Chapter 60: The Identity of the Fat Boss

On the continent, a mage's power generally correlates with their age. The cultivation of mages is much more difficult than that of warriors. Warriors can start their training at a young age, and their physical strength can be developed from a young age, allowing them to begin their martial arts training under adult guidance when they grow older.

The practice of martial arts is extremely challenging. Only when your physical strength meets the requirements can you cultivate martial arts. The more powerful the martial arts, the higher the physical strength requirement, as martial arts are truly tyrannical.

The cultivation of mages is even more difficult than that of martial arts. All children born on the continent are sent to a designated location to check if they have the talent for magic. If they do, they will be given special training. If not, they will return home to prepare to become a warrior.

The age requirement for mage cultivation is very strict. No one under the age of twelve can cultivate magic. After years of exploration, people on the continent have discovered that a person's mental strength only stabilizes at the age of twelve. If they start too early, the instability of their mental strength could lead to a backlash, causing them to go mad or even die.

For this reason, a powerful mage is generally not young. Someone like Meg, who can become a level six mage at such a young age, is considered a prodigy among prodigies on the continent.

Few people know about Merlin's strength. Merlin has always kept this a strict secret, and even the Budah family knew very little about it. They were well aware that if someone as young as Meg had such strong cultivation, there would only be two outcomes: either control her and turn her into a weapon, or kill her. Neither of these outcomes was what they wanted.

Although mages start their cultivation later than warriors, they generally live longer. A warrior, even a level eight warrior, can only live up to about 200 years. A level eight mage, however, can live up to about 250 years.

For this reason, a high-level mage is extremely important to a country. A high-level mage can protect a country for at least 100 years.

Also, because people on the Ark Continent generally live longer than those on Earth, the continent has remained in a slave society for nearly ten thousand years, and the utilization of magical machinery is very low.

On Earth, a feudal king's rule over a country could last for several decades, and that would be considered a long reign, especially for a very long-lived emperor. The rule of a typical empire over a country would not exceed twenty years.

However, on the Ark Continent, a king's rule over a country can last for about a hundred years. If it only lasts for several decades, it would be considered a short reign. This is why the continent's development has not been very rapid over the years.

For this reason, Green did not let Zhao Hai speak. The owners of such shops are usually very shrewd. Even if their cultivation is not high, they have seen many people. As soon as you open your mouth, they can tell your age and even your character. For these shop owners, observing people is their way of survival.

The shop assistant led Zhao Hai and his group into the shop. The shop was beautifully decorated. As soon as they entered, they saw a large hall, which was over forty square meters. On the ceiling of the hall hung a magic lamp, which was still lit even though it was daytime.

Directly opposite the entrance was a large bar, where two beautiful waitresses stood. Outside the bar, a fat man stood respectfully. He was dressed in fine silk, and on his chest was a badge of the彼岸花 (pì'ànhuā, a type of flower), indicating that he was the owner of the shop.

As soon as he saw Zhao Hai and his group enter, the shop owner immediately went to greet them. He stopped three steps in front of Zhao Hai and bowed, saying, "Welcome, honored mage sir. Your visit to our shop is an honor. Please rest here for a moment, and we will serve you the freshest cocoa immediately. The check-in procedures will be handled right away."

Zhao Hai did not say anything and turned to a resting area, where he sat down. The resting area had a few sofas and a coffee table, designed for temporary rest.

As soon as Zhao Hai sat down, a waitress came over and placed a pot of cocoa and a cup on the coffee table in front of Zhao Hai. Meg was about to help Zhao Hai pour the cocoa, but Zhao Hai gently waved his hand, and Meg stood by his side again.

Zhao Hai really had a commanding presence. Dressed in a black magic robe, he exuded a unique and unremarkable yet extraordinary aura. He had not spoken, and his movements were minimal, making him seem to disappear into the background. If it weren't for Green and Meg standing beside him, many people might have overlooked his presence.

