Chapter 295: Address
But whatever. Whether we walk the same path or not, it makes no difference to me...
—
With that thought, Leon shook his head and, together with William Merlin, ascended to the third floor of the stone tower. The floor was paved with white moonstone, gleaming and immaculate. Oil paintings hung on both walls; though Leon couldn’t tell which master painted them, the richness of color and bold lines suggested they weren’t cheap…
"Knock, knock, knock..."
William Merlin gently knocked on the study door, and soon an aged voice called from within, "Come in."
The study was spacious, with seven or eight neat rows of bookshelves fanning out around the room. The fireplace blazed warmly, banishing any trace of autumn chill. Beside the hearth sat a small, elderly man—he looked to be in his seventies, his aged face still bearing traces of his youth. When the two entered, a faint smile appeared on his wrinkled face. "You’ve had a long journey. Sit, and we’ll talk."
"Master Hoffland, you’re too kind…" Leon smiled and nodded to the old man, then sat down without much ceremony.
"Heh…" The old man was momentarily taken aback, noticing that Leon addressed him as Master Hoffland rather than 'Grandfather.'
Ten years ago, Hoffland Merlin entered the ranks of Title Archmage, making him one of Auckland’s top powers. Normally, Leon calling him Master Hoffland would be perfectly appropriate.
But don’t forget…
This was Leon’s first day back with the Merlin Family.
Family power is built on blood ties, so typically, the third generation of the Merlin Family would only ever call Hoffland 'Grandfather.'
But now, Leon addressed him as Master Hoffland…
Hoffland instantly understood from this formality that Leon’s return to the Merlin Family was going to be much harder than anyone imagined…
Just thinking about it gave Hoffland a headache…
Back then, when Judd Merlin left, only Hoffland knew that he was heading to Seaview City. Before leaving, Judd repeatedly urged Hoffland to keep this a secret from everyone. So, all these years, Hoffland kept his lips sealed—he knew that if Judd ever found out he’d let the secret slip, the consequences would be unimaginable…
Only recently, due to a twist of fate, Hoffland heard that Seaview City was flooded with weapons forged from Nether Iron. He sent someone to investigate, only to discover that the ones controlling the Nether Iron were Merlin descendants who had fallen out of the family. When Hoffland learned this, he was deeply moved—Judd Merlin, the shadow that had loomed over him for years, was gone, and even Judd’s son, Roger Merlin, seemed to have recently perished in a shipwreck…
The only one left was a grandson named Matthew Merlin…
And apparently, Matthew Merlin wasn’t doing well at all.
That’s why Hoffland sent William Merlin—partly to discuss the Nether Iron, and partly to lend Matthew Merlin a hand.
But things didn’t go as planned…
After William Merlin arrived in Seaview City, he quickly realized the situation was nothing like he’d imagined. Yes, Matthew Merlin controlled a Nether Iron vein, but he had no intention of giving it up. And the supposedly debt-ridden alchemy shop? It was thriving, dominating the alchemy business in Seaview City and even attracting merchants and mercenaries from nearby Rockridge.
The Merlin Family already owned some alchemy businesses, and as the family head, Hoffland knew just how lucrative alchemy could be…
Forget Rockridge…
Just monopolizing Seaview City’s alchemy trade was terrifying enough. To call him wealthy would be an understatement. William Merlin even said that in all of Seaview City, only the Monty Family could rival Matthew Merlin’s fortune.
When Hoffland heard all this, he actually felt a pang of regret…
If only he’d paid attention to Seaview City sooner, if only he’d noticed Judd Merlin’s grandson earlier—by now, the Merlin Family would have had a member who could go toe-to-toe with the Monty Family in wealth.
But it was too late for that now…
William Merlin’s letter made it clear: Matthew Merlin had little interest in rejoining the Merlin Family—in fact, he seemed almost resistant. If Hoffland sent someone to approach him, it might only make things worse.