Chapter 259: Chapter 57 Sheng Xie’s Deterrence_2
Ah Dai was startled, quickly stood up and returned their salute, "No, please don’t be formal, Captain Siri, were you looking for me?"
Siri glanced at his companions, then nodded, "Yes, we heard that an elder from the guild was here; as members of the Mage Guild, we could not be absent from pay our respects."
Ah Dai quickly responded, "Please have a seat, no need for such formality. I’m merely an elder in name."
Siri and his companion were sent by the second legion commander to verify the identities of Ah Dai and his friends. Upon hearing that a mere twenty-something was an elder, he was incredulous. The practice of magic requires time and within the guild, only mages who reach the Magician Level could possibly become elders. He found it hard to believe that someone so young could have already reached such a level.
A hint of disdain in Siri’s eyes, he cut straight to the chase, "With an additional elder in the guild, we were all quite surprised. Could I take a look at your Magic Card, please?"
Ah Dai, a bit awkwardly, said, "Stop calling me an elder, please. You can just call me by my name, Ah Dai. Here is my card." He then handed over the golden card Uncle Kary gave him. Siri took the card, surprise flickering in his eyes. He’d assumed that Ah Dai must have been impersonating an elder. But now, as he held the card symbolizing one’s identity, he had to discard that assumption. A Magic Robe may be counterfeited, but it was impossible to forge an elder’s Magic Card. The creation of the golden Magic Card was an incredibly complex process, known only to the elders and the guild chairman within the guild. Furthermore, to issue an elder-level Magic Card to a newly appointed one not only required the chairman’s approval but also the endorsement of at least five elders, it’s issued by the Guild Chairman himself after a thorough verification. Judging from the energy contained within the card and its appearance, it was undoubtedly genuine. Respect welled up within him as his previous doubts vanished. He handed his card back to Ah Dai, "So you truly are a newly appointed elder of the guild. My apologies for my previous offense."
Ah Dai hurriedly responded, "No, no, you haven’t done anything wrong at all. To be honest, I still don’t quite understand why Uncle Kary asked me to be an elder."
"Elder Ah Dai," replied Siri, looking a touch uncomfortable, "Why are you headed to the Empire of Sunset City? The current situation there is rather tense. I’m afraid it may not be in your best interest."
Just as Ah Dai was about to respond, Yan Shi interjected, "Captain Siri, there’s no need to beat around the bush. You don’t believe in Ah Dai’s status as an Elder because of his young age, do you?" Yan Shi had seen through their motives as soon as Siri and his companion had walked in.
Siri was left tongue-tied by Yan Shi’s direct question, repeatedly denying it, "No, not at all. Some generals in the group army just thought Elder Ah Dai was rather young and feared he might be a spy for the Empire of Sunset City. That’s why they sent us here to confirm his identity. Elder Ah Dai’s Magic Card has already proven his status, we have no more doubts. But, those military men are stubborn. Elder Ah Dai, could you perhaps demonstrate your magical power so they can witness it, thus clearing their doubts."
"Isn’t that the same thing?" Yan Shi retorted, anger in his voice, "Does the Empire of Huasheng’s army have such little trust in their allies? We are here with Governor Aldos’s tokens."
Impulsive Yan Li jumped to his feet, pulled out his double axes from behind, and shouted, "Brother, Ah Dai, let’s go. I’d like to see who dares to stop us!"
Ah Dai jumped, hurriedly grabbed Yan Li, and said, "Big Brother Yan Li, don’t be impulsive. You can’t really blame them for their doubts, I don’t exactly look like an elder of the Mage Guild. But, Captain Siri, I honestly don’t rank highly in terms of magical power, what would you have me do to demonstrate?"
Siri had already accepted Ah Dai’s identity, but upon hearing this he couldn’t help but be riddled with doubts again. Without power, how could one become an elder? "Elder Ah Dai, there’s no need to be modest. Just demonstrate a bit of your power to let the generals in the army see, that’s all."
Ah Dai scratched his head embarrassingly and hesitated before finally saying, "But, but I can only perform ordinary Fire Magic!"
"Who said that?" rebuked Yan Li. "Don’t you also know some Summoning Magic? Ah Dai, you should summon a dragon to show them. That will show them how powerful you are."
Ah Dai’s mind clicked, he’d forgotten the reason he’d been made an elder. Keeping dragons was not exactly the same as summoning them and even though it was surprising, they should be able to accept it. He slowly nodded, "Alright then, Captain Siri, could you clear some space for me? I’ll give it a try."
As soon as Siri heard from Yan Li that Ah Dai had the power to summon dragons, he was absolutely amazed and promptly agreed with utmost enthusiasm, he and his deputy quickly made their way out.
"I didn’t expect passing through here to be such a hassle. If I had known, we would have taken a detour," grumbled Yan Li.
"You can’t really blame them," Yan Shi said, his head shaking. "Given the tense relationship between the Empire of Huasheng and the Empire of Sunset City right now, their suspicions aren’t entirely unreasonable. Alright, let’s go outside. Ah Dai, are you sure you can summon a dragon? If you can’t, you should not force it. If we really can’t do it, we’ll just have to stay here."
