by Zhuang Bifan
"Oh, alright…" Brook replied nervously. But, the moment he received the crystal card, he drew a cold breath. "Oh my God…"
Then, Brook's eyes were wide opened.
"G-G-Glittergold Trade Union!"
"Yup, I think it is…" Lin Li replied as he rubbed his nose awkwardly. He felt a little ashamed. If he had not extravagantly spent the money he earned from the auction of the Arcane Magic Potion at Jarrosus, he could have formed a hill of gold coins. Now that much of the hill had been used up on random purchases he had made during his journey from Jarrosus to Alanna, he realized that he did not have much left in the crystal card Gerian had given him. Hence, he had no choice but to use Hoffman's crystal card just to buy a pair of daggers…
While Lin Li was still feeling the great sense of embarrassment, Brook had almost peed his pants in fear. Crystal cards distributed by the Glittergold Trade Union were always guaranteed by the currency in Felan Kingdom. Anyone with a good background would prepare a card for himself. If the Glittergold Trade Union were to crash overnight, two-thirds of Felan would have to declare bankrupt too. It was a fact that the crystal card from the Glittergold Trade Union was used almost universally, and had integrated into the lives of everyone.
But, Brook knew that the card in his hand was absolutely different…
Brook would bet his life that the VIP card he was holding had to be given out personally by that decision-maker of the Glittergold Trade Union. It was not something he would see frequently. In fact, he had only seen the card twice throughout the 20 years he had been working for the Time Consignment Store. The first time was 10 years ago, when Brook had just been raised to assist his boss in the transactions. There was a big shot from the capital of Alanna who showed his boss a similar card. Brook could still remember very clearly the expression of his boss. It was definitely more exaggerated than his now…
After that, his boss told him that anyone who owned that card had the ability to withdraw any amount of money from any Glittergold Bank. It meant that he had the wealth equivalent of the entire nation. If he wanted, he could purchase the entire Time Consignment Store too…
The second time he saw the card was now.
Brook would never have dreamt that he would see that type of card again. His teeth chattered in fright as he stood in a daze…
"Brook, why are you standing there for? Do I have to get Uncle William here?" Lasorick asked impatiently.
Brook's voice trembled as he replied, "S-Sir Lasorick, t-this is the VIP card of the Glittergold Trade Union…"
"Darn it, what VIP card are you talking about?"
When Lasorick was prepared to scold him, he was stopped by someone. Then, he realized that it was that young man beside him. The man whispered something into his ear, and when Lasorick raised his head again, his face was full of shock.
"The VIP card is so powerful?" Lasorick asked the young man again after he looked at Lin Li from the distance.
"Yeah." The young man nodded firmly, and did not say more.
"What the f*ck…" Lasorick cursed as he put away his crystal card.
Then, there was nothing more to be said…
Brook did the transaction for Lin Li without any further obstructions. The pair of daggers cost 15 thousand gold coins, and he did not dare to charge him even a bit more. He would not dare to do anything funny to a customer who had the VIP card of the Glittergold Trade Union.
After getting the daggers, Lin Li looked around the showroom again. Unfortunately, nothing worthy caught his eye. Seeing that it was dinnertime soon, he bid Brook goodbye, and decided to return to the mercenary station. But, before leaving, he glanced at Lasorick again.
"Oh, yes. Sir Lasorick, you are definitely right. Only people with money can set the rules…"
"You watch out, bastard!" Lasorick said through gritted teeth, and glared at Lin Li's back…
After returning to the base of the mercenary corps, Lin Li saw Sienna engaged in a discussion with a group of people, and did not want to disturb him. Hence, he went back to his room and called Norfeller and Ujfalusi over.
"Ujfalusi, what do you think if this pair of daggers?" Upon entering the room, Lin Li placed the daggers on top of the table.
Ujfalusi picked one of them up. After sizing it for a while, he placed it back carefully. "Master, if I'm not wrong, this pair of daggers should have belonged to a powerful Undead creature…"
"Tell me more about it," Lin Li responded earnestly. It was a wise decision to ask Ujfalusi to assess the daggers. Being a Lich previously, that guy had lived a few hundred of years. Having a wisdom that was beyond any other human being, he could certainly give a satisfactory explanation for an object filled with death aura.
