Chapter 449: Suggestion

449 Suggestion

Elrick was momentarily speechless before he burst into a loud peal of laughter. Only about a minute later did he stop and speak in amusement, "Adam, I think you're overlooking something."

"What?" Adam asked suspiciously.

"One of the eight tenets of our organization is Honor Brotherhood," Elrick began. "Our members shared a deep bond of unity and loyalty. It is only natural for us to support our fellow brothers."

He paused for a moment before adding, "And as for me having the authority to choose your rewards, I most certainly do. As a handler for all the Agents, I have sway over which missions to give out as well."

Adam carefully ruminated over the man's words before nodding. "You're right. I apologize for my earlier remark."

"No worries," Elrick said with a carefree attitude. "You're a new member. Gradually, you'll learn what our organization is like."

Adam suddenly thought of something and asked, "As someone in the same rank as me, how is your role as a Handler different from an Agent?"

"You see, the vast majority of the missions in our organization are undertaken by the Agents who are all Mana Liquefaction Magi," Elrick began.

"More often than not, our Agents work individually or in close-knit groups. Senior Agents, who have been in this rank for a long time, wield a lot of influence and have a vast information network.

"They act as Spy Masters, directing and guiding new Agents such as yourself. As for Handlers like me, we serve as intermediaries between Spy Masters and Agents that are active in field duty."

"I see." Adam nodded, stroking his chin. "Thanks for clarifying."

Elrick then stroked the storage ring on his finger, searching for something. "Hmm, let me see if I can find you a suitable mission..."

"Give me a simple one, if possible," Adam said with a straight face.

"Huhu, you quite value your life, eh?"

"Of course," Adam stated matter-of-factly. "If someone claims to be unafraid of death, they're lying."

Elrick found this youth very amusing. "So you don't mind if someone labels you a coward?"

Adam couldn't help but sneer. "If fearing for my life makes me a coward, then I am a coward. These are just useless titles anyway. In the end, the winner is not the one who is brave, but the one who is alive."

"Very interesting," Elrick couldn't help but be intrigued.

Finally, after about a minute or so, he took out a scroll from his storage ring and handed it to the youth. "You'll find the details of your mission inside. Upon successfully completing this mission, you will be rewarded with what you seek."

Adam unfurled the scroll and took a look at its contents. A few moments later, his eyes narrowed.

"This... this doesn't seem like a simple one at all!" He complained.

Elrick replied in a carefree manner as he took a puff from the pipe, "For the knowledge that you seek, this is the least you should do. As a Handler, I must be impartial in my duties."

Adam couldn't help but begin to massage his temple. "Do I have a deadline?"

"Not necessarily, but for missions like these, it is wise to finish it sooner rather than later," Elrick replied. "You also have to keep in mind that it'll take you a couple of months to reach Stratford."

"Hmm." Adam nodded. He stroked his chin as he read the contents of the scroll.

For this mission, he had to investigate and resolve a series of beast attacks in a remote town called Stratford located in the northern regions of the Empire.

One particular line on the scroll caused his eyebrows to furrow. He couldn't help but ask, "These beast attacks only happen once a month on the night of full moons? How strange."

"Yes, a few Acolytes of the Brotherhood active in that region believe that this case is most likely related to lycanthropes," Elrick divulged the additional information related to this mission that he was privy to.

Adam went into deep thought. A few moments later, he asked, "How are the townspeople faring? I'm asking this to estimate as to when I should leave at the latest."

"Since the people know that these attacks only take place once a month, they are able to set up sufficient defenses throughout the town.

"But you never know when things might escalate. What is stopping you from leaving sooner though?" Elrick asked curiously.

"It's only been a couple of months since I started studying at Saratoga. If I leave now, I'm afraid I'll miss out on a lot of important things."

Adam paused for a moment before continuing. "I've also just begun mentoring a few promising kids. I think it's inappropriate of me to leave them hanging."

Elrick couldn't help but smile when he heard Adam's latter reason. "So you're worried about the kids, huh?"

Adam simply shrugged in response.

"Huhu, how about we do this?" Elrick began. "I'll instruct a few Acolytes to help the townspeople until you arrive. So try to leave at least within the next six months."

The youth thought for a moment before agreeing, "Alright, that is doable."

"And as for your students, why don't you take them along with you? I'm sure it will be a good learning experience for them."

Adam's eyes lit up at the man's suggestion. "Okay, let me think about it."

After talking with Elrick for some more time, he finally left the library. Although Daneli had asked him to attend the formal dinner, Adam decided not to.

He knew that once he went downstairs, he would once again have to engage in conversation with the other guests—which he didn't feel like doing at the moment.

Thus, without informing his elven friend, he silently left the Ambermind Manor. Since Valerian was back at Saratoga, he had to borrow one of the horses from the compound.

Riding the fine black stead, the youth left the compound and made his way out of the city. Exiting through the west gate, he was greeted with the view of the sprawling farmlands.

It was close to midnight and the ethereal glow of the twin moons bathed the rice fields in a silver glow. Adam took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh air of the countryside.

The cool air brushed against his face, bringing a faint smile to his face. But suddenly, his pupils constricted and he felt intense warning signals ringing inside his mind. At once, he let go of the horse's reins and jumped in the air.

STAB!

Who do you think it is? Hang on tight to the cliffside, by the way XD