Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 113 George the Dog Butcher

Next, instead of rushing to buy his daily supply of salt, Li Wei had to go to the tailor shop because he needed a cloak that could cover his face as much as possible.

Since he had to stay another night in Kah, he needed to be extra careful until he could buy the last kilogram of salt tomorrow.

The tailor shop owner was a pale-faced young man who seemed to be recovering from a serious illness. He was busy among piles of fabric with his head down. When he heard Li Wei's purchase request, he looked up and examined the items, but his gaze finally settled on Li Wei's leather boots. These leather boots were obtained from robbers last autumn and had been worn for more than eight months. Some parts of them were damaged, but fortunately, they were still wearable.

However, after yesterday's race with the stray dogs, the damaged parts became more extensive.

He also planned to go to the leather workshop later to see if he could get it repaired.

“George? I think I’m right, you’re George. Although you look very different from five years ago, I can still recognize you.” The young man suddenly laughed, but his words only sent chills down Li Wei’s spine. He had been recognized.

Oh my god, what do we do? Kill them to cover it up? That's absolutely not an option, this isn't the wilderness.

Li Wei was trying to think of a solution when he heard the young man continue smiling:
“Thank you for killing those wild dogs. My youngest daughter, Margaret, was bitten by one of them three months ago and died. My wife was heartbroken and passed away as well. I wish I could chop them into mincemeat, but I don’t have the ability. My lord, and the knights of Kah City are busy with important matters and don’t care about these things at all.”

"So, I must thank you, George the Dog Slayer. Although that title is a mockery of someone with your noble blood, I am truly grateful and willing to keep your secret. I can also—sorry, I really wanted to give you a pair of boots, but business is bad right now, so I'm willing to charge you the cost price."

The young man's smile looked somewhat awkward.

Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, I'm willing to buy it at the normal price."

He estimated his financial situation and felt he could afford it; he definitely needed a good pair of boots.

"Thank you, George the dog butcher, I will always remember you."

Whether intentionally or not, the young man repeated himself, then rummaged through drawers and found a pair of somewhat worn leather boots that had clearly been tried on several times, but this should not affect their quality.

“I’m sorry, but I think these boots are a good fit for your height. I used to want to be a shoemaker and apprenticed with the shoemaker in Rebas for a few years, but my father objected. He was a very skilled tailor, but unfortunately he was taken by the plague. This disrupted our family’s plans, and I had to go back to being a tailor, which cost me some money.”

As they spoke, the young boss carefully handed the leather boots to Li Wei.

Upon receiving the boots, Li Wei immediately sensed their quality on a physical level; their weight was natural, indicating that the materials used were very solid.

The curves of the toe and heel are perfectly balanced, and the density of the stitches resembles lines of beautiful code, proving that the maker's craftsmanship is truly exquisite.

After the three cards flashed by, it was basically confirmed that this was a star-level equipment.

【Name: Leather Boots Made by Rebas】

【Quality: One Star】

[Note: He may have been a failed son, a failed husband, and a failed father; his life was full of hardships. But at least he was a skilled and kind-hearted shoemaker.]

[Agility +1 when worn]

[Feature: Even on muddy roads or steep mountain forests, you can run with your feet firmly on the ground]

[Price: Three gold coins, as you said, buy at the normal price]

This equipment can be taken out of this world.

-

Well! Three gold coins, a bit pricey, but Li Wei paid without hesitation.

“Thank you very much, George. I can repair your feet for free. You can pick them up first thing tomorrow morning. Also, I'll give you a cloak. I can also groom your beard and hair and use dye to change your skin color. However, I still advise you to leave as soon as possible.”

The young man spoke sincerely, and Li Wei agreed. He immediately put on the new boots, which were amazingly well-fitting. After putting them on, he felt as if the earth was on his side, giving him an indescribable sense of security.

Even without going out for a run this time, Li Wei was certain that these boots would give him more agile dodging and better feedback on the surrounding terrain and environment.

Moreover, with +1 point of Agility, his Agility has now reached 12 points.

Next, on the recommendation of the young man, Li Wei chose a black cloak. It was lightweight, provided sun protection, and was a common summer outfit in Kahe City. However, this was considered a regular service and was given to him for free.

After leaving the tailor shop, Li Wei went to the blacksmith shop to retrieve his upgraded one-star wooden spear.

This time, the blacksmith's apprentices didn't recognize him as George the dog butcher; perhaps their news was a bit delayed.

Li Wei was very satisfied with the wooden spear he retrieved, because with the addition of a sharper spearhead and a counterweight at the back, the total length of the spear had increased by about fifty centimeters, reaching a total length of two meters.

The spearhead is 30 centimeters long, and the front end is wrapped with iron for about 50 centimeters, which means that this wooden spear already has a remarkable advantage in close combat piercing.

It was heavier overall, but when Li Wei held it, his two-star hunter card seemed to stir with anticipation. Yes, this upgraded wooden spear didn't affect its throwing performance; on the contrary, due to the increased weight and overall length, its attack power was even more ferocious—capable of piercing shields and armor!

【Name: Bloodthirsty Spear】

【Quality: Two Star】

[Note: This spearhead, crafted and upgraded by a professional blacksmith using sophisticated techniques, boasts exceptional sharpness thanks to its tempered steel tip. Whether used for throwing or close-quarters piercing, it will be a nightmare for enemies, as it can pierce armor! Even shields!]

Melee damage +50. Often, a single powerful thrust is enough to paralyze an opponent and provide a spectacular sight of blood gushing out. Requirements: Minimum 10 points of Strength. For each additional point of Strength, armor penetration rate +10% and damage +5.

[Range damage +50. Ranged throwing requires more skill; a precise hit is far superior to an ineffective roar. Requirements: Minimum 12 points of Strength and excellent throwing skills. For each additional point of Strength, armor penetration rate +10% and damage +10. It can break any shield of two stars or lower with 100% accuracy, but the shield will be damaged after breaking and will need to be repaired.]

This equipment can be taken out of this world.

-

Very good, but the spearhead of this Bloodthirsty Spear is too sharp and too ferocious. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, and also to keep it waterproof and moisture-proof, Li Wei still bought a leather holster, twenty ordinary feathered arrows, and 3 silver coins from the blacksmith apprentice.

Next, Li Wei hurriedly went to the market and bought a kilogram of salt from the caravan owner as usual. The task was now four-fifths complete, and he only needed to buy it again tomorrow.

However, before leaving the city, Li Wei thought for a moment and decided to spend five silver coins to buy a bag of wheat. He kept ten jin for himself and intended to give the rest to the refugees.

Giving roses to others leaves a lingering fragrance on your own hands; acts of kindness should be continued.

He only sought peace of mind.

Otherwise, he wouldn't feel comfortable holding those five one-star quality pumpkin seeds.

As evening approached, Li Wei returned to Kahe City just before the city gates were about to close, thus minimizing his chances of being recognized.

However, everything went smoothly today, and we had a good harvest. There were hardly any wild dogs left outside Kah City. As long as they don't grow in large numbers, there's no danger.

When he delivered the wheat to the abandoned farm, he discovered that forty or fifty refugees had already moved back. They had even begun to cultivate the fields outside the farm on their own. As long as nothing major happened, they would be able to survive here.

The refugees were very grateful for his kindness and gave him a kilogram of flax seeds in return.

After talking with them, I learned that most of them were originally self-sufficient farmers or tenants of this abandoned farm. However, last summer, a plague broke out here, killing many people. Even the owner of this abandoned farm, the lord's older sister, Lady Luna, disappeared in the plague, along with her two daughters, Hathaway and Missy.

Missy is also the fiancée of George, the nephew of the current lord.

It is worth mentioning that Lady Luna's husband was sentenced to death by hanging by the lord.

But they didn't know exactly what happened that year, as the lord forbade any discussion of it.

"Missie? So the role assigned by headquarters isn't just made up out of thin air; there really is a real person behind it!"

At this moment, Li Wei couldn't help but think of Margaret, the tailor's daughter, and Thomas, the blacksmith's son. Although the latter was somewhat different and the former's age didn't match, they were indeed real people.

"Goodness, if this were a plot-driven story, and we were to delve deeper into it, things could turn upside down."

"My uncle became a lord, my aunt disappeared, my cousin became my fiancée, and my cheap father was forced to flee injured... Haha! This is also a loving family."

After returning to the city, Li Wei went directly to the Mare Inn, paid a room fee of one silver coin, and then went back to his room.

This time, however, he didn't rush to sleep. Instead, he peered through the crack in the window at the lord's fortress that was so close at hand.

Although he spent very little time in the city of Kah these past few days, he actually spent a lot of time secretly observing the city and compiling various details.

For example, he basically determined that the city of Kah was not square or rectangular, but was built on a low hill. There were three city gates and nine sections of the city wall of varying lengths. Some sections were built of stone, while others had collapsed and had to be replaced with rammed earth walls. One section was even built with logs.

It doesn't look big, but it's actually quite big.

In addition, according to his estimate, the total population of Kah City is around 1500 to 2000. Of course, depending on where he went, the total population may be more, but it should not exceed 3,000. There are three farms outside the city, one of which has been abandoned, and the other two each have a population of one or two hundred.

He hadn't seen the lord travel these days, but banquets were being held in the castle every day.

The highest-ranking official is the tax official.

There are about fifty guards in the city, about one hundred militiamen, and rarely any garrison knights. It is also uncertain whether the city of Kah had a class similar to a church or priests.

In short, even if the city of Kah is hit by the plague at this stage, it is definitely not something that family camps can withstand.

(End of this chapter)