......

Having witnessed Laine carrying a massive iron block weighing several hundred pounds from one end of the street to the other, the Dwarf Craftsman confirmed that Laine indeed relied on his own strength. He patted his chest with satisfaction: "Oh, really well done. Now I believe you are indeed a brother, Angerong's brother."

"...So, what do you think?" Laine put the hefty iron block back into the blacksmith shop and calmly clapped his hands: "Shall we continue?"

"Oh, of course, I like straightforward and strong humans like you. I hate those Sharp Ears whose bird language makes it impossible to understand if they agree or not." Delong Feinson stroked his bushy beard and nodded repeatedly: "I've actually had enough of this place. Those tax officers and damned Sharp Ears are always bothering me. If you're willing to give me full charge of the workshop, as you said, and offer some perks, then I'm willing to take a look. Now, name your terms, Holy Grail Knight."

"Great, let's discuss the terms, Long-bearded One."

After discussing the conditions briefly, Laine could clearly feel that this Dwarf Rune Artisan was indeed having a hard time in Boldro, as the High Elves were evidently squeezing and ostracizing him.

The port of Boldro has been frequently harassed by Dark Elves over the years, so the High Elves naturally got closer to Duke Boldro Bodrick. The idea that an enemy of an enemy is a friend applies universally... at least among the Order races.

High Elves hate seeing bearded Dwarves, and Dwarves also hate seeing Sharp Ears. Brittania is different from the Empire. The alliance between the Empire and the Dwarf Supreme King has a history of over a thousand years or more. Its sanctity can only be compared to the Eternal Blood Alliance, which is why the Empire is more inclined toward Dwarves. Any Dwarf opening a shop within the Empire is welcomed and given preferential treatment.

There's no such camaraderie between Brittania and Dwarves. Though they usually coexist peacefully, Dwarves are clearly more aligned with the Empire. The most typical case was a few years back when the Empire and Brittania went to war near Marinburg, and the Dwarves from Breeze Castle in the Gray Mountain Range immediately closed off all the roads under their control and refused passage to anyone from the Knight Kingdom.

After some exchanges, Laine completed his task. Delong patted his chest, promising that he would bring a few apprentices to his side in a few days to take a look. If all goes well, this Dwarf Rune Artisan would be employed by him.

He didn't believe that this Dwarf Rune Artisan could remain indifferent after seeing the power sword and power armor.

"Then I'll leave the rest of the time to you, Surya." Having completed his task, Laine was in a great mood, so he smiled at the Lady Knight holding his arm.

"Let's go and have a look there!" Surya tightened her grip on Laine's arm, immediately setting her sights on a jewelry store.

So, for the next while, the four of them strolled gracefully through the city, sightseeing and enjoying themselves. Bodlukes, originally one of the ports the Elves used when they left the Old World, still preserves some High Elf architectural relics to this day.

The presence of High Elves on the streets was not scarce, showing Duke Boldro's good relations with the High Elves. But the High Elves' arrogant demeanor and the way they walked with their chins held high made Laine feel uncomfortable.

He's not the ruler here, so he shouldn't say much.

"Look, Laine, this little bear is so cute!" At a jewelry store, the Duke's daughter fancied a teddy bear plush made exquisitely by tailors. This teddy bear plush, about fifty centimeters tall, was made with the best Angora wool and simple materials and embroidery, giving it an adorably simple expression.

The beautiful duke's daughter seemed entirely unable to resist the teddy bear plush's charm. Her pretty sea-blue eyes were filled with hearts as she clasped Laine's arm, interlocking her fingers: "It's so cute."

"Hello, esteemed Holy Grail Knight and ladies, this is a teddy bear, a masterpiece by the tailor. I'm sure you've heard of the teddy bear story?" Immediately, the owner of the tailor shop came over, nodding and bowing. Having a Holy Grail Knight come to shop made him feel immensely honored; he even thought this event would be something he could boast about for ten years.

"Yes, we've all heard of it." The three girls nodded repeatedly, while Laine thought, embarrassed: I haven't heard of it.

"I can guarantee that this teddy bear is one hundred percent handcrafted and filled. Our best tailor put all their effort into it. I daresay it's the finest piece in our tailor shop, so..." The shopkeeper's posture was low, his face full of a salesman's smile, bending his waist as if he were disabled.

"Since Surya likes it, we'll take this teddy bear; wrap it up!" Laine understood when it was appropriate to be generous, so without hesitation, the Holy Grail Knight instructed the owner to wrap it up.

"Ah! Alright, the original price of this teddy bear is 30 Gold Crowns. Naturally, the esteemed Holy Grail Knight gets a 20% discount, bringing it to a total of 24 Gold Crowns. You can also pay with Gold Marks or Gold Dinars!" the owner said with a fawning smile, promptly bringing out a set of parchment, quill, and ink bottle: "Also, esteemed Holy Grail Knight, may I have your signature? We would be eternally grateful."

"Hahahahaha!" The three girls giggled, clearly reflecting how revered the Holy Grail Knight was in this country.

"Alright, alright." Laine took the parchment and wrote down his name.

"Oh my, you are Laine, Laine Macado, the Divine Chosen Champion of the Lady!"

"I'm going to place this paper in my shop; it will become an heirloom of our store!"

Upon revealing his identity, the shop was thrown into another bout of chaos.

Just then, a black carriage passed by outside the store. This carriage felt somewhat unusual; not only was it completely enclosed without windows, but even its body was wrapped in black cloth.

It didn't look like a carriage; rather, it resembled a coffin.

So Laine handed over matters to Surya: "I saw someone outside, someone I might know. I'm going to check if it's him."

"Oh! Okay." The Lady Knight didn't think much and agreed, then turned to Sylvia and Amelia, saying: "Let's see if there's anything else we like!"

The Lady Knight, very considerate, neither questioned nor insisted on accompanying him; she knew Laine must have his reasons for saying so.

"Okay, Surya Sister!"

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