Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074, page 24
"Mage Kevin, you don't recognize me? I'm your Uncle Rode. I came to the Guild of Magic about ten years ago. I even carried you in my arms then. To think you've grown so tall after not having seen you for more than a decade…" A chubby businessman looked at Kevin with kindness and relief.
Lin Li was listening at a side and he nearly burst out laughing. How come the fatties like to claim to be uncles nowadays?
"Oh, oh… So it's Uncle Rode. Long time no see indeed…"
"Brother Kevin, why have you not visited me for so long…" Kevin was politely playing along with the businessman when an affectedly sweet voice suddenly rang out from behind. He turned around in shock and saw a lady in her thirties pressing forward with her full bosom.
"When did I go to you before!" Kevin was almost half dead from the scare at her words.
The guests did not care whether he was frightened or not; they finally had a chance to befriend the Guild of Magic and were trying desperately to squeeze through the crowd just to have a word or two with Gerian's nephew.
As for that someone who was hiding at a side watching the comical scene, no one really paid any attention to him.
Since joining the Guild of Magic, Lin Li rarely showed his face in public. In addition, the Robe of Wrath he was wearing now was crumpled and old, giving people the impression of him being poor and miserable just by looking at it. Even if he entered the garden with Kevin, the guests only regarded him as Kevin's footman. It was already late to curry favor with the master now, whoever had the time to make friends with a footman?
"Excuse me, excuse me…" The chubby uncle had only said a few words and was accidentally squeezed to a side. How was he willing to take it lying down? He hurriedly pushed Lin Li away with his physical advantage and moved up to Kevin again. "Mage Kevin, how about having a dinner with me after the banquet? Uncle Rode has a business deal to discuss with the Guild of Magic!"
For a moment, Kevin was swarmed. He wanted to flee, but realized he was surrounded by people front and back, without even the slightest gap. He did not dare to move as well for fear that he would touch something that he shouldn't, for example the aunty who had addressed him as "Brother Kevin"…
"Brother Kevin! You have to invite me for a dance at the banquet later…" The aunty was still pushing herself on him so hard that Kevin felt the hair on his body rise. He was utterly regretful that he had agreed to attend the banquet now…
"Little buddy, how about doing me a favor?" Lin Li was hiding at a side, gloating at Kevin's misfortune, when someone leaned in on him unwittingly.
"What?" Lin Li was slightly stunned. When he turned around, he saw a lanky middle-aged man in his forties taking out a few gold coins from his pockets.
"A small token." Lin Li had yet to grasp the situation, but the lanky middle-aged already stuffed the gold coins into his hand. Then, he patted Lin Li's shoulders affectionately. "Little buddy, you have joined the Guild of Magic at such a young age and followed Mage Kevin. Your future is definitely promising!"
"Thank you for the kind words." Lin Li scratched his head, somewhat understanding what this fellow was trying to do.
"If my guess is correct, you must be Mage Kevin's assistant?" He wanted to say mage apprentice, but took back his words after seeing the Robe of Wrath Lin Li was wearing. With the Guild of Magic's financial resources, how could Kevin's apprentice be so underdressed?
"Mm, mm… Something like that…"
"Bright future!" The middle-aged man stuck his thumb up and took a letter out from his pocket. "When we get to the banquet later, can I ask you to do me a favor and pass this to Mage Kevin? Tell him that my little girl admires him very much and would like to invite him for a dinner at our place another day."
"Ah!" Lin Li took the letter, dumbfounded. The envelope turned out to be an equivocal pink with a bright-red lip print on the bottom right side…
"Little buddy, you can rest assured. The small token earlier on was nothing much. When it's done, I'll reward you handsomely!" The middle-aged man was flushed, addressing Lin Li as a "little buddy" ever so affectionately.
The mysterious gratitude of the middle-aged man made Lin Li feel a little anxious. In his heart, he was speculating that Kevin might have run up to some romantic debt and didn't dare to tell Gerian, but now the person came looking for him…
"Castellan Isaac has arrived!" Just as he was letting his thoughts run wild, he heard another clamor coming from outside the garden.
