Chapter 838: Mithril Alliance
In the eyes of the chubby owner, the Ashen Warlock and his two old servants were simply ordinary old men from the countryside. He even felt a little sympathetic towards the Ashen Warlock for having no children to look after him at such an old age.
Lin Li wasn’t disappointed, but he lost interest in listening. Hence, he decided to dismiss the chubby owner so that he could continue reading. However, at this moment, there were some other noises coming from outside the inn which were much louder than before. The chubby owner immediately blushed. After all, it was his inn, and he felt rather embarrassed about the fact that his guests were constantly disturbed.
The chubby owner smiled at Lin Li awkwardly, and quickly strode towards the window in a bid to berate the people who were kicking up a ruckus outside. However, when he looked outside through the window, he was so frightened that he immediately shut his mouth up and took a few steps back, almost falling onto the ground. He turned his head and looked at Lin Li who was seated, and his fat cheeks trembled together with his body. He said in a shaky voice, “Dear… Dear guest, that… that person is back and he brought a lot of people with him!”
Actually, Lin Li didn’t need the chubby owner to inform him, because he had long heard the sounds of scoldings from outside. Hence, he was well aware of who had arrived. The matter was within his expectations. How could a person who hit someone else for failing to address him with honorifics possibly tolerate the humiliation of suffering a loss?
Charles, who had just left, stood proudly at the door outside the small inn with the same two subordinates beside him and a large group of uniformly dressed mages behind him. They were standing neatly in a single file, and one would be able to tell at first glance that they were all well-trained. Everyone looked in front with expressionless faces while raising their staffs high up in front of their chests, getting ready to cast magic any moment.
“The ones from the Tower of Dusk, come out now. I know you’re hiding in there. Weren’t you being really arrogant just now? You actually had the guts to hit me. Why have you become a coward now!? If I don’t teach you a memorable lesson today, you guys will really get so complacent and think that you’re too good for the Breezy Plains!” With the mages behind him, Charles was much more courageous and brave. He was confident that his mages would be able to protect him even if the Legendary-level Vampire were to step forth.
Charles’s subordinate stood up with a smug expression, and asked him, “Young Master, are they trying to flee because they heard us?”
“Yeah, if they run away, who am I supposed to look for to settle the scores?” Charles said while looking a little dazed. He pointed his staff at the mages on both sides, and continued, “You guys, surround the small in and make sure nothing gets out, not even a single fly. Damn it, it’s just a small and insignificant Tower of Dusk, yet he has the audacity to be rude to me. I’m going to make sure he regrets being born.”
It was noisy outside, but it wasn’t quiet inside, either. The chubby owner would have never expected for such a huge commotion to break out just because he had failed to address Charles with any honorifics. Actually, even till now, he still didn’t understand why he was wrong, and what Charles was referring to by saying “honorifics”. However, no matter what, he was the one who’d caused the issues to arise. Seeing the menacing bunch of people downstairs, the chubby owner was so frightened that he paced in circles in the room while muttering to himself and trying to figure out what he should do.
Amused by the sight of the chubby owner breaking out in a sweat, Lin Li asked, “Have you never encountered such an incident before?”
Those who thought that they were much more noble and prestigious than others would visit Gran Town once every three years. Whenever they visited, they would stay in the inn for two days. Yet, why did someone find fault with the chubby owner for failing to address him with honorifics this time?
“How would I know? It’s my first time seeing that person. I used to greet those old men in the same way. Who knew he’d be so troublesome? Dear guest, why don’t you guys hide? After all, there are so many of them,” the chubby owner said to Lin Li in a bid to persuade him to hide. However, his expression clearly implied something else. He was just worried that Lin Li would abandon him and leave.
Lin Li shook his head slightly, stood up, and walked towards the window. He then pushed the window open and looked out. He calmly said, “They’re just a bunch of Archmages. They’re far from being able to scare me.”
“What, what Archmages…?” asked the chubby owner who had never left the small town, and thus wasn’t clear about mages and the likes. However, he was somewhat relieved when he heard that Lin Li didn’t intend to escape. Still, he thought about it and realized that if the two parties got into a fight, they would definitely smash plenty of items. It seemed that he would still be doomed.
At the thought of this, the chubby owner’s expression changed again, and he extended his fingers that were each as thick as a mallet, calculating the gains and losses of his business with a look of dismay. Although the handful of gold coins was not a small sum of money, and was enough for him to build a few more of such inns, he would be able to earn more money if he didn’t make any losses. They had already damaged two windows and one door. If the people outside were to rush in again, the tables, chairs, and floor…
“Get out!” Lin Li barked sternly at the window, but his volume wasn’t too loud, and it seemed like he was just talking to someone who was in front of him. In fact, it was a little softer than that.
