Chapter 1233
Damn it, when did I become the errand boy for those idiots from the Hardwick Family? If I wasn’t worried about Archmage Leon’s volatile temper, I’d have gladly wiped out these two myself. Hell, if we were anywhere else, I’d be cheering for Archmage Leon to obliterate these fools...
Stibbe and Wattby’s faces paled in unison. The Merlin Family—now the most dominant mage clan in Andalusia—has even eclipsed Cloudspire Tower and the Black Tower.
And the architect behind it all? The infamous Archmage Leon Merlin. Even the Hardwick Family couldn’t possibly plead ignorance when it comes to him.
Stibbe’s complexion turned ghostly. That crushing sense of death from earlier—he’d tried to convince himself it was a trick of the mind. Now, he knew better.
Gods, this really is Archmage Leon Merlin. He’s even younger than the rumors claim. Just a Title Archmage, but he single-handedly took down the Charlotte Family’s patriarch, a demon lord, and an avatar of a Sky Rank artifact.
So it’s him after all... That look in his eyes is enough to freeze your soul.
Wattby’s expression shifted too, but he forced a sneer—his bravado clearly running thin. Leon Merlin’s reputation before inheriting the patriarch’s mantle had already spread like wildfire across the Andalusia Kingdom...
“So it’s Archmage Leon Merlin. This gathering is for alchemists—only Worldshapers get an invite. It’s not about whose spells are flashiest...
And it’s not about who’s rolling in gold, either. No matter how fat your purse, you’re just a wayward pseudo-alchemist—not a true alchemist at all!”
Wattby and Stibbe didn’t dare cross the line, so they harped on alchemy. Not so subtly, they made it clear what they thought of Leon Merlin—same as their opinion of Skyhold Fortress: just another stray alchemist...
They stuck to alchemy and left everything else unsaid. Since Leon Merlin took over as patriarch, tales of his bad temper, battle prowess, and youth have swept through Andalusia—he’s called the most formidable Merlin patriarch in a thousand years.
Everything Leon Merlin’s done has become common knowledge. The verdict? Don’t provoke him—if he decides to end you, you’re done for.
Rafael had no idea what just happened. Leon Merlin hadn’t unleashed any power—just a single glance at Stibbe, and Stibbe looked ready to faint.
But as soon as Wattby started up with the alchemy talk again, Rafael just snorted and whipped out his Sky Runner.
“Master Wattby, everyone knows Archmage Leon is a Worldshaper. And this is an invitation from Astral Academy. You want to question Astral Academy’s judgment?”
This Sky Runner was personally modified by Archmage Leon—can you match that kind of skill?”
Rafael pointed to the Sky Runner, its surface covered in dazzling runes. Wattby’s face grew grim.
The runes on the Sky Runner were vibrant and potent. The arrangement looked like a patchwork of mistakes, yet somehow, the result was nearly flawless.
He couldn’t make sense of half of it, but in the next instant, Wattby’s face twisted into a sneer.
"This isn't the mark of a true alchemist—it's just the brute strength of a mage. That doesn't represent real alchemical skill. Besides, even among Worldshapers, there's a spectrum of strength. These days, so many so-called alchemists sneak into Astral Academy with nothing but a couple of flashy Worldshaper tricks. Who's impressed? Not me."
If you ask me, an alchemist's true strength shows in the fundamentals. Only the basics reveal the hand of a real alchemist!
And as an alchemist, I trust only what I see with my own eyes. Legends have never delivered the truth."
Wattby just wouldn't let go of Leon Merlin's alchemy, clinging to it like a lifeline. Gullard was about to interject, but Rafael stopped him with a faint smile, eyes narrowed as he watched, content to remain silent for now.
Wattby, that fool, actually wants to challenge Archmage Leon in alchemy? And not just any alchemy—the basics? What exactly does he think he's proving?
Give me a break. Archmage Leon isn't just a master of alchemy—his grasp of the basics is downright monstrous. If his foundations were weak, how could he be so accomplished in Grandmaster's Elixir, alchemical golems, magical artifacts, and alchemical arrays all at once?
Wattby is digging his own grave here. The supposedly pure Hardwick Family alchemists are still afraid of Archmage Leon, aren't they? His legend has spread throughout the Andalusia Kingdom. These two are probably terrified he'll snap and wipe them out on a whim.
Weren't they supposed to sacrifice everything for the sake of truth? So why cower now, and still try to challenge Archmage Leon in alchemy?
Idiots, the lot of them. As expected, the Hardwick Family's fools have brains as stiff as old stone...
Wattby saw Leon Merlin standing silent and immediately sneered.
"Archmage Leon Merlin, are you afraid of a little challenge? A true Worldshaper never shrinks from a test. After all, it's the only way to pursue the path to truth."
This Leon Merlin—rumor has it he's brutally strong in combat, with a temper to match. Give him an excuse and he'll kill without hesitation, never bothering with the consequences. Ruthless doesn't even begin to cover it.
But supposedly, he's a Worldshaper too, and the Merlin Family's alchemical business is run by alchemists he recruited. Still, not a single Grandmaster's Elixir in the family is said to be crafted by Leon Merlin himself. Maybe his reputation for potion-making is just another legend.
So let's see him calculate the proportions and combinations of these ingredients. It's a complicated business—the higher the grade of the potion, the trickier the math. Getting the ratios right is the hallmark of a true alchemist.
[SKIP: Irrelevant reader prompt.]
And this fundamental skill is built on years of experience. Raw calculation isn't enough; it's the patterns and wisdom you find after years of practice that matter. Leon Merlin's so young, so powerful—most of his time must've gone into leveling up as a mage and mastering spells. No way he's got the years of alchemical experience. Not a chance...
"Since you wish to challenge me, Wattby, so be it. By tradition, you issue the test."
Leon Merlin couldn't care less about the Hardwick Family's feud with Skyhold Fortress. They could bash each other's brains out for all he cared. But now these two seemed determined to use him as a stepping stone to embarrass Rafael and Gullard. If they ended up humiliated, that was their own fault.
Wattby gave a cold, guttural laugh, then pulled a crystal table from his spatial ring, followed by a heap of ingredients, which he laid out one by one.
"Archmage Leon Merlin, these are ingredients I've gathered from outside. Let's see if you can calculate the exact proportions for a potion using this set. I doubt I need to tell you what kind of potion these would make, do I?"