Tribute

"Shut up!!"

Tiffany shouted in anger. Her face was red because of fure.: "Do not think that if you got the 'epoch' medal then you can do whatever you want and despise everything? How long has it been that you have join the temple? The snake crossbow made by my teacher was assessed by the masters of the temple as a three star item. Do you dare to say that it should be eliminated?"

"Yes!"

"Snake crossbow was made by a master. How could it be eliminated?"

"This new man is too arrogant! He had accidentally made a new textile machine and thinks that he can do anything!"

"way too proud. But no wonder at this age if he gets such a big vanity he would inevitably float up one day."

The auditorium whispered.

Dudian looked around the audience as his face was cold as frost.: "First of all, I am not denying the contribution and authority of the master. But since the snake crossbow has only been rate as a three star item not a five-star one. It is not a legendery item. So there is room for a better one!"

He looked towards the audience and said.: "My military crossbow may not be beyond snake crossbow but it would never be inferior to it! "

Tiffany laughed because of anger.: "Do you mean that you only used half a day to produce a crossbow which is equal to my teacher's snake crossbow? You could reach three-star level in that amount of time?"

Dudian looked at her indifferently.: "What you can not understand is what I want to express."

Tiffany laughed and said: "The result of ignorance is sadness and hate!"

"I think so too." Dudian said aloud.: "but I will not hate."

"You will regret it." Tiffany looked deeply at Dudian and said.: "Originally, I respected you because you were able to create a new textile machine and brought great contribution. But because of your arrogance you have to pay the price! If you say that your crossbow is not inferior to my teacher's snake crossbow then please show all of us! Let us all see."

Dudian indifferently said.: "Crossbow is a weapon not a tool for performance show. I don't need to show anything. Since you all believe in the authority of the master then in the presence of all the people let the master identify the quality of my crossbow."He looked towards the master Celsus.: "Master, please verify the design of my crossbow."

Celsus looked at the boy. The kid was confident against Tiffany's tough posture and he relentlessly and proudly protected himself against audience's pressure. The boy was calm and mature. He wasn't affected neither by the Tiffany nor by the audience's negative comments. Celsus was quite surprised in his heart. Not everyone could do such a thing.

"I'll take a look." Celsus whispered.

Dudian handed out crossbow and the drawings.

The people were whispering.

Tiffany turned and looked at Celsus, waiting for his results.

Dudian stood and waited but there was no anxiety in his face.

Time passed by.

After half an hour Celsus slowly raised his head and put away the magnifying glass. He looked a little hestitant and complex. He looked at Dudian then turned to look at Tiffany. After thinking for a while he said.: "According to my initial point of view this military crossbow is more innovative and suitable for short-range combat. Its lethality and speed are higher too. According to my personal view it would not be a problem to rate it as a three-star item."

As the master Celsus words echoed the whole hall was silenced. Everyone's face was stiff. They suspected that there was problem with their ears.

Tiffany quickly reacted after a brief moment of absence. She could but say.: "Master you...Did you say that this thing is a three star level project? How could that be... He only spent half a day...this..."

Celsus saw her pale face. He sighed: "It's my personal assessment on behalf of my personal views. The specific value will be out after the evaluation by the Temple. But one thing is guaranteed. If the task was about 'improving the snake crossbow' then this military crossbow is fully qualified. It is a pass!"

Tiffany's face turned ugly. It was same as giving a slap on her face.

Dudian was calm as he had expected such a result.

The people in the auditorium looked at each other. They clearly heard that master Celsus evaluated it as a three-star item. Dudian was a newcomer and he had completed a project which had such a evaluation from master Celsus. He was a rare genius!

"No!"

"Isn't it too exaggerated ?!"

"Is there really a thing called 'talent'?"

"Master Celsus would never lie or he would not have the face in the future. Even if this crossbow is not a three-star item then it is definitely a two-star item. An intermediate level architect would work for so many years but wouldn't be able to produce such an item!"

"The kid is too arrogant but he has the capital to act so! "

"How many stars the Temple will evaluate the item?"

Everyone in the audience was in a heated debate.

"The results of the complaint have been set. Mr Dean wins. End of the meeting." Celsus looked at Tiffany and shook his head. Afterwards he turned away and left.

Dudian saw that Celsus took the drawings and the crossbow. He had already assessed the crossbow on his own. The fire rate and speed of the arrow would be faster than the normal ones. Moreover he would get a lot of benefits after the Temple evaluates the crossbow.

"Impossible, impossible ..."

Tiffany whispered as her face was pale and bloodless.

Dudian glanced at Tiffany then approached her. He was one meter and seventy five centimeters tall but in front of this woman he was still a head shorter. He looked up at her.

Tiffany saw the eyes of Dudian and recovered. She clenched her teeth and looked at him.: "What do you want to say? Do you want to laugh at me?

"I'm not here to laugh." Dudian smiled.: "That is what a child would do. I just wanted to tell you that the best way to pay tribute to the master is not humbly bowing but beyond that! "Afterwards he turned and walked down the steps.

The people in the audience stopped talking and looked at Dudian. They had different expressions on their faces.