Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 393 Yes, sir, yes.
The receptionist before me, named "Mar," with her sea-mist-blue eyes and an elaborate reddish-brown updo, made subtle movements as I approached.

Xia Nan's keen perception captured it clearly.

Of course he wouldn't feel disgusted or resistant. He's not a masochist who enjoys being looked down upon for no reason.

Mar's changed behavior only made him feel valued, and his impression of the Barracuda Bay branch and the receptionist improved.

It can only be said that this clever idea, developed by a seasoned receptionist based on her own professional experience, is almost entirely beneficial.

Unnoticed by the adventurers, her exceptionally warm service was impeccable, making the customers feel comfortable and leaving them with a good impression.
For Xia Nan, who directly noticed the subtle changes in his expression, it was even better. These were ordinary people driven by desires. She noticed that Mar was more enthusiastic in receiving her than other adventurers. Few people would feel offended; they would only think she was thoughtful.

I've always been straightforward and had no intention of striking up a conversation or making small talk.

After Mar greeted him, Xia Nan clearly stated his purpose for coming:

"Here's the thing, I had a piece of equipment consigned at another branch of the association before. An adventurer from Barracuda Bay expressed his intention to buy it through the association, but the specific price needs to be discussed in person."

“I happened to have some business to attend to in Suyu Bay recently, so I brought the equipment with me, which saves you the trouble of transporting the items.”

—Of course, the main reason is that this can save a lot of transportation costs.

"When would be a convenient time for me to meet with that buyer?"

Mar listened attentively throughout.

She leaned forward slightly, the seashell necklace on her chest swaying gently, her gray-blue eyes fixed on Xia Nan's eyes, her focused expression as if she wanted to memorize every word he said.

After Xia Nan finished speaking, we waited a little while longer and saw that he had nothing more to add.

Mar then smiled and nodded, indicating that she understood the situation.

He then stood up nimbly and shook a bell that was located above the counter and that he rarely touched.

"Jingle Bell……"

A crisper sound, distinct from the call bell on the table, drifted gently through the air.

A short while later, a pretty, long-haired girl in her early twenties came running over.

"Sister Mar, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"Watch the counter for me for a while, and I'll make up for the lost time later."

"Oh, alright."

The girl walked briskly around to the front desk and sat in the seat that Mar had previously occupied.

His practiced manner clearly indicated that he was already used to such unexpected events.

For the front desk receptionists of the Adventurers' Guild, at least in Barracuda Bay, it's not uncommon to need to find someone to temporarily fill in for them.

After all, the status of ordinary adventurers and veterans who have obtained a professional rank and completed promotion quests is completely different in the eyes of the association.

The former is in a "cast a wide net and catch more fish" situation, while the latter has already demonstrated its value and role in the association, and deserves to be nurtured with certain resources.

Especially for someone like Xia Nan, who is very young among professionals, his potential and aptitude go without saying.

In this situation, if he has matters like the one currently in question that require time for communication and negotiation and cannot be handled simply at the counter.

The association will often assign someone to help with the process one-on-one.

Mar could, of course, sit behind the counter and leave things to other staff while she continues working.

but……

How could we possibly hand over performance that was given away for free?

After realizing from their conversation that Xia Nan was visiting Suoyu Bay for the first time and there was no dedicated receptionist, Mar almost instinctively sensed an opportunity.

He immediately called in a new colleague who had just joined the company and had just finished training to temporarily take over his work.

After a brief handover, he strode out from behind the counter with his long, powerful legs.

Holding a stack of documents, her face beaming with a bright but not obsequious smile, radiating the healthy vitality unique to those who have lived by the sea for many years, she greeted Xia Nan:

"Sir, please come with me."

……

The small meeting rooms at the Fish Bay branch, used to receive professionals, are located above the corridors on both sides of the atrium.

The design can be described as very ingenious.

Considering the building's somewhat low-slung appearance on the street, and its spacious interior, it's safe to say that the vast majority of it is located underground.

However, the association itself is located on the edge of the coast, so even though it is underground, the windows carved into the sea and the specially made crystal lamps make the entire association hall look spacious and bright.

Even though Xia Nan was led to a small room on the side, she did not feel oppressed or cramped at all. On the contrary, she felt comfortable and at ease because of the good soundproofing in the room and the window on the side wall that showed the blue ocean and the distant sky.

After bringing him to the conference room, Mar left alone to handle matters related to the [Tidal Surge Rod] transaction.

Xia Nan was getting a little bored waiting alone in his room, so he casually took out a copper coin from his belt and tossed it up and down in his palm, practicing his [Gravity Control] whenever he could find a spare moment.

He then took in the layout of the small conference room.

The sofa was soft and comfortable without being too flimsy, and its gray-brown surface was likely made from the hide of some kind of sea creature he didn't know, giving it a very textured feel.

On the table in front of me were several plates of snacks for serving, and a glass of lemonade with ice floating on top.

Perhaps due to the local environment, the chilled lemonade was sweeter than Xia Nan had imagined, but it tasted quite refreshing.

The desserts were even more exquisite, including sea salt caramel crisps, smoked anchovy tarts, and a small bowl of cool and bouncy sweet jelly, which almost instantly whetted Xia Nan's appetite.

He couldn't help but recall the tempting aroma of food he had smelled when he passed by the "Three-Legged Seal" tavern. He thought that when he went there to gather information later, he would definitely have a good meal to reward himself for the nearly fifty-day journey from River Valley Town to Barracuda Bay.

"I wonder if they sell cream of mushroom soup here..."

unexpected.

Compared to the enthusiasm Mar had just displayed, her efficiency seemed somewhat low.

Xia Nan waited in the makeshift meeting room for more than half an hour, but nothing happened. Even with his patience, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Could it be that there was some unexpected delay along the way? Or is there some other situation?"

