Chapter 471: Provocation
Of course, what everyone was most excited about was the duel between Wyatt and Bain. Rumor had it their battle took place on a distant plane, and when it ended, both Wyatt and Bain vanished. Some say these evenly matched legends fell together; others whisper that their fight was so fierce, they tumbled into the depths of the Endless Planes...
During that time, speculation ran wild. In the end, the battered Ivory Tower and Astral Academy could only declare a truce and announce the deaths of Wyatt and Bain.
Even centuries later, mages across Northend still talk about that battle. Wyatt and Bain were titans of their age—their influence was simply too great to fade.
Unfortunately, after that battle, the Death Tome and Spellbook of Ages vanished from Northend. Many powerful figures—even Heavenly Rank mages—ventured into the Endless Planes, hoping to recover those artifacts. None succeeded; most never returned.
Back when Leon discovered this history in a vast, decaying library, he’d felt a pang of regret. So few extraordinary magical artifacts ever existed in Northend—and now, just like that, they were lost...
But now he had a chance at the Spellbook of Ages. There was no way he’d let it slip away. Forget its limitless potential—just the opportunity to fuse a set of meditative principles and break through to the Archmage rank made it a prize he couldn’t ignore.
In just a few days, he and Thorne Merlin would head to the Blazeforge Realm—and this time, Leon would be commander of the Planar Legion. Months ago, the decision from the Ancestral Grounds had left him reluctant. Why get tangled up in Merlin Family business? The Blazeforge Realm was even more dangerous than the Turin Mountains: endless Blazeforge orcs, and every major power converging there...
Just thinking about the Spellbook of Ages lifted his spirits, and all his reluctance melted away. Maybe, as Planar Legion commander, he’d find all sorts of unexpected advantages...
He cut off the mana supply to the Heavenly Rank golem, stowed it away, and dismantled the alchemy array in his room. Once he was done, Leon stretched, feeling the fatigue in his bones, and pushed open the door.
"Mafa, cousin, you finally came out..." To Leon's surprise, as soon as he opened the door, he saw Ross Merlin waiting anxiously outside. The moment Ross saw him, his face lit up with joy.
"What's wrong?"
"It's the Hoffland Family Head. He’s looking for you, and it seems to be something important. But Mafa, you’ve been locked in your room for three days, so I didn’t dare disturb you... The Family Head said that when you finally came out, I should bring you to him right away."
"Do you know what it’s about?"
"I’m not really sure myself..."
"Alright, take me to the Hoffland Family Head..." Leon nodded thoughtfully. After three days of non-stop work, he’d hoped for a bit of rest, but it seemed that wasn’t in the cards.
If the Hoffland Family Head was this urgent, something serious must have happened.
Could it be related to the Blazeforge Realm?
Leon couldn’t help but shake his head. He glanced at Ross Merlin ahead and said calmly, "Ross, has anything happened lately?"
"There is something truly unbelievable..." Ross Merlin frowned, thinking for a moment before continuing, "Mafa, you know about the Charlotte Family, right? Just a day ago, they conquered the Frostleaf Plane! The news spread across Auckland yesterday. It’s hard to believe—the declining Charlotte Family actually managed to seize the Frostleaf Plane..."
"Conquered the Frostleaf Plane..."
Even Leon was a little surprised to hear this from Ross Merlin. He knew about the Frostleaf Plane—while not as vast as the Blazeforge Realm, it was rich in resources. For years, all the major powers in Auckland had coveted it. Whoever could take the Frostleaf Plane for themselves would see their strength rise by several levels in just a few years.
But wealth always comes with danger. Every force that tried to conquer the Frostleaf Plane paid a staggering price and ultimately failed. Even Auckland’s two major mage factions, Cloudspire Tower and the Black Tower, are wary of the Frostleaf Plane. Although they have the strength to take it, they don't want to risk such heavy losses—it just isn't worth it.
But the Charlotte Family, which had been in decline for centuries and was already removed from the list of Auckland’s three great families, somehow managed to conquer the Frostleaf Plane yesterday. It almost defies belief.
The declining Charlotte Family, while still one of Auckland’s major powers, has long been suppressed by the Merlin and Watson Families and barely survived. If not for their self-awareness and ability to endure, the Charlotte Family would have been wiped out countless times by now.
Yet just as all the major powers in Auckland were beginning to forget about the Charlotte Family, this shocking news broke. Leon was almost certain: if the Charlotte Family could develop peacefully for a few decades with the Frostleaf Plane, they might catch up to the Merlin Family—or at least come close. The wealth contained in the Frostleaf Plane would make any Auckland power envious.