The chubby owner who was calculating the gains and losses was suddenly frightened, and even began shivering. Thinking that Lin Li was speaking to him, he quickly put his hands behind him. However, when he looked up, he discovered that Lin Li was looking out the window, after which there was a sudden shriek coming from outside.
To ordinary people like the chubby owner, there was nothing too surprising about Lin Li’s bark, but to the mages outside, it made them feel as if their souls were in a vortex full of lightning and thunder. The unparalleled power seemed to be tearing their souls. Although they didn’t even hear Lin Li’s voice, there was a terrible pain spreading from the depths of their souls. Everyone, including Charles, couldn’t help but wail in agony as they immediately knelt to the ground with their hands on their heads.
In fact, it was just a very simple magical Roar of the Soul, which mages who practiced mental spells would be able to learn at level-5 or level-6. In the eyes of many mages, the effect of that spell was rather weak, and it would at most cause the opponent to lose consciousness for a moment. The success rate was rather low too.
However, there was a certain characteristic of Roar of the Soul—there was no upper limit in the demand for mental strength, which also meant that the stronger the user’s mental strength, the greater the power of that magic spell.
If other Legendary-mages were to let out a Roar of the Soul at this moment, they might only cause those wizards to be stunned for a moment, but they would not be able to cause substantial damage. However, Lin Li was already at the peak of level-24, and his mental strength was already of the Sanctuary-level. He was actually already showing those mages some mercy by choosing not to make their souls dissipate with the Roar of the Soul.
The group of menacing mages were still clamoring about tearing down the inn just now, and yet they were all holding their heads with their hands and screaming loudly on the ground. The sight gave the chubby owner a great shock, and he looked at Lin Li like Lin Li was a ghost. However, he also secretly felt thankful for the fact that the young mage Lin Li did not care about honorifics and formalities. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to take a scolding from Lin Li at all, let alone a beating.
“Okay, it’s alright. Go ahead and get busy.” Lin Li turned his head smilingly as if he had just done a trivial thing.
“Ah, in that case, I’ll go downstairs. If you need anything, feel free to call me,” the chubby owner said before fleeing from Lin Li’s room like he was escaping a disaster. Oh my God, who are the people who have come to stay in my inn all these years? Are they all so terrifying!? Seems like I should find a chance to sell this inn to someone else. This business may be profitable, but it’s too dangerous.
After the chubby owner left, Lin Li still remained standing in front of the window. However, he was looking at the town in the distance instead of the people on the ground.
Soon, a figure flew from outside the town and landed directly among the mages outside the inn. He was a mage who seemed to be a middle-aged man. Although he had restrained some of his magical waves, he was still exuding the powerful aura of a Legendary-mage.
The Legendary-mage who had just arrived glanced at the people who were moaning on the ground, and couldn’t help but frown. He looked up at Lin Li who was standing in front of the window, and said in a deep voice, “You must be President Felic of the Tower of Dusk. They all say that the President of the Tower of Dusk is cruel and relentless. Now that I’ve seen you, the rumors are indeed true. Don’t you think you have gone a little overboard?”
“I was already showing mercy to the ones who provoked me,” Lin Li said indifferently.
“Showing mercy?” The middle-aged mage seemed to be holding back his anger as he pointed at the mages on the ground while glowering at Lin Li. “Is this what you mean by showing mercy? Their mental strength has already been permanently destroyed. Does showing mercy mean severing their hopes of making progress in magic!?”
“Haha, isn’t this merciful compared to killing them?” Of course, Lin Li knew how serious it was for mages, but since it was a punishment, it definitely had to hurt. Besides, he could tell from the clamoring of those people just now that they were extremely hostile to the Tower of Dusk, and he simply did not kill because they were on the territory of the Ashen Warlock.
“Great, great, it’s no wonder that you’re the President of the Tower of Dusk, but don’t forget who the owner of this place is. I believe he will do us, the Mithril Alliance, some justice,” said the middle-aged mage; he did not attack Lin Li recklessly despite being infuriated. It was because he was held back by the presence of the Ashen Warlock, and also because he could tell that he couldn’t deal with Lin Li alone.
The Mithril Alliance was originally composed of 13 families. At the end of the Dark Age, the battle with the Blood Moon Clan and some other unknown factors resulted in the destruction of seven major families. Soon afterwards, the Caesar Family, who were the founders of the Mithril Alliance, withdrew from the alliance. Hence, there were only five families left to support the alliance.