The first thing you notice when you walk into a Parnilla store is not the décor—although they are certainly unique—but the cramped space inside. Tianlai Novel . 』⒉
Luo An's pedigree coupled with long-term exercise and adequate nutrition ensure that despite being only 14 years old, Mira's height has now reached 1.78 meters. Standing at this height on Parnilla Street, which is dominated by Lamanites of medium height, all he could see at a glance were other people's foreheads.
The average height of Lamani men is only 1.7o. It is no wonder that most of the appliances and houses they use appear to be inappropriately sized for girls - but this is not the main reason. The white Luoan girl turned around and winked at her teacher, who could only bend over in an awkward posture. It was obvious that the sage who had always been calm and omnipotent was very new to her.
It's just that Henry is Henry after all. Although he can't stretch out because of the narrow and short store, his expression is still very relaxed.
Returning to the original point, while Muna in the front was as excited as a child and ran to chat with the store owner, Mira behind her carefully observed the surroundings.
This small clothing store is filled with all kinds of clothes. Compared with the crookedly sewn clothes in the outer market, every piece of clothes here is very neat and is obviously made by a skilled woman.
The ceiling of about 1.9 meters is made of solid wood, with several hooks nailed to it to pull down long hemp ropes. The other end of the hemp ropes is connected to multiple long bamboo poles, which are hanging rods for hanging clothes. This design is low-cost and if the owner leaves for something, he can just untie the hemp rope and put down the bamboo pole to collect the clothes and put them in the box to prevent dust.
However, the business of this small shop is obviously very good. Although it can prevent dust from being stored in the box for a long time, it will have a strong musty smell. There are many clothes hanging here, but Mira does not smell anything similar. smell.
Whether it’s because the store rarely needs to close its stall and go elsewhere or the clothes always sell out quickly, it’s proof that business is booming.
There was seriously insufficient space for people to walk in the small shop, so the conversation was left to Muna and others. Mira stood with Henry in the middle and rear of the shop and did not move forward.
The waiter's suggestion from the hotel where she ate before was obviously correct. The girl noticed that there were many gray and white shoe prints on the wooden floor in the store. It was obvious that this store had already welcomed a large number of customers this morning. If it hadn't been lunch time, it would have been difficult for them to even come in.
"Do you understand the reason?" Observation and thinking were Henry's daily lessons for Mira, so he spoke directly without any prerequisites, and the Luoan girl could also understand what he was referring to.
"I don't understand." Mira shook her head decisively, even though she had the observation ability to see the extreme use of space in this store. For example, on the already very low ceiling, there are additional mezzanines in areas other than the aisles to place things, and there is even a small bed for resting on the mezzanine loft behind the counter. But she could only understand why these things were designed the way they were, and admire them very much.
As the real cause of everything, girls still don’t have the ability to understand.
"A big city like Parnilla is very expensive, and the market as a concentration point of wealth is even more so." As always, Henry reminded her in brief words.
The girl has already developed her keen observation skills and way of thinking. What she lacks is just the rich accumulation of knowledge of a sage. So after getting the key information, Mira understood it all instantly.
Just like most of the castles will be built higher, there is only so much land that can be used to build houses in the strictly planned Parnilla. Things are rare and expensive, and the prices of things that everyone wants will naturally rise. This is especially true for commercial stores. If you want a spacious and cheap store, there is no problem. Go to the wilderness in the suburbs to get it. You can circle as big as you want, but in that case how many guests can you expect to come to you?
First come first served. With such a small storefront in a centrally managed business district, although this clothing store is narrow, the owner's wealth should be astonishing.
"People should not be judged by their appearance." After thinking about it for a moment, the shop that originally felt small and shabby immediately changed. Looking at the middle-aged shop owner with a smiling face and no airs at all, Mira did not feel friendly, but secretly became wary.
Henry naturally noticed the subtle changes in her expression, but this was exactly his original intention. With a slight smile, the sage then added: "Those who always expose themselves easily are not terrible. For example, people who are covered with gold and silver ornaments for fear that others will not know that they have them often actually own all their belongings. That’s all.”
"What you need to be careful of are those who hide themselves deeply. What you see is often just the tip of the iceberg. Although it may seem harmless to humans and animals, if you take it lightly, the consequences will be very serious."
"Such people abound on the east coast." He paused, and then continued: "Palnilla is a big city, and Padrosi is also a big empire. Although it seems peaceful and peaceful, Civilization, this place is actually far more dangerous than Abu Serra."
"Because the human heart is far more dangerous than any sword, bow or crossbow." Henry said this, and Mira turned her head and looked at him. This is obviously inseparable from the fact that she stayed on the street and had stage fright before. This is what the sage always does. He will not—perhaps is not good at—comforting people. When a problem occurs, he will not tell you that it is not your fault or that everything will pass. Instead, he will give you a solution.
