Chapter 447: Chapter 343 Finally Graduated!
Dwarves, they adore being praised more than any other intelligent beings.
If you praise an elf and they agree, they’ll mearly thank you. But, if they disagree they’ll tell you straight that you’re wrong.
This is one reason why many people find elves difficult to deal with.
Dwarves are different, whenever you praise a dwarf, they will joyfully accept it.
In fact, when Long Yi showed up, the dwarves were quite worried. Though Long Yi, by nature a human, had been helping the dwarves constantly and even held the position of Dwarf Elder, if Long Yi ever sided with humans, the dwarves would have no choice but to listen. Whether viewed from the perspective of a Dwarf Elder or a plain human, the humans essentially did nothing wrong in this disturbance. The dwarves were merely discontented.
However, Long Yi did not rush to mediate the situation, but waited a few days. He exposed three spies from the Black Dragon Empire and blamed the entire incident on them, much to the dwarves’ delight.
Everybody wanted the conflict to end, but most of the time the dwarves couldn’t control their foul mouths and terrible tempers. If no one noticed their problem, it might have been okay. However, once someone noticed and started making a fuss, they would somehow become even more animated. This meant that, essentially, the spies only played a part in stirring things up; the real troublemakers were the dwarves themselves. By blaming the spies for everything and not questioning the dwarves’ responsibility in the least, Long Yi made the dwarves so happy, and a bit ashamed, that they completely gave up on seeking recourse from anyone.
That night, Long Yi, in accordance with his initial plan, hosted a feast for all the dwarves. He also reminded the delegates from the White Dragon Empire that dwarves just had terrible tempers and that there was no need to confront them—just go with the flow.
Watching the storm simply die down like that, Morton was naturally happy. However, Long Yi was slightly annoyed. The spies from the Black Dragon Empire were omnipresent; their shadows could be found whenever any trouble broke out anywhere. He was just thankful he hadn’t handed Golem over to the dwarves; otherwise his secret might have been exposed.
That being said, the White Dragon Empire also had quite a few spies. Whenever there was any wind of movement in the Black Dragon Empire, Kirei was always quick to get the news. It was the same all over the world. Every nation with any power wanted to have a hold over others—wants to know every move they make.
As autumn yielded to winter, the winter vacation finally arrived.
As Long Yi walked out of the examination hall and faced the gaze of all those present, he finally let out a roar.
"I’ve graduated!"
Yes, after battling an endless sea of questions, Long Yi had finally graduated. In other words, starting from that day, Long Yi was eligible to take up his post in the military.
As per normal procedures, a graduating Dragon Rider could apply to join any Dragon Rider Legion they admired. Then, based on their personal academic record and overall performance, the Legion would decide whether to accept them. Moreover, even after acceptance, there was a period of training and evaluation to decide if they were a suitable Dragon Rider. But Long Yi didn’t have to bother with any of this. As a reserve member of the Third Legion, he could directly report to them.
Morton and Wurim—cooks by profession—exchanged glances as they saw Long Yi leaving the exam hall. Half a month earlier, both of them had successfully graduated. Due to their connections with Zhu Na and the cook, they had naturally received an invitation from the Fourth Legion. However, they hadn’t made up their minds yet because they were waiting for Long Yi’s decision.
"Oh, so Brother Long, you can actually graduate. I had thought you would prolong it for half a year!" Wesley immediately made a sarcastic remark.
"I bet the examiner must have gone easy on you. Brother Long, you’re definitely good at hard-knuckle stuff. But I’d say you’re just not cut out for exams!" The cook was making exaggerated expressions.
"It’s possible. I heard that the examiner this time was a woman," said Wurim nonchalantly.
"Oh! A woman! That explains it!" Wesley continued, "Brother Long is known to be indiscriminate—be it species, sex or even matter."
Looking at the three of them, Long Yi didn’t have the energy to punch them. The questions in this exam were infuriatingly hard. If it weren’t for the power of his Giant ring and his determination, he might have struggled to even finish the exam. Long Yi even started doubting if this was indeed a graduation exam and not a magic research project.
Soon after, Ai Lin also emerged. Judging by her smile, it seemed she had done quite well.
"How did you do?" Long Yi enquired.
"I graduated!" said Ai Lin. "What about you, Brother Long?"
"I graduated too!" Long Yi declared indignantly.
"Yay! To celebrate, let’s go to the most expensive Elf restaurant!" Wesley suddenly shouted.
"Alright! I’ll pick up the tab tonight! Let’s feast like kings!"
Long Yi yelled.
"As long as I can fill my belly, I’m good," said Isrile with a smile.
At this, Long Yi’s face instantly changed. With a quivering voice, he suggested, "Can we go somewhere else? The Red Dragon Empire’s barbecue always tastes good."
"No way! I remember giving this guy a load of gold coins. Today, we’re gonna eat him out of business!" Wesley shouted.
Without saying another word, Isrile hoisted Long Yi onto her shoulder and the group dashed off.
