After Partitio and Osvald left behind the tavern, they began to wander through the streets of New Delsta in search of the other two materials Regulus needed. Partitio had expected it to be very easy to get his hands on a mirror in a city this large, but he found that it was far harder than it had any right to be. Most of the mirrors he happened to see in the stores were much too large, and as a result, much too expensive. The metalworking tool he had already purchased was on the smaller size, and Partitio knew the precision lens was going to be fairly small too. That meant he needed to find a mirror that was small enough to fit with both of them, and that was proving to be a much harder task than it had any right to be. 

Partitio was starting to wonder if perhaps it would be a better idea to go back to Regulus and ask if he would be able to cut up a piece of a larger mirror in order to make his telescope... Though Partitio didn't know if that would work out easily. Mirrors were tough, and the only way to really break one into smaller pieces was to outright shatter it, and that was going to cause a lot more danger than it was worth. There had to be another solution around there that Partitio just wasn't seeing. He had no idea as to how he was going to find it, but he was determined to figure something out. 

"You don't have to find what he needs, you know," Osvald commented after he and Partitio had been searching through New Delsta's streets for twenty minutes with no luck regarding the mirror or precision lens. "You already found the metalworking tool, and that's a good start. Regulus needs to learn how to manage his money better, and this could be a very valuable lesson for him."

"But I said I was gonna help, didn't I?" Partitio countered. "And I never leave someone if they need my help. I want to do what I can to pitch in, especially after I went so far to say that I'd be able to pull it off. I've already got one of the pieces, and that's a good start. It can't be too hard to find the other two, right?"

Osvald sighed, not telling him that they had yet to have even the slightest trace of fortune when it came to finding the remaining pieces. Partitio already knew it even if Osvald wasn't willing to speak his feelings aloud. Either way, Partitio wasn't going to back down. He was there because he wanted to be able to help Regulus with the rest of his work. If there was anything he could do to pitch in, then he wanted to try. Partitio was infatuated by the idea of a telescope that would let him see the stars, and he wanted to invest in it however he could. That was what good merchants did: they helped to boost up the products they thought could sell well or otherwise help people. It was a lesson he had learned from Roque many years ago, and it hung heavily over his shoulders even now. 

Maybe that was what this was really about. Perhaps Partitio was trying to find some way to prove to himself, Roque, or anyone else in the world who was willing to listen that he had a way of getting the money he needed to buy the steam engine. He knew there were probably many people out there who didn't believe in him, but he still wanted to try. The world was depending on him whether its people knew it or not. He wanted to help them all. He wanted to give them the technology they needed to be able to improve their lives, and this was as good a place to start as any other. This was practice for Partitio as he worked to become the kind of merchant he had always wanted to be. Others may not have seen it that way, but he knew that he did, and he was going to do everything he could to help those in need. He was going to get the money, and he was going to prove himself as a merchant too. Helping out Regulus was just the first step on that journey, and Partitio was going to make sure everyone knew that it was worth it to believe in him. 

Before Partitio could even think to voice any of this, he caught a glimpse of something shiny out of the corner of his eye. He turned to find an aristocrat was looking at two small hand mirrors, glancing back and forth between them every few seconds. Partitio's face broke out into a wide smile. That was just what he had been looking for all day, and he was more than happy to take advantage of it. He started over toward the aristocrat, not revealing his leaves just yet but hoping that he would be given a reason to do so in time. "Hey there, friend," Partitio greeted. "What are you doin' there with two mirrors?"

The aristocrat seemed almost startled to see Partitio speaking with him, but he forced himself into composure a moment later, standing up as tall as possible. Partitio still towered over him, but the aristocrat wanted to seem as powerful as he could, so the difference in their heights did not deter him. "I recently got a replacement for my favorite mirror, and I am unsure of what to do with the old version now," the man explained. "I would like to sell it, but I do not know who would want to buy it..."

"I do," Partitio replied with a grin. "I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands right now, as a matter of fact. I'm in the market for a tiny mirror like that, and I'd be glad to buy it used or new."

The aristocrat was shocked by Partitio's honesty, but he nodded after holding out the mirror that he was planning on getting rid of. "You really want to buy a used mirror?" he asked doubtfully. "Most people want to get theirs new. It feels more personal that way."

