Morning sunlight leaked through the cracks of the shutters. JP sat cross-legged on the inn's floor, his satchel dumped out in a mess of slime cores, herbs, tools, and one unfortunate half-eaten bread roll.
Lyra leaned against the wall, arms folded, watching with her usual patient suspicion. "You've been at that for an hour. What are you trying to do—make a mess more efficient?"
JP squinted at the satchel's straps. "You don't get it. This bag is a dead giveaway. Every merchant, guild official, and back-alley pickpocket sees me lugging it around and thinks, That guy's hiding something valuable. Which, well… they're right. So I need a fix."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "And dumping it all over the floor helps how?"
"Because I had an idea last night." He grinned, pulling out a thin strip of monster hide he'd treated with resin. "If I rework the straps and merge this satchel with a belt rig, I can wear it under my cloak. No more flashing my loot like a walking market stall."
Lyra's lips twitched. "So… you're reinventing the belt bag?"
JP paused. "Don't mock the genius of the belt bag. It's compact. Stylish. Functional." He tugged at the straps, weaving them together with some improvised alchemy glue. The satchel's form shifted, tightening down until it resembled a flat pack against his hip. With a triumphant grin, JP slipped his cloak over it.
"See? Invisible storage! Now I just look like a regular, underpaid adventurer instead of a suspicious walking treasure chest."
He pulled the cloak aside with a dramatic flourish—only for the bag to swing free and smack him hard in the thigh. He yelped, hopping on one foot. "Okay, note to self: stabilize the bottom strap."
Lyra actually laughed—soft, brief, but real. "You'd trip over your own inventions if I weren't here."
"Hey, progress isn't always pretty," JP muttered, fumbling with a buckle. "But seriously, this will help. Less strain, more discreet. And look—" he tapped the side of the satchel with Appraisal, and a faint glow confirmed what he suspected.
[Satchel Upgrade: Integrated Inventory Access]Storage can now be accessed directly through belt rig. Mana strain reduced.
JP's eyes went wide. "Oh… oh, that's good. That's really good." He snapped his fingers, and a slime core popped into his palm from the bag without him even opening it. He snapped again, and it vanished back inside.
He looked up at Lyra, eyes sparkling. "Do you realize what this means? Hands-free inventory access!"
Lyra deadpanned, "Yes. Truly the height of magical progress."
JP ignored the sarcasm, striking a triumphant pose. "Today the belt bag, tomorrow—the world!"
"Tomorrow," Lyra said dryly, tugging her cloak around herself, "we take another quest. And you try not to embarrass yourself in front of the guild."
Still, when she turned away, there was the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
Outside, however, the shadows lengthened. Someone was watching the inn door, waiting for JP and Lyra to step out.