Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 435 Coral Society
After reaching an agreement, the transaction proceeded very smoothly.

With the help of the association's receptionist, Mar, they quickly completed many of the remaining tasks, including submitting the handling fee and canceling the item registration.

Within ten minutes, when the two arrived at the association's gate, Xia Nan's account had gained more than two hundred gold coins, and the [Practice Staff] was hanging on Hein's waist.

"Pleasant to work with."

Even if it was just for temporary use, after a long search, Hein finally regained a handy spellcasting tool, and her mood was exceptionally pleasant, and the emotions emanating from her body also became much more relaxed.

A natural smile appeared on his face as he greeted Xia Nan beside him.

"I hope I'll have the chance to see you again in the future."

"Of course, there will be opportunities."

Finally, Xia Nan shook hands with Hai Yin and gave her some polite words in return.

Both of them appeared very dignified, maintaining mutual respect and restraint.

But on the other hand, they also knew it.

These so-called courtesies and friendliness are simply because a mutually satisfactory transaction has just taken place between the two parties.

This does not mean that they have become friends, or even mere acquaintances.

It is subject to both time and location restrictions.

Both were seasoned adventurers who had already obtained their professional ranks, so their professionalism went without saying.

Don't be fooled by their current friendly demeanor.

If we were to encounter each other in the vast seas beyond Barracuda Bay someday in the future, and a conflict were to break out, the magical radiance released from the [Practice Staff] would not be diminished in the slightest because of our relationship today. Similarly, the [Ember] straight sword, which was maintained with the gold coins paid by the other party, would not be dull in the slightest when it cuts off their head.

Clearly, neither of them intended to linger any longer. After exchanging a few brief words, the two quickly took their leave.

For Xia Nan, this was just a perfectly normal equipment transaction.

At most, he was left with some impression because of the other party's druid spellcaster identity, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

The Southern Islands are so vast that I will return to River Valley Town after the "Moonlit Feast." If nothing unexpected happens, the two of us may never see each other again in this lifetime; we will just be passersby NPCs.

That was what he originally thought too.

only……

After leaving the Adventurers' Guild, Xia Nan, who had walked two streets and turned three corners, suddenly stopped.

Turning his head, his dark eyes gazed at the distance not far behind him.

There, Hein, whom she had just parted ways with, stood awkwardly by the street, looking like a stalker who had been caught.

Perception plays a role in ways that are invisible to others.

Xia Nan knew clearly that the other party had never made any move to conceal their presence. In fact, at the beginning, they walked side by side with him, but later, when they found that their routes were gradually overlapping, they slowly and deliberately fell behind.

Considering Hein's identity as an adventurer and her slightly embarrassed expression, the reason why she had been "following" him all this time is quite obvious.

"You're going to the 'Three-Legged Seal' tavern too?"

……

……

Xia Nan and Hai Yin walked side by side down the street, the atmosphere between them slightly subtle.

After all, the two had just said goodbye at the entrance of the association not long ago, treating each other as strangers. They thought they would never have the chance to meet again in this lifetime, but now they have run into each other again.

Fortunately, neither of them had a difficult personality. After a little communication and realizing that they had the same destination, they returned together.

"So, you've only been in Suoyu Bay for about a month?"

Hein glanced at the black-haired adventurer beside her out of the corner of her eye, her expression knowing.

"No wonder I don't remember you."

As a major adventure town in the southern part of the Kingdom of Servia, Harbor Bay is a gathering place for a large number of adventurers all year round, including quite a few professionals. In addition, the industry itself has a very high turnover rate, so unless you are a professional who specializes in intelligence work, almost no one can recognize them all.

Even though Hein had been in the fishing village for many years and had made a name for herself and her team, she wouldn't dare say that she could name or call out the title of every outstanding professional in town.

But Xia Nan in front of me is different.

Although her specific level was unknown, the perception bonus granted by the Druid class allowed Hein to sense a faint threat emanating from the young man almost the instant he entered the conference room.

The job level is probably no lower than my own level 3.