Partitio shrugged. That sounded like something the upper class would say, though he didn't have much room to judge. If he wanted the mirror, then he wasn't going to say anything that might potentially deter the man from wanting to sell it to him. "I was hopin' I'd be able to find one for relatively cheap," he replied. "How much do you want for it?"

In a matter of moments, Partitio and the aristocrat exchanged leaves for the mirror, and the man counted through the change he had been given. When he was certain he had been handed the correct amount, he nodded to himself and pocketed the money. "You had better use that well," the man said. "I wouldn't be able to stand the idea of selling it to someone who doesn't appreciate it."

"I'm gonna appreciate it for a long time to come. I promise," Partitio assured the man with a shake of his head. The aristocrat didn't need to know that Partitio was planning on turning around and giving it to Regulus. It wasn't as if it would matter much in the end; the money had already been exchanged, and anything Partitio chose to do with it from then on was in his hands and not those of the man that had sold it to him. "Thankee kindly, sir!"

Partitio walked away from the aristocrat with a small smile and a matching sigh. Dealing with richer customers had always been tougher than talking to those who were closer to his standing on the class hierarchy. Still, he could at least say that he had gotten what he needed out of that conversation, and that was what mattered most. Two out of the three necessary supplies had bene gathered, and that meant Partitio just had to figure out how he was going to get his hands on a precision lens now. 

Out of the three materials Regulus had asked for, Partitio knew this was probably going to be the hardest to acquire for a decent price though. He had gotten lucky with the metalworking tool and the mirror, but for all he knew, he could end up looking all night for a precision lens at a low price and come up with nothing. At that point, Partitio would have to leave Regulus to scrounge together more money so that he would be able to purchase it on his own, and he couldn't say he particularly wanted to do that. Partitio couldn't leave someone when they were in need of help, but he wouldn't be able to ask the rest of the travelers to stay behind in New Delsta for another day either when they had business to take care of in other places on the eastern continent. At least Partitio would be able to sleep on the boat if he wound up needing to catch some extra rest once all of this was over. 

Partitio and Osvald walked through the streets of New Delsta quietly with muted frowns on their faces. Quite a few of the stores were closed at this time of night, but Partitio was certain there had to be at least one spot he could check to find a precision lens. Back in Oresrush, he had learned how important it was to be resourceful, and sometimes, that meant breaking the mold of what others expected to get what he needed. There were always ways to acquire important materials so long as he was willing to put in the effort to look around. It wasn't always the easiest thing in the world, but that wasn't going to stop him from doing it. Every lesson Partitio had ever learned as a merchant had prepared him for this moment, and he was certain he would be able to get something if he was just patient with himself and his search for long enough. 

In the end, Partitio and Osvald wandered through the streets for about fifteen minutes before the merchant caught a glimpse of something he thought would be able to help. There was a woman looking through a small bag, and when the light caught her hand just right, Partitio could have sworn he could see something glittering in the gleam of the city streets. He wasn't entirely sure of what it could have been, but that was more than enough to get his attention. At the very least, Partitio supposed it wouldn't hurt to see if he could get close enough to see what it was. 

When Partitio was in the range to see what the woman was looking at, he realized that he had finally struck gold. The woman was holding the same type of lens Regulus was going to need for his telescope. Partitio had no idea how eager she would be to part with it, but he knew he was going to have to try and talk to her about it. At the very least, he could learn where she got it and then point Regulus in the right direction so that he could check it out in the morning just in case the travelers had to leave before Partitio could find what he needed. Partitio felt hope surge through his body for the first time in the last quarter of an hour, and he approached the woman with a skip in his step and a smile on his face. 

"Excuse me, miss," Partitio began as he came to stand just in front of the woman. "What is it that you've got there?"

The woman seemed startled that Partitio was speaking to her, but she quickly calmed herself down when she realized he was smiling at her. "I... I'm not entirely sure," she admitted. "I was looking through my purse since I wanted to empty it out when I got home, and I found this. I don't entirely know what it is, but I guess I bought it a long time ago and forgot to take it out. I can't even remember what I may have wanted to use it for!"

"In that case, would you mind if I bought it off o' ya?" Partitio asked. "I've been lookin' around for somethin' just like that, and I'd be more than happy to give you some leaves for it. Just name your price, and you've got it."

The woman's shock only grew deeper as she realized what Partitio was saying. She took a few moments to consider his offer before she relented with a shrug and a nod. "Alright. It's not like I'm going to be using it for much of anything if I barely know what it is or why I bought it months ago." 

