Chapter 591 - 373: The Great Sage, Lord Rudy (Part 2)
Chapter 591: Chapter 373: The Great Sage, Lord Rudy (Part 2)
"I heard where your delegation was staying from some others and came over." Muslim smiled, but he couldn’t help but look at the manor with envy. "Your accommodations are clearly much better than ours. You even have a man-made lake."
"When Talisi produces a Dragon Knight, you’ll get this kind of treatment too," Levi replied nonchalantly.
In this world, wherever there were people, they would always judge and treat you based on your status. Never mind intelligent races; even ordinary animals did it. Though both were delegations from great powers, one envoy, for all his talent, was still just a Mage. The other was a Legendary Dragon Knight with a resounding reputation. It was obvious to anyone who was more important.
Muslim actually nodded seriously, then asked curiously, "Lord Levi, could you tell me about how you killed that Balrog Flame Demon?"
’So he’s another one of my admirers?’
The Lord instantly understood, and his mood improved considerably. He always had immense patience for his admirers.
After another vividly embellished account, Muslim came to his senses and could only exclaim in amazement, "Lord Levi, you truly are worthy of being called the Son of the War God!"
’Worri! I’ve always promoted myself as the War God reborn, dammit! How did I suddenly get demoted a generation to become some useless son?’ Levi was so angry he almost couldn’t breathe, but then he thought that getting mad at a dolt would just make him seem petty.
"If I had been as strong as Lord Levi back then, I wouldn’t have let that Balrog Flame Demon kill so many people," Muslim said, disheartened.
Curious, Levi casually asked him about it.
It turned out that a Teleportation Gate to the Abyss hadn’t just appeared in Debei, but in Talisi as well, and Muslim had participated in that battle.
Unfortunately, the outcome was vastly different from Debei’s. They had sacrificed the lives of many soldiers and Priests to finally kill the Balrog Flame Demon and close the Teleportation Gate.
This was actually quite normal. There were gaps in power even between Legendary powerhouses.
Among those of the Legendary tier, a Giant Dragon would always be stronger than a Legendary human. This was an advantage granted by their innate racial traits.
Back at the White Bone Fortress, that Balrog Flame Demon and Mandela were both Epic, yet despite having the help of so many people, they were still getting thrashed. In the end, it was Levi who had to turn the tide.
As for the Lord? He, of course, was in a league of his own.
"You’ve already done very well. Without you, perhaps even more people would have died." The Lord, seeing himself as a senior, reached out and patted the other’s shoulder.
"Under the Pope’s Crown, he always says I have exceptional talent and great strength. Everyone has high hopes for me, but I can’t even save the people I want to save. Someone like me must be a huge disappointment to everyone, right?" Muslim looked utterly devastated, as if he were one step away from finding a rope and ending it all.
"Young man, have a little more confidence in yourself." Levi rolled his eyes, sickened by the sentiment. "And don’t overthink it. You’re not me; no one’s paying that much attention to you."
"That’s right! That’s why becoming like Lord Levi is my goal!" Muslim quickly regained his confidence.
"Confidence is a good thing." Levi clasped his hands behind his back and nodded in approval.
The more people wanted to be like him, the more it proved his success. It made him feel ecstatic inside, but on the surface, he had to maintain a calm facade.
"Lord Levi, thank you for clearing up my confusion." Muslim scratched his head. "I don’t really have a gift to thank you with. How about I take you to see the Great Sage—His Excellency, Rudy?"
Levi didn’t say a word, just shot him a solid eye-roll. The meaning was obvious—’You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re even better at bullshitting than I am, and I’m a Lord.’
The rank of Great Sage for an Alchemist was like Great Mage for a Mage, Sword Saint for a Combat Qi user, or Legendary Holy Hall Knight for a Holy Light user. They were all Legendary Powerhouses at the very peak of the pyramid, capable of turning a small city into ruins at a whim.
