Chapter 283: Report

“Leina!?”

Linda felt the surroundings fall silent. Only her breathing and Merlin in her arms reached her ears.

“Ahem!” Leina coughed shyly as she stepped back. “Don’t worry, Academy Head. I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”

She lowered her head, but the smile on her face was hard to hide.

Linda froze in place. Her face was a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.

Gradually regaining her composure, she glanced at Merlin and pinched his waist.

“Why didn’t you tell me Leina was here?” she asked irritably.

Merlin raised both hands, as if to say, “It’s not my fault; it’s yours.”

Linda felt even more annoyed, but there was nothing she could do. After all, Leina had already seen everything.

“Ahem! As you saw earlier, that was a natural interaction between a master and her student. So, well, I hope you understand,” Linda said with a casual expression, as if she didn’t care.

Leina almost burst out laughing. How could the relationship between a master and a student be like that?

It was obvious that Linda’s affection for Merlin was a bit excessive.

She had known Linda for a long time and was well aware of how cold and indifferent the woman usually was toward others.

Even toward the professors who worked under her, she always maintained a flat expression.

It could be said that this was the first time Leina had seen Linda show such a mix of happiness, sadness, and longing.

However, she had no intention of teasing Linda. Otherwise, she might lose her job.

“I understand, Academy Head,” Leina replied calmly. “Merlin and I came to deliver an important report.”

Her expression gradually turned serious.

Linda also returned to her calm, indifferent demeanor.

“Please sit down, both of you,” she said.

Leina and Merlin nodded and quickly sat on the sofa in the middle of the room.

While they waited, Linda prepared two cups of coffee for them.

Leina was a little surprised to see her personally serving coffee to Merlin.

“Academy Head, you—”

Before she could finish, Linda interrupted her.

“I understand how you feel. The truth is, Merlin really likes coffee. At first, I was confused too and wondered if there was something wrong with him. But he said he simply enjoys it.”

Linda let out a small sigh as she slowly sat down on the sofa opposite them.

Leina was shocked. She then glanced at Merlin beside her, her expression filled with confusion and curiosity.

Coffee was usually enjoyed only by adults. Children like Merlin would normally prefer tea or hot chocolate.

It was unexpected that Merlin’s taste was rather… unique.

“So, tell me what really happened.”

Linda’s voice pulled Leina out of her thoughts.

She adjusted her sitting position and said, “Many things happened during this mission, Academy Head. First, we discovered that the Dark Tunnel Organization is a new force formed by mysterious people. Their goal is to summon demons into the world, but it’s unclear if there are other goals behind it.”

A few days earlier, she and Jason had explored an underground passage to gather more evidence about the Dark Tunnel Organization.

In a mysterious room, they found many things, one of which was an important document containing information about the founder of Dark Tunnel.

It stated that this person not only gave instructions to the organization’s members but also made careful, detailed plans.

Even the conquest of Helvar City—carried out by posing as refugees—had been planned by him.

“A mysterious person, you say?” Linda furrowed her brow. “Is there any information or clues about this person?”

Leina shook her head. “Unfortunately not, Academy Head. The document only vaguely mentions his existence. But what is certain is that this person supplies forbidden potions that can grant ordinary people special powers.”

Those words made Linda’s expression darken. Forbidden potions were extremely dangerous.

The three kingdoms, along with the other nations, had banned the circulation of such potions.

Even if just one potion were discovered within the three kingdoms, the shop or individual involved would face severe punishment.

But now, the Dark Tunnel Organization had openly used them, which was tantamount to directly mocking the academy and the three kingdoms.

“I understand. Thank you for the information. I’ll process it later and look into the mastermind you mentioned,” Linda replied coldly.

Leina nodded slightly. After taking a sip of her coffee, she continued, “The second matter concerns the demon, Academy Head. I’m sure you’re already aware of it, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I know. Did the demon actually appear?” Linda asked seriously.