Partitio grinned and gladly exchanged the appropriate number of leaves with the woman. Once he had the precision lens in his hand, he held it up to the light, finding that it had grown slightly smudged from its extended stay in the woman's bag. Otherwise, though, it was undamaged and had held up very well through the test of time. Partitio was amazed at how tough it was if it hadn't been cracked in all the time it had been tucked out of view, and he knew that was proof as perfect as any that it would work very well for Regulus' purposes. "Thankee kindly!"

Partitio walked away from the woman before he let his joy take hold of him in full. He didn't want to risk making her upset or uncomfortable by talking about the purchase right in front of her, so Partitio made his way back up by the tavern before he turned to face Osvald with a grin. "Hehe, like takin' candy from a baby! I got all three pieces!" Partitio beamed. "Time to head on over to Regulus at the square in front of that theater!"

Osvald nodded, something impressed in his eyes. "I must say that I'm amazed you were able to find everything in such a timely manner. I would have expected it to take quite some time, especially since Regulus was seemingly unable to get the last few pieces on his own during his stay in the city."

Partitio shrugged casually. "Back in Oresrush, I had to learn how to make do with all sorts of stuff that most people wouldn't wanna look at twice. It was required if you wanted to get by durin' the city's darkest days," he explained. "So I taught myself how to look for value in things that others wouldn't care about, and I figured out how to use 'em to my advantage too. It's an important skill to have if you're tryin' to get by on the minimum."

Osvald hummed with a nod. "It is an important skill to have for a merchant in general as well," he said. "If you are able to ascertain the quality and usefulness of an item with just a bit of work on your own, then you will be able to sell it with relatively few issues as well. I can only imagine this will serve you well throughout the rest of your journey."

Partitio glowed with a smile that spread to the rest of his body in a matter of seconds. "Thanks, Osvald!" he grinned. He knew he didn't have anywhere near as much experience in being a merchant as others who lived outside of Oresrush, and it was admittedly something he worried about at times. Still, he wasn't going to let a lack of experience hold him back. He had learned a lot already, and he would continue to learn a lot more so that he was able to realize his dream. Every day was an opportunity for growth and development, and Partitio was determined to prove it each time he opened his eyes in the morning. 

"For now..." Osvald let out a slow breath. "We should get back to Regulus. I dread to think of what other trouble he could have gotten himself into while we left him alone." 

Partitio nodded and then started up the path leading in the direction of the theater. He doubted Regulus would have gotten into as much trouble as Osvald feared, but he would figure it out soon enough. Osvald trailed after him through the crowd, and Partitio glanced around with a grin. He was thrilled to be able to see all of the new things Regulus would be able to share with him once the telescope had been completed. Partitio already knew it was going to be incredible, and he could hardly wait long enough for him to make the journey up to the theater. 

Osvald's concerns about Regulus getting into trouble were very quickly proven unfounded when he and Partitio arrived in front of the theater. Regulus was standing there on his own, looking through a small notepad as he stood beneath a streetlight. He was out of the way, and more importantly, not doing anything to gamble away his money again. Partitio took off through the crowd once again, eager to make it to Regulus even just a few seconds sooner. 

"How'll this do ya, Regulus?" Partitio asked, holding out the three items he had purchased for the scholar to see. The mirror and precision lens both gleamed in the light overhead, and the metalworking tool sat between them to ensure it was not forgotten in the shuffle. 

Regulus leaned over to get a closer look at all three objects, his eyes going wide like he expected that to allow him to see the finer details. "Oooh... Oooooooooh!" he grinned brightly. Regulus gladly accepted the items and secured them in his bag, patting on the flap of his satchel to make sure none of the objects were able to somehow escape after he finally got his hands on them. Once Regulus was certain everything was in place, he placed a hand on Partitio's shoulder with a bright gleam in his eyes. "You are truly a god among mortals... A messiah, come to save this world!" 

Partitio laughed awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand. His cheeks grew uncomfortably hot, but he couldn't say he had much of a reason to protest because it was coming from such kind praise. "Hehe... That's takin' it a bit too far, ain't it?" he asked quietly. 

