The tailor finished taking measurements and led the knight to the shelf where various fabrics were rolled up. While the guest was feeling the material with his fingers, Benjamin continued chatting.
"So, they fall in love, huh, and start hanging around your neck – that's the more civilized ones. They praise how handsome and smart you are, and just the perfect fiancé. But they're reaching for your belt. You know what for, sir."
The tailor giggled slyly.
"I don't know," the knight was examining the heavy gray-black leather. "Tell me more."
"Excellent choice, sir!" Benjamin exclaimed, noticing the client liked the material. "Demon boar leather. Expensive, since it's contraband, but as durable as steel! With this, you won't need chainmail, it'll protect you from swords and arrows. And the texture! You should feel it, feel it. Top quality!"
"Yes, not bad," the knight confirmed. He unrolled the leather and slightly stretched it widthwise. It creaked but held. "Not bad. So, what next? The civilized monsters climb into men's pants and..."
"They all climb into the pants," the tailor went behind the counter and pulled out an abacus. "And do what brings children into the world. It's considered like a marriage to them."
The knight followed him and leaned on the counter with his elbow.
"And the man becomes a fool," Benjamin continued. "He can think of nothing but his little wife. He doesn't neglect his work, but as soon as he has a free moment, he runs to his beloved. We chase such ones out of the city. No need to confuse people here!"
Benjamin clicked his knuckles, calculating the cost of the order.
"So that's how it is," the knight said thoughtfully. "And the wild monsters?"
"Wild, my lord, they're the same. But they don't bother with courtship, they go straight to the point. On the sea, there are Mersharks, Scyllas, Krakens. They drag everyone in and don't let them say a word. The mermaids and Sea Bishops behave a bit better. They like romance."
"At sea?" the client asked and looked at the tailor closely. "Are there monsters on land too?"
The tailor was momentarily thrown off by the strange question. Doubts stirred in his mind. The knight, if he truly was one, seemed like someone who had fallen from the moon. A man who didn't know the simplest things, natural and familiar, like water being wet, sugar being sweet, and monsters being women who lived everywhere.
But Benjamin didn't show his astonishment. Life in Al-Gord, among pirates and outcasts, had taught him not to be surprised or ask unnecessary questions. If the stranger was the Demon Lord herself in disguise, Benjamin wasn't going to pass up the lucrative deal.
"Of course, my lord," the tailor exclaimed. "There are even more on land! In El-Farrah, as I mentioned before, the desert, nothing grows there. Even a camel couldn't find thorns, and monsters are everywhere! What they eat and drink – nobody knows. Lamias, girtablilu, sandworms. There are even whole kingdoms where only mammon live. Forgive me, I've been talking so much with you that I lost count. This is the total cost – I can't believe my eyes! Let me count it again."
"So, monsters are spread across the world?" the knight asked, confirming. "There are wild ones and civilized ones. The civilized ones have their own kingdoms, and probably armies. Monsters hunt humans to continue their kind. Is that right?"
"Exactly so, my lord."
The knight grimaced, as if something unbearably sour had touched his tongue. Taking it personally, Benjamin focused on the price. It amounted to around sixty gold. Fifty-six for materials. Four for labor, considering the margin.
"Done, my lord. Seventy gold. Please leave a ten-gold deposit."
The tailor expected the knight to start haggling or arguing, but he just calmly asked:
"When can I pick it up?"
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but this is not a quick task. We'll have it ready in about a week."
The knight shook his head.
"I can't wait that long. I'll pay double if the clothing is ready by tomorrow noon, or I'll refuse."
Benjamin whimpered, wringing his fingers. A huge opportunity was slipping through his hands.
"You're asking for the impossible! The whole workshop couldn't make this in a day. Rushing leads to poor quality, and a noble knight deserves only the best! No one in all of Al-Gord can fulfill your order on time. Please, I beg you, at least give me two days!"
His earnestness seemed to convince the knight. He silently counted the coins and placed them on the counter. Without saying another word, the man turned and left the shop.
When the door closed behind him, the tailor dropped his mask of politeness. The fake smile instantly vanished. Benjamin clinked the gold into his pocket.
"Close the shop," he ordered the bouncer. "That's it for today!"
The tailor pushed aside the cloth that covered the entrance to the workshop and slipped inside. There, behind the dirty tables piled with fabric scraps, six workers were busy sewing, cutting, and tailoring clothes for the shop.
"Drop everything!" Benjamin shouted, sweeping the patterns off the nearest table. "We've got an urgent order!"