It had to be admitted that Horako's timing was rather subtle.
A bit earlier, Xia Nan and the others would still have been collecting honey in the nearby woods; a bit later, they might have already finished dinner.
Coming exactly when the group had just returned to camp with the Anvil Hive and hadn't even had time to process it... it was hard not to suspect that the other party had known their movements in advance and had timed it specifically.
However, considering that Sordin had left the camp alone at the time, and that neither Margaret nor Xia Nan had mentioned anything regarding the "Anvil Hive" to any other members of the caravan, it seemed unlikely.
Given the perception abilities of the strongest adventurers in their group, there was no possibility that someone had been stalking or spying on them.
So, in all probability, it really was just a coincidence.
At least, Xia Nan didn't notice anything strange in the man's expression.
"Good evening! My young friends!"
"On a night deep in the wilderness, it would be far too boring if one had only the starlight for company!"
Horako walked at the front of the group, calling out with a smile from a distance before he had even entered their small camp.
After spending seven days together, this generous wealthy merchant appeared quite thoughtful and magnanimous in his daily conduct, contrasting with the first impression of a noble style—someone who treated a long-distance caravan journey as if it were a luxurious outing.
Not to mention the adventurers specifically hired by the caravan like Xia Nan and his companions, even the servants dedicated to attending to the caravan members were never scolded by Horako to their faces.
Even when a member occasionally made a mistake, he remained very peaceful. The task of reprimanding was instead handled more by the assistant manager following behind him—a lean man with a stern expression. Xia Nan guessed that they played the roles of "bad cop" and "good cop."
He was also quite lavish, frequently offering praise and rewards whenever a member did something well. Even if most of these were just a few copper coins or a silver piece or two, the accumulated total of extra bonuses given to the members was likely enough for him to hire two or three more newcomers.
Combined with the silver chain pocket watch that Horako had practically forced into Xia Nan's arms as a greeting gift when they first met, Xia Nan's impression of this wealthy merchant was very positive.
"My old companion always says that the evening should be spent enjoying the tranquility of solitude," Horako said, patting the shoulder of the caravan manager beside him. "But I am a man who loves excitement, and I especially love sharing delicacies with my traveling companions."
The servants following behind hurried forward, placing the iron pots—which were emitting the fragrance of food—onto the campfire.
As the lids were lifted, a rich, inviting aroma erupted along with the surging steam, revealing a gourmet dish beneath that looked so appetizing that the taste was almost guaranteed to be excellent.
Golden grease bubbled and surged within the thick sauce, accented by onions, carrots, and root vegetables, framing the main ingredient: a whole pot of fragrant, tender, slow-cooked chicken.
"From a farm near the Mist Forest, nourished by the forest's magic particles from the moment they hatched—the highest grade Black-Feather Chicken. Before we set out, I specifically sought out the best chef in River Valley Town to marinate them with special spices for an entire day."
"Simmered over a low fire, the flavor has seeped right into the bones. Quick, try some; you definitely won't be disappointed!"
As he spoke, Horako sat himself down on a small folding stool prepared by his servants. His natural, relaxed posture made it seem as if he weren't in a crude temporary camp set up mid-journey, but rather in his own drawing room.
Yet, paired with his enthusiastic and composed attitude, as well as the sincere act of bringing high-quality food to visit, it wasn't off-putting at all.
Possessing quite a bit of tact, Horako noticed that the reactions of the people present were different from a few days ago. He seemed to realize something, his gaze sweeping over the cloth bag in Margaret's hand and the swollen, red backs of the dwarf's hands, and he formed a guess in his mind.
Without any awkwardness, he simply smiled to ease the atmosphere
"Haha, it seems... I've come at a bad time?"
"No, no," the dwarf Sordin replied quickly, the ornaments on his chest braids clinking softly. "We're all teammates on the same journey; there's no such thing as a bad time."
As he spoke, he exchanged glances with Margaret and Xia Nan. Seeing them both nod slightly, he then informed Horako, who was across the campfire, where they had just been.
"Anvil Honey!?"
Whether it was to provide the group with emotional validation by pretending to be surprised, or because he was genuinely amazed by the rarity of the ingredient, Horako's reaction was spot on; he nearly sat bolt upright on his stool.
