Chapter 336: A Siege

“You don’t know, you say? How is that possible?” Merlin froze in disbelief.

Just a moment ago, he’d been wondering why Margaret didn’t know her mother was still alive, especially when the novel had clearly stated that her mother was dead.

It turned out Fenric was the one who had kept it a secret. Merlin had never even imagined such a thing.

Fenric let out a small sigh and gave a wry smile. “There are some secrets I find hard to reveal. But rest assured, I did it for Margaret’s own sake.”

Merlin fell silent for a moment before giving a small nod. He believed Fenric’s words. After all, he was Margaret’s father.

There was no way he would want to harm his own daughter. Besides, this was their family matter, and Merlin had no right to interfere.

“I understand. Don’t worry—I won’t tell Margaret about this,” Merlin assured him.

Fenric looked relieved and smiled slightly. After exchanging a few more words, Merlin and Lyserra turned and left.

Once the two were out of sight, the smile on Fenric’s face vanished, replaced by his usual indifference.

He sat back on the sofa and asked, “What do you think of that boy?”

An old man appeared beside Fenric. He wore a half-mask, making his features hard to discern.

The old man gazed in the direction Merlin and Lyserra had gone, then remarked, “That boy is destined for great things in the future. Befriending him will be to your advantage, Lord Fenric.”

Fenric smiled, about to agree, but the old man continued with a warning.

“But the path he’s taken is extremely dangerous. He bears a tremendous burden and responsibility. In fact, I would rather you distance yourself from him immediately and not befriend him. Otherwise, it will bring disaster upon the Beethoven family.”

Fenric’s expression turned serious when he heard this.

“Bring disaster upon the Beethoven family, you say? Are you joking with me? I mean, what could a little kid like him possibly do?” Fenric voiced his skepticism.

It wasn’t that he underestimated Merlin, but to him, Merlin was simply a mysterious boy worth befriending. That was all.

It was hard to believe that Merlin could bring down the Beethoven family.

The old man didn’t get angry at Fenric’s doubt. He folded his hands behind his back and explained, “Everyone carries their own destiny. I can sense a great destiny within Merlin Clay. Befriending him will bring prosperity and glory, but it may also invite disaster. So, I hope you’ll think carefully.”

After saying that, he turned around and vanished from sight.

Fenric fell silent, his expression heavy. He stared at the vial in his hand for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

“This is a difficult choice.”

The old man was no ordinary person. He was an expert Fenric had hired to protect the Beethoven family.

There was no way the old man’s words were meant to deceive him.

“Merlin Clay…”

Fenric looked toward the door with a complicated expression. “What are you really hiding?”

…

“Isn’t that strange? He’s hiding something this serious from his daughter. That just doesn’t make sense,” Lyserra remarked, furrowing her brow.

She truly couldn’t understand Fenric’s way of thinking.

Merlin chuckled softly as he slipped his hands into his trouser pockets.

“It’s fine. It’s none of my business. I’m sure he has his reasons. And most importantly, I’ve already laid a solid foundation for future cooperation. Now, the Beethoven family has become my ally, and that will help me later,” Merlin said casually, a broad smile spreading across his face.

The Arden family was under his control, and now the Beethoven family was on his side as well.

The two most influential families on the continent were already backing him, which meant he could act without fear.

Forget Lucius—Merlin was even confident enough to confront the Arcadia royal family head-on.

Lyserra shot him a meaningful glance before yawning lazily.

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to do, but rest assured, I’ll help you.”

After saying that, her body turned into light and vanished from sight.

Not long after, Merlin stepped out of the main hall and found Linda waiting at the entrance.

A sigh of relief escaped Linda as she saw Merlin come out safely.

“Are you okay? Graham Arden didn’t hurt you, did he?” she asked, her voice full of concern.

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine,” Merlin replied softly.

Linda didn’t believe him right away. She examined him from head to toe before finally being convinced that he was truly unharmed.

“Did you get the items?”

“I did, Master. But I can’t show them to you.”

“I understand. Don’t worry.”

Linda smiled and gently patted his head.

“That girl is with you too, isn’t she?”

“Yes. I’ve stored her in my magical storage. She’s safe, but her body is very weak. Once we get to the academy, I’ll have to heal her.”

The fox girl’s condition was quite severe. Graham and the Arden family likely hadn’t fed her properly, leaving her thin and frail.

“I have some good potions to help her recover. I’ll give them to her later,” Linda said.

“Thank you.” Merlin smiled gently.

After that, the two climbed into their horse-drawn carriage and left the palace grounds.

***

“Damn it! I won’t let you just walk away like that!”

From the shadows, a man watched Merlin and Linda leave, his face twisted with rage. It was Gustav, the protagonist’s father.

The humiliation Merlin had inflicted on him in the auction hall had left him disgraced. There was no way he would just let it slide.

“No matter what it takes, I have to get that fox girl,” he muttered, clenching his fists tightly.

The fox girl’s existence was tied to his son’s safety—and to his own future.

So he couldn’t allow Merlin to take her away.

Without hesitation, he vanished from where he stood.

…

“Be careful. The enemy is about to attack,” Linda suddenly said.

Merlin, who had been lost in thought, was startled. He turned toward her and asked hesitantly, “The enemy is attacking? What do you mean—”

Before he could finish, Linda grabbed his wrist and disappeared from where they were sitting.

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted, blowing the horse-drawn carriage to pieces.

Linda and Merlin reappeared ten meters away from the blast.

Letting go of his wrist, Linda stared at the wreckage and shouted, “Come out. Don’t be a coward!”

“Hahaha! Sorry, I didn’t expect my attack to be stopped so easily. It seems you really do live up to your reputation, Linda Thalsis.”

A man stepped forward, his face filled with confidence.

“Gustav?” Linda raised an eyebrow slightly. “What do you mean by attacking me? Are you trying to declare war?”

A powerful aura burst from her body, forming a violent whirlwind around her.

Gustav was one of the few experts on the continent at the First Spirit Core level.

He was famous for his madness—challenging three First Spirit Core experts at once and somehow managing to fight them to a draw. That was why he earned the nickname “The Fearless Madman.”

Linda had no grudge against him, so she didn’t understand why he was attacking her.

“Don’t be foolish, Linda Thalsis!” Gustav roared, pointing at Merlin with fury. “Because of that boy, I was humiliated at the auction hall earlier! Tonight, I’m going to kill him!”

After saying that, he crouched down and charged forward.

His movements were so fast that Merlin didn’t even have time to react.

But Linda moved first. She appeared in front of him and blocked his attack with ease.

Her expression turned cold as she said, “Since you want to fight, I’ll accept it.”

Clenching her fist tightly, she swung it at the right side of his face.

Gustav tried to block, but the space around him suddenly shook violently.

His arm stiffened, and Linda’s punch struck him head-on, sending him flying dozens of meters away.

“Wait here. I’ll deal with him.”

Then, her figure vanished from sight. Moments later, explosions echoed in the distance, so loud that Merlin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Damn… that old man is completely insane,” Merlin cursed under his breath.

He had expected Gustav to block his path, but what he hadn’t anticipated was just how fast the man could move.

“Hahaha! Found you!”

A voice came from the trees above.

Merlin looked up and saw several men staring down at him with greedy eyes.

“Second Spirit Core experts?” His eyes narrowed. “It seems I really caused a stir at the auction earlier.”

But Merlin wasn’t afraid. He had already expected to become a target, especially after revealing a drop of a ninth-level monster’s blood.

“Don’t pick a fight with me if you don’t want to die,” Merlin warned coldly.

“Hehehe… how amusing,” one of the men sneered as he leaped down from the tree. He looked at Merlin mockingly and said, “You’re alone, while we’re in a group. It doesn’t matter how strong you are. Against our numbers, you’re bound to lose.”

The others followed, jumping down one after another and standing beside him with arrogant expressions.

Merlin chuckled softly. “If that’s what you want, then get ready to meet the King of Hell.”

He raised his right hand, and a flame-shaped symbol appeared on the back of it.

“Lyserra, hear my call!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep