When I entered the village, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me. They’d probably already heard tales of the ill-fated bard who ventured into the forest and never came back.

But not only had I returned, I even felt more powerful than ever.

I’d spent another day with Gloria. Between plotting against Volcanic, she showed me the prime spots for farming experience. She even escorted me to a high-level dungeon for a quick boost, where my main job was to stand back, avoid death, and watch her decimate foes before they could even lay a finger on her.

Every so often, she'd whirl around and land a punch in my gut, slicing away a significant portion of my health. This allowed me to use Song of Rest to complete my quest, and with each punch, my resilience grew. By the last hit, I barely dropped to a knee, my vision tinted a shade more yellow than red. Alright, maybe it was orange, but that's practically yellow, right?

Approaching The Round, I drew curious glances from all directions. When Imrin saw me, his jovial chat with a customer came to an abrupt halt, his face resembling that of a White Walker.

"Imrin, my favorite merchant! Gloria sends her regards," I said, extending a purse filled with coins. "For the supplies. She wanted me to settle her account."

“I…It’s…I am so glad you have returned, Mr. Tim. I was afraid something bad had happened to you. You see… I might have accidentally given you the wrong map.” Imrid said with a shaky voice.

I chuckled, "No worries at all. In fact, you did me a huge favor." I rummaged through my backpack, which I'd taken from one of Gloria's fallen adversaries, and theatrically produced Kliobl's head, placing it on the counter.

Imrin let out a horrified shriek and tumbled over, tripping on his own feet.

"This is, or rather was, Kliobl. I couldn’t believe my luck when I found him at the location you drew on my map, so I made sure to kill him. I believe the bounty was set at 100 Peng?"

Lurin materialized on my left flank, his frosty gaze fixed intently on Imrin, fingers tightened around the hilt of his dagger. I subtly shook my head at him, signaling a silent plea for restraint as Imrin found his footing.

"Eh... How... Well, uh, naturally," Imrin stammered, shakily fetching 100 Peng from a nearby box. "Here’s your reward."

"Much appreciated! I can’t wait to work with you again."

I looked at Lurin, who continued his cold scrutiny of the merchant. "Hey, master! I made it back in one piece!" I clapped him on the shoulder, successfully diverting his attention from Imrin back to me. "I think I've completed that task you handed me, yes?"

“Well, yes! I can tell you’ve been in the thick of things since our last encounter. You seem... tougher, more seasoned. Come, follow me,” Lurin said and started walking towards his stall. I glanced over my shoulder as I followed Luring and noticed that Imrin had gotten some of his blood back north, to his face, but he never turned his back on us.

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“Now, give it to me straight. What happened!?” Lurin's whisper when we got out of earshot from Imrin.

*“He tried to kill me..” I said and told him the short version of what had happened since I left. “…We believe he is in the lead with Volcanic, and we’re going to find out. But to do this, we need your help.” I hoped Gloria’s intuition was correct when she said Lurin was someone to trust.

“I'm in. Always had a hunch about that slippery merchant. So, what's the plan?”

I gave him the note that Gloria had written with detailed instructions. “Read this. Carefully, and do exactly what it says.”

“I will. But before I forget. This scroll marks the completion of your quest.” Lurin gave me a scroll that I eagerly opened.

Congratulations! You've triumphed in your quest and gained TWO levels. You now stand as a level seven bard of the Highland clan.

This accomplishment grants you TWO new spells: Hurtful Heart and Suggestion. Hurtful Heart, invoked with the word 'Hurt,' is a potent cantrip, but can be cast only once a day. Given its tremendous power, it's best reserved for intense battles, and fearful foes. Suggestion, requires a lute to cast and allows you to command a creature for 100 breaths. However, it won't work on undead or bosses.

“So! You are a Doss Lute bard….Hmm..Surprising,” Lurin said and looked at me with a puzzled look.

“Boss what?”

“Doss Lute. The instrument picked you, and not the other way around. Normally you pick the instrument, THEN you get to learn a spell in that instrument’s school. But you’ve learned Suggestion, and that’s a powerful Doss Lute spell. Please, give me a minute.”

Lurin ducked into his tent, and I could hear him shuffling items around. When he re-emerged, he held an instrument. A wave of relief washed over me when I saw that it was the one that looked like a guitar and not a flute. Of all bardic instruments, it undoubtedly was the coolest. The Lute had a rich, mahogany body, its surface etched with delicate silver runes that sparkled faintly, even in the dim light. An ornate rosette encircled the sound hole, and its neck showcased intricate inlays in the shape of musical notes. The strings shimmered, hinting at their magical nature.

“Take good care of it. It will be more important than your weapons as you continue your journey as a bard. In fact, I have another quest for you if you are ready?”

“I’m ready!”

“Good! Your next task is to venture into the Cave of Decay, located on the boundary between the Lush and Grey forest. At the cave's deepest point lies a secluded pond, and in it lives a very special fish. When you play the Suggestion spell to it, command the fish to dive and fetch, and it will retrieve a treasure for you. While this may sound straightforward, be wary: this fish, known as Nemo, is revered as a divine entity by the fishmongers living nearby, and they zealously guard the cave. You'll need to harness every skill at your disposal to reach Nemo."

“Nemo? For real? Are Dory there as well?”

“I know no fish named Dory.”

“Neither does she,” I mumbled. “But how do I play the lute?”

“You’ll know,” he said and punched me in the chest with his finger “Trust your instincts, Mr. Tim. And remember the line: Dive and fetch. Without it, the Suggestion spell won’t work.”

"Alrighty then, catch you later!" I said, making my way back to the inn.

As I settled into bed, my mind raced, hoping that Lurin had read the instructions carefully and was already implementing the plan Gloria and I had devised. I didn’t sleep that night. Not because I was afraid of a fish named Nemo, or because I was excited about the trap we had set for Imrin. I couldn’t sleep because of a girl with a long name called Gloria. Each time I closed my eyes I saw her smile in front of me, missing her touch when she punched me in my stomach.