Chapter 167: Joey Arrives
Even if my Magister-level strength is useless, my status as the future head of the Merlin Family should still count for something, right? My seat on the Elder Council can't be a joke. When it comes to bringing Matthew Merlin back to the family, I should have real influence. So how did things end up like this? Is it possible that, as a member of the Merlin Family, Matthew Merlin doesn't want to return at all?
This... that's impossible, isn't it?
We're talking about the Merlin Family here...
Isn't someone like Matthew Merlin, cast out and wandering, supposed to dream of returning to the Merlin Family?
Why is this happening?
Leon Merlin sat in the reception room for a long, long time, unable to figure out the reason for any of this.
But Leon Merlin knew that in his current state, he absolutely could not ask the Merlin Family for help. Otherwise, before he even had a chance to break free of the Mana Shackles, he'd be impeached and thrown out of the Elder Council by Aubrey's supporters.
"Maybe I should go to Cloudspire Tower and ask my teacher for help?"
At this thought, Leon Merlin's eyes lit up. Yes, that's it—his teacher is a ninth-level Magister, just one step away from becoming a Lord. Unlocking a Mana Shackle would be effortless for him. Then Leon could take the opportunity to ask his teacher to personally visit Seaview City. That way, not only could he vent his current frustration, but he might also snatch the Nether Iron Vein from Matthew Merlin—or even seize the entire Gilded Rose...
As Leon Merlin thought about it, the lost look on his face vanished, replaced by a surge of confidence. He didn’t even bother saying goodbye to William Merlin—just packed up and left the Gilded Rose...
………………………………
For most of the next half month, Leon stayed in the alchemy lab, pouring all his energy into calculating the eighth character. As the stack of drafts on the alchemy table grew thicker, the eighth character became clearer in his mind. The work was nearly finished; at most, it would take another week to wrap up, and then the eighth character of the Death Tome would finally surface.
During this time, Leon opened the Plane Path three times, but never entered himself. The hunting of Skeleton Warriors and the gathering of Nether Iron Ore were handled by William Merlin and Faro. On their latest return, one of the fifty mages had already reached the ninth level. In about a month, the Gilded Rose Mercenary Corps would likely see its first true Archmage.
Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion...
Time quickly passed, and soon it was the thirteenth day of the second month.
That day, as Leon stepped into the alchemy lab, he noticed the enormous crystal ball flickering again.
Leon knew instantly—Joey must be here.
Sure enough, as the transmission began, Joey’s aged figure appeared in the crystal ball.
"Get ready. I’ll arrive in Seaview City tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh..."
"By the way, do you have any rare spells or formulas on hand? If not, I'll bring some from Cloudspire Tower for you. Once you get to Rockridge, you can trade with others—whether you gain anything isn't the point. What matters is meeting new people. Look at you, holed up in Seaview City all day; you must be getting moldy by now..."
You could tell from that last sentence that the Star Sage still deeply resented Leon’s refusal to go to Auckland...
"No need, I’ll prepare my own." To be honest, Leon was a bit moved after hearing that. Joey’s words weren’t exactly gentle, but his willingness to help was loud enough for even the deaf to hear.
Still, sentiment aside, Leon thought it over and decided to turn Joey’s offer down.
"You must be Matthew Merlin?" The middle-aged man entered the Gilded Rose’s hall and his gaze landed directly on Matthew Merlin.
"Yes, I’m Matthew Merlin. And you are...?"
"Alright, we’ll talk about it when we meet tomorrow." Joey didn’t seem the least bit upset at Leon’s refusal, ending the transmission without a fuss.
The next day, Leon finally took a rare day off...
Early in the morning, after arriving at the Gilded Rose, he didn’t dive into the alchemy lab as usual, but waited for Joey’s arrival...
Joey arrived in the afternoon. The Star Sage looked nothing like a Title Archmage—in fact, when he walked into the Gilded Rose, he seemed like any ordinary old man.
The only difference was, you’d never see the president of the Mage Guild personally attending to an ordinary old man...
Joey didn’t stand on ceremony with Leon when he entered the Gilded Rose. He immediately asked where Leon had put the drafts left over from their last calculation of the Vanrison Formula Core Spell Model.
"In the alchemy lab. Why do you ask..." Leon started to ask, but before he could finish, Joey and Salomon had already vanished together...
