While the leaders negotiated and tried to find a solution, adventurers, paladins, priests, and sun elves sat around the tent on the grass and waited. All of them had slumped shoulders and hunched backs, resigned and waiting for what would happen to them. There was not even a tiny murmur or whisper, just heavy silence.

  “It’s not right.” Lisusa hissed quietly so as not to disturb people.

  “Boss?” Arben, her dwarven senior cook, asked, surprised.

  “All of this is wrong.”

  “We are not scholars, we can't help with finding an answer to all of that. We are cooks. We serve food and drinks to people.” Robur said with a resigned sigh.

  “This is it! Gather all, we will cook for all and serve them ale.” Lisusa stands straight with gleaming eyes.

  “No one will buy anything,” One of her waitresses observed.

  “It will be for free. This mood is bad, we need to change it, and free food is the best way.”

  “Thank the goddess that we have an infinite supply of ingredients.” Dwarven cook sighted. But he stood ready to do his job. For his heart, it wasn’t a metal that sings but food. He loved cooking and making new dishes.

  “What about, you know, them?” Whispered one of the helpers, and looked at the sun elves.

  “Them too. No exceptions.” Lisusa said.

  “But what about if they refuse?” The waitress asked.

  “They don’t talk with us, so they can’t. And always you can run away if they try.”

  “Oh, right. And I’m good at running away, too.” The human girl nodded, too nervous to remember that each of them could catch her in the blink of an eye.

  The seventeen people vanished in the magic ring. No one reacted to that, and most didn’t even know it happened. But soon they were back, carrying a few barrels of ale and baskets with tankards. Half of them return to help in the kitchen or for the next barrels. At the same time, people with baskets started to fill tankards and give them to surprised adventurers and sun elves. At first, they watch drinks, trying to comprehend what is going on. But soon they started drinking. Free ale was the best ale, and right now, they had very good reason to drink. The sun elves also don’t know what is going on, but in the desert, wasting food was the greatest sin. So they also started drinking. In half an hour, the first pot full of stew was brought to be distributed.

  “What’s going on?” Naomi asked, seeing the commotion.

  “Nothing special.” Goddess Tabitha shrugged. “My true followers dislike a bad mood, and always try to do something to cheer people.”

  “It’s genius. She is repairing what I broke, and bringing them hope.”

  “Hope? Maybe?”

  “I need to thank her. Maybe give her a gift. But I don’t have anything.” Naomi was thinking aloud.

  “I covered that. You don’t need to do anything.” Goddess said.

  “Thank you. You are the best.” She hugged her.

  “What?” The goddess's eyes went wide. “I have something to do.” Tabitha disappeared.

  “What happened? Did I offend her?” Naomi asked the Lady.

  “No.” Goddess smiled. “She is not used to being thanked. Despite her cheraful character, and being associated with fun, she is also the most feared goddess in the whole panteon.”

  “I was told about that. And I understood that people don’t like bad luck, so they are wary to upset her, but to be scared of her?”

  “Because she is associated with random happenings, people tend to think of her as the goddess of faith. She isn’t. There isn’t a god that decides your destiny in the first place. But people still made a connection. So they avoid openly worshiping her. So it’s rarely seen someone thanks to her, not to mention truly believing when they say it like you right now.”

  “Oh. That is sad.”

  While discussions move forward, both grand priests of the Sun frantically read scrolls with laws and teachings of the gods. While negotiations were progressing well, both sides recognized that the solutions they had found were flawed. The leaders of each side frequently pointed out some downsides or drawbacks that were consistently present.

  The growing commotion outside intrigued Tarron, the elven grand priest.

  “Something is happening outside.” He stated quietly, not to disturb the talks.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Let’s see then.” The minotaur priest nodded.

  When they exited the tent, they saw something strange. All the people were still sitting on the grass and waiting. But among them were walking workers from the tavern distributing drinks and food. And they give it to literally all, adventurers and the sun elves alike. And there was more. Some sun elves were bringing baskets of fruits from the orchard and placing them among everyone.

  “Lucky me. I bet my goddess had something to do with it.” Lisusa approached both grand priests. She carried a basket with bowls and was accompanied by one dwarf with a big steaming pot, a big human with a medium-sized barrel, and a young sun elf with a basket full of fruits. “I was wondering how to enter the tent without too much disturbing discussion.”

  “Why?” Minotaur priest asked.

  “To give you something to eat and drink. Good food usually improves mood. And according to my goddess, good mood equals good thought, and that should help with finding a good solution.” Naga answered.

  “Your goddess sent you?” Asked Tarron.

  “No grand priest. I'm just doing my work as a tavern keeper. I know this isn't my tavern, but this whole thing just looked wrong, and I had to do something about it. So I gathered my people, and together we did our usual job. And the sun elves somehow join in.”

  Both grand priests looked at each other.

  “I’m old, blind fool.” Tarron sighted.

