Chapter 468: Cannon Fodder
My god, how did Marfa (the Cousin) pull this off? Those mages were infamous for their abysmal aptitude—written off as lifelong failures, never destined to reach the rank of Grand Mage. To the Merlin Family, they were basically dead weight, which is why we agreed to this condition in the first place.
But in less than a year, Marfa (the Cousin) actually turned trash into treasure, raising all those fifth-tier mages to Grand Mage. Leon was genuinely stunned.
Anyone who knows the details would be floored—this is beyond belief. If Marfa (the Cousin) had helped a couple of mages reach Grand Mage, sure, you could chalk it up to the Gilded Rose’s deep pockets: spend enough gold, and a mage can advance. But now, fifty mages—all Grand Mages.
"What did you just say...?"
Ross Merlin had been distracted, barely listening to Leon, but that last bit caught him off guard. Sure, Grand Mages aren’t a big deal for people at their level, but turning fifty fifth-tier mages with hopeless talent into Grand Mages in just a year...
What about the Magisters...
The thought was wild, but Ross Merlin couldn’t help himself. In his eyes, this mysterious Marfa (the Cousin)—if he could make those mages advance in a year, maybe he really could do it again. If he did, that would be terrifying.
Actually, only a handful—like William Merlin—knew that those mages only took a few months to reach Grand Mage...
Ross Merlin holds an important position in the Merlin Family—he’s both an elder and a top contender for the next patriarch. But most of the time, he’s off wandering the planes, rarely at home with the family. Maybe that’s why, besides Leon, he’s got the worst reputation in the whole Merlin Family. He’d only vaguely heard about the fifty mages sent to Seaview City, and never actually met them. So when he saw fifty Grand Mages, he just assumed Marfa (the Cousin) had recruited them...
Just then, another carriage bearing the Merlin Family crest stopped outside the manor. As a middle-aged man stepped out, the air was suddenly filled with fierce sword aura and sweltering heat.
He was tall and imposing, radiating a sharp, intimidating presence. When his gaze landed on Leon in the crowd, his eyes narrowed—murderous intent flashed openly, and a cold smile crept across his face as he strode forward.
"Marfa (the Cousin), so you actually bothered to come back..." Thorne Merlin’s piercing eyes swept over everyone, finally settling on Leon. His pupils contracted as he fought the urge to attack, sneering, "You’ve been missing for nearly three months—plenty thought you’d chicken out of the Blazeforge Realm. Now that you’re back, just stay put in the manor. Don’t wander off. In five days, we head for Blazeforge."
No one in the Merlin Family hated Leon more than Thorne Merlin. The moment he stepped out of the carriage and saw Leon, he genuinely considered killing him. But the High Tower’s decree from the ancestral lands forced him to hold back. Still, he’d never let Leon off the hook.
Even if he didn’t kill Marfa (the Cousin), he’d make sure to ruin him!
The feud between him and Leon was beyond repair. Owen Merlin was his only son, someone he’d spent decades nurturing—already a fifth-tier Magister and a master craftsman, one of the Merlin Family’s three prodigies, with limitless potential and a real shot at becoming the next patriarch.
Whenever Owen Merlin’s brilliance was mentioned, Thorne felt nothing but pride—after all, that was his son!
If not for raising Owen Merlin, Thorne wouldn’t have settled for being just a fifth-tier Sword Saint...
But...
In a single night, decades of effort went up in smoke. That bastard Marfa (the Cousin) shattered Owen Merlin’s Alchemical Mana Core, ending his magical path for good—leaving him a cripple.
Three months ago at the Elder Council, he wanted to kill Marfa (the Cousin), but then Lord Ryan Merlin from the ancestral lands showed up and stopped the fight. Worst of all, not only did he let Marfa off the hook, he actually handed over half the command of the Planar Legion to him.
That was something he simply couldn’t stomach...
"Grand Mages?" Thorne Merlin quickly realized these unfamiliar mages nearby were from the Gilded Rose in Seaview City. Scanning the crowd, his face twisted—there wasn’t a single Magister worth mentioning among them.
Seriously... isn’t this a bit pathetic?
But after a moment’s thought, Thorne Merlin let it go. He’d looked into Leon’s background—the young mage only rose up after the Rog Merlin Shipwreck, and in just over a year. Sure, their last duel showed Leon had decent strength thanks to a few true spirit artifacts, but his foundation was still lacking. Seaview City is a backwater compared to Auckland; recruiting some Grand Mages was the best he could do...
