Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 354 You should calm down

Xia Nan couldn't help but feel strange about the tavern owner's sudden change in attitude.

It wasn't that I was angry.

I just felt that the other person's behavior was somewhat similar to that of Horako.

He was extremely generous, readily handing over his expensive jewelry and accessories to strangers he met for the first time. However, when the object of their interest became the pastel gem on his body, he rarely even took it out to show it off. The only time he did so was when he held it in his palm, maintaining a safe distance and allowing everyone to observe from afar.
He was exceptionally hospitable to first-time patrons, offering them lemonade and oranges, and answering all their questions without reservation, appearing to be a kind and helpful owner. However, when the topic of the gemstone rumors came up, he suddenly changed, becoming incredibly cold and even revealing a hint of hostility and aloofness.

Xia Nan is not stupid.

However, after a little thought, he noticed the common ground between the two:
—Pastel gemstones.

Recalling the scene he had only caught a glimpse of in Horak's hands that night, Xia Nan couldn't help but show a thoughtful expression on his face.

He was already more skeptical about the mine that Horak had mentioned, and the gems that might be produced from it.

However, these are just speculations after all.

Without physical evidence to conduct research and make judgments, with a sample size that is too small, and lacking crucial evidence and clues, he found it difficult to draw conclusions.

We can only wait a few more days to investigate and see if we can find anything.

Sitting at the bar, Xia Nan noticed the sudden chill in the atmosphere between the two of them and realized the change in the other person's mood. Of course, she couldn't bring herself to make a fool of herself.

Somewhat abruptly, the topic was changed back to the earlier discussion about life in town, with plans to learn a little about the local customs and culture.

However, perhaps his conversation skills were too rough, or perhaps his earlier remark about the gemstone had struck a nerve with the other party, causing the tavern owner's attitude towards Xia Nan to undergo a decisive change.

No matter how much Xia Nan tried to strike up a conversation, the slightly overweight middle-aged man in front of him maintained a relatively distant attitude towards strangers, yet also the polite attitude one would show when serving guests as a tavern owner.

The enthusiasm from before was gone.

"so serious?"

Xia Nan shook his head inwardly, feeling a little regretful.

If I had been a little better at speaking and had made the transitions between topics more smoothly, I might not have ended up in this situation.

However, things have come to this point, and given the tavern owner's current attitude, if we continue to argue, the only way to get the information I want is by force, which is not his style.

Xia Nan then stopped talking and simply sat at the counter peeling and eating oranges.

It didn't take too long.

About five minutes later, the two members of the Kuroki team finished packing their luggage and came downstairs.

After popping the peeled orange segments into his mouth, Xia Nan asked the price, left a few coins at the counter, picked up the fruit basket full of oranges, and headed straight for his two temporary teammates.

"Well, have you thought about it?"

Xia Nan tossed the fruit basket onto the table, gesturing for the two to sit down opposite him at the wooden table, and casually asked.

They knew he was asking whether the two of them planned to stay in town to help Horak investigate the origin of the pink gem, or not to get involved and just do their own job.

Margaret made no attempt to hide it. With her calloused hands, she took an orange from the fruit basket. Unlike Xia Nan, who slowly peeled off the skin, Margaret used a little force to break the mandarin orange in half without damaging the flesh.

"Decided."

The female swordsman spoke calmly.

But after she put the orange pulp into her mouth, her eyebrows unconsciously rose, and even her long, dark gold hair tied up at the back of her head swayed slightly.

“We need money,” Margaret said, reaching into the fruit basket and grabbing two mandarins, answering very directly.

"You know the current situation of 'Oath-Keeping Blackwood'. Whether we train new people or find some experienced adventurers with whom we have a good relationship, it will take a considerable amount of time to fully integrate them."

"The team's reserve fund is almost depleted. We can't just use up our savings that we're planning to use for retirement. It's always good to earn a little more."

