Ad aspera

-- Oh, thank you...
The elf thought to himself that after today's expenses, he might not have enough money left for "advanced training," but he could consider it an investment in the near future.
-- Because life has become quite scary. Either the Ardorians are about to attack, or it's just local bandits... You know, they harass even honest people. And they say that elves... have started kidnapping people. And goats. In my village, you know, I had a whole herd, and I even sold meat in *names a town near his village, probably a Fendarian one*, and cheese... And then, one night, poof, a goat is gone. And the next night, another little goat is missing. Elves!

-- Elves? Uh... I thought they were extinct, -- the burly man furrows his brow in thought, then bursts out laughing. -- Ah, I get it! You mean those "elves." You could work as a jester in the town square, that's a great joke. Livestock is stolen, and the elves are to blame. Bread prices go up, and again, it's the elves. Taxes are rising, and fishing and hunting are banned again, and once again, those elusive elves are to blame! Want another drink?
Given the weakness of Dunkaniel's new body, this is probably not a good idea.

Added 11 minutes later

Krait, shrugging and raising his eyebrows, watches the scene:
- Well, he's right. If you came to my place, they would have smashed your skull with a cobblestone long ago. What do you need me to do?

-- Well, look, I need to attach this pipe to the bellows, and also a funnel, uh. All I need to do is solder it with soft metal, drill a hole in the pipe, and attach the funnel. And we'll get, uh, -- he looks cautiously at the workshop foreman. -- A device for testing a scientific hypothesis, ahem. I'm not a blacksmith, but it's not much work.

Added 4 minutes later
My activity will be minimal until tomorrow, by the way. Unless I reply after ten.