by Zhuang Bifan
"Sean, what's the matter with you?" After all this, Lin Li turned back and stared at the honest young man; his expression was rather stern. "Your father was just recovering, why not make him stay in bed?"
Sean looked a little sorry. He opened his mouth to explain, but when the words came to his mouth, they turned into an apology. "Sorry… Mage Felic…"
"Don't blame him, Mage Felic. I wanted to come on my own…" The middle-aged man's voice was hoarse and weak, and he was speaking slowly. "I'm here this time to ask you for something…"
"Please speak."
"Sean has been sensible since young. He has been running around with me for many years, but has not known better days all these years. I, as his father, have no ability to find a promising career for my son. So, I'd like to ask you, would you consider making Sean your attendant?" The middle-aged man gazed at his son with much warmth and love in his eyes.
The gaze reminded Lin Li of his father and of McGrenn, who had passed away.
To be honest, he was hesitant.
In a world of sword and magic, many mages had their own attendants. For example, Old Grimm, who had been to the Guild of Magic, had a legendary-level warrior attendant. This was not merely a subordinate relationship; in many cases, it also meant a responsibility.
Lin Li was not someone who liked to take responsibility. So, when Sean had made this request the other day, Lin Li did not agree immediately, making him go home and discuss it with his father.
Lin Li thought that it was just Sean's own idea; the middle-aged man might not necessarily consent to it.
But, in the end…
The middle-aged man not only agreed with Sean's idea, he even dragged his sick body to the Guild of Magic to persuade Lin Li.
Facing a father who hoped for his son to have a brighter future, Lin Li couldn't bring himself to reject him.
The expectant expression on the middle-aged man's face constantly reminded Lin Li of his father. When he had just graduated from school, his father ran all over the place, putting in good words for Lin Li as he tried to seek a relationship for Lin Li's own good. The expression on his face was exactly the same as that of the middle-aged man in front of him…
"I beg you, Mage Felic."
"Please let me consider…
"Sean, you see if this is alright…" Lin Li hesitated for a moment amidst their anticipation, and then told the honest young man, "I don't need an attendant yet, but there's one thing that I really need your help in, so I'm going to hire you for three months first. As far as the remuneration is concerned… What do you think of 5,000 gold coins a month?"
"5,000 gold coins!" The middle-aged man gave a start and quickly declined, "This is no good, Mage Felic. That will never do. 5,000 gold coins is too much. You saved my life. If you need any help, just order Sean to do it. How can we make you spend so much money?"
Chapter 99 - The Robbery Begins Now
Things were settled. Lin Li hired Sean for three months with a monthly salary of 5,000 gold coins.
At daybreak the next day, Sean arrived at the Emerald Tower and sat down in the hall earnestly, waiting for the Mage Felic to get up. His tanned face was filled with excited smiles. Although he could not be Mage Felic's attendant as he wished, employment for three months was delightful enough for the honest young man. Lin Li was the most powerful character of Jarrosus and the benefactor of his family. For this simple and honest young man, whether it was being an attendant or an employee, it was sufficient to keep him up in excitement all night.
The past two days had consumed too much of Lin Li's energy. After sending Sean and his father away the previous day, Lin Li simply fell asleep as soon as he lay down on his bed and slept till late in the morning today.
When he came out of his bedroom, still groggy, the carriage had already been waiting outside the Emerald Tower for a long time. There were many people in the guild hall. Except for those who were far away in the Demon Fall Valley, almost all the guild's mages were here. Sean sat far away in a corner and observed the fascinating mages with curious eyes.
"Kid, you're finally up…" When Lin Li came out of the potion lab yesterday, his complexion was frightening. Gerian was so worried that he did not sleep well all night for fear that something bad might happen to the bushed kid. It wasn't until this morning, when he saw that the kid's face had returned to its former l.u.s.ter, that the old fellow was secretly relieved.