But how did the Charlotte Family pull it off?
The Frostleaf Plane isn’t as easy to conquer as people imagine. Its coordinates have been known for centuries, but in all that time, no one ever truly subdued it. For the Charlotte Family to succeed now—it’s hard not to wonder if they received backing from some major force in Northend.
Could it be the Soul Requiem?
Suddenly, a chill ran through Leon’s heart. That possibility made too much sense. This was the early era of planar colonization—every major force in Northend was too busy conquering and exploring planes to spare resources for the Charlotte Family...
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
The only thing that could allow the Charlotte Family to conquer the Frostleaf Plane in such a short time is the Soul Requiem.
Leon wasn’t exaggerating—the Soul Requiem was a peak True Spirit magical artifact, and its avatar was a powerful demon who had cultivated for nearly a thousand years. Its strength was almost on par with Auckland’s top experts. The Soul Requiem was no ordinary artifact; if it truly intended to help the Charlotte Family rise, they might not reach the heights of Cloudspire Tower or the Black Tower, but after a few centuries, they could easily surpass the Merlin and Watson Families.
But as far as Leon knew, the Soul Requiem was an evil artifact that was merely using the Charlotte Family. He still remembered the tragedy a thousand years later, when the Soul Requiem devoured nearly every member of the Charlotte Family. It was the root cause of their downfall—why would it help them now?
Could something have changed...?
"Mafa, I reckon the Hoffland Family Head wants to see you about the Charlotte Family. Their conquest of the Frostleaf Plane is the worst possible news for the Merlin Family. And I’ve heard the Charlotte Family has been making some moves..." Ross Merlin said, leading the way, his tone heavy with worry.
"Heh, they’re bolder than I thought..." Leon chuckled but said no more. He knew full well that the Frostleaf Plane was close to the Merlin Family’s most important private realm—the Coldwind Plane. The Charlotte Family’s swift takeover of the Frostleaf Plane posed a real threat to the Merlin Family’s interests. No doubt, everyone in the family was already worried about it...
The Coldwind Plane was crucial for the Merlin Family. Their ability to wage war across the planes and maintain a vast Planar Legion was closely tied to the existence of the Coldwind Plane. Losing it would be a disaster for the family.
Now, any move the Charlotte Family made on the Frostleaf Plane would keep the Merlin Family on edge. If it were the old Charlotte Family, the Merlins wouldn’t have worried—they’d just issue a warning and that would be that. But things had changed...
With the support of the Soul Requiem, the Charlotte Family was no longer weak. They couldn’t be manipulated so easily anymore.
Even the Merlin Family, at the height of its power, wouldn’t dare act rashly against the Charlotte Family, no matter how dissatisfied they were.
Leon and Ross Merlin climbed to the third floor of the stone tower, the moonstone tiles gleaming beneath their feet. Ross knocked gently on the door, and an aged voice called from inside: "Come in."
Inside the study sat a short, elderly man—none other than the Hoffland Family Head. His wrinkled face was clouded with worry, but when he saw the two enter, his gaze settled on Leon and he managed a faint smile. "Sit down first, we’ll talk."
Hoffland had complicated feelings about Leon. For a moment, it almost seemed as if the young man carried a hint of Thornton Merlin’s shadow—just as talented, just as unconventional...
But even Thornton Merlin, for all his eccentricities, never caused such chaos at the Elder Council...
One thing was certain: this young man would rival Thornton Merlin one day. In his twenties, he could already stand against Thorne Merlin, one of the family’s three Sword Saints. And he possessed immense wealth. Hoffland had looked into it—these days, the Gilded Rose had monopolized the entire eastern kingdom’s alchemy market and was still expanding.
A young man like this—the heights he could reach might not be much lower than Thornton Merlin.
But he was just... too unconventional.
He’d killed at the Elder Council, and not only did the ancestors from the Ancestral Grounds let it slide, they even handed him half the command of the Planar Legion in the Blazeforge Realm. It was almost beyond belief...
"Mafa, you’ve probably heard about what’s happened lately..." Hoffland couldn’t help but rub his brow and force a bitter smile as he spoke.
"About the Charlotte Family conquering the Frostleaf Plane?" Leon nodded and found a seat. So this was why the Hoffland Family Head wanted to see him. If it was about any other power, Leon wouldn’t bother getting involved. But the Charlotte Family...