"I'm not sure if you had heard of an assassin by the name of Holler active in the Breezy Plains 200 years ago?"
"Holler? Do you mean the person who killed the Sword Sage, Ulysses?" Lin Li asked as he frowned. He had heard that during the final stage of the Dark Ages around 1200 years ago, when the High Elves Dynasty fell, mankind was trying to rebuild their homes in this piece of land. After the war, Anril was not as harmonious as today. The rest of the High Elves was desperate in trying out various methods to use their remaining strength to create upheavals.
It was Ulysses who camped at the borders of Felan Kingdom. Being one of the three Sword Sages of Felan Kingdom, he and his warriors were regarded as the most powerful force in the kingdom. No one had expected him to die three days after he arrived in the Breezy Plains. It was Holler who killed him in his own military camp…
Ulysses' death led to chaos in the whole Felan Kingdom. The royals of the kingdom were enraged, and three groups of imperial guards were sent after Holler. In the next decade, almost all the people—even ants—were interrogated. Yet, it was as though Holler had evaporated into thin air. Although 1200 years passed, the whereabouts of Holler after that incident remained a mystery…
"Yeah, it was that Holler…" Ujfalusi nodded, and pulled a chair to sit before Lin Li. "But, I presume not many people know that Holler was an Undead creature…"
"Undead creature?"
"Yup. To be exact, Holler was a true high-ranking Vampire who surpassed level-20 at that time. Hence, he did not need to play dirty tricks to defeat Ulysses. The weapon Holler used back then was this pair of daggers…" The Lich paused.
"Actually, the reason why I became a Lich was related to Holler too…" Ujfalusi muttered.
Since Ujfalusi did not talk about how he became a Lich due to Holler, Lin Li did not insist on knowing the reason. Also, it did not matter to him if Ujfalusi was an evil Lich or not. Knowing that everybody had their own secrets, he understood the need to respect Ujfalusi's privacy as well. He knew very well that Ujfalusi would naturally tell him his story in the future if he wanted to.
So, Lin Li only smiled. "It seems like this pair of daggers indeed suits Norfeller…"
"Yes, Master. There was this rumor that the pair of daggers was given Holler by the Immortal King. The massive death energy in it allowed Holler's ability to reach the peak of the Legendary Realm!" Ujfalusi said.
Then, he suddenly shook his head. "Unfortunately, the daggers you have in your hands are incomplete. They lack the most important energy source—there were supposed to be two Cursed Gems etched into their handles. Only Cursed Gems have unlimited death energy necessary to bring the best out of the daggers…"
"Cursed Gems?" Lin Li exclaimed smilingly. He opened the Ring of Endless Storm and fished out something shiny…
"My God…" Ujfalusi was stupefied by that shiny object. Although he had lived as a Lich for 600 years, he did not expect there to be such a large Gem of Curse in this world. With it being as big as a fist, Ujfalusi could not imagine how much death energy could be stored within the gem. But, he was confident that if he owned such a big Gem of Curse, he would have the ability to turn everybody in the Breezy Plains into Undead creatures after their death…
"But, I think it is very troublesome to cut the Gem of C
urse into smaller pieces. I have to do some research…" Lin Li said as he scratched his head. Then, he pushed the daggers before Norfeller. "Norfeller, you can take these daggers first. I will help you put the gems in them when I find the method to cut them."
"Yes, Master. "
After putting the Gem of Curse into the Ring of Endless Storm, Lin Li was still thinking if he should ask about the Immortal King. Then, he heard someone knocking on his door.
"Mage Felic, are you inside?"
"Sienna, what brings you here?" Lin Li asked as he got up to open the door.
"It's like this, Mage Felic. Castellan Arathor wants to hold a feast to thank the mercenary corps. He is inviting every member in the team, so I'm wondering if you are free too…"
"Dinner?" Lin Li paused, and took some time to think over it. It is too boring to stay here. Since I'm free tonight, why don't I go and take a look at the Castellan Mansion?
"I should be free at night. You can let me know the time we set off."
