“Saber-Toothed Tiger. How fierce! If I had a magical beast of my own, how great that would be.”
Many people on the streets chatted about Wharton as he passed by. In the past, when Linley had seen that Velocidragon for the first time, he too had dreamed of having a powerful magical beast like a Velocidragon for his companion. In the eyes of many youths, Wharton was their role model.
Saber-Toothed Tigers were extremely fast. Even when travelling on the streets, it moved forward very rapidly and very nimbly.
“Here we are.” Wharton saw that magnificent hotel from far away. This was the appointed meeting spot for him and the Seventh Princess. The receptionist for the hotel recognized Wharton as well, and immediately opened the door for Wharton to enter.
Leading the Saber-Toothed Tiger behind him, Wharton entered the hotel.
Wharton looked around the hotel, his gaze finally settling on the person he cared about the most. He immediately called out happily, “Nina.” But just at this moment, Wharton suddenly frowned…because he also once again saw the person who irritated him.
“Wharton.”
Nina had a head of full, lustrous blonde hair, and her pale face was as charming as ever. Her brilliant, shining eyes didn’t have a single hint of impurity in them.
Nina ran over happily towards Wharton, who immediately stepped forward, taking Nina by the hand.
“That guy is bothering me again.” Nina whispered to Wharton.
Wharton glanced at the distant man, saying in a low voice, “Nina, don’t pay any attention to that guy.” But just at that moment, the handsome young man walked over. With a calm laugh, he said, “Wharton, I really didn’t expect to see you here. Why is it that you always appear wherever Nina is?”
“Shut your mouth, Lamonte [Lan’mo].” Wharton frowned. “Remember. Nina’s name isn’t for the likes of you to call out. And also. The question you asked me, I should be asking you. Why is it that wherever Nina is, you always appear?”
Lamonte glanced at Wharton, a smile that was not a smile on his face.
Although on the surface, he didn’t seem to care much, in his heart, Lamonte really disliked this Wharton. After all, it was Wharton who had taken Nina away from him.
“Oh, a Saber-Toothed Tiger.” Lamonte looked at Wharton’s Saber-Toothed Tiger. Laughing, he said, “Wharton, any interest in letting my Blue-eyed Tiger Mastiff have a fight with your Saber-Toothed Tiger? I’ll wager that my Blue-eyed Tiger Mastiff would definitely win.”
Blue-eyed Tiger Mastiffs and Saber-Toothed Tigers were both magical beasts of the eighth rank.
However, there were differences in power amongst magical beasts of the eighth rank as well. For example, Goldmane Mastiffs and Blue-eyed Tiger Mastiffs were considered one of the top kinds of magical beasts of the eighth rank. Blue-eyed Tiger Mastiffs were particularly effective against tiger-type magical beasts.
“Not interested.” Wharton paid his suggestion no heed at all. Looking coldly at Lamonte, Wharton said, “Lamonte, if you really want to have a competition, I wouldn’t object to having a sparring match against you. As for having magical beasts, compete? Hrmph.”
“A competition between men?”
Lamonte chuckled, then no longer said anything.
He, Lamonte, was an honorary disciple of the War God’s College, and he was a warrior of the ninth rank. He was indeed qualified to be arrogant. But right now, virtually all of the ancient clans of the imperial city knew that Wharton was of the Baruch clan, which in turn was the clan of the Dragonblood Warriors. And Wharton was clearly able to use battle-qi.
A scion of the Dragonblood Warrior clan who could use battle-qi was definitely capable of Dragonforming as well.
Lamonte knew very well that although Wharton appeared to be only a warrior of the eighth rank, when using that unique, special warblade of his to attack, he could fight on par with ordinary warriors of the ninth rank. But once Wharton transformed, he, Lamonte, wouldn’t be a match at all.
“Let’s leave.” Gently stroking the head of his Blue-eyed Tiger Mastiff, Lamonte chuckled lightly.
And then, Lamonte left along with his magical beast, just like that.
Nina and Wharton headed directly to a private deluxe room on the second room of the hotel. As for Nina’s female attendant, she stayed outside the room.
“You big lunk, tell me, what should we do about that Lamonte? He is so annoying.” Nina nestled in Wharton’s arms, asking in a soft voice.
‘Big lunk’. This was how Nina had addressed Wharton the first time they had met. Whenever they met in private, this was how Nina would address him.
“It is your own fault for being so charming, Nina.” Wharton grinned as he tweaked Nina’s nose. “Actually, I don’t care too much about that Lamonte fellow. The one I’m worried about is Caylan [Kai’lan].”
“Big brother Caylan?” Nina said with resignation, “I only think of him as a big brother, but he…sigh.”
Caylan was twenty three years old, but was already a magus of the seventh rank.
There were quite a few twenty three year old warriors of the seventh rank, but very few twenty three year old magi of the seventh rank. Moreover, Caylan had reached the seventh rank as a magus when he was twenty one years old.
If Linley hadn’t sculpted ‘Awakening From the Dream’, most likely it would’ve taken him until the age of twenty to reach the seventh rank.
In the imperial capital, Caylan was considered a genius magus. He had been childhood friends with Nina. And more importantly, Caylan’s father was the Left Premier of the Empire, an extremely powerful man. Caylan himself was, simply put, a very good person as well. It could be said that he was a nearly perfect individual.