The Baker

The Baker

“Hello there, my name is Donny, I’m the baker of the town Knocks. I don’t want to be vain, or anything like that, but, even though I am old, I can knock your socks off with my baking, at least that’s what the young people say, anyway.

Yes, it's peaceful here, but it does get noisy sometimes. Like, when a popular adventurer stays in town for a few days, or, when a hero, oh my goodness, when a hero stays for a night, well, let’s just say I find it hard to work the next day.

Other than those moments, I do enjoy living here. Speaking of, it’s time to open up shop. Ah, nothing like the morning sun on your face to brighten the mood, I sure do love it.”

Donny did, indeed, enjoy his job as the baker of the town of Knocks, everyone in town knew he was the best at what he did, however, his fame, without him knowing it, had spread beyond the town's borders.

As Donny filled the display baskets with freshly baked rolls and bread, the warm sun that entered the bakery’s doors was slowly eaten by an ever-growing shadow. Donny turned then turned in surprise and smiled, saying,

“Oh, Tut my boy, you are here early, is your mum doing well”?

The large boy standing outside proceeded to duck his head under the door's mantle, before entering the shop with every step rattling the glass in the windows. The clothing he wore was mute and earthy, telling anyone that he came from the poorer section of Knocks, but Donny was the only one, other than his mother, to greet him with a smile.

“My, you have grown quite big, haven’t you? So, would you like the same order as last time?”

Tut looked down at Donny, his locks of hair dangling in his face saying with a deep and burly voice,

“Yes please, sir”.

Donny nodded with a smile, saying,

“Right away, Tut, two rolls, and because you were so well behaved, I’ll throw in a third for free”.

A large smile appeared on the boy's face, revealing a set of razor-sharp teeth, which Donny replied in kind with a nod of thanks, as he handed the bag over to Tut.

“Please tell your mother I say hello, and keep safe, Tut.”

Still holding his sharp smile, Tut walked with a bit of a skip to his step, rattling and slightly cracking some of the windows and glass display cases. Donny, still maintaining his smile, waved as Tut looked back one last time, before running down the street.

The day proceeded and more customers came to buy bread of different varieties, faces of satisfaction leaving his bakery after trying the public sample trays on display, their perverted eyes staring intently at the bags they were carrying, which held the soon-to-be-eaten bread they had bought.

Lunchtime arrived and Donny prepared himself a light sandwich with, his favorite, Cheese and Tomato filling. As he prepared his meal, however, the distinct tapping of wooden heels could be heard knocking on the wooden floor, the sound only made by the footwear of a noble. Donny rushed to the front of the store to see a man wearing a frilled bonnet, which bloomed out the chest of his jacket. The man also wore a sour expression, most likely because of the establishment he was in as he peered with salty eyes at the round man rushing to him. Despite this, Donny approached him with a jolly smile saying,

“Good morning my good sir, I am sorry to inform you, but it is currently lunchtime. So, if you would please wait a few more minutes, I will make sure that you are the first in line”.

The noblemen did not look pleased with the comment and proceeded to tuck his hand in the opposite pocket of his jacket, saying,

“You are a funny man, Donovan, a very funny man, indeed”.

A small heavy bag of coins was suddenly dropped in front of Donny, who still held his smile, the nobleman turning around, as he whipped his cape and proceeded toward the entrance of the store, saying,

“Just do your job, and look after that thing, for the sake of the kingdom of Erstia”.

The nobleman proceeded out of the bakery and towards his carriage, where a footman, who imitated the same entitled as his passenger, stood with the carriage door already opened as he approached.

After the carriage left, the store grew quiet, as Donny's eye's peered from side to side. Still holding his smile, he carefully reached for a bucket underneath the counter, before bringing it close to his face and muttering inside of it. He then, carefully, placed it on the floor, looking around again to see if anyone saw him. He then, finally, reached for the bag and shifted it towards him until it fell into the bucket.

