"Once again, I extend my thanks," Kristoffer said, glancing at his new door. The old, simple, wooden door was replaced forthwith with a metal one, his initials engraved on the front in small golden letters.

 

*Munch*

"Think nothing of it," Dina replied, her long brown hair tied in a ponytail to make it more convenient during eating.

 

*Munch*

"Now that it's made of metal and the hinges are far stronger, there shall be no issue next time we kick it do-, er, open," Fina reassured, her short purple hair softly brushing her shoulders as she reached for another bread.

 

"Please don't kick it," he hissed, a little peeved at the thought. Although, he couldn't really complain much if it would just make his door even stronger...and more impressive. For free.

 

Dina and Fina finally managed to repair his door before nightfall, by forcing a local dwarven blacksmith to do so. How much it had cost? He didn't care. Hopefully, they did pay the poor guy, since he looked a bit roughed up? There didn't seem to be any more problem so he'd just enjoy this new type of bread that Quill introduced to him. In a short time, the bread whose name they had debated finally disappeared into their stomachs.

 

Dina sipped some fine hot milk as she settled down on the sofa, Fina joining her to snooze for a bit. These loiterers were to be tolerated for now. He would not want to throw out people with such satisfied faces.

 

"Having beauties in my shop is always welcome," he thought to himself, his coffee wafting steam as the sun completely set and the night promptly covering the land and the sea. The noise outside giving clue to the activities of the citizens, but not at all bothersome. The cold breeze a comfortable extra that made one want to tuck under a blanket and sleep after a day of hard work.

 

Such peace.

 

Then came a knock. He and the two maidens looked at the newcomer standing at the front of the emptied display, almost disappointed at the fissure of their slice of peace.

 

"Good evening," began the newcomer. "Quill sent me here to work as the baker's assistant from now on."

 

Dina blew a whistle, a testament to the young woman's slim figure and a pretty face that could be on par with Fina's and hers. "The boss is spoiling you, Kristoff."

 

Kristoffer was pretty sure that's not the case but there was no reason not to be thankful. He would have to come by Quill's home to drop a gift as soon as he was available.

 

Kristoffer chuckled. "Oh, thank you for taking the time to come. Please, do come inside." He pointed to the open door, still feeling a bit ecstatic at the golden letters.

 

The young woman nodded and joined them to sit at the sofa as Fina instructed. "It's warm, right?" Fina proclaimed proudly.

 

The new girl reached out a hand to place on the fabric and smiled. "Yes, very much so."

 

"By the way, what's your name?" Kristoffer asked.

 

"Penelope."

 

"Then we shall call you... Nel!" Dina declared, grasping Nel's hand in hers.

 

Kristoffer grinned. "Another victim of Dina's idiosyncrasy." For these past few years, Dina had been shortening the names of people she met if it required her to speak more than two syllables. Not that he disliked it, especially when her doing so kinda helps people remember both new neighbors and suspicious strangers better. Not to mention that being given an acceptable nickname gives people a sense of belonging and he has seen people settle in faster afterward more than once. As the orphanage director always said, "Habits that help you and others are good habits."

 

Fina, realizing once more that all the bread was gone, felt sorry for Nel as they could not even offer the visitor a snack, despite actually being a visitor herself. Before she could voice an apology though, Kristoffer has stealthily procured a piece of the same bread they were stuffing themselves with earlier, and smoothly handed it to Nel on a plate, along with a cup of tea.

 

Fina glared at him. "You cheater! Hiding the rest of the treasure from us. Stingy. Cheapskate. Penniless."

 

With a calm tone, Kristoffer defended himself. "Just to remind you, I have to stock a couple of them since Quill basically wants me to reproduce them. Putting them all in our tummies would mean we wouldn't be able to eat them again." Fina couldn't say anything back, her frustration only turning into a cute pout.

 

It was not like he had to use them to do some reverse-engineering. He had already obtained the ingredients written in the list provided to him in advance. Saving some of the bread was only meant to make sure that he has something to compare with and see if he succeeded in copying the taste and texture. As for where the bread they ate came from, they could never know, notwithstanding the image in his mind of Quill dancing around in a kitchen. For some reason, he, and probably a whole lot more people, could imagine Quill being talented in almost just about anything.

 

"So what do you call this?" Nel inquired, the bread already halfway on perishing after one large bite.

 

The three shared looks and all responded at the same time. "Melon pan."

 

Nel could only tilt her head at the newfound confusion.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

"As I said earlier, this thing does not even look like a melon!" Dina blurted, vexed at going through the same matter one more time. But such thought just earned a snort from Kristoffer. Again.

