Chapter 906: Flies
Indeed, both Mason and Orrin were treated as magical talents in the Guild of Magic, and were nurtured by hopeful teachers. Even Aldwin had said that the two of them were the best of their generation, and had high chances of entering the Legendary-realm.
Although the three of them hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and there was a gap in their status, they were all young people, after all. There were many topics they could talk about. Lin Li talked to them about the matters of the Breezy Plains, while Mason and Orrin each talked about the experiences they had after the trials. Before they knew it, they had been talking for a long period of time.
“They’re just two pieces of garbage from the countryside, yet they’re deemed as magical talents. What a joke!” a young blond-haired mage mocked with disdain, and raised his chin slightly as he entered the side hall where Lin Li and the rest were in. When he looked at Mason and Orrin, there was an icy cold gaze in his narrow eyes.
Lin Li wasn’t familiar with that young mage, but Mason and Orrin had obviously interacted with him before. Mason hostilely retorted, “Gerosso, our conversation has nothing to do with you! You called us country b.u.mpkins? You’re the one who doesn’t know the rules. You still barged in despite seeing that there are people here. Is this what your teacher taught you!?”
“It’s none of my business, but there are some people who don’t know how to keep their voices down even when they’re lying. I feel so ashamed for you. You’re just garbage, and yet you’re deemed magical talents. You even dream of entering the Legendary-realm. I think you can dream on. You say there are people here?” Gerosso glanced at Lin Li, but he did not feel any strong magical waves. Hence, he continued, “I didn’t see anyone. I just saw a bunch of garbage.”
“He’s Gryffindor’s elder brother,” said Orrin, explaining the ident.i.ty of the visitor to Lin Li. However, he did not stop looking at Gerosso. He clenched his fist while resting it on the chair, and it seemed that the feud between them wasn’t as simple as just a verbal dispute.
Initially, Lin Li didn’t know what feud there was between them, but after hearing that Gerosso was Gryffindor’s brother, he suddenly understood all of it. During the trials back then, he used Mental Disruption to cripple Gryffindor who was known as the first magical genius of the Felan Kingdom. Later on, he went to the Breezy Plains; hence, Mason and Orrin were blamed for it.
Mason stood up fiercely, and resentfully retorted, “Gerosso, don’t think you’re a big shot just because you’re at level-19. There are plenty of level-19 Archmages in this world. Not all of them can become Legendary-mages.”
“There’s no big deal about being at level-19, but as long as I can defeat you two, it’s enough, isn’t it? Had Teacher not stopped me then, hmph!” Gerosso ignored the murderous gazes of Mason and Orrin. He walked towards a chair, took a seat, and glanced at Mason before saying, “Yes, indeed, not everyone at level-19 can become a Legendary-mage. Mason, your teacher has been stuck at level-19 for years, hasn’t he? It’s no wonder that he can only foster garbage like you.”
“Gerosso, how dare you insult my teacher!” Although Mason often complained about his teacher being too harsh, he wouldn’t tolerate others insulting his teacher openly. He immediately took out his staff, and was ready to do something, ignoring the fact that Gerosso was stronger than him and the place that he was in.
Faced with an angry Mason, Gerosso didn’t panic at all. He looked at Mason with disdain, and said, “How can that be considered an insult? I’m just stating facts.”
Gerosso was waiting for Mason to lose control and attack him. Given Mason’s ability, he wouldn’t be able to hurt him at all. They were in the Eternal Tower of the Supreme Council, and if Mason were to attack him, even his teacher Joey would get into trouble as well.
Although it was said that those below the Sanctuary-realm were like insignificant ants, Lin Li was still very young, unlike the old fogies who had been in the Sanctuary-realm for thousands of years. Thus, Lin Li could not bring himself to see Mason, Orrin, and Gerian as insignificant ants.
In fact, be it the three great arbitrators or High Priest Rogge of the Darkness Shrine, they probably had friends who couldn’t step into the Sanctuary-realm when they were younger. However, as their friends left one by one, their hearts truly drifted farther and farther away from mortals.
