With the matter of Zahariel's meddling in my romantic affairs over we went back to sleep. Just like we usually do, we ended up setting our bedding on the floor because that bed really wouldn't fit three.

Honestly, I couldn't sleep. I don't think anyone with a heart would be able to after going through this emotional roller coaster.

I slipped out of bed earlier and went for a walk through town. I want to find someone to make some things for me. A mattress large enough for the three of us, a bed to fit the said mattress, pillows, etc.

The streets are deserted. There are people going on their daily business, but most of them have skipped town. Those that chose to stay are too thin. Medieval winter is harsh. But most of the people around recognize me.

"Hero Beowulf! You are back. I would like to invite you to a cup of tea but there's no tea." A middle aged uncle sitting on the porch calls me.

"Things are hard around here, so I heard."

"Yeah, those damned orcs trampled more crop than they ate! And now the king's men are trying to beat the orcs on eating."

"Say, I need to hire someone that knows the town in depth. I need some things crafted, but I can't find the right craftsmen."

"There is a boy that can help you. Kid knows the whole town. Lives five houses down this street. Name's Timothy."

"Thank you! Please have this wolf meat as a token of my appreciation!"

I go down five houses and find the boy he mentioned. He should be ten or eleven years old.

"Hey kid, I'm told you know the town. I want to hire you as a guide, one silver, are you in?"

"One silver? You got yourself a guide, uncle!"

Finding the right upholster was easy, but he told me he was out of wool. I left and took a detour to bring a cart full of wool from the item box and deliver to him. Since he had nothing to work on, he will finish doing it in a few days. And I'm getting pillows too.

For the furniture, I already arrived pulling the cart full of wooden logs. Yes, the sisters of those incriminating wooden logs. I also commissioned some other furniture. I went past several abandoned houses. In some streets, it is visible that the town is dying.

I also asked for some other living necessities like tableware, bedsheets, etc.

The biggest find was a weaver that can work with spider silk. I paid two gold coins upfront and left some hundred pounds of the stuff with them.

The food situation in the town is bad. The orcs ravaged most of the crops, and the ones that had any money bought most of the food and skipped town. I ended up going here and there selling raw meat and some vegetables.

This can't go on, but I have other pressing matters to look after.

I went back to the clinic and met the nurse. She was sweeping the front porch.

"Sir, Hero, good morning. Your companions told me they will be at Mrs. Mercy's house."

"I'll be on my way then. Tell Alvus I'll be back soon to see him."

The nurse stops me, "Wait! Sir, please have our thanks! I lost my parents to the orcs, and Master Alvus took me in as his apprentice. But I thought we would all die from this wasting curse. Not only you avenged their deaths, but you also saved us." She bows deeply.

"If you want to repay me, study harder and become a fine apothecary so you too can save other lives. Put your heart behind your actions and study as your life depended on it."

"Yes, sir! I held you too long. Please don't mind me and go."

Alvus shows up by the door, "What is your business here, Hero? I'm sure there is some other place needing help. Thanks to you I am out of business," he finishes his speech with a smile on his face.

"Oh, sorry about that. Here, take these as compensation." I go next to him and stealthily take a hard leather pouch from the item box, pretending it was in my rucksack. It is a potion carrier for 24 vials. Most of them are low-grade healing and a few intermediate panacea potions that can heal both disease and poison. About seven gold coins the whole lot.

"What is this?"

"Dunno. I ran into those vials during one of my travels, but they are useless to me. So do me a favor and take them off of me. Do what you want with them. Dispose of, use, drink, water some plants." They are from the guild raid.

He opens the pouch and looks inside, "Did you know I can appraise medicine?"

"Of course." I nod to them and leave for the southern part of town where Mercy lives.

There is laughter coming from inside. I knock on the door and Zahariel answers. "Hey, it's Beowulf. Ho-how are you, bi-big guy?" He is still scared.

I raise my hand, he flinches with eyes closed. I just pat his head and make my way in. I should be thanking him for hooking me up with Marcy, but this would only invite more trouble. Let sleeping dogs lie.

They were having tea in the kitchen. "Hey, handsome! We were just talking about you!" Mercy comes to hug me.

"I hope you were saying good things about me then."

"Of course. The girls were complimenting you on your 'handling' skills. Can you show me that backbreaker move?"

