A courier in a grey work jacket stands in the barn doorway, shoes dusty from the lane. She holds a stiff envelope flat against her chest and keeps glancing past Hunter at the room behind him.
Courier
Hunter McCready? I need a signature for a formal notice from the market office. I am told to hand it to you лично, and I am not leaving until it is signed.
Hunter stays planted between the doorway and the rest of the barn, while Joy peeks from behind a crate with her doll clutched tight. Mrs. Gable and Nora look up from their work, both going still.
Hunter McCready
Hunter takes the envelope with care and asks, brief and flat, what the notice is about.
Courier
It is delivery confirmation and acknowledgement. That is all I was paid to say. If you sign, I can go back.
The courier edges no farther in, awkward under every stare. Hunter turns the envelope in his hand, its stamp bright against the barn light, while Joy keeps watching from her hiding place.
Mrs. Gable
He is not the only one who sees that seal, dear. If the office wants a response, it can wait for the proper one.
✓ Quest Accepted
Reject the market office notice
+ New Item Acquired
Formal notice envelope
“I step toward the courier and firmly tell her that I will not sign anything today.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -2)
Hunter steps out from the doorway and stops the courier with one flat look. He holds the notice out, then lowers it again without taking the pen. The refusal lands cleanly, and the barn goes quiet except for the crate slat ticking against itself.
Hunter McCready
I am not signing anything today.
Courier
Then I record that you declined receipt. That still counts as acknowledgement in my log.
The courier writes it down with a tight wrist, lips pressed thin. A rough crease shows where the envelope has been handled too many times, and the routing mark for the market entrance board catches the light for a second.
Mrs. Gable
Write your log if you must, but do not mistake paper for agreement. He is allowed to refuse.
Nora
That seal means they are watching the route, not just the names.
Joy shifts behind the crate and peeks higher, while the courier tucks the notice back against her chest. Hunter's cuff smudges against the envelope as he lets it go, leaving a dark thumbprint on the office stamp.
Courier
I will note the refusal and the contact change, but someone at the office will want the next response. Who is speaking for this now?
Settle who speaks for the vendors now
Quest Complete
Reject the market office notice