Chapter 1036: Arcane Union Special Provision, Elder

Soon, the banquet reached its final stage; the low-level Deacons of the Arcane Union had cleared away all the remaining food and tableware from the tables, replacing them with cups of steaming "Bonu" tea.

There was a cup in front of Xia Duo as well, and the moment the tea was served, the entire Light Hall was filled with a faint, refreshing scent.

Watching the fine, withered leaves swirling and slowly sinking to the bottom of the teacup, Xia Duo took a small sip; his spirit, which had become dull after the banquet's peculiar atmosphere, was instantly invigorated.

Although this tea was not as good as the raw leaves the Elf Aoruipusi had given him, it was still far better than the "Bonu No. 4" possessed by the Tower of Time.

Xia Duo took another sip, the sensations of coolness and warmth alternating within his body, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "As expected, the people here in Seventon really know how to enjoy themselves!"

Seeming to notice Xia Duo's interest in the Bonu tea, Bulundesi, who was to the side, immediately introduced it:

"Lord Xia Duo, this is 'Bonu No. 2'. Aside from the raw leaves the Elves are always unwilling to export, and the 'No. 1' that has long since been pocketed by the Great Arcanists, this is the highest grade of Bonu tea we can drink."

"This type of tea rarely appears on the market; most of it is allocated on a fixed basis. Now that you are a 5th-Level Member of the Arcane Union, we will specifically prepare a certain duty-free quota for you each year, as well as a portion of purchase quota."

"Mm."

Xia Duo gave a noncommittal "mm." If it were before he possessed a Bonu Tea Tree, he would have been very happy to obtain a stable acquisition channel for this "Bonu No. 2."

But now, his inner feelings were quite flat.

Seeing that the meal had been eaten and the tea had been drunk, the conversation among the people in the Light Hall had gradually become dull, and some people had even started looking around, appearing as if they might leave at any moment, so Xia Duo asked Bulundesi again:

"Councilor Bulundesi, are there any other items after the banquet?"

His subtext was written almost entirely on his face, which was—what about Master Kangjienio you mentioned earlier? It's almost time to disperse, why hasn't he come yet?

Bulundesi, being asked again, couldn't help but feel puzzled at this moment, doubting for the first time whether the President would arrive.

The President had said he would come; if he didn't arrive at the start of the banquet, he would at least appear during the final tea, but now, the tea was almost finished and the person still hadn't appeared, which was somewhat abnormal.

"Lord Xia Duo, perhaps the President has some urgent matters to attend to. I will ask Councilor Haichenite; he is closer to the President, perhaps he will know something."

"Mm."

Xia Duo nodded dully and then looked at Haichenite, but this look revealed some clues to him.

Although Councilor Haichenite was currently socializing skillfully, coordinating the relationships between the various Councilors attending the banquet as much as possible, and trying to liven up the atmosphere—which he had indeed done well before—Xia Duo now saw a trace of anxiety in Haichenite's eyes.

And when Bulundesi sent a message to inquire, that trace of anxiety occupied his entire gaze for a fleeting moment, though he covered it up very well.

If Xia Duo hadn't been observing his expression, he might not have discovered it at all.

Soon, Bulundesi and Haichenite explained to Xia Duo separately that the President might have been delayed by something, and guaranteed that the President would definitely appear tonight.

To this, Xia Duo could only accept it. Not to mention that Kangjienio was still the President of the Arcane Union, or that he was a Great Arcanist, even his age alone made him worth waiting for.

As long as he could be sure the other party was really coming, it didn't matter how long he waited.

And just less than a minute after Bulundesi and Haichenite sent their messages of explanation, Xia Duo suddenly sensed a vibration in the Magic Net within the Light Hall that was very familiar to him—

This was a signal for teleportation!

At this moment in the Light Hall, everyone present was at least at the Archmage level, so they were naturally very sensitive to such signals.

However, it was almost impossible for an enemy to appear at the Arcane Union Headquarters, and having the courage to teleport in front of all the Councilors, the identity of the person arriving was almost self-evident.

Thus, everyone, including Xia Duo, stood up from their seats in unison and looked toward the spot in the hall where the Magic Net Strings were vibrating most violently.

As the vibration reached a certain limit, a Magic Aura resembling white light mist appeared within his Magic Vision; this aura lasted only for an instant before dimming, and as time passed, it would eventually dissipate completely.

However, at the moment the aura turned from strong to weak, the teleporter had already appeared in the hall.

An old man with a full head of silver hair and a kind face; the moment he appeared, Xia Duo recognized him—wasn't this the old man who sat next to Iolum in the viewing area at the Princess Ascension Ceremony!

Now it seemed, it was undoubtedly Master Kangjienio.

At the same time, the Councilors in the hall also declared the identity of the newcomer with their actions; they almost simultaneously bowed in unison and called out:

"President!"

Xia Duo's "Master" was a beat behind, appearing particularly prominent in the quiet Light Hall.

However, Kangjienio was not angry about this; instead, he apologized to everyone very humbly, without any airs of a senior expert:

"Apologies, everyone, I am late."

How could the crowd dare to accept the Master's apology? They all expressed that the Master was not late at all, and Councilor Haichenite even changed the subject and began to introduce Xia Duo:

"President, this is Lord Xia Duo, who just passed the Arcane Union's 5th-Level Member certification not long ago."

"Lord Xia Duo, I know. Just a moment ago I heard Bailun mention your name, and before that, I had heard it even more often."

As he spoke, Kangjienio walked slowly to Xia Duo, looked into Xia Duo's eyes, and praised: "Not bad, Netheril lacks excellent young people like you the most!"

"Master, you overpraise me. I have only done the most basic work of a Spellcaster and a Lord; it cannot be considered excellent. Moreover, I feel that what Netheril lacks most right now is not young people like me, but elders like you who are willing to cultivate the young!"

"Oh—"

After hearing what Xia Duo said, Kangjienio's eyes immediately lit up. Although the young man's words still carried a tone of flattery, the main point he wanted to express was deeply approved by him.

Glancing at the Union Councilors around him with their varied expressions, Kangjienio did not delve deeper into this topic with Xia Duo, but he had already remembered this young man with unique ideas and was prepared to continue paying attention to him.

"Mage Xia Duo, welcome to becoming a true member of the Union!"

"My honor!"

Then, Kangjienio took out his signature gift—a set of 【Ioun Stones】 named after himself.

Of course, although this set was entirely crafted by his own hands, it was not much different from those made by others, and might even be inferior to some versions that had already been updated; it was more of a symbolic significance.

Xia Duo took the elder's gift with both hands and said solemnly: "Thank you for the gift, Master, I will definitely make good use of them!"

"I am very gratified that you can think so!"

After saying this, Kangjienio left, and this also meant the end of the welcome banquet.