  “The simplest truths are also hardest to see,” Junthar answered. “Come with us. The break is needed.”

  When the small procession entered the tent, all talk stopped. All leaders were looking at the grand priest and Lisusa with helpers wanting to know what was happening.

  “We need a break.” The elven Grand priest said. “And turns out our tavern keeper had the same idea. She brings something to eat and drink.”

  Lisusa, in the meantime, started distributing stew, and her elven helper, after placing a basket on the table, helped distribute ale, without a word or a simple gesture. He did that as if this were natural. All watched, not understanding what was happening.

  “Great. I think we don’t miss anyone. I will pray to the gods to help you somehow find a good solution.”

  “Thank you, priestesses, for your food and guidance.” Jathur politely nodded to Lisusa.

  “Priestess? I’m the tavern keeper.”

  “Not anymore.” The elven grand priest pointed at her neck.

  She touched her cleavage and found a simple necklace depicting a sleeping fox. Immediately, she opened her status, and indeed, there was written that she had become one. Lisusa started laughing.

  “I got pranked by my goddess.” She said after she calmed down. It was a common understanding. The goddess of fun has followers, but no priests or temples. But sometimes there is someone who does something important that needs to be recognized by the goddess. Usually, they get some blessings, but sometimes, it is not enough. So the goddess makes the person a priest. There are no duties or responsibilities, and because of this, it was considered a joke rather than anything important. It was just a sign of recognition.

  “Maybe so, but you deserve that rank. Without you, we will fail this task.” Minotaur priest answered.

  “Nah. You are nobles, grand priests, and generally smart people. Together, you will find an answer. And I didn’t even know what I did to deserve any prize or recognition.”

  “You reminded us that we should work together. But not as strangers, but as family that we are. We should share everything, not split.” The elven grand priest explained. All leaders turned pale, realizing how close they were to failing the task.

  “Oh, this one,” Lisusa answered. “I never think about it. It's something that always happens in the tavern. People eat, drink, and have fun together all the time.” She shrugged. “Anyway. I need to go. Enjoy your meal.” She bowed and exited the tent.

  “I failed,” the lady Itylara whispered, when they were left alone.

  “Me too.” General of paladins saighted.

  “If you give up now, you will. There is a time until the sun sets, and we can start talking about a proper solution. Tomorrow, with the first light, we start organizing things anew. I believe that on the fifth day, we should have at least the most important issues covered.” Tarron said.

  “And for now let’s eat, and gather strength before we do that,” Jathur added.

  For Naomi, the next four days were full of nervousness and anticipation. On the second day, she saw the grand priest give a sermon about working together. The leaders then began organizing work according to the new rules negotiated yesterday. At the beginning, Naomi didn’t see any differences from their usual routine. The sun elves entered as the first team. Like usual, adventurers needed a little more time to get ready. Also, patrols looked similar, but somehow were different. Then she saw it.

  “They are working together.” She gasped. And indeed they were. Selected paladins and elven warriors stood side by side calmly. Some paladins even try to talk to sun elves. It was mostly a one-sided conversation. The sun elves' answer was shakes of their heads, or shrugs, but they were talking.

  Later, she saw changes in the behavior of adventurers, too. They were small and hard to spot, but when she found them, she saw them everywhere. Adventurers still showed respect to the sun elves. But instead of bowing and cowering, they just firmly nodded to them. The sun elves also acted differently. They stopped forcing their way and respected the schedule and queue. When they met resting adventurers, they also asked instead of ignoring them.

  The beginnings looked awkward and forced, but with every day, it slowly became a new routine for everyone. The leaders still have a lot of work supervising everything, but it works.

  But real change happened on the fourth day. One of the fresh team of adventurers decided to challenge a final clearing of the fourth floor. They prepared the best they could, but still, they overestimated themselves. Right about the first of them was about to die, the sun elves appeared. Without thinking, they stepped in and rescued everyone.

  “Oh gods. Thank you, sir, for the help. I don’t know how bad it will end without your intervention.” A muscular human gasped, visibly tired.

  “I…” The leader of the elves started thinking hard about what to say. “That was a good training opportunity.” He answered after a moment, deciding to stick to his usual indifferent attitude.

  “I bet, sir.” The human laughed, surprising everyone. “Come with us. Downstairs is a tavern. I will buy a round of drinks for you.”

  When they entered the tavern, all gathered stopped watching a newcomer, waiting to see what happened next.

  “Tavern keeper!” The leader of the adventurers shouted. “I need drinks for my friends!”

  “Friends, you say?” Lisuasa smiled. “Then I’m happy to oblige.” She immediately started filling tankards.

  “Thanks again, sir, for your help.” Adventurers raised tankards, and the elves nodded. After emptying the mugs, he spoke again. “Also, we own you. If ever you need extra arm, tell us.”

  “Not necessary. But I recognize your oath, and I will remember it.” The elven commander answered before they left the tavern.