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Chapter 1: Merlin

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

"Bang."

Lin Fei felt himself flying through the air. His body was falling rapidly before he finally hit the ground. He felt horribly groggy, and a shrill noise of car's brake rang in his ears. At this time, he found himself failing to open his eyes; his remaining subconsciousness could only register the chaotic noise that surrounded him.

"Hurry, call the police. There's been an accident."

***************

In the infinite darkness, Lin Fei thought he had witnessed a ray of light. Suddenly, he woke up wide-eyed as though he had been startled by a nightmare. His chest rose and fell as he panted for breath. He was still terrified inside.

"Where is this? The hospital?"

Lin Fei quickly checked himself as he remembered being flung into the air by a vehicle that was moving at a high speed. He found himself lying on a big, soft bed, wearing loose-fitting pajamas. There was also no or injury on his body.

'How strange. I was thrown into the air by a car, how am I not injured at all? Besides, even if I was not injured, I should be in the hospital. Is this the hospital?'

It was only until now did Lin Fei raise his head to examine the room. It was a spacious room, even the bed was draped with ornate. The vast blue sky outside of the window was visible through the thin fabric.

However, gradually, Lin Fei realized something was wrong. There was no light nor air conditioner in this place. Anything electrical was not to be found.

There was only a writing desk, a high stool, and a round stool. Some books bound with a string were placed on the writing desk, as well as a candlestick with three unfinished candles.

Surprised, Lin Fei hurried to the massive mirror in the room. An unfamiliar young face appeared in the mirror; tall nose, a long face as pale as a sheet of paper, long black hair, and a pair of uncommon blue eyes.

The reflection in the mirror was no longer the face Lin Fei was familiar with!

"Who am I?"

Lin Fei mumbled as he plonked himself down on the bed. Immediately, an excruciating pain burned his head, accompanied by unfamiliar memories that came flooding his mind.

"Merlin? I'm Wilson Merlin?"

Lin Fei hastily put these unexpected fragments of memories into order. This world he had passed through was a backward one, somewhat similar to the Western Middle Ages which was ruled by several kingdoms. He was currently situated in a middle-sized city named Blackwater, under the rule of the Kingdom of Light.

Merlin's father – Old Wilson, was a lord. Even though his rank as a baron was lowest in the nobility social class, he won the title by shedding blood and tears in battles. He joined the army when he was young and performed his service for twenty years. He also accomplished brilliant achievements in the battle when the Kingdom of Light sent troops to suppress the heretic Kingdom of Blackmoon in the east.

After being discharged from active military service, Old Wilson was conferred upon the title of Baron by the king alongside a piece of land of a favorable size. However, Old Wilson preferred to live in the city, hence, he only visited the fief when it came for time to collect taxes.

Merlin regained great memories of Old Wilson, but his recollection of his mother was not clear. He only remembered vaguely that his mother was an easterner who sought refuge from the Kingdom of Light, and that he has inherited his black hair from her.

However, his mother passed away not long after giving birth to Merlin. Therefore, even Merlin himself could not recall her appearance.

"Dong, dong, dong."

Just as Merlin was still immersed in his own memories, the knocking sound on the other side of the door sent him dashing to his bed as he called out, "Come in!"

The door to the bedroom was pushed open gently. A servant girl dressed in a gray uniform walked in with a change of clothes. "Young Master Merlin, this is your clothes for today," she said softly.

Memories gushed into Merlin's mind at the sight of this servant girl. This was his personal maidservant named Lucia.

"Alright, leave them here, and off you go," Merlin replied.

Lucia, who had kept her head low all the time, finally looked up at her young master. Her skin was fair with slight freckles, but that did not affect her beautiful appearance.

"Young Master Merlin, Young Lady Macy is waiting downstairs for breakfast."

Merlin nodded. "Okay, I'll be down in a minute."

Lucia bowed slightly, lifted her dress, and left the room without a sound. Finally, Merlin rose from his place and put on the change of clothes that Lucia had left on the desk.

The comfortable white shirt was most probably made out of cotton. It was evidently purely handmade as there was no trace of it being sewn by a machine. After putting on the black coat, Merlin scrutinized the person looking back at him from the mirror. Apart from the expression in his eyes and the slight resemblance from his past life, everything else was completely alien to him.

Merlin left his bedroom for the hall downstairs and noticed his sister Macy sitting on the chair in poised, albeit with a face full of annoyance. Evidently, she had been waiting for a long time.

"Hurry up, Merlin. We don't want to be late to the church again."

Macy urged.

"Oh? Where are we going?"

Merlin asked as he sat down on the chair. His eyebrow raised in confusion as he genuinely had no idea where they were supposed to go. Although he had retrieved much of Wilson Merlin's memories, a major fragment of it still remained unearthed.

Macy widened her eyes but refrained herself from hitting the roof. She lowered her voice and explained, "Merlin, cut it off. Although father has left to collect the taxes, he made it clear that it's obligatory for you to receive training from Swordsman Pero at the church every day."

Merlin listened in silence. That one sentence that Macy said had revealed a great deal of information. Old Wilson had left for his landholdings and would not return for a while. This meant that, at least for now, he would be spared from being exposed by Old Wilson before he completely regained his memory.

"Very well."

Merlin replied without much enthusiasm. He then picked up the cutleries and started on his breakfast.

It was bread, milk, and some really thick wheat gruel which tasted delicious. It had given Merlin his appetite and soon he gulped down three small bowls.

Merlin finished his meal quickly and patted the corners of his mouth clean. Then, he began examining Macy.

Macy was born by the eighth lady of Old Wilson whose name Merlin could not exactly recall.

Macy, who had not realized herself being put under the scrutiny of her brother's eyes, urged. "Let's get going, we're running out of time. Swordsman Pero is a rather strict man."

Therefore, Merlin and Macy hurried into the carriage that has long awaited them and finally left for the church.

Chapter 2: A Backward World

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

The whirring of the wheels went as the carriage moved unsteadily on the ground of Blackwater City which was laid out with irregular bluestone. It was very uneven and it felt a little uncomfortable traveling in the carriage.

Merlin sat next to Macy, and the faint fragrance coming from her comforted Merlin. However, the carriage ride was indeed too bumpy. After a short while of trying to adapt, Merlin gave up and leaned back on the carriage, his legs slightly bent. This posture made him feel more at ease.

However, Macy was very dissatisfied. She looked at Merlin's legs in front of her eyes and frowned slightly. "Merlin, can't you position your legs properly? You are a nobleman, and you must act like one."

'I'll just lie down for a bit. I didn't sleep well last night."

Merlin replied with indifference, still keeping the position he felt most comfortable.

Unexpectedly, Macy did not argue with Merlin. She bit her lip gently, and a hint of worry washed across her face. She asked cautiously, "Is it because of Avril?"

Merlin did not reply, hence Macy continued speaking, "actually, there's no need for you to be worried. No matter what, Avril is officially engaged to you, witnessed by decades of friendship between the Parman family and the Wilson family. She will be married to you eventually. Anyhow, you have to quit fooling around as well, and spend more effort on making Avril like you better."

Although Merlin kept his eyes closed, he was not really sleeping. He remembered with his heart each and every word Macy told him.

'Avril is my fiancée? But, from what I gathered from Macy, it seems like Avril isn't quite fond of me… Why can't I remember anything about this matter?'

Merlin only regained a fraction of his memory, and the rest was lost forever. In order to not expose himself to others, he had to listen carefully to what everyone says and analyze the information thoroughly.

For instance, this Avril that Macy had mentioned must be another important piece of information. Merlin kept the knowledge in his mind.

Merlin was getting rather irritated after lying down for a while. He drew the curtains and shivered as the cold breeze blew.

"Winter is coming…" Merlin exclaimed. It was already September, the last month of the fall season, but it seemed that the cold has arrived earlier than expected.

"You're right, winter is coming, although I'm unsure why the weather has gotten cold quicker this year."

Merlin wrapped his clothes tighter around himself as he curled into the corner of the carriage.

It appeared to be still drizzling outside. There were not many people on the street, apart from a few tramps who knelt to the ground as they begged from the well-dressed people.

These tramps clothed themselves in some rough linens that they probably collected from somewhere, and they appeared as thin as hemp ropes. Their eyes were filled with desperation. There were also several really young children among them.

The others showed a look of disdain as they passed by, some even covered their noses and mouths and sped on hastily. Merlin's eyes swept past these tramps without much interest and shifted his attention at the group of knights crowded by the street.

These knights all had silver light armors wrapped around the upper body, a wooden shield in hand, and a sword of half a human's height on their back. They imposed an impressively-commanding manner. The crowd on the street seemed to be very afraid of these knights, and some children, when they saw these knights, showed a hint of envy on their faces.

Merlin frowned. He had no idea who these knights were, but even so, he did not dare to inquire Macy about it.

Macy also noticed these knights from inside of the carriage. However, she seemed at the least impressed and said coldly, "It's them again, knights of the City Defence Troops. A pleasant to the eye but of no use. Judging by the large number, perhaps yet another town has been encountered with bandits. More and more disturbance has arisen recently. Many bandits appear in the small towns surrounding Blackwater City."

Merlin remained silent as he registered this information into his mind. He has just arrived in this world, and his memory was made up of bits and pieces in a chaotic order. He was not in the best position to speak more.