“Hey, Baker D, how’s it hanging,” a young voice said, which surprised Donny as he looked with wide eyes in the direction the voice came from. He saw a beautiful young maiden with amber hair, who was probably in her teenage years, wearing a short dress, leggings, and an oversized jacket.

“Hah, oh, Clara, it’s just you. Don’t scare me like that, my heart can’t take it,” Donny said, doubled over and out of breath.

“Ha-ha, wow Baker D, for a second you looked like how my mom and Mr. Earl looked when I walked in on those two last night, ha-ah, what a bitch”.

“Hey now, language, Clara. You are a beautiful woman, but a foul mouth will make even the most beautiful flower stink.”

“Oh, please, old man, I don’t need anything permanent, all I need is one good night, the King can pay for the rest.”

“Oh, and what man are you looking for, Clara?”

“Why are you asking Pops, you in-ter-est-ed”? Clara said, with a smirk, dipping the collar of her jacket just below the shoulder.

“That is enough, Clararia,” Donny said with a furious tone as he slapped his hand down, hard, on the counter.

Clara quivered a little, taking a step back in shock, saying,

“What’s wrong, Baker –“

“You have insulted me, as well as this establishment, please take your leave, Clara”.

Clara, who still did not understand her fault, took a step forward, saying,

“C-Come on Baker-D, it was just a-”

She was silenced by a finger directing her to the door, and tears began to pour from her eyes as she ran towards the entrance, saying,

“Why are you so mean today, I just made a joke Baker-D”.

“When humouring, Clara, never do so at the expense of another,” Donny said, still pointing at the door.

Clara looked back with puffy eyes before running out of the store crying.

Donny walked back to the kitchen feeling disturbed by what he had just witnessed, saying,

“Why can’t the hopes of humanity see how precious they are. Why must they throw away their value so easily”.

He continued preparing his sandwich, suddenly realizing that his break was over as he looked at the clock on the kitchen wall.

Donny proceeded to the front, where a few customers were already waiting, and dressed his face with a jolly smile, saying,

 “Hello and welcome, what can I do you for”.

The afternoon rush came as quick as it went and closing time approached, Donny packing the remaining bread in the charity box, before calculating the profits he made today. However, as he did so, a dark aura began to grow from the entrance of the bakery, which grabbed Donny’s attention as he greeted with a smile, saying,

“Ah welcome, good sir, unfortunately, we are closed, if you would mind coming again tomorrow, I will make sure you are the first in line”.

“Enough, Donovan, I have already created a carbon-copy barrier around us, no one from outside will be able to hear or see us, only a dummy copy of you working behind your counter,” a voice from the darkness said.

However, Donny still held his smile of good gesture, saying,

“Ah, then it's good to see you again Demon Lord Youden”.

“Yes, you as well. Now tell me, my son, is he still well”?

“Yes, he is, your greatness, he comes to me every morning at the same time, he has grown up such a lot”.

“I see, and the money? Has the King made his payment?” Youden demanded.

“Yes sir, given today at the agreed-upon time as has been every month for the last ten years, one hundred platinum pieces,” Donny said, pulling another piece of paper out of his pocket and turning it over to reveal an ancient ruin on the other side.

“Good, he still keeps his word. Peace, indeed, comes at a price. While we are speaking of the payments, do you need more copies of the ruins, Donovan?” Youden asked.

“Not right now, your Greatness, I have enough on me for the rest of the year, your vault will see more coin in it yet, ha-ha,” Donny said, tapping his pocket with a jolly laugh.

“Excellent, and, as agreed, you will receive five of those coins as payment,” Youden said.

“You are too generous, your Greatness,” Donny said with a hand raised, before bowing in thanks

“I see you still humble yourself, Donovan, always great to see. In any case, I’ve come to you today, with foresight from one of my many soothsayers,” Youden said.

“Really! Then this must be big news,” Donny exclaimed

“Indeed, apparently the next Hero has made a name for himself and, from what I was told, is quite a novice and very trusting. What I need from you is to lure him to my son. Tell him that a beast has been keeping a woman, my wife, hostage. Whenever my boy sees any weapon, he turns berserk and kills the bearer on sight, even if he is under my sleep enchantment. Can you do this for me, old friend?”

