Alistair's gaze sharpened, hearing Drakon's words.
His posture instinctively straightened.
'Using Mana Crystals to rank up?'
What an absurd notion.
Everyone in the Sanctuary knew that the gems were only used as a medium of exchange.
The only way a person could climb the ranks was through the constant use of mana and their acquired skills.
That was already established as a well-known fact.
…So why was the Ember heir trying to say otherwise?
His tone also made it seem like it was easier and much less arduous.
The Guildmaster's mind spun rapidly, piecing several chunks of disjointed information to form a tenuous hypothesis.
Alistair changed his perspective, looking at the matter from a different angle.
Usually, for someone to rank up from [Apprentice] to [Adept], they had to refine their mana in a painstaking process. The high stakes in combat sped things up considerably, why many of the newly ascended sought to try and fight as many weaker Defiled as they could - although, it still required one to have a modicum of patience.
Alistair remembered his own experience very well.
He had barely curbed his impatience, throwing himself into the path of any abomination he encountered.
However, the key question was, would that still be the case in an era of peace?
An era with no Apocalypse?
Certainly, if Alistair looked at it from this angle, he could see the truth in Drakon's words.
…That must have been how the people in the Age of Prosperity grew stronger.
Unfortunately, they were no longer in that glorious period of history.
Rather, the Great Collision marked the beginning of the Age of Catastrophe.
A time of calamity and doom.
During the transitionary period between both Ages, humanity's needs must have experienced a seismic change. Precious information must have also been lost in the chaos, causing techniques like this to become a part of the annals of history.
Alistair suspected the only reason Drakon knew of such information was through his Clan's Ancestral Tablet - which detailed the life of their founder in great detail. Furthermore, with the Dark Dwarves controlling a large majority of crystal mines in The Pyre Peaks, the Guildmaster could see why such knowledge had not been implemented.
…At least on a large enough scale.
There simply were not enough Mana Crystals in the Sanctuary to go around for everyone to use them so recklessly. Aside from their use in essential components of daily life - such as powering the Barrier and lighting up homes - perhaps only the Four Clans had enough of them to allow themselves the luxury of using such a deceptively easy method.
However, as Alistair scrutinised the Ember heir more carefully… he realised that relying on Mana Crystals to rank up came with a severe drawback. One that involved a weak foundation.
'For someone who's supposed to be a [Adept] Mage, the mana flow in his body is lacklustre and pretty poor. His aura is also underwhelming.'
The Expert Mage frowned.
Maybe… there was a silver lining to the descent of the Apocalypse.
If nothing else, it allowed them to escape the trap of relying too much on external sources of power.
Alistair shook his head, disappointed that Drakon had let himself be blinded by short-term gain.
Now, it was practically impossible for him to reach the higher ranks… unless he stripped his foundation back to the basics and relearned everything from scratch. Alistair wouldn't be surprised if the heir now faced an insurmountable bottleneck because of his careless advance.
He sighed.
The Guildmaster watched as the Ember heir briefly explained the process for absorbing the essence found inside a Mana Crystal, before Drakon turned to face Alden, wondering what his answer in the face of such temptation would be.
His son's response brought an unconscious smile to the older man's face.
Alden appeared committed to his decision not to sell Ignia.
Alistair felt very proud of the young man.
"You!"
Finally, Drakon snapped.
A fiery aura surrounded him, his polychromatic eyes sparking to life like an igniting flame.
The Guildmaster watched as Alden remained unfazed under the heir's petulant outburst.
His decision remained the same.
Just as Drakon was about to launch an attack in a rage, Alistair intervened.
"Young Master Drakon, that's enough!"
His authoritative voice swept through the room, making the Ember heir and the scout flinch.
Allowing a wisp of his aura to leak through, the Expert mage eyed the visitors coolly.
"I would appreciate it if you did not burn my house down."
Shifting his focus, Alistair frowned at Drakon.
"My son has already rejected your offer thrice. Young Master, I believe it is time for you to give up."
"I can't!"
The Guildmaster's frown deepened, observing the desperation within the heir's gaze.
"Then what do you want to do?"
"I want that phoenix!"
Alistair resisted the urge to facepalm.
He glanced at his wife, sharing a silent conversation before nodding.
Elara was well-versed in politics, so gaining her approval reassured Alistair.
"Young Master, Drakon. How about this? Why don't you come here another day once you've had a chance to cool down? If my son's answer remains the same then, I humbly request that you pursue this matter no longer."
The broad-shouldered man bowed his head in respect of the young heir's status.
"... No."
As he heard Drakon's answer, Alistair's expression turned grim.
His aura flared to life, smothering the whole space.
Alden, Celeste, Drakon and Swifty all shuddered.
…It was as if a hungry beast was staring at them, ready to rip them to shreds.
"In that case, you must go through me first to get the bird."
Looking at the Ember heir with a gaze that dared him to move, Alistair did not regret his choice.
He was happy that he had an opportunity to help his son out.
With this, the Expert Mage felt he had accomplished his duty as a father.
With this… he could face Alden's parents in the afterlife, knowing he had looked out for their child.