Merlin observed the situation in silence for a little longer. Although there were only about one hundred of these knights, they were all well-equipped and each of them had an imposing manner. They were definitely not as useless as Macy had accounted.

These knights were getting ready to leave the town, and soon they disappeared from Merlin's sight. A brief moment later, Merlin, who began to tremble because of the cold wind, finally let down the curtain and returned to the warmth of the carriage.

Some time later, the carriage gradually came to a halt. Moss, the coachman announced softly, "Young Master Merlin, Young Lady Macy, we've arrived at the church."

"Alright, let's get down. We're here at the church!"

Macy, who appeared extremely energized, jumped off the carriage at once. Merlin who followed behind stretched his body and moved his stiff neck. He raised his head at the sight of the church in front of his eyes.

This church covered an extremely expansive area, almost as large as four to five football fields. There were ordinary believers as well as some aristocrats dressed in aristocratic costumes. They all came to the church for morning prayers.

The Kingdom of Light officially established their beliefs in the God of Light. The power of the church was enormous. Almost every city had a church after the God of Light. The people that visited the church for morning prayers as such were endless.

Merlin also followed the crowd to the church hall. On the white walls inside were several huge murals. These colorful and lively paintings were obviously religious murals that praised the God of Light.

Merlin noticed that on the mural positioned in the middle right was a tall deity of vague features being surrounded with a soft holy light. The white light shrouded many believers, including the elderly, children, men, women, nobles, commoners and even criminals. The faces of these people were washed over with a sincere and peaceful smile under the Holy Light.

The name of this religious mural was called God Loves the World. It was written in the sacred language of Light. Based on the memories inherited by Merlin, he was rather familiar with the scriptures written on the murals.

In addition to this mural named God Loves the World, there were also other murals such as God Expels the Darkness, God Brings the Light, God Punishes the Devil, God Descending Miracles, God Blessing Believers and so on. Although the murals expressed different stories, the meanings they aimed to convey were the same. All of them praised the glorious deeds of God of Light.

The devout believers bowed their heads down and crossed their hands before their chest as they prayed under the guidance of the pastor. In just a minute, the sounds of prayers filled the vast church.

Merlin thought of those tramps earlier on the street, and then scanned the room full of people who were praying piously. He finally realized that this was indeed a very backward world after all!

Chapter 3: Supernatural Civilization

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

The praying time lasted only half an hour. The believers gradually dispersed when the church bells rang, indicating the time.

Merlin, on the other hand, was held back and directed to the small door of the church by the anxious Macy. Soon, both of them arrived in the backyard of the church. There, Merlin noticed about twenty people of different ages practicing swordsmanship under the guidance of a middle-aged man.

Macy walked toward this middle-aged man uneasily and said in a low voice, "Lord Pero…"

The man in front was Swordsman Pero. He, who appeared about thirty years old, was dressed in a silver light armor; in his hand held a greatsword with the width of four fingers. His eyes which brimmed of a radiating vigor imposed on him a dignified manner.

Swordsman Pero glanced at Merlin and Macy before saying softly, "Get into formation…"

Macy was glad that Swordsman Pero did not punish them. Immediately, she and Merlin wormed their way into the crowd.

Merlin was feeling rather confused when he joined the crowd. Just as he was at a loss of what to do, a red-haired young man waved at him from the back.

"Merlin, hurry up."

The red-haired young lad shouted at Merlin with an exaggerated expression.

Merlin hesitated for a second. Soon, his memory reminded him of that red-haired young man, and hence he walked swiftly toward the young man.

"Hey, Merlin, you're late again. Look at Swordsman Pero's annoyed face, you're going to be in trouble."

The red-haired young man mocked.

Merlin frowned. It was not that he cared much about the punishment from Swordsman Pero, instead, he was trying all his might to recollect the memory of the red-haired young man. Although his memory was partially lost, he had a strong memory of that red-haired man. Therefore, he tried really hard to recollect his memory, and gradually they came back to him in bits and pieces.

The red-haired young man called Anson was Merlin's best friend, who was also a son of a baron. However, he was different from Merlin. He was not to inherit the baron title as there were two elder brothers before him.

Anson kept on talking, but Merlin who was lost in his own thoughts could not care much about what Anson was babbling on about.

Just then, Swordsman Pero's eyes met theirs. Anson, who could not seem to stop chattering just seconds before, immediately shut his mouth and pulled on a serious face.

Swordsman Pero then shifted his gaze and pointed to the racks of weapons near him. There were all sorts of weapons, including greatswords, shields, daggers, sabers, great axes, and others.

"Merlin, Anson, carry this iron shield to the center."

Anson's face fell the moment Swordsman Pero spoke. He forced out a smile and turned to Merlin. "We're dead. You're the one who's late to practice but I have to suffer your misfortune…"

Despite the grumble, Anson stood up quickly together with Merlin and went forward to the rack, ready to move that black iron shield.

Even though its size was not too big, the shield was unusually heavy. Merlin and Anson strained every muscle on their body, but only managed to lift it up slightly. Merlin was puzzled. Who in the world could lift such a heavy shield? And what was the point if no one could lift it?

Merlin and Anson were breathless when they finally moved the shield to the center and rested it against a boulder. They retreated to a side respectfully and waited for instructions from Swordsman Pero.

However, Swordsman Pero ignored Merlin and Anson. He announced to the people below. "All of you have been practicing for a while now, and I shall test your strength today. Whoever thinks they can break this shield by hand are welcome to try."

Merlin's facial expression changed slightly. Anson and he had exhausted themselves by moving the shield. It should be evident to the others on how hard and solid this iron shield was. Anyone who wanted to break this shield with their bare hands would definitely be asking for trouble.

He thought Swordsman Pero only wanted to examine the courage of these people.

"Teacher, I would like to try."

Soon, a burly man stood up and said to Swordsman Pero.

Swordsman Pero nodded and replied, "Well, go ahead, Cawthon."

Anson whispered at the sight of the burly man, "It's Cawthon again. Just because he's a disciple of Swordsman Pero, he always puts on an air of grandeur as if he's above everyone else…"

Cawthon strode to the shield. He took a deep breath, clenched his fists and began to gather his strength.

"Bang."

Suddenly, Cawthon punched his fist forcefully onto the iron shield. The punch was extremely fast. It was shown that Cawthon had indeed exhausted all his might, but what was strange was that hint of white light that appeared around Cawthon's fist.

The deafening sound lasted for a long time. Not only was the iron shield not broken, that powerful punch did not even leave any trace on its surface. Swordsman Pero shook his head and said faintly, "Cawthon, do not use brute force. Remember, Elemental force is the most powerful. Use your heart to guide the Elemental force, it's the mightiest force of an Elemental Swordsman!"

It was obvious that Cawthon was also dissatisfied with himself. He bowed to Swordsman Pero before returning to his seat.

"Hehe, Cawthon has the talent, but it takes more to become an Elemental Swordsman."

Anson laughed mockingly at Cawthon's failed attempt. Although Merlin appeared calm on the surface, intense surges of feelings and emotions washed through his heart.

Even Merlin who stood in a distance away felt a gush of strong wind coming from the punch that Cawthon had just performed. The strength of that punch was so forceful it was terrifying. As far as Merlin knew, it was not a force that could be possessed by ordinary people.

This was not the most surprising part. What surprised Merlin the most was that Cawthon was not injured at all after landing such a powerful blow on the sturdy iron shield. This was beyond the understanding of Merlin.

"Who else would like to try?"

Swordsman Pero once again looked at the crowd at his foot.

"Lord Pero, let me try."

The voice sounded familiar. Merlin's eyes narrowed as he realized it was his sister, Macy, who had just volunteered.

Swordsman Pero nodded, "Well, Macy, go on."

Macy hurried to the shield and winked mischievously at Merlin. As she took a deep breath, her rounded peaks moved up and down. Anson's eyes stared straight ahead at the spectacular sight.

"Bang."

There came another loud noise. Macy had landed a punch not any weaker than Cawthon's. This time, Merlin studied very carefully. He noticed that an extremely faint glow of fire actually flashed around Macy's fist.

The faint flame shrouded intermittently around Macy's fist. Just like Cawthon, the petite Macy also did not injure her hand after the punch. It was as though she did not strike her fist against a hard iron shield.

However, Merlin who just moved the shield knew clearly that an iron shield of such a heavy weight was definitely made out of real iron.

'I don't have any recollection in my memory that Macy actually has such great strength? Is this even possible?'

Merlin felt that pieces of really important memories were lost from his mind.

"Is there anyone else that would like to try it out?"

Swordsman Pero asked once again, but this time no one step forward. Therefore, Swordsman Pero stood up slowly and walked toward the shield. He suddenly raised his voice. "Look closely, the real secret of an Elemental Swordsman is in the Elements. The force of the Elements is unparalleled, only by carefully guiding the Element that the exceptional power can erupt!"

As soon as his voice faded away, Swordsman Pero clenched his right fist. In the blink of an eye, a flame flared up directly out of his hand. His entire arm seemed to be wrapped in flames.

"Crack."

Swordsman Pedro punched his fist into the shield. Almost immediately, that hard iron shield, like a wooden board, scattered on the ground into several pieces of iron scraps. Even the boulder behind the shield was affected under the powerful force, forming numerous dense cracks on the surface.