"That's great, I will let my men prepare the carriage!"
Chapter 340 - Paladin
There were many luxurious carriages parked outside the castellan's mansion, and the guests who came in those vehicles had donned gorgeous outfits. Anyone would be able to tell that they were big shots with noble background and status. That night, the mansion guards were really busy. They had no time to rest since the afternoon, and were busy with nodding their heads and bowing to all the guests.
The guests that visited tonight were not limited to the nobles in the capital of Alanna. There was also Lasorick—son of Doland's castellan—as well as William, the legendary figure of Doland City, a well-known collector and appraiser who lived a modest life as the owner of the Time Consignment Store…
However, the arrival of several guests confused the guards. Although those three men and one woman seemed to keep a low profile, the castellan, Arathor, actually went to welcome them in person. When the castellan of Doland visited them a few years ago, he did not even enjoy such a grand welcome.
"Could they be the secret envoys sent by His Highness?" one of the guards asked the others. Although the guests had already gone into the mansion, the guards still could not get over it.
"Mage Felic, we're here." Sienna's voice could be heard after the carriage stopped outside the castellan's mansion.
"Sure," responded Lin Li. He did not forget to neaten the long robe he was wearing. With the unhappy experience back at the mansion of the Jarrosus' castellan, he wore a tailored rune robe made from the Gilded Rose. With its delicate craftsmanship, it looked very smart on Lin Li, just as though he was really a nobleman…
Behind Lin Li was Norfeller. The high-ranking Vampire was Lin Li's only attendant tonight—he had no other choice but to leave Ujfalusi at home. That dude was a set of bones that emitted heavy death energy. Although it was usually covered by his long black robe, if anything were to go wrong at the gathering, people were bound to be scared to death.
According to Ujfalusi, the pair of daggers was named Heaven's Wrath. They emitted a faint sense of death energy under Norfeller's black cape. Lin Li let Norfeller test the powers of the Heaven's Wrath when they got in the coach.
To his surprise, the daggers were simply too powerful. Norfeller did not have to use any force to break Lin Li's Water Shield. It was lucky that Norfeller withdrew the daggers quickly, or else Lin Li would be in real danger.
Of course, Lin Li did not forget that the Heaven's Wrath daggers were still incomplete. According to Ujfalusi's, he still had to embed two Cursed Gems in the Heaven's Wrath to demonstrate its true powers. Even Lin Li was curious to know how freakish the Heaven's Wrath actually was…
It seemed like he had to find an opportunity to chat with Andoine soon. The skill of the crystal sculptor who helped to cut the Crystal of Eternity was rather proficient. If he could get his help again, there should be ways to cut the gem…
While Lin Li was still calculating, Sienna was flashing the invitation card to the guards.
The guards looked at the card, and then at the people in the coach. Then, their gaze went back to Sienna. Are they really the castellan's guests? They had no choice but to suspect them: the carriage was too run-down. The hair of the horse was not well-trimmed, and they could not spot any decorations on the coach. It was pitch black as though it had just run through some mud. They reasoned that coach to be the cheapest one sold on the market. It would surely not cost more than 50 gold coins for one to get both the coach and the horse…
"Please wait outside for a moment while I check with the people inside…" The guard was very careful. The guests today were all big shots. One could easily be the boss of some trade union. If these people before him had ill intentions towards other guests, it would be too much for them to take responsibility for…
Luckily, it did not take too long. The guard was out with someone after two or three minutes.
"Captain Sienna, you are the star of this party. How can you be so late? You'll have to drink more later!" That someone was a middle-aged man around 40. The clothes and accessories he was wearing were not very luxurious, but gave people a simple and harmonious impression. His actions carried a special charisma of a middle-aged man.
"Greetings, Lord Castellan." Sienna stepped forward hurriedly. He knelt down on one knee, and bowed before the middle-aged man.
"Captain Sienna, you are too formal. You are the benefactor of my family. Not to mention that you saved Cyndor from the Syer Bandits, you also brought my dear Yvonne back safely. I haven't even thanked you properly yet…" The middle-aged man helped Sienna up, and looked at the people standing behind him. "Come, come. Captain Sienna, introduce these people under you to me, please."
