Chapter 657: Alone
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Subzero Snowfield was icy cold but in the frigid wind, a humongous three-headed monster spread its wings, and became a shadow in the sky.
“Whoosh.”
Suddenly, the three-headed monster landed from above. The three heads swiftly lowered themselves, and Merlin gradually walked down from above the head.
“Wizard Merlin, this is the Wilson clan…”
Wizard Seymour was about to further introduce the place to Merlin, only for Merlin to wave his hand lightly. “There’s no need for introductions. I know that this is the Wilson Castle…”
As he looked at the familiar castle before him, Merlin was unable to forget that back when he had arrived in this world, he had appeared in the Wilson Castle. Even after they went to the Kingdom of Blackmoon, they had reconstructed Wilson Castle as it had been in Blackwater City.
The castle before him was no different than Wilson Castle had been in the past.
Nonetheless, currently, Wilson Castle had the additional protection of a Runic Magic Circle. Wizard Seymour explained, “Wizard Merlin, the Wilson clan now isn’t an average clan. Among them is Wizard Felinda, a Runic Magic Circle Wizard. She’s not inferior to the Runic Magic Circle Wizards of our Dark Magic Region, therefore she’s set up a Runic Magic Circle around the castle.”
The Runic Heartprint on Merlin’s brow flashed quickly, and the Runic Magic Circle of Wilson Castle was immediately under Merlin’s control. He seemed to recall Felinda as well.
In the past, Felinda was not even a Spell Caster but because she had Spell Caster Quality, she became the first batch of Spell Casters nurtured by the Wilson clan. At that point, Felinda had only displayed a slight affinity for runology. Merlin did not expect that she had become a Runic Magic Circle Wizard today.
It should be known that the Dark Magic Region specialized in runology. If Felinda could become a Runic Magic Circle Wizard, her attainments in runology were naturally rather significant.
“Buzz.”
Very soon, after the arrival of the three-headed dragon, of course, this had roused the attention of Wilson Castle. Such a ma.s.sive dragon was something astounding to anyone.
Therefore, a few knights swiftly rushed out of the castle, equipped with greatswords. They all raised their greatswords yet their eyes contained no trace of fear as if all they needed was a single command for them to rush at the three-headed dragon.
Wizard Seymour and Merlin naturally were not bothered by mere knights like these but the apparel of these knights caused Merlin to immediately think of the heavy armored knights under his father Old Wilson’s command back then!
“Wizard Merlin, these are the heavy armored knights of Wilson Castle. I’ve heard that they’re personally trained by your father. I don’t know what methods he used but when these knights come together, they’re just about able to contend against some First-level Spell Casters.”
Although they could only handle First-level Spell Casters, Wizard Seymour was still astounded to his core. This was a world where Spell Casters reigned supreme, and mere Elemental Swordsmen had never dared to challenge the might of Spell Casters for the disparity was too great.
Nonetheless, these heavy armored knights of Old Wilson had shattered this perception.
“The mysterious postures of the relief sculpture!”
A smirk pa.s.sed over Merlin’s lips. He knew that these heavy armored knights were so impressive surely because they had cultivated the postures on the mysterious relief sculpture.
As if sensing the hostility of these knights, the three-headed dragon’s gigantic heads all stretched their jaws and huffed lightly.
“Hoo…”
These knights, along with their horses, were immediately blown away, and the three-headed dragon even wore a self-satisfied expression.
Merlin shook his head helplessly. Although this three-headed dragon was intelligent, it was not highly so, only at the level of a seven- or eight-year-old child.
“Alright, stay right here!”
Merlin said softly to the three-headed dragon, following which as if going into an uninhabited place, he and Wizard Seymour stepped into Wilson Castle.
Although its exterior looked just like the Wilson Castle of the past, when Merlin stepped inside, he discovered that everything had changed within.
“Bang.”
In a distant open s.p.a.ce, there was a group who seemed to be practicing Fireball. Fire Element had gathered in the air above them as fireb.a.l.l.s fell like rain upon targets which had been set out for this purpose.
Moreover, before these kids who were about ten years old, there was a twenty-something-year-old young Spell Caster dressed in a long blue Wizard robe. His Elemental fluctuations indicated that he had already become an official First-level Spell Caster.
However, what caught Merlin’s notice was not this man’s Spell Caster level but his appearance. With his slim build and lean face, it was as if Merlin was looking at a reflection.
More importantly, Merlin felt an intense rush of blood in his body. This was a reaction that could only be induced by someone who shared the same blood.
Wizard Seymour seemed to be very interested too. After he looked closely at Merlin, he said, “Wizard Merlin, surely this young Spell Caster is your lineal descendant?”
“Lineal descendant…”
Merlin nodded. He had not returned for so many years, and did not know a single descendant of his. Nonetheless, this young Spell Caster who looked so much like him was very likely to be a lineal descendant.
“Hmm?”
Merlin seemed to sense something, and swiftly looked up toward a higher part of the castle. There, a pair of eyes were staring at Merlin.
“Swish.”
Merlin did not even say anything to Wizard Seymour before he immediately flew into the castle.
Wizard Seymour gazed at Merlin’s figure with a complicated look, wearing a bittersweet smile. He mumbled sorrowfully, “Blood relatives… How I miss them!”
Following that, Wizard Seymour vanished into the castle too as if he had never appeared in the first place.
…
In a warm room, an old lady with a face full of wrinkles and hair that had turned the color of snow long ago, gripped the windowsill tightly as she gazed below. Her eyes were s.h.i.+ning with amazement.
“Is that you? Merlin, is that you?”
The old lady muttered softly without stopping, and her body was even trembling slightly.
“It’s me! Charise!”
In the room, a black-robed man had appeared at an unknown time. He looked at the old woman before him, his eyes filled with a mult.i.tude of complex emotions.
Charise stared at Merlin, and for a moment she was like a deflated balloon. Powerlessly she shook her head. “Merlin, I had once hoped endlessly for your return…”
Merlin had returned now but Charise realized that she was already old. Her countless antic.i.p.ations and interminable longing were reduced to nothing but a profound sense of alienation in the present moment.
“Charise, I’ve come back!”
Merlin walked toward her and gently stroked Charise’s white hair. Normies were like this. In a mere few decades, she had grown to this stage while he would not change even after centuries.
“Tell me, where’s Avril?”
Charise opened her mouth a few times before managing to say powerlessly, “Avril’s health was never that good. Although she had potions brewed by an apothecary, thirteen years ago, she had pa.s.sed away!”
“She had pa.s.sed away?”
There was an intense sense of loss and frustration in Merlin’s heart. Time had flown by without a whisper, and his loved ones were no longer by his side. When he looked at Avril who had aged so much with a head of white hair, Merlin could feel that the life force of her body was trickling away. In less than ten years, Charise would die of old age as well. This was something no potion would be able to prevent.
“Merlin, throughout these years, our Wilson clan has had remarkable progress. We’re now an honest-to-goodness Spell Caster clan. You have four children in total, and they’re all adults now and have borne ten children themselves. Among them, there are many with Spell Caster Quality.”
Charise was the same as before. As soon as Merlin returned, she unceasingly “reported” all the matters of the family to Merlin. In that manner, a few hours went by.
Merlin listened without any expression. He sensed a deep joy as Charise was talking about the trifles of the clan. Perhaps she had kept busy all her life in service of the Wilson clan.
“Merlin, you once promised me that we’ll return to the Kingdom of Light. I’ve always been waiting…”
Charise gripped Merlin’s hand tightly.
“We’ll return. We’ll be able to return soon!”
A determined glint shone in Merlin’s eyes. Charise, being the princess of the Kingdom of Light’s royal family back then, was always thinking about returning to her kingdom. She had now waited for decades, to the point where she was an old lady with a head of white hair.
A smile blossomed on Charise’s lips but after all, she was old. It had been a few hours, and she was already tired. After a while, she was asleep in Merlin’s embrace. Merlin set her down gently, careful not to wake her, and quietly left Charise’s room.
…
In another room, although Old Wilson was very old now, his eyes still burned with a vigorous light, and his tall body was not stooped at all.
“Haha, Merlin, you’re finally back! I thought that I might not see you before I die…”
Old Wilson stared at Merlin in a gratified manner. His son was still so young but he was old already. Macy, Charise, even Merlin’s own children who had no Spell Caster Quality, were all aged as well but Merlin was as youthful as ever.
When he saw Merlin, Old Wilson seemed to recall the days back in Blackwater City.
“Merlin, have you gone to meet Charise?”
Old Wilson asked gruffly.
“I’ve seen her!”
“Merlin, throughout all these years, the clan was able to grow so well because Charise had given her all! She always had one wish, which was to return to the Kingdom of Light. I don’t know where you’ve been in the past decades, and I don’t need to know. I only want to ask you one thing – is there a way for us to return to the Kingdom of Light?”
Old Wilson’s somber expression still shone with dignity.
“Yes, there is. Soon, we’ll be able to openly, without fear, return to the Kingdom of Light, to Blackwater City!”
Merlin answered confidently. He could distinctly feel that the life force of Old Wilson’s seemingly “tough” body was also trickling away slowly.
Even though Old Wilson had cultivated the posture on the mysterious relief sculpture, and he was a powerful Elemental Swordsman, Old Wilson had only lived up to this point due to the potions brewed by the clan’s apothecary.
Merlin could clearly perceive that Old Wilson’s life force was almost exhausted. He would die of old age in a few years, and there was nothing he could do about it.
“Haha, go and see your sons, daughters, and your grandchildren. Go and see them!”
Old Wilson waved his hand. He now had a more mellow outlook toward life and death, so when a son like Merlin who had disappeared for a few decades suddenly returned, it was nothing more than a momentary joy for him.
Following that, Merlin turned to leave. He secretly observed his daughters and sons, and even other family members who looked somewhat like him.
However, Merlin did not go up to them. He felt nothing but a sense of unfamiliarity with them. There was no intimacy. In the vast Wilson Castle, he was only reluctant to part with Old Wilson and Charise.
“A Spell Caster is ultimately alone…”
Merlin recalled Wizard Hill’s words. Now, as he stood within Wilson Castle, he felt a profound sense of isolation. Even if his lineal descendants were everywhere, it was different from how he had felt in Blackwater City. Everything here only reminded him that he was a stranger.
“You’re able to stealthily remove my Runic Magic Circle, and infiltrate Wilson Castle. How bold!”
Suddenly, Merlin felt a force constricting his body as if he was restrained by multiple Runic Magic Circles. Behind him, stood a beautiful female Wizard dressed in a long Wizard robe.