Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 343 Follow-up Plans and Loot Material Processing
The return journey was smoother than the way there.

The two additional goblin extermination missions that I had accepted before setting off have already been completed, so there is no need to spend extra time searching for goblin lairs.

Although this meant losing the opportunity to indulge one's desires and relieve stress, it must be admitted that it did save Xia Nan a lot of time.

The two young men following behind him, whom he had initially thought might slightly delay their journey, surprised him.

He was very obedient on the road, doing whatever Xia Nan said without ever disobeying him. Even with some of his decisions that ordinary people might not understand, such as suddenly falling silent during the journey or inexplicably taking a long detour, he never asked why, but simply obeyed.

At the same time, we also try our best to help him with things like collecting firewood and cooking food, so as to reduce Xia Nan's energy consumption.

In addition, thanks to his keen senses, he avoided many unnecessary troubles on the road, along with relatively good luck.

This made the return journey for the three of them exceptionally smooth.

Even though they had to rest more in between because of Fuyuki and Lillie's physical condition.

When they arrived in River Valley, they were still two days ahead of schedule.

White Sparrow Tavern.

A classic location in the corner of the lobby.

The silver spoon slowly sank into the thick, smooth, milky-white soup. With a gentle stir, finely chopped dark brown mushroom slices and crisp parsley pieces appeared and disappeared in the swirling soup.

Scoop up half a spoonful, and savor the tempting broth dripping from the edge of the spoon, then put it in your mouth.

The unique forest aroma of wild mushrooms embraces the sweet fat of fresh cream, with a touch of appetizing black pepper and the fresh flavor of parsley. The layers of flavor burst forth from the tip of the tongue, instantly filling the mouth.

Enjoying the long-awaited cream of mushroom soup, Xia Nan unconsciously squinted her eyes.

In contrast, the young man and woman sitting across the table seemed somewhat reserved and stiff, out of place in the noisy environment of the tavern.

That's normal.

After all, having lived in a remote village deep in the depression since childhood, let alone a bustling adventure town like River Valley, he rarely even saw passersby from the outside world.

It's understandable that one would feel uncomfortable being suddenly brought to a bustling place like the White Sparrow Tavern, where a large number of adventurers gather year-round.

In fact, when they followed Xia Nan to River Valley Town and saw the crowds of people coming and going on the streets and the rows of shops on both sides, the two, who were originally quite lively, stopped talking much.

She huddled behind Xia Nan like a quail, following closely behind while cautiously observing the unfamiliar scenery around her.

Xia Nan did not interfere much in this matter.

Now that I've decided to leave my original environment and make a living in River Valley Town, I naturally need to desensitize myself as soon as possible and get used to the atmosphere and pace of life here, which are completely different from Fog Lantern Village.

Holding a spoon in his hand, he glanced at Fuyuki and Lillie in front of him, who looked flustered and lost, as if they were newcomers to the city.

I gently tapped the edge of the soup bowl with the bottom of the spoon.

"Ding……"

The crisp sound that followed instantly drew their attention, which had been slightly distracted due to their nervousness, back to him.

"Eat up, don't just stare."

"Here, being polite will only leave you hungry."

The table was already laden with an extremely sumptuous spread of food.

Besides the steaming pot of creamy mushroom soup, which was exuding a sweet and milky aroma, there was a whole roasted chicken with a golden and crispy skin, honey-glazed ham with a caramelized and oily texture, a large plate of sizzling sausages, a mountain of mashed potatoes, and a meat pie that exuded an enticing aroma of spices.

Xia Nan naturally treated everyone to a meal.

Compared to the income from this mission, this table of dishes is worth very little.

Having finally finished his mission and returned to town to rest, he naturally had to treat himself well.

The two young men in front of him were newcomers, and he had a good impression of them, so he thought he would take care of them a little.

Having never eaten anything so good before, the two people from the remote village didn't even dare to make any big movements.

Only when the aroma of the food filled my nostrils with each breath, and my throat moved involuntarily, did I cautiously begin to eat.

