End of the Magic Era

This was Solomon…

Leader of the Mage Guild, Master of the Sage Tower, the Solomon whose power shook Thousand Sails City for twenty years. Never mind a small Alchemist like Molin, even Leader Lys would be forced to remain respectful in front of this High Mage.

‘I just scolded Solomon…’

As he thought about it, Molin felt his legs weakening.

‘What should I do, what should I do…’

This was the strongest mage of Thousand Sails City, someone who had slaughtered the Black Wing Bandits. In front of him, Molin was a mere ant waiting to be crushed.

Molin stood there with a pale complexion, and he couldn’t help shivering as numerous droplets of cold sweat dripped down from his forehead.

“Merlin, do you need my help resolving this issue?” Solomon didn’t look at the terrified wreck as he entered the Gilded Rose without even asking what had happened. All he cared about was whether Lin Yun needed his help resolving this problem.

That’s right, resolving it!

If someone else said something like this, it would definitely draw the ire of the Alchemist Guild. After all, who would dare to stop the Alchemist Guild from seizing goods when they were in charge of this market? Wouldn’t that be disrespecting the Alchemist Guild?

But it was a totally different situation if Solomon was the one saying it. The black-robed alchemists, along with the shivering Molin, didn’t feel anything wrong with Solomon saying something like this.

If Solomon said he would resolve it, then no matter who was right and who was wrong, no matter the cause and effect, the matter would be resolved.

This was the extent of Solomon’s status in Thousand Sails City.

Lin Yun knew that as long as Solomon said something, these black-robed alchemists and Molin would definitely fix everything and scamper back to the Alchemist Guild with gloomy expressions. What seizing, what hearing? They would be unrelated to Lin Yun.

But after Lin Yun thought about it, he shook his head and rejected Solomon’s kindness. “No need.”

It wasn’t because of some ridiculous pride, and it also wasn’t because of some baffling honor.

In fact, due to his previous life, Lin Yun’s pride and honor, as well as his moral principles, could be considered to be quite flexible depending on the situation.

He refused Solomon’s kindness because he felt that the Gilded Rose still had too few alchemists…

“Mage Solomon, I already explained the matters of – Magic Conducting Rune Creation Paradigm – on the road. In a few days, I’ll come to the Sage Tower. I’ll ask you for some pointers at that time…”

“Very well.” Solomon understood Lin Yun’s intentions and didn’t try to convince him. After nodding, he gazed at Molin once again and muttered, “Give my respects to Lys.”

After saying this, he turned around and left the Gilded Rose.

“Ye… Yes…” Molin was finally able to let out a sigh of relief. His legs went soft and he sat down on the staircase, but he couldn’t relish in the feeling of being let off easy. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, but didn’t even take the time to properly wipe the dust off his face as he rushed toward Lin Yun.

However, Molin didn’t act all high and mighty this time. An obsequious expression was now plastered on his face, as the stuttered, “Ma… Mage Merlin, it’s a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding…”

“Haha, it’s good if it’s all just a misunderstanding.” Lin Yun laughed as if the previous unpleasantness had never happened. He even kindly reminded, “Alchemist Molin, there still seem to be a few shelves that are lacking seals over there.”

“No, no, no, it’s not needed, there is no need to put seals there…” By now Molin’s smile looked more like unsightly weeping.

‘Damn, if I had known that you were friendly with Solomon, how could I be willing to seize your goods? I got no benefits in the end and got on the bad side of Solomon, how could I be so unlucky…’

“No need, really?”

“There is truly no need…” Molin miserably forced out.

“Good then…” Lin Yun nodded in relief at this, before suddenly asking, “Oh right, Alchemist Molin, when does the hearing begin?”

“The hearing is in an hour… no, no, no, I don’t mean to urge you, Mage Merlin, if you don’t have the time, the hearing could be…”

Just after he started talking, Molin felt like slapping himself. Wasn’t this a bad idea? He had just managed to gloss over the attempted seizure of goods, yet he was still talking about the hearing. What if Solomon returned?

“No, no, I have plenty of time!”

“Ah?”

“It would take thirty minutes to get from here to the Alchemist Guild. Alchemist Molin, hurry up and seal everything.”

“Ah?”

Molin let out two surprised murmurs one after the other as he was completely stunned.

