Re-exploration

"Oh! These are tentacles from a Carrion Worm! These are top-tier goods!" The manager of the magic shop fiddled with the "trophies" Singers had dumped out of his leather bag, his face full of delight, completely ignoring the filth and stench clinging to the tentacles. "Ten complete ones! Nine broken ones! Heavens! Look at this quantity! Look at these signs of damage! I am certain there must have been a brutal battle! My dear old Singers! Did you run into a Carrion Worm infestation?"

The commander of the Axe of Mirabar was more concerned about where the one-eyed dwarf had encountered these disgusting monsters. He worried that such dangerous creatures might threaten the residents living in the Mirabar undercity. Ordinary dwarves could barely resist a Carrion Worm attack; only warriors clad in full heavy armor could stand against them. Torg knew his old friend well. Although impulsive at times, Singers was not a brainless fellow—this was evident from the fact that the one-eyed dwarf had dug a tunnel connecting to the underground passages in his own home years ago (Torg himself had even participated in the work), yet he had almost never gone down there. Singers would never proactively provoke underground monsters that were difficult to defeat, and he appeared to have no injuries himself, save for a few fresh scratches on his armor, which was otherwise just a bit dirty (having been rinsed with clear water). Torg looked suspiciously at William, the tall, strong boy standing nearby, who was even cleaner.

When onlookers began to gather, Phinia, who was unaccustomed to being watched, and the two little ones, who detested the strange stench, immediately returned to Singers' smithy. Consequently, Torg did not get to see the female half-giant.

"Mr. Magriel, there is a big one outside! Please take a look and see if it's anything good," William said, alerting the magic shop manager who was still marveling at the paralyzing tentacles.

Manager Magriel subconsciously wiped his filthy hands on a pristine cashmere tablecloth, leaving behind several glaring stains. Realizing his mistake, he immediately cast a minor cantrip, and both his hands and the tablecloth were instantly cleaned. Magriel smiled sheepishly and followed William outside, while Singers, who had been bickering with Torg, happily followed along as well.

Almost no one recognized the Gravorg, as too few people had ever seen one, but that did not hinder Magriel from identifying its origins. The slovenly manager of the magic shop pulled a thick, hardbound book from his robes—heaven knows how he managed to hide such a large volume in his flat chest—and Magriel supported the book with his left hand while raising his right to cast a spell. Oh! No, wait! He flipped through the pages to find the relevant entry, which took him quite a while. Singers had already begun bragging and showing off his "heroic deeds" to the onlookers; although his story was full of holes, it still left the listeners in awe. Meanwhile, William stared with interest at the "treasure book" in Magriel's hands, or rather, the monster atlas. Each page featured an exquisite illustration and a wealth of text, though unfortunately, William could not read these characters.

When Sunderland arrived on the scene, Magriel finally found the entry regarding the Gravorg. He read it word for word: "Gravorg, a powerful scavenger from the deep underground. Proficient in and capable of freely using the innate spell-like ability [Anti-Gravity], it is an excellent material for crafting flight-related and weight-reduction items."

The "learned" manager closed the atlas and, with a wrinkled, fawning smile, said to William: "You are—? Oh! Mr. William! This Gravorg is undoubtedly extremely precious! I truly cannot estimate its value! How about this! I will purchase the complete Carrion Worm tentacles for two hundred gold coins each, and the broken ones for eighty gold coins each! As for this monster's carcass! You may choose any two magic items from my little shop in exchange! How does that sound?"

Before William could answer, Sunderland, who had been listening from behind, interjected: "Wait! Who does this disgusting big thing belong to?" The female magistrate, who had long since recognized the monster's nature, asked a question she already knew the answer to. She wanted this rare monster carcass, and she wanted it for free, but William ignored her. Furious, Sunderland had to address William directly: "William! You again! You wretched fellow! You killed this (she said with extreme contempt and skepticism)? Ha! This thing belongs to me! You can move back into that house later! Someone! Get this disgusting thing out of my sight!" The female magistrate's tone carried an incredibly unpleasant arrogance.

But a wrench had been thrown into the works. Seeing his deal about to fly away, Magriel was not having it. He quickly blocked the guards with both hands and said to Sunderland: "Wait! Wait! Madam Magistrate! You cannot do this! This is a deal I secured first! You cannot just step in and snatch away my beloved treasure! Oh! Beautiful Madam Sunderland! Mr. William has already agreed to my trade! This is protected by the Lord's decree!"

"Is that so? How come I didn't hear him agree? Or have you already signed a contract?" Sunderland retorted with a mocking smile. She believed that the wretched William would surely find a way to curry favor with her to improve their relationship. This woman had been spoiled by the habitual flattery of foreign merchants, and she assumed a stable residence would be a great temptation for a family like William's, which was living under someone else's roof.

However, William was not a being who could be judged by conventional logic.

Left speechless by Sunderland's retort, Magriel gave up hope in despair, but at that moment, William spoke up: "Two magic items are not enough! You must also add that book you were holding!" Magriel, his hope reignited, said in a mix of surprise and distress: "Oh! Mr. William! You are really making things difficult for me! You must know that I rely entirely on this precious [Atlas of World Creatures] to run my shop! You cannot do this! This is the only copy I have!"

William remained indifferent to the magic shop manager's deliberate theatrics and issued a firm ultimatum: "Are you going to trade or not? If not, forget it!" With that, William made a move to leave.

"Don't! Please don't go! I'll trade! I'll trade! Mr. William! I am taking a huge loss here! Hey! Mr. Torg! Please find some people to help me move this big guy inside!" Magriel hurriedly grabbed William, feigning a pained expression as he agreed to the terms, then cheerfully beckoned Torg to help.

Sunderland, having been snubbed, was green with rage. She pointed at William's nose, her voice trembling with indignation: "Fine, fine! Damn you, William! I—I will? I will never forgive you! Hmph!" The female magistrate, nearly in tears, left in a flurry of embarrassment and fury.

Walking into Magriel's magic item display area, William browsed through the various strange trinkets, his eyes dazzled. Singers had given up his right to choose magic items; almost all dwarves disliked enchanted objects unless they were made by themselves or gifted/bequeathed by their own kin (such as a father or mentor). The magic items here were mostly small trinkets. He chose a special headpiece for Phinia and a beautiful shimmering belt for little Mishaer, as the little one had been very envious of Aelf's shimmering sash. Because the items William chose were inexpensive trifles, a "suddenly conscientious" Magriel allowed him to pick one more item as compensation. William casually picked up a green jade leaf from a corner, making the poor manager slap his own face in regret, as that was the most precious item he had on display.

Having made a tidy profit, William returned to the smithy with his items. As for Singers, he had already gone off to the tavern with Torg and a group of dwarves to drink. William distributed the three items to the three of them. Phinia used the headpiece to tie her hair back with interest, letting a crystalline orange-red gem dangle over her forehead; this was a magic gem that increased a woman's charm, though it was also effective on effeminate men! Ha! Because no normal man would ever wear it. The little girl tied on the belt, which emitted a soft glow, and began to strut with a proud little gait; the belt's light could even change colors. Aelf looked at the emerald green leaf in her hand in surprise and asked incredulously: "Is this really for little Aelf?" Seeing William nod affirmatively, "Yay—!" she cheered, jumping up and running around, picking up the squealing Mishaer and shaking her vigorously.

As for the [Atlas of World Creatures], according to Aelf, it was written in Elvish, so it was temporarily kept by the little elf. However, the bribed little girl had already agreed to teach William three Elvish words.

Two days later, waking from a hangover, Singers decided to explore the underground caves again. This time, there were two extra fellows: Torg Danzo Hammer-Striker and a figure in a black hooded cloak. The one-eyed dwarf, still muddled by alcohol, had foolishly agreed to his old friend's request for company at the tavern. Although the black-cloaked figure tried hard to conceal their movements, no matter how William looked at them, he felt they were a woman, and the way she looked at him was extremely hostile; even from afar, he could feel an overwhelming sense of resentment.

As William continued to scrutinize her, the black-cloaked figure finally lost her patience. She ripped off her hood and face covering, roaring in anger: "Damn you, William! Have you looked enough? So what if it's me? You are not allowed to look anymore! Do you hear me?" This reveal of the participant's true identity shocked Singers and the others, though it did not include William or the helpless Torg.