Chapter 182: Dilemma

Clearly, Mafa Merlin had been jointly recommended by Jouyi and Osul due to some achievements he had attained while working on the Fanrusen Formula. Otherwise, a peak Archmage and an Artisan wouldn't have recommended him together.

But in everyone's eyes, his achievement would at most have been suggesting some new train of thought during the research, or perhaps performing a particular calculation that had been causing trouble. They felt that the "huge contribution" was most likely an exaggeration from Jouyi and Osul.

Originally, everyone had only assumed their proposal was something routine.

But now, everyone felt weird.

What was this situation!

Jouyi's words seemed to suggest that this young Great Mage was the one that personally cracked the Fanrusen Formula.

Their first reaction was to wonder whether Jouyi was a bit too drunk...

Why else would he say something like this?

Who didn't know that during research, the contribution of the participants would be mentioned as achievements, but "cracking" the greatest obstacle was something that only the leader of the research could take credit for?

Unless some people achieved incredible results far beyond what all others did during the research, only then would it be accurate to say that they "cracked" it.

The one in charge of the Fanrusen Formula was Jouyi, but now, Jouyi himself said that Merlin had cracked the Fanrusen Formula.

What was happening?

One person couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Sir Jouyi, I have a question!" The one who interjected was a 5th Rank Archmage. Lin Yun remembered Jouyi introducing him earlier; he was called Erjin. He came from the frozen wasteland in the northern part of the kingdom.

"Ask away."

"As everyone knows, Sir Jouyi, you have spent decades on the Fanrusen Formula. It could be said that in the entire Andlusa Kingdom, there are no mages that can understand the Fanrusen Formula better than you. I'm very curious, what kind of achievement did Great Mage Merlin attain during the research for you to praise him this much?"

"Haha..." Jouyi only chuckled before fishing out a piece of paper from his pocket as he replied, "This is a very good question. I cannot give you a concrete answer, because Merlin's contribution to the Fanrusen research simply cannot be explained in a short time. If you must know, then I suggest you take a look at this piece of paper. This is something Great Mage Merlin spent an hour to compute..."

"Thank you, Sir Jouyi." Eljin nodded and took the piece of paper before studying it.

At first, his expression was still quite calm, but the more he looked into it, the more his expression changed.

In the end, cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

Eljin didn't even care about the Magic Hand's gathering as he suddenly fished out a quill from his pocket and looked for a table to check something.

"How could this be..." As Eljin's went deeper and deeper into the calculations, he grew more and more agitated.

After no less than ten minutes, Eljin carefully collected the piece of paper...

He then nodded to Merlin. "My apologies, Great Mage Merlin."

"You are too polite..." Lin Yun only smiled.

Eljin's reaction attracted the attention of every mage that was present. Almost everyone was looking curiously at Eljin, and several Archmages that were acquainted with him even walked over to take a look at the piece of paper...

Those able to participate in the Magic Hand's gathering were all peak mages of the kingdom. Ordinary mages couldn't understand the way that these lofty figures looked at things or their insights. They only needed to study the piece of paper for a bit to understand the pros and cons.

The kind of computing ability shown by the work was too frightening...

Not to mention a 5th Rank Great Mage, 5th Rank High Mages and even 5th Rank Archmages wouldn't possess such terrifying computing ability. Although the pieces of data on the paper were dull and complicated, to all these Archmages, these dull and complicated pieces of data hid horrifying calculations, efficient and accurate, like a machine.

At this time, everyone understood why Merlin could resist a 9th Rank High Mage despite being a 5th Rank Great Mage.

It was all because of his frightening capacity for performing computation.

To mages, computing ability and fighting strength were closely linked. The more formidable the computing ability, the more efficient and accurate the casting. It wasn't surprising for a Great Mage with such incredible computing to be able to breach the limits of ranks and withstand a High Mage.

But that Merlin's rank-skipping was a little too excessive...

It looked like this was the real reason behind Osul and Jouyi recommending this young Great Mage...

"Jouyi, what can a piece of paper explain?" Just as a few Archmages wanted to nod in acceptance, an ill-timed voice suddenly interfered.

That voice was icy cold, and it addressed Jouyi quite rudely.

In the entire Andlusa Kingdom, only one person dared to talk to Jouyi like that: the Council Chairman of the Black Tower, someone that also touched upon the Extraordinary realm, the one Jouyi called the "Ghoul", Harren!

Indeed, the one who interjected was Harren.

This Black Tower Chairman slowly came out of the crowd, his eyes sweeping past Lin Yun, not feeling that a 5th Rank Great Mage was worth his attention. Even if this 5th Rank Great Mage had managed to withstand a 9th Rank Great Mage, even if this 5th Rank Great Mage had terrifying computing ability...

And in fact, let alone a Great Mage, among the thirty people in the room, Solomon was the only one out of the twenty Archmages that was worth Harren's attention.

"Jouyi, as a senior member of the Magic Hand, you should know what the Magic Hand has always pursued, sharing and exchanging magic knowledge. Take a look, who among the members of the Magic Hand doesn't have their own unique understanding? Yet you want to push forward a Great Mage who only has some decent computing abilities, this is simply ridiculous..."

"Harren, you feel that this is ridiculous?" Jouyi glanced at the Black Tower Chairman with a somewhat annoyed expression.

The other Archmages of the Banquet Hall tacitly agreed to retreat a few steps, consciously leaving enough space for these two Archmages.

They'd gotten used to it, as this kind of scene was too common.

These two would fight at every gathering, sometimes with words, sometimes for real... It was better to leave them someplace so that the others wouldn't accidentally get hurt.

"Haha, Jouyi, you don't think this is ridiculous? Look, the members of the Magic Hand are all at least 1st Rank Archmages. To be able to reach this rank, who would have computing ability worse than him? As long as you find one, I'll agree to let Mafa Merlin join the Magic Hand!"

"I..." Jouyi started to say something, but he trailed off.

Harren's words could only be described as sinister.

Those that saw that piece of paper knew that the young Great Mage's computing ability was definitely far superior to that of most Archmages present. How could Jouyi not know this? But Jouyi couldn't say those words...

How could he? Could he point at an Archmage and tell everyone that he fell short of a Great Mage.

That would be a huge joke...

Archmages also had their reputations to think of!

Jouyi knew it, but he couldn't say it in front of everyone, or it would be like slapping someone in the face and they wouldn't be able to stand it.

"Kave..." After sneering, Harren nominated Kave. "You say something, can someone with merely decent computing join the Magic Hand?"

"Right, Kave, you say something!" Jouyi didn't show weakness either.

"This..." Kave almost cried on the spot.

'How can I be so unlucky? I was just shamed by a disappointing disciple, and now I am being drawn into the middle of the fight between the two of you. Are you bullying me? The choices are clearly either supporting Jouyi to offend Harren, or supporting Harren to offend Jouyi...'

The problem was that Kev couldn't afford to offend either...

The two of them were existences that touched upon the Extraordinary realm, each of them being backed by one of the two major mage forces of the kingdom. Whether it was in strength or in backing, they were existences that Kave, who had been forced to move away to the eastern part of the kingdom, couldn't afford to provoke. Offending either of them would be enough to give Kave nightmares.

While Kave felt like crying, he noticed Harren's right hand moving behind his back, making a strange gesture.

"Sir Jouyi, Sir Harren..." Seeing that gesture, struggled for a bit before his hesitation disappeared. "Since the both of you are showing me so much respect, I'd like to offer my humble opinion. I feel that just having decent computing ability isn't enough to join the Magic Hand..."