Sek cursed his luck, all he needed was some time a day or two at most, and he could have arranged for the money. His shop was a moderate success, he made more than enough for the rent.

But was careless, and spent all his profit from last few weeks on his latest research supply.

Sek tried to sneak past the Circle cross, and made his presence as small as possible, in the hope he could get past Nora unnoticed.

For the briefest moment, he thought he had succeed and bought himself some time. But the sudden chill on his back and the loud voice calling his name.

"Sek, where do you think you are going? You are a hard man to find, even harder than the mayor."

Before he could turn to her or even say a word, Nora was next to him continued, how she moved so swiftly at her age and with a stick was a mystery to him.

"Mr Sek, you are once again late on your rent, this is the third time in the last 6 months. Now, now I don't want to listen to your excuse, I am sure have them in plenty. All I ask you is this - Do you have this month's rent or not, if you have it, why is it not in my hands?."

Sek did indeed have a lot of excuses some convincing and few far fetch, but what he did not have was the money.

Sek was sure if it was someone else, the "shipment is running late", "business is slow this month" or even the "large order payment is yet to come through" story could have worked and if he played his cards right maybe he could have gotten some concussion on the rent-owed. These had worked in the past.

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But with Nora, he knew these could not work.

"Nora, I .."

He knew he lost his chance as soon as he said those words, the previously leaning Nora, strengthening her posture, bent a little to meet his eyes and jabbed her index finger on his chest.

"It is Granny Nester to you, Mr Sek, I thought you would remember that after last time."

Sek knew in his bones, that for the next hour or so he would have to spend with Nora undergoing her impromptu schooling.

Humans were new to Sek and he was still learning the ways to understand them. He still had a long way to understand them, but grannies were not new to him.

By the way, Nora leaned and the gleam in her eyes, he knew what was next, all he could do was shut up, stand tall, and try to avoid her finger that could be honing his way.

If before he was going to be receiving lessons on "the proper way of tenets", now after his latest blunder he would now be getting a detailed lecture on manners as a general along with "the proper way of tenets".

Sek had never seen Nora listen to anybody or anybody to out speak her, but he had witnessed the Mayor getting schooled by Nora. So, he had no illusion that someone could come to his rescue

So, in the corner of a cross from the Circle leading to Crafter District, a Goblin is being lectured by a frail granny.

The passerby cast a glance their way, and made the way around them, moving quickly and silently as if fearing that Nora might turn her ire on them.

This was not anything new to them, most if not all have been schooled by Nora, for one reason or the other. The only reason some of them might have risked glancing at the duo was due, to the new inhabitant of their town the Red Gobline - Sek, the Scribe.