The shop owner, who had been paying attention to Zhao Hai, felt the unique aura emanating from him and his eyes narrowed, but his smile did not change. He soon walked up to Zhao Hai and bowed, saying, "Honored mage sir, your room has been arranged on the third floor. Please follow me."

Zhao Hai nodded, stood up, and followed the owner to the third floor. The third floor was different from the first floor. There was no hall, and as soon as they came out of the stairs, they could see individual rooms. Zhao Hai noticed that there were fewer rooms on the third floor compared to the first and second floors.

The fat owner led them to room 301, personally opened the door, and invited Zhao Hai and his group to enter. After they entered, the fat owner stood outside the door and said respectfully, "Honored mage sir, if you need anything, just pull the summoning bell. Your meals will be delivered to your room as soon as possible. This room has five bedrooms, which should be enough for you and your followers. If you need more, I can arrange another room for you."

Zhao Hai nodded lightly and walked into the room without saying a word. However, Green understood his meaning and immediately turned to the fat owner and said, "Your arrangement is satisfactory to the gentleman. Please leave and remember to bring the food quickly."

The fat owner immediately bowed and said, "It is my honor to serve a great mage. Please allow me to take my leave." He then respectfully closed the door and left.

Once the fat owner left, Zhao Hai let out a long breath, took off his hat, and turned to Green with a bitter smile, saying, "I didn't expect this outfit to be so effective. Look at how respectful that owner was; it's really hard to take."

Green also took off his helmet. Hearing Zhao Hai's words, he couldn't help but snort and said, "He? Young master, you are too naive. That owner was just being professional. Moreover, you may not know, but this shop is a property of the Makider family. That fat man is not only the owner of this shop but also an external intelligence agent of the Makider family. I believe it won't take long for our appearance to be known by the Makider family."

Zhao Hai was taken aback and said, "So this is a property of the Makider family. Grandpa Green, why are we staying here? Isn't this too conspicuous?"

Green smiled slightly and said, "Exactly, young master. Sometimes being too low-key is not a good thing. They will only think we are more suspicious and will investigate us thoroughly. But by being so conspicuous now, those people won't suspect we have any connection to the Budah family. They won't think we have the nerve to do so, and they certainly won't think that you can summon undead creatures to impersonate a summoner."

Zhao Hai smiled slightly and said, "I never thought the Makider family would have a shop in such a place. Grandpa Green, how did you know this shop belongs to the Makider family?"

Green smiled and said, "It's not a secret. This shop has the 彼岸花 (pì'ànhuā) emblem, which is the Makider family's crest. Given the Makider family's power on the continent, no one would dare to cause trouble in their shops. We don't have to worry about such issues here. This place is close to Iron Mountain, where there are many magical beasts. By having a shop here, they can obtain many useful items at a low price. A big merchant like the Makider family wouldn't miss such an opportunity."

Zhao Hai nodded. From the miscellaneous notes, he also learned that many things on the continent are made from magical beasts. These beasts, due to their strong bodies and magical attributes, have many useful materials that are commonly used by alchemists and potion makers. Most adventurers and mercenaries make a living by hunting these magical beasts.

However, Zhao Hai was still puzzled about the basic operations of the mercenaries on the continent. He had not seen the mercenary guilds that often appear in novels, so he asked Green, "Grandpa Green, where do the mercenaries take their missions? Do they only survive by hunting magical beasts?"

Green smiled and said, "Of course not. In fact, mercenaries can take missions in any city. In any city, equipment shops, hotels, and inns will have people posting missions. These shops, to attract business, provide missions to the mercenaries for free. So, mercenaries can take missions in any inn in the city. If one inn doesn't have a suitable mission, they can go to another. For a big merchant like the Makider family, any mission posted in one of their shops can be shared with other branches. For example, if you post a mission in Black Mountain Pass, all the Makider shops on the continent will have the mission available for mercenaries to see. It's that simple."

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**End of Chapter 60**