Nemt opened the door and saw a man in dirty clothes standing before him, the kind usually worn by commoners. Of course, not everyone wore them dirty, but only those who did hard work or children who could get covered in anything during the day. The guest clearly belonged to the first category, although Nemt didn't rule out the second, as he caught a whiff of alcohol from the man. He held a small bundle of coarse fabric in his hands. "What are you doing here?!" Nemt exclaimed. "And in that state," he added, realizing he wasn't alone, the wizard decided to close the door and leave the room, leaving his guests behind, citing urgent business. "I brought a gift," the man replied, his speech slightly slurred and relaxed. "For our king," he added, pointing to the bundle. "That's good, but now is not the right time." "Why? Isn't it his birthday today?" the man asked, confused, doubting his memory. "Yes, it is, but that's not the point. There are many guests in the castle now, and it's best if you don't appear in public in that state, besides, Radonar is busy." "What's wrong with my appearance? You yourself are walking around in a robe," the commoner retorted. "Besides, all blacksmiths look like this. I was recently at another meeting of the blacksmiths of Andoria, and almost all of them looked exactly like this, except for the elves. But they always..." "Okay," Nemt interrupted, "If the appearance can still be explained, then what about the smell..." "What's wrong with that? Can't I have a mug of ale to celebrate?" "You can, but I don't think it was just one mug, so you'll have to postpone the meeting with the king." "Well, if you don't want to take me to him, I'll find my own way," the man grumbled and walked confidently through the castle, moving further and further away from the wizard. "No, wait, it can't be like that," the sage tried to stop him, but he only managed to take a couple of steps when he heard the voice of one of the servants behind him. "Master Nemt, Master Nemt!" he cried out, his voice filled with anxiety. "What is it? What happened?" "There, there..." it was clear that the boy was in a hurry, so he was out of breath and breathing heavily. "Sir Pencil..." he finally said. "I see, you don't need to continue," the wizard replied and asked him to call the guards to watch over the blacksmith, and he himself went to meet the returning knight. Meanwhile, the young A'Mok and Sh'Ako finished their tea, ate all the pastries, and got bored. And while the princess could calmly sit and wait for Nemt, the prince was not known for his patience. He got up and started walking around the room, looking into cabinets and drawers. "What are you doing?" his sister asked, surprised. "I'm looking for something to eat, maybe I'll find those dried mushrooms he gave us last time." "But you can't, we're not at home. Stop it now, or Nemt will be very unhappy that you're rummaging through his things." "Oh, come on, I'm not touching his books or taking his magic trinkets, I just want to eat something." "But we just ate!" Sh'Ako protested. "Yes, but I want more," A'Mok replied calmly, not feeling any awkwardness or shame for his actions. "Oh, I think I found something," the prince said, taking out a bowl containing several mushrooms with a barely noticeable bluish tint. "They don't look like the ones we ate," he said sadly. "That means they're not the same mushrooms, and it's better not to try them," the princess concluded. "But there are no others, so I guess I'll have to settle for these," A'Mok replied and took a bite of one of the mushrooms. At first, the taste seemed bitter to him, but then the bitterness turned into a slight sweetness, which left a pleasant aftertaste in his mouth. It was unusual, colorful, and made him want to take another bite, so the first mushroom was eaten in a few seconds. The princess initially refused to try, but after her brother's persuasion, she agreed, and in the end, they ate all eight mushrooms. After a while, a feeling of peace came over them, which was soon followed by an irresistible desire to have fun, and at that moment, nothing could keep the brother and sister in the wizard's room. Opening the door slightly and making sure no one was around, they crept out of the room and went for a walk around the castle, imagining themselves as adventurers setting out in search of new sensations.