"Respected Mr. Xia Nan."
Horak leaned forward, his tone more solemn and cautious than when he was conversing with the dwarf, choosing his words carefully.
In contrast to Soldin’s straightforward character, which displayed emotions plainly on his face, the black-haired young man before him was calm and silent, prompting him to instinctively moderate his tone:
"The two rings on your hand, though simple in appearance, are extrely well-crafted, with smooth lines, clearly the work of a master."
"It seems you have a taste and insight in the realm of accessories."
Upon hearing this, Xia Nan glanced at the [Dead Line] ring and [Dream Weaving Corridor] on his right index and ring fingers.
His face remained unchanged, not bothering to conceal anything.
Maintaining his natural expression, he smiled at the other party and spoke slowly:
"They were given to by others. In terms of the study of jewelry and accessories, I’m surely not as knowledgeable as you."
In fact, Xia Nan was not lying.
He indeed didn’t know much about the jewelry and accessories of this world, and as for the two rings on his hand... [Dead Line] was from an unfortunate Bear Goblin, and [Dream Weaving Corridor] from the Morton family, which in a sense, could be considered their generous gifts.
Of course, for him personally, describing it as "picked up" would be more appropriate.
And given that they are magic equipnt with special effects, whether or not the rich rchant before him noticed, related to his personal safety, he wouldn’t discuss it further, keeping his answer brief.
Upon hearing this, Horak’s expression paused, vaguely sensing the avoidance in Xia Nan’s words, realizing that the other party might not be too keen on this topic.
He imdiately displayed a warm smile, lightly turning the red jade ring on his left little finger, steering the conversation back to himself:
"Don’t laugh at , though I’ve been in business for many years, I don’t have many other hobbies, just a fondness for collecting shiny little things."
"I always carry a lot around, making a jingle sound when walking, much to my family’s annoyance."
"It is nothing short of divine fate that you joined our caravan just two days before our departure."
"If you don’t mind, among the trinkets I carry, if any catch your eye... please do let know."
"Sharing the delight of these collections with soone who appreciates them is far more enjoyable for than having them as ornants lying in a box."
Horak’s proposal seed very natural.
For him, gifting soone an expensive rare ornant seed as natural and generous as a kindergarten child sharing candy.
Xia Nan... naturally politely declined.
Not having received the reward for the guard mission, how could he accept the caravan owner’s gifts without any due reason?
Perhaps expecting this, Horak’s expression remained unchanged, without the slightest hint of disappointnt, rather appreciating Xia Nan, he patted his thigh and laughed, "Good, good! I didn’t expect that those I cooperated with this ti would be such upright people, I am quite the vulgar one."
He raised his glass, toasting to the Black Wood Squad mbers and Xia Nan.
"This goodwill is always reserved for you all... But for now, let us continue to enjoy the food, the starlight, and this pleasant evening."
Ti passed quietly.
Although Xia Nan wasn’t particularly talkative, he wasn’t exactly reclusive either, engaging in conversation when interested, pulling away from his chicken soup and honey to chat with them for a few words.
Margaret and Soldin, being experienced senior adventurers, had plenty of topics to discuss, complented by Horak’s social skills and generous gestures, which greatly enhanced his impression among them, rendering the atmosphere extrely congenial.
And naturally, as discussions by the bonfire deepened, the conversation gradually shifted to their destination this trip—
Sheep Horn Town.
A remote town situated in the northernmost part of the Su Bin Province of the Sevia Kingdom, bordering the southern boundary of Pan Yun Province.
Having been nestled deep in the plains for many years, it remained obscure, with nothing particularly noteworthy, and their so-called "specialty" of sugar tangerines... was quite commonly found in other human settlents within Su Bin Province.
The only sowhat noteworthy feature was its geographical location.
It belonged to one of the countless frontier towns along the long boundary between Su Bin Province and Pan Yun Province.
For many years, the turnover and taxes from caravans and adventurers crossing the provincial border ford the primary source of inco for sustaining this town.
In comparison, Sheep Horn Town, in terms of overall scale, comrcial developnt, and renown, couldn’t match River Valley Town sheltered by the Mist Forest, and was even inferior to "Kalanfor," a satellite town of River Valley Town that gradually ford by tapping into the siphoning effect and adventurer diffusion.
It’s a type of human settlent most common yet least known in the kingdom.
This situation persisted until several months ago.
An unusual gemstone, with a dreamy pink hue and a unique smooth texture, previously unseen on the Aifala Continent, began circulating in the town.
Initially, it was dismissed as drunken nonsense by a certain down-and-out rchant.
Until an adventurer team passing through Sheep Horn Town actually returned with a small gemstone from the town and sold it at a high price at Neum’s seasonal auction.
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