Shilton’s expression was warm and natural; he had the naturally friendly demeanor of a dwarf, along with an optimistic nature.
This very endearing personality made Lann feel good just by talking with him for a while.
There are always people in the world, who can effortlessly convey their happiness and enthusiasm to others.
If they were gone, the world would certainly be a lot less interesting.
Shilton patted his chest, starting with the usual preamble dwarves use before they start boasting.
"Our Shilton family maintains good relations with all the clans of dwarves and gnomes. No! I should say: we are the family in the dwarf banking world with the best relations across the clans!"
The most famous dwarf banking families are Giancardi, Vivaldi, and Zion Fanreni.
Their financial ventures span the entire civilized world, and the division between northern and southern humans hardly affects them.
However, Lann didn’t know much about this; the dwarves he dealt with the most before the Valerian Steel trade were just blacksmiths.
"You’re saying you know the dwarf clans in the Amel Mountains?"
Lann was a bit surprised; the Amel Mountains were so vast that he didn’t even know where the Bear School’s castle was, let alone where the indigenous people living in the mountains might be.
"Of course! Of course!" Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel·fıre·net
Shilton repeated twice to emphasize his tone.
"They are a branch of the Qiwa Clan, living mixed with some gnomes. Because of their high altitude and cold air, their use of leather and fur is exquisite! The feel of the fur processed by them... no picky female warlock could possibly refuse it!"
"I’m sure the blueprint you’re looking for contains leather or fur components."
Shilton confidently assured.
But Lann thought to himself, how would I know? I don’t even know what the advanced Bear School armor looks like!
But it doesn’t matter; even if what Shilton mentioned isn’t the dwarf clan collaborating with the Bear School, he can just ask when he gets there, right?
The Amel Mountains are vast, but surely not so vast that dwarves living in the same mountain range won’t interact with each other, right?
"Thank you, Shilton, you’ve been a great help."
"Ha-ha!" The dwarf responded with a hearty laugh. "You’re welcome, Lann. Friends should help each other, and after helping, we become friends. Besides, we’re partners, right? Come on, grab a map, and I’ll mark where Hai’en Mountain is for you; it’s not easy to find in the Amel Mountains."
Lann quickly found a map, and after carefully searching, Shilton drew a cautious circle on it.
"Roughly here, with a deviation of no more than five miles. Sorry, but I can’t give the family’s map to a human, so I can only guide you from memory."
Lann understood the caution of the dwarf banking families.
Nowadays, the atmosphere of racial discrimination on the continent is intensifying, and it’s understandable for non-human races to have some means of self-protection.
In fact, the circle Shilton drew for him was already an immense show of trust.
"You haven’t had dwarf blood on your hands, right? I can tell you’re different from others. The renowned, ruthless ’Hunting Marquis’ actually hasn’t killed a non-human."
Shilton’s red beard twitched.
"You don’t look down on us. You’re not like those human merchants who only praise on the surface because they need bank loans but disparage us behind our backs. That’s enough; otherwise, no matter how you offered me the secret of Valerian Steel, I wouldn’t have drawn this circle for you!"
The demon hunter smiled slightly, "Then I can only thank you once again for your trust."
The dwarf came abruptly and left straightforwardly. He was here just to help Lann.
But upon leaving, he couldn’t overcome his little flaw.
This time he slipped away with three complimentary magic talismans.
Lann, out of curiosity, used his "Spiritual Sight" to take a quick look.
The three talismans were all for treating and preventing hemorrhoids.
"The Kovir Mage, Dagrunna, proposed a new concept and conducted initial experimentation in his Mage Tower, successfully doubling the precision of cell culture..."
Within a triangle formed by three crystal lenses, the slightly ethereal Tishaya sat properly in a chair, explaining methodically.
Her hand’s image wasn’t shown, but her actions looked like she was flipping through documents.
This is the wizards’ Thousand-Mile Telescope.
Typically, it transmits images in real time, but to conserve energy, it can also transmit only audio. With modifications, it can use expensive crystals as storage to save a segment of footage.
Lann was flipping through the same documents as Tishaya, which were internal exchange materials from the Crystal Culture Project Group.
But the young man’s eyes wandered, not knowing where to look.
Because Tishaya was only wearing... no, just wrapped in a bath towel.
The upper edge of the towel only reached beneath her chest, while the lower edge barely covered her thighs.
Despite the years, the female warlock’s body remained full and supple, exposed for the most part.
Her black hair was wet, strands clinging to her neck and chest.
Tishaya herself maintained a restrained, indifferent expression, in contrast to Margaret, who was beside Lann, providing chaos magic power to the Thousand-Mile Telescope.
She scanned Lann up and down with playful, intrigued eyes.
"Focus, Lann. I’m taking time out to do academic exchanges with you; don’t waste this time."
In the Thousand-Mile Telescope’s image, the former headmistress of Airetusa didn’t move her gaze from the documents in her hands for a moment.
"Now that you’re living in an academy full of female warlocks, could you act a bit more maturely? Don’t be like a boy who’s never experienced or seen anything."
Lann twitched the corner of his mouth, turning the page to catch up with Tishaya’s explanation.
The ’ways’ of the female warlocks always broadened the horizons of the unsophisticated young Mr. Lan from the countryside.
"You, ahem, I mean, not! I!"
The demon hunter’s bio-intellectual brain distilled the content as he flipped through the documents, making it easier for him to understand.
"I get it; the Airetusa laboratory is the main lab. I’ll replicate Dagrunna’s hypothesis again here. If I successfully replicate it, this will become credible results. Our cell culture precision will significantly improve."
"Hmm, his theory is indeed quite interesting."
Once immersed in academic research, Lann’s mind was no longer affected by Tishaya’s image or Margaret’s gaze.
With his sensitivity and talent in biochemical knowledge, he precisely grasped the core of the Kovir Mage’s theory and understood it.
If this hypothesis wasn’t exaggerated... then this level of cell culture precision might even allow him to construct the "Bone Reinforcement Organ"!
"I’ll employ the method I used last time for heart culture."
Lann continued flipping through the documents, speaking rationally and calmly.
"I’ll deliberately culture an incorrect organ. If even a deliberate mistake is within our grasp, it indicates we fully grasp this technology. Correct organs won’t be a problem."
"Very good." Tishaya held the edge of the bath towel, stood up with elegance, and looked at the now-imperturbable Lann with appreciation.
"You always give me peace of mind. I look forward to your report on the results."