This is one of the reasons why Hein was so polite throughout the transaction.

But she had no recollection of the other person at all.

This is very strange.

After all, to some extent, just from an appearance standpoint, this adventurer named "Xia Nan" is very distinctive.

His sharp and sculpted features go without saying, not to mention his overly youthful appearance—he's not even twenty years old—and the two long swords he carries on his back.

It has absolutely nothing to do with "ordinary" or "unremarkable".

With such strength and such characteristics, it's impossible for them to have no reputation in the town.

The only explanation is that the other party is a newcomer to Suoyu Bay.

Xia Nan's answer confirmed this.

Of course, it's unclear whether the other party was aware of this, but Hein had already made some preliminary probes while they were still in the conference room.

By probing the source of the [Practice Staff], they discovered that the other party was the instigator of the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" adventure team's complete annihilation, which had been the talk of the town in the tavern these past few days.

Unfortunately, she had only returned to Suoyu Bay with the team in the last two days and hadn't asked anyone to inquire about these rumors in detail. Otherwise, given her sensitivity, she should have recognized Xia Nan the moment she saw him.

At the same time that Hein's mind was racing, Xia Nan also took a look at the druid beside him.

This can be gleaned from the brief exchange between myself and the other party in the association's meeting room, and from the casual conversations along the way.

This spellcaster named Hein is not a lone wolf like myself, but has a fixed team of adventurers.

Considering the rarity of spellcasters in the Southern Islands, an adventurer team like the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" only had one apprentice who probably wasn't even a proper mage. A spellcaster like Hein, who is a professional-level spellcaster, should have teammates who are much stronger than that "Oil Hand" Byrne.

It is something that deserves to be treated with caution.

Each lost in their own thoughts, the two walking side by side fell silent for a moment.

"hiss……"

Having endured for a long time, Hein, with a silver-ringed snake coiled around her wrist like a bracelet, flicked her tongue and once again poked her small head out from her sleeve. Her golden vertical pupils were full of curiosity as she looked at Xia Nan beside her. Her diamond-shaped head swayed from side to side with the swinging of his arms, like a magnet being attracted.

"I'm so sorry, it's usually very well-behaved, I don't know what's wrong with it today."

Noticing the contracting and rubbing sensation on her wrist, Hein quickly pulled her arm back and apologized.

"Ah Yin, come back quickly, be good!"

With a stern tone, she hissed at the silver-ringed snake on her wrist.

"It's nothing, I don't mind."

Interrupted from his thoughts, Xia Nan replied casually, his eyes darting towards the silver-ringed snake. His gaze lingered briefly on the snake's golden vertical pupils, and a thought struck him. He realized that although the little snake seemed curious about him, it was actually interested in something else entirely.

Just as she was wondering why the usually obedient 'Ah Yin' was behaving so strangely today, she suddenly noticed the gaze of the black-haired adventurer beside her. As if she had misunderstood something, Hein subconsciously turned her head and glanced at Xia Nan beside her. She saw that he did not have the usual resistance and fear towards Ah Yin, a venomous snake.

After hesitating for a moment, he reached out his hand slightly.

"If you don't mind, it's not impossible to touch it."

"Don't worry, Ah Yin will never bite!"

"Of course... you need to be gentle and not use too much force."

Of course, it's impossible to get close to such a venomous snake.

On the one hand, even Hein herself has not yet gained Xia Nan's trust, so how could he be so naive as to believe that this snake really wouldn't bite?

On the other hand, it was indeed a misunderstanding on the other party's part. Xia Nan's concern stemmed entirely from what "A Yin" could see.

So Xia Nan waved his hand, indicating that it wasn't necessary.

But as he waved his hand, he inadvertently took two steps closer to Hein.

The amplitude of the left arm swing was also slightly larger than usual.

"Fizz!"

I don't know why.

Like a moth drawn to the light of a flame, this slender, small, silver-black snake was clearly visible. Its snake eyes were fixed on Xia Nan's left forearm. Its lively vertical pupils were initially curious, but as the arm gradually approached, it subconsciously pulled its head back.