I was puzzled about what they were talking about but Marcy shouted, "Mom!" And everything fell in place. How un-friggin-romantic to call that a backbreaker.

"That has no intent on breaking backs."

"But can you show it to me?" She is too close. Like zero distance. If Marcy can weaponize femininity, I'm facing an ICBM.

"I'm sorry. Maybe later. We have to hurry and leave already." I'm sure that Marcy would learn Earth Magic to bury herself if I kissed her in front of her mom. "We need to reform the party."

After saying our goodbyes to Mercy and paying the guide, we set out on the last leg of our journey to the syrup meadow, however...

"Beowulf, wait!" The voice of a young boy coming from behind makes us stop.

Cloude is standing by the gates, fully armed for adventure. Steel cap, steel breastplate, chain armor between the breastplate and an underlying soft leather vest, sword on the waist, a battle ax, and a kite shield at his back over a big backpack. He obviously ran here, with his hands on his knees and panting.

"What is it, Cloude? We are in a hurry and need to go. What do you want?"

"Sorry I am late, I had to visit the guild to change job back to warrior. Take me with you!" I just asked as a courtesy. This cliché development was too obvious.

"Marcy, what should we do?" I know Cloude likes Marcy. I don't know how much Marcy cares for Cloude, in a romantic sense.

"Cloude is trustworthy. If 'Beowulf the Hero' would to take him as a squire, he would be a great asset." When Marcy enters 'robot girl mode' and gives those noncommital answers, you can bet there is some problem under the hood.

I go near Cloude and tell him, "You are coming with us until the treeline. I will decide if you return to town or proceed with us there."

Cloude runs a bit to join us and we cross the fields in silence save for the occasional greeting from the farmers. I made Helen drop the hood and the bandanna, and her wheat-gold hair is flying in the morning breeze. Several people in town greeted the girls. It is important to let everyone know she is alive and well. This town has mistreated her for too long. One interesting tidbit I learned this morning is that her old magic teacher left for good to live in Heorot's Capital. Good riddance. But this means the town is without any senior magician.

They are not getting any monsters raiding from the east, so in a sense, I am helping the town's defenses. I'll be a good neighbor.

We are nearing the treeline when I ask Helen, "Is the 'away' team alright? Tell them to not come here." I glimpsed one fire gorilla kid playing near the treeline. It is dangerous if one of the villagers see it. It is even more dangerous if Cloude sees them. For Cloude, I mean.

We stop and I set my rucksack against a tree. Everyone gathers and I discreetly ask Zahariel, "Is Cloude still cursed?" Not the 'devouring curse' the townspeople were afflicted with. But the Curse of Faithlessness.

"I guess so. It is hard to tell, but I think he is." I have no idea what dispels the curse, but my hunch is that I have to get people to believe me with their all. It would be nice if I could sense the curse too.

Back to the guy, "Cloude, why do you want to come with us?"

"To help the hero!" My desire at this moment is to tell him 'Bulllshit. You don't even know what I am going to do.'

I close my eyes and do some soul-searching. Cloude is a good kid. I know this from how he dealt with the orc invasion and what we talked during my visits. Why am I angry at him? I'm jealous. I'm afraid of losing Marcy to him. He might be tagging along for his own selfish reasons. I'm a boy too, I know I would not let my last chance slip away.

Should I talk with everyone together? No, there will be too much noise and it will be awkward as hell. Should I talk to Marcy alone? She will think I am dumping her. Talk to Cloude alone? WIth the fists, if only. The only option is no talk.

"Fuck, how did it come to this?" I mumble between my teeth.

"It is all my fault!" A soft crying voice, an almost girlish voice answers. Zahariel?

Zahariel is flustered, afraid. Can't he get over this? However, Cloude is an outsider. Blurting stuff out like this will ruin things. I place an open palm in front of him, "Stop right there. The way you are right now, you are going to make things worse. This is water under the bridge, okay? Let me make a commitment here. Whatever you did, I'll forgive you. Even if you killed my kittens. Okay?"

"Okay..." I manage to silence the preteen seraph. I can't just let the truth slip here. A little misdirection will help.

Now I just need to ask the interested parties about their opinions.

"Marcy, Helen, do any of you have any objection on Cloude joining?"