Chapter 357: Dragonman – Bu Quan Did Everything of Her Own Accord
Finding the dragonman youngster easy to talk to, the alchemist Zhong Bei was pleasantly surprised.
If it weren't for the problem with Bu Quan, he wouldn't have wanted to cause trouble for the dragonman youngster.
Zhong Bei sighed inwardly, knowing that this time, he had no choice but to come.
The dragonman youngster’s attitude caused Zhong Bei to lower his guard, and his tone softened.
He introduced himself, “I am Magician Bu Quan's guardian, primarily responsible for ensuring her safety in everyday life. In emergencies beyond my personal capabilities, I can request assistance from the Alchemist Guild. My authority to request aid is quite high, and in necessary situations, a gold level alchemist will be teleported here to provide reinforcements.”
Gold level transcendents typically held high social status, such as being the ruler of a city. They were usually busy with their own affairs.
However, Bu Quan could obtain gold level reinforcements from the Alchemy Guild during dangerous situations.
Bu Quan was well protected, which also confirms her immense talent.
Of course, in addition to protecting Bu Quan, Magician Zhong Bei also had routine monitoring duties.
Every so often, he compiled a report on Bu Quan's performance and behavior during that period and submitted it as intelligence.
This intelligence was compiled into a dossier, which would serve as an important reference for higher-ups when considering Bu Quan for future assignments.
If Bu Quan were to encounter other unforeseen circumstances, such as leaking state secrets of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom or being recruited by enemies, then Zhong Bei's role would extend beyond mere protection.
By the time Zhong Bei learned that Bu Quan had joined the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, it was already too late.
He knew his work had been compromised.
Although he had monitored Bu Quan and learned of her two visits to the dragonman youngster, he never anticipated that Bu Quan, who had only met him a few times, would agree to join the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps!
Such a talented individual as Bu Quan had been recruited by an external mercenary organization!
After all, she was a key talent being cultivated by the Alchemy Guild. Once trained, Bu Quan was supposed to serve the royal family and become one of the pillars of the Alchemy Guild.
Now, she had been lured away by others.
What was to be done?
Zhong Bei knew that if this matter were exposed, he would be severely dealt with for failing his duties.
Fortunately, at this time, only rumors had leaked out. He had to do everything in his power to resolve this matter before it became common knowledge.
“Commander Long Fu, as long as you voluntarily revoke this contract, I can pretend nothing ever happened,” Zhong Bei said.
The dragonman youngster smiled and shook his head: "Magician Zhong Bei, I admit I did actively recruit Bu Quan. Who wouldn't be tempted by such a talent?"
“But the specifics may differ from what you imagine.”
“The real process was like this...”
The dragonman youngster briefly recounted the events, emphasizing Bu Quan's initiative and willingness throughout his narrative.
Zhong Bei finally understood that Bu Quan had directly gifted her four alchemy workshops to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps out of gratitude.
One had to know that this was almost equivalent to her entire assets in Snow Bird Harbor!
Magician Zhong Bei furrowed his brows deeply.
There was no doubt that the real situation was far more complicated than he had imagined.
If the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was being stubborn or deceiving Bu Quan, it would almost be like handing over the upper hand to Zhong Bei.
Zhong Bei, backed by the Alchemy Guild, could not only easily suppress the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps but also take the opportunity to extort a sum of money.
However, the issue now was that Bu Quan acted of her own accord, and her personal will was extremely strong.
The situation was extremely complicated!
Even the Alchemy Guild, or even Bu Quan's mentor personally intervening, would find it difficult to directly intervene in Bu Quan's personal actions.
On one hand, this was due to the broader context of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
In the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, alchemists held a very high status. The independent and free will of magicians was respected and protected.
If the Alchemy Guild were to forcibly request Bu Quan to revoke the contract, it would undoubtedly infringe upon the independent and free will of magicians. This would lead to widespread resentment, and even resistance, among most magicians.
On the other hand, the Alchemy Guild had to also consider Bu Quan's genuine feelings.
They cultivated Bu Quan with the aim of nurturing a talent with innovative capabilities. They hoped Bu Quan could achieve success in unexplored fields and drive iterative updates to alchemy technology across the entire Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
Such talent should never be stifled.
If Bu Quan developed feelings of aversion, it would severely undermine her motivation.
The Alchemy Guild's forced intervention would trigger Bu Quan's passive resistance. Even if they restricted her freedom, the Alchemy Guild would only end up with a skilled alchemist.
For example, suppose the big guy wasn't kidnapped by someone with ulterior motives, but voluntarily and actively joined another organization, and the big guy had strong feelings for this organization, the dragonman youngster would find this situation tricky to handle, as he had to consider the big guy's feelings.
If the methods were too harsh and coercive, it could easily lead to a feud, which would be completely counterproductive.
If such a situation were to arise, the dragonman youngster would thoroughly investigate to uncover the truth.
Once he confirmed that the big guy was determined to join this organization, and the organization was well-intentioned and would not conflict with their side, the dragonman youngster would let go.
He would also actively seek to befriend the organization, provide support, and advocate for the organization to improve the big guy's treatment.
The old boatwright entrusted the big guy to the dragonman youngster.
For this comrade who has been through life and death, the dragonman youngster cared for him and had never once considered controlling the latter's entire life.
In the case of Bu Quan, the situation was similar.
Bu Quan possessed exceptional alchemy talent, which had caught the attention of the Alchemy Guild, but this talent would only bear fruit in the future.
She needed time to grow.
If Bu Quan had already matured and gained access to some of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's secrets, the dragonman youngster would never have attempted to recruit her.
In fact, once Bu Quan had grown up, every person she came into contact with each day would be investigated, monitored, and even arrested and interrogated by the kingdom's spies.
While Bu Quan's talent was good, it was not so exceptional that a gold level individual would serve as her personal bodyguard, providing 24/7 protection.
Seeing the grim expression on the magician's face, the dragonman youngster felt a surge of amusement.
He had learned a great deal from the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.
Now he had come to understand the excitement of strategic maneuvering beyond combat.
This feeling was truly wonderful.
Everything was under his control.
Though the dragonman youngster appeared to be in trouble, with Magician Zhong Bei pressing him relentlessly, in reality, the dragonman youngster had complete control of the situation.
He then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Magician Zhong Bei.
“This is the detailed content of the contract we signed with Magician Bu Quan.”
“Magician Zhong Bei can examine it carefully.”
“You can verify it with Magician Bu Quan herself.”