"Master Malin has set out again with a team, hasn’t he?" Ragnarok Dendel noticed the convoy’s movement from atop his Mage Tower. At this hour, only a significant team would be leaving, and currently in Copenhagen, only Master Malin’s team had the capability to use an entire motorcade.
Eric Wood watched the convoy until they disappeared over the horizon. "I find it hard to understand this young man. He is a red-robed High Priest of the Church, a Sydney noble, as well as Duke of Farole and a Prince. He’s also a big business owner, yet he tells us he sympathizes with, even understands our ideology... I can’t detect any falsehood in his words; he isn’t lying, but how is that possible? How could what he is saying be heartfelt..."
"Eric, you’re still too suspicious. I know doubt is the way to survival, but think about it. If Master Malin truly did not understand and sympathize with us, with his status and power, all he would need to do is to speak one word, to define our actions, and I believe all of us would be doomed." Ragnarok felt far more favorable towards Malin than Eric did. They were all mages after all, and Ragnarok had asked various Tower Masters from the Southern Mage Towers, all of whom had given the highest praise. The Dwarven Castellan of Carterburg even stated that Master Malin, whether in the world of craftsmen or mages, is an exalted existence.
He is worthy of the Dwarves’ utmost trust, as the Tower Master had said with absolute certainty, as if stating the Truth.
Eric Wood fell silent for a moment, finally letting out a sigh. "It would be great if Pinto Olsson were here. We could have him take a look for us."
"Don’t leave everything to Pinto Olsson to handle. He’s busy in the East right now. He definitely can’t return before the Chaos War bands in the Eastern Region are completely defeated," Ragnarok said with a sigh. "Moreover, I think Pinto Olsson’s power isn’t enough. Master Malin is legendary. Asking him to observe Master Malin is too dangerous. Pinto is our comrade; we can’t accept the outcome of losing him."
Eric Wood nodded, indeed, anyone in the Northern ideology was a precious treasure to the cause. His actions just now might have been misguided. "But I will still keep an eye on Master Malin. If one day he becomes a threat to us, even if it costs me my life, I must kill him."
"I won’t stop you. If that day does come, perhaps it would be better for the two of us old friends to die together," Ragnarok said with a smile, aware of Eric’s distrust. However, Eric had always been fighting for the ideology. If that day came, he would surely stand by him to face destruction.
No matter what desperate situation they faced, no matter what evil they opposed, for the sake of ideology, whether it be the carefree Eric or Ragnarok, every comrade would bravely confront their own end.
Todd Spencer, who was writing formulas on the blackboard, overheard the conversation of the tutors passing through the hallway.
"The convoy that just left belongs to Master Malin’s troops, right?"
"It should be, after all, that was ten snowmobiles. Except for this Master, nobody else flaunts such wealth."
"Ha-ha, indeed. Just thinking about how those Chaotic ones are being crushed under the might of Master Malin’s wealth makes me feel refreshed."
The chat of the two tutors faded as they moved to the other end of the hallway. After completing the formula, the tutor turned his head towards the class. "My apprentices, this formula is one I acquired from Master Antoine. It solves the problem with metal hardness that Master Antoine couldn’t handle over the years. Now, I will ask Master Antoine himself to explain it to you."
Having said that, Todd turned to look at the door, where Antoine had already arrived. His appearance immediately received a warm welcome from the apprentices.
Todd stepped aside from the podium and stood at the back of the classroom. As an old friend of Antoine’s, he and Antoine were continuously cultivating the Northern Kingdom’s most needed craftsmen. Even if only half of these apprentices graduated to become craftsmen, for Antoine, such a conversion rate was already very satisfying.
After all, being a craftsman is a very tedious profession, dealing with workbenches and smelting pots every day. Not everyone can withstand such hard labor.
Todd initially thought Antoine was too hasty. Craftsmen aren’t like movers; a Great Craftsman isn’t replaceable through such a wide net of training.
But after he met Master Malin, he realized what Antoine needed wasn’t one Great Craftsman, but countless ordinary craftsmen who could implement the ideas of a genius Great Craftsman like Malin—a Great Craftsman couldn’t create the equipment needed by thousands of troops with just a pair of hands. A large number of qualified craftsmen are the cornerstone of a kingdom’s survival.
Indeed, Antoine had not made a mistake. The craftsmen gathered under him were now growing rapidly. Their efforts had even earned the royal family’s appreciation—the new Firearms produced by the joint workshop of Malin-Antoine were quickly arming the army’s regiments, which has exceptionally shown goodwill towards Northern ideology.
Everyone knew Antoine was one of the Eleven of the Northern Union. He never hid his identity—on the contrary, his Great Craftsman status was his best cover.