Chapter 493: Interrogation
Standing aside, Councilor Weiss's face flushed a deep red. Choked by Wallace Charlotte's words, he coughed harshly twice, then forced a smile and said, "Patriarch Wallace, you must be mistaken. It's you who should be leaving..."
This Wallace Charlotte really doesn't know his place...
How could Chairman Heron possibly ask Matthew Merlin to leave? He'd rather pull him closer if he could. After all, this cooperation is vital to the Black Tower, and will even reshape Auckland's power structure in the future. Compared to that, what does the Charlotte Family amount to?
Do they really think that conquering the Frostleaf Plane recently entitles them to special treatment from the Black Tower?
Absolutely laughable...
Yes, the way Councilor Weiss looked at Wallace Charlotte now was as if he were watching a clown perform.
"I..."
In an instant, Wallace Charlotte's face turned deathly pale, stunned and speechless. He looked like a duck with its neck squeezed, unable to utter a single word.
"Councilor Weiss, please give my regards to Chairman Heron. Tell him I hope our cooperation will be pleasant..."
Leon Merlin didn't bother to say anything more. He turned and walked out of the reception room, not even sparing Wallace Charlotte a glance. Truth be told, during that exchange just now, he'd already felt the urge to kill Wallace. The man was nothing but a puppet used by the Soul Requiem, a petty clown jumping around in front of him—annoying, to say the least.
But in the end, Heron stepped in and stopped the fight...
Old fox...
Leon cursed inwardly. He could see perfectly well that Heron intervened at the critical moment to avoid getting the Black Tower entangled in the feud between the Merlin and Charlotte Families. If Wallace Charlotte were to die mysteriously at Darkmoon Fortress, once word reached Auckland, everyone would assume the Black Tower was involved in his death.
No denying it—Heron was cunning.
Whether it was the first deal or this current cooperation, Heron always tried to swindle him. But little did Heron know, Leon had been playing him from the start.
With the deal done, Leon didn't linger at Darkmoon Fortress. By the time he returned to Blazeforge Fortress, it was already midday—the dark red sun hung overhead, pouring its scorching rays relentlessly down.
Passing through layer upon layer of guards, Leon entered the council chamber. The spacious, well-lit room held only three people: Thorn Merlin, Edgar Merlin, and Uriel Merlin.
"Matthew Merlin, let me ask you—what did you do at the Black Tower's Darkmoon Fortress today?" Thorn Merlin's face was dark as he swept Leon with a piercing gaze.
He'd received the report early in the morning—Matthew Merlin had gone to the Black Tower's Darkmoon Fortress and apparently hadn't returned until now.
It had been the whole morning—Matthew Merlin had stayed at Darkmoon Fortress the entire time. What exactly had he been doing?
No wonder Thorn Merlin was suspicious...
After all, the Merlin Family and the Black Tower had almost no dealings. The Merlin Family controlled Blazeforge Fortress, right next to the Black Tower's Darkmoon Fortress, and for a century they'd kept each other at arm's length. Thorn Merlin couldn't imagine any reason Matthew Merlin would go looking for the Black Tower...
If Matthew Merlin had leaked intelligence about Blazeforge Fortress to the Black Tower, that would be a disaster. Thorn didn't believe Matthew would do such a thing, but better safe than sorry.
That was why, as soon as the young mage returned, Thorn Merlin's tone was interrogative, as if he were questioning a criminal.
Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin, who had been quietly sitting to the side, broke out in a cold sweat when Thorn Merlin spoke. Damn, is he just looking for trouble? Can't a man have private dealings with the Black Tower, pay a visit, or what? Does he really expect a full account of every person met and every meal eaten before he's satisfied?
But at this moment, the two of them held their tongues out of respect for Thorn Merlin's position. After all, Thorn was the Commander of the Planar Legion—appearances had to be maintained.
Right then, Edgar and Uriel saw the young mage frown, just as they'd feared.
Uh-oh...
"Councilor Thorn, you're the Commander of the Planar Legion, and so am I. I don't think you have the authority to meddle in my affairs, hehe..." Leon Merlin touched his nose and gave Thorn Merlin a cool glance.
"Do you think you're still just some stray descendant of the family?" Thorn Merlin's eyes were full of disgust as he spoke coldly, "Your current position is Commander of the Merlin Family's legion in the Blazeforge Plane. Every move you make carries enormous weight. You'd better explain the reason you went to Darkmoon Fortress, who you met, and everything you said—clear your name once and for all."
"Councilor Thorn, isn't this a bit much..."