"Don't those bees usually only dwell in high mountains and mining areas? I didn't expect them to be distributed in these plains and wastelands."
"But it's a good thing you all are here. If it were the boys in my caravan, I fear they wouldn't recognize it even if it were standing right in front of them."
With just a few casual words, this plump, rounded merchant had silently complimented the group again.
He was also very adept at social graces, not asking Xia Nan and the others about the specific location of the Anvil Hive or how much was left.
Even when Sordin proactively took a portion of his own share to offer him a taste, the wealthy merchant only took a few symbolic spoonfuls. While taking no more than necessary, he expressed that he was taking advantage of Xia Nan and the others, and promised to treat them to several grand feasts once the mission ended and they returned to River Valley Town.
It could only be said that when dealing with someone so generous and possessing such high emotional intelligence, even the most thick-skinned or dull person would feel incredibly comfortable.
"No wonder he can grow his business so large; he really knows how to handle people," Xia Nan thought to himself.
Throughout the meal, Horako chatted and laughed, mentioning mostly travel anecdotes and local customs, allowing the adventurers to be interested in the topics while participating harmoniously.
When Sordin talked about his own adventuring experiences, Horako responded with just the right amount of surprise and asked targeted questions that hit the mark, causing the dwarf's enthusiasm to soar—a display of high-level communication art.
At any time, as long as there was no obvious conflict, it was hard to dislike someone with such a personality.
Of course, throughout this entire process, the role Xia Nan played was more of a listener.
He was just eating.
While he was interested in the experiences of other adventurers and the local customs of various places, at this moment, the attraction of the food was undoubtedly stronger.
The Black-Feather Chicken stew grown in the magic particle mists of the Mist Forest tasted exactly as Horako had described: salty, fresh, and rich.
The long simmering had completely released the marrow and essence from the chicken bones and the sweetness from the vegetable ingredients, allowing the fibrous chicken meat to retain its original chewy texture while being soaked in the thick soup, ensuring it wasn't dry at all.
Once placed in the mouth, a gentle press of the tongue caused the meat to separate from the bone, sliding down the throat enveloped in a rich soup of incredibly complex layers created by various spices.
Fresh and rich, plump and smooth, salty and aromatic...
Perhaps this world lacked the advanced cooking tools and the vast array of seasonings of his previous life.
But when the supernatural powers of a fantasy world combined with money, food could still become an "enjoyment" worth savoring.
Beyond that, what surprised Xia Nan even more was the Anvil Honey they had just taken from the hive.
It didn't emit a particularly pungent fragrance; smelling it closely revealed only a cool, refreshing scent.
But when you put the honey in your mouth, the moment your tongue touched that amber-like, crystalline, viscous liquid, a mellow sweetness—blending the crispness of minerals with a fresh fruity aroma—would instantly explode across the entire oral cavity.
It was hard to describe this taste in words.
But without a doubt, this was the most delicious honey Xia Nan had tasted in both of his lifetimes combined.
Paired with hard bread, the viscous texture of the honey coated the coarseness of the bread itself, and the sweetness largely compensated for the lack of flavor, allowing the slight acidity of the grain and the sweetness of the honey to merge perfectly.
Paired with jerky, the dry, hard fibrous feel was masked by the amber viscous liquid, and the mellow sweetness achieved a harmonious neutralization with the salty freshness of the meat, creating a wonderful and complex mouthfeel. Furthermore, the mineral crispness inherent in the Anvil Honey cleverly neutralized the greasiness of the jerky, removing the need to drink water frequently to relieve the pressure in the mouth.
If Xia Nan had a bowl of steaming, fragrant cream of mushroom soup in front of him right now...
And if he added a few spoonfuls of Anvil Honey into it...
He didn't dare imagine how delicious that would taste.
While Xia Nan enjoyed the delicacies, the atmosphere among the people by the campfire became increasingly harmonious under Horako's influence, to the point where they dared to discuss topics that might normally be offensive to strangers.