Perhaps because of his reliable performance in the canyon and on the way back, Xia Nan, as the only familiar person in the unfamiliar environment, gave them a great sense of security.

Even though he didn't say much, he just sat across from the other person at the table, and as they swallowed the delicious food, the two of them finally relaxed a bit.

I was no longer as reserved as when I first entered the restaurant.

Fuyuki dared to stand up halfway and use a kitchen knife to cut the ham located at the other end of the wooden table;

Lillie gradually got used to the noise in the tavern and began to secretly observe the adventurers around her who were carrying weapons and chatting and laughing.

To be honest, under normal circumstances, their naive and immature behavior would be extremely conspicuous to the seasoned veterans in the tavern.

If they encounter some drunkards with poor drinking habits, or some unscrupulous adventurers who want to exploit their youth, they might actually get entangled in trouble.

But now that Xia Nan is sitting across from them, all the potential troubles vanish.

Some adventurers who noticed Lillie's gaze would even take the initiative to greet them, thinking they were being friendly.

Perhaps within the entire continent of Aifara, and even within the professional community of Panyun Province in the Kingdom of Servia, Xia Nan belongs to the most obscure bottom of the pyramid.

However, in River Valley Town, where a large number of low-level adventurers are active year-round, the name "Grey Sword" has already spread widely after more than a year of hard work.

Black hair, black eyes, twin swords, cold and stern demeanor, young...

His appearance, demeanor, and the distinctiveness of his weaponry made him easily recognizable.

Unless there are special circumstances, which of these ordinary adventurers, who would struggle to even deal with a few goblins, would dare to offend this "big shot" who is said to have already obtained a professional rank and ascended to the second floor of the guild?

Just sitting there, even without doing anything, the meaning attached to the name "Xia Nan" shielded the two of them from 99% of the malice that should have been undisguisedly directed at them.

Time passed quietly.

By the time Xia Nan put the last spoonful of cream of mushroom soup into her mouth, most of the food on the table had been eaten.

He solved most of the problems himself, and his excellent physical condition also meant higher energy consumption, requiring sufficient nutritional supplementation.

Fuyuki and Lillie had also eaten their fill. Their completely satisfied hunger, driven by bodily instinct, transformed into a sense of psychological security, and their previously tense nerves relaxed considerably. Seeing that the two young people across the table were no longer as tense as when they first arrived in River Valley Town, Xia Nan pondered for a moment before slowly asking:
"Let's talk about your plans for the future."

Lillie had already thought of something. She wiped her mouth with the clean handkerchief the waiter had handed her and answered first:

"I...I plan to look around town for weaving or sewing jobs."

Her ideas are very pragmatic.

Having never undergone combat training and being physically weak, she never considered entering the adventurer profession, even though she knew that adventurers earned very high incomes.

He just wanted to survive in this unfamiliar corner of the town by relying on his familiar skills.

“My skills are pretty good in the village, but I don’t know about here… or I can do jobs like washing clothes or helping in the kitchen.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan nodded slightly.

For ordinary residents living in River Valley Town, it is precisely those who are not influenced by the wealthy adventurers around them and who live a stable life within their own capabilities that are able to survive in the long run.

Otherwise, if they blindly follow the crowd and are lured by those glittering gold coins into places like casinos... their distorted concept of money will only lead these ordinary people into the abyss of depravity, eventually forcing them to pick up their old, rusty iron swords and become one of the countless low-level adventurers in the town, their corpses rotting in some corner of the forest, turning into nutrients that nourish nature.

After Lillie finished speaking, Fuyuki also raised his head.

With a bit of sauce still on the corner of his mouth, his clear eyes were no longer confused; instead, they shone with a clear light that came from thoughtful consideration.

"I still want to try and see if I can become an adventurer."

He reiterated his commitment to the adventurers, but his subsequent addition showed that it was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

"But I'm not very clear about the ins and outs of this industry. If I encounter danger, I might not even be able to hold the sword steady. Going out blindly would be suicide."

His gaze swept over the armor and weapons of the adventurers in the tavern, his expression serious:
"So I decided to find a job that involves a lot of contact with adventurers and to study the specifics of this industry carefully."