It was no exaggeration to say that to anyone below the Legendary tier, although these beings weren’t yet Gods, facing them was like facing Gods—resistance was almost impossible.
Their strength was extraordinary, their status was exceptionally high, their knowledge was as vast as the ocean, and naturally, their tempers were bigger than most.
Powerhouses of this caliber had, on the surface, joined the Royal Family, but in reality, it was more of a partnership. One side provided the necessary resources, while the other provided military might. It was not a relationship of superior and subordinate.
Levi was confident that if he went to visit, the Great Sage would see him out of respect for his status as a fellow Legendary and a Dragon Knight. But forget Muslim—even Her Majesty the Empress of the Holy Sith Kingdom herself would most likely need to make an appointment to bring an outside guest to see him.
"It’s true!" Muslim scratched his bird’s nest of a hair. "My teacher and Master Rudy are close friends. I’ve been visiting him since I was a child. I’m actually here this time on my teacher’s behalf to pay him a visit."
"Then wouldn’t it be inappropriate for you to bring an outsider along?" Levi would be lying if he said he didn’t want to go.
After all, this was Her Majesty the Empress’s teacher, the last remaining Great Sage on the Middle Ages Continent, a monumental figure who had mastered the mysteries of Alchemy, and a living fossil representing the pinnacle of the craft in the current era.
"Master Rudy is very good to me. He definitely won’t mind me bringing someone along, especially since you’re also a Legendary and a Dragon Knight." Muslim looked completely confident.
"Then would it be a problem if I brought one more person?" Levi asked.
"No problem."
Receiving an affirmative answer, Levi turned around and headed back to the High Cliff Castle delegation’s residence. He told Tiffany to keep an eye on that dolt Zat, then grabbed Mier and hurried off.
The three of them then left the manor. They saw Muslim waiting on a main road next to a sign, waving his hand skillfully. Soon, a pink, eight-legged spider made of gears and various mechanisms walked over. On its back were several leather saddles underneath a parasol.
The Lord was a little surprised. ’Are the public transportation options in Feilengcui really this advanced? They’re even using creatures made from Alchemy as mounts.’
However, his confusion was soon cleared up.
"My Lord, the Furnace Spiders are actually quite rare. They’re generally used to receive outside guests so that our esteemed visitors can personally experience the local culture of Feilengcui." The man operating the mechanical spider, a middle-aged man with a top hat and a handlebar mustache, elegantly doffed his hat and bowed.
A shrewd glint flickered almost imperceptibly in his eyes. The common folk of Feilengcui were nowhere near as rich as the outsiders. If you wanted to make money, you had to make it from the rich.
With the discerning eye he’d honed over many years, he noted that the handsome young man in the lead was dressed magnificently and looked rich at a glance. However, he wasn’t wearing any jewelry that would indicate his status, which meant he might be a cheapskate.
Muslim skillfully climbed onto the unique vehicle. Levi and Mier followed his example and took their seats. Muslim then announced their destination, but after waiting for a while, the driver didn’t move.
Just as Levi was wondering if it was broken, the middle-aged man with the handlebar mustache turned his head, smiled sheepishly, and made a gesture by rubbing his thumb against his joined index and middle fingers.
Every country has its own unique customs, but the meaning of this gesture was almost universal across the continent: money.
"Pay him," Levi said, turning his head to look at Muslim.
"Lord Levi, my pockets are even cleaner than my face! I just gave my money away this morning to a poor, helpless mother and daughter, I swear!" Muslim blinked his eyes, looking utterly innocent.
Heaven knows it wasn’t that he didn’t want to pay. His daily allowance was strictly managed, with only a certain amount available for him to use. But that morning, he had seen an old mother and her daughter begging helplessly, and he couldn’t bear it, so he gave them all his money and the fried pancake he had just bought.
To be honest, he still hadn’t eaten yet.
"Don’t tell me you’re trying to skip out on the fare." The middle-aged man’s face visibly darkened. It seemed he had sized them up correctly after all.