Outside the exam hall, the dean, who looked like Gandalf, was looking at the exam papers with a bitter smile. He said to Gav beside him, "My old friend, these questions were all from the Magic Research Institute. I did my best to stop him, but I couldn’t."
Gav glanced at the question paper, which looked like gibberish to him, nodded, and said, "Although it was a bit earlier than expected, it should not cause any problems. It’s roughly in line with the anticipated timing."
The dean sighed and responded, "Without the shackles of the academy, now that Long Yi has entered the Legion, he will quickly establish his prestige. On one hand, our new Emperor, Kirei, is submissive to Long Yi. On the other hand, the Legion will soon be under his immense influence. Additionally, the development of the Battle Armor and the research on the Super Dragon Rider potion are all contributions from Long Yi. Soon, the entire nation’s war machine will revolve around Long Yi. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, I think, no one really knows."
Gav watched them leave, then turned back and said, "It’s a good thing."
"How do you know?"
"Because all of this is part of his plan."
"He? Which he?"
"Who else could it be when I said ’he’?"
"Excuse me for being blunt, but I find it hard to believe that a person could foresee such a distant future before their death."
"I used to be skeptical too."
"Hearing what you’ve just said..." The Dean laughed, "Makes me even more skeptical."
The Elf restaurant, pure as white. No matter when you visit, it always maintains an immaculate appearance. Elves don’t like makeover; once they decide on a certain style, it may not change for hundreds of years.
However, when Long Yi and his friends arrived at the door, they came upon a sudden realization.
"Damn it, I didn’t bring the card!" Wesley exclaimed, his eyes wide.
"My dad confiscated mine a long time ago!" The chef added in surprise.
The Elf restaurant operates on an invitation basis: only those with their invitation card can enter. Without an invitation card, you can’t even get in the door.
"Haha, I told you guys, we should go for the Red Dragon Empire’s roast meat! It’s expensive, yes, but the quantity and taste are unbeatable!" Long Yi, pinned under an arm, struggled to speak out his suggestion.
"Get lost, paupers!"
A voice suddenly came from behind.
The crowd turned around, being addressed as paupers. Four young men of not-so-old age stood behind. Judging by their attire, they were obviously from wealthy families. However, the looks on their faces when they looked at Long Yi were anything but pleasant.
"I said move, didn’t you hear?"
The guy who had spoken earlier opened his mouth again. He wasn’t tall, had short blond hair and looked somewhat familiar.
"Oh? Isn’t this Mello from Hagrid’s family? How’s your brother Joseph doing?" Wesley asked with a joking tone.
"Heh, I thought I recognized you. Isn’t this Wesley, the bumpkin who likes peeping on girls in the shower?" Mello retorted, a cold smirk on his face.
"Yes, yes, I’m that same bumpkin Wesley who swallowed a fifth of your family’s business not too long ago." Despite Mello’s insult, Wesley kept smiling, clearly unbothered by people calling him a bumpkin."
Mello’s eyes twitched; clearly, Wesley had hit a nerve. He was about to retort, but a hand on his shoulder from someone behind stopped him.
Long Yi was there, the top-tier warrior of the White Dragon Empire.
Mello paused, his cold smirk reappearing on his face.
"Step aside, bumpkin, don’t waste my time." Mello said.
Wesley laughed, saying, "Sure, guys, let’s make way for this high and mighty lordship--"
The crowd parted to let Mello pass. Despite his outward confidence, Mello’s eyes showed a subtle stir. He could feel an immense amount of pressure coming from the surrounding crowd. It was from Ai Lin, Long Yi, Isrile, heck, even from Wesley and the Mosquito Trio.
People who’ve been on the battlefield and those who haven’t are completely different.
Mello took out his card, a beam of light scanned it, and the door opened, allowing the four to enter. With a synchronized turn, they left with a scornful look on their faces.
In any country, being able to enter the Elf restaurant signifies status, wealth, and prestige.
"Ahem, sis, can you let me down?" Long Yi patted Isrile’s arm as his head bumped throughout the way, feeling as if he were about to pass out.
"Oh, sorry, you’re too light, I almost forgot." Isrile replied.
Long Yi was almost in tears, was he really that lightweight?
However, compared to Isrile, whose weight was measured in tons, and Long Yi, who was still measured in pounds, the disheartened man was a pitiful sight.
Long Yi glanced at the door, thinking of any possible privileges he could enjoy since he had a good relationship with the Elves. Surely, hard-breaking wouldn’t be an option.
Just when he was pondering, he felt something trembling in his chest. He took it out and saw the battle armor pendant given to him by the Elf Queen. He had worn it around his neck for such a long time, having preserved it through life and death situations several times, without discerning any specific purpose for it.
However, when the pendant came out, a light immediately swept over it, and the door instantly opened.
Does that work?
That’s so rad! (To be continued. If you like this novel, you are welcome to vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. For mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
