A larger crowd than usual meant that Betha and I were running ragged as we worked to keep the farmers in beer and high spirits. The fare was meatloaf with potatoes and a heavy gravy, and they couldn’t get enough of it. As the evening wore on, I noticed farmer Rognstad sitting in the corner with two others. Judging by their general appearance, they were fellow farmers. During a rare calm, I sat down to chat with them.

“You made it back in one piece then? I was worried that you’d try to take an ill advised shortcut through the wetlands.”

The old man smiled. He knew, somehow, that I had.

“Yeah, it was a close call, but I made it home, buckets and all. You decided to have dinner here today then?”

He nods with a smile.

“Nobody in their right mind would skip Bethas meatloaf. Besides, it’s my turn to buy dinner for these two cheapskates.”

He gestures to his companions. The first one, a skinny man with wiry muscles and bright red hair holds out a hand for me to shake. When I do, he nearly crushes it.

“Emmet Barrett. Pleased to meet you. Tom here told me you’re doing some jobs for the mayor?”

I blink twice, then look at Rognstad, Tom, before I answer.

“Yeah, he’s promised to help me out if I get the ingredients he’s looking for. In fact, I’m looking to fetch some wheat at your farm, aren’t I?”

He nods sagely.

“That’s what I gather, considering that I grow the finest wheat in the province. Damn expensive though, and heavy. The amount you’d need would take you days to carry back.”

He empties his mug, peering into it, then at me with a questioning look. I take his mug, checking if anyone else needs anything, and run to fetch more. Betha is in the kitchen, slaving over a large cauldron of gravy.

“Betha, can you hold the fort just a little bit? There’s a couple of people I need to talk to out there and…”

Your relationship with Betha has fallen to: Not happy.

Her eyes tell me I’m on this ice with this favour stuff. I get it, of course. Everything I’ve done and asked for has been one sided so far. Not a lot of benefit for her, and only downsides for Yadra. I look down.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. I’ll cover my share, you know best what to do.”

She turns back to her job, and I run faster to try to make up for lost time. When I get back, Tom and his friend is sitting with their hats in their hands, clasped to their chests. In front of them is Emmet, face flat against the table. I put the mugs down.

“What’s going on here?”

Tom makes a shushing sound.

“We’re mourning our friend who died from dehydration.”

I roll my eyes and make like I’m taking the last beer away.

“Fair enough, put me down for some flowers, and I’ll just give this beer to…”

I’ve never seen anyone move so fast. He’s up, grabbing the mug and sitting back down as if nothing had happened before I’m two steps away. Only a splash of beer on the table serves as proof of what actually happened. I turn back, sitting down for a moment.

“It’s a miracle.”

My voice is deadpan as he grins at his own joke. I take a deep breath.

“So what exactly are you proposing? I mean, if it’s too much for me to carry the wheat all the way back, how should we solve this?”

He smiles.

“Well, funny you should ask. See, there’s a particular item here in the Salty Swine that I’ve had my eye on for a while. Of course, the landlady being a hawkeyed sentinel with friends everywhere means I can’t just hire a footpad to get it for me. Does this sound like a job for a young go-getter like you?”

He looks at me intently, and I’m starting to get a feeling for what’s happening here. I look at the third man. Short, with brown hair and a long beard. A gigantic nose. A dwarf? No, his eyes aren’t right for it… Maybe another half race. I address him.

“And I’m guessing you’re Farmer Gennet, the fairy sugar producer?”

Skill Increased: Social Perception.Your standing with Tom Rognstad has improved to Thinks you show promise.Your standing with Emmet Barret has improved to Thinks you show promise.Your standing with Korom Gennet has improved to Thinks you show promise.

His eyes open wide as Tom claps his hands.

“Didn’t I tell you lazy wastrels? He’s pretty sharp, for an adventurer.”

I look at Emmet, ignoring his grin.

“And I guess your wheat is already here, isn’t it?”

He nods.

“Together with however much sugar I need.”

A grunt from Gennet… Korom.

“And what is it you want for your goods?”

He doesn’t look happy about having his mystery revealed.

“I think you can damn well stick it up your backside you clever little…”

Tom clears his throat, which stops the grumpy farmer. He tries again.

“I need you to go to the Candrid farm and feed this to their prize pig.”

He hands me what looks like a tuft of hair tied up with a leek. I look at him quizzically.

