Is it wrong to fleece adventurers at the item shop?

Before I have a chance to think more on the potential of the lens on my staff Agnieszka and her travel companions enter the inn's common room. The duo accompanying her are a knight and his squire.

The knight is old enough he could be my father. And while his hairline might be receding already, his gaze is still sharp. The way he carries himself speaks of years of exercise and the iron will necessary to keep such a regime up despite the small aches that inevitably come with age.

Agnieszka directs him in our direction, or to be more precise in the direction of elder Jaromir, as he is the village's mayor.

The squire on the other hand is a young girl, although it is a little hard to tell her gender at a glance. Her page cut is not exactly pretty but practical and her lean build speaks of rigorous exercise as well. She might not be related to the old man, but she certainly comes after him. Even her intense gaze is similar, as she takes in the room and its occupants.

She in turn gets directed in the direction of Maryla, probably to get rooms for her and her knight and a place in the stable for their horses. It probably is the girl's job to take care of accommodations while her knight talks business with the mayor.

I eye the knight briefly as he walks by. He is wearing full plate and I'm left wondering if he actually was wearing it for the whole trip or if he only put it on for the last leg.

The armor isn't of a fancy design, emphasizing practicality instead. It doesn't have to look fancy though as any suit of full plate is a custom made marvel of craftsmanship anyway. And of course a suit of armor like that is expensive.

As I get a closer look I realize that the armor probably has seen a quite few years already as well as some fights. It has been expertly mended and maintained though. In the end it only adds to the air of competence surrounding the man.

Then my attention shifts to my neighbor, as she approaches me and the adventurers sitting with me.

“I see you are up and about! Very good! The ankle still giving you trouble?”

I return the smile she flashes me and nod.

“It is getting better but only slowly. Your trip seems to have been a great success as well. Did you get the things on the list I gave you?”

Her smile grows even wider.

“Of course! Everything on your list as well as the fabrics I'll need for your new clothes! And I even managed to drive a hard bargain and save you some money!”

With those words she hands me a small pouch with coin. I'm a little surprised, but accept it without questioning my good luck. Before I can ask any question speaks up again, cutting me off.

“And you already organized yourself some help to carry everything? Very good! If you'll excuse me, I need to talk with a few other people who placed orders with me. See you outside by the cart in a moment. Yes?”

Before I can even acknowledge any of her statements she is off like a whirlwind, to see to the other villagers who made purchases in Barter Town through her.

Tamara and Odolan look a little lost while Danuta in turn just shrugs.

In the end I empty my mug and get up, once again using the freshly enchanted staff as a makeshift crutch and the others follow me.

Even without Agnieszka I can already make a good guess just which of the purchases in the back of her cart are mine, but I wait for her anyway. I don't have to wait long either.

She jumps up onto the cart and starts handing out things. Tamara and Odolan both get another big, sealed jug in addition to the ones they are already carrying in their backpacks. The young dwarven woman gets the one with the stone oil, while her compatriot gets the one with the ectoplasm.

Danuta receives the big bag with the coffee beans I ordered and at long last I grab two nice sheets of cork as my neighbor hands them to me. The cork is pretty lightweight, thus I have no trouble carrying it despite having only one hand free.

Without breaking her stride Agnieszka starts handing out purchases to other people afterwards, as I lead the trio of adventurers away in the direction of my house.

None of us are in a particular hurry, but we reach the place soon enough. I lead the others around to the back entrance and inside, where they can finally put down the things they are carrying. I quickly stamp their quest papers as well.

They could be off like that, but Danuta seems curious about the bag she carried.

“What is this? Seeds of some sort? You aren't giving up on the alchemy to become a farmer, are you?”

I snort out a half choked laugh.

“No, nothing of the sort. Although, you could call them seeds, except they aren't fertile anymore. These are coffee beans. And I don't think you can get fertile coffee beans anywhere on this side of the continent. They are a closely guarded secret where they come from.”

The young witch looks thoughtful.

“Coffee beans? I think I have heard of coffee. A new fashioned drink of some sort? I had no clue it is made from beans though.”

I nod. I'm familiar with it as it quickly became popular at the academy when the first bags of beans were brought in for experimentation.

“The beans have to be roasted and ground first. Then you can prepare it with hot water, quite similar to tea actually.”

She taps a finger against her cheek as she ponders the information provided by me.

“I see. Well, I'm certainly looking forward to trying some sometime.”

Then she is off together with the other two and I'm alone once more. It is getting a little late, but I don't want to go to sleep yet. I really want to get started brewing a proper mana potion, now that I have all the ingredients I need, except, I suddenly realize, I used up all my enchanting dust to make enchanter's chalk the other night.

“Oh, damn it!”

I groan as I realize that I could have posted a new quest regarding that particular ingredient earlier, when I was down at the inn. Now I don't want to limp back down there though. It'll have to wait until tomorrow. I'll need more of that stuff anyway, lots of it, as I have some other ideas for which I'll need it as well.

For now though, I have to work that mill myself. It looks like I won't get brewing tonight after all. Well, there is always tomorrow.

I lock the door and change into my night clothes. I avoid moving the heavy mill for the better part by hopping up onto the workbench. It isn't intended as a seat, but it certainly is sturdy enough to serve as one in an emergency.

Without wasting anymore time I start cranking the handle. The position is a little awkward though, as I sit next to the mill instead of having it in my lap. I keep pushing onward anyway.

I try to recall the songs about Ksawery the catfolk adventurer with the bushy tail to the best of my ability. Not only to keep cranking the handling steadily, but to keep my eyes from falling closed as well, as I'm getting a little tired.

In the end it is no use though. I'm getting too sleepy to continue. I check the drawer of the mill, but it is not even half full. I'll have to continue tomorrow morning. Otherwise I won't have enough for the mana potion recipe I have in mind.

For now I limp over to my bed and slip under the sheets. It doesn't take long for sleep to claim me. Tonight I twist and turn though, as nightmares haunt my sleep. Nightmares of mana mills chasing me. I should be able to get away easily, except my limp keeps slowing me down.