Chapter 284: Hurling Insults!
Pietro, once a famous half-dwarf throughout Almast City for his exceptional smithing techniques, had now fallen so low that even the stray dogs roaming the streets seemed to look down on him.
The reason for his miserable state could be traced back to a single wrong decision he had made a few months ago.
Ever since then, his life had been reduced to an endless cycle of drinking and gambling. Every day, he tried to drown the feelings of sadness, envy, and above all, regret in cheap alcohol, only for those emotions to return the moment he sobered up.
Irphine Mine.
That single name was enough to make his heart ache.
Whenever he remembered selling the mine for what he had thought was a decent profit, only to watch someone else turn it into an enormous source of wealth, he wished he could travel back in time and slap his foolish self. Not a single day had passed without him regretting that decision.
Unfortunately, regret couldn’t change the past.
So, just like every other morning over the past few weeks, Pietro sat alone in the corner of the tavern, wasting another day drowning in his sorrow.
Before he knew it, two youngsters stopped in front of the table he had occupied.
One had short white hair.
The other was a green-haired girl wearing an elegant dress that clearly belonged to someone from a wealthy family.
The two of them looked completely out of place in this rundown tavern.
Pietro lazily raised his eyes and looked them over.
Just from the girl’s attire and graceful bearing alone, he could tell she wasn’t an ordinary person. As for the white-haired boy standing beside her...
Pietro glanced at him once before silently arriving at his own conclusion.
’What a lucky brat.’
Being looked after by such a rich and beautiful girl wasn’t exactly a bad life.
A trace of envy flashed across his eyes before disappearing just as quickly.
Whatever their identities were, they had nothing to do with him.
Or so he thought.
The green-haired girl looked at him politely before speaking.
"Pietro the blacksmith. We heard about your story."
"My story...?"
"Yes," Sera nodded gently. "Your mine has been infested by monsters, hasn’t it? We’re both adventurers. Let us help you clear those monsters. Maybe we can even recover your dried-up mine."
The words had barely left her mouth before Pietro’s expression changed completely.
His fingers tightened around the bottle in his hand.
The next second—
Crash!
The bottle slammed heavily onto the table, its bottom shattering from the impact as pieces of broken glass scattered across the wooden floor.
The tavern owner merely glanced over.
Without saying a word, he calmly added the cost of another broken bottle to Pietro’s tab before returning to wiping the counter.
It was obvious this wasn’t the first time. Nor would it be the last.
Pietro slowly rose to his feet. His bloodshot eyes stared directly at the two youngsters.
"Are you fucking with me, bastards?!"
His roar echoed through the otherwise quiet tavern.
"So what if I’m an idiot?! Does that give you the right to mock me?!"
"I know I made a stupid decision!"
"I don’t need people like you coming here just to remind me of it!"
"Get the fuck out!"
By the time he finished shouting, tears had already gathered at the corners of his eyes.
He knew better than anyone how stupid he had been.
That was precisely why every mention of the mine felt like someone tearing open the wound he had been desperately trying to numb.
Sera remained where she stood, completely stunned by the sudden outburst.
Confusion slowly appeared on her face.
’Did I say something wrong?’
’Why did he react like this?’
She genuinely couldn’t understand what had gone wrong.
While she was still trying to figure it out, Alex’s expression had already turned cold.
He had watched Sera speak politely from beginning to end, yet this drunken half-dwarf had responded by hurling insults at her.
That alone was enough to ignite his anger.
Without another word, he stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Pietro’s left shoulder.
His fingers tightened.
A sharp pain shot through Pietro’s shoulder, causing his face to contort.
Alex looked at him coldly.
"If you have something to say, then say it like a human..." He paused briefly before adding in an indifferent tone, "...or half-human."
His grip tightened just a little further.
"But if you dare speak to her like that again..."
His icy gaze met Pietro’s bloodshot eyes.
"I’ll snap that useless neck of yours."
Alex’s cold warning worked like a bucket of cold water poured over Pietro’s head.
The anger that had been burning in his eyes disappeared almost instantly, replaced by fear. His stiff body trembled slightly under the pressure of Alex’s grip, and the bloodshot eyes that had glared at them moments ago no longer held any hostility.
"Please... forgive me." Pietro’s voice shook as he swallowed nervously. "D-don’t kill me. Y-you can mock me all you want, sir."
Alex frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the response.
"Who the heck wants to mock you?"
"Y-yes, yes... You don’t want to mock me." Pietro nodded repeatedly without daring to argue. "I’m not worthy enough for that."
His attitude had changed so quickly that it almost felt comical. Just a moment ago, he had been shouting at the top of his lungs. Now, he looked like a frightened rabbit standing before a hungry wolf, desperately trying to avoid saying the wrong thing.
Alex was left speechless.
’Is this guy always like this?’
Fortunately, before the situation became even stranger, Sera stepped forward.
"Wait, Alex," she said gently. "Let me talk to him."
Alex glanced at her before slowly releasing his grip. Although he stepped back, he still shot Pietro a warning look.
Pietro immediately lowered his head.
Even standing a few steps away, that young man’s gaze was terrifying.
Sera looked at Pietro and spoke in a much calmer tone.
"Pietro, I’m not offended by what you said. But I genuinely don’t understand." She paused for a moment before asking, "What did you mean when you said we were mocking you?"