 

"Yes, it does. Have you ever seen a cantaloupe?"

 

Dina paused. "...Whatever that is, I have a feeling it still does not look like it."

 

"Oh, come on," he yelled. "It does not even matter if it looks like it or not. What I don't understand is the 'pan'. Does that mean I have to bake it inside a very small pan? How many pans would that take?!"

 

Fina raised a finger with a smug. "Maybe doing so gives it such a luxurious feel? Like how coffee becomes more expensive when you make cats eat them then-"

 

"Whoa! Stop right there, I haven't tried those and never will just so you know," Kristoffer shrugs, waving the thought off and gulping the rest of his now lukewarm coffee. At least, he thought this was still better than drinking that, and no one could change his mind anytime soon.

 

This 'debate' was actually just a way to playfully pass the time. And now they're on the second round thanks to Moderator Nel's starting signal.

 

The Moderator looked on with fascination until she dropped the one thing they didn't dare thread on. "... Do you think it tastes like melon?"

 

All of them looked at each other. No one answered. They couldn't answer. For the simple truth...that they haven't tasted any melon in their life. It was just too expensive. Did papaya count? Some old neighbors said something about papaya tasting almost the same, but one could only be so foolish to blindly believe people who experienced eating such food for the upper crust just ONCE.

 

Then a minute or two passed, just appreciating the cool breeze and letting Nel finish. "Nel, where are you going to sleep for the night?" Kristoffer asked, a forced smile creeping along his face. "If you haven't found one, these two here can introduce you to their... inn for the time being."

 

Dina perked up at the same time. "Great timing! Since you're new here, we'll give you a discount. 60% off for one week until you find a proper place to stay. 'The Eagle's Talon is safe and comfortable!'"

 

There it was, the inn's slogan. It was catchy, he'll give it that. Never would have anyone thought that they'll find a predator's claws to be a 'safe and comfortable' place.

 

Also, he knew he shouldn't complain since he was not calling the shots over there but wasn't that too high of a discount? But when he saw how Dina grabbed Fina and Nel, saying things like, "A special treat for the new member!" and grinned like a cheerful dorm mother, he realized that that's just how they did it in Quill's gang. The inn they work in was neither run down nor the most glamorous, but for many reasons, even nobles and royalty have checked in it.

 

Nel gladly accepted and thanked the two. "I'll be in your care for this week."

 

"Then we'll go ahead to prepare," Fina said. "Dinner will be served in an hour, make sure to come by then." The pair thanked Kristoffer for the meal and left. They never noticed how Kristoffer's left eye twitched at a past memory ignited by his last question.

 

 

---

 

 

There was actually another hotel in town, although relatively new, that was a touch more expensive and better suited to the standards of high society, the Enchanted Lake. The hotel thrived in the early months until some of their drunk employees ganged up on one of the Eagle's Talon's chefs, a halfling that has served Quill's late husband.

Things turned sour for them from then on...

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Enchanted Lake didn't receive customers for an entire month. They were on the brink of bankruptcy until the manager fired the said employees. It was a mystery how the manager knew how to manage and turn the situation around since the entire town was basically told not to tell anyone working in Enchanted Lake why things that happened, happened. It was such a simple scheme that required fear to the townspeople and bribery to the outsiders but no one was punished or suspected for the leakage.

 

The former Enchanted Lake employees then tried to cause trouble at Eagle's Talon after getting themselves drunk again. It didn't really surprise people that they went missing afterward. But reappearing after a day, and quietly being rehired by Enchanted Lake without consequences, almost as if ordered to do so? The answer as to why would never see the light of day. Customers came again and things seemed to be back to normal, aside from the four employees.

 

 

---

 

On a certain bright night.

 

There was an orphan teenager, just innocently trying to finish his various jobs around town. Fetching fish and delivering flour made him witness things that he wouldn't dare share with anyone, or lest he was targeted. Even if he tried to forget, from time to time, he would still recall...

 

How a halfling in a goth loli dress approached the Enchanted Lake manager crying alone at the beach, giving him comforting pats and an apologetic smile.

 

And how he, unfortunately, passed that dark aisle behind Eagle's Talon and barely saw for a tad long second, several thin muddy figures holding down screaming men, along with the sight of something horrendous slithering down their open throats.

 

Every time, he just turned back, looking as if he didn't see anything abnormal. He was sure he felt eyes on his back during those times and he was very thankful they let him get away unscathed. His bed was shaking for weeks out of fear of someone coming to silence him once and for all, but nothing happened.

 

That teenager would later operate his own bakery at some point in the future.