Goblin Dependency-Chapter 783 - 392: Yes, Sir, We Have It_2
The sofa is soft and comfortable, yet not overly saggy. The grayish-brown surface might be made from a kind of sea beast skin he was unfamiliar with, and it felt remarkably textured to the touch.
On the table in front of him were several plates of snacks for hospitality and a glass of lemon water with floating ice cubes.
Possibly due to the local environment, the chilled lemon water was sweeter than Xia Nan had imagined, but it was quite refreshing to drink;
The snacks were more exquisite. Sea salt caramel crispies, smoked silverfish tartlets, and a small bowl of cool, bouncy, sweet jelly almost instantly whet Xia Nan’s appetite.
His mind involuntarily recalled the enticing aroma of food he had smelled earlier when passing by the "Three-legged Sea Dog" tavern, thinking that when he went there later to gather information, he must have a good meal there as a reward for the nearly fifty-day journey from River Valley Town to Suo Yu Bay.
"I wonder if they have cream mushroom soup here..."
Unexpectedly.
Compared to Maere’s enthusiastic attitude just now, her efficiency seemed a bit lacking.
Xia Nan had been waiting in this temporary small conference room for more than half an hour without any sign of movement.
Even the most patient person would inevitably feel puzzled.
"Could it be that something unexpected happened on the way? Or is there some other situation?"
Just as Xia Nan was thinking about waiting a little longer, until the time he had spent in the conference room reached an hour, before going out to ask the staff.
A series of urgent footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, accompanied by the sound of noticeable breathing.
"Creak."
It seemed like someone was standing at the door, slightly adjusting their breath and demeanor. After a brief pause, the door was politely knocked on three times from the outside. After receiving Xia Nan’s response, it was gently pushed open.
Maere, who had been away for more than half an hour, came in from outside holding a stack of documents in her arms, panting.
Compared to when he first saw her, the surface of her women’s leather shoes now had more dust; her honey-colored skin, slightly disheveled hair sticking to the sweat-streaked face; her chest rising and falling, her nostrils flared with rapid breathing.
Stepping forward to place the documents on the table, Maere’s face was full of apology:
"I’m really sorry, Mr. Xia Nan..."
"The buyer for your [Tide Rod] is indeed a resident of Suo Yu Bay, and they even left an address with the association."
"But when I went to the address to check it out, I found that the buyer was not at home. After asking the neighbors, I learned that a few days ago, the buyer had gone out to sea fishing."
"Fortunately, according to nearby residents, the buyer rarely goes far, and occasionally, even when they go fishing, it’s in nearby waters, so they should be back soon."
"If you want to proceed with the transaction... you may need to wait in Suo Yu Bay for a few days."
"I apologize again, and as a supplement, if you need... you can fill out this form, and I will do my best to apply for accommodation and food subsidies from the association during this period."
Xia Nan decided to retract his previous evaluation of Maere’s inefficiency. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
"Is it really that competitive around Suo Yu Bay...?"
The [Tide Rod] is indeed enchanted equipment, but it’s not of particularly high quality or value, and its effects can be considered rather trivial.
It was just by chance that he came to Suo Yu Bay to find the key to the [Dream Weaving Corridor], and he brought it along, estimating that it wouldn’t fetch much.
Although he was a professional and had some potential worth investing in, he still needed to prove his value to the local association, given it was his first time here.
With this as a premise, Maere specifically set aside her work to find a small conference room to host him, and Xia Nan was already very satisfied.
The subsequent transaction regarding the [Tide Rod], in his opinion, could just be registered in the association, leaving a message, and notifying the buyer when they come to the association later.
But to his surprise, this receptionist named "Maere," who seemed to be in her thirties, took the initiative to help him run an errand during his short wait.
She even inquired about the buyer’s whereabouts and their approximate return time.
Moreover, the proposed compensation was clearly something Maere had proactively applied for on his behalf.
This level of service was something Xia Nan had never encountered since his transmigration.
And this was still their first meeting.
"No hurry, you sit down and rest for a bit." Xia Nan motioned her to find a seat, "Just leave a message for registration, no need to stress."
Maere just smiled apologetically:
"It’s what I should do, Mr. Xia Nan."
Carefully reviewing the contract handed over by the other party for subsidy application, Xia Nan pondered.
There had been no detailed transaction time communicated with the buyer; he had only learned through the association that someone in Suo Yu Bay intended to purchase his consigned equipment, with the association acting purely as an intermediary.
To some extent, even if the buyer was not in Suo Yu Bay and he had made the trip for nothing, the association was not largely responsible.
This subsidy contract might as well be considered one of the benefits of being a professional.
"I only just arrived in Suo Yu Bay today and haven’t managed to find a place to stay yet. Is it okay to leave this section blank for now?"
Xia Nan pointed to the "address" section of the contract and asked Maere.
"Of course!" She nodded emphatically, her face beaming, "Once you have settled down, just come find me. I’ll be at the association, and I live not far away, so even on rest days, you can tell my colleague to send me a message, and I can be here in ten minutes."
Xia Nan’s lips barely twitched.
Her enthusiastic attitude made him, for a moment, feel as though he was back in the hectic days before transmigration when he would be a wage slave jolted awake by ringing phones at midnight to rush back to work.
However, since she said so and they were not even acquaintances, he didn’t want to meddle more. After all, it’s a personal choice and not something he should interfere with.
Though he reminded himself to be mindful not to pull someone out on their day off just to fill a form for a few minutes.
"By the way, if you haven’t decided on accommodation in Suo Yu Bay, I can give you a recommendation."
"Oh?" Xia Nan raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Rest assured, this recommendation is purely based on my experience working here for years, not a promotion. The association strictly prohibits such acts."
Pausing slightly, Maere continued.
"Have you heard of the ’Three-legged Sea Dog’, the tavern?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Nan’s expression turned slightly peculiar.
"The accommodation at this tavern is certainly not the best in Suo Yu Bay, but it’s definitely not bad either." Maere explained further, "Most importantly, it is the tavern and inn that adventurers frequent the most in Suo Yu Bay, where you can gather all sorts of information and news."
"If you’re planning to stay in Suo Yu Bay for the long term, you could also establish connections with some reliable adventurers there, which might help your adventures here."
Having heard Paddy’s introduction about this most famous tavern in Suo Yu Bay on the way, and hearing Maere now say this...
It seemed that staying at the "Three-legged Sea Dog" was inevitable.
He handed the mostly filled subsidy contract back to her. As for the [Tide Rod] follow-up, he only needed to wait for news and needn’t worry further.
Not leaving after bidding farewell, he naturally didn’t forget the main purpose of this visit to the adventurer association.
"One more thing."
"If I’d like to take on some commissions with level numbers, or exchange materials, gather intelligence... spend points kind of thing, does our Suo Yu Bay branch have that?"
"Yes, Mr. Xia Nan, we do."