Even Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin, sitting off to the side, couldn't listen anymore. Thorn was practically begging to be hated, treating the young mage like a criminal instead of a commander.
He's really asking for trouble...
"And what exactly am I suspected of?" Leon Merlin narrowed his eyes, looking at Thorn Merlin with a mocking smile.
"Who knows if you've leaked Blazeforge Fortress's military plans to the Black Tower. This is a serious matter—even as commander, you must give a full account. If the fortress is lost because you divulged secrets, I can't take responsibility for that." Thorn Merlin took a deep breath and delivered his prepared speech.
In truth, Thorn Merlin just wanted to embarrass the young mage, to remind him that even as commander, he had to answer to Thorn in the Blazeforge Plane.
Otherwise, he wouldn't go to such lengths to slap a 'suspected traitor' label on the young mage.
"Councilor Thorn, that's not something you should say lightly..."
Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin immediately gave Thorn Merlin a strange look. Others might not know, but they did—if the young mage hadn't turned the tide yesterday by exposing the Blazeforge Orc mage at the crucial moment, who knows if Blazeforge Fortress would still be standing now.
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Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin would never believe the young mage was a traitor.
If the young mage wanted to betray the Merlin Family, he wouldn't need to go through so much trouble. With his terrifying power—he'd killed over a dozen powerful Blazeforge Orc mages single-handedly—he could just take out Thorn Merlin and seize full control of Blazeforge Fortress. For someone like him, that wouldn't be difficult at all.
Besides, Thorn Merlin's constant provocations left Edgar and Uriel feeling helpless.
"And how do you know I'd hand over Blazeforge Fortress's military plans to the Black Tower?" Leon Merlin frowned—Thorn's accusation was downright malicious.
"Only you know what you've done. If you're innocent and haven't betrayed the Merlin Family, then surely you can explain why you went to Darkmoon Fortress..." Thorn Merlin sneered, obviously laying a trap for the young mage to fall into.
"That's a secret..."
"You... Matthew Merlin, don't be so ungrateful!" Thorn Merlin's face twisted in rage as he roared, "You really think I can't deal with you? Just watch—I’ll report everything that happened yesterday, and your secret trip to the Black Tower, to the Ancestral Grounds..."
If Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin hadn't talked him down yesterday, Thorn would have already reported the incident to the Ancestral Grounds. The young mage had left Blazeforge Fortress without permission at a critical moment—a serious offense that could have led to the fortress's downfall. Thorn couldn't afford to bear that kind of responsibility.
And the young mage's solo trip to Darkmoon Fortress, staying there all morning, was a big deal. If the folks at the Ancestral Grounds found out, they'd definitely start to question him.
So Thorn Merlin thought he had two deadly pieces of leverage over the young mage. The threats he'd just made were as blatant as could be—if the young mage had any sense, he'd yield, confess everything, and calm Thorn's fury.
And Thorn Merlin waited...
"Heh, Councilor Thorn, you must be joking. Reporting to the Ancestral Grounds is your business, not mine..."
Leon Merlin's expression remained calm. After speaking, he didn't spare Thorn another glance and simply turned to leave.
"This..."
Watching the young mage's retreating figure, Thorn Merlin was truly stunned—mad, absolutely mad...
That damn Matthew Merlin—he hadn't taken Thorn's threats seriously at all. Did he really think Thorn wouldn't dare?
He simply couldn't understand where that infuriating Matthew Merlin got his confidence...
Edgar Merlin and Uriel Merlin exchanged a glance, then silently got up and left. Under Thorn Merlin's murderous glare, they disappeared from the council chamber.
Now, Thorn Merlin was the only one left in the council chamber. His eyes were cold, his face dark and uncertain, and his heart was seething with endless rage.
He truly hated Matthew Merlin...
But once he calmed down, Thorn gradually realized that—even here in the Blazeforge Plane—he'd have a hard time dealing with someone this strong.
Looks like he'll have to report to the Ancestral Grounds...
He produced a sheet of pristine white paper. With a surge of battle energy, countless golden runes appeared, and he swiftly penned a letter. The paper dissolved into radiant light, vanishing into the air. This was the Merlin Family's exclusive method of communication—extremely fast, able to deliver messages across planes within a day.
The letter detailed everything that happened yesterday and today.
No doubt, when the Ancestral Grounds received it, they'd be furious. In Thorn's eyes, stripping Matthew Merlin of his command would be a light punishment for what he'd done.
Once Matthew Merlin lost his command, everything would be much easier. Thorn had countless ways to make him wish he were dead. He remembered clearly what he'd said over three months ago—he'd promised to throw Leon into the River of Wailing.