Above the mage

Chapter 447 The Dust Settles

Upon hearing Merrick's words, Lieutenant Colonel Grayling, who had finally come to his senses and was used to seeing many big scenes, was caught off guard.

I almost forgot about this...

At the meeting, he personally made the following resolution:

First, elevate Gao De's military rank to that of the Central Plains. If he can be promoted to a second-ring mage before the age of twenty, he will be promoted to warrant officer.

If Gao De is promoted to the second ring after the age of twenty, then he will be promoted to sergeant whenever he successfully becomes a ring-level officer.

At the time, this resolution had already caused considerable controversy.

The ranks of sea sentinels, from lowest to highest, are: Apprentice Mage (Second Class, First Class), Sergeant-level Mage (Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant), Warrant Officer-level Mage...

Warrant officer is a dividing line; before that rank, everyone is considered a soldier and is managed by others.

Reaching the rank of warrant officer, despite the "warrant" designation, signifies the lowest rank of junior officer. Regardless, it marks the beginning of the "management" level, representing a qualitative shift from being "managed" to "participating in management."

Therefore, there is a threshold for a military-level mage to be promoted to a warrant officer-level mage.

Many sea sentinel mages are stuck at the warrant officer rank for ten or even several decades, or even their entire lives.

A twenty-year-old warrant officer mage was a first in the history of the Sea Sentinels, which naturally aroused opposition from many people.

However, all those objections were refuted by Grayling, who attributed the immense merits of God.

Now, Lieutenant Colonel Grayling understands what it means to lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot.

According to his calculations, given that Gao De had 24 drops of liquid mana when he entered the Sea Sentinel ranks, he would need to be at least nineteen or twenty years old to become a second-circle mage.

While the twenty-year-old warrant officer mage was stunning, he was still within a reasonable range.

But now, just one month after he made the decision, Gaode Maps has been upgraded to the Second Ring Road.

If Gao De had been promoted to warrant officer as he had said, he would have been a sixteen-year-old warrant officer mage.

That's an exaggeration.

It was four years faster than he had anticipated.

After the age of thirty, a difference of three or four years can be basically ignored.

But before the age of twenty, even a one-year difference is already quite significant.

Sixteen and twenty years old may seem like only a four-year difference, but the nature of the difference is completely different.

To put it bluntly, the twenty-year-old warrant officer mage is the youngest warrant officer mage in the Sea Sentinels in decades.

A sixteen-year-old warrant officer mage—that's the youngest warrant officer mage in the history of the Sea Sentinels, a record-breaking achievement...

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling recalled in his mind that there had never been a warrant officer mage earlier than that age in the history of the Sea Sentinels.

That's too outrageous.

Given his position and rank, promoting someone to warrant officer wouldn't be a big deal.

But the thought of personally promoting the youngest warrant officer mage among the Sea Sentinels made Lieutenant Colonel Graylin feel uneasy.

This is similar to the previous life of Gaode, where the youngest town mayor in history emerged. Not only would the young mayor himself be subject to public scrutiny and questioning, but the local organization department that promoted the mayor would also be subject to the same scrutiny and questioning, suspected of "under-the-table deals," "illegal promotion," and so on.

That's the situation now.

Moreover, Lieutenant Colonel Grayling immediately thought of a case that occurred at the Sea Sentinel.

More than 30 years ago, Major Jaden, known as the "Silver Blade," was promoted to major at the age of 32, becoming the youngest major in the history of the Sea Sentinels. However, he later betrayed the dynasty, and the mages who recommended and approved Jaden's promotion to major were ultimately held accountable.

If he personally promoted the youngest warrant officer mage in the history of the Sea Sentinels, and if Gao De's subsequent behavior was not as rebellious as that of the mage Jaden, but merely ordinary, it would still draw criticism from him as the one who promoted him.

Breaking with tradition also requires the ability to bear the potential consequences.

This is from my own perspective.

From Gaode's perspective, this is not just a promotion, but also putting him in a very difficult position.

Once he becomes the youngest warrant officer mage in the history of the Sea Sentinels, he will inherit the most controversial "genius" label in the entire Sea Sentinel system.

This label is both an honor and a "alchemy bomb" that could explode at any moment.

If Gaode's performance fails to meet the public's expectations for the youngest warrant officer mage in the Sea Sentinel, public opinion will be ignited.

Moreover, it's not just within the Sea Sentinels system; given the Sea Sentinels' influence, mages throughout the Dorne region will begin to know and pay attention to this figure, Goddard.

In other words, it will "go viral".

Even if he were willing to make such a promotion, the question is whether Gaode would dare to take on such a "hot potato".

Can we catch it?

Various thoughts flashed through my mind, but in reality, time just passed by in the blink of an eye.

