Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 166 Reunion

Wood sat alone in a corner of the tavern's main hall.

On the table in front of him was a half-empty glass of water and two or three plates of simple, easy-to-eat dishes.

It wasn't particularly lavish.

It's not because I'm short of money, but because I need to cut back on food expenses.

In fact, as the personal bodyguard trained by the Wycliffe family for many years, he had practically watched the young master grow up, and the master and mistress had never mistreated him financially.

The savings he's accumulated over the years, even if he spends his days in those few high-end restaurants in Newme and squanders them, are enough for him to enjoy his retirement.

However, the hardships he endured in the slums during his childhood had instilled in him a habit of thrift.

Three meals a day are enough to fill one's stomach.

He was already satisfied.

Besides that, Wood's greatest wish was to stay by the young master's side and protect him until he grew old.

The kindness of the mistress who had been gone for many years, pulling him out of the mire of the slums and giving him a new life, is something he can never repay.

He could only channel all his gratitude into fulfilling his duty as a guard, caring for and protecting the only offspring his mistress had left in this world.

Unfortunately, he was born into a lowly family and his talent was dull and incompetent. Even with the resources poured into him by the Wycliffe family, he barely managed to obtain a professional level and become a so-called professional.

Faced with high-level changes involving the position of city lord, he was just a small fish caught in the whirlpool, barely able to protect himself, and couldn't even protect the young master at all times.

Forced to "take a vacation," he was kicked out of the Wycliffe family's castle.

Wood didn't have any particular hobbies.

Aside from honing his wandering skills, which hadn't improved in years, he spent most of his time hiding in the shadows, constantly watching out for potential dangers for his young master.

The sudden holiday left him feeling somewhat lost and disoriented.

He simply sat in the tavern and whiled away the time, just like the adventurers he had met before.

Fortunately, the holiday is coming to an end, and in two more days, he will finally be able to return to his post.

"pat..."

Footsteps sounded in my ear and gradually approached.

Wood didn't care, and didn't even raise his head.

His eyes were fixed on the crystal-clear liquid in the glass on the table in front of him, which was swaying slightly.

To facilitate his guard duties, he underwent targeted training as soon as he embarked on the path of an adventurer.

After becoming a [Rogue], one naturally gains the passive feat of stealth.

Unless you are a fellow professional or have a special talent for perception, it is difficult to detect his presence.

For ordinary people, even if they see him in person, their attention will only be like a bar of soap that has been soaked in water, slipping over them.

I know someone is sitting at this table, but I subconsciously ignore who is sitting there.

As for his "colleagues" who are truly aware of his existence, seeing his behavior, they usually won't choose to bother him or cause trouble.

But unexpectedly...

The footsteps that should have changed direction after approaching due to his [Wanderer] stealth feat seemed to be completely unaffected.

Approaching straight ahead.

then……

"Ding dong."

A glass bottle, reflecting the soft light of the tavern, gently lands on the table.

Following the gaze upwards from that slender, pale hand with distinct knuckles, one sees a finely crafted metal chainmail, the somewhat familiar hilts of twin swords, and...

That distinctive face with sharp features.

"Xia Nan!?"

"Where's Hai'an? Why are you eating alone?"

Holding his wine glass, Xia Nan poured himself a full glass and sat opposite Wood, asking with a smile.

Originally, I was just hoping to find some information about Bucket in the "Iron Bucket Toad," but I didn't expect to have an unexpected gain.

Wood, the wanderer, was also the first professional he had seriously encountered after transmigrating.

I remember that I had only been in this world for a short time and didn't have a clear understanding of the "adventurer" profession.

During a gathering mission, he encountered the half-elf "Hai'an" and his guard "Wood". Attracted by the token with the classical Eastern style from his previous life, he accepted their invitation to temporarily join the party.

It was during this mission that he obtained information about "combat skills" and "professions" from the two people, and at the end of the mission, he entered the secret realm of the snake cave.