Regulus didn't take the compliment back though, instead patting on his satchel a few times more. "I'll surely be able to assemble the telescope with these parts. Thank you ever so much!" He glanced around the crowd eagerly, unable to keep still all of a sudden. Partitio knew that he probably would have felt much the same way if it had been him on the verge of such a grand, important discovery. "I cannot waste another second! The time has come to seal myself in my laboratory!" Regulus took a few steps back down the stairs leading into the rest of town, glancing over his shoulder just before his voice was consumed by the crowd that surrounded them. "You may find me in Montwise. Do drop by if you happen to pass through! And once my telescope is complete, we can stare the mysteries of the night sky right in the eye!" Regulus couldn't contain his excitement for a moment longer, and with a burst of eager laughter, he vanished down the steps and into the hustle and bustle of New Delsta. 

Partitio continued to smile in Regulus' direction even long after the scholar had vanished from his view. "The mysteries of the night sky, eh...? Well, that gets me all excited!" he beamed. Partitio almost felt like Agnea in a strange way. She had always been so enthusiastic about the night sky and the stars that gleamed within it, and Partitio could only imagine she would be eager to learn about all of this as well. How could she not wonder about it? Partitio hoped she was awake when they returned to the inn so that he would be able to tell her what he had heard from Regulus right away. 

Osvald was looking in Regulus' direction as well, but he was considerably less excited about the prospect than Partitio. He had learned to temper his expectations regarding Regulus' work a long time ago, and in the last five years, he was certain that almost nothing had changed from his old friend. "Then perhaps we shall pay him a visit soon," Osvald commented, his voice muffled by his beard. "Just... Keep your expectations low."

Partitio shrugged off Osvald's suggestion in favor of pointing down the path that led in the direction of the inn. "We should probably head back to the inn for the night anyway," he said. "We've got a bright 'n' early mornin' tomorrow if we're gonna catch that ship to the western continent. I'm sure the others are wonderin' where we are right about now too."

Osvald nodded with a hum. "I hope you're not too disappointed you weren't able to learn anything more about the steam engines here in New Delsta," he remarked. "That was the reason we left the inn to begin with, but we didn't get much time to see them in work at all."

Partitio had admittedly forgotten about that. He had been so caught up in the passion that came with helping people in a rough time that he didn't even remember why he had ventured out into the world until Osvald brought it up. Still, Partitio couldn't bring himself to regret what he had done. He didn't think any part of him ever could. "I think it's alright," Partitio admitted. "Sure, things didn't go entirely to plan, but I think that's fine. Besides... I needed the chance to get outta my head for a while. This was a nice way to help someone else out and stop thinkin' so much about how worried I am about the deal with Mister Roque."

Partitio hadn't realized just how desperately he had needed a distraction until he had been forced to take one, but now that he had, he was glad for it. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about his deal with Roque for ages, and it was weighing on him much more than he thought. It would be nice to think about something other than the matter of gathering eighty billion leaves. The best way to get him out of his own head was to focus on helping others to achieve their dreams. It was a powerful motivator, and Partitio was looking forward to being able to watch as the other travelers got closer to seeing through their own goals around him. They were in this together, and if they were going to support him through the situation with Roque, then the least Partitio could do was cheer them on in return. 

"I'm glad," Osvald said as he pushed open the door to the inn. Partitio could tell Osvald was far happier for him than words were expressing in that moment. If there was one thing Partitio had learned about Osvald over the course of their time together, it was that Osvald did not express himself fully in words most of the time. He was an eloquent speaker when he chose to talk about what he was thinking, but more often than not, he would leave his opinions up to his own thoughts and not bother to insert them elsewhere. Osvald simply wasn't the most emotional person, and Partitio was fine with that. Actions spoke louder than words, and Osvald had acted in the ways that mattered for all of them.

The other travelers were waiting in the inn's common room when Partitio and Osvald returned. Ochette was on the verge of drifting off from her place curled up against Castti's side, and Mahina had already fallen asleep. Hikari was the first to look up when he heard the door open, and the others all slowly pulled themselves up in the moments that followed. "You're back," Hikari began, pushing himself to his feet. "We were wondering what happened. Were you able to learn anything new?"

"Ah... Not about the steam engine, I'm afraid," Partitio replied with a sheepish smile. "I was hopin' we'd be able to find a little somethin' out that would teach me more about how it works, but we wound up runnin' into one of Osvald's old friends before we had the chance. He needed a bit of help, so we spent the night gatherin' materials for him."

