Hollowbrook was a lively village. The next morning, when Ethan woke up and went for a walk through the streets, he found himself in the company of Tahal, the Orc, who decided to give him a tour of the place.
Tahal was a farmer, just like most of the village folks. A river ran adjacent to the village, making the area very fertile. There were many farms on the west side of the village, and Tahal had his farm there too.
"I mainly grow rice and some vegetables and sell them in the nearest town, Arventown, which is right next to the main road that merchants and travelers pass through," Tahal explained. Arventown sounded like an interesting place, he needed to go there.
"May I ask a question that's been bothering me since last night?" Ethan asked.
"Go ahead."
"How do all of you fight the monsters? I mean, the Reshir I fought was quite ferocious. I had a hard time just killing one, but I assume there'd be more of them. And since you're so close to the forest, that increases the chance of attacks."
"Hmmm," Tahal scratched his chin, quite surprised to hear that Ethan didn't know about this stuff. "I've never heard a question like that. To be honest, we have mages who come here on a monthly basis and cast spells around the boundaries of all the small villages to protect them from the attacks of non-sapient creatures. They can't cross the area where the spell's been cast. Does the Earth Kingdom not have such safety measures?"
"To tell you the truth, no. Actually, my kingdom doesn't even have any monstrous creatures at all."
"Huh, that seems like a pretty great place to live," Tahal smiled.
"It has some bad sides too," Ethan replied.
Tahal chuckled. "So does every other place. Then, where do you intend to go from here?"
"I'm planning on visiting Arventown," Ethan walked next to him, taking in the view of villagers going through their daily routines. "I'll need to buy some supplies for my further travels, better clothes, a carry pack, and even a sword."
"You're on the right path, then. It's about a day's journey to the north. They've got a marketplace and a lot of shops. It tends to attract a lot of merchant crowds, so you'll get what you need, but you'll need good money to buy. The stuff they sell is great but also costly."
Money was an issue. He'd gotten lucky with the Reshir hide, but how would he earn more money once the money he possessed was all used? It really put his mood down a bit. Why didn't he think about it quickly, but even then, would it really have mattered?
Tahal noted the distressed look on his face. "Hey...I hope I didn't say something wrong."
"No, it's nothing," Ethan said, even though the look on his face remained the same.
"It's the money problem, isn't it?" Tahal knew what the matter was. "Let me guess, you don't have much money?"
"I don't," Ethan said. "I have enough money for food and some other necessities, but for shopping, I'd need more."
"I was in the same position as you once," Tahal said, taking a seat on a bench and motioning Ethan to sit next to him. "I'm not from here. I was born and brought up far away from here. I wanted to travel like you and didn't have money, but then I learned about the Traveler's Guild. They can help you earn money in exchange for jobs. It could be something simple like delivering some stuff from one place to another, or sometimes it could be hunting a pack of bloodwolves. But the pay is good. Not many people become adventurers, as it's quite a risky job, but it's a job worth risking your life for. You'll know when you travel more."
A small ray of hope ignited in Ethan's heart. "Traveler's Guild... Where can I find it, the guild's building?"
"They have their establishments in bigger towns. You can find one in Arventown," Tahal said, getting up. "Come on, let's go to my place."
"Are you sure?" Ethan asked. He didn't want to be an uninvited guest at some stranger's house.
"You don't have to worry about anything. Consider it as an invitation from a friend," Tahal said and led the way.
Tahal's house was quite good, maybe the best house in the whole village. Unlike most of the houses in Hollowbrook, his house was two-storeyed and had wooden roofs. "My wives and I made it ourselves," Tahal said, smiling proudly.
He led Ethan inside, sitting in the living room and called out, "Kasha, Jovah. I'm home, and our guest is here."
One tall Orcish woman and one human woman walked into the living room where Ethan and Tahal were sitting. Tahal walked over to them, pressing kisses on each of their lips before turning to Ethan. "These are my wives, this is Kasha," he pointed to the human woman, "and this is Jovah," he pointed to the Orcish woman. "And my love, this is Ethan. He's the one I told you about last night, he's come from a land very far away."
The first thought that came to Ethan's mind was how lucky Tahal was to have not one but two beautiful wives.