By absorbing the dew, he gained a constitution attribute of 8 points, as well as a "snake scale arm shield" on his left forearm.

Even his most frequently used combat technique, "Fang Hunt," was introduced by the high-level professional "Fugang."

It can only be said that his ability to gain a foothold in this world is largely due to the help of the two of them.

After learning that his mission was to be carried out in Newme, Xia Nan considered going there to visit.

Even if I can't offer any real help, just chatting and catching up is good enough to maintain our friendship.

Unfortunately, he didn't have their detailed addresses, only that the half-elf lived in Newm and seemed to be well-off.

I was originally planning to stay for a while after the mission was over to ask around and see if I knew anyone.

I never expected to run into them in a place like this.

Wood was also extremely surprised by Xia Nan's appearance.

"you……"

He opened his mouth, about to say something.

His expression suddenly paused again.

A strange look crossed her face as she scrutinized him.

"You advanced?"

Without intending to hide anything, Xia Nan nodded slightly and swirled the wine glass in her hand.

"Not long ago, just a few days ago."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man with a weathered face couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

"I remember the last time I saw you, you were still two combat skills away from obtaining your class rank, right?"

"It's only been a short time, barely half a year?"

"Just luck."

"Without your channels, I wouldn't have been able to meet the requirements for advancement so quickly."

Xia Nan had a pretty good idea of ​​what had happened along the way.

His own hard work and correct decisions at crucial moments are certainly one of the reasons why he was able to obtain a professional level so quickly.

But the convenience provided by the attribute panel, the help from the halfling Alton, the green-blooded Adeline and others encountered along the way, plus "a tiny bit" of indispensable luck.

This is the key to it.

He knew perfectly well that arrogance leads to destruction.

I don't want to talk too much about this.

Xia Nan looked around, seemingly searching for a figure with long, silver-white hair, and changed the subject:
"Why isn't Hai'an here? Didn't he come out with you?" Wood looked at Xia Nan in front of him, seemingly wondering why he would ask such a question, before suddenly realizing that they had never explained their identities to each other.

He shook his head, lowered his gaze, and landed on the clear water in front of him.

"Young Master's full name is 'Hai'an Wycliffe'."

Wycliffe?

Xia Nan felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had heard the name somewhere before.

Suddenly startled, she lowered her voice and tentatively asked:

"Wycliffe...Lord of Newme?"

Wood nodded silently.

Good guy!
Although he knew Hai'an came from a well-off family and was a rich guy, he never expected that the other party's family background was so powerful.

No wonder that any professional mentor they casually invite is a near-legendary extraordinary expert.

Wood glanced at Xia Nan, as if sensing what he was thinking, and explained:

“Mr. Fogan and the mistress were teammates for a time. He happened to be resting in Newme when we returned. We heard that we might pass through Riverdale, so we asked him for help.”

Although there are quite a few professionals in this world, only a small group at the very top of the pyramid are "extraordinary" or even close to "legendary".

Even among administrators of a large city like Newme, it's uncertain who is higher or lower in status.

The fact that they were able to persuade the barbarian Fergane to come to their aid was partly because he happened to be passing through Dale, but more importantly, it was his friendship with his half-elf mother.

Teaching an adventurer a suitable combat skill along the way is no big deal; but if it involves Wycliffe's family affairs, that's another matter entirely.

Looking back on the past two days I've been here, I've heard rumors from various sources.

I learned that something seemed to have happened to the Wycliffe family.

Xia Nan spoke carefully, using a polite but not offensive tone:

"Hai'an...Is he doing alright now? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Relieved by the concern shown by the black-haired youth, Wood smiled, a deep sense of helplessness in his expression, and shook his head.

"Thank you for your concern. Young Master is doing well, at least in terms of personal safety... there shouldn't be any problems."

He could tell from the other party's polite refusal that this was an event involving high-level personnel changes that he couldn't possibly get involved in at the moment.