Just as Xia Nan was thinking of waiting a little longer, until the time in the conference room reached an hour, he went out to ask the staff.

Accompanied by distinct breathing sounds, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

"Squeak".

As if adjusting his breathing and demeanor slightly while standing at the door, after a brief pause, the door was first politely knocked three times from the outside, and only after receiving a response from Xia Nan was it gently pushed open.

Mar, who had been gone for more than half an hour, walked in from outside, panting, carrying a stack of documents in her arms.

Compared to when I first met her, there was more dust on the surface of her women's leather shoes; she had honey-colored skin, and her slightly messy hair clung to her cheeks with residual sweat; her chest rose and fell, and her nostrils flared from her rapid breathing.

Stepping forward and placing the file on the desktop, Mar's face was full of apology:
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Xia Nan..."

"The buyer of this [Tidal Surge Lure Pole] is indeed a resident of Fish Bay, and has even left their address with the association."

"But when I went to the address, I found that the other party was not at home. Later, after asking around among the neighbors, I learned that the buyer had gone out to sea to fish a few days earlier."

"Fortunately, I heard from several residents in the neighborhood that the person rarely goes far away, and when they do go fishing, it's always in the nearby waters, so they should be back soon."

"If you want to move the deal forward... you may need to wait a few days at Barracuda Bay."

"I apologize again. As compensation, if you need it, you can fill out this form and I will try my best to apply for subsidies for your food and accommodation during this period from the association."

Xia Nan decided to retract her assessment of Mar's inefficiency.

"No, is it really that complicated...? Isn't the competition at Suyu Bay a bit too intense?"

【Tidal Lure】is indeed a decent enchanted equipment, but it is not a high-quality or high-value item in itself, and its effect can be described as lackluster.

I just happened to be in Suyu Bay looking for the key to the "Dream Corridor," so I picked it up casually. I don't think it's worth much money.

While I am a professional and have some potential for investment, I am new here and need to prove my worth to the local association.

Given this premise, Xia Nan was already very satisfied that Mar had specially taken over his own work and found a small conference room to entertain him.

Regarding the subsequent transactions involving the [Tidal Surge Lure Rod], he believes it's sufficient to simply register it with the association, leave a message, and then notify the buyer when they visit the association later.

Unexpectedly, the receptionist in front of him, who was in her early thirties and named "Mar," actually took advantage of his short wait time to run an errand for him.

She even helped him find out where the buyer had gone and when he would return.

The compensation that was finally proposed was clearly something that Mar had proactively applied for on her behalf.

This level of service was the first time Xia Nan had encountered since his transmigration.

And you should know that this was their first meeting.

"No rush, sit down and rest for a while." Xia Nan waved to the other person, indicating that they should find a seat. "Just registering and leaving a message is enough, there's no need to go through all this trouble."

Mar simply smiled apologetically in response:
“It is what I should do, Mr. Xia Nan.”

Xia Nan carefully examined the contract that the other party had handed over for applying for subsidies, pondering to himself.

He and the buyer did not communicate the detailed transaction time. He only learned from the association that someone in Suoyu Bay had expressed interest in buying the equipment he consigned. The association acted as an intermediary.

To some extent, even if the buyer is not in Suyu Bay and the visit turns out to be fruitless, the association does not bear much responsibility.

If you really want to talk about it, this subsidy contract can actually be considered one of my benefits as a professional.

"I just arrived at Suoyu Bay today and haven't found a place to stay yet. Is it okay to leave this section blank for now?"

Xia Nan pointed to the "address" section on the contract and asked Mar.

"Of course!" The other person nodded emphatically, a smile on their face. "You can come find me after you've settled in. I'll always be at the association, and my place isn't far from here. Even on my days off, you can just ask my colleague to come and give me a message. She can be here in ten minutes."

Xia Nan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

The other party's proactive attitude made him feel as if he had returned to the days before he traveled back in time, when he was woken up in the middle of the night by the phone and had to rush back to the company to deal with work.

However, since the other party had said so, and they were not related by blood, he didn't want to get involved. In the end, it was just a personal choice, and there was nothing to interfere with.

However, it's still good to be mindful of things in general. Don't make people come out of their homes on their days off just for a form that can be filled out in a few seconds; that would be too much of a hassle.

"By the way, if you haven't decided on your accommodation in Suyu Bay yet, I can give you a recommendation."

"Oh?" Xia Nan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Please rest assured, this is purely based on my experience accumulated over many years of working here, and it is not a promotion. The association also strictly prohibits such behavior."

After a brief pause, Marton spoke again.

"Have you ever heard of this tavern called 'Three-Legged Seal'?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan's expression became somewhat strange.

“The accommodations in this tavern are certainly not the best in Barracuda Bay, but they are definitely not bad either,” Mar continued to explain. “And most importantly, it is the most frequently visited tavern and inn by adventurers in the entire Barracuda Bay, where you can find all sorts of information and news.”

"If you want to stay in Fish Bay for the long term, you can also make friends with some of the reliable adventurers and build some connections, which may be helpful for your adventure life here."

On the way here, Paddy had already told me about this most famous tavern in Barracuda Bay, and now that Mar has said this...

It seems that this "three-legged sea dog" is definitely a must-stay.

After handing back the mostly completed subsidy contract, all that's left is to wait for news regarding the [Tidal Surge Lure Rod]; there's no need to worry about it anymore.

He didn't say goodbye and leave, of course he wouldn't forget the main purpose of his trip to the Adventurers' Guild.

"One more thing."

"If I want to accept some level-coded commissions, or exchange materials, gather intelligence... the kind that costs points, does our Sucker Bay branch have any of those?"

"Yes, Mr. Xia Nan, yes."

(End of this chapter)