Sordin, with his short, thick fingers like coarse carrots, held a piece of silk cloth, carefully wiping his chin beard—some soup had accidentally splashed there.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted the exquisite ring on Horako's right pinky finger—entirely golden and inlaid with a deep red chalcedony. He spoke subconsciously
"Hey, Mr. Horako, that stone on your pinky that looks like solidified flame... it should be chalcedony, right? Back in my days in the mines, I could occasionally dig up similar things."
Coming from a very traditional dwarven clan, Sordin had practically grown up in mining areas and was extremely knowledgeable about such things.
When it came to discussing his wealth, Horako showed no sign of resistance or reluctance. Instead, he laughed heartily, gave a light twist of his left hand on his right pinky, and slid the gold-and-chalcedony ring off.
"Good eye, my friend!"
"The band itself was crafted by a jewelry artisan in Newm City upon my request, but the deep red chalcedony was acquired at an auction house. It is said to come from an ancient kingdom that has since sunk into the wind and sand."
Without a hint of hesitation, in a fluid and sincere motion, he handed the ring to the dwarf beside him almost without thinking, allowing the other to examine it closely.
Dwarves were naturally interested in such minerals.
Sordin didn't pay attention to the complex patterns engraved on the surface of the ring; he simply held it in his hand, letting the firelight reflect off it as he carefully studied the chalcedony itself.
He couldn't help but marvel at its extremely pure, high quality.
After studying it for about five or six minutes, just as Sordin was about to return the ring to Horako, his movement suddenly stopped.
He saw that this generous wealthy merchant, a member of the "Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce," actually pushed the dwarf's hand—which was offering the ring back—away.
"The most precious gemstone must naturally be paired with the most valiant warrior."
"Since you like it... this ring shall be my gift to you."
"No, no, no!" Clearly not expecting the other party to be so generous, Sordin, no matter how blunt he was, could not accept such an expensive item for no reason—especially since he was already receiving remuneration far above average as an escort.
He waved his hands repeatedly, his beard swaying violently.
"Mr. Horako, I was just looking, just looking! This thing is too valuable; I really cannot accept it!"
Xia Nan sat to the side, observing very carefully.
With his perception abilities, he could clearly sense that Horako's act of gifting the ring to the dwarf was not a fake politeness.
It was from the heart; he truly wanted to give the ring as a gift.
If Sordin had accepted, the wealthy merchant would not have hesitated for a second; he might have even proactively offered to help find a craftsman to resize the ring to fit the dwarf's short, thick fingers.
However, Sordin was a veteran adventurer after all and had certain principles; he knew he couldn't accept such a high-value item for nothing.
After a few awkward rounds of refusal, he finally got Horako to take the gift back.
"Alright, alright, I was too abrupt." The merchant twirled the red jade ring back onto his pinky. "However, Sordin, my dwarven friend, your eye for appraisal is far more sophisticated than many of the self-proclaimed experts I have met."
In just a few sentences, he not only dissolved the slightly stiff atmosphere caused by the back-and-forth refusal but also uplifted the other party, making Sordin feel honored and causing his slightly awkward expression to relax.
Possessing extremely high emotional intelligence and knowing he couldn't "favor one over the other," Horako kept the conversation going with the dwarf, but his gaze quietly shifted. He first swept over Margaret's hands and ears, seeing that she wore no jewelry and knowing the female swordsman had no interest in such things.
He set that aside for a moment and let his gaze fall upon Xia Nan on the other side.
His eyes suddenly lit up!
This black-haired youth, who usually didn't speak much and looked exceptionally young, yet inexplicably held a quite high status within their temporary three-man squad.
Unlike his cold personality—focused on training and missions like an ascetic monk—he actually wore a considerable number of accessories!
Not only did his right index and ring fingers wear silver rings that looked plain white and simple but were actually of an exceptionally fine texture;
There was also an inconspicuous metal necklace hanging around his neck.
Although the pendant of the necklace dropped deep into the lining of his armor and was hard to see, the level of detail in the iron chain exposed on the outside clearly indicated it was no cheap piece of merchandise.
"Could it be that this one also has a preference for these things, like I do?"
Horako wondered in his heart.
Organizing his words, he used a gentle tone that was as unobtrusive as possible to skillfully transition the topic to Xia Nan.
(End of Chapter)