'This… is this? Supernatural force?'

Merlin stared with his mouth open. His mind was in a state of complete blankness. Everything in front of him was beyond his cognition. The human body could actually emit flames, and the power of Swordsman Pero was comparable to a small-sized bomb.

Initially, Merlin thought that the world he had crossed into was a very backward civilization. However, now, it seemed that this was not the case at all. The punch performed by Swordsman Pero earlier clearly proved that this world was a supernatural civilization.

Chapter 4: Elemental Swordsman

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

Merlin still had the dull look in his eyes as Anson next to him spoke in an envious tone, "Swordsman Pero is getting more and more powerful. The impact he made last time was not even as strong. The chances are ten to one that Swordsman Pero is going to succeed in becoming a Second-level Fire Swordsman. Indeed, elemental affinity has a high influence on the cultivation progress. Swordsman Pero only cultivated for three years and he will soon become a Second-level Fire Swordsman. He's considerably one of the fastest in the church in Blackwater City."

"Fire Swordsman?"

Merlin's heart jolted. He heard Swordsman Pero mentioning earlier the term "Elemental Swordsman" numerous times, but he had no idea what it actually meant. He thought it was just the way they addressed a person who practiced swordsmanship, but now it seemed there was more to that.

Merlin's memory was only partially merged. Hence, many key memories were still unable to be retrieved. Among them was the memory related to this Elemental Swordsman. Merlin had no impression about it at all. He was eager to know everything about Elemental Swordsmen, but he also knew that he could not inquire directly without risk raising doubts from others.

Therefore, he beat around the bush and asked Anson in a subtle manner. Fortunately, Anson did not suspect anything. Besides, he was a close friend of Merlin, so he revealed a lot of information inadvertently.

It turned out that Swordsman Pero was not just another Swordsman, but an Elemental Swordsman of a powerful force!

In this world, many people were born with an elemental affinity. These people could absorb invisible Elements in the surroundings into their body. When the degree of Elements was accumulated to a certain level, the force could be guided out of the body by special methods and erupt into a powerful force. These people were called Elemental Swordsmen.

Of course, swords were not the only necessary tool in introducing Elements into the body. For instance, some people with an affinity to the Wind Element could become amazing hunters with the assistance of a strong bow. The reason why they were called Elemental Swordsmen was that the vast majority of people in this world utilized swords in this cultivation.

Swordsman Pero was already a true Fire Swordsman. However, in the case of Cawthon and Macy, they only had the elemental affinity without yet the ability to completely guide the force of the Elements out of the body, or perhaps the accumulation of Elements inside the body was not enough. Hence, they could not be considered real Elemental Swordsmen.

However, as long as they persevered in practice, they might become powerful Elemental Swordsmen on par with Swordsman Pero who could perform such terrifying punch.

Merlin felt really excited at the knowledge of this. Did it not mean that he could also possess such a powerful force?

However, Anson's next words extinguished his hope.

"Merlin, Elemental Swordsman are tremendously powerful, and their future is boundless! However, we don't have any elemental affinity. It is destined that we will never be an Elemental Swordsman. You might get off better as your sister Macy is one of them with a high affinity to the Fire Element, perhaps she will turn out a Fire Swordsman in the future. On the other hand, you are the absolute heir to the Wilson family. Even if things don't turn out well for you in the time to come, you can easily become a baron, but what about me? I have two older brothers, so it's impossible for me to inherit to the title…"

Anson was getting low-spirited as he spoke about this and finally kept his mouth shut.

"No elemental affinity…"

It was as if Merlin had just been splashed with a bucket of cold water. He calmed down in an instance. According to Anson, elemental affinity was the key to becoming an Elemental Swordsman!

For instance, Swordsman Pero who had an affinity to the Fire Element was able to introduce Fire Element into his body as his own power and eventually became a powerful Fire Swordsman.

Generally, the stronger the elemental affinity, the easier it would be to introduce the Elements into the body, thus becoming a swordsman. Swordsmen were divided into categories based on the different types of Elements, including Fire Swordsman, Ice Swordsman, Wind Swordsman and many other.

However, the noblest and the one with the brightest future were the Light Swordsmen that possessed affinity to the Light Elements. Once the Light Elements were absorbed into the body, the person would become a Light Swordsman.

Almost every Light Swordsman would become a Guardian Swordsman of the Church of Light. They received help and support from the church, and their speed of cultivation was comparably quicker than other Swordsmen.

However, no matter what type of Elemental Swordsman, the elemental affinity was fundamental. People without elemental affinity would never become Elemental Swordsmen. Like Merlin and Anson, they precisely belonged to the class without any element affinity.

The people who came to practice swordsmanship with Swordsman Pero were divided into three categories. The first ones were civilians who did not have any slightest background status. Each of them possessed elemental affinity and belonged to a higher class of people, so they were allowed here by the church. If they were fortunate enough to become an Elemental Swordsman, they would be taken in to join the armed forces of the church. Cawthon was one of the best among them.

The second category was the children of the aristocratic, but the aristocrats that possessed elemental affinity. Compared to the civilians aforementioned, these aristocrats with high background statuses had a brighter future. Once they became Elemental Swordsmen, their families would send them to a larger city for further studies. Their future was promising. Macy belonged to this class of people.

The third category was people like Merlin and Anson. They were also children of the aristocratic, but they have no elemental affinity and that limited their achievements in the future. Although these three types of people practiced swordsmanship under Swordsman Pero, they were distinct from one another as each belonged to their own small circle.

After a long time, Merlin thought of Cawthon who had showcased his outstanding performance. He then whispered, "How about the elemental affinity of Cawthon?"

"Cawthon? He is probably the most talented among us, because of his affinity to the Light Element. Once the Light Element is introduced into his body successfully, he will go leaps and bounds to become Guardian Swordsman of the church. He is definitely going places. He has already attracted the attention of the church even though he has not yet become an Elemental Swordsman, even Swordsman Pero has accepted him as a disciple. For him to become an Elemental Swordsman is only a matter of time."

Anson glanced at Cawthon who was in the front row when he finished speaking. His eyes showed a glint of envy.

As if noticing Merlin was feeling quite disheartened, Anson murmured, "Cawthon is born a talent, but your sister Macy has a high potential too. She also has an affinity to the Fire Element just like Swordsman Pero, so he will definitely spend effort in educating her. With Macy, your Wilson family will not decline in the next few decades. Compared to me, you'll be in a way better position in the future."

Merlin had a sudden inspiration. He was surprised to learn his sister Macy had such extensive potential. Besides, as Anson mentioned earlier, it was noticeable that Swordsman Pero frequently checked on Cawthon and Macy from time to time, closely watching their cultivation process. This showed that he had high expectation on Cawthon and Macy.

Chapter 5: Antique I

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

The morning passed in the blink of an eye. Swordsman Pero only focused his attention on those who had elemental affinities. On the other hand, he let people such as Merlin and Anson who had no elemental affinities do as they like.

Swordsman Pero clapped his hands to announce the end of the morning swordsmanship practice. Some people already stood up and started to leave.

Macy appeared excited. It seemed that she yielded good results under the guidance of Swordsman Pero today. Macy had an eye contact with Anson who greeted her somewhat awkwardly as she came to meet Merlin. "Young Lady Macy!"

"Humph."

Macy ignored Anson and turned around. It seemed she was not fond of him.

"Let's go, we shall hurry back."

Macy took Merlin by arm and quickly left the church. Outside, Moss had long waited on the carriage.

"Merlin, see you in the afternoon!"

From behind, Anson made a strange face at Merlin before getting into his carriage and leaving the church.

In the carriage, Macy stared fiercely at Merlin and gasped out in anger. "Merlin, I've told you many times not to hang out with Anson. He always influences you to fool around…"

It seemed that Macy was not fond of Anson at all and regarded him as a bad influence on Merlin. However, judging from their interaction earlier, Anson seemed more fearful than angry of her.

"Why does Anson seem to be afraid of you?" asked Merlin.

"Didn't Anson tell you?"

Macy looked suspiciously at Merlin, but soon, she seemed to realize something. She nodded and said, "I understand, it must be too shameful for Anson to say."

A few seconds later, Macy raised her fist angrily. "I found out the last time Anson took you to fool around with some women, so I secretly taught him a painful lesson. However, it seems that he didn't learn from experience. It's about time for another reminder."

Merlin was speechless looking at the way Macy was pleased with herself. Perhaps his sister had violent tendencies! However, it was no wonder Anson was intimidated of her considering the frightening power Macy possessed.

The carriage kept bumping along the road, and it was feeling rather dull inside the carriage. After a long while, Merlin asked Macy hesitantly, "Macy, how did you sense the Elements?"

Macy lifted her head in surprise, but she still considered his question seriously before whispering, "It's really simple. I can sense it when I close my eyes, but I can only sense the Fire Elements. I can't see or touch it, but I'm able to sense it. I can even sense when they gradually enter my body. Later, I can gather them into a powerful force when I finally accumulate enough of them!"

Merlin nodded slightly. He quietly closed his eyes and try to feel it the way that Macy explained, but he could not sense the slightest thing. Perhaps elemental affinity was indeed innate. There was no way to change it. The people without elemental affinity was not possible to sense the Elements.

Merlin's plan of becoming an Elemental Swordsman fell through.