Lin Li looked up and saw Gerian's convenient nephew walk into the garden, still followed by the two powerful attendants.
As the Castellan of a city, the people who wanted to claim a relationship with Isaac were no less numerous than the admirers of the Guild of Magic. A throng of guests surrounded him like stars surrounding the moon as he walked into the garden, but Isaac was not at all fl.u.s.tered. He wore an adequate smile on his face, greeting the guests as he walked towards the banquet hall, neglecting no one on the way.
"Master Castellan." The appearance of the Castellan gave Kevin a breather from the misery.
Kevin finally found an excuse to flee when the guests gathered around Isaac. He saw Lin Li laughing at his discomfiture as soon as he got out of the crowd, and in that moment, Kevin lost his temper. "Felic, you're too unkind…"
"You should thank me." Lin Li took out the envelope from his pockets as he spoke, "Look, if it weren't for me hiding at a side, how would I have the opportunity to receive this love letter on your behalf?"
Chapter 51 - Banquet Hall
After Kevin took the letter, he merely glanced at the signature on it and threw it into his bag without opening it. Instead, he broke out in sweat hearing what had happened, and in his heart, he cursed the lanky man [Note: in the raw text it was written as "fatty", but after revising, the author was talking about the lanky middle-aged man who had approached Lin Li for a favor in the previous chapter] over and over. Reward handsomely after it's done? Mage Kevin's assistant? Kudos to him for coming up with that. Letting this kind of demon become my assistant…
The two talked for a little while and were about to enter the banquet hall when they were recognized by the eagle-eyed Castellan.
"Good evening, Mage Kevin!" The smile on Isaac's face was cordial. After greeting Kevin, he was slightly befuddled. "Why didn't President Gerian come?"
"I'm really sorry, Master Castellan. Something has cropped up in the guild and requires President Gerian to deal with it. He's unable to make it for the banquet today."
"Then that's too bad." The Castellan's expression was pained, but in his heart, he was secretly delighted. He would not have to address the old fellow awkwardly as Uncle Gerian now that he was not here. After returning from the Guild of Magic, Isaac felt regretful countless times. He could have talked about any other things, but he had to mention that his father had met Gerian before. This was like digging his own grave…
When Isaac's eyes fell on Lin Li, his brows were slightly furrowed. The Robe of Wrath was simply too old. Isaac furrowed his brows not because he thought Lin Li's appearance was shabby, but because he thought the young man seemed to have little respect for him. After all, this was a banquet hosted by the Castellan of Jarrosus City. People who attended the party should dress themselves decently. It seemed a little too casual coming to a dinner in an old mage robe like what the young mage was wearing.
But Isaac was, after all, a man of high rank as a castellan. Even though he was slightly unhappy, he still displayed a warm and gentle smile on his face.
"And this is…"
"This is Mage Felic from the guild."
"…" The smile stiffened on the Castellan's face. Felic of the Guild of Magic had been a legendary figure in Jarrosus ever since the battle between Gerian and Old Merlin. Even though Isaac was the castellan, he had never thought Felic would come to this banquet in person. He did not even imagine that the legendary potion master, who alone supplied the million gold coin auction, would be a young mage who looked no more than 20 years old wearing an old mage robe.
However, Isaac was a staid person. Although his heart was pounding, he managed to keep his emotions in control. His smile froze for a moment, and then he held out his hand amicably. "Welcome, welcome. I've never expected to have such a distinguished guest like Mage Felic."
"You flatter me, Master Castellan."
Isaac was so excited that he could no longer spare the effort to attend to the other guests. He warmly escorted the two of them into the banquet hall while at the same time expressing his admiration for Lin Li.
The other guests were slightly further away and so they were unable to hear Kevin's introduction. Although they found Isaac to be overly enthusiastic, they did not take it to heart. They merely thought that the Castellan was like themselves, hoping to befriend the Guild of Magic, and hence regarded the two young mages sent by the Guild of Magic as important.
The Castellan Mansion had evidently put in a great deal of effort for this banquet.
