Chapter 373：Surrender

"Donate?" Skagen couldn't help but ask: "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Dudian earnestly said: "Why shouldn't I if I can save the lives of soldiers on the front line by losing some wealth? It's worth it even if only one person could be saved!"

Skagen stared at his firm and sincere eyes. He sighed: "It is the truth! Moreover the rifle is your product and you have full control about how to deal with it. But we must let the civilians know about what you are doing for them! Military must apologize to you too! They have slandered an outstanding master and this crime can't be forgiven!"

Dudian sighed: "We can talk about this after the end of the war. It doesn't matter to me if the civilians are aware of it. At least you are aware of this. Moreover I can go to inner wall to study after the war is over. So the disturbances in here won't interfere with me. I just want to make new inventions and products to change our living environment. As for the way civilians look at me, its not much of a problem. I have attendants that protect me and they wouldn't dare to trespass into my castle."

Everone looked at each other.

A wide faced old man shook his head: "No, that's impossible. Even if you don't communicate with the civilians but they are misunderstand you. There will be trouble in future. There are powers behind this and the civilians have to know how much you have done to this war."

"Yes, its not so easy to forget about the value of a legendary item. All the consortia and military have to know about it and this matter should be published in all the newspapers!"

"Mr Dean it was not just you suffer grievances but our Temple is also the subject of the questions from these fools. There are some who dare to talke about our Temple at the shadows. I assume they are instigated by the members of the Dark Church!"

Everyone added one after another.

Skagen nodded and looked at Dudian: "Everyone is telling the truth. We will help you and its not just about your personal reputation. It's about the reputation of the architects of the Temple. We mustn't give the opportunity to the Dark Church to spread rumors!"

Dudian had a startled look on his face. He apologized: "Sorry, my thinking was simple and didn't think through the perspective of the Temple. I'll listen to the arrangement of the Temple but before that I hope the rifle is given to the military for the urgent production! It has to be manufactured without delay!" Dudian had a serious expression on his face.

"I know, it will be send to the military after a discussion."

"Thank you very much." Dudiain thanked.

"By the way you talked about the honor of knighthood. When did you become an apprentice knight?" Skagen asked.

Dudian replied: "Recently... I saw the number of casualties in the military newspaper and I went to the Knight's Hall to test for knighthood. I hoped to have the opportunity to join the battlefield. However afterwards I learned that the military strong armed the consortia to send their hunters to the battlefield. If I knew about that I wouldn't have to test for the title of the knight but directly go to battlefield as a hunter."

Skagen replied without thinking: "Nonsense! You are a dignified architect! How can you join the battlefield with the identity of a lowly hunter? They are used as cannon fodder in the battle and no one knows how many of them will survive. Unless military wants to cut off relations with the Temple they wouldn't dare to force you into the battlefield as a hunter!"

"I'm not sure about that." Another master added: "The military moved by relying on the words of barbarians that they had caught! They dare to smear dirt on us through the newspaper. The military's guts are getting bigger!"

"Yes."

"We will give them what they want!" Another master said in a cold tone.

Dudian replied: "Gentleman the military is too sensitive to the issues because of the war. We are fighting against foreign enemies and we can be seen as jokes by the barbarian if we raise an internal friction."

The other's couldn't help but see Dudian in a new sight.

Skagen patted Dudian's shoulder: "I hope everyone would be like you in times of war. We won't do anything now but after the war ends we will show them who we are. It's not internal friction but balance. Military's arrogance is getting more rampant. In the end they are losing big time and want to suspect a master of the Temple in haste. Although you were not a master at the time but your potential was without a doubt! Their move is no different than trying to slay a master. If we don't show them who we are then they will think that the Temple is soft."

Dudian bowed his head and blushed. He didn't know what to say.

Skagen smiled: "Since you don't want to go to inner wall to study then its alright. But military have to send an escort for you to join the battlefield. Otherwise we won't allow such a move!"

Dudian said: "Thanks predecessors! I'll keep it in my mind!"

"We are not predecessors but work mates!" Skagen smiled.

...

...

After the end of conference. North of commercial district. The Military HQ

Whoosh!

A bird with white feather flied by. It's wings weren't stained with rain water. Obviously its flight couldn't be hindered by rain.

A middle-aged man reached out and grabbed the bird. He removed the reel from the foot of the bird. He took out the letter and rolled out the paper. He skimmed through the content: "Legendary item... Donate? Free of charge?"

The man recovered and turned to run into the hall in hurry. There was a huge sand table in the middle of the hall. It covered the terrain of the entire outer wall. Even the radiation zone was engraved in it. However the contouers of the radiation zone weren't clear and were marked in gray meaning unknown or unexplored area.

Few people were standing by the sand table and chatting.

The middle-aged man ran into the room: "Generals! There is a report!"

The blonde general turned and frowned: "Colonel why are you so perplexed?"

The colonel said: "Reporting to the generals. We just received news from the Temple. They have produced a legendary level military product and they will donate it to military!"

There was a sudden silence in the hall.

Everyone turned towards the colonel. Although they didn't listen to his words one by one but the words 'Temple' and 'Legendary' caught their attention as they were too special.

"What did you say?!" The previous blonde general asked once more.

Colonel continued: "We just received the news that master Dean from the Temple has produced rifle which is a legendary item. He will donate it to army for free of charge. Moreover it is a military product!"

The general looked at each other.

"Military product and legendary level?" A middle-aged general was surprised: " How many years has it been that the Temple produced a legendary level military product? Would they deliberately set its level so high?"

The white bearded old man who was standing at the top had traces of shock in his eyes. He stared at the colonel: "Did you just say master Dean?"