Not long after, the carriage arrived at the Wilson Castle. The butler had already prepared a hearty lunch. There was a lamb that was roasted to perfect golden yellow that gave off strong meaty aroma.

However, Merlin had no appetite and only ate a little.

Macy, on the other hand, ate with a gusto. When she finally devoured the whole lamb, she patted her belly satisfactorily. She leaned back on the seat and glanced at Merlin before speaking in a worried tone, "Merlin, I'm skipping etiquette class this afternoon to practice sword in the church. You'll go to the class in Moss's carriage, but you must come back before night falls. Don't you dare go fooling around with that bad influence Anson again! Otherwise, hehe, you know the consequences! Father specifically asked me to keep an eye on you before he leaves!"

Merlin nodded slightly at Macy's threat. It seemed that the former Merlin was always sort of half-baked.

Macy left the castle soon after. Merlin felt the weather was getting colder, hence he went upstairs to fetch himself a thick coat before returning downstairs to get into Moss's carriage.

In the carriage, Merlin rubbed his temple at his problem. He completely had no idea that he was to attend an etiquette class in the afternoon. This showed that his memory loss was actually quite severe.

Fortunately, he had Moss. He was a good person. Moss had not much to say in the carriage and fulfilled his duty to send Merlin to the class.

Merlin got out of the carriage. In front of his eyes was a three-story building with a rusty iron fence at the entrance. An old gatekeeper curled up in the corner seemed to be dozing off, his eyes half-squinting. However, he would open the iron fence as long as someone arrived.

"Young Master Merlin's here unusually early today."

The old man who guarded the door was wrapped in a broken coat, his face had turned red in the cold wind. He greeted Merlin familiarly.

Due to Merlin's memory loss, he could not remember the old man's name. He only nodded and smiled.

It was empty inside, so Merlin headed for the small building. The creaky floorboard squeaked as he stepped on the wooden stairs as if his weight was too much of a burden.

The walls next to the stairs were painted with some colorful murals of characters and scenery of various quality. Even he who was not involved in the art world would notice that some of these murals were no different from graffiti.

Merlin came to a few empty spacious rooms as he loitered aimlessly on the second floor. There were some instruments such as tambourines and organs, so these should be the place for music lessons.

"Hey, Merlin, what are you doing there? We don't have a music lesson, but a history lesson for today."

Merlin turned his head around at the familiar voice. It was the red-haired Anson.

Anson grabbed Merlin and brought him to the third floor, all the while acting mysterious and winked his eyes at Merlin. "Come on, we should hurry so we get good seats. I heard that we have a new history teacher today. A really beautiful one. I'm really looking forward to seeing her!"

Merlin was unsure where to go so he followed Anson all the way to a spacious room on the third floor.

There were already more than a dozen young men and women dressed in gorgeous costumes seated in the room. People gathered in a small group and chatted gaily. When Merlin and Anson arrived, a fat man sitting in the front row waved frantically at their direction.

"Good job, Gutt. You got us such good seats. You've always been the most proactive every time we have a beautiful teacher."

Anson was all smiles when he greeted the little fatty.

Chapter 6: Antiques II

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

Merlin could still faintly recall Gutt, the little fatty from his memory. Thus, Merlin searched his memory the best he could, unmoving on the surface. Finally, some information about Gutt popped up from his memory.

Gutt. His full name was Dougland Gutt. The Dougland family was nothing notable. They only attained their status during the generation of the old Dougland. Even though they were not wealthy, they were not even nobles on top of that, old Dougland was truly incredible. He built his fame from scratch. From the status of a civilian, he had become the wealthy man in the current Blackwater City in just a few decades.

More than ninety percent of the jewels in the entire Blackwater city was managed by the Dougland family, so the little fatty Gutt tended to be generous with his spending. Naturally, he soon mixed well with Merlin and Anson.

Gutt was very chubby. Sitting at the front row, he himself could take up the seats for two. He had small eyes and, with a little squint, his eyes could almost transform into a thin line. Gutt was obviously elated when he saw Merlin and Anson. He quickly said, "Quick. I already saved seats for both of you. It's in the first row!"

Merlin and Anson sat down at rest. Then, both of them began to discuss their new history teacher relentlessly.

Merlin shook his head slightly. Looking at Anson and Gutt, almost all their topic included women. No wonder Macy warned Merlin to not fool around. Without proper self-control, it was indeed not easy to not fool around with these two guys around.

However, Merlin still attained something useful. From their casual conversation, he slowly understood the situation. This was the etiquette class for nobles that was set up by a noble in Blackwater City. The purpose of this class was to teach aristocratic etiquette specifically for people like him.

These aristocratic etiquettes included music, history, philosophy, art and all sorts of complicated things. Other than those born into a noble family, the son of a wealthy man like Gutt, though not of a noble bloodline, would be sent here to learn of aristocratic etiquette as well. It was to ease the communication with the noble in the future.

After a while, the whole room became crowded. People kept flooding in. The empty house before was almost full at this moment. Merlin made an estimation. There were about forty people in the house.

One of them was a thin, pale man. He walked through the front door and seemed to intentionally walk past Merlin. He took a glance at Merlin and snorted. He was full of disdain towards Merlin. He then sat at the back row.

Merlin could not remember much about this man, but apparent enough, this man was not that friendly with Merlin.

"Tirath again. This self-centered guy. Merlin, don't mind about him. The marriage between you and Avril has already been decided. No matter how unsatisfied this guy is, there's no use anyway."

Anson said in a low voice. Merlin nodded as he grasped at this information. However, Merlin was not aware of Tirath's identity. He was lucky to have a big-mouthed friend like Anson who easily spat out information just by a little nudge.

Tirath was the oldest son of the Vingult family. Just like Merlin, he was also the absolute heir to the baron title. In fact, Merlin and Tirath's conflict was not exactly personal. It was more of a conflict between families. It was rather cliché speaking of this.

Baron Vingult once fell in love with a woman. Coincidentally, Old Wilson fell in love with her as well. Both even had a duel secretly for her. At last, it was Old Wilson who won the duel and got the woman. She was the current eighth wife of Old Wilson, Macy's mother.

Merlin was speechless. He did not think that huge breasted madam had such a charm in her during her younger days to the point of sparking a duel between two men of nobility.

Tirath loved Avril and the Vingult family also begged for her hand through the Parman family. However, in the end, Baron Parman allowed Avril to be engaged to Merlin instead. Thus, the conflict between the Vingult family and the Wilson family became completely tied and unable to dissolve.

"Merlin, Tirath hates you to the bone. He always seeks trouble with you. You need to be careful. Stay away from him and don't fight with him. Even though this guy is self-centered, it is undeniable that he has a few things up his sleeve. He possesses affinity to the Earth Element and has a great chance of becoming Earth Swordsman. The three of us combined won't be able to go against him."

Anson advised deeply, apparently rather cautious against Tirath.

"Elemental Swordsman again?"

Merlin nodded. He had the opportunity to witness the power of these people who had an affinity to the Elements. Naturally, he would not be so dumb as to start a fight with Tirath.

After a short while, the sound of boots slamming on the floor could be heard from outside of the house. A lady entered the room. Immediately, the whole room became silent.

This lady had long legs that were wrapped in nude-colored stockings. She was wearing a cashmere overcoat, but it could not cover the lush hills on her chest. She had a hot body that released a sort of mature and seductive aura about her.

Even though she looked seductive with her hot body, every movement of hers was filled with elegance. Enchanting and elegance, both extremely different qualities, seemed to perfectly merge in this lady.

"Perfect!"

Anson and Gutt stared hard at this lady who just came, obviously overwhelmed by her aura.

The lady did not mind the gaze set upon her. She gave a mild smile. "I am your new history teacher. You can call me Gia."

"Perfect. Utmost perfect! I can't believe I met such a perfect lady. No way. Merlin, Gutt, let's make this clear first. Never go for Gia. She is mine."

Anson seemed very worked up to the point of spouting nonsense.

Gutt said with dissatisfaction, "Pfft. Anson, can't you see how many have their eyes set on her? Still, if you really want to do this, it's not impossible, too. Everyone knows what's the deal for being a teacher here. Isn't it just to seduce the nobles here? These people want to attain the status. Let me look up the history of this Gia after this. At least, it makes it easier for you to get close to her."

As for Gutt's words, Merlin could not comment much. He had no impression of this place in his memory. Naturally, he did not know of the situation here. However, after listening to the conversation between Gutt and Anson, most of the female teachers here came to seduce nobles. If they were able to succeed, they could attain the status they wanted.

In fact, their previous history teacher no longer came to give classes because she had gotten together with the son of a baron. Thus, the teachers that came here basically did not have many pure motives.

Gia seemed extremely calm as she said nonchalantly, "alright. Let's begin our class. Today, I'm going to talk about antiquess with you!"

As soon as she finished her sentence, Gia took a delicate ring from her pocket. She held it high. The sunlight that shot through the window fell on the ring, presenting a porcelain-like white color.

Chapter 7: Gia

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

"History delivers knowledge and civilization to the people. Therefore, as a noble, you must learn about the history. Antiques bore the marks of the history. To learn history well, you must learn about antiques well."

"The nobles ought to be knowledgeable, elegant and intelligent. A true noble must love antiques and be an expert about it. This ring in my hand. Can anyone tell me about its background?"

Gia held the ring up high. Under the sunlight, it did not give off much of a gleam. Obviously, it was not made from gemstones. Its material should be rather special.

Merlin knew nothing about antiques, but Anson fancied it more. He used to collect some interesting antiques usually. Hearing Gia's question, Anson immediately stood up.

"Miss Gia, can I have a good look at the ring, please?"

Gia nodded and handed the ring to Anson. Anson caressed the ring lightly and studied the pattern on it carefully. At last, he said confidently, "This ring is made from a special material. My guess is jade. Using jade to make rings. Historically, it was only during the secret age of the Molta Empire 3600 years ago that it was common for people to make rings out of jade. The pattern on the ring also presents a similar fashion. It should be a ring from the age of the Molta Empire without a doubt."

As she listened to Anson's logical analysis about the ring's background, a hint of surprise dashed across Gia's eyes. She nodded. "That's right. You said well. What is your name?"

Anson was elated and immediately replied, "I am Anson."

Gia nodded and continues, "Good. Anson's analysis is accurate. I can see that Anson is very knowledgeable. He has already gotten a hold of the most basic element of aristocracy etiquette. Every noble should be knowledgeable. However, even if you don't know anything about antiques now, that's alright. I will use a long time to teach you the basic fundamentals of understanding antiques. Now, I will show this ring around. Feel the material and look at the pattern on it. Feel the touch of time upon it."

The ring was first passed to the people at the front row like Merlin. Merlin was not particularly interested in antiques, but he was intrigued by the Molta Empire Gia mentioned.

Merlin had some recollection of this Molta Empire in his memory. The Molta Empire 3600 years ago was undoubtedly a great yet secretive empire.

It was great because the Molta Empire 3600 years ago had ruled over the whole land unlike now. There were at least a few dozens of kingdoms in the entire land now.

It was secretive because the downfall of the Molta Empire was unbelievable. It had fallen almost in one night and without any indication. The entireMolta Empire only existed for less than a hundred years. Until now, there was not any acknowledged conclusion about the reason why the Molta Empire had crumbled apart in one night.

"Why would such a huge empire crumble apart in one night?" Merlin could not believe this. He tended to believe that the flow of time had caused inaccurate rumors to pass down generations upon generations. And so, the true reason that Molta Empire had fallen was covered up.

The ring was passed to the back and Gia followed to the back. At this time, Merlin noticed the riled-up Anson had a difficult look on him.

"What's wrong, Anson?"

Merlin asked in a light voice.

Anson took a complicated glance at Gia who walked to the back, then sighed. He slowly said, "It is most probably impossible to get Gia now. I thought she is the same as any other woman that came here for some rich noble boys. But after seeing that ring, I think this is not plausible. Do you know how much that ring cost?"

"A dozen silver coins?"

Gutt did not know much about antiques as well. To him, gemstones were the most valuable. This ring was only made from jades. It was good enough to worth a dozen silver coins.

However, Anson shook his head. "It can't be bought even from a dozen gold coins. You may not know this, the antiques from the age of the Molta Empire priced at an unbelievable value in the current market. Don't even mention this delicate-looking ring that belongs to the nobles then. She can bring out an antique that priced at more than a few dozens of gold coins. Do you seriously think Gia came for money?"

Merlin fell into his thoughts. In this world, there were three currencies that could be used at face value: gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins. A gold coin was equivalent to a thousand bucks in his previous life. A few dozens of gold coins were equal to more than ten thousand. Someone who could bring out more than ten thousand nonchalantly wouldn't seduce the nobles for status indeed.

"Yeah. Makes sense. Look like this woman has some background there, but that's fine. There is no one that I can't investigate. Give me a few days. I can even dig out the information of Gia's previous three generations."

Gutt was brimming with confidence.

Gia's first lesson soon passed. These nobles only had one class each day, so people began to leave slowly.

Merlin and his friends came out of the building. Moss was already waiting at that place. When Merlin was about to get into the carriage, Anson quickly tugged at his coat and spoke in a low voice, "Merlin, what are you doing going back so early? Let's go to a place together."

Merlin thought of Macy's previous warning. He shook his head helplessly. "It's fine. I should get back early. I will pass today. Moreover, Macy warned me to go back before the day gets dark anyway."

Anson quickly said, "Merlin, where do you think we are going? Hehe. I am bringing you to open your eyes now. Lately, an acquaintance of mine brought some new antiques. Gutt and I want to take a look at it."

"Just antiques?" Merlin was a little hesitant.

"Of course. Let's go."

Merlin finally nodded and said to Anson and Gutt. "Come on up. Let Moss send us there."

Anson was disdainful. "With this? It's a torture to be in there. Let us take Gutt's carriage."

Merlin raised his head. An extravagant-looking carriage that was covered with a layer of fur and pulled by four horses appeared in front of them. Merlin compared the carriages and showed a bitter smile. He nodded then and told Moss, "Moss, pick Macy up at the church. It's more comfortable to take the carriage in such a cold weather."

"Young Master Merlin, then how are you coming back?"

Moss took a look at Anson and Gutt, his face full of worry.

Gutt waved his hand. "I will send Young Master Merlin back."

Moss nodded and said no more. He immediately directed his coach towards the church. Merlin and the bunch then went into Gutt's luxurious carriage and slowly left.

Chapter 8: Relief Sculpture

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

In the carriage, the seats were covered with soft fur. The fur emitted a warm vibe in this cold weather. Even though Merlin was not clear with the pricing in this world, but he knew the fur he sat on now definitely worth a lot of money.

Even Merlin, who was born into a noble family, had to exclaim, "How sumptuous!" Even though the nobles had a high social status, in terms of wealth, the Wilson family was far behind the Dougland family with its income stemming just from tax collection.

It was, as expected, the luxurious carriage has an enjoyable seat. Without waiting much longer, they had reached their destination and the carriage slowly came to a halt

"Alright, let's get down."

Anson could not wait to usher him down.

After that, they entered a small shop. The shop looked empty since there were only a few products placed on the shelves.

Merlin was not familiar with this place. Albeit full of confusion, he would not say it out loud. Instead, he followed Anson and Gutt closely.

Anson and Gutt seemed to know their way around. Both headed straight to the counter where there was a young girl in an outrageous outfit. Once she saw Anson and Gutt, she flashed a smile at them.

"Young Master Anson and Young Master Gutt."

The young girl apparently knew Anson and Gutt.

"Alright. Let's go inside. I heard your boss got some new stuff in lately?"

Anson rubbed his hands and asked the girl.

"Yeah. My boss got some new stuff in. Some are of superior quality. I am sure Young Master Anson and Young Master Gutt will be satisfied with them," The young girl said as she pressed something under the counter. Following that, a wall in front of them began to turn, showing a dark passage underneath.

"Linny, let me check if you have grown up lately."

Gutt came right in front of this girl named Linny and reached out his fat hand. He actually reached right into the girl's breast and grabbed her.

"Fatty, let's go."

Anson yelled in a hurry when he saw Gutt was falling behind.

"Hehe. Coming."

Gutt took out his fat hands and threw a shiny gold coin into Linny's hands. After that, he followed Anson's footsteps into the dark passage.

The passage was a little dark in the beginning. However, after a while, a fiery light could be spotted. It appeared that there were candles at the two sides of the passage used for illumination purposes.

Merlin squinted his eyes to find that the passage was heading downwards. They were already about eight feet deep into the ground. "This passage was dug deep, it appears."

After walking for about a hundred meter, some sound finally came to them. Along with some exclamation, Anson obviously picked up his pace and soon, they were out of the passage.

At the end of it was an extremely wide hall. It was about the size of two football fields. There were not many people in there, but all of them stood in groups of two or three. They were discussing the antiques lying around in this hall.

Surely, this was the place Anson and Gutt wanted to come.

Anson arrived in the hall as his eyes darted around. Then, a middle-aged man dressed in black approached him. "Young Master Anson, Young Master Gutt, you are a little late today."

Anson's expression changed and quickly asked, "Mr. Nathan, are all the good ones sold?"

The middle-aged man smiled. "Of course not, but it's almost finished. Let's go. Miss Carice is looking at the new stuff now."

"Oh? Miss Carice is here?"

Gutt's fat face gave out a delighted smile.

"Just arrived."

In a while, the middle-aged man brought Merlin and the bunch into a quiet room. In this small room, there were about five young people murmuring to each other as they surrounded some antiques on the shelves.

"Hi, Miss Carice. You are so quick."

As soon as Anson stepped into the room, he greeted a lady in a green dress who had short, blonde curls.

Gutt approached her quickly and stared hard at Carice.

Carice frowned slightly and, when she looked at Anson, she pulled a stiff smile. "Anson, you are here right on time. Look at these new ones. Their quality isn't bad."

Carice's gaze fell on Merlin, but she simply ignored him. She seemed to be a woman extremely crazy about antiques as well.

Anson took a beeline towards the shelf. There was a palm-sized white jade that was carved into a strange figure. The figure had the head of a fish and the body of a man. It was also making a strange gesture as if it was spitting water out of its mouth.

There were also some gruesome monsters that had spikes all over their body. They held iron whip as they swung their whip at some strangely dressed people. These images and carving styles were more than strange to outsiders like Merlin.