The spacious banquet hall was bright as day, illuminated by 12 crystal chandeliers. The floor was covered with a thick red carpet, and looked especially gorgeous under the crystal chandeliers. Lin Li entered the hall and felt as if the surroundings were basked in magnificence and filled with a luxurious aura. From time to time, handsome young waiters carrying trays of wine ambled through the hall, and beautiful waitress fluttered between the tables like butterflies.
Lin Li was somewhat unaccustomed to it, attending a banquet like this for the first time. Besides, he had no acquaintances at the banquet. He talked to the Castellan with a prudent look on his face, but it was mostly about unimportant matters.
Matters such as he had left in a hurry at the last auction and didn't have the time to say hello to Mage Felic, and that he was sorry about it…
Or that Mage Felic was so young but his attainments in pharmaceutics were so advanced, making Lin Li's head turn as big as a bucket. But he could not tell Isaac that he had smashed in countless gold coins and a Scroll of Wishes to attain his status as a guru of all five series. It was money that paved the way. You could do it as well if you had the money…
In addition, guests would approach from time to time to greet them, either asking the Castellan to discuss some confidential matters or trying to befriend the Guild of Magic. Lin Li gradually became bored, so he made up an excuse to leave, took a glass of red wine from a waitress, and went to hide in a secluded corner.
After he had withdrawn himself from the banquet and hid in the secluded corner, he found some interest in observing the company of guests.
The majority of the guests were distinguished personages of Jarrosus. Apart from the 17 forces, there were many rich businessmen and celebrities. The men and women were all dressed to the nines, fluttering about in the banquet hall like butterflies. It looked an extremely lively scene.
Among them, the 17 forces were obviously the main characters of the banquet.
For example, the previous owner of the deep silver necklace, the patriarch of the Rolin Family, was present at the banquet as well. When Lin Li spotted him, he was already surrounded by at least five or six guests blatantly flattering him.
And Mr Anthony Rolin seemed to enjoy the feeling. He was talking incessantly and eloquently in front of the guests with a triumphant expression on his face. Lin Li had not recognized him at first glance—he was nothing like the jittery patriarch of the Rolin Family who had asked Gerian for an evaluation the previous day.
He shifted his gaze away from Mr Anthony and saw someone he knew entering the banquet hall.
It was the redheaded beauty he saw at Ina's place!
Lin Li's eyes widened as soon as he saw the fiery long hair. He never thought that he would see this woman at the banquet in the Castellan Mansion.
And this redheaded beauty looked as if she was close to the Castellan. Upon entering the hall, she took Isaac's arm affectionately with a coquettish look on her face. Isaac seemed to be very fond of her as well, his expression kind and loving, just like how Gerian had looked at Lin Li in the beginning.
Seeing the scene made Lin Li even more confused.
McGrenn and his daughter could be said to be the lowest level of adventurers, and a reward of a dozen gold coins was sufficient for them to risk their lives in the Sunset Mountains. The relationship between the redheaded beauty and the Castellan was not at all shallow, and they most likely shared some family relations. Their statuses were far apart from each other, so how did she know McGrenn and his daughter?
As he was still puzzling over it, he suddenly saw Isaac along with the redheaded beauty coming in the direction of where he was sitting.
In that instant, Lin Li hesitated; to be honest, he wasn't keen on seeing this Rowling woman.
Unfortunately, regardless of how much he was reluctant to see her, the Castellan brought her to him.
As she got closer, Rowling saw Lin Li in the corner too. She was again reminded of what happened at Ina's place, and embarrassment could at once be seen on her pretty face.
"Mr Felic, why are you sitting here alone? Are you blaming Isaac for the poor reception?"
Chapter 52 - Apprenticeship
The Castellan spoke but found the atmosphere rather oppressive. With his ac.u.men, he naturally caught on quickly that the people he was about to introduce to each other had already met previously. However, Isaac was tactful in his approach. After he had grasped the situation, he did not reveal it on his face. He gently patted the redheaded beauty's hands that were holding him. "Come, Rowling. Let Father introduce you to the famous Mage Felic.