"Materials?" Agnea echoed, her eyes wide from curiosity. She was still half-asleep, and she yawned after speaking that first word. "Materials for what?"

"Oh, you'll love hearin' about this! He's puttin' together somethin' he calls an astronomical telescope!" Partitio grinned. "Apparently, it'll let all of us humans look up at the stars and see them in detail! No one's ever been able to solve the mysteries of the skies before, but that's what the telescope will help us all do! I had a feelin' you'd love it since you've always loved stars."

Agnea gasped, all of her exhaustion melting away in favor of immediate excitement. "That sounds incredible!" she beamed. "Will we be able to see the telescope someday? How long will it take to put together? Where is it?"

"Regulus is operating out of Montwise, most likely from the academy and library there," Osvald explained. "Next time we are passing through the city, we can pay him a visit. I imagine he will have completed the telescope in the time it takes for us to make it there after our time on the western continent. When we arrive, we can ask him to see it."

"Then I guess we've got something else to consider next time we're here on the eastern continent," Throné hummed. "We can talk about it later on. I imagine we'll have to come back here at some point. Castti and I still need to head to Winterbloom one day even though..." She glanced over at Castti where the apothecary was distracting herself with stroking her fingers through Ochette's silvery hair. "Even though we're not ready to go yet."

"We'll be back one day, I'm sure," Temenos assured her. "Until then, we have a boat we need to catch early in the morning. Unless we want to spend the entire boat ride asleep, we should try to get some rest as soon as possible."

There was something Partitio certainly couldn't object to. Now that he was back in the inn, he was starting to feel the weight of his exhaustion, and he could only imagine it would grow heavier the longer he was forced to remain upright. Between running around New Delsta to help Regulus after a day of traveling from Clockbank and helping Al to retrieve his bag, the day was starting to catch up with him. Partitio didn't think he had realized just how much he had done until he was forced to face it, and now, he was really feeling it. "You're right 'bout that one," Partitio agreed. "Let's all turn in for the night. We've got a long day ahead of us."

Partitio gladly walked back in the direction of the room he and Hikari were set to share for the night, and the warrior trailed after him. The other travelers offered each other murmured farewells, and Partitio heard Castti nudge Ochette to wake her up so she could go into her room. Partitio smiled gently upon hearing the voices of all of his friends. He was glad he had such incredible people by his side to support him through all of this. There was a lot he was going to need to work through before he would be able to consider his journey over, and it was nice to know there were others willing to stand by him no matter what. They were fine with staying up late so they could make sure he got back to the inn in one piece even when they were all exhausted. Partitio really had found an amazing group to back him up. 

And he couldn't wait to do what he could to help them out going forward. Partitio had learned quite a bit about himself that night, and the most obvious of them all was that he wanted to help people. That was what fueled his desire to buy the steam engine in the first place, and it was going to push him to see the rest of his friends' journeys through too. First, he would be going to Canalbrine to help Temenos to learn more about the theologian by the name of Lucian who may or may not have been involved with the pontiff's death. After that, the group would be headed to Conning Creek so Ochette could investigate the rumors of a creature there that might help her going forward. Osvald, meanwhile, would be setting his sights on learning all he could about Harvey from the town where the tragedy had started five years prior. Everything was planned out for quite some time, and Partitio was glad for it. 

He couldn't have imagined a better group to go on this journey with. When he began to stumble because he pushed himself too far, he was brought back by the people who had chosen to travel with him. They all belonged together, and Partitio was excited to see everything they were able to do over the course of their adventures. They had made it that far, and Partitio was certain the future would be bright for them too. This was only the beginning, and things were only going to get better from that moment forward. 

Partitio was going to make the world the best place he possibly could, and he knew he would be backed up by an amazing group of people every step of the way. 

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Next crossed paths has been checked off the list! Yay!

I don't have all that much to say about this chapter honestly. I think it pretty much speaks for itself. I'm enjoying Partitio more and more as I write him more and more, but that's about all there is for me to comment on. I know Osvald didn't get anywhere near as much time to shine during this crossed paths, but I'm going to give him a little bit of the spotlight before we fully transition to think about Temenos' chapter two. I promise I didn't forget about him just because I was focusing on Partitio here. 

Next time, we'll continue on with the story, and that's about all there is to say. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital