Chapter 356 - 301: Old Man Marshall (2)

Chapter 356: Chapter 301: Old Man Marshall (2)

"Oh, if it’s three meters tall, there’s no way he can skimp on the materials." Sofia ignored them, instead picking up and examining various items on the table.

"Don’t touch that! That dagger took me five days." Seeing what Sofia was doing, Marshall cried out, but he was too late. Sofia picked up the dagger, gave it a few swings, and a puff of yellow smoke drifted out.

"Ugh, it stinks," Sofia said, throwing the dagger onto the counter with a CLANG. "What did you put in this thing?"

"An extract from the scent gland of a skunk—a Basic Magical Beast," Marshall explained with a look of regret. "The idea is, if your dagger is parried in a fight, you can release this cloud of stench to cause your opponent intense discomfort."

Little John frowned at the old man. He thought about it and decided not to say anything, but ’If you’re already in a dagger fight,’ he thought, ’wouldn’t you be affected by the stink cloud too? And shouldn’t a dagger be made sharper and more practical?’

With that in mind, he reached to his waist, drew a black dagger, and held it out. "Take a look at this."

The old man, Marshall, extended both hands, took the dagger, and held it up to his eyes to inspect it carefully, muttering constantly, "A beast’s claw... this long, must have come from a huge creature. The craftsmanship is crude. What is this garbage they used for a hilt? Completely unsuitable for gripping. There are no Runes carved or items inlaid on the claw either. What a waste..."

Little John just stood there, listening as the old man tore down the slightly curved dagger until it sounded practically worthless. Finally, with some reluctance, he took back the dagger the old man handed over with a look of disdain and sheathed it at his waist. "It is a Magical Beast’s claw. From a massive Fearsome Claw Bear."

"What a waste," Marshall said, shaking his head regretfully.

"Let’s get back to the materials," Sofia said, walking over while holding a strange ring larger than her fist. "I’ve seen those Fish Bones. They’re massive. I think with your skill, old man, you should be able to handle the job."

"Don’t touch that earring!" Marshall yelled.

"Earring?" Sofia raised an eyebrow, looking at the object in her hand. "This thing is bigger than a fist. Who would wear this on their ear? It’s more suited to be a collar."

"There’s no collar that impressive," Marshall muttered, then turned to Little John. "I have to see the materials before I can decide whether to accept the commission. For a craftsman, only by touching the materials can you truly understand the soul that dwells within."

"Soul?" Little John was stunned for a moment. He looked down at the dagger at his waist. "These things have human souls in them?"

"Don’t listen to the old man’s nonsense. If Magic Tools had souls in them, they’d be cursed objects." Sofia put down the "earring." "He’s just describing the feeling a craftsman gets when they see materials."

"You don’t understand," Marshall waved his hand dismissively. "Inside every material lives a lonely soul. They need me to carve them, to polish them, to release them."

"Uh-huh," Little John grunted noncommittally. He wasn’t sure what to make of this crazy old man, but since Sofia had recommended him, he couldn’t really say much. He took a small slip of paper from his pocket. "The warehouse address is here. I’ll be there this afternoon. You can come find me directly then."

"Why not go now?" Marshall said, suddenly sounding indignant.

"Because we need to eat lunch," Sofia said, then waved her hand. "Our business is done. Let’s go. This strange smell is really unpleasant."

She was a Druid. The smell given off by materials extracted from blood was naturally unsettling to Sofia.

However, as she reached the stairs, she stopped. She pulled a Gold Coin from her pocket and placed it on the counter with a THWACK. "Old man, the usual amount. Flatbread and meat stew. No skimping, no shorting me. You know the drill."

"Yes, yes, yes," Marshall nodded quickly from behind her, looking like he had some unpleasant memories of the past.

Little John, meanwhile, was staring with great interest at the Gold Coin on the workbench. Its brilliant yellow color was dazzlingly reflected by the flickering flames in the nearby lamp in this underground space.

THWACK. Another Gold Coin was slapped onto the counter. Little John pulled his hand back, smiling at Sofia, who had already started up the stairs but was now looking back at him. "I have a big appetite, too," he said.

Sofia stared at Little John for two seconds, then muttered, "Fine, have a big appetite. Eat till you burst."

After saying that, she turned and walked up the stairs without looking back.

"Same amount as her. Don’t skimp on the flatbread and meat stew," Little John said to old man Marshall with a smile. His smile was so brilliant, it was like a blooming "Cannibal Flower."

"I understand, I understand," Marshall nodded hastily.

Seeing that he had agreed, Little John smiled and walked up the stairs. ’It’s been a while since I was a Reaper. Thinking about it makes me a little nostalgic.’

Seeing the two of them leave, Marshall immediately scurried over, and with a swipe of his hand, the two Gold Coins vanished from the counter. "Perfect. Now I can have meat stew and flatbread for lunch too."

「...」

"What do you want to ask?" Sofia, walking ahead, covered her mouth with her hand and yawned, looking sleepy again.

"Nothing," Little John shrugged.

The two of them walked in silence through the dockworkers’ residential area in Torch City. Children kept looking like they wanted to run over, but when they saw the pair and remembered what had happened earlier, they shrank back.

"I used to wander around here when I was little. I was an orphan, a little beggar." Sofia walked at a slow pace, at one point taking a small leap over a filthy puddle. "When I was very young, my mother died in a shipwreck. Later, my father went out to sea and ran into Pirates. After that, I was homeless."

"I’m sorry," Little John said, hearing her story.

"It’s nothing. It’s all in the past. Luckily, after wandering for a while, I was taken in by people from the Church. I was raised by the Church there, became a Druid, and started working for them." Sofia’s gaze swept over the dilapidated mud-brick houses around them. "After that, I earned a lot of Gold Coins from the Church, so I would sometimes come here to buy food for the children."

"I was wondering earlier why your name is Sofia Earth."

"Every orphan or beggar taken in by the Earth and Life Church is given a surname chosen from ’Earth’ or ’Life’." Sofia smiled. "Later, I met Marshall, and I ended up coming to him to get my tools repaired. Each time, I’d also ask him to buy food for the children."

"Then why didn’t you let me give them coppers earlier?" Little John asked curiously.

"These children can’t hold onto money. Some bastards will just rob them. But food that’s been eaten can’t be stolen." Sofia turned her head, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a slightly proud smile.

Little John, in turn, raised his hand and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Originally, when the Baron was still around, things here had started to get better. People had started to take in and care for these children. It’s just a shame," at this point, Sofia’s expression turned somewhat bleak, "those damn noble officials came back. Not only did they frame the Merlot Clan, but they also doubled down on their exploitation. When the Baron was still alive, he strictly forbade officials and merchants from exploiting these dockworkers."

"The Merlot Clan? You mean the one with the wanted criminal, Shire Merlot, who has a 300,000 Gold Coin bounty?" Little John asked with a smile. But he quickly wiped the smile off his face when he saw a feral, lion-like glare on Sofia’s face. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "Sorry, I was just kidding."

"I know," Sofia sighed. "You’re not like those other Adventurers and Bounty Hunters."

After saying that, she continued walking. A few seconds later, she said without turning her head:

"I want two of the spiced grilled fish."