Still, at the Grand Mage level, once you’re in a planar war, you’re basically cannon fodder...
"Marfa (the Cousin), you’re not seriously thinking of taking them to the Blazeforge Realm, are you...?"
Thorne Merlin’s expression was odd; his gaze at Leon was full of contempt. He sneered and shook his head, "You’ve probably never been to a big realm like Blazeforge, so you don’t know how deadly it is. That place isn’t like Seaview City—Blazeforge brings together all Auckland’s top powers, fighting for dominance. If you insist on bringing your own people, pick some stronger ones. Otherwise, these folks won’t even qualify as cannon fodder..."
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What a naive fool, thinking he could bring a bunch of Grand Mages to Blazeforge Realm. As if that would work...
As soon as Thorne Merlin finished speaking, everyone present gave him a strange look. The fifty Grand Mages remained calm, as if they hadn’t heard a word. Honestly, being called cannon fodder was mild—they’d heard far worse back when they were the Merlin Family’s rejects. ‘Cannon fodder’ was nothing new…
"Uh, Lord Thorne, I think you might be mistaken..." Leon’s face went pale as he coughed nervously, heart pounding. Damn, what rotten luck—running into Thorne Merlin outside the manor...
It wasn’t just fear of Thorne Merlin—Leon had clearly seen Marfa (the Cousin) frown just now...
Crap!
That’s never a good sign.
Marfa (the Cousin) isn’t someone you want to mess with—he’s the sort who’d kill an elder without batting an eye. If Thorne Merlin had the guts to challenge him, maybe he could hold his own. But... Marfa now isn’t the same as three months ago; he’s someone who can even scare off a Demon Overlord!
Thorne Merlin, fifth-tier Sword Saint, sure, you’re tough—but would you dare to go toe-to-toe with a Demon Overlord?
Leon spoke up now purely for the Merlin Family’s sake. No matter how much he disliked Thorne Merlin, he was still one of the family’s three Sword Saints and a big name in Auckland. If Thorne actually pissed off Marfa (the Cousin) and got killed, it’d be a huge blow for the family...
From Leon’s perspective, Thorne Merlin was basically courting death with this stunt.
He knew perfectly well that Thorne Merlin’s hatred for Marfa (the Cousin) was all about Owen Merlin.
But really, who told your son to mess with Marfa (the Cousin)? He tried to buy forty percent of the Gilded Rose for three million gold coins, and when that failed, he tried to snatch it at the Elder Council. Getting crippled—who’s to blame for that?
See, Owen Merlin is the cautionary tale. If you keep provoking Marfa (the Cousin), you might end up just like him!
Father and son—they’re sharp enough in business, made plenty in Blazeforge over the years, but when it comes to judging people, they’re hopeless...
Leon has been with Marfa (the Cousin) for almost three months now, and he knows exactly how strong he is—he’s even toppled monsters at level thirty-six or thirty-seven.
Thorne Merlin’s fifth-tier Sword Saint skills just don’t cut it...
As for Thorne’s claim that Marfa (the Cousin) needs to bring those Grand Mages to Blazeforge Realm—what a joke. Someone as strong as Marfa doesn’t need backup.
Besides, those Grand Mages are clearly no ordinary mages.
There’s no way Marfa (the Cousin) would bring the Gilded Rose Mercenary Corps to Auckland for no reason. Leon suspects these Grand Mages will soon become Magisters. If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t buy it—but this is Marfa. He turned them into Grand Mages in a year, so maybe he really can do it again.
"Leon, can’t you see I’m talking to Marfa (the Cousin)? The younger generation in this family is getting ruder by the day..." Thorne Merlin shot Leon a vicious glare. Truth be told, he never liked Leon.
Back in the day, both Leon and Owen Merlin were top talents in the family, rivals for the next patriarch.
Now, every time Thorne saw Leon, he couldn’t help but think of his own gifted son. After speaking, he headed for the manor—he wanted to kill Marfa (the Cousin), but he knew today wasn’t the day. The ancestral lands were surely watching. Looks like he’ll have to wait until Blazeforge...
"Whew..."
Watching Thorne Merlin’s retreating figure, Leon finally let out a breath—his back was drenched in cold sweat. Good thing Thorne left quickly; another word and he’d be a corpse by now.