Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence

Chapter 666: Chapter 475: That Little Count Is Just a Toad

”Kid, do you have any idea what you’re saying!”

His voice boomed through the dining hall like a clap of thunder, making the tableware on the table buzz.

”Magic Consultant?”

He pointed at his own nose, his face a mask of absurd, offended rage.

”Kid, do you know what kind of exorbitant prices the Violet Empire, the Red Dragon Empire, and even Mage City have offered? The kind of status they’ve promised just to have us two old-timers act as their consultants? And we couldn’t even be bothered to reply!”

”And you? In this barren little territory where even birds don’t shit? A mud-legged Count who just crawled out of some mountain hovel? You actually dare to have the absurd fantasy of us being your damn consultants?”

”You damn kid, a toad lusting after a swan’s flesh!”

His temper, much like his Fire Element attribute, was explosive.

A vast amount of Fire Element gathered around him, causing the temperature in the entire dining hall to rise sharply.

”Teacher!”

Lillian quickly stood up and grabbed his arm, on the verge of tears.

”Master Wendel, please don’t be angry. My brother didn’t mean it like that...”

Avril also scrambled to her feet, trying to explain.

But Master Wendel was clearly in a rage.

”Not like that? Then what did he mean?”

He glared at Raylo.

”Kid, I admit you’re a little clever and have some good luck, getting your hands on something like this. But that doesn’t give you the right to order us two old-timers around!”

”We are indeed very interested in Phillips’s legacy, but you want us to be consultants for your tiny territory and take orders from you?”

He sneered, his tone dripping with disdain and arrogance.

”In your dreams!”

Mage Delin hadn’t said a word from the beginning.

He just watched quietly. He watched the furious Wendel, the anxious girls, and... Raylo, who had remained perfectly calm the entire time.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of anger on Raylo’s face from the humiliation, nor any disappointment from the rejection.

He simply lifted the teacup before him and took a gentle sip.

That composure and calm were completely out of place in the tense, confrontational atmosphere.

It also made a peculiar light flash in Mage Delin’s eyes.

’This young man is even more level-headed than I imagined.’

Master Wendel’s fury erupted like a volcano, making the air in the dining hall scorching and agitated.

Lillian and Avril flanked him, one trying to coax him sweetly, the other trying to persuade him, but their efforts had little effect.

”Teacher, please don’t be angry. My brother only had good intentions...”

”Master Wendel, Raylo just wants to cooperate with you, to jointly research the legacy left behind by Senior Phillips. Please don’t misunderstand him...”

”Cooperate? Jointly research?”

Master Wendel snorted, pointing at Raylo, still looking furious.

”He’s just a mere Domain Level Knight, a petty Duchy Count! What right does he have to talk about cooperation with two Legendary Mages like us?!”

”Does he know what an Elemental Tide is? Does he know what a Magic Corridor is? He can’t even conjure the most basic ’Mage’s Hand,’ yet he wants to study Phillips’s notes? It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!”

His words were harsh, sharp, and merciless.

In his eyes, Raylo’s proposal was not just a fanciful delusion, but a blatant insult to Legendary Mages like them, who stood at the peak of all knowledge.

Even with his most beloved student, Lillian, and his old friend’s only disciple, Avril, constantly shaking his arm, his mind remained unchanged.

It was a matter of principle, and there was no room for compromise.

This was his pride as a Legendary Mage.

Finally, Raylo set down his teacup.

All eyes focused on him.

Raylo stood up.

He didn’t look at the anxious Lillian and Avril.

His calm gaze met that of Mage Delin, who had remained silent all along.

Then, he bowed slightly to the two Legendary Mages.

”I have been presumptuous.”

His voice was still calm, betraying no ripple of emotion.

”Since you two masters have no interest, let us drop the matter.”

”You two masters are honored guests who have traveled far. Please, stay in Black Stone Territory for a few more days and enjoy the scenery. I have some affairs to attend to within my territory, so I must take my leave.”

After speaking, he didn’t linger for a moment longer, nor did he say another word to try and persuade them.

He simply turned and strode out of the dining hall with steady, purposeful steps.

His departing figure was upright and resolute, without a single trace of hesitation.

The dining hall fell into a dead silence.

Master Wendel was stunned.

The bellyful of mockery and rebukes he had prepared was now stuck in his throat, unable to come out.

He had imagined Raylo might continue to pester him, fly into a rage from the shame, or even use the Alchemy Workshop as a threat.

But he never expected that Raylo would just... leave?

So decisively, so freely.

It was as if the person he had just pointed at and thoroughly cussed out wasn’t him at all.

The feeling was like he had thrown a heavy punch with all his might, only to hit empty air. It was indescribably stifling.

Lillian and Avril also stared blankly at Raylo’s disappearing back, unsure of what to do.

”Hmph! I suppose he has some self-awareness after all!”

Master Wendel slammed back into his chair. To hide his awkwardness, he grabbed his wine cup, drained it in one gulp, and continued grumbling indignantly.

”A wet-behind-the-ears kid, daring to have designs on us two old-timers. What an absurd fantasy!”

”Wendel.”

A calm voice interrupted him.

It was Mage Delin.

He had merely watched quietly the entire time, only speaking up after Raylo had left.

”Do you think he was really just indulging in a fanciful delusion?”

Mage Delin looked at his hot-tempered old friend, his eyes glinting with wisdom.

”Wasn’t he?”

Master Wendel retorted irritably,

”Having two Legendary Mages act as consultants for his remote territory—if that’s not a fanciful delusion, what is?”

”Perhaps.”

Mage Delin was noncommittal.

He stood up, walked to the window, and his gaze once again fell upon the enormous iron creation in the square.

”But have you ever considered why?”

”Why?”

Master Wendel froze.

”Why did he dare to make such a request?”

Mage Delin turned to face him.

”What gives him the confidence?”

”Is it because of that ’Miracle Creation’ behind him? Is it his wealth, the ability to produce dozens of Tier Five Magic Cores without batting an eye? Or is it his fledgling yet astonishingly powerful Knight Order?”

Mage Delin’s voice was unhurried, yet it struck Wendel’s heart like a heavy hammer, blow by blow.

”No, none of those are the most important reason.”

”His confidence comes from himself.”

A glint of light flashed in Mage Delin’s eyes.

”From the moment we set foot in this territory, haven’t you noticed? Everything this young man does has a clear purpose, carried out with a composure and foresight far beyond his years.”

”He used the ’Cloud Sea Giant Whale’ as bait to lure us here.”

”He knew we couldn’t resist Phillips’s Alchemy Workshop, that Miracle Creation, so he generously allowed us to tour it and study it.”

”Step by step, he led us into the ’trap’ he had set. Only at the end did he reveal his dagger, throwing out his true objective.”

”The entire process was perfectly interlinked, watertight.”

Master Wendel fell completely silent.

He wasn’t a fool, just hot-tempered and direct.

After hearing Mage Delin’s analysis, he instantly understood the crux of the matter.

’Thinking back, it seemed the two of them, Legendary Mages with centuries of life between them, had really been led by the nose from the very beginning by this young man who was barely in his twenties.’

”What’s more terrifying is his reaction after you rejected and even humiliated him to his face.”

Mage Delin’s tone grew solemn.

”Neither servile nor overbearing, neither angry nor argumentative. He didn’t even offer a single word of defense for himself before calmly accepting the failure and leaving decisively.”

Mage Delin shook his head and sighed in admiration.

”Wendel, perhaps we’ve both underestimated him.”

”That damn kid... he actually dared to scheme against us two old-timers!”

Wendel indignantly chugged another gulp of wine.