Gling goes the bell on the door. Well, bell might be a bit generous to call it. The two metals actually klank but that’s enough to wake me up from my nap.

Inside comes a man dresses in gambison and leather, and with a sword on his hip. The man walks straight to the counter and looks at me with glistening eyes, he must be no older than twenty years.

“Hello there, clerk. My name is Kriss Peterson.” and then stands silent as if waiting for me to continue the conversation.

“umm… Hello there, Kriss. Is there something I can point you to?” he was ready for that suggestion.

“Where is the salamander’s eye?”

“It’s just a rumor, the salamander’s eye isn’t in this village, I doubt it even exists!” I tell him the same thing I told him for the past hour.

“But what did you hear lately, any rumors from the tavern?” he presses on the matter.

“If you think we have a tavern in this village, then you must be delusional!” this is going no where.

“I think… Well, if you’d like to do some adventuring you could deal with a goblin problem I have.”

I thought he’d be disappointed but he looked to be just as happy as ever to go. “yes, goblins. I will take care of them. Where on the map?”

He pulls out a map of the entire country, must be kidding. “ummm… Here is the route the delivery service use, somewhere there.” He closes the map and quickly goes to the door.

“be careful, they are…” but he’s already out the door. He didn’t even ask about the reward, or even if there is any.

-----

The shop does well, considering it’s pretty much the only shop around that recieves merchandise from outside, many spices and even a book or two. Everything that our skilled smith doesn’t know or doesn’t have time to make.

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Most village folk like to come just to stare at the items and hear tales, but lately the weekly merchants have been skipping us on account of goblin attacks.

Klank klok the door ‘bell’ goes. “I took care of the goblin problem.” the adventurer says, bruised and beaten, the gambison is torn all over and bloody red too, the leather he worn to protect is bearly even there for show anymore.

“I’ll take the reward now, and a healing potion, if you would have some greater ones.”

-----

Today the adventurer goes around town to ask more people, the village mayor chases him away whenever he can but I guess he took a break now.

“Did you order the potions?” it sounds like he’s in pain.

“Yes, I asked a contact of mine. It should be here in a two days. You really should be careful.” he looks down and then returns his head.

“Do you have any magic items on your next shipment too?” ahh. He thought his reward would be a magical item.

I don’t keep any, no one needs them here. I asked a craftsman to help mend his equipment instead but he still wants to buy magic items.

“I asked but my contact doesn’t know.” that was a little untrue.

“Oh, alright then… No rumors about the salamander’s eye?” he’s still on about that?

Yesterday I heard from my neighbor how the adventurer killed the goblins. He said the adventurer heard a cry before the rest of them ran away.

That must mean something is rallying them, I wonder if the adventurer knows this. “here, a silver rock” he hands me the money for the potions.

“Thank you... Say…”

He chugs it, I never saw a potion work before. His wounds healed before my eyes.

“What was that?” he healed to the point he had vigor to spare.

“Umm… Nothing, well…” I lost my track of mind.

“May I have more for the same price? Just two more.” I hand him two more and he walks away… After he leaves I remember I wanted to ask him about the goblin rally master but… Maybe it was better I didn’t.

-----

A few days gone by, the adventurer already helped the smith and the carpenter as well as a few farmers.

He always asks about the Salamander’s eye but is eager to take on simpler requests too.

But today he gets ready to go to the forest again. I talked to some friends of mine about the goblin rally master and word got around to him.

He really does plan on fighting the goblin master on account that it might be connected to the salamander’s eye.

The village leader begs him not to go. I don’t know what’s better, if I should tell him to stay or do as he pleases.

-----

It has been two weeks since he left, I asked around the inn, his name was… is… Arnold Lumineux. Must have come from afar with a name like that, wonder why he used a fake name too.

I can’t help but feel as though I needed to ask him to stay. I’m not sure if it would have mattered, but it was a mistake not to do that.

I bought a proper bell before he left but I haven’t hanged it yet on the door. Klank kling