471 Messenger

The journey back to the Tower of Dusk from the Blackstone Mountains only took Lin Li a couple of days, but when he returned to Black Clouds Town with Norfeller and Ujfalusi, he realized that a bloodbath had occurred in Black Clouds Town. There were collapsed houses everywhere, and bloodstains could be seen on the streets.

\"What's going on? Where did everybody go?\" When he saw this, Lin Li immediately assumed the worst. He tried to scan the whole Black Clouds Town using his mental strength, only to realize that he could not detect a living soul at all.

He could not be bothered to conceal the fact that his servants were Undead creatures and led them to the Tower of Dusk straight away. Thankfully, there were no signs of an attack on the Tower of Dusk, but when he entered, he realized that the place was empty, and there was no trace of the mages.

\"Mr President? The President is back!\" Just as Lin Li stood in the center of the great hall, trying to find someone to ask about the situation, a middle-aged mage ran out, looking emotional.

\"Beckley?\" Lin Li could barely remember his name. There were two kinds of people in school who left a deep impression on others: the kind that topped the rankings in school and those who were at the bottom. Beckley belonged to the latter—he was of mediocre magical talents as he was still only a level-8 mage even though he was in his forties.

\"Mr President, it really is you! I'm Beckley.\" Beckley was rather emotional that the President remembered his name.

\"Oh, Beckley, what happened while I wasn't here? Where did everybody go?\" Lin Li asked curiously.

\"You see, Mr President…\" As he did not usually have a chance to talk to this young president, Beckley was having a hard time controlling his excitement. \"A couple of months ago, just after you left, the Syer bandits attacked Black Clouds Town, destroyed the church at the center of the town, and dug out something from beneath it.\"

\"The Syer Bandits again? These idiots don't know any better.\" Lin Li frowned as soon as he heard this. The Syer Bandits were getting too bold, weren't they?

When he heard of their origins, he sympathized with them, but this did not mean that they could do as they pleased. Moreover, after the ambush at the Scar of Death, Lin Li had lost all sympathy he had for them.

It seemed like he would have to go to the Dragon Mountains to finish off every bit of the Syer Bandits…

\"They attacked the Black Clouds Town? I passed by there on my way back, could it be that everybody…\"

Beckley, who knew that the President was close to the people in the Black Clouds Town, hurriedly explained, \"Mr President, we rushed over the minute we got the news, but still many people fell victim to them. We've only managed to save a small portion of them, and settled them somewhere safe.\"

\"What about Uncle Salatt and the rest?\" The time Lin Li spent in the Black Clouds Town was the most peaceful time he had experienced ever since he had arrived in Anril, and it made him feel as though he was back where he'd been before. The people in the town were like his old neighbors, and were all friendly and amiable. Just like Old Salatt, the friendly old man who opened a small blacksmith shop, and his landlady Aunty Susan, and little Jack who brought him fruits.

Beckley's expression changed as he stuttered. \"M-Mr President, when… when we got there, Old Salatt had already…\"

\"I got it…\" Lin Li nodded his head. The expression on his face did not change much, either, yet the words he spoke felt as chilly as ice to Beckley and made his hair stand on ends…

\"Right, what about the rest?\" Lin Li looked puzzled as he looked around the Tower of Dusk. Sendros said that his mages had returned two months ago, so why did the Tower of Dusk look so empty?

Even though he knew that it was not aimed at him, the President's hostile tone still made Beckley break out in a sweat as he hurriedly replied, \"President Gerian and the rest returned a month after the incident, and when they heard about it, he said he was going to bring them to settle scores. The rest could not persuade him against it, hence they followed along.\"

\"Ok.\" Lin Li relaxed a bit when he heard this as this sounded like something Gerian would do, but immediately after that, a look of doubt appeared on his face. \"When did they leave?\"

\"They left a few days after they heard about it, so maybe about two months ago,\" Beckley said, looking worried himself.

\"What, two months ago?\" Lin Li was shocked by the news. The boss of the Syer bandits, Vanskore, had ambushed him along with the elites of the bandit group, and they were all killed by him. The Syer bandits had to hardly have anyone left. While the Tower of Dusk was not incredibly powerful per se, they should be more than enough to deal with the remnants of the bandits. When he thought of this, Lin Li quickly asked, \"Do you know what happened to them? Why aren't they back yet?\"

Beckley shook his head, and said, \"When President Gerian left, he only instructed me to wait for you to return. I haven't heard from him in the past couple of months.\"

\"Bloody hell…\" Lin Li cursed quietly. Things could not be clearer. Gerian was an Archmage himself, and along with him were a few other Archmages and a group of mages, so how ridiculous was it if they had to take more than two months to get rid of a bandit group that was already on the brink of extermination?

Lin Li was willing to bet his life that Gerian and the rest were not only dealing with the remnants of the Syer Bandits there.

Needless to say, there was a decently powerful force supporting the Syer Bandits!

But who could it be…?

Lin Li was pretty familiar with all the forces that had made a name for themselves around Doland, and there were many who could go against the Tower of Dusk, but not many of them would dare to. The guest list from his inauguration ceremony had spread throughout the whole of Doland, and there was no way that these forces would not consider the consequences of going against a Guild that was becoming stronger every day in order to help a bandit group on the brink of extermination. Who would be so much of fool as to offend a Guild that had good relations with so many powerful individuals?

