Peter looked at Asmodeos, who was looking at the gnomes. He didn't know how he was going to break the news to the little creatures.
After all, they needed to go and get the dragon's egg for them to get the reward and to pass the border, but they for how long they would have to be away from the gnomes.
And so, as any parent who wanted the best for their children, the two adventurers decided that they had to be honest.
"And so, we have made it so that you will get your chocolate and cookies and," even as Peter said it, he still felt that he was missing something. After all, the gnomes could get their food and drinks here, yes.
Peter got already paid for that, using some of the golden snake statues.
But the thing was that the gnomes couldn't survive here in this watchtower.
For the guards wouldn't feed them forever, and the gnomes wanted to make their case known to the humans in the village.
"And if someone is mistreating you, please make sure the dark gnomes sic their hellhounds on them," a bright-eyed gnome stepped forward.
He was a small creature with hollow bones and dark green hair.
He knew better than most that the two men could try to do their best by them, but as anyone could tell you, they would not be very successful.
The gnome was pretty much sure that no one was going to pay them much attention if they stayed here in this watchtower.
They were going to make sure that they had everything they wanted, but would not sit with them by the fire. Would not gift them a kind word.
The little gnome looked at the dark gnome who also stepped forward.
"Okay, here's the deal: we are going to stay here, but we are never ever going to eat just chocolate and cookies ever again! We may not be humans, but we deserve real food!"
Asmodeos smiled.
Yes, he had wanted to make sure that the gnomes ate vegetables and meat too but tried to get the idea through to Peter, who had worried. Peter, for his part, didn't know exactly what sort of consequences that was going to have for the gnomes.
He didn't know, or maybe he simply didn't want to know, just how unhealthy their former diet was.
After all, he got his share of the hot chocolate and cookies as well, and while he also ate sandwiches from time to time, he found that the bottomless bag with the supplies of the gnomes was only stocked with hot chocolate and cookies.
"But," as Peter saw the concentrated looks of the gnomes, he lowered his gaze.
He knew that this was the time to act. This was the time to make sure that the gnomes had everything they needed to be healthy, to be good, to live a normal life.
"Before we go to the dragon, we are going to go to the nearby market. I swear, we will make sure you get real food," the brunette said.
A loud cheer erupted from the gnomes. They wanted food. Real food. They didn't want any chocolate anymore, and they didn't want any cookies.
"We will come with you," the dark gnome who spoke already took his backpack, fully prepared to do some shopping.
"If we keep on being afraid of the humans, then we are never ever going to become a part of their tribe, are we?" the dark gnome asked.
Peter decided that that was a very good question.
The gnomes, as defenseless as they were, were ready to take the next big step. And Peter, for his part, was proud that he was taking care of such bright-eyed creatures.
"You will find no trouble in the market; we are going to be with you," and so, all the gnomes picked their backpacks, loading them up on top of the hellhounds.
Prepared for the next big step in gnome history.
The two adventurers led them to the brightly lit border market. The border market, as the name suggests, was simply a market on the fringe of the forest.
A market where fruits and vegetables were traded regularly, a market where everyone could find something, and money was king.
As Peter made a stop before a vegetable stand, he blinked. The vegetables, which were on offer, were something he had never seen before.
They looked like the normal vegetables. Such like one could find on Earth.
There was squash and tomatoes, celery and onions.
But all the vegetables gave out light. He looked at Asmodeos.
"Okay, why is the onion green, and why is it giving golden light?" Peter asked, for he was sure that Asmodeos would know the answer.
Asmodeos just rubbed the back of his head, he, like many necromancers, sometimes ate spiritually rich vegetables and fruit.
But he had never seen them in such high quantities.
"Well, this is a forest, and this is probably from a magical farm or something, or maybe a wizard's farm, I don't know," Asmodeos said. "But what I don't know is that if you... feed them to the gnomes, they are going to get superpowers!"
And Asmodeos also wanted to get himself some of that. After all, if he did not, then he was going to remain a simple mage, and he didn't want to remain a simple mage, no.
He wanted power, and even though he was now a hero, that hadn't changed.
"Oh yes, this is from Nestor's farm. Nestor the Necromancer, have you heard of him?"
There was a lovely old granny behind the stand.
She had a knitted sweater on, and she even had a smile upon her lips.
Asmodeos wasn't fooled.
This was a hag, or maybe just a witch who was on her way to becoming a hug. Still, everyone needed to earn their keep, and Asmodeos didn't hold that against her.
He just took out a single golden statue, a snake forever frozen in fear, and handed it over.
"I would like your entire stock," many would say the grin was a strange thing to witness on the witch's face, but Asmodeos decided, as the witch simply snapped her finger and all her vegetables and fruits were packed, that he had made the right call.
As the witch took off, fully intending to use the soul inside of the golden statue for a ritual, Asmodeos could not help but think about how much mana he was going to get from these treasures.
He could read thoughts, and as he found out what sort of ritual the witch was going to use, he chuckled.
It was a ritual which was going to make her younger, prettier, and ready to become Miss Universe.
Asmodeos just looked at the gnomes, then at the boxes with shining fruit and vegetables.
"Now we just need meat, a couple more of such stands, and then we can go get the dragon's egg,"
A cheer erupted from the gnomes. They were finally going to eat something healthy!
They were free, and they were going to learn how to cook!