"Hey, do you remember me?"
Under the astonished gaze of the shop owner, she took out the Enchanted Claw from her coat.
What was once mocked as a mere discounted premium-grade item had now evolved into a priceless piece of legendary inherited equipment.
[Shop Owner's Attitude (Charm 126, +50, Innocence +30, Malice appears below 100)]
D126+80=d126(106)+80=186
"We're closing for the day!"
Under the surprised gazes of the Hero and the Fourteenth Princess, the weapon shop owner stood up with a composed face, swiftly preparing to close the shop.
The doors and windows were quickly secured, and the employees were instructed to pull down the shutters from outside, isolating the shop from the outside world.
The morning street was already quiet without many customers. The owner turned on the indoor lights, cautiously glanced around to ensure no one noticed this place, and then finally wiped the sweat from his forehead, letting out a long sigh of relief.
To his series of abnormal actions, the Fourteenth Princess was initially a bit wary. However, seeing the Hero remain composed, she relaxed, and her expression eased as well.
"What's he doing...?" the Fourteenth Princess asked in confusion.
As soon as she spoke, the shop owner excitedly walked over, unable to resist looking at the claw on the table before turning to face the Hero and the Fourteenth Princess.
"Wonderful! I really didn't expect you to complete it... But this is legendary inherited equipment!" he lowered his voice, though his tone was still a bit shaky "Taking it out in such a public place is reckless, if someone were to target you—"
At that moment, the owner finally had the leisure to observe the appearance of the two in front of him, and his voice abruptly stopped, his mouth gradually opening wide.
Due to the Hero's change in hair color and being entirely focused on the Enchanted Claw, he only just realized that the two beautiful girls standing before him were—
"Lord and the Fourteenth Princess!?"
Before he could exclaim aloud, the Hero quickly stopped him.
"Um, shop owner, I brought the forged claw back as agreed. It helped me a lot, you can take a look at it."
The Hero's expression became a bit shy at this point.
After returning to the city, she hadn't come to this weapon store to fulfill the agreement for simple reasons—not merely because she forgot or was too busy. The Enchanted Claw, once forged, lived up to its legendary inherited equipment status, playing a significant role in numerous battles, so the Hero would naturally not forget its origin.
Priceless legendary inherited equipment would attract malicious attention, which was why the owner closed the shop so suddenly. It was entirely out of goodwill for the Hero.
However, the deeper reason the Hero delayed coming was that the Enchanted Claw was not just a piece of legendary equipment. Its successful forging was key to hammering on the egg that the Hero had become.
The cruising bishop once seriously informed her that this type of forging would greatly affect her, and after trying once, she indeed had no desire for a second attempt.
But the Hero didn't know the shop owner's character or the Enchanted Claw's forger's experiences. If it was merely the equipment targeted, it would be manageable, but if she herself was the target, that would be troubling.
So the Hero only came now. She would leave the border in a few days, and even if exposed, there wouldn't be an issue.
Yet, the shop owner's eyes held not a hint of greed, only admiration and appreciation as he looked at the Enchanted Claw, making the Hero a bit bashful.
[The Forger of the Enchanted Claw (50+ Alive, the higher the status, the higher)]
Having received the Hero's permission, the owner, disregarding the two noble individuals before him, delved entirely into researching the Enchanted Claw, occasionally taking various identification instruments from the counter to examine each engraving on the claw carefully.
Even though this was just an ordinary weapon shop, it was clear that the owner, after years in the business, had considerable knowledge in forging and magic rune studies.
"Shouldn't you notify them?"
Seeing the owner so engrossed, the Fourteenth Princess didn't find him rude. She merely leaned closer to the Hero and whispered.
The Fourteenth Princess naturally referred to the two guards, the Gleaming Scale Serpent and the Demon Hunter, who hadn't entered the shop.
A light fragrance accompanied by warm breath wafted over, tickling like feathers, tinting the Hero's ears a slight red.
"They're both outside, such separation can't block their perception," the Hero quietly replied, taking a step back and awkwardly rubbing her ear.
Noticing the Hero's change, the Fourteenth Princess blinked in surprise.
Thinking about it, since returning from the highlands, the Hero's clothes had become thicker, and she blew on her hot drinks at breakfast as if afraid of being scalded. Her demeanor was unlike a legendary strongman impervious to heat or cold, but rather more like an ordinary girl like herself.
Realizing this, the Fourteenth Princess felt an immediate sense of connection and couldn't help but feel playful.
"Miss Hero, what's the matter, is your ear uncomfortable? Let me take a look—"
The Fourteenth Princess slightly curved her lips, taking two steps forward and leaning close to the Hero's ear.
Her nostrils flared slightly as she gently inhaled, just about to exhale when the Hero, wary, covered her ears.
[Fourteenth Princess's Chase]
[Hero's Resistance (+30)]