After working for the Alchemist Guild for so many years, it was the first time Molin saw an alchemy shop owner like this person. Not only was he impatient to participate in the hearing, but he was even urging him to hurry and seal everything. ‘What… What is happening? Are you losing your mind, or am I?’

One was continuously urging while the other wanted to just stop…

The sealing work was rushed ahead. Molin commanded a few of the black-robed alchemists to hurriedly put seals on a few shelves before saying while shivering that the sealing had already been completed.

The most frightening thing was that before he left, Lin Yun asked one thing.

“Oh right, Alchemist Molin! Once the hearing is over, will I be missing some of my things?”

“Definitely not!” Molin was on the verge of crying. He shook his head while guaranteeing, “That definitely will not happen!”

At the start, Molin truly had planned to get some benefits out of this. After all, by the time the hearing was over, it wasn’t even certain whether the Gilded Rose could continue doing business. Under these kinds of circumstances, no one would come to give him trouble over taking a few things for himself.

But now, even if Molin was bold, he wouldn’t dare to make a move on Lin Yun…

The young boss of the Gilded Rose was actually someone that could chat casually with Solomon. The only thing he would gain from acting against someone like this would be some enmity.

Besides, with Solomon leaving behind that sentence, even Leader Lys would have no choice but to show a bit of respect and only go through the motions of having the hearing. Once finished, the Gilded Rose should be able to do business again. What if Solomon personally came out if he stole something?

Thinking that this might be possible, Molin’s legs felt weak once again…

Unfortunately, Lin Yun didn’t say anything on the way to break up the awkward atmosphere, and the two spent their time in the carriage to the Alchemist Guild in complete silence.

…

Looking at the time, one hour had passed.

The hearing was held on the 2nd floor. Molin respectfully led Lin Yun to the door and knocked on the door before announcing, “The Gilded Rose’s Mafa Merlin has arrived.”

“Please come in.”

Molin opened the door and led Merlin inside. This was a spacious conference room with very simple furnishing. There were a few chairs and a long table, and behind the long table were three middle-aged men sitting side by side. They didn’t seem very old, each perhaps between 40 and 50.

Ten meters in front of the table was a chair that apparently was left there for Lin Yun.

“Mage Merlin, please sit.” After Molin led Lin Yun to the conference room, he respectfully asked Lin Yun to sit down before running toward one of the middle-aged men to whisper a few sentences in his ears.

After hearing Molin’s words, the middle-aged man was clearly startled. He instantly glanced at Lin Yun in bewilderment before quickly lowering his head to cover his lack of self-control. However, the broken quill in his right hand still betrayed his mood. It was only a quill, but he couldn’t hold it stable.

Although they were ten meters away and Molin’s voice was very low, Lin Yun could make out from Molin’s lips that he said, “Solomon himself accompanied him back…”

It seemed that this middle-aged man was Molin’s backer in the Alchemist Guild…

After Molin withdrew from the conference room, the hearing officially began.

“You are Mafa Merlin?” The first to ask the question was a middle-aged man that looked roughly 50 years old. The mana fluctuations from his body gave Lin Yun some pressure.

If it had been before his advancement to Great Mage, Lin Yun might have only felt pressure and nothing more, but now his awareness toward mana fluctuations had greatly sharpened. With a glance, he could see that this middle-aged person should be a 5th Rank Great Mage.

But after reaching the rank of Great Mage, he might have taken a few detours, making his Magic Conducting Runes no longer able to maintain balance. For him to be able to even reach this step was thanks to the help of various alchemy potions. But he would be stuck at the 5th Rank for life.

“Mafa Merlin?” Not hearing any sort of response, the man frowned. As someone who was relatively higher in the ranks of the Alchemist Guild, although the number of hearings he had taken part in hadn’t reached the triple digits yet, he still had participated in more than eighty. In all of these, he had never seen one where the person being questioned would ignore him…

Moreover, there were two of his peers watching on the side, making him feel like he had been disrespected. Naturally, he didn’t have a good first impression of Lin Yun.

“Ah, yes, I am Mafa Merlin.” Lin Yun, who had felt sorry for the other side for being stuck at the 5th Rank, came back to his senses after hearing the middle-aged man prompt him a second time.

“Good, Mafa Merlin, you can now confess about the issue regarding your Gilded Rose.”