Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 197 Small Town Encounters
Although it was still bright, it was already afternoon. The group found a tavern called the Goddess of Fortune that looked somewhat upscale and decided to stay there for the night.

With some time before nightfall, and not wanting to waste time waiting in the tavern, the group decided to go out and explore the small town, where they made some unexpected discoveries.

Unlike the simple and dilapidated ordinary houses, the facades of the chambers of commerce and handicraft guilds were quite impressive.

Craftsmen from various industries gathered here to make a living, and gradually formed guilds and associations spontaneously. Although there were not many local residents, the coming and going of travelers and merchants injected a lot of vitality into the town.

Various handicraft industries, leather industry, blacksmith industry can be found here, creating an almost abnormal prosperity.

Zhang Yuanben had some intention of selling his spoils right there, but he was dissuaded by the survivors of the merchant guild. Although trade was busy in Dagger Beach, it was not comparable to that of Deepwater City. A large part of the trade involved importing raw materials, which were then processed locally and then exported.

Unless you own property and shops locally, selling that batch of timber raw materials directly could result in a huge loss.

Of course, for Zhang Yuan, it was a risk-free business anyway, so there was no need to worry too much. But for the four people who originally worked with Golden Alfalfa, although they had reluctantly given up the goods in the name of rescue compensation, they were unwilling to give up this reward after accepting the mage's entrustment to handle the transaction.

Yes, everyone has their own expertise. The entire Canaan team didn't have many trading talents. At most, Kegan and Old Sepi were only half-baked. So, this task was simply entrusted to the four survivors, who were given a certain share of the trade profits.

No wonder Barras and his group cared so much. After all, having lost everything, they were just hoping to recoup some of their losses. Incidentally, Barras was the middle-aged man with the Mediterranean hairline.

As for relying on ownership of the goods to reclaim these items?

Huh? Do they really think Master Zhang is a holy knight?

I didn't buy anything during my quick visit; I just considered it a leisurely stroll to broaden my horizons.

However, Zhang Yuan did find a small surprise.

"Sesame paste???"

As the monk looked at the black powder in the bag in front of him and smelled the strong fragrance that wafted into his nostrils, a sense of nostalgia and melancholy welled up in his heart.

The shop the group visited was Miller's Dry Goods Shop, a long-established brand in Dagger Beach.

However, this is not the same as other dried goods. This store does not sell salted fish, kelp, or dried mushrooms. Instead, it sells various grains and processed powders.

For example, flour, oats, or sesame powder that Zhang Yuan is currently rubbing between two fingers.

These fine items were placed in open pockets for people to examine, and if they liked something, there were many openings at the back to tie it tightly and store it properly.

Speaking of which, while the oatmeal porridge he ate every morning was delicious, he got a little tired of it after a while. Zhang Yuan, who had picked out several bags of sesame and peanut powder, was already missing the taste of nut paste.

The remaining time was not wasted on aimless wandering. The group was led by Sandur, an elderly survivor, to a blacksmith's shop in the river district.

According to Sandur, while the blacksmith's owner didn't quite deserve the title of master, his skill level was among the best in the area. Moreover, the old man had dealt with the shop owner a few times and they had some acquaintance. It wasn't about buying weapons or armor; the Canaan squad's equipment was already quite complete, even luxurious.

However, in the end, they are still using equipment forged by hand, not some indestructible or self-healing divine weapons. Some necessary maintenance and regular upkeep are still required.

The battles along the way had taken a toll on the team members' weapons and armor. Although thanks to Captain Zhang's generosity, the damage to these mostly enchanted items was not serious, it was still necessary to take precautions.

Especially during that troll raid, the dwarf brothers who were on the front line were not only severely injured, but their armor was also damaged in several places. This time, they simply took advantage of the rest in town to deal with these issues at the same time.

And those two pieces of plate armor that we got from the goblin bandits can be repaired this time, so that Morty won't have to run around wearing chainmail.

This went on for half a day, from afternoon until nightfall. If Sandur hadn't gone to great lengths, the shop owner would have already closed up shop and gone home to his wife and children, and who would have stayed with a bunch of grown men banging and tinkering in front of the stove?
Of course, an additional fee is also a very convincing argument.

Even so, due to the complexity of the repair work, the armor of Kegan and Bard can only be checked again at noon tomorrow to see if it is completed.

The following day at noon, the Canaanites arrived as promised, only to be told:
"I'm sorry, the enchanted full-body armor has been repaired, but I really can't do anything about this Burrower Armor. It's not just a problem with the manufacturing process, but I also can't find the raw materials anywhere."

Although somewhat disappointed, there was nothing that could be done, since where could one find a burrowing worm to repair this armor in a pinch?

Fortunately, the two sets of captured full-body armor have been repaired, and one set can be given to Morty and one to Bard. As for the burrowing bug armor in front of us, we can only put it aside for now and deal with it later.

The team paid a total of about seventy gold for repairs, with the bulk of the cost going towards the three pieces of armor. Having no other needs, the team left the town of Dagger Beach.

Continuing north along the main road, after crossing the mighty Deringer River, the scenery along the way changes dramatically.

From the moment we left the Baldur's Gate until we reached the town of Daggersbeach, the journey felt like being in a wilderness. Although there were a few scattered villages, they were merely gathering places for wild people, lacking any atmosphere of civilization.

We didn't stay at the few hotels along the roadside because of our itinerary, but with the monk's own sanctuary, it wasn't a big deal.

Along the road from Dagger Beach north to Deep Water Town, there are rows of farms and villages. In the afternoon sun, the smoke from cooking fires blends with the bustling sounds of people, which is the essence of life.

Along the way, inns and taverns appeared from time to time, and merchants and travelers, who were not common before, began to appear more frequently.

Compared to the southern section of the Trade Route, the area from Baldur's Gate to Daggershoal, encompassing Waterdeep, the Trade Route, Daggershoal, the Delinbil River, and the Dark Road, is clearly much busier. With Waterdeep and Daggershoal working together to maintain order, the area is likely far safer than the previous adventure.

Instead of staying at Boss Zhang's stone house inn, the group found a proper hotel for the night.

Thank you to Lazy Dormouse, chen1111hao, and Baiye Pan for your monthly ticket support! Thank you everyone!

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(End of this chapter)