On the other side of the table, the dwarf Soldin echoed:
"Hehe, to be honest, I'm also quite interested in the pastel gem in Horak's possession. Even if he offers less, I'd be willing to pay him."

"Not to mention how generous this magnanimous gentleman is."

He was also holding an orange in his hand.

However, as a dwarf [Shield Warrior], his fingers were too thick and strong. He also misjudged the thickness of the mandarin orange peel. Without feeling much force, the mandarin orange, which looked as small as a quail egg against his thick palm, burst open as if it were bursting.

Without any hesitation, just like treating the foam on the surface of a beer that was about to overflow the glass, the dwarf pressed down on his braids with one hand to prevent them from getting dirty with the liquid, but his head was already close to it.

He took a few bites haphazardly, even nibbling on two pieces of fruit peel.

But judging from the delicious expression that immediately appeared on his face, it was clear that the taste of the mandarin oranges was quite to his liking.

"And you?" Margaret casually stuffed another piece of orange pulp into her mouth, glanced at the somewhat disheveled dwarf at the table, and then looked at Xia Nan across from her.

"Are we still planning to rest in town for a few days as originally intended before continuing our journey?"

She had certainly considered inviting Xia Nan to join the Oath-Keeping Blackwood Squad.

After all, the other party has already been tested in practice in terms of both ability and character, and is so young, making him almost the perfect teammate.

In fact, a few days earlier, on the way from River Valley to Giethoorn, the female swordsman had already made several tentative hints to the other party about this invitation.

However, all the replies I received were rejections.

That's how she learned about the black-haired youth's habit of acting alone, and she stopped hoping for more.

Unexpectedly, with the proposal from a businessman, this once-wishful thinking seems to have a real possibility of being realized.

Margaret and Soldin knew, of course, that with a fixed reward for the mission, if another person joined the team, their share of the reward would be significantly reduced.

However, their experience with the underground lair of demons made them realize how incredibly safe it would be to have a teammate like Xia Nan in battle.

And to some extent, the "Oath-Keeping Blackwood" team is still able to exist, and the two of them can sit here peeling fruit and eating, precisely because of each other. It's no exaggeration to say that even if Xia Nan's condition for participating in the operation was to take half or even two-thirds of the final reward, the two of them would agree without hesitation or second thought.

Surprisingly, compared to his decisive refusal a few days ago, Xia Nan's attitude towards Margaret and the other woman's invitation has become somewhat ambiguous.

The female swordsman's heart skipped a beat, and she was about to increase her stakes to keep him there.

Having already seen through Margaret's thoughts, Xia Nan waved his hand, interrupting her before she could speak.

"My thoughts are indeed different now than before, but... I still plan to wait and see for a couple more days, and make a decision after my luggage and supplies are fully prepared."

"If you make any special discoveries during this period, I hope you can let me know. That way, I might have some ideas to help you."

"Of course, I won't take advantage of either of you, so after the mission is completed, you don't need to share the commission fee given by Horak with me. You can divide it among yourselves."

"I just want to know about this town and the 'gemstone mine' that might exist."

Hearing Xia Nan say this, Margaret frowned instead.

Given her personality, if Xia Nan really helps them find the source of the pastel gems, even if she hasn't officially joined the investigation team, she will still take out her share and distribute it to the other party according to their contribution to the mission.

Before he could speak, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the tavern.

The middle-aged man, who always played the "good cop" role in the caravan and was the second-in-command of the entire business, appeared at the door.

His clothes, which should have been neatly arranged, were slightly disheveled, his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and his eyes revealed deep anxiety.

His gaze swept quickly across the hall until he spotted Xia Nan and the others sitting at a table, at which point he visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

He practically jogged over, trying to lower his voice, but his fluctuating emotions caused his volume to rise unconsciously, his tone urgent:

"Gentlemen! Please follow me! There's an emergency!"

"Mr. Horako... got into an argument with someone at the blacksmith's shop!"