Follow the instructions and guide you to think and become stronger.
The past is the past. No matter how you do it or how many reasons you find to convince - or deceive - yourself, the result is already an established fact. There is no point in wasting time on this kind of thing, learn lessons, stay alert, learn to think and avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.
His approach may not be suitable for everyone.
But that's not where Mira focused her attention.
Because of the closeness and familiarity, she could easily notice the changes in Henry since arriving in Parnilla.
——He did not carry a sword on his back. Although it can be attributed to a series of reasons such as the inconvenience of carrying oversized weapons, he has not untied the linen cloth since he got off the ship, and he also put a series of equipment on it before going out. In the hotel room, this is obviously not something that can be explained in a few words.
But compared to this, the changes in details are more drastic.
Henry had become much more taciturn by his standards.
Although Henry still looked calm and calm in the eyes of unfamiliar people, Mira could notice subtle changes in his words and deeds. Henry is no longer as relaxed as he was on the West Coast, and he lacks a bit of the relaxed and lazy atmosphere. Although he is so restrained that outsiders cannot detect it, the girl who is very familiar with him can notice it. arrive--
Sage, be vigilant.
If he were to be described as a big sword leaning lazily on the tree before, then this sword is already in his hand.
Clearly, the boat trip to the East Coast meant a lot to him.
Although she was curious about what had happened here before, Mira would not ask if Henry didn't take the initiative to mention it.
After the negotiations with Muna and others in front were completed, the group of them bought loose and breathable clothes in the store. Due to the lack of sizes suitable for Henry, only a few other people changed their clothes in the narrow changing room inside the store, while the sage kept his original appearance.
The clothes worn by the two girls were replaced by black slim-fitting cropped pants, and the tops were short-sleeved short-sleeved shirts made of light and soft fabric with bubble designs on the shoulders. The edges are stitched and lace designed, and the front is three-dimensionally cut and stitched to create a close-fitting effect. The extended hem covers the waist of the cropped pants, and the waist-cinching design is extremely suitable for mounting an armed belt.
This is unique clothing for female adventurers on the East Coast. It is loose, easy to move and comfortable, and also has a good appearance.
The close-fitting cut is light and breathable, making people feel very flexible. Mira used several movements to test the range of motion of her wrists, shoulders and waist, and then had to admire the craftsmanship of the maker.
"If you want to wear a breastplate, we also sell leather linings here." The shopkeeper, who was still smiling and welcoming, reminded people from behind, but the group had already delayed a lot of time. After changing into light and cool local clothes, Carrying old clothes wrapped in linen, they walked towards the street.
It was already close to noon, and the sound of the batch market outside behind her had become noisy and lively. Mira turned around and glanced at the businessmen from other places. Judging from their attire, most of them were businessmen from other places. Apparently, they also chose to have breakfast early in order to seize the opportunity. .
The nature of businessmen who are unwilling to make early profits and cannot afford to be early is really the same everywhere. Looking at the noisy scene of them bargaining over there, the girl couldn't help but think so. However, as everyone walked towards the inside and got closer to the street, the surroundings fell into relative silence again.
Compared with the dense footsteps and human voices before, the dominant sound here is the "gulu" sound of carriage wheels walking on the hard ground.
Of course, noble ladies and ladies with high status cannot travel on their own legs. They ride in carriages and are escorted by skilled butlers and bodyguards. Their direction is towards the dessert shops and teahouses on the street.
Mira and Muna, who have never had sweets, were a little interested in this, but they spent more time in the clothing store than they thought, and they still had time when they had free time. At this moment, they decided to complete the purpose of their trip first. .
Whether they are mercenaries or not, what interests people who engage in combat professions is still related to this.
As the largest port on the east coast, Parnilla is also famous for its weapons and armor. There are everything from long sword weapons to various scimitars, daggers, spears, and even various bows and crossbows. As a member of the royal family of the prairie who has experienced a certain amount of influence in Laman culture, Muna would say that she wanted to come and have a look, which just proves how wide the spread of this reputation is.
But besides being curious, Mira guessed that Muna still had some dissatisfaction in her heart. After all, she had scorned the fighting power of the settled residents before, and as a location that was well known all over the world and even in the deserted Abu Serra prairie, what kind of level was Parnira's weapons store? She wanted to go there It’s natural to have knowledge.
But the idea in the nomad girl’s heart that she wanted to find some points to mock the top level of the settled people was nothing more than this. The moment she stepped into the store, it all came to nothing.
The first impression is neat.
Neat and clean.