...Leon stood there, dumbfounded for a long while, then shook his head helplessly. Just as he was about to follow, the Gilded Rose welcomed two more guests...
This time, it was Leon Merlin himself who arrived...
To be honest, Leon Merlin looked very different...
That face, which bore a four or five-point resemblance to William Merlin, had lost the calm he showed when he first arrived at the Gilded Rose. Now he seemed like a different person entirely—restless, agitated, even the way he walked was hurried, as if terrified of missing something...
It looked like Leon Merlin’s Mana Shackles hadn’t been broken yet. The Magister-level magical fluctuations had vanished without a trace—he was almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person.
But the person who came with Leon Merlin made Leon frown instantly.
He was a man in his fifties, tall and imposing, with a square jaw that gave him an air of authority. Leon only needed one look to figure out where Leon Merlin had picked up that perpetually constipated expression...
But what really made Leon frown was that this middle-aged man was a top-tier Magister.
Either eighth or ninth rank—the magical aura around him was almost tangible. Just stepping into the Gilded Rose’s hall without saying a word, Leon could feel the immense pressure.
"Looks like trouble..." Leon thought, startled. An eighth- or ninth-rank Magister was on par with someone like Hogarth...
"You must be Matthew Merlin?" The middle-aged man entered the Gilded Rose’s hall and his gaze landed directly on Matthew Merlin.
"Yes, I’m Matthew Merlin. And you are...?"
"I’m Leon Merlin’s teacher, Head of the Magic Department at Cloudspire Tower—Hogarth."
Leon understood immediately...
First and foremost, he was Leon Merlin’s teacher, and only then the Head of the Magic Department at Cloudspire Tower. In other words, Magister Hogarth had come today for Leon Merlin.
Leon had witnessed the end of worlds before—so what was another eighth- or ninth-rank Magister to him? Besides, Salomon and Joey were still in the alchemy lab. Of all the times Hogarth could have come looking for trouble, he picked this one. Leon thought, "Let’s hope things don’t get too awkward when we all meet face to face..."
Unfortunately, the middle-aged Magister still had no idea what was really going on...
There was no helping it—Hogarth had been fighting on the Pale Plane for ages, only returning to the Northend World yesterday. So he didn’t even know Joey had arrived in Seaview City, let alone that a young mage had helped Joey solve the Vanrison Formula problem not long ago.
All Hogarth knew was that, as soon as he got back, he heard his only disciple, Leon Merlin, had suffered a major setback in Seaview City—someone had locked his magic with Mana Shackles.
Leon Merlin’s magical talent was exceptional—he’d become a Magister at just thirty-three, and across all Auckland, few young mages could compare. Hogarth had high hopes for him; though he always seemed strict, he’d long decided to make Leon Merlin his true successor.
Who would’ve thought a single trip to the Pale Plane would end with his most valued disciple’s magic sealed by Mana Shackles?
This time, even Hogarth—who rarely let his anger show—was instantly furious. He didn’t even bother to break the Mana Shackles on Leon Merlin himself.
Because those Mana Shackles were meant to be unlocked by the one who cast them. Only then would Hogarth step in—he’d return the favor, let them taste what it was like to have their magic sealed.
So, early this morning, Hogarth brought Leon Merlin straight to Seaview City and headed directly for the Gilded Rose on Triumphal Avenue...
If you dare lay a hand on Hogarth’s disciple, you’d better be ready to pay the price.
As for whether this Matthew Merlin was really from the Merlin Family, or whether he controlled an important Nether Iron Vein—Hogarth couldn’t care less. At his level, he didn’t need to worry about such things. Most of the time, it was others who had to worry about him.
"Was it you who put the Mana Shackles on Leon?" Hogarth entered the Gilded Rose, his eyes fixed on Leon, unleashing the overwhelming pressure of a top-tier Magister. The entire hall was instantly filled with invisible tension.
"Uh..." Leon hesitated, unsure whether to tell him that Joey and Salomon were both here. After all, they were also from Cloudspire Tower—if things got out of hand, no one’s reputation would come out of this looking good...
"You don’t need to explain. Just answer yes or no." Unfortunately, Hogarth saw Leon’s hesitation as an attempt to dodge responsibility, and his already stern face grew even darker.