Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 427 Sea Elf

Barracuda Bay is home to the only branch of the Adventurers' Guild in the Southern Islands, and it is a gathering place for a large number of adventurers year-round.

Even in the "White Cliff District," which is an upper-class area of ​​the town, adventurers are not uncommon, and the status of high-level professionals is even higher than that of some nobles.

Therefore, the well-dressed father and daughter did not react in any special way to Xia Nan's arrival at the tailor shop. They simply lowered their voices and stopped discussing the previous topic because of the presence of outsiders.

Out of caution, Xia Nan observed the two people in front of him very carefully.

Interestingly, the subtle changes in the expressions of these two people upon entering the room were completely different.

The middle-aged man who looked like a father appeared polite and cautious, and even nodded to Xia Nan who made eye contact with him. However, he unconsciously took a step forward and his left hand instinctively blocked his daughter's side. He was obviously wary of the strange adventurer who had suddenly entered the enclosed space.

The beautiful noblewoman beside him was less wary. She glanced at Xia Nan unconsciously when the doorbell rang, and then, as if belatedly realizing something, looked over again and again.

Xia Nan guessed that it was probably due to his model, which was developing into a "perfect creature," and his 6 points of charm attribute.

Having gradually gotten used to it, they didn't pay much attention. Just as they were about to ask the two of them where the shop owner was, a light footstep suddenly came from inside the tailor shop.

My gaze followed that direction, and the door was pushed open from the inside.

What came into view was a tall and graceful male half-elf.

Unlike Hai'an and Lai Da, whom Xia Nan had met before, this half-elf, who was suspected to be the owner of the tailor shop, was significantly taller, towering over Xia Nan by half a head, even though Xia Nan was nearly 1.9 meters tall.

Her limbs were long but not slender, with visible muscle lines. It was unclear whether this was due to regular exercise or subtle differences between different subspecies.

Like the vast and beautiful ocean outside Bay Town, this half-elf's skin was a very light, misty blue, with a smooth and delicate surface that seemed to reflect light, and no extra hair could be seen.
Her bluish-green hair was meticulously combed back, with not a single stray strand visible at her temples; her pupils were a deep abyssal green, a shade darker than her hair.

Among them, the most eye-catching feature is the three extremely fine but real flesh lines on each side of his beautifully shaped neck, near his collarbone.

Having already realized the half-elf's identity, Xia Nan knew exactly what those strange-looking slits of flesh were:
—Fish gills.

Clearly, this is a hybrid of a human and a "sea elf".

Elves are a peculiar kind of creature.

They have a long and glorious history and have established countless brilliant civilizations.

Moreover, the vast majority of them have extremely high attainments in the arts and have a very high affinity with natural forces and magical particles.

But perhaps it is precisely this racial characteristic of being "the darling of the world" and their extremely strong environmental adaptability that has led to the existence of many different subspecies of elves around the world.

Sea sprites are one of them.

As their name suggests, these creatures spend almost their entire lives in the deep ocean. Their gills, webbed feet, dorsal fins, and other body structures have evolved to resemble those of aquatic organisms, making it difficult for them to set foot on land.

In reality, most sea elves are not interested in anything outside their territory. They tend to spend their time on art forms such as carving and music, and reject interaction with intelligent beings from the outside world.

Therefore, even if the scope is expanded to the entire Barracuda Bay, the number of adventurers who have personally witnessed this unique subspecies of elf in the ocean would be extremely small.

And a mixed-race sea elf like the shop owner in front of us can only be described as "rare".

The shop owner himself doesn't seem to care much about his racial identity. Judging from the shop sign and his deliberately exposed gills, he is even quite proud of the sea elf bloodline in his veins.

She wore a light gray, round-necked, narrow-sleeved silk long shirt, tailored to fit well, with a dark brown leather work vest over it; her lower body was covered by slim-fitting trousers in the same color scheme as the shirt, with straight legs; the only accessory she wore was a platinum bracelet on her left wrist that reflected a soft luster, engraved with a wave-like pattern.

