Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 298 Hawk, the Fourth Ring Wizard

"How long will the supply ship stay here?" Rowling asked.

"The usual duration is three days."

"Unloading, loading, trading, rest," Morpheus said. "Hawk might stay an extra day or two this time to handle some special matters. You have plenty of time to engage with them and make decisions."

"What do I need to do?" Rowling knew that Morpheus must have some requirements for providing so much help and information.

Morpheus's smile faded slightly, and his eyes became serious: "Two things."

First, before you leave, help me identify a few difficult-to-identify ancient artifacts that the town recently unearthed from several high-risk sites.

In this respect, you, who received orthodox training from Santa, are better than us self-taught individuals.

Secondly, if you gain a foothold in the Whisper Council and acquire a certain status and intelligence channels in the future, I hope you can become an unofficial liaison point between the Sunken Town and the Whisper Council.

At times, it's used to convey information that's not convenient to transmit through formal channels.

This request is not excessive; in fact, it could be described as mutually beneficial.

Without hesitation, Luo Lin nodded: "Okay."

"Very good." Morpheus smiled again. "Well then, it's been a pleasure doing business with you. There's no rush with the appraisal. I'll have someone deliver the items to your room when you return from the docks."

"Now, you can go and take a look at the docks."

"Remember, Hawke doesn't like beating around the bush, but he appreciates people with ability and sincerity."

"It's better to be direct when dealing with him."

Rowling stood up, put the document away, nodded slightly to Morpheus, and left the stone building with Ellie.

On the way to the dock, Ellie whispered, "Mr. Rowling, are we really going to that Secret Council?"

"Most likely," Rowling replied. "Morpheus is right; that place is more suitable for our current situation."

"However, we'll only know the specifics after we get to know them."

The dock is located on the western edge of the cave, in a naturally formed underground river bend that has been widened and reinforced by human intervention.

At this moment, three medium-sized flat-bottomed cargo ships were moored in the river bend. The hulls were made of heavy black wood and wrapped with reinforced metal strips. The sails had been furled, and several magic lamps emitting a steady white light hung on the masts, illuminating the area around the dock.

On the ship, sailors and apprentices dressed in uniform gray robes were carrying boxes and bundles of cargo to the dock via gangplank.

Several small hills had already been piled up on the open ground of the dock, with burlap sacks emitting the aroma of grain, sealed metal barrels, bundled leather and cloth, and some large items of various shapes covered with tarpaulins.

Many residents and outsiders from the sunken town gathered around the dock, pointing and discussing amongst themselves.

Some people who looked like managers of various shops in the town were talking in hushed tones with more well-dressed men in grey robes who were coming off the boat, clearly discussing business.

Rowling's gaze swept across the crowd and quickly locked onto a figure in the center of the dock, subtly protected by several composed grey-robed wizards.

He was a tall, robust middle-aged man, almost a head taller than those around him.

He wore a simple but sturdy dark gray robe, covered by a half-body leather armor, and a sheathless, thick-bladed greatsword with a dark metallic sheen hanging at his waist.

His hair was shaved very short, revealing his bluish scalp. His face was square with strong lines, and he had a neatly trimmed short beard on his chin.

A pair of brown eyes, like those of a hawk, calmly scanned the unloading process on the dock and the surrounding crowd.

Hawk, a fourth-circle wizard. Just by looking at his appearance and aura, you can tell he's a seasoned and tough character.

Instead of immediately stepping forward, Rowling stood with Ellie at the edge of the crowd and quietly observed for a while.

Hawke seemed satisfied with the unloading progress, occasionally whispering instructions to those around him in a loud and steady voice.

He treated the town officials who came to make contact with him with neither servility nor arrogance, and handled matters in a strict and official manner. However, for those who tried to get close to him or inquire about information, a cold look was enough to make them back off.

Just then, a tall, thin man in tattered clothes, with a fresh scar on his face and a glint in his eyes, squeezed through the crowd and approached Hawke. In a voice just loud enough for those around him to hear, he asked, "Lord Hawke! Did you bring that on board this time?"

"Is this the batch of frozen rune tablets we agreed on last time, the ones we retrieved from the glacial ruins in the north?"

