The Pillar of Enera

[Chapter 44] Rose - Lost World

"What'd you make of this?" Rose asked Hope. They'd both received a bizarre communication from Soul who was organizing an dungeon expedition.

"It's going to take a lot of ammunition..." Hope said seriously. "Let me think."

Rose doubted Astra would permit it. Not to mention... They were standing in the commercial sector with stalkers nearby. Reporters, the sensationalist kind, desperate to interview Hope. Fortunately, the pests were kept at bay by the blue shield swirling around them, a courtesy extended by Miki. It'd be difficult for Hope to leave unnoticed. Soul's proposition is outlandish.

"So?" She asked again.

"Ok, I got it." Hope declared. Rather than an opinion, she gave Rose a set of instruction. "You do that. I'm heading to my workshop. We'll meet at the docks."

I guess we skipped over whether this was good idea. Rose watched Hope run off, fairies and journalists in tow. She sighed and headed to Sunset.

At least I'll fulfill my original purpose. The 'stones from Earth's End' had been a smash success. Hope was so flush with cash that Rose had to reassure her. She nearly panicked when she found out Agata had raised the prices. Her sister felt guilty getting rich on stray pebbles. Which is why I must reduce the funds in her bank account.

For her part, Rose felt nothing but satisfaction at her growing balance at the Black Bank. That was my goal from the start. Arriving on the Isle, she'd resolved to acquire a source of income. Money is power. Pondering the matter, she'd concluded that leveraging Hope was most efficient and was now racking in five percent of every sale. I earned that in the bargaining alone. The only unanticipated hurdle was Hope's aversion to wealth.

Rose found Agata discussing with a client. Let's be rude. "Excuse me," She broke in. "I need all the dimensional pouches you have handy. It's an emergency."

Apologizing, Agata sent her patron away and glared, "Explain."

Rose set up a barrier for privacy, "We're traveling to Lost World to save some adventurers from giant spiders. Hope wants storage to transport the fire power required."

"I see..." Agata slowly digested the words. "While I'm sympathetic, you're asking for some of my most prized items. Is Astra bankrolling the purchase?"

"Probably not." Rose admitted. "Instead, I'm offering the six thousand stones in hope's workshop as collateral, as well as the funds in our accounts." It hurts spending my own money, but extra bullets won't hurt if this is really happening. Plus keeping Hope happy has its advantages.

Agata reached under the counter and retrieved four pouches and a backpack. Rose cringed, "Only that much?" We aren't that rich after all...

Agata gave her a look of scorn, "While these four are the identical to the one Hope has, this backpack a 'lugger pack'. It only has twice the space inside, but the weight of its content is reduced by eight. They're ideal for transporting heavy materials such as metal. Their selling feature is that they can withstand a single recursion. In layman's term, it means they can hold other dimensional pouches."

"Now, take these and run along." Agata shoved the bags her way. "I've another client."

Rose turned to find Light behind her. Must be here for his weapons. She didn't wait for him, making her way straight to the docks. Wise, Dawn, and Free were discussing next to Exodia. Wise is here! Time for some info.

"What's going on?" Rose asked.

"Soul is arriving with Shine in forty seconds." Wise pointed the sky. God I envy him.