With another return trip to go, the escort mission was far from over for Margaret and her companion. Naturally, they couldn't ignore the emergency report from the caravan manager.

As for Xia Nan, who sat at the same table, even though he didn't know exactly what had happened, he still had to go and join in the fun, just for the sake of the silver chain pocket watch that was currently tucked in his waist bag.

They were already fully equipped, so there was no need to go back to their room to change.

The group set off immediately.

It's worth mentioning that before leaving, Xia Nan put the basket of tangerines, which still had quite a few left, back on the counter and asked the tavern owner, who had somewhat recovered his kindness after some time had passed, to keep an eye on them so that no one else could take them without reason. He told Xia Nan to come back and get them from him later.

……

The incident occurred not too far from the "Cashmere Rusty Nails" tavern.

After following the team leader for only a short distance around the streets, I heard Horakona's voice, which sounded somewhat shrill due to intense emotions, and the crowd that was vaguely gathered around him.

In the rush, Xia Nan keenly noticed the strangeness of the scene before him.

Under normal circumstances, when faced with a sudden argument or dispute, passersby on the street might be startled at first, but most of them would probably just gather around as spectators.

But right now, among the crowd around him, Xia Nan didn't hear any whispers between people, let alone anyone trying to break up a fight.

Their remarkably uniformly cold expressions drew scrutinizing and hostile gazes that quietly fell upon Horak, who was at the center of the storm.

At this moment, this usually composed and amiable wealthy merchant had long lost his original dignified demeanor. His round face was flushed red, his breathing was rapid, and his eyes were bloodshot from excessive excitement. As his sleeves swung violently, he gestured with his hands to the burly man in front of him.

"I was just asking! Just asking!" Horak's voice carried a hint of offended grievance. "I asked where to find the best gems in town, what's wrong with that? Why are you treating me like this!?"

However, the bald, burly man in front of him, who appeared to be a blacksmith, showed no sign of backing down in the face of his questioning.

The muscles bulging in his arms almost burst the linen clothes he was wearing, and grotesque veins swelled up from under the skin of his neck. He held a metal hammer in his hand, and his eyes were like those of a most ravenous predator guarding its prey.

“I’ll say it one last time, outsider!” His voice was almost forced out of his throat, carrying a strong warning tone, “I don’t know anything about gems, and we’ve never had anything like that in Girth of the Horn!”

"All I have here are knives, hoes, and horseshoes! If you have nothing else to do, get out of here and don't get in my way!"

The blacksmith's attitude was extremely fierce, and to some extent, this was how he treated his enemies who had offended him.

Horak's performance surprised Xia Nan even more.

In his memory, this always gentle businessman, who always had a smile on his face, had long since honed his superb communication skills through countless negotiations.

In most cases, he would never provoke a passerby to the point of wanting to smash them to death with a hammer.
One should never display such an embarrassing posture in the street, letting emotions control one's brain and losing one's rationality.

No wonder his assistant was in such a hurry to come to us for help.

But what caused the conflict between the two when they first met? Was it the question Holac asked about the "gem"?
Xia Nan pondered this in his mind, but his feet were already pushing through the crowd, following Margaret and Soldin ahead, heading towards the center of the storm.

Meanwhile, the argument between the two players on the field became even more intense.

"You're lying!" Horak took two steps forward, his face upturned, his round face almost touching the burly man's chin.

"The gem I bought back then, the seller said, was obtained from you!"

"Bullshit!" As if he had touched some taboo, the blacksmith cursed and roared suddenly.

His blood rushed to his head, and his right hand, gripping the hammer handle, clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned slightly white. His entire arm trembled violently, as if he were about to raise the hammer and smash the head open on this unreasonable man in front of him.

But just as the forging hammer in his hand slightly lifted, showing a hint of upward movement...

As a deep shadow quietly descended, a slender hand with distinct knuckles gently rested on the hammerhead and pressed the forging hammer down.

"Friend, perhaps you should... calm down."

(End of this chapter)