Once the trio is gone things become quiet again. Well, at least I have the sign up on its hinges again. That way anyone should be able to see from afar, that the shop is back in business. That is one small worry off my mind. Maybe I should still do some advertising though. It probably wouldn't hurt.

How do you advertise in a small village like Clear Brook though? I'm not quite sure. Most news are passed along by village's gossips and the rumor mill already seems to be hard at work. Nothing else I can do there. Well, I can still make sure to be seen. That never hurts.

I shake my head and push away these thoughts. I'll worry about those things later. One thing after the other. First I return to the ledger to make sure I have my first sale properly recorded. My first sale! That thought puts a smile on my face. Sadly it is apparently not worth a whispered divine message.

Oh well, can't have it all.

I close the ledger and put it under the counter. It is an important book after all. I can't leave that lying around in the open. There isn't much room under the counter. It is just enough for the book, a strong box and some cleaning supplies.

Although I'll probably need the latter eventually I focus on the strong box first. It is made of solid wood, not just thin boards, and reinforced with equally sturdy iron bands. It even has a padlock!

I grab one of the handles and try to lift the chest only to give up right away again. It is really heavy! Probably even a man like Bogomil the barbarian would have trouble making off with it, never mind the average thief or bandit. That is a reassuring though. Not that I'm expecting there to be many thieves or bandits, but the weight of the strong chest is reassuring nonetheless.

I open it and look inside. As expected it is empty. Well, it is empty except for a big piece of slate fitted to completely fill the chest's bottom. That certainly explains why it is so heavy.

Without further delay I drop the eleven bronze coins I earned with my first sale into it. They look a little lonely all by themselves in the big sturdy chest. Ha! What a silly thought! I guess I'll have to make plenty more sales so they will have some company.

After closing the lid I put the lock back in place. What am I supposed to do with the key though? I can't just leave it in the lock. Might as well not have a strong chest at all if I were to do that.

It probably is for the best if I have it on me instead. How though? I clutch the key tightly and look around. In the end my gaze settles on the price tag of the sword I just sold. With quick movements I remove the actual tag and slip the key on the thin leather strip instead. One quick knot later I slip it over my head. Yes, this will do for now.

What to do now though? I don't want to spend the rest of the day just standing around behind the counter. I make a quick round of the shop once more just to make sure I don't need to put the cleaning supplies from below the counter to good use yet. I'm still good. Maybe tomorrow or the day after though. Can't let too much dust gather after all.

Well, there are no more excuses I can make. It is time to face the truth. I sigh. I have to deal with that accursed mana mill. I need that enchanting dust after all. There is no helping it.

I head back to the workshop, leaving the door connecting it with the shop open though in case any more customers were to show up.

As I face the nefarious torture device a belated realization dawns upon me. Damn! Maybe I could have made Lotar or one of his friends work the mill for an hour or two in exchange for a discount. Nah, probably not. They were adventurers after all and those usually had better things to do with their time. Better and most importantly better paying.

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I reposition the hand mill on the workbench so I'll be able to work it while standing right next to the open door. That way I am visible from the shop and more importantly I'm able to keep an eye on the shop just in case.

I hum to myself as I start turning the handle. Just because I have hours of tedious, monotonous work ahead of me doesn't mean that I can't have at least a little fun after all.

It takes me a little while to adjust the speed with which I turn the mill's handle just right, until small specks of softly glowing dust of just the right size and intensity start to gather in the drawer at the bottom of the mill. Each mill is a little different in that regard.

Once I'm satisfied I just keep working and humming. The tune I hum is from The Miller's Wife, one of the raunchy folk songs currently popular with the bards performing at inns. It somehow seems appropriate. I don't actually sing the songs though. On one hand I don't actually know the complete lyrics and on the other hand I wouldn't want to be caught singing them even if I did.

Besides, I'm neither a bard nor any other kind of performer. I need at least a few mugs of beer to sing aloud. And even then only if there are plenty of other people doing it already.

Anyway, I'm so focused on the task at hand, carefully keeping the drizzle of enchanting dust consistent, that I almost don't notice it when another visitor drops by.

“Hello there, dear! I see you already put up the sign. I take it everything went swimmingly with Jaromir, yes?”

I jump a little at the sudden address but don't stop what I'm doing.

It is Agnieszka, my neighbor. She is leaning against the counter, grinning at me, once again with a straw tucked into the corner of her mouth.

I nod both in greeting and as an answer, but keep humming and working.

Her grin widens.

“Iwona preferred humming the melody from The Runaway Princess when working with that thing. Not that she did work with that mill all too often. Not herself anyway.”

Now I stop and look at her with a raised eyebrow.

“How else would she have gotten the enchanting dust she needed?”

She could, in theory, have bought it. There are some places where the stuff is produced using wind or water mills after all. Somehow I doubt it though and not just because Clear Brook is probably not on the regular routes of any merchant carrying enchanting dust.

Agnieszka's grin just grows wider and wider.

“She used to post quests regarding it down at the inn. Most adventurers wouldn't even consider it and those who do hardly ever do it more than once, as it is tedious, boring work, but there never is a shortage of new adventurers who need the handful of coins offered as compensation.”

I nod but she just keeps going.

“It is a good way to help out those who have fallen on hard times as well. Better than them sitting around the village square begging for handouts.”

She isn't wrong. It almost always better to give someone in need work rather than just a few coins.

I nod again as she winds down. My attention is on the drawer with the enchanting dust though. I get a small, carefully worked, wooden casket ready before removing the drawer from the mill to carefully shake the glittering and glowing dust into it.

I'm a little surprised at the amount. I must have spent more time working the mill than I thought. By my estimation it should be enough for one piece of enchanter's chalk. Too bad that the recipes I know aren't for creating just a single one. I'll need to make more. A twinge of pain flares up in my arm at that thought and I finally turn to properly address my guest.

“How would I go about posting a quest like that?”

“Oh, that's easy. Just head down to the inn and talk with Krystina. She is the daughter of the couple running it, as well as the branch manager and only employee of the local office of the Adventurer's Guild. She can help you figure things out. I bet she still has some of the quests posted by your grandma on file as well. If you need someone to gather herbs or other ingredients for you she is the one to ask as well.”

She moves the straw from one corner of her mouth to the other.

“Anyway, I just dropped by to see how you're doing since the sun is already setting and you have your front door still open. People around here usually close up their shops when the sun sets, you know?”