With the flamboyant noble finally gone and the dust settling, Emilia didn't waste a single second. She turned to Diana with a look of predatory ambition.
"The accessories, Diana. Produce them. Now."
Diana chuckled and reached into a small, enchanted travel satchel. She pulled out a collection of shimmering silk ribbons, brass cloak pins shaped like soaring griffins, and small glass vials filled with "Capital Mist"—which was essentially just expensive perfume, but in Fareday, it was liquid gold.
"The latest trends from the inner circle," Diana explained, laying them out on the wooden boards of the booth. "In the capital, these are standard. Here, they are masterpieces."
Emilia's hands moved with a blur of speed. Within minutes, she had used a piece of charcoal to write out new price tags. Kirian leaned over to look and nearly choked.
"Five gold pieces for a ribbon?!" he hissed. "Emilia, that's highway robbery! You could buy a whole cow for that!"
"We aren't selling ribbons, Kirian," Emilia said, her eyes gleaming with a terrifying financial light. "We are selling status. We are selling the dream of the Capital. Now, put this on."
She shoved a bright teal sash and a gold-trimmed beret at him.
"I am a warrior! A future hero of renown!" Kirian protested, though he was already adjusting the beret in a nearby puddle's reflection. "I am not a mannequin!"
"You are a 'Legendary Brand Ambassador,'" Emilia corrected. "Now, stand over there and look 'aloof yet approachable.'"
As Kirian struck a pose—which involved leaning against a post and squinting dramatically at the horizon—a group of teenagers approached. They were dressed in fine, un-muddled tunics and led by a boy named Julian, the son of a local magistrate who had always looked down on the Zennon siblings' "cardboard fantasies."
"Well, if it isn't the 'Legends,'" Julian sneered, fanning himself with a silk handkerchief. "I heard you were digging around in the sewers this morning. I could smell the failure from three blocks away."
His friends snickered, but their laughter died the moment their eyes landed on the booth's new inventory. One of the girls gasped, pointing at a griffin pin. "Is that… is that a genuine 'Aurelius' design? Those aren't even available in the southern provinces yet!"
"Straight from the capital," Emilia said smoothly, leaning on her elbows. "Limited edition. Only for those with the… discerning taste to afford them."
Julian's face twisted. He looked at the griffin pin, then at his own plain brass buckle, and his ego took a visible hit. "It's probably a knockoff. Made of tin and spray-painted."
"Actually," Diana stepped forward, her maid outfit perfectly pressed and her tail twitching with professional poise. "I purchased these myself from the Royal District. I have the certificates of authenticity, should you wish to verify them, young master."
The presence of a high-class maid—one clearly trained in the capital—immediately shut down Julian's skepticism. The "Legend" booth suddenly didn't look like a joke anymore; it looked like an exclusive boutique.
"I'll take the pin," Julian snapped, throwing a heavy pouch of coins onto the counter. "And the blue ribbon. It'll look better on me than on… whatever that is," he gestured vaguely at Kirian.
"That," Kirian said, not breaking his aloof pose, "is the scent of destiny. And teal is the color of the season, you peasant."
The "Merch Crisis" turned into a "Merch Frenzy." Word spread that the Legends had capital goods, and soon a line formed. Emilia was in her element, Gaius was forced to act as a "Bouncer" to keep the over-eager villagers from toppling the booth, and Lili was tasked with "Quality Control," which mostly meant she sat in the back and ate the snacks Diana had brought.
However, the "Crisis" part of the afternoon arrived when they ran out of ribbons.
"What do you mean we're out?!" a merchant's daughter cried. "I need that ribbon for the dance!"
Emilia looked at the empty tray, then at the frantic crowd, and finally at Kirian.
"Kirian," she whispered. "Give me your sash."
"What? No! I've grown attached to it! It defines my current character arc!"
"Give. Me. The. Sash."
Before Kirian could flee, Diana moved with her signature speed, neatly untying the teal fabric from his waist.
"Apologies, Master Kirian," Diana said with a wink. "But business is business."
Emilia sliced the sash into four smaller strips, tied them into bows, and sold them for double the price as "Authentic Hero-Worn Charms."
By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, the booth was stripped bare. They had made more money in three hours than they had in the previous three weeks.
Gaius sighed, leaning against the now-empty crates. "My ears are ringing. People are terrifying when they want to buy shiny things."
"They aren't people, Gaius," Emilia said, lovingly counting the pile of gold. "They're customers. And customers are the greatest monsters a Legend will ever face."
Kirian, now sash-less and slightly rumpled, looked at the sunset. "We were heroes of fashion today. It wasn't the battle I expected, but victory smells like… well, it smells like Diana's perfume and success."
Lili stood up, dusting biscuit crumbs off her lap. "I'm still hungry. Let's go before Emilia tries to sell my umbrella."
"Don't give me ideas, Lili!" Emilia called out, already eyeing the lace trim on Lili's sleeves.