"Gulu City" was laid out with a very orderly plan; all the main streets ran strictly north and south!

Zhong Shenxiu paused in front of a weapon shop. It wasn't very large, nor did it possess the opulent grandeur of a magic emporium. Even so, business was clearly booming inside.

Zhong Shenxiu deliberately looked up at the sign—"One Furnace Fire Weapons"!

The name was peculiar. Could a weapon truly be forged entirely using just one furnace fire? Zhong Shenxiu found the thought somewhat amusing but stepped inside regardless.

Robin didn't understand Zhong Shenxiu’s intentions, but he tied up the horse outside the shop entrance and followed him in.

The marketing strategy here seemed vastly different from the magic shops. Not only were there no pretty hostesses, but there wasn't even a single person to offer a greeting.

Looking at the various longswords and miscellaneous weaponry hanging on the walls, Zhong Shenxiu shook his head inwardly. People actually bought this scrap metal?

Just as this thought crossed his mind, someone called out, "I'll take this sword. How much?"

"Fifty-three Diamond Coins!" replied a short man.

Pfft!

Zhong Shenxiu nearly spat out his midday meal. Fifty-three Diamond Coins, for that rusty sword the man was holding? Were they playing some international joke? It was so expensive; only a complete fool would buy it!

"Things here are cheap! My friend wasn't wrong. I'll definitely be back next time." The buyer handed the fifty-three Diamond Coins to the short man without another word.

"The merchandise at 'One Furnace Fire Weapons' is absolutely competitively priced after comparing it three times over. While we do not offer returns, we do provide three years of free maintenance and repair!" the short man stated, his tone utterly devoid of emotion as he accepted the payment.

Stunned—this time, Zhong Shenxiu was truly stunned!

He never expected someone to actually spend fifty-three Diamond Coins on that piece of junk, let alone declare it 'cheap.' Heavens! Had his head been slammed in a door as a child? For a sword this worthless, he’d haggle over a single Silver Coin!

"Master Iluno, I'll take this sword. How much?" another voice rang out.

"Since you're an old customer, I'll give you a slight discount. Forty-seven Diamond Coins!" said the short man, now addressed as Master Iluno.

"Heh heh~ Being an old customer certainly has its perks!" The customer happily paid the money.

The reality was clear: this weapon shop was doing incredibly well. Before Zhong Shenxiu had been there long, five or six expensive weapons had already been sold.

Zhong Shenxiu found it almost unbearable to watch. He genuinely couldn't fathom why people would foolishly spend so much money on this pile of junk. Were they all shills hired by the shop? But their expressions didn't look feigned; the sheer joy radiating from their eyes was something usually reserved for finding an incredible bargain.

Comparing oneself to others truly kills the spirit! Zhong Shenxiu finally understood. He was struggling over a single magic ring, yet these spendthrifts were throwing away fortunes on scrap metal. Heavens, was there any justice left in the world?

Zhong Shenxiu could take no more stimulation. He led Robin out the door.

"Master, weren't you curious about the Dwarf race? Master Iluno seems to be a Dwarf," Robin reminded him softly.

Hearing that gentle, melodious voice, it was hard to reconcile it with the person who had roared so fiercely in the restaurant earlier.

"That shorty is a Dwarf?" Zhong Shenxiu feigned shock. "I thought he was just a gnome!"

"I once heard Uncle Faraday mention that Dwarves are exceptionally skilled at forging weapons," Robin added.

Zhong Shenxiu fell silent, adopting a thoughtful expression.

"Let's go back in and take another look!" With that, Zhong Shenxiu turned and led the way back inside.

Ugh.

Robin rolled his eyes subtly before following him in again.

Zhong Shenxiu’s re-entry failed to draw attention. Everyone inside was intently focused on picking out the weapons they desired, paying no mind to outsiders.

At this point, Zhong Shenxiu’s true objective was hidden. While his eyes appeared to be surveying the weapons hanging around, he was actually scrutinizing Master Iluno.

Master Iluno, with his large head and thick neck, looked every bit the firesmith.

He also had a large, bulbous red nose, beneath which sprouted a dense beard, dressed in simple cloth, and standing only slightly taller than Robin!

As Zhong Shenxiu was closely studying Iluno, a new figure entered from outside. Dressed in luxurious clothing, the newcomer appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen, exceedingly handsome.

"Is Master Andrew here? I wanted to inquire if the armor I ordered previously is ready," the youth politely asked Master Iluno.

This young man was named Laurent, a student at the "Zhen Shi Xun Magic and Martial Arts Academy."

The "Zhen Shi Xun Magic and Martial Arts Academy" ranked among the top institutions in "Gulu City," consistently placing in the top three during the academy ranking competitions, boasting exceptionally strong faculty.

"Master Andrew is not here; he went to procure ore," Iluno replied, still without emotion. "Your armor is finished. It’s in the back room. Follow me."

As Laurent followed Iluno into the back room, a hushed conversation started up by the corner of the wall.

"Hey, that youth is 'Laurent.' You always asked me what Laurent looked like—that's him," said one student-like youth to a slightly shorter boy beside him.

"He's the 'Laurent' who secured the second spot in our 'Gulu City' rankings for two consecutive years? He looks so young! Is he really that formidable?" the shorter boy asked.

"Regretting it now, aren't you? Who told you to go traveling with your whole family every year? You missed the ranking competition; it was intense! Haha~" the taller youth bragged smugly.

"Was it really that intense?" the shorter boy countered, unconvinced.

"The elimination rounds weren't that exciting, but the finals—you have no idea! That's where real strength is shown! You can't even imagine how strong they were; I swear, it was master-level combat! The scenes still pop into my head sometimes!"

"Then I won't travel this year. I'll watch the 'Ranking Competition' you're talking about to see if it’s really that spectacular," the shorter boy admitted, clearly interested.

"Heh heh, let me tell you! There are so many beauties in the Ranking Competition! My absolute idol is the senior student 'Angelia,' who took third place for two years running. Not only is she beautiful, but her power is immense. If I had half her strength, I could walk sideways in our academy," the tall boy confided.

"Angelia? What kind of mage is she?" the shorter boy asked casually.

"Angelia isn't a mage at all; she's a Swordswoman! Hehe, didn't expect that, did you? Her heroic bearing is still crystal clear in my mind!"

"A Swordswoman? Female? And third place for two years straight?" The shorter boy was genuinely surprised this time.

"You really are behind the times, aren't you? Haha! Why don't you go ask around? Who in our academy doesn't know Angelia, except for you oddballs!"

...

The Academy Ranking Competition? What was that? Zhong Shenxiu had listened to every word of their discussion, but to his annoyance, these two "more interested in girls than anything else" guys had completely strayed off topic, landing squarely on the subject of beautiful women.