"I've told you everything's fine…"
"Have you brought everything? Take more clothes with you. The weather is cold in Alanna. If you get a cold or fever, it won't be worth it. By the way, you must remember to put your crystal card away; don't throw it around. Thieves in that place are not under Daphne's control. If you lose it, you may not be able to get it back." Gerian seemed particularly long-winded today, but Lin Li felt an unspeakable warmth as he listened.
"I know, I know. The older you get, the more long-winded you are…"
"You little bastard, you don't appreciate the good!" Gerian yelled. His eyes fell on Sean again, and there was some admiration on his face. "This young man has a gift."
"Mhm." Lin Li nodded. He knew that Gerian was telling the truth. Sean's gift was so good that it would make people really jealous. His innate strength had allowed him to reach beyond level-five of a warrior without any training. If he had a real expert to guide him, his future would be very promising.
"Sean, what are you looking at?" Lin Li approached the simple young man, only to find him looking around with curious eyes.
"I'm looking at them." Sean pointed his finger towards the guild hall; the expression on his face was rather exaggerated. "I've never seen so many mages in my life before…"
"You'll see it frequently in the future. Alright, Sean, we should set off soon…"
"Oh…" The honest young man nodded and reached for his sword that was leaning just beside him. Old Poliro bought this for him when he went out this morning. A bottle of Lin Li's Detoxification Antidote had solved all the problems, and also allowed the father and son to have more money to buy new weapons.
"I've prepared your weapon. You can leave that in the Guild of Magic." Lin Li shook his head and took out the sword wrapped in cloth from behind.
"This…"
"This what?" Lin Li forcefully stuffed this huge sword into Sean's hand. "You are the bodyguard I paid to hire. How can you protect me without a good weapon? As for the 1,000 gold coins lent to you… I'll deduct it from the remuneration when the time comes."
Gerian walked them outside the Emerald Tower, where a carriage had been waiting for a long time.
"Be careful on the way." Gerian did not forget to remind Lin Li as he saw him up to the carriage.
"I know, I know. Don't be too hasty about the Demon Fall Valley. If you can, you'd better put it off first. We'll talk about it when I get back from Alanna."
"Mhm. Bon voyage!"
In the crisp sound of horse's hooves, the Emerald Tower gradually faded away.
Sean was driving the carriage with a whip cl.i.c.k.i.n.g on his hand. His tanned face was full of excitement and contentment—being able to drive for Mage Felic seemed like a dream to him.
Lin Li sat in the spacious carriage, drowsiness creeping in on him with every bump of the carriage. The tall spire of the Emerald Tower had disappeared from his sight a long time ago. The scenery on both sides flew by fast, and before he knew it, he was getting farther and farther away from Jarrosus…
Blackstone Town was close to the Night Song Forest, only 100 miles away from Alanna. These two places—one of them a paradise for low-level magical beasts and the other the heart of the Felan Kingdom—occupied such important geographical locations. Blackstone Town enjoyed exceptional advantages—whether it was adventurers hunting for magical beasts or businessmen in charge of goods all over the world, most of them would choose to take a rest when they passed through this town.
The huge migrant population had brought prosperity to the inn industry in Blackstone Town. In
just a few hundred years, inns in Blackstone Town had mushroomed, emerging one after another. Presently, nine out of ten families in this small town run an inn.
The sky gradually darkened and there was silence between the mountains and plains, but Blackstone Town was bustling. For the inn owners, this was the best time of the day. The businessmen who had missed the stay and the adventurers who had just come out of the Night Song Forest were the best customers for the inns. They stayed in a room of five gold coins a night without blinking their eyes.
Compared to these big spenders, the mage earlier on was much more stingy.
A gold coin for one night, and two people were sharing a small room together.
"There's actually a mage this poor…" The maidservant looked at Lin Li with some disdain. He was handsome and fine, but she did not expect him to be so shabby. Not to mention squeezing in one room with his attendant, the mage robe he was wearing was old and worn as well…
After the two men were introduced into the room, the maidservant did not even hint at a tip and left with a coquettish twist of her hip.