Hence, Lin Li naturally wouldn’t watch Mason suffer at this time. He said in a calm tone, “Mason, some things aren’t what others say they are. I heard that Master Macklin of the Alanna Guild of Magic was also stuck in level-19 for many years, but he stepped into the Legendary-realm recently. No one can be certain when it comes to the Legendary-realm. With the narrow-mindedness of some people, I’m afraid that Master Macklin has probably been called garbage by them plenty of times before.”
Although Lin Li’s words would not make Mason ignore Gerosso’s insult to his teacher, they managed to calm him down a little. He thought about the place he was in, and finally suppressed his anger as he stopped looking at Gerosso’s annoying face.
Seeing that Mason was actually not going to snap, Gerosso’s face grew gloomy and sullen as he turned to look at Lin Li, whom he had never taken seriously. There was a look of ruthlessness in his eyes. With his own knowledge of Mason, he knew that Mason would have definitely done something to him at all costs. Yet, to his surprise, Mason was stopped by the nameless kid. It seemed that they had an extraordinary relations.h.i.+p!
Seeing that they were somewhat ignoring him and having a conversation instead, Gerosso rolled his eyes and sneered. He gibed, “Mason, seems like you’re in a good mood. Is it true that the matter of the pirates in Chevan City has been settled? When I go back and see my teacher, I can talk to him about it so that he doesn’t have to send people to your side.”
Mason and Lin Li chatted for a while, and Mason’s feelings were gradually placated. However, when he heard Gerosso’s words, he turned beet red immediately, and reb.u.t.ted, “Gerosso, this is our personal feud. If you have what it takes, don’t get the guild involved.”
Mason’s Guild of Magic was located in a city near the sea in the southeast of the Felan Kingdom, hence its name, Chevan City Guild of Magic. Although it was not that competent, the deterrence provided by the Supreme Council allowed them to have a high status there, and ordinary forces wouldn’t dare to provoke them easily.
However, in this world, the steep mountains were often full of bandits that shuttled through the forests. The desert that was known as the Land of Death was full of sand pirates that came and went like the wind. The vast and boundless sea was also a perfect concealment for the pirates even despite its endless dangers.
Others feared the Guild of Magic because their property was near, and if things were to go awry during a fallout, no one would benefit. However, the pirates didn’t have that concern. As soon as they saw a chance, they would seize it and go onsh.o.r.e to rob. Whenever there was a strong enemy, they would get onto their boats and flee into the endless sea. The sea was their world, and even Legendary powerhouses couldn’t do anything to them. In comparison, pirates were probably even more fearless than bandits and sand pirates.
Lin Li could tell from the conversation between Gerosso and Mason that the pirates had set their sights on Chevan City. As the top force of Chevan City, the Guild of Magic definitely needed to do something; otherwise, how could it be acknowledged by the other local forces? However, the strength of the Chevan City Guild of Magic, which was helmed by a President who had yet to even step into the Legendary-realm, made it hard for them to even defend against the pirates, let alone keep their interests.
As for the a.s.sistance from the New Crescent City Guild of Magic that Gerosso mentioned, it was obviously not going to be of much use, either, as it would at most make the pirates a little more worried and lie low for a while. Of course, it could not be ruled out that it might be because the New Crescent City refused to give too much help. In any case, the pirates were still present, and the Chevan City Guild of Magic would still have to continuously seek help from New Crescent City Guild of Magic.
Was it really difficult to actually get rid of a bunch of pirates? Seeing that Mason was thwarted by Gerosso who was getting even more smug, Lin Li suddenly broke the stalemate, and calmly said, “Mason, why didn’t you tell me about this just now? You’re not treating me like your friend. They’re just a bunch of pirates, aren’t they? How about this? When you meet President Joey again, inform him that I’ll send you a few Magical Crystal Cannons. Although the power of Magical Crystal Cannons is ordinary, they should be enough for attacking the pirates.”
Although Lin Li could easily send a large batch of Archmages to provide aid with the current strength of the Tower of Dusk, the mages of the Breezy Plains had never had experience in naval battles, and it was impossible for them to be stationed in Chevan City for a long time. Besides, Lin Li was also considering the feelings of Mason and President Joey. Although the Chevan City Guild of Magic was indeed very weak, sending a batch of Archmages there all of a sudden would inevitably make them feel like he was trying to steal their thunder.