Although the entire mercenary team was invited, how could Sienna bring everyone here? Apart from himself, there were only Jason and his team, as well as Lin Li and his attendant. Of course, Sienna did not have any people under him here…
"Lord Castellan, they are not my attendants…" Sienna denied hurriedly.
Is he joking? I would be dead if I called anyone here my attendant!
"This is Mr. Jason from Doland City…"
"Jason?" Arathor gasped. "Doland's Jason, the young Adventurer who led his team and brought back the beheaded leader of the Blood Bandits? A rare guest indeed! I have always wanted to meet this capable Adventurer of Doland who had never failed any of his missions. I can't believe that Captain Sienna actually brought you here today! I have to give you a toast later…"
"Hehe, Lord Castellan is too kind," Jason replied calmly. Being known for his achievements at such a young age, Jason had encountered many similar situations. He was not flattered by Arathor's friendliness, and instead introduced the two teammates of his.
"Oh, yes. Captain Sienna, who are these two gentlemen?"
"This is Mage Felic, and this his attendant, Mr. Norfeller."
"You are a mage at such a young age? That's really impressive…"
"Hehe, you flatter me."
"Come to think of it, my two children at home have always been pestering me to get them a magic mentor. But, all the matters at hand always make me postpone their request. If you are free, can you help by giving them some advice on magic?"
"That'd be my honor, Lord Castellan." Lin Li laughed as he brushed the matter off. A fool would have known that the castellan was only trying to be polite towards Lin Li. The castellan was not as ingratiating as compared to how he acted towards Jason. He had to think that Lin Li had much less worth. In terms of coaching his children in magic… Why would the castellan let the heirs of Roland City be mentored by a random mage?
With Castellan's politeness, the atmosphere was unusually harmonious. The group found themselves in the grand hall very quickly. After leading them in, Arathor excused himself apologetically before going off to greet other guests.
"I didn't expect such a formal gathering…!" Sienna exclaimed in excitement. He had been looking around eagerly after he sat down. "Oh God, even Mr.
William is here!" he gasped after seeing the man streaming in with the other guests.
"Mr. William?" Lin Li repeated that name. It sounded very familiar to him. Just when he wanted to ask Sienna who he was, Lin Li suddenly felt something amiss with Norfeller, who was beside him.
"What happened to you, Norfeller?" Norfeller had been with Lin Li ever since they came out of the Demon Fall Valley. How could he not be close enough to notice the change in Norfeller's mood? Furthermore, although he was sitting in his seat obediently, Lin Li could sense an ominous feeling from Norfeller. He seemed possessed from his grave disposition as well.
Norfeller appeared not to hear Lin Li's question. His hand tightly gripped the Heaven's Wrath underneath his black cape, and his pair of red eyes was deadly fixed on something in front of him.
Lin Li followed the direction of Norfeller's gaze, and saw four people seated in the distance ahead. Three of them wore long white robes and were emitting a strong sense of holy aura, which Lin Li had encountered when he was with Archbishop Englos. From that, Lin Li could tell that they had to be the followers of the Brilliance Shrine, and that their positions should be higher than normal Priests, such as a Bishop's…
As for the last person, Lin Li could not decipher her background.
She was a young lady in her 20s. Despite being in the splendidly decorated hall, her long golden hair stood out like the dazzling sun. Her complexion was as smooth as jade, and the silver armor on her body complemented her appearance very much. Like the legendary Seraph, she was incredibly attractive. Even a cold-blooded fella like Lin Li could not help but find his eyes glued to that beauty…
But, the weirdest thing was her aura. Although she emitted a strong holy aura, it was completely different from her companions'. When she stood up from the chair, she was like a sharp sword that just got unsheathed. Her intrusive holy aura was like a heavy chain that could cause suffocation.
Sh*t, this is bad… Lin Li had a bad premonition.
It was no joke. When Lin Li was at Alanna, he stayed with the Archbishop of the Brilliance Shrine, Englos, for a period of time. He was clearer than any other people about how much the believers of the Brilliance Shrine despised Undead creatures. They forever had the intention to slay any Undead as long as they spotted one.