Until the distance between the arm and the snake exceeded a certain critical point, the snake suddenly let out a terrified hiss.

The slender snake body suddenly contracted, and as its silver-black scales shimmered, its diamond-shaped head was completely retracted into the depths of its sleeve.

"A-Gin? A-Gin?"

Hein found her behavior extremely strange, startled and flustered, completely different from her usual obedient and even somewhat lazy demeanor.

Meanwhile, Xia Nan had already taken the opportunity to figure out why the little snake was both curious and afraid of him.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the [Netherscale Guardian] he wears on his left hand:
—Effect 4. When the carrier interacts with creatures such as snakes, nagas, and snake people, they gain an advantage on Charisma (Intimidate/Persuade) checks.

The blue-armored shield, forged primarily from snake scales found in secret caves, has a unique deterrent effect against snake-like creatures.

At first, the little snake may have sensed the scent of its own kind on its body and thus became curious.

However, once they get close enough, the shield's deterrent effect is triggered.

After trying to soothe the snake for a long time without getting a response, Hein had no choice but to give up.

Turning to look at Xia Nan, who seemed completely unaffected, she felt apologetic, as if her children had caused trouble for someone else. She wanted to explain something, but after thinking about it, she swallowed the words that were already on the tip of her tongue.

Her gaze swept over the passing guards, and to ease her embarrassment, Hein instinctively tried to find a topic to talk about:

"There seem to be an unusually large number of guards at the governor's mansion in town today. Has something happened to one of the nobles from Baiya District?"

This was originally special intelligence known only to a select few.

However, after the bounty was posted on the quest wall in the Adventurers' Guild Hall, the information lost its timeliness and became meaningless.

"Baron Faro's daughter is said to have been attacked and is currently missing."

"These guards must have come for this matter. The relevant task association has also put it up for sale. The town should be quite lively in the next few days."

Xia Nan explained to the other party.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a woman's voice, far exceeding the norm, exploded in his ears.

Baron Faro!?

Hein stopped abruptly, her face showing surprise.

“Yes.” Noticing the unusual expression on the other person’s face, Xia Nan nodded slightly and replied, “Didn’t you notice that there were far more adventurers than usual when you came out of the association? They’re all here because of this.”

"What, you know this Baron Faro?"

It turned out that Hein really did know this father who had just lost his daughter.

Druids consider themselves guardians and practitioners of the "Way of Nature," but nature itself is a vast and complex concept.

Due to differences in living environment, source of power, upbringing, and other factors, Druids have different views on "how to protect nature".

"Association" is the concrete manifestation of these views and ideas.

The druids of the Spore Society focus on the cycle of life and decay, manipulate the power of fungi, and believe that there is a natural balance in the smallest details.

The druids of the Wildfire Society held the view that "destruction is rebirth, a necessary prerequisite for creation." They advocated burning forests and the earth with fire, nourishing the land with ashes, and curing stubborn diseases through "fire therapy."

For Druids, associations were not only organizational forms and ideological factions, but also sources of their power and methods of practice.

As a level 3 druid, Hein had naturally joined the local nature organization long ago.

However, unlike the "Earth Society" and "Star Society" which have more extensive branches on the continent of Efala, the organization she joined has geographical limitations due to its different ideologies, and is limited to the ocean, archipelago and coastal areas.

—The Coral Society.

Its philosophy, like the ocean itself, is dynamic, profound, and inclusive, believing that the balance of nature lies in flow and circulation, not just protecting a fixed population, but maintaining the dynamic balance of the entire region.

Those impurities that may pollute and corrupt the ocean should be purified and reshaped, while appropriate pressure and challenges, like the deep sea, are believed to create powerful life and resilient souls.

Hein was clearly not a big shot in the Coral Society; the main area she was in charge of was just a small coral reef in the southwest of Barracuda Bay near the coast.

Normally, we would only go to Fish Bay to check on the local environment during our adventures and rest periods.

The key to the current problem is Baron Faro.

(End of this chapter)