Chapter 319: Memories of the Past
Listening to Ross Merlin, Richie was nearly frantic with worry. What have you even been investigating? Can't you just go to Heather City yourself, see what kind of force the Gilded Rose is there, and look at the famous Salomon, Kadgar, and Lance—see how those people treat your so-called distant cousin...
It's really not that hard...
Oakridge to Heather City is just a few days' journey. If you spent a few days and went to Heather City yourself, you'd understand everything.
Then you'd realize that your so-called distant cousin isn't someone who can be impressed by magical knowledge or alchemical techniques...
He's a prodigy—barely twenty-two and already a Grandmaster. He defeated a Title Archmage when he was just a Ninth-Rank Mage. Compared to your cousin, all the so-called geniuses in Oakridge—Owen Merlin, Leon Merlin, Stan Watson—are leagues behind...
If you knew all this, would you still try to use alchemical techniques and magical knowledge as bargaining chips?
Right now, Richie really wanted to tell Ross Merlin the truth...
But the problem was, he couldn't say it...
Sure, his relationship with Ross Merlin was special. Back in the Blazeforge Realm, Ross Merlin had helped him out in a big way.
So, he could tell Ross Merlin that he was here to welcome a very special guest. He could even share some details about this guest, since plenty of people inside the Blackhorn Consortium already knew, and it wasn't exactly top-secret.
So far, only he and the head of the guards knew.
This was something he had to report to the higher-ups immediately. Only after they made a decision could he determine the level of secrecy. Until then, there was no way he could leak anything—even to Ross Merlin.
The problem was, if he didn't say anything, judging by Ross Merlin's attitude, he was about to stir up a whole lot of trouble...
Right now, Ross Merlin had no idea just how terrifying his distant cousin really was. He still thought the guy was just some ordinary kid from a backwater town, and was even planning to trade alchemical techniques and magical knowledge for something from that fearsome young archmage...
That was way too dangerous...
From what Richie knew about Ross Merlin, he was sure that if the deal fell through, Ross Merlin would almost certainly resort to threats, maybe even outright force. If it really came to that, Ross Merlin would be finished—not even Hoffland Merlin, the family patriarch, could save him...
What should he do...
Richie watched Ross Merlin go on and on, and honestly, he was just about ready to die of anxiety...
Maybe he should drop a few hints?
Thinking of this, Richie cleared his throat. "Uh, Ross, personally, I think your distant cousin isn't so simple. Otherwise, why would Hoffland Merlin, the family patriarch, be so eager to bring him back?"
"Heh, it's all because of William Merlin," Ross Merlin sneered, still bitter about William constantly blocking him. "After William Merlin went to Seaview City, he kept sending reports back to the family, hyping up the Gilded Rose like it was some kind of miracle. Now Hoffland Merlin is totally convinced the Gilded Rose is sitting on a mountain of wealth. He thinks if the Merlin Family can get their hands on it, we could surpass the Watson Family in some respects. Ridiculous! The Merlin and Watson Families have been fighting for a thousand years, and when did it ever come down to money deciding the winner...?"
Richie took a risk and tried to hint, but all he got was a rant from Ross Merlin. He couldn't help but feel awkward, yet he still had to force a gentle, patient smile and keep hinting: "Isn't that a bit hasty? Think about it—your distant cousin has all that wealth, and in a place as chaotic as Seaview City, how does he hold onto it? It can't just be thanks to William Merlin, right?"
"Hmm..." Ross Merlin's face darkened. "My distant cousin does have some serious muscle. He might even have a Title Archmage protecting him. You know Stan Watson, right? He died in the Auridge Mountains a few days ago. I suspect it was the Title Archmage with Matthew Merlin who did it. I asked Hannah from the Red Dragon Mercenary Corps—she said the attacker was very young, only in his twenties, holding a staff embedded with elemental amber. If you have time, keep an eye out for this guy. I think he's got his own agenda with Matthew Merlin..."
...Richie nearly exploded, staring at Ross Merlin for ages before finally sighing, unable to say a word.
How could Ross Merlin, who's fought across countless planes and usually seems so clever, be so clueless about this?