Donny smile slowly disappeared as he bowed his head, casting an eery shadow that hid a grimacing grin as he replied with a deep unearthly voice, saying

“It will be done, your Greatness”.

“Ah, as expected of my second in command, see to it then,” Youden said before the darkness began to shrink again.

Donny then raised his head, wearing a jolly smile, as he continued to work out the accounts for the day.

Morning came, and Tut arrived for his order, leaving with a smile once more. However, soon thereafter, the town’s people began to rush towards the main road, as distant cheers could be heard, chanting,

“The Hero is here”, “Hark, the Golden Hero approaches”, “Down with the Demon Lord”, “Three Cheers for the mighty Golden Hero”.

“Very noisy again, isn’t it”? Donny said as he packed the rolls of freshly baked bread in the display baskets.

“Excuse me,” a voice said, as boots and clinking bits of armour came towards him.

When Donny turned around, he saw a boy of average height who wore a hood that concealed his face partially, with a large item wrapped in cloth sheathed against his back, saying with a jolly smile,

“Hello there, dear boy, what can I do for you”?

“Hello sir, I would like to buy some bread, rumour has it that it is quite delicious, at least that’s what I heard back in my hometown of Wonsan”.

“Oh, so far away, well then I’ll give you the roundhouse classic, on the house,” Donny said, giving the boy a hefty loaf of bread.

The gesture startled the boy, shaking his hood and robe and revealing his golden hair and a silver badge on his chest.

“Oh my, y-you’re the Hero, aren’t you,” Donny said with surprise.

The boy, knowing he could not make an excuse came clean, and said,

“Yes, I am the Hero, sir”.

“My, what brings the Hero to my store?” Donny asked.

“Well, you see,” the Hero said hesitantly, “ I needed to get away from the spotlight, so I used copy-magic to pretend that I rode into town.”

The Hero immediately gasped, covering his mouth, saying,

“Oh no, please keep that a secret, I was told not to tell anyone.”

“Yes, I can imagine, copy magic, I think that was the same magic that took down the last Demon King.”

“Exactly, that’s why it has to be secret,” the Hero said gesturing for Donny to keep it a secret

Donny, keeping his smile, replied in kind, saying,

“My lips are sealed, Hero”.

“Thank you so much, sir,” the Hero said with a smile of relief.

“It’s understandable that you get so much attention, you are the Hero of this kingdom after all However, everyone needs a break, even the Hero. I mean, you are barely an adult, for goodness sake,” Donny said, shaking his head before placing his hand on the Hero’s shoulder, “You should take a break if you feel you need one, even if you need to use my shop, okay?”

The Hero began to tear up, giving Donny a nod of thanks as he walked towards the entrance, saying with a wave,

“Thank you very much, sir. If there is any trouble while I’m here, just let me know.”

“Will do, my boy,” Donny said, a dark grin growing across his face.

Suddenly, Donny collapsed to the floor in tears, and the Hero, seeing this, rushed to his side, saying,

“Sir, what is wrong, why are you crying?”

“It’s my daughter,” Donny said, with tears streaming down his eyes, “she was taken hostage, by a monster on the hill, just outside the town”.

The Hero listened to his story and, without question, dashed for the hill, with his sword unclothed and drawn...

“Hello there, my name is Donny, I’m the baker of the town Knocks. I don’t want to be vain or anything like that, but, even though I am old, I can knock your socks off with my baking, at least that’s what the young people say, anyway.

Yes, it's peaceful here, but it does get noisy sometimes, like when the officials of the palace come to drop of the Demon Lords taxes, or when a young person talks with bad manners, or when a hero, oh my goodness, when a hero stays for a night, well, let’s just say I would like to cut his visit short.

Other than those moments, I do enjoy life my Greatness gave me as the ambassador of the Demon Empire, speaking of its time to open up shop. Ah, nothing like the morning sun on your face to brighten the mood, I sure do love it.”