Drew regarded Cheryl with a strange look, as Cheryl rarely came here. Andrew didn't recognize this young man at all!

"Are you here to buy a sword too?" Andrew asked casually.

Cheryl shook his head, looking somewhat embarrassed; the truth was, he was here for a repair!

Andrew assumed the young man was just browsing, so he said nothing more.

"That... Cheryl hesitated for a moment, then finally decided to speak, "I bought a sword here a few days ago, but..."

He didn't finish his sentence, instead glancing toward Solomon and Laurent beside him.

Laurent and Solomon’s attention was immediately drawn, watching this youth who was close to their own age!

"Is something the matter?" Andrew seemed to sense something and asked.

This time, Cheryl remained silent, instead taking out the broken sword and placing it gently on a nearby rack.

Instantly, Andrew froze!

This was a sword he had forged himself; he recognized it immediately. What he could never have imagined was that a sword he crafted could actually break!

In truth, any sword carried the potential to break, but given the general strength level in this region, it should have been impossible for anyone to snap one. This was the very reason Andrew had been so confident in his guarantee before.

The Dwarven race possessed a unique forging method; they knew how to disperse stress, which significantly enhanced the overall defensive integrity of their artifacts.

To actually break such a sword was incredibly difficult, first and foremost demanding that both parties engaged in the contest possess absolute power—a feat usually unattainable without the standard of a Sword Saint. Because if one side was weaker, the sword would simply slip from their grasp and fly away, rather than snapping in two.

By all logic, Cheryl’s sword should not have broken so easily, since Cheryl lacked that absolute power; under too great an impact, his sword should have merely been dropped!

But there is always an exception to every rule, and he should never have sought a sparring session with Robin. The method Robin used to break the sword wasn't brute force, but the application of Zhenqi (True Energy); even if Cheryl hadn't been gripping the other end, the sword would have met the same fate!

Solomon and Laurent exchanged a look, both seeing surprise reflected in the other's eyes!

Of course, their astonishment could not compare in the slightest to Andrew’s state at that moment.

Andrew’s heart ached for the fate of the blade he had labored to create, but even more, he desperately wanted to know what cause could have brought about such ruin.

Looking at the fracture surface where the sword had separated, it didn't resemble a clean cut from a sharp blade, yet he could not fathom any conceivable reason that could result in such a result!

"Just now you said, 'a full refund, and you can choose any five swords for free,' was that true?" Cheryl asked weakly.

Andrew was momentarily dumbfounded; he hadn't expected his recent outburst of hot-headed words to collide so violently with reality! However, they of the Dwarven race prized their honor above all, and he immediately declared, "Since I said it, I will absolutely honor that promise!"

Cheryl's expression brightened noticeably upon hearing this. He had been thoroughly depressed about this matter on the way over; the sword he had saved up for an entire year to buy had been spectacularly broken by Robin, and even if it could be repaired, it wouldn't be strong anymore!

But who could have guessed that misfortune would turn into a blessing? Not only would he get all his money back, but he would also receive five swords for free.

Five swords—that was five swords! And he could choose any five, with no price restriction! Surely anyone would be thrilled to encounter such good fortune! At least, I never have...

Andrew glanced at Cheryl, unable to suppress his curiosity, and asked, "Can you tell me how this sword of yours came to break?"

Hearing this, Laurent and Solomon both perked up their ears!

Cheryl hesitated briefly, then ultimately told the truth, "It was broken by a hand!"

Broken by a hand???

Andrew’s eyes widened; this answer struck him like a tornado, sweeping away all his rational thought!

"Impossible, that’s absolutely impossible!" Andrew muttered to himself, sounding somewhat like someone suffering from dementia.

Laurent and Solomon beside him also found it unbelievable; they had never heard of anyone breaking a sword with just their hands. If the sword wasn't inherently shoddy, it meant that person's power was utterly terrifying!

Wait! Laurent suddenly started, as if a realization had struck him. He turned to the slightly fidgeting Cheryl and asked, "Was the person who broke your sword a child?"

Aside from those two freaks, Laurent genuinely couldn't conceive of anyone else capable of such a feat.

Hearing his question, Cheryl visibly stiffened. First, he hadn't expected Laurent, who held the second seat in the 'Academy Ranking Tournament,' to speak to him voluntarily; second, he found it incredibly bizarre, thinking: How did he know?

Though confused, Cheryl still nodded!

Seeing the nod, Laurent and Solomon exchanged an extremely complicated look, as if to say: Just as we suspected!

"Was it a little boy or a little girl?" Laurent couldn't help but ask again.

