At nine the next morning, Joshua drove his Mana Sedan to the temporary base that the Xinfei Merchant Guild's Infrastructure Promotion Department Engineering Office had set up near Phlantis City's East Gate, where he met Taylor as arranged.
As soon as he got out, he saw a middle-aged man standing beside Taylor. The man looked about forty, wore black mage robes, had equally dark skin, and seemed rather dull.
"Let me introduce you. Mage Sodak, these are the two colleagues I mentioned yesterday. This is Joshua, and this is Winnie. And this is..." Taylor's puzzled gaze settled on Hawat.
"This is my little nephew," Winnie explained. "Come on, Hawat, say hello to Aunt Taylor."
"Hello, Aunt Taylor," Hawat immediately greeted her obediently in his clear young voice.
"Call me Big Sister. I'm not that old." Taylor immediately beamed, reached out to pinch Hawat's cheek, then turned to Joshua. "Joshua, this is Mage Sodak, the man I told you about yesterday who wanted a ride to the guild."
Joshua smiled and extended his hand to Sodak. "Hello, Mage Sodak. Taylor told me you wanted to join our Xinfei Merchant Guild. Allow me to welcome you on the guild's behalf."
With the wooden manner and poor social skills common among traditional mages, Sodak merely reached out, gave Joshua's hand a cursory shake, and immediately withdrew his own. Forcing a smile, he nodded and said, "I don't even know whether your guild will consider me good enough."
Joshua discreetly glanced at Sodak's chest. When he saw that the rank badge pinned there represented only a Third-Level Mage, he could not help frowning slightly.
Judging by his appearance, Sodak was at least over forty. People would have believed it even if he claimed to be fifty. Yet at his age, he was still merely