Chapter 137 - 133: It’s Just a Customer

Chapter 137: Chapter 133: It’s Just a Customer

"This is incredible..."

"Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a talking monster."

"Hey, hey, the talking part isn’t the point! Don’t you think a War Lizardman wearing a hat is the absurd part?!"

"Maybe it thinks its head is too flat and wants to make it a little pointier."

"Is that so..."

A few minutes later, as Andrew and Geluo watched, Nick returned to his cave.

His tail swayed back and forth, and he seemed to be in a great mood.

It was as if his dead tribesmen were completely irrelevant.

While many monster tribe leaders didn’t care about the lives of their people, one as indifferent as him was probably one of a kind.

’This is what happens when you get addicted to crafting...’

Lu Wei watched its back disappear into the depths of the cave, then shook his head and looked away.

When he turned his head, his eyes met Bai Ya’s.

She was staring at him blankly, her eyes filled with confusion and shock.

"A talking War Lizardman is certainly strange, but Nick is my customer now."

Lu Wei added casually, looking toward the nearby campfire. "Is dinner ready?"

"Ah, it’s ready..."

Bai Ya nodded dazedly and asked foolishly, "What do you mean by ’customer’?"

"What else could it mean? A customer is a customer."

Lu Wei shot her a sideways glance, thinking she was still in shock over the "talking War Lizardman" and could only explain helplessly:

"Yes, Nick is a War Lizardman."

"But I don’t see that as a problem at all."

"After all, I’m just a merchant. As long as a customer can pay, I can sell my goods to them."

"It doesn’t matter if they’re a Dwarf, an Elf, a War Lizardman, or even a Fur Ball."

"Besides, there are no Kingdom laws that forbid doing business with War Lizardmen."

After this long explanation, Lu Wei saw that Bai Ya still looked dazed, so he waved a hand in front of her eyes.

"Hey, what’s wrong with you? Did you hear what I said?"

"Ah! I... I heard you..."

Bai Ya snapped back to her senses and swallowed with great difficulty.

But in reality, she hadn’t heard a word he said after the first sentence.

She had been dumbfounded since the very beginning.

’Even a War Lizardman isn’t a problem...?’

’How... how could the captain have such a preference...’

...

...

"Hahaha, honestly, none of us expected Nick to be able to talk either."

"Yeah, yeah, luckily Brother Lu Wei reacted quickly, or I would’ve sliced it in two with my sword!"

"But speaking of which, its hobby is really rare. I’ve seen Kobolds who like to collect rocks and goblins who like to wear skirts, but this is the first time I’ve seen a monster that likes crafting."

"Yeah, its cave is full of all sorts of parts and tools, and even a lot of books!"

"I’ve gotta say, this mushroom soup is delicious. Is this Miss Bai Ya’s cooking?"

"No wonder. I knew Andrew and Geluo couldn’t make a stew this tasty..."

Half an hour later, the sky had completely darkened, and the eight of them were sitting happily around the campfire, eating dinner.

Even Hess had its own bowl. It was currently soaking in it, blissfully absorbing the soup and constantly making a "BLURBLE-GURGLE" sound.

Bai Ya had cooked the dinner for all eight of them almost single-handedly. Andrew and Geluo had only helped start the fire.

She didn’t find it to be much trouble, though.

And after hearing Marcus and Furen’s lively discussion, she gradually realized that she had misunderstood Lu Wei.

So Nick really was just a "customer"!

’Of course! How could a big, talking lizard possibly be a threat to me!’

’If the captain was even into lizards, he’d be way too much of a pervert!’

"Captain, would you like more soup?"

Seeing that Lu Wei’s bowl was empty, Bai Ya immediately asked, "Or perhaps another piece of roasted rabbit?"

"*Urk,* no thanks."

Lu Wei let out a satisfied burp and waved his hand. "I’m full."

"Oh, okay, give me your bowl then. I’ll wash it for you later~"

Bai Ya took Lu Wei’s wooden bowl, placed it beside her, and looked very diligent.

This was "special treatment" reserved only for Lu Wei.

Bai Ya, Furen, and Mirana’s bowls were all just tossed to Hess, who would absorb the leftover food scraps.

The effect was actually quite good; it cleaned them spotlessly.

But Lu Wei always felt there was something odd about using his "pillow" as a "dishcloth."

So, his bowl was always washed separately by Bai Ya by hand.

’Well... as the captain and the absolute core of the Mushroom Squad, it’s perfectly normal to have some privileges.’

’It’s not like I’m abusing my authority at all.’

’Time to split the loot.’

’Another perfect day.’

Patting his stomach in satisfaction, Lu Wei turned his head to look at the large Wooden Box placed nearby.

Although they had already opened it in the cavern, they had only taken a quick glance at the time, not a detailed look.

Still, he felt it should be worth around twenty gold without a problem.

Of course, there were actually many other weapons and pieces of Equipment in Nick’s cave.

Unfortunately, most of them had been melted down and reforged by him into all sorts of weird shapes.

Besides, Lu Wei’s group wouldn’t be backtracking, and they couldn’t possibly travel on with a pile of scrap metal.

’So I’ll just leave it for Nick. Consider it an investment in the future.’

’If he can develop and strengthen his tribe, it’ll be a good thing for me too.’

Muttering to himself, Lu Wei tore his gaze away from the Wooden Box and didn’t rush to inspect the loot.

After all, Marcus and the others hadn’t finished eating yet. Since this was a joint effort, it was better to wait and open it together to avoid any disputes.

"You all keep eating. I’m going to rest for a bit."

After saying his goodbyes to the group, he got up, left the campfire, and went to cool off against a nearby oak tree.

While he was at it, he pulled up his panel to take a look.

[Power: 12 (+3+1)]

[Agility: 14 (+2+2+1)]

[Physique: 9 (+1)]

[Intelligence: 15 (+2+2)]

[Perception: 18 (+2)]

[Charm: 15 (+1)]

[Equipment: Soul Pendant, Sword of Repentance, Forest Patrol Leather Armor, Lion’s Heart Ring]

[Skills: Stealth Lv1 (25/50), Light-guided Arrow Lv0 (1/20)]

[...]

[Professional Promotion Conditions:]

[1. Earn one hundred Gold Coins through genuine transactions acknowledged by both parties. (39.09/100)]

[2. Master at least three Skills from other Professions. (1/3)]

[3. ??? (Unlocks after completing conditions 1 and 2)]

His Attributes were still the same, as were his Equipment and Skills.

Although he had obtained two pieces of High Level Equipment so far on this adventure, they had both been won in auction by Mirana and Bai Ya.

But Lu Wei didn’t care about that at all.

Because he had earned money!

Before setting out this time, he had been basically penniless.

But now he had more than 14 gold in his coin pouch!

Later, once they split the loot from the box and took the bandits’ equipment back to town to sell, he’d easily have 25 gold!

And that wasn’t even counting the profits from the grocery store over the past few days...

’This is too easy.’

Closing the panel, Lu Wei placed his hands behind his head and gazed contentedly at the starry sky twinkling between the leaves and branches.

「Meanwhile.」

In a manor house in Kalin Port, within a spacious and quiet bedroom.

The moonlight outside the window was bright and white, and the air was filled with the faint, elegant scent of lavender mixed with old scrolls.

An exquisite brass candlestick sat on the corner of the desk, where Freya, dressed in her sleepwear, was silently reading a letter from Heitai Town.

It had just been delivered an hour ago.

The letter was postmarked five days ago, which was the same day the Mushroom Squad had set off into the forest.

The letter detailed "Young Master Furen’s" recent situation and, for the first time, mentioned a female bartender named "Clara."

It also dedicated a large portion to describing Lu Wei’s "Golden Sword Hu Grocery Store."

It concluded with—

[His merchandise is priced far above the fair standards of Heitai Town, and he is accustomed to deceiving customers with embellished words and fraudulent tricks. He is, without a doubt, a certified Crafty Merchant.]

"A Crafty Merchant..."

Freya put down the letter. The candlelight danced in her clear eyes, reflecting a hint of extreme delight.

"How wonderful."