“You’re right. The demon was successfully summoned by their leader. He was an expert at the Eight Star Mage level, but his abilities were very weak. It’s clear he used forbidden potions to reach that level. And because I pressured him, he sacrificed himself to summon an even stronger demon,” Leina explained carefully. “Its power was equal to yours, Academy Head—the First Spirit Core.”

Linda was shocked by those words.

“Equal to mine?” she asked doubtfully.

“Yes, but due to the laws of this world, its power was limited to the Second Spirit Core. Even so, it was much stronger than the average Second Spirit Core. If it weren’t for Merlin’s help, I might have lost,” Leina replied with a soft sigh.

“Merlin?” Linda raised an eyebrow and glanced at her disciple, who had been sitting quietly, sipping his coffee.

Sensing her gaze, Merlin smiled and nodded slightly.

“I used a strength-enhancing potion, Master. As a result, I managed to reach the Third Spirit Core for a short while.”

Linda’s eyes widened. Just as she was about to speak, Merlin calmed her first.

“Don’t worry, Master. The potion didn’t have any negative effects on me. You can be sure of that.”

Linda didn’t believe him right away. She looked at Leina, as if seeking confirmation.

Leina nodded and said, “What he said is true. The potion didn’t harm Merlin, and there were no side effects. I can guarantee it.”

Linda let out a sigh of relief. Since Leina had confirmed it, it had to be true.

She glanced at Merlin again, a flicker of irritation in her eyes, as if to say, “I’ll ask you for an explanation later.”

Merlin noticed and smiled sheepishly.

An hour later, Leina stood up and left the room, leaving Linda and Merlin alone.

The atmosphere grew quiet and tense. Merlin looked at Linda, whose expression had turned gloomy and cold.

“Ahem.” Merlin coughed softly and stood up. He moved behind Linda and gently massaged her shoulders.

“I know you’re exhausted, Master. Let your disciple help you relax.”

With careful, measured pressure, he continued massaging her shoulders.

Linda’s irritation slowly faded, replaced by a faint smile.

She leaned back against the sofa and closed her eyes, enjoying the massage.

Merlin couldn’t help but feel relieved. Fortunately, Linda could still be appeased with a simple massage.

Otherwise, he would have had to endure a long, tedious lecture.

After half an hour, Merlin withdrew his hands and asked, “Are you feeling better, Master?”

Linda didn’t open her eyes, and her breathing was slow and steady.

“Asleep?” Merlin was surprised. He paused for a moment before deciding to take her to her room.

Coincidentally, the workspace was connected to the next room, which Linda usually used as her bedroom.

Carefully, Merlin lifted Linda in a princess carry, walked toward the room, opened the door, and stepped inside.

The room was quite spacious, though not as large as Merlin’s room in the mansion.

Linda was a simple woman and didn’t like knick-knacks, so her room looked plain and orderly.

A king-size bed stood in the center of the room, a reading table on the right, and a wardrobe on the left.

Two windows near the wardrobe were slightly open, letting fresh air replace the stale air inside.

Merlin laid Linda down in the middle of the bed, then removed her shoes and socks.

He adjusted her position so she wouldn’t fall off. Once everything was settled, Merlin nodded in satisfaction and pulled the blanket over her.

“Master must be very tired. The dark circles under her eyes are too obvious,” he whispered softly.

Linda was a woman who was extremely strict with others—and even more so with herself.

When she was in work mode, she could go without sleep for one, sometimes even two, days.

That was why Merlin was so concerned about her health. Even though Linda was at the First Spirit Core, she was still a mortal.

It wasn’t impossible for her to die from an incurable internal illness.

Merlin leaned closer and gently caressed Linda’s face.

’Master is so beautiful. Luna, Charlotte, and Margaret are no match for her. Perhaps only Lyserra in her human form could rival her,’ he whispered with a smile.

He lightly pinched her cheek, stifling a giggle. Opportunities like this were rare—it would have been a shame not to make the most of it.

Once satisfied, Merlin kissed Linda on the forehead and left the room.

Before going, he turned off the light and quietly closed the door.

What Merlin didn’t realize was that Linda’s cheeks slowly turned a faint, adorable shade of red.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep