For the next few hours, Broken ran through the town, offering help wherever he could. At one point, he came across an elderly man sitting on an old wooden chair. The townspeople whispered that the man had once been a hard worker, but lately, he had been unable to work due to his deteriorating health.
“My Lord,” the elderly man said as Broken approached, “I haven’t been able to work for a week because of this terrible pain.”
Without hesitation, Broken stepped forward. “Let me help massage your back,” he offered.
The man was taken aback. “But, My Lord… no, I mean…” he stammered, unsure of how to respond.
Broken gently began massaging the elderly man’s back. At first, the old man seemed hesitant, but after a few minutes, the pain started to fade.
“My Lord… I must apologize,” the man said.. “But I feel much better now. You’re truly remarkable.”
[Bodo had been suffering from an aching back for a week, but after receiving a massage from the Baron, he felt a great deal of relief. In recognition of this, you were awarded 21 Reputation Points.]
As Broken moved away from Bodo, he waved his hand with a smile. “Hopefully, you can get back to work soon, Bodo.”
Bodo replied, “My Lord, thank you so much. May God bless you, and may this city thrive under your leadership. You’re the best city lord we’ve ever had.”
Broken’s smile widened as he walked away, knowing that his efforts had earned him not only respect but also a grand total of 1,034 Reputation Points.
I didn’t think doing good for people could feel this rewarding.
Lost in thought about his future options at the Reputation Shop, Broken made his way toward the farm fields, where he had an appointment with Charmelyn. As he approached, he saw her walking toward him.
“Hi, Broken,” Charmelyn greeted. “I’ve heard a lot of townspeople talking about you today… You’ve certainly made quite a stir.”
“Talking about me? Good or bad?”
“Mostly good things! People are praising your efforts to make the town better.”
“Ah… I’m glad they’ve finally acknowledged my efforts to keep the residents happy, hehe.”
Broken gazed at the farmers hard at work, tilling the land. “So, how’s the development of this new farm field?”
“Since we had some rain, things are looking better. A few more showers, and this place could turn into a beautiful, productive farm.”
“Good,” Broken nodded. “We need to continue the Rain-Summoning Ritual, and I think it could even become a popular tradition in this town.”
“I’ll do my best to spread the word and get more people involved in the ritual.”
Suddenly, Broken glanced around and asked, “Charmelyn… Do you have a hoe?”
She gave him a puzzled look. “A hoe?”
“Yes,”
“What do you want to do with it?” she asked, still a little confused. But then, she shrugged and said, “Wait here.”
A moment later, Charmelyn returned, carrying a hoe. “Do you need this?” she asked, handing it over to him.
Broken took it with a grin.
[Not So Special Hoe]
[Grade: Common]
[Durability: 98/100]
[Weight: 74]
[The ultimate farming tool for all those with not-so-green thumbs! This hoe may not be able to break through the toughest soils, but it will surely bring pleasure to those who are cultivating their land.]
Broken frowned as he examined the hoe, glancing at Charmelyn. “Isn’t Ingolf, the blacksmith, working on making tools for the city’s development?”
“Yes, but he’s been swamped with work lately, so this is the best hoe we have.”
“Alright then,” Broken said with enthusiasm “Let’s help the farmers cultivate the land, haha.”
He made his way toward the farmers, with Charmelyn following behind. The farmers looked
up from their work and greeted him.
“My Lord, good afternoon,” they said, bowing their heads slightly.
“Hey, let me help hoe the soil.”
The farmers exchanged nervous glances, murmuring among themselves.
“What’s he doing here?” one whispered.
“Is he trying to mess with our work?”
One of the bolder farmers stepped forward, bowing slightly. “My Lord, please, let us handle
the work. No need to dirty your hands with this.”
“It’s alright, really,” Broken replied. “I enjoy hard work. Don’t worry about it.”
The farmers looked on in a mix of confusion and surprise as Broken got to work, helping them hoe the soil.
[You have unlocked a new Farming Technique skill.]
[…]
Broken chuckled to himself, realizing he was picking up more than just Reputation Points.
***
Maylock, Goldrich, and Elincia were seated together, having lunch in the tavern. As they ate, they overheard several townspeople talking about Broken.
Elincia, looking puzzled, asked, “Why do I hear so many people talking about Broken today?”
Goldrich chuckled. “Khi khi khi… He’s really passionate about doing all sorts of things for this city.”
Elincia frowned slightly. “People are saying weird things… like he’s been catching thieves, giving massages to elderly folks, and even helping a widow with her laundry.” Maylock, unbothered, shrugged. “Sounds like he’s on some kind of quest. That’s just how he is-when he’s focused on something, he throws his entire soul into it.”
Goldrich raised an eyebrow. “What kind of quest involves doing a widow’s laundry?”
He then added, “And it seems like Broken might need help this time. I’m going to find him.”
Elincia shot back, “Oh, shut up. Is that just an excuse because you want to help widows too? But seriously, should we be helping him?”
Maylock shrugged, a casual grin on his face. “Go help him if you want. I’m busy building the
strongest knight army in this kingdom. Ha ha!”
Elincia rolled her eyes. “You sound like a villain when you talk like that.”
“The villain is Broken. I’m just his commander.”
“You’re still part of the Ass Guild, dumbass,” she retorted.
With that, Maylock stood up and strode confidently out of the tavern.
Goldrich stood up as well. “I definitely need to help widows-no, I mean, Broken…” he corrected himself before walking off, leaving Elincia shaking her head.
***
As the afternoon settled in, Broken strolled through town, a satisfied grin on his face after accumulating a large number of Reputation Points.
“I just need to figure out how best to use all these points,” he mused.
Freya appeared, running towards him. “Hello there, Mr. Mayor! It looks like you’ve been
pretty busy today. How many Reputation Points have you collected?”
“1407, ha ha ha!”
“Oh, you seem so proud of this extraordinary achievement, huh?”
They walked together, discussing how to optimally spend the points.
Broken casually handed the Sudden Sneezer Talent Scroll to Freya, “I don’t think I really need
this.”
Freya, assuming he meant to toss it away, threw it toward a nearby trash bin. However, the scroll missed the mark and landed just outside the bin as they continued walking. Moments later, a loud sneezing sound erupted behind them, stopping both of them in their tracks. When they turned around, they saw a young man sneezing and staring at them.
“Mortar?” Freya exclaimed in surprise.
Mortar was a skilled builder, known for his incredible efficiency, but he had an unusual quirk
-constant yawning.
“My Lord…” Mortar said. “I found the scroll and thought you’d discarded it. I, uh… accidentally tore it.” He followed this with a deep, prolonged yawn. “Ouahhh…” “Hatchu!” Another sneeze followed immediately, and nearby towns people began to
grumble.
“Get away from him! His yawning is contagious!” several people shouted as they hurried
away from Mortar.
Freya turned to Broken and whispered, “Do you know of any scrolls that can cancel an NPC’s
talent?” Broken slowly shook his head, but as he did, a yawn escaped him as well. “Ouahhh…”
Freya sighed in exasperation. “Looks like we’ll have to deal with this now.”