"A little girl!" Cheryl grew more bewildered. He thought to himself, My sword is broken, why are you two getting so excited?

"You are one of Maksin's two children?" Solomon also became interested. His previous gloom vanished instantly!

Cheryl grew increasingly strange; he couldn't understand how Solomon knew there were only two children present, nor why they were so focused on this matter!

This time, Cheryl did not reply, as this was hardly a matter worth boasting about; in fact, it felt somewhat disgraceful!

Seeing Cheryl’s reservation, and noticing Solomon's rare display of interest in something, Laurent quickly interjected, "We don't mean anything else, just curiosity. Perhaps you can't imagine, but I was actually defeated by that little girl once."

To establish rapport, honesty was necessary first!

"You say you were..."

Indeed, upon hearing this, Cheryl’s expression shifted in surprise. He hadn't expected Solomon, the second-ranked master, to have also fallen to the hands of that little girl; in that case, his own crushing defeat wasn't entirely unjustified!

Laurent nodded, then cordially extended a hand to introduce himself, "Hello, I am from the 'Zhensen Demon Martial Academy,' my name is Laurent!"

"I know you," Cheryl replied, extending his hand to shake. He continued, "You might not know me; I am from the 'Dublai Demon Martial Academy,' my name is Cheryl!"

"What?" Laurent and Solomon exclaimed in unison.

Laurent stared with wide, disbelieving eyes and asked, "You said you are from the 'Dublai Demon Martial Academy'?"

Cheryl was baffled by their excitement, nodding slowly, wondering inwardly: Is our academy perhaps very famous?

Little did he know that Laurent and Solomon's shock stemmed from the fact that Zhong Shenxiu and Robin also belonged to the 'Dublai Demon Martial Academy'!

"That... do you know Teacher Maksin? She’s actually a cousin of mine!" Laurent tried again to bridge the gap.

Now it was Cheryl’s turn to be astonished.

After a few more pleasantries, the two parties quickly became familiar. Cheryl then briefly recounted some of the events that had transpired that morning to Laurent and Solomon.

When they heard that Cheryl had actively sought out Robin for a spar, Solomon displayed an expression of "You are truly brave," while Laurent showed one of "You are truly lucky."

As the group chatted animatedly, Andrew suddenly interjected, "Who are those two children you’re talking about?"

Andrew had been listening quietly for a long time, and the more he heard, the harder it was to accept. Listening to the youths narrate, it sounded like these two children were utterly incredible! What he truly found difficult to swallow was that a sword he forged had been broken by a child—it felt like a personal insult!

Laurent and the others stopped talking, all turning their gaze toward him.

"Master Andrew, I advise you not to inquire about those two children!" Laurent said with visible concern.

Through several encounters with Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, he knew these two were not people one could casually provoke! Looking back at Andrew's earlier statement, if Zhong Shenxiu were to discover that breaking a sword here not only cost nothing but resulted in five precious swords being gifted for free, she would undoubtedly shatter every sword in the shop!

Laurent's intentions were good, but he had clearly overlooked the temperament of the Dwarven race: they were famously short-tempered, stubborn to persuasion, and could not tolerate being looked down upon!

"Why can't I inquire about those two children?" Andrew asked, his face darkening.

"Because... Because..." Laurent hesitated, finally deciding that the honest truth was better to avoid misunderstanding, and continued, "Because I’m afraid you might suffer a loss!"

"I might suffer a loss?" Andrew's eyes widened, looking ready to explode with anger, "We Dwarves never take advantage of others, but it is not so easy for others to take advantage of us!"

Laurent was nearly speechless, realizing he had only managed to muddy the waters further!

Andrew did not quiet down because of Laurent's silence; instead, he escalated, continuing his demand, "Tell me about those two children, and you don't need to worry about anything else!"

Laurent remained troubled; this was the first time he had witnessed Master Andrew's volatile side!

"We Dwarves will not take advantage of you. Just tell me about those two children, and you can pick any sword here as a gift!" Andrew stated seriously.

Paying a penalty was a minor issue; the dignity of the Dwarven race absolutely forbade anyone treating them with contempt!

Laurent knew this was a very good deal, and he had done his due diligence. He then shared a few things he knew about Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, including their address!

Cheryl was surprised by how detailed Laurent’s knowledge was; he even knew the children's names and their residence. Despite his surprise, he silently committed this information to memory!

Andrew was clearly also impatient. After hearing Laurent’s account, he promptly handed the shop over to his apprentice, Iluno, to manage, and set off immediately for the small courtyard where Zhong Shenxiu resided...

His future looks bleak!