"We old dwarves of rust and sparks have been talking about this for ages!"

Was he an apprentice or helper at Bruno's blacksmith shop?

Rowling recognized the man; he seemed to have seen him briefly at the blacksmith's shop yesterday.

Hawke looked at the tall, thin man, his brows furrowing slightly, his tone tinged with impatience: "We have rune plates, but not in large quantities. Priority will be given to the few companies that have signed long-term agreements."

"Bruno wants to bid according to the rules, or exchange it for an equivalent amount of rare metals."

"Stop yelling here."

The tall, thin man was rebuffed, but he didn't get discouraged and still smiled ingratiatingly: "Yes, yes, we understand the rules."

"However, the old dwarf is a bit short on cash lately. Could you perhaps make an exception and let me take a look at the goods first?"

"Perhaps there's something he specifically needs—"

"I said, follow the rules." Hawke's voice turned cold, and an invisible, mountain-like, steady and heavy spiritual pressure quietly spread out. Although it was only released and then withdrawn, it made the tall, thin man's face turn pale. He involuntarily took two steps back, dared not waste any more words, and slunk out of the crowd.

The whispers around us immediately subsided.

Many people looked at Hawke with more awe.

Luo Lin had formed a preliminary judgment in his mind.

Hawke was indeed as Morpheus said: direct, principled, and disliked ingratiating himself or haggling.

However, this also shows that as long as you follow the rules and demonstrate sufficient value or sincerity, dealing with him may not be difficult.

Without further hesitation, he took Ellie, parted the crowd, and walked towards Hawke.

Hawke immediately noticed their approach.

His gaze swept over Rolin. Although his face was covered, his calm demeanor and the subtle spiritual fluctuations that belonged to a second-circle wizard made him stand out among the people of the Sunken Town.

He glanced at Ellie again. She was clearly an apprentice, but her eyes were clear and her posture was steady, unlike that of an ordinary refugee.

Finally, his gaze lingered for a moment on the mutated six-eyed raven perched quietly on Rolin's shoulder, its six eyes calmly surveying its surroundings.

"What's up?" Hawke's voice remained loud and direct, devoid of emotion.

"Rolin, I just arrived from the Shadowraven Tower." Rolin introduced himself calmly, without using honorifics, but his attitude was frank. "I'd like to learn about the Secret Language Council."

Upon hearing the name Shadow Raven Tower, a barely perceptible glint flashed in Hawke's eyes.

He looked Rolin up and down, lingering particularly on the fine gold dagger at his waist and his demeanor, which, though concealed, still revealed him to have been through many battles.

"People from Shadowraven Tower came to the sunken town to learn about the Secret Council?"

Hawke's tone was flat, making it impossible to tell whether it was a question or a statement.

"Something has happened inside the Holy Tower, so it's not convenient for me to go back for the time being," Roland explained simply. "The administrator of Morpheus suggested that I come here to take a look."

When Morpheus was mentioned, Hawke's facial features seemed to soften slightly.

"That old fox Morpheus—he certainly knows how to recommend people." He paused. "The Secret Language Council doesn't accept just anyone, especially those with a background in the Holy Tower."

"What do you have that makes you worthy of acceptance by Parliament?"

"A second-ring wizard has some knowledge of ancient runes, energy structures, and anomalous phenomena," Rolin said directly. "He also has extensive experience in independent survival and combat in the wild."

"We have some sensitive information about the Observer Civilization and the Purification Protocol."

He spoke the last few words very softly, but Hawke's pupils visibly contracted.

The noise of unloading around us seemed to disappear instantly.

The grey-robed wizards beside Hawke tensed slightly, their gazes all falling on Rolin.

The terms "Observer Civilization" and "Purification Protocol" may be unfamiliar to ordinary people, but within an organization of the level of the Secret Language Council, they represent an extremely high level of research and potential danger.

Hawke was silent for a few seconds, then waved his hand. A gray-robed wizard beside him immediately stepped forward and whispered a few words to the town stewards who were curiously watching. The stewards tactfully stepped back a little, but their eyes still kept glancing in their direction.