rule."
Upon hearing this, Cipher's eyes darted around, and she casually picked up a small accessory, tossing it in her fingers, and said casually: "Uh, these... we just picked them up on the road! Good luck, right? In Dolos, isn't this kind of thing very common!"
She even blinked her cat eyes at Aglaea, trying to get away with cuteness. Aglaea smiled upon hearing this: "Oh? Miss Cipher's luck is truly good."
"However, as far as I know, gems and ancient artifacts of such quality are not commonly scattered around in Dolos for anyone to just pick up."
"Of course, if these items were found in someone else's home... then that would be another matter."
Cipher's small face puffed up, and she said somewhat impatiently, "Oh, why ask so many questions! Anyway, it's my stuff, I worked hard to get it... Just tell me if you'll take it, Tailor Woman! Give me a straight answer!"
Aglaea did not answer immediately, but merely looked at her quietly, the Golden Thread at her fingertips trembled slightly, and the atmosphere in the Weaving Workshop became somewhat stagnant for a moment.