Chapter 995: Chapter 57: The Deterrence of Sheng Xie
Ah Dai, seeing the other party so polite, hurriedly responded, "You, please don’t be too courteous, we are just passing by. Uncle Aldos did not give us any instructions."
Xiphil was startled, hearing Ah Dai’s voice, it seemed that he was quite young, and asked with some confusion, "May I ask, which elder are you from the Mage Guild?"
Yan Li said proudly, "My brother has just been granted the title of elder by Chairman Kary."
Yan Shi pulled his brother aside, knowing Yan Li was too straightforward and Ah Dai too tactless, so he stepped forward to explain, "Commander, good day. We indeed came from the City of Light, but we are not any kind of envoys. We just want to pass through the military camp to go to the Empire of Sunset City. When we were in the City of Light, Lord Aldos once gave us a token, saying that with this token, we could pass through any camp of the Empire of Huasheng."
Xiphil relaxed, thinking to himself that it was not some new directive from Governor Aldos. Understanding their identities, he was still very curious about the three, especially the one dressed as an elder of the Mage Guild. "Since that is the case, I will have someone see you out of the camp soon. Please rest for a while and have something to eat. Someone, prepare some food to treat our three guests."
Ah Dai lifted the cloak from his head, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you, Commander." They had been traveling for half a day and were indeed tired.
The generals in the command center saw Ah Dai’s youthful appearance, including Xiphil, all exclaimed in surprise, Xiphil lost his voice, "Elder, you are so young."
Ah Dai smiled awkwardly, "I, actually my magic level is not very high, getting the position of elder was just luck."
Xiphil laughed heartily, "Strength proves everything. To be recognized by the Mage Guild, how can it simply be attributed to luck? You truly are accomplished at a young age! Go ahead and rest for now. When you leave, I will arrange for someone to escort you through the camp," he said, then gestured to a soldier nearby to lead Ah Dai and the others out of the command center.
After watching Ah Dai and the others leave, Xiphil sat back in his main seat with furrowed brows. He had been cautious all his life, and such a young elder of the Mage Guild naturally aroused his suspicion. But Ah Dai and his companions did indeed carry Aldos’s token, and he couldn’t help feeling conflicted.
The aide, seeing the commander’s doubts, stepped forward and said, "Acting commander, I find these three very suspicious. Although I do not practice magic myself, I have heard about the difficulties of magic training. That young man looks not even twenty years old, how could he possibly achieve the abilities of a Mage Guild elder? There must be some deception. Perhaps, they are spies from the Empire of Sunset City, hidden within our borders, who, seeing our troops ready for battle, wanted to quickly retreat to the Empire of Sunset City. I think we should keep them in the military camp."
The aide’s words struck a chord with Xiphil, who nodded, "That’s possible, but how did they get the token from Governor Aldos? I have checked before. The token is indeed genuine. We must handle this matter carefully. If the token really came from Governor Aldos, detaining them without authorization might bring blame upon us from the governor."
The aide also became distressed and said frowningly, "Those from the Dark Forces of the Empire of Sunset City have many strange abilities, perhaps they stole the governor’s token."
Xiphil shook his head, "While that is possible, the governor’s tokens are always well-guarded, and he is protected by many experts, making it not so easy to steal. It’s better to be cautious."
Sitting next to Xiphil, the commander of the Second Group Army, Rick said, "Brother, it’s simple, we just need to test their strength, and we’ll know if they are genuine or not."
Xiphil was startled and asked, "How can we test? Can strength prove their identity?"
Rick smiled meaningfully, "Of course it can prove it, brother, don’t forget that we also have people from the Mage Guild here! An elder’s strength shouldn’t be too weak, right?"
Xiphil’s eyes lit up, "You mean..."
Rick nodded, "Leave this matter to me. If they are spies, I assure you none of them will escape. You continue discussing matters about the Empire of Sunset City, I’ll handle this." Saying this, he turned and left the command center. The Mage Group held a unique position within the Group Army; even in the Empire of Huasheng, where magicians were most numerous, there were only three hundred-strong Mage Groups. They usually did not participate in military meetings but acted only when there was a war. They were an even more expensive force than the Heavy Knight Group, with a hundred mages equivalent to an ordinary ten-thousand-strong army.
Ah Dai and his companions were warmly entertained in a tent not far from the command center. After a hearty meal, they felt rejuvenated and sat together contemplating where to start looking for traces of the Elf Clan in the Empire of Sunset City. Just then, the tent flap opened, and two magicians walked in. From their magic robes, one was a senior Water Element mage, and the other a senior Fire System mage, both quite elderly, around sixty or older. Seeing Ah Dai’s outfit, their eyes brightened; the Fire System mage, noticing the hexagram emblem on Ah Dai’s shoulder, was startled, then respectfully greeted, "Siri, commander of the third Mage Group, pays his respects to the elder." After speaking, he and the Water Element mage bowed to Ah Dai.