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling quickly snapped out of his daze and said to Captain Merrick, "This matter is different now, and we need to consider it carefully."

After all, the decision to promote Gao De was made in front of everyone at a formal meeting, so he couldn't just say it was off the table.

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling thought for a moment, then said, "Call God here, I want to see what he thinks."

"Okay." Captain Merrick nodded in response and left the room.

He was a smart man, and he roughly understood the other party's thoughts from Lieutenant Colonel Grayling's reply.

An hour later.

Captain Merrick, accompanied by God, arrived once again at the door of Lieutenant Colonel Grayling's office.

He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door, and a command came from inside to come in.

Captain Merrick pushed open the door, turned slightly to the side, and gestured for God to follow him in.

The office was filled with the scent of cedarwood incense and high-end ink.

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling sat upright behind a long walnut table, his collar embroidered with crossed staffs. He was reviewing documents, and the scratching sound of his pen gliding across the paper was clearly audible.

He quickly finished the last stroke, then looked up and examined Gaode in front of him.

"Greetings, Lieutenant Colonel Grayling." As soon as he entered the office, Gao De gave Lieutenant Colonel Grayling a sergeant's salute.

On the way here, Captain Merrick had already given Gaudy a brief introduction to Lieutenant Colonel Grayling, including how Gaudy's rise to Middle-earth was due to Grayling's promotion.

Knowing this connection, Gao De had a good impression of Lieutenant Colonel Grayling, whom he was meeting for the first time.

"Advancing to the second ring at sixteen, not bad, not bad. I'm quite lucky to have such a talented mage under my tutelage."

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling immediately began praising him, and without waiting for Gao De's reply, gestured, "Please have a seat."

Godd sat down next to Captain Merrick.

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling did not rush to speak, but instead took out a silver-plated tea canister from an ebony cabinet next to him. The canister was also engraved with the emblem of the Dorne Merchant Guild.

"This is Darjeeling spring tea, transported from the Central Plains." He tapped the can with his fingertips, simply introducing the name of the tea without elaborating on how precious it was.

But God noticed that when Lieutenant Colonel Grayling used a copper tea scoop to scoop out the tea leaves, tiny golden buds were interspersed among the dark brown leaves—this was the "golden tip" grade, which was only found in the private collections of nobles.

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling placed tea leaves into a pure silver teapot, the spout of which was designed in the shape of a lion, making it extremely extraordinary. He then took boiling water from a kettle next to him and slowly poured it into the teapot, the water flowing in thin silver lines and stirring up amber-colored foam.

"A mage needs to maintain mental sharpness, so tea is more suitable than cocoa," said Grayling, sitting down as he used a silver strainer to dispense the tea.

He portioned the tea into cups, each cup being exactly seven-tenths full—this was the "neither overflowing nor under-filling" hospitality standard of the Golden Flower Dynasty nobility.

The porcelain cup is decorated with the insignia of a sea sentinel on its rim, and the cup holder is made of walnut wood.

"Would you like some sugar?" Lieutenant Colonel Grayling pushed over a sugar jar inlaid with mother-of-pearl, containing small cubes of sugar, with a silver dish of fresh cream beside it.

Merrick nodded, added two sugar cubes to his cup, and stirred it with the gilded key.

Tea, an imported product from the Central Plains, quickly became popular among the upper class of the Nolan Continent due to its unique and excellent taste.

However, the way of drinking it has also been localized. According to the locals' tastes, sugar, cream, or even salt are often added to the tea.

The original way of drinking it, however, does not suit the tastes of the people of Nolan Continent.

However, the country where Gao De lived in his previous life happened to be the birthplace of tea, and the way of drinking tea was the purest way of drinking tea from the Central Plains. In his eyes, this kind of tea with a lot of added seasonings was naturally heretical.

So he shook his head, took the porcelain cup, and took a small sip.

The tea soup has a slightly astringent taste upon first sip, followed by a sweet aftertaste with a hint of smokiness, making for a somewhat unusual flavor profile.

However, Gaode didn't have time to savor the strange taste.

A refreshing fragrance filled his nostrils, and a sense of clarity settled into his stomach, as if sweeping away all the restlessness in his heart and making him feel lighter all over.

"Good tea," Gao De exclaimed, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

"Darjeeling spring tea can restore energy without any side effects, making it a wonderful remedy for the fatigue of studying," Captain Merrick said, half-sighing and half-explaining.

Gao De's heart stirred slightly.

Tea trees, they are trees too!

If we could get our hands on the Darjeeling spring tea tree species, we might as well try developing the tea industry in the North.

As far as he knew, tea from the Central Plains was very valuable on the Nolan Continent.

Transporting tea from the Central Plains to the Norlan Continent involves crossing oceans, incurring extremely high transportation costs. Furthermore, it requires passing through the Norlaka Strait, controlled by the coastal city, and paying customs duties to the coastal city.

