Elzbieta takes a moment off from work to have a look at the things I brought to the back as well. She weighs the axes briefly and checks out the shields too. In the end she nods before putting everything away again.

“Not something I would use, but it seems like they brought back a pretty nice haul, especially considering that they are still beginners.”

I nod too, as I make sure everything is stored neatly out of the way. I don't want to stumble over any of this stuff after all.

“It is sure to give them a nice boost, both in morale and in regard to their finances. Add whatever they sold for scrap at the smithy and what they will get for the quests and they will have some serious spending money.”

Elzbieta sniggers, as she returns to her work with the mana mill.

“They still need to pay the young Ryszard for his help though. He might want to become an adventurer himself, but he certainly won't venture into the twilight forest and haul around the heavy stuff for free.”

I can't disagree with that and laugh out loud too.

“Ha, true. I certainly wouldn't.”

Yes, hauling a giant, heavy load of whatever through a dark and dangerous forest really isn't my idea of a good day. Going out to adventure is one thing. Lugging around the adventurers' loot while something with bloody murder on its mind could jump you any moment is something else entirely.

As I head back to the counter I bring my notebook and the design board to work a little on the enchantment for Urszula. I have no hopes of finishing it quickly, but I might as well try to make some progress. If I need help to get it done it will be for the better to figure this out sooner rather than later.

I'm a little surprised myself, as the time for our lunch break comes around. I might have missed lunch completely if it wasn't for Elzbieta. She pulls me out of the trance I have fallen into while working on the enchantment with a gentle shake. She flashes me a smile as well, as I finally come around, blinking rapidly to shift my focus from the page of my notebook to her.

“Well, I'll be. That is some focus!”

I grin sheepishly in return while I scratch the back of my head.

“I guess I was a little lost in thought.”

She laughs out loud and nods.

“Come on, lets close your shop and get something to eat. I have to admit that whatever you are working on there looks quite complex.”

My shoulders slump a little as I close the front door, before heading out the back together with her.

“That is what is troubling me. It should, in theory, be a rather straightforward single enchantment. What I have so far contains too many workarounds and too much roundabout wording. It should still work, but it certainly won't be elegant. It'll need too much chalk considering the effect I hope to achieve and what I probably can ask for it too.”

I run my hands through my hair as we head down to the inn together. Elzbieta in turn doesn't interfere with my explanation. She only hooks her arm under mine and leans in a little, pulling me a little closer too, in the process. I don't mind though. No, more than that, this actually feels nice. Very nice in fact. Certainly nice enough to put a silly little smile on my face.

As we reach the inn Krystina is busy helping her parents instead of taking care of guild business. It isn't an issue though, as people are queuing up to get something to eat anyway, while the counter for guild business is pretty much abandoned right now.

Thankfully we don't have to wait long to get our meals despite the queue as Krystina and her mother are an experienced team.

“Soup for two? Want a dessert afterwards as well?”

The soup in question is the same cold red beet soup we already had in the morning. It certainly still looks and smells quite tasty, thus I nod. What really grabs my attention though is the mention of desserts.

Apparently the same is true for the pregnant woman at my side. She visibly perks up, as she decides to inquire about it.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Desserts?”

Krystina nods, and her mother Maryla laughs out loud, before explaining in more detail.

“Some of that iced coffee. Instead of serving it in a cup we decided to serve it on fresh pancakes with cream and some maple syrup.”

Now my stomach grumbles in unison with Elzbieta's and I'm quick to nod.

“Thanks! We will have some of that!”

Again the two women behind the counter laugh and while Maryla hands us our soup bowls, Krystina shoos us away once I have paid, both for my meal and Elzbieta's, without even thinking about it.

“Go and find yourself a seat. We will bring you your desserts in a little while. Alright?”

We do just that and enjoy our meal, all the while looking forward to our desserts. Since I'm not in a hurry I take the chance to look around a little. The place is packed. To a degree that certainly can be explained with the food.

That isn't all though. The other reason is pretty obvious too. There is a new group of adventurers. Or at least it is a group I'm not yet familiar with. They don't exactly look like fresh adventurers though. I lightly nudge Elzbieta in the side, nodding in the direction of the group.

“Should I know them? Or are they new here in Clear Brook?”

She takes a moment o look over at the group I indicated and shakes her head.

“No. Can't say that I have seen them around here. Might be from Barter Town or even further away. By the looks of their gear they might even be from the capital.”

She might be right about the latter. They certainly look like they already have done some serious dungeon crawling. Their gear, or at least what they are showing off right now anyway, doesn't look flashy. No quite the opposite is true. It certainly looks functional and well cared for though. And quite a bit of what I see seems to be enchanted too, thus I can add expensive to the list of adjectives best used to describe their gear.

Before I can draw too much attention due to my curiosity though, Krystina stops by with two plates. The smell already has my mouth watering before I can see them. She places them in front of me and Elzbieta while collecting our empty soup bowls in turn.

“Enjoy!”

That is all the encouragement we need. There is no stopping us, now that we have these plates full of delicious goodness in front of us. Still hot, fluffy pancakes topped with a very generous amount of cream and maple syrup as well as some iced coffee and a similar helping of iced milk. Oh, gods and goddesses, this is so good!

“Mhm! Oooooh!”

It seems Elzbieta is agreeing with me too, judging by the faraway look in her eyes and the long drawn out moan that makes her lips tremble.

I'm not ashamed to admit that the sight excites me a little. Quickly I focus on my own sweet treat to make sure I don't do do anything inappropriate. Not even the cold treat can keep me from blushing though. Gods and goddesses, I can feel the heat spreading all the way to the very tips of my ears.

I can't fault her for enjoying something that is, no argument and without a doubt, just so good. And I won't fault myself for enjoying her sheer joy either. No, there is absolutely nothing wrong with either.

Agnieszka's arrival pulls my mind back into the here and now. She smiles at us, as she sits down at our table with a bowl of soup of her own.

“Judging by your reaction, I can look forward to an exceptional treat.”

Elzbieta is quick to nod and I join her without delay. There is something else that comes to my mind though, as I see my neighbor.

“Say, Agnieszka, could you deliver a letter for me the next time you go to Barter Town?”

She blinks once, before she nods in the end.

“Sure. As along as I can find the recipient easy enough. I can't waste days hunting someone down though.”

That is quite understandable, thus I nod in agreement.

“That shouldn't be a problem. It is for the librarian at the academy. You might have to haggle with them a bit though, if they agree to my request to provide some excerpts with additional runes I need.”

She eats a little more of her soup, before she answers.

“That is quite alright. You'll need to provide me with the funds beforehand, though.”