Lin Li's expression was unreadable, and made Beckley panic as he was worried that the young president would vent his anger on him. \"Mr… Mr President, I asked to go along, but…\"

\"Oh, don't worry, it's not about you…\" Lin Li was pulled back from his thoughts as he watched Beckley stutter, trying to explain himself. He quickly waved his hands to get the less than talented mage to stop worrying. \"Keep guarding the Tower of Dusk, I need to go to the Dragon Mountains again.\"

But just as he was about to step out of the door, Lin Li suddenly recalled something. Weren't the Syer Bandits on good terms with the Malfa Family? From what Hutton said, it seemed as though they had good relations and many business dealings, which was why Vanskore had listened to Hutton's command to ambush him back in the Scar of Death.

Could the Malfa Family be behind this?

Right, he remembered hearing the mention of something below the church from the Malfa Family's underlings…

\"Beckley.\" Lin Li halted in his stride when he thought of this.

\"Yes, Mr President?\" Beckley quickly jogged in front of Lin Li.

\"Write a letter in my name and have someone send it to the Malfa Family in Aminya.\"

\"Yes.\" Beckley nodded his head respectfully before he carefully asked, \"Mr President, what should I write about…?\"

\"Tell the Malfa Family that their ally, the Breezy Plains Guild of Magic, intends to exterminate the remnants of the Syer Bandits next week, and is requesting that they adhere to our agreement by sending out mages of at least level-10 to assist us.\"

\"Oh…\" Beckley was obviously stunned. Since when did the Tower of Dusk and the Malfa Family become allies?

The Malfa Family was not just any random force, either. Even though Beckley had never left Doland, he still knew enough about this triad family far away in Aminya.

The Malfa Family was founded 200 years ago by the most powerful Adventurer in the history of Breezy Plains: Leo Malfa. He was the first patriarch of the Malfa Family. Since then, this triad family had monopolized all the underground dealings of Aminya, and became the true power ruling over Aminya.

They were truly a powerful figure, and besides the Dark Blade that also hailed from Aminya, no other force in the whole region could go against the Malfa Family.

The newly set up Tower of Dusk was insignificant in comparison to the Malfa Family.

And because of this, Beckley looked more doubtful. \"Erm… M-Mr President, do you think we should m-make… a few changes to the letter?\"

\"That will not be necessary, just write it like I said it.\" Lin Li shook his head as he gave a strange look to Beckley, wondering what was wrong with what he said.

\"Then shall I make a trip to Aminya myself…?\"

\"If you go, then who will guard the Tower of Dusk? Don't bother, just get someone to do it…\" Lin Li hurriedly replied before he called Norfeller and Ujfalusi, who were waiting at the side, and turned to leave the Tower of Dusk.

\"Sigh…\" Beckley shook his head somewhat indignantly as he watched Lin Li leave, silently lamenting the fact that President Felic was indeed too young…

While he had slowly realized that this young president was unlike other young mages, this time, Beckley felt that the president's flaw of being too young was incredibly evident…

Who were the Malfas? They were the ones ruling over the whole of Aminya, so how could a small Guild of Magic order them around? And President Felic was basically ordering them around based on what he said, and he was even specifying what kind of people he wanted them to send. If Beckley had been the patriarch of the Malfa Family, he would not even have bothered to reply and would've just thrown the letter in the thrash…

Only when he could not see Lin Li anymore did Beckley shake his head and return to the Tower of Dusk. He laid out a pen and a sheet of paper in front of him before he started pondering how he could phrase the letter better. President Felic might be young and not know better, but he could not afford to botch this, or they might end up with another powerful enemy instead of an ally…

…

A dusty carriage stopped in front of the Malfa Family's gate in Aminya City, and a tired-looking middle-aged mage alighted from it, paying his fare before he walked up the steps. If Lin Li had been here, he would have immediately recognized him as the mage he had instructed to stay behind and guard the Tower of Dusk.

Even though he'd been instructed to stay, Beckley decided that given the influence and status of the Malfa Family, it would not be beneath the President for him to pay a visit himself. It was already disrespectful that he, a low-ranking mage, was doing the job, so he could not imagine what would happen if he had someone random do the job instead…

\"Hold up, what is it?\" The guards in front of the door stopped him rudely.

\"I'm Beckley, a level-8 mage from the Breezy Plains Guild of Magic, the Tower of Dusk. I would like to meet the patriarch of the Malfa Family.\" Beckley did not dare to delay at all after receiving instructions, and hurried over to the Malfa Family's house by travelling day and night.

One guard stared at Beckley before disdainfully saying, \"What Tower of Dusk, why haven't I heard of it before?\"

While mages had a high status, Beckley was only a level-8 mage, and it was true that he was somewhat insignificant in the Breezy Plains. Even though they were merely guards, they were standing guard in front of the Malfa Family's house, and thus they did not care much about a level-8 mage.

\"How dare you lie to the Malfa Family?? It seems as though you're tired of living!\" another guard said as he placed his hand on his sword.

\"Gentlemen, please let me pass, I have urgent matters to discuss…\"

\"Leave now! You think just anyone can enter the Malfa Family? If you don't leave now, I'll cut off your head!\" The guards half-drew their swords out and reflected the sunlight into Beckley's eyes with the blades.

\"Why are you causing such a ruckus at such a place? Is it not embarrassing!?\" A voice came from behind Beckley suddenly.

The two guards quickly stood up straight and bowed before chorusing, \"Young Master Hutton!\"

Hutton walked up the stairs with two people behind him before he looked at the guards and asked, \"What's going on?\"

A guard pointed at Beckley while he said, \"Young Master Hutton, this man claims to be a messenger from the Tower of Dusk and has been yelling that he wants to see the patriarch.\"