"Welcome." The person standing at the front counter was not a common blacksmith shopkeeper elsewhere, but just a Laman young man dressed as a scholar. He had curly black hair and gave a simple courtesy to everyone. Henry looked past the other people who were staring at the carefully polished weapons and armor, and said to the manager at the counter: "We want to take a casual look."
"Okay, please call me if you need anything." The other party replied. This kind of conversation seems a bit formulaic, but it is a part of deeply infiltrating Laman culture.
"It's very different from what you imagined, isn't it." Naturally, Muna, Mohammed and others walked to the clearly differentiated scimitar display area, while Mira stood in front of the sword weapons. The sage came over and said this, but Mira, who stared blankly at the dozens of long sword display racks, hesitated for a while before saying, "Yeah."
"More like a store than a blacksmith shop." The weapon shop in my impression was in full swing. The blacksmith and apprentices were all covered in charcoal. When she saw the bright and spacious shop here, Mira felt a little confused for a moment. Can't accept it.
"After all, this is an upper district frequented by nobles and wealthy merchants. The appearance and decoration of the shops are also very important. The blacksmith's workshop is usually separated from the store, and the weapons are made in other places before being sent here. You Along the way, I didn’t hear any tinkling sounds that affected my mood, and I didn’t see any dirty black smoke.” Henry said this, while Mira stepped forward and picked up a long sword.
As soon as she got it, the girl understood that the weapons here were all of high quality.
The sword she held in her hand was the same half-hand sword as the one made by the blacksmith of Avenella on her waist. The two are very similar on the whole. They both have wide blades and long handguards. In the eyes of an outsider, there is probably no difference except that the former looks better. But in the hands of an expert, you can understand after a little observation. There is a huge gap in concepts in terms of details——
Padrosi's one-handed and half-sword is far more sophisticated in workmanship than Biavenella's. The handle alone is made of thin rope wrapped around the wooden handle and then wrapped in soft leather. The weighted ball at the end is different from the round cake style common on the West Coast. The shape is like a wine bottle cork. The advantages of this design were immediately apparent to Mira when she held it with both hands. The cork-type counterweight began to gradually increase in size at the end of the sword handle. The result was that when holding it with both hands, the counterweight ball felt very comfortable. It is comfortable, but at the same time the enlarged tail at the back can prevent the hand from falling out.
Compared to the round pancake-shaped sword hanging on her waist, which she had never been satisfied with and was relatively hand-gripping, the handle of this sword alone made the girl put it down.
And the blade as its main output weapon is also very unique - compared to the Avenella-style one-handed and a half Padrosi-style sword, the front of the blade is designed to be tapered to attack the enemy's weak point. It is sharper, but at the same time, the blood groove used to reduce weight does not open from the guard part to the tip of the sword like the Avenela style, but stops in the middle of the sword, the front half. The raised spine of the sword is retained, and the material in this part is not shaved off, so it weighs more than a slotted sword.
What is the significance of these designs?
The health groove is only opened halfway, retaining the weight at the front - this makes the center of gravity of this one-handed and a half sword similar to the West Coast style of the sword, which has a wider blood groove at the front but opens the bottom, so it still has good cutting performance.
But at the same time, the tapered design makes the sword tip sharper and the raised spine design provides excellent piercing performance - when facing enemies wearing plate armor, it can aim extremely effectively at the opponent. The gaps in the armor can cause damage if penetrated.
- But that's not all.
What caught Mira's eyes the most was the gorgeous guard of this sword.
Although the common West Coast style sword guards are curved or straight, they are only simple horizontal guards and have no blocking ability for other parts. This sword not only has raised iron rings in the other two directions to protect the fingers, but also has two smaller hand guards parallel to the blade at the root of the sword.
Coupled with the fact that the root of the blade is deliberately left blank and has an unpolished edgeless area, all the designs of this sword are completely for actual combat.
The guard ring and the bladeless area are for clasping fingers on the guard, making it easier to control the direction of the sword tip. To match this, the sword tip is also designed to be superior for puncture.
But at the same time, because the health tank is not fully opened, it still retains extremely superior chopping performance——
This is a far superior and more mature weapon than its West Coast counterpart.
Compared with it, the half-handed sword hanging on his waist looked like a rough stone tool or a wooden stick.
Mira didn't want to put it back at all. Her hands seemed to be glued and she didn't want to let go for a moment. The girl glanced at her teacher, and Henry nodded with a smile. After gaining approval, she no longer hesitated, and instantly turned her head to look at the Laman young man at the counter.
At the same time, Muna on the other side did almost the same thing and turned around while holding a scimitar.
"Hello!" the two girls said in unison.
"How much does this cost?"