As the owner of a tailor shop, his taste in clothing is impeccable. It is simple yet dignified, serious yet not old-fashioned, a work outfit that perfectly matches his personality.

Emerging from the inner room, he carried two sizable rolls of fabric in his arms. His demeanor was neither flustered nor hurried; he walked steadily to the wooden reception table and gently placed the two rolls of fabric on the table at the same angle.

"I apologize for keeping you both waiting, Your Excellency, Miss Ellie."

The half-elf wore an apologetic expression, but his hands never stopped moving. He took out a roll of thick paper tied with a dark blue ribbon from under the counter, and slowly unfurled it on the table, facing the approaching father and daughter.

"Based on the data from the last measurement, as well as Miss Ellie's own temperament and preferences, I have designed a total of three plans."

"Of the ones I think are most suitable for you, this one is the best."

The half-elf gently tapped his fingers, which were longer and more slender than those of an ordinary human, on the drawing, and explained.

"The main material is multi-layered composite ice white cloud satin. This fabric has a unique pearl-like luster, which ensures a good drape while making the dress flow beautifully when it moves. The texture is soft and there is no cheap sheen."

This was the first time the young noblewoman had personally participated in the custom-made long dress. Looking at the drawings on the table, her eyes lit up, and she pointed to the intricate decorations at the waist of the dress in the design, saying:
“Mr. Selene, are these… pearls?”

“You can understand it this way.” The tailor shop owner, Seliane, spoke with an earnest attitude, taking out a sample bead the size of half a fingernail from his pocket and handing it to the noble lady across the table. “Here, I plan to use seventy-two off-white beads of similar size. This will not only keep the cost within a limited range but also maximize the overall beauty of the dress, allowing its luster to be as natural as waves under any light.”

The noblewoman gazed intently at the pearl reflecting iridescent light between her fingers, completely absorbed in the sight.

His baron father, standing to the side, noticed the key point:
"Seventy-two? How are their weight and sturdiness?"

"Please rest assured, I have taken all of these into account."

Seleiane turned a page of the drawing, revealing a sheet of paper underneath filled with densely packed formulas and data, and gestured to it.

"The overall weight has been evenly distributed, so even the most intense exercise will not cause the fabric to deform. Each pearl has multiple fixing points on the fabric, which is much more secure than ordinary buttons, so there is no need to worry about it falling off."

"in addition……"

The half-elf's slender fingers traced an arc in the air, casually smoothing out the somewhat messy drawings, and pointed to another stack of apricot-gray fabric beside him.

"The color scheme of the main dress is designed to highlight Miss Ellie's radiance, but it would be too monotonous to end there."

"Therefore, I designed an extra shawl to match. The apricot gray color echoes Miss Ellie's beautiful eyes. With the two together, Miss Ellie will be the most dazzling pearl at the banquet."

Hearing the half-elf's words, the baron's face showed a satisfied expression.

This plan far exceeded his expectations, and the pricing was within the previously set budget. He nodded slightly and looked at his daughter beside him:

“Impeccable, Mr. Séleigne.”

“Ellie, what do you think?” “It’s so beautiful, just like I dreamed of it…” The girl had already imagined countless times what it would be like to wear the dress. “I’ll do as you say, Mr. Selene!”

The half-elf then nodded slightly.

"Thank you for your trust. According to the plan, we will now move on to the prototype stage. Please come back in ten days to try it on."

"Please maintain a similar diet and lifestyle to today during this period to ensure the accuracy of subsequent fittings."

He added at the end.

The father and daughter left satisfied.

As Miss Ellie left, she was still clutching the sample pearl that Selene had given her as a gift, clearly showing her great anticipation for the dress that was about to be completed.

Xia Nan stood to the side, remaining silent throughout.

While waiting politely and patiently, he secretly observed the half-elf's every move.

Needless to say, his observational skills, enhanced by his perception attribute, were already quite good. In just a few minutes, he had a general idea of ​​the other person's personality.

Just like the neat and spotless environment inside the tailor shop, this half-sea elf named Seliane was incredibly meticulous and serious when it came to professional matters, even bordering on obsessive-compulsive perfectionism.