The Magical Crystal Cannons were different. Regardless of the power of the Magical Crystal Cannons, they were just tools to be used, after all. If he sent them over, the people of the Chevan City Guild of Magic would be the ones using them to eliminate the pirates. That could also increase their reputation in Chevan City.
As soon as Lin Li said that, the other three people in the side hall were clearly stunned, and Mason quickly reacted by putting away his staff and returning to his seat. He turned to smile at Lin Li, and said, “Is that so? Great, with Magical Crystal Cannons, it’d be too simple to get rid of the pirates. From now on, we’ll get rid of people who always go to our places to eat and stay for free too.”
Although he knew that Lin Li’s Tower of Dusk was operating well in the Breezy Plains, Mason couldn’t imagine how well it was doing. Hence, he didn’t really believe in Lin Li’s words, and merely thought that Lin Li was trying to give him an out. Hence, he immediately put on a happy face and played along.
“Psht, a few Magical Crystal Cannons? How generous. Do you know what Magical Crystal Cannons are like? Do you know how much mana it takes to fire one? Or maybe you just remember such a term and nothing more. Please, before you try to brag, think about your words carefully and run them through your head. How ridiculous.” Gerosso naturally didn’t believe Lin Li’s words, either. He knew the value of Magical Crystal Cannons. Each one cost more than 10,000 gold coins, yet Lin Li generously offered to send them a few. He thought, Only idiots would believe such nonsense.
“Oh, right,” said Lin Li, who didn’t get angry at Gerosso’s mockery, and instead acted like he suddenly remembered something. He said to Mason, “I almost forgot, there’s not much of a gathering place for magical beasts on your side, so it’s not easy for you to get some magical crystals. How about this? Apart from the Magical Crystal Cannons, I’ll get my people to send you some magical crystals as well. Each Magical Crystal Cannon needs a magical crystal of at least level-10 to be activated. In order to deal with the pirates, 100 level-15 ones should be enough. However, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to deal with other people with sinister intentions in the future, so I’ll just give you 500 of them.”
“Ah.” Mason opened his mouth wide, and found it hard to continue playing along. How many gold coins does each level-15 magical crystal cost? 100 magical crystals… 500, why can’t I calculate anymore!?
From the moment he entered the side hall, Gerosso had been observing Lin Li’s strength, but he did not detect any obvious magical waves. Hence, he reckoned that Lin Li was just a student following his teacher to gain experience. He usually could not be bothered to care about such insignificant people, but seeing how callous and boastful Lin Li was when insulting him, he finally couldn’t take it any longer.
Gerosso slapped the table and stood up, pointing at Lin Li with one hand and raising his chin. He hollered, “Who do you think you are? Do you know where you are? Do you think something like you is fit to enter!? I don’t care how you got in here, but you’d better get lost immediately. Don’t make me call someone to throw you out!”
However, Gerosso didn’t get any response. Lin Li did not even bother turning around. He smiled, and said to Mason, “Forget it, Mason, stop counting. Magical crystals are sold at a pretty high price in the market, but it’s nothing over at our side. They can easily be obtained by killing magical beasts. It’s settled then. Remember to inform President Joey.”
“I’m talking to you! Who is your teacher? I will see which person is so unruly as to bring any Tom, d.i.c.k, and Harry here!” Gerosso was filled with rage after seeing that Lin Li had ignored him and continued to brag. He even couldn’t help himself anymore, and was about to go up and teach him a lesson.
However, before Gerosso could do anything, he suddenly felt his body stiffen without warning as if all of his mana was instantly frozen. He then completely lost control of his body.
What is going on!? Boundless fear drowned Rogge immediately as he had never experienced something like this before. His body seemed to no longer belong to him, and it was as if he couldn’t move a finger at all.
At this moment, Lin Li also stood up, but without looking at Gerosso, he said to Mason and Orrin, “Let’s go chat in another place lest we get our mood affected.”