Xia Nan then dropped the matter.

"And you?" Noticing the atmosphere at the table had cooled down, Wood took the initiative to start a conversation. "You were doing just fine in Riverdale, so why did you come to Newme?"

"Planning to retire and come here to live out your retirement?"

Hearing what the other person said, Xia Nan smiled slightly and was about to use his sense of humor to make a few jokes along with the topic.

Suddenly, a thought struck me.

He thought that the other person, as a native of Newme, must be much more familiar with the city than he was, and was also an experienced professional who knew a lot about many areas that he was not familiar with.

Perhaps explaining your current predicament to the other party might be helpful.

Thinking it over, Xia Nan told the other party about his goal for advancing to the next level and the difficulties he was currently facing.

“Beastification syndrome…” Wood tapped the table with his fingertip, his brow furrowing. “That’s a bit troublesome.”

“I don’t know this adventurer named ‘Buck’, and I’m sorry I can’t help you with anything.”

"But if it's the 'Iron Bucket Toad,' the tavern owner and I are old acquaintances, so setting up a connection for you shouldn't be a problem."

With that, he stood up and led Xia Nan back to the bar.

"You should have said so earlier! We're all friends, why are you being so polite?"

Compared to Xia Nan's expressionless demeanor when ordering, the tavern owner, "Stubborn Donkey," became exceptionally enthusiastic after Wood's introduction.

Smiling, he handed Xia Nan a wine glass and filled it to the brim.

“Buck, that big guy, as strong as a bear, I know him.”

"When this guy first retired, he often brought a few cronies to my place to fool around."

"After the boys and girls in the family were born one by one, they came less often."

"I only come here occasionally at night to drink alone and brood over something."

"I've heard about what happened a few days ago. For an adventurer like him, being able to live a comfortable life for a few years is already quite good."

"Ask me anything you want to know! I promise I won't hide anything from you!"

Having already prepared his words in his mind, Xia Nan, seeing the other party's response, didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point:
"If... I mean if, Buck is still alive, where might he be?"

"Where to..." Stubborn Donkey stroked the gray stubble on his chin, a thoughtful look on his aged but spirited face.

"He's been earning less these past two years, I really don't know about that."

"However, there is one person who might know."

"Who?"

"'Strainer' Ben, our former cook, was also Buck's teammate."

“Every year on hunting day, these kids team up and go to River Valley Town, and this year should be no exception.”

"If you want to know what they encountered during their mission, or where Buck might be hiding, you might try to find out from him."

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan's eyes lit up.

"Where does he live? Is it also in Newme? Do you have a detailed address?"

"Well... I really don't know." Stubborn Donkey shrugged at Xia Nan and spread his hands, "This kid has been working for me for many years now, and we've moved several times."

"I really don't know where I live now."

"However, I can keep an eye out for you. As you know, my tavern is short of everything, but we have adventurers who like to brag when they're drunk every night."

"Who knows, there might be a few kids who have connections with Ben."

Seeing that the other party was willing to help, and that the mission had made substantial progress, Xia Nan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He took a silver coin out of his pouch, placed it on the bar, and pushed it towards the other person.

"Then trouble you."

"Easy to say, easy to say."

With a flick of his right hand, the silver coins on the table vanished without a trace, and the stubborn donkey's eyes crinkled into slits with laughter.

And that's when.

Wood, who had been standing silently to the side since the connection was made, suddenly reached out and patted Xia Nan on the shoulder.

"That's perfect. I wanted to know Ben's address, and now... maybe I don't have to wait."

"Ok?"

With a puzzled look in his eyes, Xia Nan followed the direction Wood was looking.

A few thugs with tattoos on their bodies were seen swaggering into the tavern, laughing and joking.

The bald, burly man at the head of the group had an arrogant expression, grinning to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth, and seemed to be bragging to his henchmen behind him.

In his hand, he casually carried a black cloth bundle stained with blood.

(End of this chapter)