“It’s a charm, don’t worry about it. Won’t hurt the pig, only make it flatulent. There’s a fair in a months time, and I’d like them not to win this time.”

I pocket the strange charm, taking care not to break it.

“So steal something from the landlady, and sabotage a pig. And my reward is something you owe someone else anyway? I think I deserve a little more than that. You two will let me trail you like Tom here did, so I can learn to be a farmer.”

They look at each other before nodding.

“That’ll do for us.”

They each shake my hand, and I get up to continue working.

“Have you given any thought as to where you’ll set up your farm?”

Tom interrupts me asking the simplest question. One I’d avoided thinking about so far. I turn towards him, shaking my head.

“I genuinely haven’t. I have to go somewhere away from this town, as there’s too many farms in the area, but beyond that, I haven’t got a clue.”

He chuckles.

“Yeah, you young’uns always try to leap before looking. I mean, it saves some time, but it doesn’t always get you anywhere useful. We’ll keep our ears peeled. If we hear anything useful, we’ll figure out what we need you to do for us in return for the information.”

I sigh. Emmet pipes up.

“You didn’t actually ask what I wanted you to steal.”

My shoulders slump. These guys must think I’m a complete idiot by now. He gestures for me to lean down and whispers it into my ear. My eyes pop open and I pull away from him.

“Are you serious?”

He grins.

“Yep.”

I groan as I get back to work.

***

You have completed a quest: Mayors gofer.You completed an optional parameter.

The mayor is a happy man. Partly because I just finished the quest. Partly because I’ve just handed him the second helping of his own beer. But mostly because I saved an extra portion of dinner for him. I’ve never seen a man put it away quite so quickly.

We’re alone in the dining room. Everyone else has gone home, and all the cleaning is done. I managed to catch him in the town hall, and he came running as soon as I’d promised him a late supper.

“I’m inclined to renege on our agreement. Without you here, I won’t be treated to this kind of service anymore.”

His smile tells he he’s joking. His eyes tell me it’s only barely. I give him a polite half laugh.

“Don’t worry son, I wouldn’t pull something like that on you. I did actually not think you’d succeed in time for it to matter. I guess you impressed old man Rognstad. I’ll have a chat with the landlady tomorrow, she’ll reduce your time. She isn’t going to be happy about it though, so I suggest you have somewhere to go as soon as your time is up.”

I nod in agreement.

“Yeah, she seems like a woman who doesn’t like people skirting her rules. So, are you going to teach me your recipe for beer?”

He snorts into his mug, elegantly segueing into a coughing fit. When he’s finished, he looks at me incredulously.

“That is just not going to happen son. My beer is worth more than a few errands and a good attitude. If you can find something of equal value, I might be inclined to trade you. If not, the secret is locked away up in my head.”

A quest is available: The Mayors Pride.The mayor doesn’t give away his recipe for free. He is willing to trade it, however, if you find the right price.- Optional: Find a way to steal the recipe.Success: Recipe: The Mayors Pride.Reject/Failure: No consequence.

I shrug at this as I accept the quest. I’ll find something.

“Yeah, I guessed. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say.”

Considering it for a moment, I take a chance.

“I was wondering if you knew of any land anywhere I could take up farming?”

He thinks about it for a while as I get him another drink.

“Maybe. There isn’t a lot of ‘free’ land in the kingdom, but I know a man who’s looking for people to work for him. It would be a good learning experience for you I believe. He’ll only consider you if you have the skills necessary though.”

Checking my character sheet, I sigh to myself. Maybe when Farmer is unlocked.

“I’m learning skills at the moment, but I’m not quite there yet.”

Finishing his meal, he gets up to leave.

“That should be fine. I’ll send off a message to him, and write a letter of introduction for you. Then, when you go there, you either know what you need to, or you’ll embarrass me gravely.”

His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes this time, until he laughs, shakes my hand and leaves.

I’m left cleaning the dining room for a while, getting it ready for the morning. I have to visit Tiene to ask about the people S saw, and maybe I can tamper with the pig at the same time.

I pass by the laundry room before I go to bed, hoping and praying nobody will see me. Why did Emmet have to be such a pervert. I take a pair of underwear I’m pretty sure belongs to the landlady. With a shudder, I wrap it in clean cloth, then scrub myself for a while.

They just don’t make water warm enough.