Chapter 592 - 374: Minotaur Peiya
Chapter 592: Chapter 374: Minotaur Peiya
Just as the operator was debating whether to throw these three well-dressed phonies from the Furnace Spider and viciously spit the word "hicks" at them...
"I’m with the delegation." The Lord proudly pulled a badge from his pocket and flashed it, causing an amiable smile to instantly spread across the middle-aged man’s face.
"My Lord, it was my fault for being so blind!" He gave himself a light slap on the cheek, then fawningly started up the Furnace Spider. The fare of thirty silver coins per person was summarily waived.
Inwardly, however, he lamented his terrible luck. ’How did I end up running into this delegation? Not only will I not make any money today, I’ll have to cover the cost of the Magic Crystal Core myself. This trip is going to cost me at least ten silver coins.’
However, in his peripheral vision, he saw the young man watching him with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, as if his innermost thoughts had been laid bare. His heart froze. He thought no more of it and quickly focused on operating the machine.
The Furnace Spider began to stride along the flat roads of Feilengcui. The ride was as smooth as if they were on solid ground, with barely a single jolt.
Muslim started chattering on again. "These spiders we’re riding, they were developed by Her Majesty the Empress of Feilengcui. But what most people don’t know is that the biggest problem—how to convert the Elemental Energy within the Demon Core into motive power—was largely solved by Rudy."
"His knowledge is as vast as the ocean. Even my own master admires him greatly. Oh, right, I forgot to mention—my master is the Pope of Talisi."
The man in the top hat, who was secretly listening, began to sweat more and more as he overheard them. ’It seems I’ve picked up some seriously important people.’
He didn’t suspect these young people of bluffing, the way he used to in his youth. The badge from the Royal Palace couldn’t be a fake. This made him act all the more cautiously.
"I had no idea there was such a secret history," Levi said, a little surprised.
"Lord Levi, guess why I’ve made a special trip to visit Rudy the Great Sage?" Muslim said, trying to be mysterious again.
"If you have something to say, spit it out!" The Lord, who was usually the only one allowed to be mysterious, shot him an unceremonious eye-roll.
"Ahem, it’s because Rudy the Great Sage is preparing to recruit a few disciples to pass on his knowledge of Alchemy," Muslim said with a couple of awkward chuckles.
"Isn’t Her Majesty Elizabeth already Rudy’s disciple?" Levi was genuinely curious now. He shot Muslim a strange look. "And you’re here to see if you have a chance to learn a bit of Alchemy yourself, is that it?"
"This was my master’s idea. Besides, Rudy recruits disciples based on Talent alone, not status or identity. If I could learn something to bring back to Talisi, it would benefit everyone." Muslim scratched his head in frustration. "But if you ask me, wouldn’t it be better to just focus on Magic? This whole Alchemy business is as much of a headache as all those numbers."
"Complex formulas, tedious Runes, and you have to study the laws of nature... Celestial Father above, it would be less painful to just kill me."
"That does sound a bit tough."
’So it’s just alternative mathematics mixed with a bit of the supernatural,’ the Lord concluded with a succinct mental explanation.
"As for why Rudy is recruiting more disciples..." Muslim glanced around furtively, only to find the man in the top hat straining his ears to listen in. The man immediately stuffed two wads of cotton into his ears and twisted his head away.
The young Mage made a show of calling out to him. Seeing no reaction, he continued with satisfaction, "It’s because Her Majesty Elizabeth has to handle state affairs every day, which inevitably holds back her Alchemy research. She isn’t actually a suitable heir to carry on Rudy’s legacy."
"There’s a rumor... It’s said that the core principles of his Alchemy are only passed down to men, not women. That’s why Rudy is planning to use the time he has left to find a few more suitable disciples, so his art isn’t buried by history. Of course, I have no idea if that’s true or not."
He couldn’t help but lower his voice as he finished.
"The news of Rudy recruiting disciples is actually only circulating within Alchemist circles. No one else knows."
"But I thought you said he doesn’t care about status or identity?" Mier asked curiously.
"He doesn’t, but the Talent requirements alone practically limit the pool of candidates to Alchemists and Elemental Masters," Muslim said, shaking his head.
The gears in Levi’s mind began to turn.
He had brought Mier here precisely so he could poach some skills. Now that they’d stumbled upon Rudy the Great Sage recruiting disciples, how could the Lord—a man who would pluck a feather from every passing goose—possibly let this opportunity slip by?
"Esteemed guests, I hope you’ll ride the Furnace Spider again soon." The man in the top hat considerately stepped down, pulled the stairs out from the spider’s body, then removed his hat and bowed.
JINGLE JANGLE~
The crisp sound of eleven Silver Coins clinked and rattled inside his hat. He looked up, stunned, but only saw their retreating backs. He couldn’t help but call out, "Sir, may I ask your name?"
"Levi Targaryen."
"The Dragon Knight of Debei..." the man in the top hat muttered to himself.
The speaker had already departed without a backward glance.
...
"This is it."
Levi’s tone was firm. He looked up at the stone steps that ascended layer by layer into the clouds, his gaze locked on the summit.
Ever since ascending to the Legendary rank, his five senses had become unimaginably sharp. Even from this distance, he could clearly feel the numerous elemental fluctuations on the mountain. The strongest among them was a presence that felt both restrained and peaceful.