"The quality of the maidservants here is so high?" Lin Li was stunned. He was reaching out into his pocket for money, planning to tip her with two gold coins before she left.
Fortunately, Lin Li did not know what she was thinking; otherwise, he would have died unjustly…
He wanted two rooms, but Sean refused that no matter what. He said that he was responsible for the safety of Mage Felic and that he had to stay close to protect him…
"Let's see how you'll protect me now…" Lin Li's brows furrowed as soon as he entered the room. A gold coin per night in a room which was so shockingly small. Two beds and one table alone occupied most of the space. With Sean inside, the room suddenly seemed extremely jammed.
"Mage Felic, you…"
"Shut up!" Hearing Sean's address to himself, Lin Li felt a great headache. "I've told you 800 times, don't call me Mage Felic. We are in an employer-employee relationship. Do you understand that? That is to say… I give you money, and you help me do work. We are equal in status. You can call me Felic or Mr Felic."
He then reminded Sean fiercely once more, "If you address me wrongly again, you'll go back to Jarrosus on your own…"
"Mr… Mr Felic?"
"Mm, very good!" It still sounded awkward, but it didn't matter. He'll get used to it after a few more times , Lin Li comforted himself inwardly. Then, he took off his Robe of Wrath and plopped into bed. "Hurry and sleep, but don't you snore!"
"I don't snore…"
The big man who'd said to never snore almost toppled the inn after being in bed for less than half an hour.
"Mm, you never snore… You only thunder!" Lin Li wanted to die. Sean's terrifying snores were like the howls of a magical beast. The bursts of thunder followed one after another, which alarmed the coquettish maidservant. She came to knock on Lin Li's door in the middle of the night, reminding the mage that it was best not to use magic in the room, because if anything was damaged, the compensation would be very costly!
"…" Lin Li was going to defend himself and make up for the tip earlier on when he heard a muffled bang coming from downstairs.
Then there was a flurry of footsteps, along with the inn owner's inquiries.
But it was a loud slap in the face that answered him.
Clap! The slap in the face was so loud and crisp that even Lin Li who was on the second floor could imagine the owner's swollen face.
The footsteps were getting nearer and nearer, and in the blink of an eye, they reached the stairs.
From the sound, there should be more than a dozen people.
Before the coquettish maidservant could understand what was going on, a dozen people had rushed up to the second floor.
The leader was a tall strong man who looked to be about 30 years old. He carried a deep and long scar on his face, making him look extremely ferocious. A group of heavily armed men followed behind him; each and every one of them looked fierce and aggressive. The strong man with the scar on his face did not stop when he walked past Lin Li's room; he merely shot a menacing glare at Lin Li. "Take out all your valuable things and kneel at the door. Someone will come to collect them. If you dare to hide a copper plate, you will die!"
"…" Lin Li stood bewildered at the door. He thought to himself doubtfully, Is this the purported robbery? Damn, how exhilarating!
Then he saw that group of strong men who were savage like wolves and tigers kick open all the doors one by one.
The successive rumbling awoke Sean.
"Mage Felic… Oh, no, Mr Felic…" Sean got up from bed with a sleepy face and rubbed his eyes as he approached the door and asked Lin Li, "What happened?"
"Hahaha, we are being robbed!"
"…" The coquettish maidservant looked at Lin Li as if she were looking at a madman. Was the mage scared silly? He was laughing so happily knowing that they were being robbed…
"Really?" Sean's eyes lit up, and he came forward excitedly.
"Two freaks…" The coquettish maidservant cursed inwardly, but she was dismal. She was finally earning some tips as a maidservant; she didn't expect she'd be so unlucky to meet the people of the Bloodwolves Thieves. Not only was she going to lose her money, she might even lose her life…
As the two freaks scrambled to take a peep outside, the doors had been kicked open. About 30 to 40 guests were driven out of their rooms; some wore pajamas, while others wore nothing at all. The only trace of sleepiness was scared away by the gleaming weapons. Most of the people were frightened pale and trembling with fear as they watched the group of robbers rush into their rooms.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the robbery begins now. Please cooperate." The strong man with the scar on his face stood at the end of the corridor, proudly announcing the situation to everyone.
