Chapter 118: Vaughn's Vault (Rolling around begging for guaranteed monthly votes!)
"President Lance, how could you be a Grandmaster!" William Merlin nearly choked on his own breath. As the president of the Alchemist Guild in Seaview City, Lance was someone William Merlin could never forget. Decades ago, Lance had already had some complicated dealings with the Merlin family, and every year when he visited Auckland, he would spend some time as a guest with the Merlins. Just last year, he even gave William Merlin a few pointers.
But William Merlin never expected that Lance, who was just a Grand Alchemist last year, would become a Grandmaster this year!
Even in the kingdom's heart, Auckland, there are only six Grandmasters. Each one holds immense influence in the kingdom. Even a giant like the Merlin family wouldn’t dare offend a Grandmaster lightly.
The terrifying alchemy in a Grandmaster's hands gives them almost limitless power. Behind every Grandmaster stands at least one of the kingdom’s top forces. Even with a thousand years of history in Auckland, offending a Grandmaster would bring consequences far too severe for the Merlin family.
Damn it, did I come to the wrong place?
Is this really Seaview City?
Is this really that city in the eastern kingdom, famous for its poverty and backwardness, where the only thing worth mentioning is the shipbuilding industry—Seaview City? You’re not messing with me, are you…
If this really is Seaview City, how could a terrifying creature like a Grandmaster show up here?
Wait, Grandmaster…
At this thought, William Merlin suddenly calmed down. Wouldn’t it be better if President Lance became a Grandmaster? After all, President Lance had been close to the Merlin family for decades, and just last year he personally gave William a few pointers. Now was the perfect chance to ask President Lance to help him get justice!
With President Lance’s decades-long friendship with the Merlin family, he surely wouldn’t just stand by and let me be bullied here in Seaview City, right?
That damned Matthew Merlin actually dared to lay hands on a direct descendant of the Merlin family. If President Lance found out, he definitely wouldn’t let him off. With just one word from President Lance, the Gilded Rose could be shut down. I wonder what kind of expression Matthew Merlin would have then.
Thinking of this, William Merlin quickly wiped his mouth, straightened his black robe to cover the bruises on his neck, and after all that, muttered a spell and cast Water Curtain to check his reflection. Satisfied that he didn’t look like he’d just been beaten up, he finally pushed open the door of the alchemy lab and headed downstairs.
By now, Leon had already been talking with Lance for a while.
But Lance didn’t mention that alchemical formula, and Leon didn’t bring up those fifty alchemists. It was as if they shared a tacit understanding, never touching on that mutually beneficial deal.
Their conversation revolved entirely around potion alchemy—one was the Grandmaster and president of the Alchemist Guild, the other possessed knowledge that surpassed his era. If outsiders overheard, they’d probably think it was just two equally skilled alchemists exchanging insights. Who would guess that one was a nearly hundred-year-old Grandmaster, while the other was barely in his twenties?
"Archmage Merlin, are you free these days?" This was the first time Lance steered the topic beyond potion alchemy.
"Heh, what makes you ask that, President Lance?" Leon smiled as usual, but inwardly he grew wary. After chatting with the president of the Alchemist Guild for over ten minutes, how could Leon not know—this was another old fox, as shrewd as Salomon or Monty.
They’d been talking alchemy just fine, and now he suddenly asks if I’m free!
President Lance, you’re really not being honest…
"Recently, the Alchemist Guild discovered an ancient ruin. After our investigation, we've confirmed it was left behind by Vaughn, the last Worldshaper of the Third Dynasty."
"Vaughn's Vault!" Leon was instantly startled.
For a moment, Leon really wanted to ask, President Lance, isn’t that a bit too straightforward?
That’s Vaughn’s Vault we’re talking about…
Vaughn, the last Worldshaper of the Third Dynasty, was a legendary figure in Northend’s history—the only one to have six alchemical formulas named after himself.
Those six formulas are known as Vaughn’s Hexagram Array.
But after the fall of the Third Dynasty, all six formulas were lost. Rumor has it that, before his death, Vaughn sealed these formulas in his tomb, which became known as Vaughn’s Vault.
Leon knew the rumor was true…
Because more than a thousand years later, all the major powers of the kingdom would be dragged into a decade-long war over Vaughn’s Vault. That war would pull in nearly every top faction, and in the end, it was the Ivory Tower that obtained Vaughn’s Hexagram Array. Bain, the Heavenly-ranked mage, would rise to fame in that conflict and finally ascend to the Heavenly Rank.
But right now, a thousand years is still a long way off—how did the Alchemist Guild even find out?
And…
"Why me?"
"Heh, Archmage Merlin, you’re underestimating yourself. If you had to pick the strongest alchemist in all of Seaview City, I think ninety-nine percent would choose me, the Grandmaster…" The old man’s smile faded, "But I would choose you."
"Uh…" Leon was momentarily speechless. Honestly, he’d never expected to be held in such high regard by a Grandmaster.
"Vaughn’s ruins are filled with alchemical puzzles. I believe only you can solve them."
"Crystal Isle is a bit far, isn’t it…" Leon was dying inside. He really didn’t want to go chasing after Vaughn’s Vault, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
No way—Leon couldn’t just tell Lance, "I already mastered Vaughn’s Hexagram Array ages ago. I have zero interest in that so-called Vault. You guys can play with it yourselves…"
If he actually said that, Leon would be in huge trouble…
So after thinking it over and over, all Leon could come up with was, "It’s a bit far," as an excuse. He figured if Lance kept pushing, he’d just start rambling about rough seas and how he’s got a psychological trauma from shipwrecks or something.