"Tsk. These are all antiques from the age of the Molta Empire."

Anson had some knowledge about antique. With one look, he could see the background of these antiques.

Carice was holding a rather yellowed jade in her hand. It was also carved into a figure of monster. She asked Anson with knitted brows, "Anson, this antique is rather unique. Look at the design. I have never seen one like it before. But look at the material and carving styles. It's definitely from the age of Molta Empire. I am sure of it."

Anson also frowned, apparently confused.

At this time, the middle-aged Nathan spoke, "These new ones are from a ruin that dates to the age of Molta Empire. The things we found there are all peculiar, but I can promise you that they are all from the age of Molta Empire."

Merlin also took a few carefree glances in front of the shelves. He knew nothing about antiques, so he naturally could not join the conversation. These antiques sure looked peculiar, but in his eyes, he could not feel any sense of aesthetic about them. Rather, he felt uncomfortable looking at them.

Most objects on the shelves were made of jade. This indeed corresponded to the style of Molta Empire. Merlin continued scanning the objects. At the lowest shelf, in an inconspicuous corner, Merlin saw a piece of a broken relief sculpture.

Yes, the relief sculpture. It was obviously knocked out of its building by force.

This relief sculpture was only the size of a palm. Its carving represented a naked man that sat on the floor in an extremely awkward pose.

Merlin picked this relief sculpture up lightly and stared at the pattern on it.

Suddenly, Merlin felt his world sway. The relief sculpture in his hands seemed to come 'alive' and the naked man carved on it was doing an extremely awkward pose step by step.

"Hu…"

Merlin was in shock and the image in front of him immediately disappeared. He was still holding this odd relief sculpture, and nothing had seemed to move at all.

"Was I imagining things just now? An illusion?"

Merlin could not help but rub his eyes, then stared at this relief sculpture again carefully, especially on the patterns on it. Slowly, the image he saw appeared once again and the relief sculpture seemed to come alive. The naked man on it was doing the awkward movement in an extremely slow pace.

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

Right at this time, Merlin felt someone held his back. He immediately got back to his senses and found Anson holding him.

At this moment, everyone was judging Merlin with strange glances. They all saw Merlin, who came with Anson, had changing expressions as he held that relief sculpture. His body kept swaying as if he would pass out any second.

"This relief sculpture. Can you tell what this is?"

Merlin quickly handed this relief sculpture to Anson. It was not a coincidence that the illusions appeared two times in a row. There must be something wrong with this relief sculpture.

Anson took a thorough look at the relief sculpture, then nodded. "This relief sculpture is exquisite. It's also from the age of Molta Empire, but it seemed to be incomplete. Moreover, there should be more than one relief sculpture like this here. What? You like it?"

Merlin was observing Anson all this while and found Anson completely normal. He had to ask in a low voice, "Just this? You didn't find anything special about this?"

"Special?"

Anson looked at it carefully again, then shook his head. "It only has a unique design. I only like the jade products of the Molta Empire. I don't really fancy this relief sculpture."

After saying that, Anson then handed this relief sculpture back to Merlin.

After experiencing the panic before, Merlin had completely calmed down by now. He was clear that those were not simply illusions, but the people here, except for himself, could not see anything special about this relief sculpture.

"Could it be that only I had the vision?"

Merlin kept playing with the relief sculpture. Even though he did not know what was going on, there was obviously something wrong with this relief sculpture.

"Mr. Nathan, how much for this relief sculpture?"

Merlin wanted to buy it and study it thoroughly when he went back.

Nathan looked at Anson and smiled. "Young Master Anson, this is…"

Anson had not begun to reply before Gutt patted Merlin with a sneer as he said, "Hehe. Mr. Nathan, this is Wilson Merlin."

Nathan's eyes immediately flared up. Even if he had not seen Merlin before, but the name of Wilson was too much of an attraction. In Blackwater City, there were only just that few noble's families. Nathan could not be clearer about that.

"Oh, I see, it's Young Master Merlin. If Young Master Merlin like it, we will only take the cost of this relief sculpture. Ten gold coins!"

Anson came close to Merlin's ears and murmured, "Nice. Ten gold coins. A fair price. If you really like the relief sculpture, you can buy it."

Merlin naturally believed Anson, so he nodded. He then took ten gold coins from his pocket and bought this odd relief sculpture.

Chapter 9: Illusion

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

Holding the odd relief sculpture, Merlin did not look closely at it again. It was too odd to think that it could cause hallucination. He thought that it was better to study it when he was back home safely.

Anson chose a palm-sized jade product but Nathan gave a price up to a hundred gold coins. Although Anson was born into a noble family, he still had two brothers before him. He could not use more than thirty gold coins in a month. One hundred gold coins were more than what he could use.

Thus, Anson could only give it up regrettably. Meanwhile, Carice chose a jade bracelet but it was priced even higher at one hundred and twenty gold coins. Exquisite jade ornaments from the Molta Empire were trendy amongst the nobles so Nathan would not worry about being not able to sell it due to the price.

Carice wore an emerald earring and a jade bracelet on her right hand. She appeared to adore jade ornaments. Even if this jade bracelet cost more than one hundred gold coins, she still bought it with gritted teeth.

Gutt approached her and offered to buy the bracelet for Carice. It was obvious that fatty Gutt truly liked Carice. However, she declined the offer without much thought, making Gutt rather disappointed.

"Hey, fatty. Carice is gone. What are you still looking at?"

Seeing his disappointed look, Anson laughed sneakily.

"Anson, who is this Mr. Nathan? His antiques obviously come from a questionable source. Even though he does it discreetly, it's impossible that the Defense Troop doesn't know. Why haven't they taken any action?"

Merlin asked in a low voice.

"Hehe, why would the Defense Troop come here? Mr. Nathan is the only person out front. The boss behind this place is the…"

"…?"

Merlin was surprised but he calmed down soon. If Nathan answered to the…, then the Defense Troop would naturally not check this place.

In Blackwater City, the noble of the highest title was only Baron. The … was strictly controlled by the Augustin family. Even though he was a Baron as well, his influence was the greatest in the city. Under normal circumstances, the nobles in Blackwater City would have slightly lower status than the Augustin family. Just like the Defense Troop, though it was meant for the city, it was the private troop of the Augustin family.

They walked out of the passage. Just when they reached outside, a cold breeze blew, freezing them to their bones.

"Look, it's snowing!" Anson shouted.

Merlin squinted his eyes and looked at the sky. As expected, the cold raindrops before had turned to white snowflakes now.

'Snow in September? This weather was unusual!'

"Hu… so cold, let's go home quickly! Bloody hell, snowing in September. Oh right, Merlin, I will send you back to Wilson Castle first."

Fatty Gutt pulled his coat closer and dived into his carriage in a lightning speed.

The carriage slowly came to a halt in front of Wilson Castle. Merlin alighted from the carriage. Even with a cashmere coat, he still felt like he was freezing.

"Merlin, see you tomorrow. D*mn this weather!"

Anson and Gutt waved goodbye to Merlin. After seeing the carriage trotting away, Merlin walked into the castle.

"Hu…"

As Merlin entered the castle, he heaved a sigh of relief. He saw that there were maids building fire at the firepit, so the house was warm. He took off his coat and patted the snow off it lightly.

"Hmm, the relief sculpture?"

Merlin's eyes fell on the relief sculpture that was fed into his coat. After looking around and taking note that no one was paying attention to him, he headed straight upstairs into his own room.

After shutting the door, Merlin took the relief sculpture out from his coat.

"Let's try it one more time."

Merlin rubbed his eyes lightly, then focused his attention on the relief sculpture. Then, he stared at the pattern on it from up to bottom.

"Hoof."

The whole relief sculpture seemed to tremble slightly then the familiar sensation hit him again. Merlin felt the world was swaying and the naked man on the relief sculpture came alive. Right before Merlin's eyes, he was starting to do an extremely awkward action.

The movements were complicated, and they almost stretched the human's body to its extent. In a daze, Merlin felt his body starting to copy the movements of this naked man.

"It hurts…"

Merlin could not help but yelp. At this moment, Merlin came back to his senses, only to realize that he was now lying on the floor. The relief sculpture was dropped to the floor but to his surprise, it did not break. Merlin was maintaining an extremely odd yet complicated pose.

Merlin quickly stood up and broke out in cold sweat thinking about his action.

"Something is wrong with this relief sculpture! Terribly wrong!"

Merlin was still panicky. He did not dare to look at the relief sculpture. The feeling of not being in control of his own body was terrifying and it made him shiver thinking about it. This relief sculpture was truly odd.

After half an hour, Merlin calmed him nerves completely. Even though he did not look at the relief sculpture again, he had totally noted down that awkward pose in his mind.

"What use does this pose has?"

Merlin thought about it. He still felt that he should have tried to replicate that complicated pose when he was fully conscious. It was as if this movement was unbelievably attractive to Merlin.

The move was complicated. It required the person to do it slowly step by step. Merlin was lucky that he had remembered the move in his mind, so without using much time, he was able to pull that move off completely.

This time, Merlin was no longer in a trance and he was fully conscious. He could carefully feel the specialty of this pose.

"Hmm, I was a little cold earlier, but I feel warm now. My muscle also seems to be tight." Merlin felt the changes in his body.