"Mage Felic, this is my daughter, Rowling. She has been very fond of studying medicine since young and is also interested in potion making. If Mage Felic ever has the time, you might as well guide her along. Take it as giving me some face."
"You must be joking, Master Castellan. Miss Rowling has superior medical skills, how could she need my guidance…" Lin Li joked lightly, planning to play this matter off.
The speaker had no intention in his words, yet the listener read her own meanings into it. The phrase "superior medical skills" fell into the ears of Rowling, and at once her pretty face turned ghastly pale. Although Ina had never blamed her, what happened that day still weighed heavily on her mind. If it had not been for the young mage's insistence, she would have nearly killed her best friend's father. The thought was like a viper, lodging itself in Rowling's heart, and kept her in constant self-reproach and remorse.
The Castellan noticed his daughter's odd expression and asked out of concern, "Rowling… Rowling? What happened, are you feeling unwell?"
"It's nothing, Father. Go on without me, I'll be fine after taking a short rest here."
"Then, take a good rest." Isaac hesitated for a moment. Still slightly worried, he asked Lin Li for help. "Mage Felic, could you help keep an eye on my daughter for the time being? There are many guests today and I really can't excuse myself. Rowling has not been in good health since young, I'm afraid. Just in case…"
"This… Alright." Lin Li paused for a while, but nodded in response.
After Isaac left in a hurry, the atmosphere in the secluded corner became even more awkward.
Both of them did not speak at all until the redheaded beauty broke the silence. "Sorry…"
The sudden apology confused Lin Li. "Hmm?"
"I was wrong the other day. I shouldn't have doubted your intentions towards Ina, and even more so I shouldn't have stopped you from treating Mr McGrenn when I wasn't even confident…" Rowling was as proud as a swan since a young age. Although she had recognized her mistake now, when it came to apologizing, her pretty face was still flushed and her voice quiet like a mosquito.
Lin Li spared a great deal of effort before finally making out what she had said, and felt it amusing in that moment. "You sent the Castellan away on purpose just to tell me this?"
"I… I only wanted to apologize…" Being seen right through at once, Rowling blushed even brighter.
"There's no need for an apology, we don't know each other well anyway. If you're looking for peace of mind, save your apology for Mr McGrenn. The one who was nearly killed in your hands was him, not me." Lin Li always felt unsettled at the redheaded beauty who had nearly killed McGrenn. At her apology, he suddenly felt irritated for no reason, and put down his wine glass with a cold expression on his face. "If there's nothing else, can you please leave? I'm not used to being alone with a pretty girl, so leave lest I can't help my animal instincts from acting up and do something bad…"
"I…" Rowling had never been treated so unkindly by others before. She was aggrieved and angry in that instant; her beautiful eyes fogged and tears were glistening in her eyes, looking ready to fall anytime.
"Anything else?"
Rowling's red lips opened slightly, but she couldn't get the words out. Her expression was even more aggrieved, and tears started dripping on the dining table.
Lin Li was made even more frustrated by her crying. He placed his wine glass down and stood up. "You're not leaving? Then I'll leave!"
As soon as his obstinacy acted up, he had no care whether it was a black-haired beauty or a red-haired beauty. He kicked his chair aside and walked towards the center of the banquet hall.
Rowling was slightly taken aback, then realized he was indeed leaving. She couldn't care about the embarrassment anymore; with clenched teeth, she came to a decision. "I… I'd like to learn potion making from you!"
"What?" Lin Li stumbled and nearly fell on the thick carpet. He turned around with a look of disbelief and stared at Rowling for a long while before repeating what she said with much difficulty, "You… You'd like to learn potion making from me?"
"Yes!" Rowling's flushed face was masked with a look of determination now. "I'd like to learn from you!"
"…" Lin Li stood there in a daze for more than a minute, and asked unsurely, "Are you muddled from anger?"
"I am serious." Rowling's eyes were resolute, with a hint of enthusiasm.
"Looks like it's not mild. I'll have someone prescribe some medicine for you…" Lin Li did not dare to look into those fervent eyes. He mumbled a curse and was ready to slip away. That fervent look had frightened him, and he did not dare to continue hanging around this wench anymore.
