Chapter 926 - 699: Too Bad of a Character_2

The downsizing of the once gargantuan military of the Divine Auffa Empire into a mere fraction of its size, now standing at one hundred and fifty thousand troops, did not weaken its combat effectiveness but instead greatly enhanced it, sparking intense interest in Gridis. If it were merely about brute strength, Gridis wouldn’t have been interested at all. Although his own combat abilities were not formidable, he had visited several of the renowned old monsters in this Plane, and he felt suffocated by their overwhelming power. He feared that kind of strength but didn’t envy it. In Gridis’s view, his mind was preoccupied with an entirely different concept.

That concept was the knowledge of magic.

"If I get a chance, when could I meet Ai Lin?" Gridis inquired.

"This..." A look of difficulty appeared on Saint Jialin’s face.

"What’s the matter, inconvenient?" Gridis was somewhat puzzled but could understand. Such a person must be protected like a national treasure, right?

"No, it’s not inconvenient, old friend. There’s no one else here, so I’ll just be frank with you," August whispered to Gridis, lowering his voice, "Ai Lin is indeed very powerful and knowledgeable, but her personality is absolutely terrible. She has chopped off the Crown Prince’s hand, scorned the Emperor, despised me, and even cursed Slade. In short, dealing with her can be... problematic should there be any disagreement."

August didn’t finish his sentence, as everything was implied.

Gridis nodded, understanding that some people were indeed a bit too proud and untameable because of their abilities. Nevertheless, he still hoped to meet Ai Lin.

"Fine, I’ll ask her for you," August said.

Gridis nodded, realizing from August’s demeanor that the girl named Ai Lin was probably even worse than what August had described. Given that August himself was quite a prideful man, for him to act this way suggested that Ai Lin must have reached quite a formidable level.

The matter dragged on for two whole days, during which August had a hard time. Gridis was an easygoing person but could be quite stubborn on some magical issues. If a disagreement occurred with Ai Lin, with her temper, she would surely infuriate Gridis. Even as he stood at the door of Ai Lin’s residence contemplating whether to inform her of his intention, he heard laughter coming from inside. Then two young people emerged, one of whom was Ai Lin, and the other looked very familiar.

"Gridis?" August took a moment to verify before tentatively asking.

"Exactly! It’s me! Hahaha! I’ve rejuvenated as well!" The youthful Gridis laughed heartily.

"What... what’s going on here?" August asked, perplexed.

"Haha, I just got lucky," Gridis replied.

As it happened, Gridis had been resting at his abode for two days, bored with nothing to do. So, he decided to visit the familiar magic research institute, where he happened to see Ai Lin. This girl, whose appearance and demeanor were entirely unlike that of an ordinary person, immediately reminded Gridis of Ai Lin. At that moment, Ai Lin was sharply criticizing a project the researchers were undertaking due to their use of an incorrect Array. And yet the researchers, rather than resenting her critiques, humbly accepted them. From Gridis’s perspective, though, the Array they used was error-free. He refrained from speaking out, waiting for Ai Lin to finish. As expected, Ai Lin replaced the original Array with a new one at the project’s end. While the new Array was not complex and seemingly unrelated to the project, its effect proved to be several times greater once the project commenced!

Gridis immediately recognized the girl’s exceptional talent. An Array that appeared unrelated was able to make a significant impact at a critical moment.

He then stepped forward to consult on certain issues. Some were problems he believed he already knew the answers to and wanted to see how Ai Lin’s responses compared. Others were perplexing issues he could not figure out no matter what.

Ai Lin had noticed this unfamiliar face early on, and she knew who Gridis was, as the Crown Prince St. Antonio had ’reported’ to her the very day Gridis returned. According to St. Antonio’s description, Gridis was an individual indifferent to fame and power, only interested in research and not much else. Such a person was highly regarded by Ai Lin. So, when Gridis posed his questions, Ai Lin provided answers to each, and for those without immediate answers, she engaged in patient discussion with Gridis.

After this exchange, Gridis concluded that the legendary Ai Lin was indeed as extraordinary as the tales suggested. Not only was her strength unparalleled, but her knowledge also far surpassed that of ordinary people. Gridis even suspected that the secluded old monsters might not possess the vast wealth of knowledge that Ai Lin had. She would often mention magical rules that seemed obvious to her but astonishingly novel to Gridis. Eventually, these magic rules were always proven to be correct, validating Ai Lin’s insights.

Later, Ai Lin performed a Rejuvenation spell on Gridis. He personally experienced the sensation of returning to youth: his eyes became bright, his hearing clear, his mind sharp, and his body robust. Instantly he developed a great fondness for Ai Lin.

On the way back to his residence, Gridis spoke of his fondness for Ai Lin to August. All that remained in August’s mind was incredulity, for his impression was only that of Ai Lin as someone relentless in offending people.

But now, it seemed that his assessment of Ai Lin needed updating.

Ai Lin was the classic case of responding well to soft approaches rather than forceful ones. If you showed her ample respect, she would reciprocate. The degree of her respect for you was directly proportional to your character.

Well, although knowing this might not be particularly useful, it was nevertheless good to keep in mind. (To be continued. If you like this work, please cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)