If the tea industry could be developed in the North, given the distance between the North and the Plantagenet Kingdom, transportation costs could be reduced to one-third or even less of the original cost.

Furthermore, it avoids the "Gate of the Sun" in Linhai City, thus avoiding having a layer of profits taken away by Linhai City.

With this cost advantage, why worry about not having a sales channel?

Thinking about it this way, Gao De seemed to see a glittering path to wealth.

However, he's only thinking about it for now.

Although it is theoretically feasible, there are still many oranges available, and now is not the time to fantasize about business opportunities.

For a dignified lieutenant colonel to be served such high-quality tea, it's clear that something important is going on.

Thinking this, Gao De sat up straight.

"The main reason I called you here is that there's something I need to tell you..." Lieutenant Colonel Grayling took a sip of tea, put down his porcelain cup, and finally got to the point.

He didn't hide anything, explaining the whole story and his concerns to Gao De, only selectively omitting the pressure and worries that one has to bear as the one who promotes someone.

Even important people need to save face... or rather, they need to save face even more.

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling wanted to "go back on his word," but the reason couldn't be that he "cowardly" backed down; rather, it should be that Gao De was afraid, and he was considering Gao De's feelings.

"That's the situation. The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind, and the sixteen-year-old warrant officer mage is too conspicuous."

You will be under a lot of pressure. Many people will be watching you closely, observing your every move, and making unreasonable demands and expectations of you.

"With your talent, you are sure to have a bright future among the sea sentinels, and there is no need to rush your promotion."

"So, if you need, I can postpone your promotion for a few years until you are nineteen or twenty years old, then we can start the promotion process. By then, you won't be under as much pressure as you are now."

"What are your thoughts?" Lieutenant Colonel Grayling explained his ideas, including the pros and cons, to Gao De.

This is the best solution: postponing the promotion of warrant officer for a few years will not be a breach of promise, will not cause Gao De any loss, and will also avoid him bearing such immense pressure.

Having risen from humble beginnings as a homeless beggar, Gao De must be extremely cautious and prudent in his dealings with others. Knowing the pros and cons, he would certainly agree without hesitation.

As he expected, Gao De answered without the slightest hesitation.

But the answer was the exact opposite of what he expected.

"Thank you for your consideration, Lieutenant Colonel Grayling, but I'm never afraid of pressure, so there's no need for that," Gao De said.

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling opened his mouth, not expecting the plot to develop this way.

Surprised, but for someone like him, keeping his emotions in check was a basic courtesy, so he immediately nodded with an extremely calm expression, "Okay, I understand."

Then he waved his hand, signaling Gao De to leave.

Once Gao De had completely left, Captain Merrick finally couldn't help but ask, "Lieutenant Colonel Grayling, what about...?"

"Since he's not afraid, then let's proceed according to the original decision," Lieutenant Colonel Grayling said calmly, as if he had figured something out. "His military merits are more than enough to get him promoted to warrant officer, and his strength at sixteen years old and second-level ranks also meets the requirements. Everything is in accordance with procedures and rules."

Captain Merrick was taken aback for a moment, but he understood what was going on.

"What do you think of him?" Lieutenant Colonel Grayling asked again with interest.

"I didn't have much contact with him, but I was very impressed by his resume."

His background and experiences are extremely extraordinary. To rise from a homeless beggar in a small local medicinal herb garden to reach our Golden Flower Dynasty speaks volumes about his unwavering will. Therefore, his answer today is not surprising.

Captain Merrick carefully recalled the background check he had conducted on God, and then said, "In our investigation at the time, God was adopted by an old mage when he was a beggar. He was used to test medicines, and his life and death were not in his own hands. Later, the old mage suddenly disappeared, and he luckily escaped this fate. At the time, we all thought that it was highly likely that the old mage had died of old age."

"After all, he was just a junior apprentice at the time, how could he possibly resist an old mage?"

"But considering his performance after joining the Sea Sentinels, I think it's more likely that the old mage died during the resistance of the Highlords."

"This kid's mastery and understanding of magic, as well as his combat prowess, are unmatched by ordinary mages."

"It's not impossible for someone below to overthrow someone above," he exclaimed.

"I underestimated his potential. He faced immense pressure even as a child, so why would he fear such pressure now?" Lieutenant Colonel Grayling believed he understood Gao De's character and thought his decision was perfectly reasonable.

"That's good. For someone as determined as him, this kind of pressure will actually help him improve."

"Promote him to warrant officer as I said before. This is the general promotion document. I've already signed it."

Lieutenant Colonel Graylin used his magic to retrieve the document he had been reviewing when God and Merrick entered, and handed it to Merrick.

"Yes, sir," Captain Merrick replied hastily as he took the documents.