Chapter 570: Section 357: Dragon-man: Everything was initiated by Bu Quan
Finding the Dragon-man youth easy to talk to, Zhong Bei, the Alchemy Mage, felt a pleasant surprise.
If Bu Quan had not encountered problems, he would not have wanted to trouble the Dragon-man youth.
Zhong Bei sighed inwardly, this time, he had no choice but to come.
The attitude of the Dragon-man youth allowed Zhong Bei to drop his facade, and his tone became more amiable.
He took the initiative to introduce himself, “I am the protector of Mage Bu Quan, mainly responsible for her safety. In case of an emergency situation that exceeds my abilities, I can also call for help from the Alchemy Association. My authority to request assistance is quite high, and if necessary, a Golden Level Mage could be teleported here for reinforcement.”
Normally, a Transcendent of the Golden Level would hold a high social status, such as a City Lord. Usually, they would be busy with their own affairs.
However, in times of danger, Bu Quan could receive Golden Level reinforcement from the Alchemy Guild.
The high level of protection afforded to Bu Quan was also a testament to her talent.
Of course, in addition to protecting Bu Quan, Zhong Bei also had the task of daily surveillance.
Every once in a while, he would compile a report of Bu Quan’s performance and actions during that period and report it upward.
These reports, when bound into volumes, would become an important reference for the higher-ups when deciding on Bu Quan’s future appointments.
If Bu Quan were to encounter other unforeseen incidents, such as leaking the state secrets of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom or being turned by enemies, then Zhong Bei’s role would be more than just protection.
When Zhong Bei learned that Bu Quan had already joined the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, it was already too late.
He knew he had made an oversight in his duties.
Though he had monitored Bu Quan and was aware that she had visited the Dragon-man youth twice, he could never have expected her, after just a few encounters, to agree to join the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps!
Such a talent as Bu Quan was now recruited by an external mercenary organization!
It must be understood that she was a seedling being carefully cultivated by the Alchemy Guild. Once trained, Bu Quan would serve the Royal Family, becoming one of the pillars of the Alchemy Guild.
But now, she had been lured away.
What should he do?
Zhong Bei knew that once this matter became public, he would unquestionably be held responsible for a grave dereliction of duty.
Fortunately, for the moment, only rumors had leaked out. He must act swiftly to rectify this situation before it becomes common knowledge.
“Squad leader Long Fu, as long as you voluntarily cancel this contract, I can pretend nothing has happened,” Zhong Bei said.
The Dragon-man youth smiled and shook his head, “Zhong Bei, I admit I was the one who actively recruited Bu Quan. Faced with such a talent, who wouldn’t be tempted?”
“But the specific circumstances might differ from what you have imagined.”
“This is how it really happened…”
The Dragon-man youth briefly explained the situation, emphasizing Bu Quan’s initiative and willingness.
Only then did Zhong Bei realize that Bu Quan, out of gratitude to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, had directly given them her four Alchemy Workshops.
It was practically equivalent to her entire assets at Snowbird Port!
Alchemy Mage Zhong Bei furrowed his brows deeply.
Undoubtedly, the actual situation was more complicated than he had imagined.
If the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had coerced or deceived Bu Quan, it would be as if they had delivered themselves into Zhong Bei’s hands.
With the backing of the Alchemy Guild, Zhong Bei could not only easily deal with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps but he could even take the opportunity to extort a sum from them.
But the problem now was: Bu Quan had volunteered, and her willingness was very strong.
This was very troublesome!
Because even if the Alchemy Guild, or even the mentors from Bu Quan personally intervened, it would not be appropriate to directly stop Bu Quan’s individual actions.
On one hand, it’s due to the larger environment of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
Within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, the status of an Alchemy Mage is very high. The independence and free will of the Mage themselves are respected and protected.
If the Alchemy Guild were to forcefully demand that Bu Quan withdraw, it would undoubtedly constitute an infringement on the Mage’s independent and free will. This would cause resentment and possibly resistance from the majority of Mages.
On the other hand, the Alchemy Guild must also consider the true feelings of the person involved, Bu Quan.
They had nurtured Bu Quan to be a talent with innovative abilities. They hoped that Bu Quan would achieve success in uncharted domains, iteratively upgrading the alchemy technique of the entire Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
For such a talent, it was paramount not to kill her creativity.
And once Bu Quan began to feel aversion or similar emotions, it would greatly damage her enthusiasm.
If the Alchemy Guild were to forcefully intervene, provoking Bu Quan’s passive resistance, even if they restricted her freedom, the Alchemy Guild would only gain a proficient alchemy worker at best.
Take for example,
Suppose the Big guy wasn’t kidnapped by someone with ulterior motives, but instead joined another organization willingly and on his own initiative. And moreover, the Big guy had a great fondness for this organization.
The situation would be very tricky for the Dragon-man youth because he would need to consider the Big guy’s feelings.
If his methods were too harsh and forceful, it could easily lead to a rift between father and son, a complete loss for very little gain.
If such a situation truly arose, the Dragon-man youth would do his utmost to uncover the truth.
Once he ascertained that the Big guy was determined to join this organization, and if the organization was benign and not in conflict with his own side,
The Dragon-man youth would let go.
He would even proactively show goodwill toward the organization, trying his best to ensure they treated the Big guy well.
The old shipwright had entrusted the Big guy to the Dragon-man youth.
For this companion who had been through life and death, the Dragon-man youth cared for him, and had never intended to control the latter’s entire life.
The current situation with Bu Quan was similar.
Bu Quan possessed a great alchemy talent, which the Alchemy Guild valued, but her talent would only come to fruition in the future.
She needed time to grow.
If Bu Quan had already matured, holding some secrets of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, then the Dragon-man youth would definitely not try to recruit her.
In fact, the grown-up Bu Quan encountered individuals each day who were under investigation, surveillance, and even detention or interrogation by the Royal Family’s spies.
In fact, although Bu Quan’s talent was excellent, it wasn’t so outstanding as to have a Golden Level bodyguard providing round-the-clock protection.
Seeing the Alchemy Mage Zhong Bei’s complexion turn very unsightly, a hint of amusement rose in the Dragon-man youth’s heart.
He had learned a lot from the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
Now, beyond the domain of combat, there was the thrilling aspect of strategic manipulation with others.
The feeling was truly wonderful.
Everything was within his control.
It seemed as though the Dragon-man youth was being troubled, with Alchemy Mage Zhong Bei being aggressively confrontational, but in reality, the Dragon-man youth had complete initiative.
He then took out a piece of paper from his inner pocket and handed it to Alchemy Mage Zhong Bei.
“This is the detailed content of the contract we have signed with Alchemy Mage Bu Quan.”
“Alchemy Mage Zhong Bei can take a close look.”
“And you are entirely welcome to verify this with Alchemy Mage Bu Quan herself.”