Even Hannah from the Red Dragon Mercenary Company had spelled it out—the young mage in his twenties. Why couldn't Ross Merlin connect the dots? Wasn't his distant cousin also a young mage in his twenties?
At this point, Richie honestly just wanted to jump up and smack Ross Merlin with his staff, see if that would finally knock some sense into him...
"Alright, enough about that..." Ross Merlin, completely oblivious to Richie's changing expression, sighed to himself. "Help me check the guest list, will you? Where exactly is my distant cousin sitting...?"
"I..." Richie stared daggers at Ross Merlin for a long moment before finally gritting his teeth and spitting out, "Fine, I'll check for you..."
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Richie had officially given up hope...
What else could he do? Was he supposed to just blurt out that the distant cousin was actually the twenty-two-year-old prodigy, the Ninth-Rank Mage who beat a Title Archmage? That would only land him in hot water...
The only thing left to do was hope Ross Merlin would show a little restraint, and not start threatening people the moment negotiations stalled. That young archmage was holding a gold-level Blackhorn Consortium Signet Ring—only the very top brass can hand those out. And what does a gold signet mean? To put it bluntly, as long as you're on Blackhorn Consortium turf, if you have a gold signet, even if you kill someone, the Consortium will do everything it can to protect you...
That means...
If Ross Merlin screws up, even if he dies, it'll be for nothing...
"Go on in, fifth row, sitting with William Merlin." Richie sighed inwardly as he told Ross Merlin the exact spot, but still couldn't relax, so he added, "Listen, Ross, business is about negotiation. Even if things don't work out, don't do anything rash. This is Blackhorn Consortium territory—if something happens, I'm in a tough spot..."
"Thanks, Richie." Ross Merlin patted Richie on the shoulder. "I get it. I won't make a move here..."
...Richie was about to lose his mind. Dammit, you're a Fifth-Rank Mage—how can you be this clueless? I meant don't make a move here, okay? Just talk things out, and if it doesn't work, walk away. You can't afford to mess with that guy!
Unfortunately, Ross Merlin had no idea what Richie was thinking. He just smiled and slipped into the auction hall...
"Damn, are you an idiot...?" Richie cursed under his breath as he watched Ross Merlin leave, but couldn't help following him anyway.
To avoid being noticed by the young archmage, Richie deliberately took a seat a bit farther away. He halfheartedly chatted with some familiar guests nearby, but kept his eyes glued to Ross Merlin in the distance, terrified he'd accidentally cause a disaster...
At this point, the auction had only just begun, and it was all pretty ordinary stuff—standard alchemical potions, legacy-grade magical items, nothing rare in terms of magical materials. Leon watched for a while but wasn't interested, just making small talk with William Merlin.
"By the way, cousin, that guy outside—do you know him?"
"The guy outside?" William Merlin was momentarily confused, then remembered. "Oh, you mean Saren Charlotte—the one decked out in gems and gold, flashy as hell? Of course I know him. The Merlin and Charlotte Families have been bitter rivals for years. Ever since Thornton Merlin emerged and defeated Fusen, the Charlotte Family has kept a low profile and rarely joined the Oakridge family feuds. But lately, they've gotten some kind of backing and their strength is rising again—even sent a planar legion into the Blazeforge Realm a few years back. That's when I met Saren Charlotte..."
"Oh?"
"Back then, all the major Oakridge factions fought over the Blazeforge Realm, and the Charlotte Family sent their own planar legion—including Saren Charlotte. I was Leon Merlin's deputy, responsible for attacking the Radiant Fortress. But when we got there, we found the Charlotte Family had already taken it..."
You know Leon Merlin's personality—there's no way he'd let the Radiant Fortress fall into Charlotte hands. He ordered a direct assault. At the time, Saren Charlotte was about as strong as me, and we fought for nearly half an hour without a winner. But then, bad luck—Leon Merlin came by after taking the fortress, and casually took care of Saren Charlotte. So I ended up getting the blame. Saren Charlotte didn't dare go after Leon Merlin, so he hounded me like a mad dog. Before I came to Seaview City, he challenged me every few days...
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