"Maybe... I could become an apprentice at a post station and help take care of the horses? Or find a waiter's job at a restaurant frequented by adventurers?"

Xia Nan's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of admiration appeared in his heart.

The young men and women before me are all from the countryside and have never seen much of the world. It is truly commendable that they are not blinded by the false appearance of the "adventurer" industry, but instead make such plans based on their own actual abilities.

I picked up the wine glass next to me and took a sip:
"Not bad, do it well."

"If you encounter any trouble in the future, you can come to me."

Having already embarked on a long journey to the Southern Islands in search of clues to the key to the [Dream Corridor], he naturally had no time to bring the two newcomers before him.

But after working in the town for so long, I've at least built up some connections.

Thinking to himself, by the time he returned from the Southern Islands, Fuyuki should have a good understanding of this group of adventurers. If they still had plans to work in the industry by then, he might be able to help them find a way to support them.

I wonder what Adeline's current situation is, and whether she's still mentoring newcomers.

I have a fairly good relationship with this capable woman known as "Green Blood". We have worked together for a period of time and I know her way of doing things. She is also a rare type of adventurer who is very responsible to her subordinates.

If Fuyuki can join the opposing team, it would be a very good start.

However, Adeline has recently been promoted to a professional. Although she is still with a few of her former teammates, so much time has passed, and other changes may have occurred.

Whether to continue clearing out goblins as before, or to seek advancement as a professional, is both possibilities.

I need to find an opportunity to talk to her and ask her what she thinks.

Xia Nan pondered this in his heart, but did not reveal any relevant information to the young man and woman in front of him.

He simply told them to work diligently and to come to him anytime if they had any problems, and then they parted ways.

Upon arriving in the new city, Fuyuki and Lillie had many things to deal with. Not only did they need to find a reasonably priced place to rent, but they also needed to find suitable jobs as soon as possible to earn an income to support themselves.
Xia Nan also needed to hurry up and complete the several commissions he had on hand, process the loot and materials he had brought back, then go to the Rockhammer Blacksmith to pay off the 500 gold he owed, retrieve the newly forged enchanted armor, and prepare the supplies he would need for his long journey.

Busy but fulfilling.

……

Two hours later.

At the entrance of the herbal medicine shop with green grass crucible.

Xia Nan tightened his backpack, his face still showing little emotion, but the cloth bag at his waist was noticeably fuller than when he left the tavern.

The bounty quests for the two goblin lairs cleared during the adventure have been completed. The combined reward for the two quests is approximately 60-70 gold, and the exact amount will be transferred to his bank account after the association confirms it in a few days.

All the loot collected from these two lairs was sold at the general store, along with some loose coins, totaling 18 gold, 7 silver, and 3 copper.

At the same time, he also had 27 gold coins on him, which he had found along with the diary in the Druid's Hut in the canyon.

Adding these together, the profit is already over a hundred gold coins.

Combined with the more than four hundred gold coins he currently had, it was enough to pay for the forging of the enchanted armor, leaving him with a surplus of several dozen gold coins.

Oh, I almost forgot. Barn mentioned to him before that if the chainmail was intact when he returned from this mission, the other party could offer a very good price to buy it back.

Following past practice... Xia Nan hadn't given much thought to this, but now it had become an unexpected source of income.

Of course, these are just side benefits of this adventure.

The real "huge sum" is the reward of "15-150 gold coins" for the fog lamp grass gathering quest.

Xia Nan brought back a whole backpack full of fog lantern grass, all of which were of the high quality type as specifically requested by Ms. Edwina.

The journey home was very smooth, with little delay, and the grass was well preserved; it was far from spoiling.

Even if I don't get the full 150 gold, I'll definitely get at least 100 gold.

At the same time, he was also carrying the biological materials from that mutated fog lamp monster with him.

A crystallized core of a foglight monster, and several of its toughest, thorny vines.

I don't know if I can get a good price for it.

With a thought in mind, Xia Nan took a step forward and gently pushed open the door of the grass crucible.

(End of this chapter)