After maintaining this pose for half an hour, Merlin did not feel anything wrong with his body. It was just that his muscles were tightened. It became more obvious with time and seemed as if something was stirring up.

One hour, two hours, three hours…

The sky slowly darkened. Merlin seemed to have completely absorbed himself in this posture as he experienced this odd feeling.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Suddenly, a series of urgent knocking sound came from the door.

"Merlin, what are you doing hiding in the room?"

Merlin was surprised by the noise. It was Macy. He opened the door and saw that the sky had gone totally dark at this hour.

Macy stared at Merlin in confusion, then the smell of sweat hit her. She saw that Merlin was drenched in sweat.

"Merlin, what are you doing? Why are you sweating so much?"

Merlin also noticed that he was covered in sweat but there was this sort of warm and energizing feeling in his body where he did not feel exhaustion at all.

"Nothing, it's already dark, huh. I will go down soon."

Macy was still trying to sneak a glance in the room but Merlin was blocking right at the door so she could not see anything. She could only cover her nose and said, "Let Lucia prepare some hot water for you. You should take a bath before you go down."

Merlin nodded and agreed that this stench was undoubtedly too much. Even he himself could not stand this smell.

After a while, Lucia had prepared hot water in the bathtub. Merlin took off his drenched clothes and jumped into the bathtub. The warm water almost made him moan with pleasure.

Merlin soaked himself in the bath without moving a muscle. His head leaned on the side while his eyes stared unfocused at the ceiling of the room.

Chapter 10: General Prat

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

Soaking in warm water, Merlin closed his eyes. He was not trying to sleep but was feeling the change of his body quietly.

"Higher strength. My body feels relaxed, but my limbs are sore as if I have done intense sports. Are these the effects of that strange posture?"

Merlin tightened his fist while his veins engorged under the skin. He could sense that his strength had increased, though not obvious. The sweat earlier was as if he had done some intense sports but Merlin knew very clearly that he was simply maintaining the strange posture of the relief sculpture.

Overall, that pose seemed to develop Merlin's body in a good way although the background of the relief sculpture was not exactly known. However, since there was this incredible effect, there was no reason for Merlin to discontinue the practice.

Merlin soaked for a bit in the bathtub to rid himself of the sweat odor. Then, he got up and dressed. When he saw the relief sculpture on the table, Merlin thought about it for a while as he caressed the pattern on the relief sculpture.

Merlin had that posture etched in his mind, so this relief sculpture no longer served any purpose. He then hid it under his bed and proceeded downstairs.

In front of the dining table, Macy was holding her jaw with her left hand while her right hand randomly drawing on the table out of boredom. The butler was standing at a side. When he saw Merlin, he bowed a little and said respectfully, "Young Master Merlin, dinner is ready."

"Alright, sorry for waiting."

Merlin was elated so he had a good appetite. After getting a large portion of grilled gigot and a glass of milk, he quickly rid the chill off him. He felt warm throughout and extremely comfortable.

Merlin opened his cashmere coat a little and leaned on the chair. With his squinting eyes, he could see snowflakes floating about in the sky outside.

"It's so cold. I wonder how father is doing now."

Macy had finished her meal as well. She looked at the snow outside and said with worries.

Old Wilson went to his land to collect tax, and it usually took three to five days. It was about time that Old Wilson came back.

"Doom, doom, doom."

Suddenly, urgent knocking sounds came from the main door. Merlin and Macy looked over to the door quickly. Who would come to the castle at this late hour?

The butler opened the door quickly and a gush of chilly wind immediately flew into the house. Amongst the freezing breeze, Merlin's expression changed. He smelled a thick bloody scent in the wind.

"General Prat? What is the matter?"

The butler yelled in surprise. The person standing outside of the door was the general of guards beside Old Wilson.

Upon hearing the butler's exclamation, memory about Prat immediately jumped into Merlin's mind. Prat led all knights in the castle and within the Wilson family's land. Except for Old Wilson, he had the most power and influence in the land. He was Old Wilson's right-hand man, so even Merlin had to call him uncle.

"Uncle Prat, why are you back? Did father come back early as well?"

Macy quickly stood up and asked excitedly.

Prat followed Old Wilson to his land to collect tax. Since Prat was back now, Old Wilson should be back as well.

However, Prat shook his head slightly and spoke in a low voice, "Sir Baron is not back yet."

The people's heart jumped to their throat. Could it be something happened to Old Wilson?

"It's cold outside. Come inside and talk."

The butler quickly let Prat in and shut the door tight. Immediately, the chilly wind stopped, and the house warmed up again.

Merlin now had a good look at Prat. Prat was tall and strong with a silvery white armor on him. His auburn short hair was ruffled and was sprinkled with white snow.

However, Prat's white armor was stained with fresh blood. There were even a few openings on his huge sword. He had obviously gone through some intense fight.

"Uncle Prat, what is wrong with you? Where is father?"

Prat smiled. "Hehe, Sir Baron is, of course, safe. But during our journey to the land, we met a small group of thieves. That's all. Sir Baron commanded us to rid of these thieves. Sir Baron worries that they may come back and threaten the land, so he let me rush back to bring one hundred heavy-armored knights from the castle!"

Merlin relaxed a little. Thieves were not a small matter but Old Wilson returned from the battlefield. He was already used to killing and battling. He had better ideas to deal with these thieves.

Moreover, Old Wilson had trained a troop of heavy-armored knights, totaling to one hundred and fifty of them. They could be known as the strongest force in the castle.

"Uncle Prat, the castle is still very quiet now. It shouldn't need so many heavy-armored knights for protection. You should bring all one hundred and fifty heavy-armored knights away to ensure the safety of father and the land."

Prat hesitated a little and finally nodded. "Alright. Let's do as Young Master Merlin said. I will bring all one hundred and fifty heavy-armored knights. Rest assured, Young Master Merlin. Those thieves are nothing to worry about. Back when I was following Sir Baron, I have cut down countless of those easterners. These thieves can't even compare to that."

Prat said as he laughed, apparently confident about himself. He was also one of the soldiers following Old Wilson back then. He had experienced the cruel war against the easterners. After that, Old Wilson was given noble title by the kingdom and he brought Prat back.

As compared to Old Wilson, Prat was more of a standard soldier: Battle-oriented, loyal and decisive but also cruel and bloodthirsty. In the castle, many servants were afraid of General Prat.

"Uncle Prat, you haven't eaten anything, right? You had a rough journey in this cold weather. There's still half of the grilled mutton. Come and have some."

Prat did not hesitate at all. He had rushed over in the snow for one day and one night. He was indeed starving, so he grabbed the grilled mutton on the table and gobbled it down. However, Prat did not take much time resting. He soon gathered one hundred and fifty heavy-armored knights in the castle and went on their journey.

Merlin's frown did not disappear as he watched the knights leaving the castle. He asked the butler, "Blackwater City has always been safe. Why would there be thieves all of a sudden? Also, look at Uncle Prat. These thieves are not weak. Or else, father wouldn't let Uncle Prat bring the heavy-armored knights."

The butler looked at Merlin and said hesitantly, "Blackwater City used to be safe but for some reasons lately, these thieves have been going around. They have attacked a few towns near Blackwater City. The knights of Defense Troop have been dispatched numerous times but they never found those thieves. But rest assured, Young Master. Sir Baron has one hundred and fifty knights. Along with the knights in his land, there should be no problem dealing with these thieves."

Merlin nodded lightly. With Old Wilson there, surely the land would be alright.

Chapter 11: Change of the Body

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

The servant girls in the castle cleared the dining table quickly. Merlin stood up, getting ready to go upstairs and rest.

"Merlin, I've news to tell you."

"What news?" Merlin turned and looked at Macy uncertainly.

"Swordsman Pero wants to bring us to the church in Grand City tomorrow and socialize with the other youngsters in the city."

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he knew that the "us" Macy had mentioned did not include him. They must be those who possessed an elemental affinity with the most potential where they were worthy of great efforts by the church to nurture them.

"How many days will it take?"

"About four to five days, I guess."

Merlin nodded and said, "Alright, I know. With Swordsman Pero leading you guys, it should be really safe, so I'm not worried."

Then, Merlin walked upstairs.

There was some doubt in Macy's eyes as she watched Merlin's back. In a low voice, she murmured, "This fellow Merlin, he seems to be somewhat different from before."

Earlier, there was a big change in Merlin's tone of voice and expression as he spoke compared to how he had been previously. In the past, Merlin would never say something like, "So I'm not worried."

Back in his room, Merlin was sober. Once again, on his bed, he sat in the strange posture found on the relief sculpture.

Merlin was already very familiar with this strange posture so he did not feel awkward at all. He felt so comfortable even to a point where he laid on the soft bed and fell into a deep slumber unintentionally.

…

Early the next morning, Merlin woke up from his dreams. By that time, a thick layer of snow had covered the grounds as it snowed the entire night. As a result, a thin layer of ice crystals had formed on the edges of the window. It was also extremely cold indoors.

Merlin shivered involuntarily. It was only after he had awakened that he discovered he had fallen asleep the night before without him knowing.

"I'm sweating again…"

Merlin stretched his hand to wipe the back of his arm and found that it was oily sweat. Merlin could feel the stickiness all over his body, so it was very uncomfortable.

"Lucia, get me some hot water."

