Chapter 29: A Man Who Hates Formalities

After a few minutes, the maid returned to the room and approached Chris, handing him a bag containing the clothes he had requested.

Standing up, he opened the bag and pulled out what was inside, only to stare at it in disbelief. It was a business suit, complete with a white shirt, black trousers, and a jacket.

’Seriously? Am I supposed to wear this?’

Before he could complain, the door opened again, and a middle-aged man with short black hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and striking features entered the room, followed by two elderly men with long white hair and beards. One was short and chubby, while the other was tall and skinny, making the pair look rather amusing standing side by side.

"Greetings, Lord Valecliff!"

Erica immediately bowed deeply upon seeing the newcomer.

"Father!"

Serena exclaimed happily, hurrying toward the middle-aged man and throwing her arms around him.

"Serena! I’m so glad you’re safe. You have no idea how worried I was!"

The man embraced his daughter with a relieved smile, holding her for a moment before finally letting her go. Looking her over to make sure she was unharmed, he seemed to relax a little more, then turned toward Aldric sitting nearby.

His expression immediately became more respectful as he straightened his posture and bowed deeply.

"Father."

Aldric merely nodded before getting straight to the point.

"Did you bring what I asked you for?"

"Of course."

Theodoric reached into his storage ring and took out a small vial filled with golden liquid, handing it to his father without hesitation.

Taking the vial, Aldric removed the stopper and swallowed its contents in one gulp. Almost immediately, a golden glow spread across his entire body, enveloping him for a brief moment before fading away.

He rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"Finally, I’m back to normal. This feels much better."

Extending one hand, he snapped his fingers lightly, releasing a burst of air pressure that swept through the room. The furniture trembled, the windows rattled, and the maid standing nearby lost her balance and fell to the floor.

Aldric barely spared her a glance before turning toward Chris with a smug expression.

"You saw that, Chris? My strength is back! Let’s see if you dare mess with me now!"

Chris looked at him for a moment before shrugging.

"Good for you, old man. What now? Do you want a round of applause?"

Aldric’s eyelids twitched, but he wasn’t particularly surprised by the response. He had already learned that showing off his strength in front of this brat rarely produced the reaction he wanted.

With a sigh, he glanced at the clothes in Chris’s hands.

"Why aren’t you wearing the clothes the maid brought you?"

"Huh? You expect me to wear a business suit? No freaking way."

Looking at the suit and then at Chris, Aldric finally understood the problem. The thought of this wild brat walking around in formal clothing was strange enough that even he couldn’t imagine it without feeling amused.

Shaking his head, he turned toward his son.

"Theodoric, give this brat some armor instead."

"Of course, Father."

Theodoric approached Chris with a friendly smile and bowed his head slightly.

"You must be Chris. Father told me quite a bit about you, and I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for my family. You saved their lives and helped them return safely, so if there’s anything you need in the future, don’t hesitate to ask. Our family owes you a great deal."

Chris waved his hand dismissively, not particularly interested in such formalities.

"There’s no need for that. I did what I wanted to do, and I don’t need anyone’s thanks or favors."

Extending his hand, he continued in his usual straightforward manner.

"As you already know, I’m Chris."

Theodoric was slightly surprised by his response, having expected a more formal introduction, but he quickly recovered and accepted the handshake.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Theodoric Valecliff, the current head of the Valecliff family."

Chris nodded while shaking his hand. He had naturally heard of Theodoric before, as the man was the leader of the richest and one of the most powerful families in the country.

His name was known throughout the nation, although even his reputation couldn’t quite compare to that of his father, the legendary General Aldric.

"That’s quite a long name. I’ll just call you Theo, if you don’t mind."

Theodoric paused for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Hahaha! I don’t mind at all!"

Aldric had already warned him during their earlier conversation that Chris was a free-spirited young man who didn’t care much for formalities, but experiencing it firsthand was still surprising. Rather than feeling offended, however, Theodoric found the young man’s straightforward attitude refreshing.

He had spent most of his life surrounded by nobles, merchants, and powerful figures who constantly tried to gain his favor for their own benefit. Meeting someone who spoke to him without caring about his status was a pleasant change, and he couldn’t help but feel that a person like Chris was worth getting to know.

Serena shook her head with a small smile, having expected nothing less from Chris, while Erica stood nearby with her mouth slightly open.

’Does this guy have any idea who he’s talking to?’

Not only was he speaking casually to General Aldric, but he had now given the head of the Valecliff family a nickname after knowing him for barely a minute. Both men seemed perfectly fine with it, which only made the situation more unbelievable.

After their handshake, Theodoric took out a storage ring and handed it to Chris.

"Here. There are hundreds of armor sets and weapons inside. Take a look and choose whatever you need. If nothing suits you, we can arrange for something else."

"Thanks."

Chris accepted the ring and immediately checked its contents, only to find himself surprised by the sheer number of items stored inside.

There were hundreds of armor sets, ranging from Uncommon to Rare quality, along with plenty of weapons of similar ranks. He even spotted some Epic armor sets and Epic weapons among the collection.

For a moment, he considered taking the Epic equipment, but after thinking about it, he decided against it. His life in the Wilds was very different from that of ordinary adventurers, who could return to a city and pay a blacksmith to repair their equipment whenever it became damaged.