"Now, please put all the valuable things in the doorway and then kneel on the ground with your hands on your head. Our people will come to collect them soon. Please cooperate and don't hide anything. Otherwise, unpleasant things may happen… I repeat, please cooperate and don't hide anything!"
"F*ck you, you Bloodwolves Thieves. I am from the Silver Hand, try to lay a finger on me if you dare!" At a time when everyone was at a loss, there was uproar in a room. A low-level adventurer with a machete was staring at the people of the Bloodwolves Thieves with a guarded expression.
Lin Li shook his head with some regret. How could he not see with his vision that the strength of the adventurer was too poor—a level-three or four at the most. On the contrary, his enemies, the members of the Bloodwolves Thieves, were all beyond level-five, and among them, the strong man with the scarred face was at least of level-eight.
It was no wonder they had the guts to rob the Sylvan Inn.
The Night Song Forest was a paradise for low-level magical beasts, so it would naturally attract only low-level adventurers. Adventurers who had reached level-eight or above would never take a fancy to it. The reward was simply too low. For those who possessed strength above level-eight, who would be willing to travel such long distance for a mere few dozens gold coins?
As for those who could afford the protection from mercenary corps, how would they seek a lodging in Blackhills Town? They could just pitch a tent anywhere in the wilderness. With dozens of mercenaries to protect them, which band of thieves would dare to look for trouble with them?
Most of the people who would seek a temporary lodging in Blackhills Town would be those who only shuttled short distances between Alanna and the surrounding cities. Their profits were not high, so it was impossible to hire mercenaries to protect them…
"These Bloodwolves Thieves are very good at calculating…"
Chapter 100 - Two Bottles of Potion
Lin Li's regret was reasonable. The strength of a level-three or four warrior was awfully low. The voice of the low-level adventurer had just fallen when he was kicked in his stomach; the machete in his hand was sent flying at the same time. Two wolf-like robbers pounc
ed on him and delivered rounds of fat punches to him, knocking several of his teeth out on the spot.
"Now, who else has objections?" The burly man with a scar picked up the machete from the ground and looked around with a grin on his face.
There was dead silence in the corridor.
"Very well, it seems that everyone has no objections…" The man chortled haughtily. "Brothers, collect the valuables!"
More than a dozen vicious robbers spread out and began to collect the goods piled up in front of the doors.
Under the threat of death, the businessmen chose to give in. They knelt in front of the doors with their hands on their heads. In front of them lay all their income from this business trip—the shiny gold coins and jewelry were all over the place at the doors. In contrast, most of the adventurers were hardened. After all, they were people who had seen bloodshed before. Although most of them had already handed over their belongings, at least three or four of them had not knelt on the ground with their hands clasped around their heads.
"It seems that there are people who don't want to cooperate." There was some dissatisfaction in the tone of the burly man with a scar. With one hand holding the machete upside down, he walked towards the adventurers.
"You can't do that. I'm a Felan aristocrat. You can't do that to me!"
At this time, however, there were some disputes among the businessmen.
A middle-aged man with a paunchy belly was tearing at a few robbers. Lin Li listened and realized that the dispute stemmed from a gold tooth. After the robbers had finished collecting the belongings, they had taken a fancy to a gold tooth in the middle-aged man's mouth and wanted him to pull it out by any means. The middle-aged man refused to do it; he was fighting hard while crying out that he was a Felan aristocrat.
Not to mention the burly man, even Lin Li did not believe it.
If he was really a Felan aristocrat, how could he lodge at a room in Blackhills Town?
This was simply a farce.
However, the arm was no match for the t.h.i.g.h. Under the joint efforts of the four robbers, the golden tooth was finally pulled out. The middle-aged man screamed in pain; blood and saliva flowed down from the corners of his mouth, making it seem unusually bloody.