"And you call it a boutique? Just look at the quality of the equipnt coming out of your shop!"
"I’ve had this leather armor for less than three months, haven’t even visited the Mist Forest a few tis, and it’s already falling apart like this."
"Today, you must give an explanation!"
Holding a newly purchased bottle of "Rock Heart Black Beer," Xia Nan was walking down the street, not yet having had the chance to enter the shop.
He heard a string of scolding coming from inside the "Rock Hamr" shop.
Judging by the sound content, it seed there was a quality control issue with the blacksmith shop, leading to an adventurer purchasing defective equipnt and now demanding answers.
He found it inexplicably strange in his heart.
He had been in River Valley Town for a while now and was a regular at "Rock Hamr," where nearly all his equipnt was purchased.
He naturally knew the quality of this shop.
Just like what the drunks in the tavern would say:
"The only problem with Rock Hamr is that it’s expensive."
Over the years, under the careful managent of its owner, Barn, Rock Hamr had beco recognized as a premium blacksmith shop in River Valley Town.
It was even featured in the [adventurer’s manual], with excellent reviews and very few complaints.
Even when people occasionally complained in the tavern, it was never about "quality" issues.
From what Xia Nan knew about Barn, he was definitely not the type of unscrupulous rchant who would cast aside his conscience for profit, deliberately selling defective goods to deceive custors.
For example, the "Beheading Longsword" he carried now, made of "Gray Steel" from the "Fla Cast Peak," was quite expensive.
Yet even because of a tiny, almost negligible oversight during forging, which couldn’t even be confird to affect the quality, Barn had tossed it into the scrap pile, awaiting a relt.
That’s how it ended up being a bargain for him when funds were tight at the ti.
On the other hand, at least from Xia Nan’s subjective feeling.
The sharp rebukes felt, in reality, did not reflect the kind of disappointnt of soone who had saved money for a long ti, carefully selected in the blacksmith shop, and finally bought a piece of premium equipnt for themselves, only to find it defective.
Feeling deceived, with efforts and hard work wasted, wanting nothing more than to kill the shop owner out of grief and pain.
It seed more like a deliberate, sarcastic raising of the voice, wanting to make sure the sound reached the street outside, letting passersby hear.
With a hint of curiosity and the mindset of watching a show, Xia Nan didn’t shy away and walked straight into the shop.
What t his eyes was an adventurer wearing simple equipnt and the "Rock Hamr" shop owner Barn.
"Custor, could it be that you’ve made a mistake?"
"Our shop has never sold this style of leather armor, and the tanning craftsmanship on this equipnt doesn’t match my usual techniques."
"If you don’t mind, maybe you could show it to , perhaps..."
Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged adventurer in front of Barn, whose gaze was dodging, shrank back as if on reflex.
The leather armor he originally held was hidden behind him, and raising his head, he threatened loudly yet weakly:
"I warn you, don’t get handsy!"
"Today, if I don’t get 100 gold, this matter isn’t over!"
"You wouldn’t want a rumor going around that your shop sold faulty goods..."
Suddenly, Barn, who had previously been sincere and friendly, seed to have confird sothing from the man’s words and actions.
He let out a sigh.
Straightened up, allowing the shadow of his burly body to cover the man in front.
"Newcor, huh? How long have you been in River Valley Town?"
"How do you know..." The middle-aged adventurer paused, then quickly reacted, "Don’t change the subject, I’m..."
Bam—
An arm as thick as an average person’s thigh cut through the air with explosive noise, and the massive fist almost big enough to cover the man’s entire face suddenly swung out with a swoosh.
It was about to smash into the man’s cheek but abruptly halted just before contact with the tip of his nose.
Beneath the gust of wind was the man’s sharply contracting pupils and suddenly pale face.
"Scram."
"Ah... ah!"
The middle-aged adventurer involuntarily stepped back two paces, his legs turning to jelly, and collapsed on the ground.
Perhaps the impact of that punch was so imnse that he didn’t even dare to utter harsh words, crawled up awkwardly, and scrambled towards the exit on all fours.
In his haste, he didn’t pay attention to what was ahead.
He collided head-on with Xia Nan, standing at the shop entrance.
It was as if he had smashed into an iron wall that didn’t budge a bit, and he fell to the ground with a grunt of pain.
Rubbing his nose, which throbbed and tingled from the collision with the iron armor.
He widened his eyes and slightly parted his lips, just about to say sothing.
His gaze inadvertently caught sight of the gray Longsword on Xia Nan’s back.
His expression imdiately changed.
He practically forced down the words that had reached his throat, lowered his head, hunched his body, and skirted around Xia Nan to escape to the shop exit.
Glancing at the rapidly disappearing figure on the street.
Xia Nan turned his gaze back, not overly concerned in his heart.
"Ca looking for trouble on purpose?" He joked to Barn ahead.
After multiple visits over several months, the two had grown closer, and were friends of sorts.
Seeing it was Xia Nan, Barn of "Rock Hamr" also showed a wry smile, shaking his head.
"Don’t worry about it."
"This kind of thing happens a few tis every year; I’m used to it."
Unlike those Mage apprentices at the Magic Academy or teachers and students in city campuses.
The adventurer line of work has virtually no barriers to entry.
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