He spent most of his time hunting dangerous beasts, traveling through rough terrain, and fighting monsters that could easily destroy ordinary armor. Even if he took good care of his equipment, it would eventually wear out, and he had no intention of constantly returning to civilization just to have it repaired.

Taking out ten sets of Rare-quality leather armor and ten Rare-quality iron swords, he returned the ring to Theodoric.

"I’ll take these. Aldric can pay for them, naturally."

Theodoric raised an eyebrow, looking at the equipment Chris had selected.

"Are you sure? You could take the Epic set and weapon instead. These are only Rare quality, and their value is nothing compared to the better equipment."

Chris gave him a strange look.

’Nothing? These things probably cost a fortune already.’

Still, considering that Theodoric was the head of the richest family in the country, perhaps such equipment really was insignificant to him.

"I’m sure. I don’t need anything else, and these will last me a while."

Aldric watched the exchange with a knowing smile. Having spent enough time with Chris, he had already expected this outcome.

The young man had survived alone in the Wilds for years, and he understood better than most people that equipment wasn’t valuable simply because of its rarity. Practicality and durability mattered far more when there was nobody around to help repair or replace it.

Putting on one of the leather armor sets, Chris adjusted the straps and moved his shoulders to make sure nothing restricted his movements. Finding the fit comfortable, he stored the remaining armor and swords in his ring.

’Now this feels a lot better.’

He had worn business suits in the past when attending interviews, and he had never liked how uncomfortable they felt. After years of wearing practical clothing and armor, the thought of spending his time in something that restricted his movements was unbearable.

Theodoric nodded, his impression of Chris improving further. The young man was unlike anyone he had met before, and the more he learned about him, the more curious he became.

Meanwhile, Aldric turned toward the two elderly men who had accompanied Theodoric into the room. Noticing his gesture, both men stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, General!"

"At ease."

Aldric took out his greatsword and armor, placing them before the two men. Both pieces of equipment were covered in cracks and showed clear signs of the damage they had sustained during his time in the Wilds.

The short, chubby old man immediately picked up the equipment, examining its damaged surface, while his tall companion also approached to examine.

After a few moments, the short man nodded thoughtfully.

"The damage is extensive, but nothing that I can’t handle. I’ll need to replace some of the damaged sections and reinforce the structure, but I should be able to restore the armor and sword within a month."

Aldric nodded in satisfaction before turning toward the other craftsman.

"And the enchantments?"

The tall, skinny man carefully examined the armor for a little longer before answering.

"The enchantments themselves are intact. Their power has simply been depleted, although restoring them will require quite a few resources. I can have them working again within a day, provided I have everything I need."

"Excellent. Get to work, then. I expect the equipment to be ready within a month."

Both elderly men bowed and prepared to leave with the damaged equipment, but before they could reach the door, Chris suddenly spoke up.

"Wait a moment!"

Everyone turned toward him, wondering what he wanted.

"Is there something you need, Lord Chris?" The tall old man asked politely.

"I’m not a lord. Just call me Chris. Anyway, I might have something for you to look at."

The old man hesitated before nodding.

"As you wish, Lord Chris."

Chris sighed, deciding it wasn’t worth arguing over titles, and looked at the two craftsmen.

"You are the enchanter?"

"I am." The tall man answered, placing a hand against his chest. "My name is Gale, and my twin brother here is Dale, the blacksmith. We are both responsible for crafting and enchanting the weapons and armor of the Valecliff family."

"Gale and Dale? I’ve heard of you two before. You’re quite famous, but you’re really twins?"

Chris looked between them, struggling to believe that the two men were twin brothers. Apart from their age and their long white hair and beards, they had almost nothing in common in terms of appearance. One was tall and thin, while the other was short and round.

"Hohoho! I’m honored that you’ve heard of us, Lord Chris. And yes, we’re twins, despite our rather different appearances. We’ve received plenty of surprised looks over the years."

Chris chuckled at their explanation before reaching into his storage ring.

"Anyway, Gale, I’d like you to examine an enchantment for me."

Taking out the hilt of his ruined sword, he handed it to the old enchanter. The blade had been destroyed during his earlier adventures, but he had kept the hilt because of the unusual enchantment it possessed.

Gale accepted it casually at first, expecting to find an ordinary weapon enchantment. However, the moment he examined the hilt more carefully, his expression changed dramatically.

"Th-this...!"

His eyes widened as he turned the hilt over in his hands, carefully inspecting the magical markings embedded within it.

"THIS IS A RECALL ENCHANTMENT!"

Dale immediately rushed over to see what had caused his brother’s reaction, and the moment he examined the hilt himself, his mouth fell open.

"How is this possible!?"

The two craftsmen stared at the weapon as though they had discovered a priceless treasure, their previous calmness completely forgotten.

Aldric and Theodoric also approached, their expressions turning serious as they realized what had caused such a reaction.

"Chris, why didn’t you tell me about this weapon earlier?" Aldric asked in disbelief. "A Recall enchantment on an Uncommon weapon is practically a miracle!"

Chris shrugged, not particularly bothered by their reaction.