From the customer's perspective, it would be wonderful if the artisan who makes the item had such character and qualities.

However... at least so far, judging from the shop's interior layout and the conversation between the shop owner and the customer just now, this [Pearl Spinning] shop seems to be just an ordinary high-end bespoke tailor shop suitable for non-adventurers.

It seems to have nothing to do with loot material processing or enchanted equipment customization.

But thinking that Hera wouldn't lie to him about something like this, Xia Nan put aside his doubts for the time being.

Once the father and daughter had completely left the shop, the wooden door closed as the bell rang.

Only then did he take the initiative to step forward and go to the other side of the counter.

"【Pearl spinning】How can I help you?"

I poured myself a large glass of water and drank it all in one gulp.

Re-tie the ribbon on the blueprints and put them back under the counter. Then, she gently pushed the pen holder, which had been accidentally knocked askew while displaying the fabric, back into place. The sea elf hybrid, Seliane, smiled and greeted them.

Without any intention of speaking in riddles, Xia Nan directly stated his purpose.

"Hera of the Three-Legged Sea Dog introduced me here, saying that you can help me process some loot materials and also provide custom enchanted equipment services, right?"

Not at all surprising, Xia Nan's sleek appearance with two swords on his back made it clear to any ordinary person with normal cognitive abilities that he was an adventurer.

“Of course.” Seliane nodded slightly, knowing that the black-haired youth before him was straightforward and wouldn’t require the same level of entanglement and diplomacy as the noble guests in the White Cliff District. He answered simply, “May I ask what materials you need to process…”

Xia Nan took off the backpack containing the shark beast material samples and placed a small piece of shark skin, a secondary fin, a single claw, some bones and tendons, and most importantly, the swim bladder on the counter.

Everything has been cleaned up in advance, so there will be no blood or other contaminants left behind.

Selene was equally polite and patient, standing quietly behind the counter until Xia Nan had arranged everything. Only after receiving Xia Nan's permission did she begin to pick up each item one by one and examine them carefully.

The half-elf was very meticulous in his assessment, examining even the tendons and ligaments of the shark beasts for a long time.

Interestingly, when the half-elf examines the swim bladder, it can be clearly seen that the tightly closed gills on the lower side of its neck are slightly twitching, as if revealing the fluctuations in its inner emotions.

This reminded Xia Nan of the knowledge he had learned about sea elves.

According to his understanding, those subspecies of elves living in the deep sea have almost completely become aquatic creatures, breathing with gills.

If they were to reach the shore, without magical support, they would quickly suffocate and die.

But this sea elf hybrid showed no signs of oxygen deficiency, clearly indicating that its respiratory system was inherited from the human bloodline.

It's unclear whether the gills on his neck have completely degenerated and no longer function as underwater respirators, or whether he has two respiratory systems that allow him to breathe and survive in the water.

Xia Nan felt that if he were a biologist, he would be very interested in the physical structure of this kind of otherworldly hybrid creature.

Unfortunately, the time travel was short, and I didn't encounter many people or things.

If we're talking about creatures whose bodies we can really understand, then it's probably only goblins.

He even knew exactly how many bones were inside the bodies of these green-skinned goblins.

While he was pondering this, the half-elf before him had already finished his appraisal.

It was clear that his brows were tightly furrowed.

A pair of deep green eyes kept moving back and forth on the desktop shark image.

Serianne was very frank. He did not fabricate stories just because the source of the material was beyond his knowledge. Instead, he took the initiative to express his doubts to Xia Nan.

"I'm so sorry, uh..."

"Xia Nan".

“Mr. Xia Nan, let me be frank. Based on my analysis of your materials, I can roughly determine that they come from a shark-type, enormous monster. I estimate that its challenge level is no lower than '3'.”

"But to be honest, I just went through all the monsters in my mind that match the characteristics of these materials, and none of them matched."

"Of course, this is definitely due to my own limitations and limited knowledge. I didn't mean to force you."

"But if possible, in order to more accurately assess the value of these materials, could you please reveal a little about their source?"

(End of this chapter)