You decide not to interfere with the Count, instead opting to explore Sodran. It's been a while since you've been here. Briefly, you wonder how much has changed; obviously it's grown a lot, but are any of the old stores still open? You recall a store run by an older man, which sold the best wine you ever tasted. Is he still alive, or did his son take over the store like he wanted?

Shaking your head, you reason that you'll just have to find out, and begin to explore. Most of your knowledge of the city hasn't aged well, since more buildings have sprung up and some roads you used to know are gone now. Still, your knowledge holds true when you find the old store you knew. The sign reading "Louie's Supplies" is faded and the wooden door is cracked, but it's still the same place.

Stepping through, you find a bored looking young man standing behind the counter. Looks like you were right about his son taking over. He perks up as soon as he sees you, and smiles. "Ah, a customer! It's been a while since one came through." He studies your face for a moment. "... You look familiar, traveler. Do I know you?"

You grunt. "Probably not. I have one of those faces."

He shakes his head. "No, no, I do know you... You helped my father deal with thugs that were harassing him. Twenty years ago..." Then, he gasps, as if finally realizing who you are. "You're Sir Kit the Brave! The man who slayed the vile wizard Alistair!"

Despite yourself, you face twists into a scowl. "Don't go screaming it from the rooftops."

His own smile drops. "Oh. Apologies, Sir Kit."

"Yeah... Look, I did know your father, and I did help him out, but I just came here to see if the place was still around. Glad it is..." You can't help yourself, and soon ask, "Is your father still alive?"

"No, sir. He died five years ago, when I was nineteen. I inherited the store. Didn't wanna see it run into the ground, but..."

You're gonna hate yourself for asking this. "But?"

"... I don't want to run this store. I want to go out into the world, go on an adventure, like you did. When you came and helped my father with those thugs... I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a hero."

That makes you sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose. Great, now you've got a fanboy telling you he wants to be a "hero", like you were.

You encourage him. He should chase his dream, get out and see the world.

After a moment of thinking the kid's words over, you look him dead in the eye. "If you're serious about your wish, then you should chase it. But be careful, because the world is brutal out there. I'd suggest grouping up with people you can trust, rather than striking out on your own or, Gods forbid, hiring mercs to protect you. Those bastards just care about your money, not you."

You continue to ramble on a bit about your general dislike of mercenaries and their ilk. The shopkeeper doesn't stop you out of respect, but you can tell he doesn't care for your rant about how they'll drink all your alcohol if you have it. Eventually, your throat gets sore anyhow, so you stop. You don't think you've talked this much in ages.

"I'll be sure to not hire mercenaries then, Sir Kit. I've got a group of friends who are interested in adventuring as well, and we all have some level of combat experience. We're not gonna go on an adventure like you did, just explore. But..." He bites his lip nervously. "I don't know who will manage the shop while I'm gone. I don't want to lose it."

You nod, having expected that. Having encouraged him, you feel the need to help him with this so he can get his ass on the open road. The question is, who could take over the shop? You ask, "Any idea who could manage it for you?"

He nods. "I have an idea, yeah. There's another store across town, I'm sure they'd be happy to manage the shop for me. Though I am a bit worried about them... They might try and permanently take over the shop, if you know what I mean. They need to expand to get all the customers they can get after all."

You hum. That can't be the only option though, right?

You you'll have him go to the other shop.

You nod in agreement. "Yeah, that'd be the best bet. They know how to run this sort of business, and already have enough goodwill with the people that the place will finally get shoppers."

He considers your words, and nods. "Right. This'll boost the business, and I can go have an adventure!" With a grin, he leans over the counter and hugs you. Awkwardly, you pat his back. "Thank you, Sir Kit. I can finally leave this town!"

All you give is a shrug. "Just doing my part. Have fun, kid." With those words, you exit the shop, and step out into the marketplace. For the rest of the day, you mill about Sodran for a while, visiting other places you and your friends visited. A few of the shops have closed down, some of them are under new management. The remainder that haven't changed as much are surprised and pleased to see you.

At the end of the day, you head to an inn near the entrance to the city and sleep. When you awake in the morning, you pack up your things and leave the city behind. Weeks pass as you get further and further away from your former home, then reach a port town by the sea. You pick up transit on a supply ship headed to Cikoni. A few months later, you arrive in the country.

You wander there for a while, unsure what to do. Eventually, you find a small coastal town with few people. There, you take residence in an abandoned shack. To make ends meet, you get a job at a farm, tending to exotic crops you've never seen before. It's strange, but eventually, you think you've got the hang of it.

It's a good life. All in all, better than anything a guy like you could've hoped for.

THE END