Merlin opened the door and called for his maidservant, Lucia. Although Lucia was somewhat puzzled that Merlin still wanted a bath on such a cold day, she did not dare to question him although she found that it was rather perplexing. All she could do was to follow Merlin's instructions and switched on the hot water tap, filling up the bathtub.

Merlin jumped into the bathtub and speedily washed his body to get rid of the sweat stain.

Although he had been frozen the entire night before, Merlin did not feel any discomfort at all. Instead, he was invigorated with a face flushed red and energy seemed to fill his body from the top to the bottom.

"Lucia, Master Merlin is bathing again?"

An exceptionally frail and old voice drifted into Merlin's ears.

Merlin quickly recognized that this was the butler's voice. Apparently, the butler was questioning Lucia.

Lucia replied in a soft voice, "Yes, butler, the master's been in the bath after waking up in the morning."

"Hmm… Tomorrow onward, prepare some hot water every morning."

The butler instructed her in a low voice. Then, there were footsteps fading off into the distance. It was assumed that both of them were already leaving.

"The butler's quite attentive."

Merlin smiled gently. He knew that it must have been the butler coming to get him downstairs for breakfast, and so he stretched out his hand and opened the big doors to the bedroom.

"Eh? Why isn't there anyone?"

Merlin was astonished as he heard the voices of the butler and Lucia clearly. They had obviously been right outside the door but how could there be no one?

He felt weird so he immediately walked to the corridor and looked downstairs, only to discover that the butler and Lucia were there.

"Downstairs? How can they be downstairs? Their voices were evidently clear when they were speaking earlier…"

Merlin raised an eyebrow. Then, a thought came to him –'could it be that he could hear people talking when they were downstairs?'

When Merlin reached downstairs, he did not give a second glance to the sumptuous breakfast spread on the table. All he did was grab a piece of bread at random and started eating absentmindedly.

"The weather today is really odd. It's not winter yet but it's already so cold."

"Knopp, get to work quickly. If the butler finds out that you're loafing on the job again, don't think about getting to work here at Baron Lord's after today."

"…"

Merlin ate his bread as he listened carefully to various voices in the distance. They were at least a few dozen meters away from Merlin and some were even up to a hundred meters away, yet Merlin was able to listen albeit faintly, to them all. This showed that his hearing ability had greatly improved.

This was a very sudden change. Merlin was extremely sure that he had not undergone this change, at least before he went to bed last night. Right now, his hearing ability had been enhanced significantly. He could even hear the footsteps of every person within a few dozen meters from him very clearly.

"Master Merlin, is there anything else you need?"

The butler's words interrupted Merlin's deep thoughts. Only now did he turn his head, just to discover that the bread in his hand had been finished without knowing when.

"I'm done eating."

Merlin wiped his mouth and hurriedly returned to his room upstairs.

In the room, Merlin took out the relief sculpture from the end of the bed, where he had hidden it. He knew that his change had definitely been brought about by the strange posture on the relief sculpture.

Furthermore, Merlin's boost in hearing ability was just the beginning. He could also feel his strength, agility, and other attributes had undergone an enhancement as well.

As long as he continued to practice the posture on the sculpture, the quality of his body would definitely improve and become more outstanding.

Merlin hung around upstairs for a while. After putting on a thick coat, wrapping a gray scarf around his neck, and wearing leather gloves on his hands, he went downstairs.

After snowing for the entire night, a thick layer of snow had piled up in front of the castle. The tops of the great bald trees were also covered with snow. Everywhere he looked was white snow.

Moss had been waiting for long outside. His face had been blown red by the chilly wind and was currently rubbing his hands repeatedly. Merlin did not feel like admiring the snowy scene so he hurriedly darted into the carriage and said to Moss, "Let's go."

The carriage moved gently. Merlin leaned against the wall in the carriage. Suddenly, he felt as though the carriage seemed rather empty today.

"Wait, where's Macy?"

Merlin hurriedly asked Moss.

"Miss Macy has already left the castle earlier today."

Merlin shook his head gently after hearing Moss' answer. It was only then that he remembered that Macy had gone to Grand City with Swordsman Pero and would be staying there for a few days, so he would not have to go to the church during these few days as well.

The etiquette class was only going to be held in the afternoon so Merlin could freely arrange his time in the morning. He thought about it for a moment. He had just arrived in this world a few days ago, and the places he had been could be counted using his fingers alone.

Only the antique at Nathan's felt somewhat new and strange to Merlin. Especially that piece of strange relief sculpture where Merlin had a great interest in. Furthermore, the antiques during the time of the Molta Empire had attracted his attention.

"Moss, stop. I'm not going to the church anymore. Go to Mr. Nathan's!"

Merlin yelled loudly at Moss.

Chapter 12: Old Man Etha

Translator: J_Squared Editor: J_Squared

The carriage came to a gradual halt. Moss pulled open the curtains in the carriage and said in a low voice, "Master Merlin, we're here."

Merlin nodded and alighted from the carriage. Once he was out from the carriage, a chilly wind blew over his face, causing him stinging pain as though he had been cut by a knife.

Merlin hurriedly covered his face with both hands. It was only then that he knew how much Moss suffered, sitting outside all that time.

"Moss, when I go in, I won't be coming out for a while, so during this time you may just sit in the carriage."

A look of gratitude washed over Moss' face as he nodded before darting into the carriage. To be hit by the cold wind outside was also a form of torture.

Merlin only turned and walked in after seeing Moss climbed into the carriage.

It was still the charming Linny at the counter. Although Anson and Gutt were not with him this time, it was evident that Linny remembered Merlin. There was an immediate smile on her face upon seeing Merlin's arrival, and she opened the secret passage in a respectful manner.

Merlin darted into the passageway easily as he was familiar with it. It felt much warmer there as there was no backflow of cold wind.

Very soon, Merlin reached the underground hall. Perhaps it was because of breakfast, or perhaps the weather was too cold, it was quite empty with not many people in it currently.

It seemed that Nathan was not here as well. Alone, Merlin began to stroll about casually.

There was no sunlight in the hall. Everything was illuminated by candles made of the fat of a strange sea creature. Although they were more expensive, they did not emit the unpleasant burning smell. On the contrary, they emitted a strange hint of natural fragrance.

The antiques were placed on stone platforms surrounded by even more expensive, transparent crystals for viewing. Merlin did not have a clue regarding antiques. After walking around the hall, he did not discover any antique that could cause him illusions like the relief sculpture did. This also indirectly proved the extraordinary quality of the relief sculpture.

As Merlin was admiring the antiques, he suddenly heard light footsteps behind him.

"Miss Carice?"

Merlin turned to discover that the person behind him was someone familiar – it was the person that little fatty Gutt had been constantly thinking about. Indeed, she was very pretty. She was wearing a white mink coat with tight cotton pants, accentuating her long and slender legs. It seemed that women would never forget to groom themselves no matter what the occasion was. Even on a day as cold as this, she still had to wear body-fitting cotton pants to accentuate her beautiful long legs.

Carice looked at Merlin rather hesitantly. It looked as though she did not have much of an impression of Merlin.

Anyway, Merlin did not mind. He smiled gently and said, "Miss Carice, we've just met a few days ago, right here. I came with Anson and Gutt…"

Carice's eyebrows loosened up lightly. In a thoughtful manner, she nodded and said, "I remember now. Are you Wilson Merlin?"

Merlin nodded before taking two steps forward, drawing closer to Carice.

"Miss Carice, I've heard from Anson that you're an antique specialist, especially in the antiques of the Molta Empire era. Recently, I've come to like some extremely special Molta Empire antiques but there's nothing here at Mr. Nathan's that I'm satisfied with. So, if there are some special antiques in Miss Carice's possession, could you let me have a look?"

After he said that, Merlin looked at Carice. He knew that Carice had collected many antiques, perhaps one of them would be the mysterious relief sculpture that he yearned.

"Rare and strange antiques? You like the same things as an old gentleman I know. He also likes collecting rare and strange antiques from the period of the Molta Empire. If you have time, I can bring you for a look now, and perhaps you'll find an antique that you'll like."

Carice and Merlin were standing close to each other. As a result, her warm breath blew toward Merlin's neck, creating a weak and numb sensation. Carice's perfume was also exceedingly refreshing and this made him happy and carefree.

"Then, I thank you, Miss Carice, for leading the way."

Naturally, Merlin agreed cheerfully. As long as he could find that mysterious relief sculpture, he would be very contented even with a mere hint of a clue.

Thus, Merlin followed Carice from behind and walked out.

Light snow was still drifting about outside. The cold wind that blew on their faces felt like knife cuts. Carice had a carriage as well so she quickly darted into her carriage and it slowly moved forward.

"Moss, follow Miss Carice's carriage in front."

Merlin woke Moss up, who then drove the carriage slowly behind Carice's carriage.

As the weather was very cold and there was still light snow, the surface of the road had also been frozen, which made it wet and slippery. Both carriages moved at a very slow pace, and it was only after half an hour that they reached their destination.

Carice and Merlin arrived at a small, old-fashioned wooden house. There was a garden in front of this small house with various flowers and trees. However, the garden was currently in a pitiful state; tiny trees that had yet to grow their big and thick branches were falling all over the place, squashed by the accumulating snow.

Snow had fallen the entire night yesterday, and the wind was very strong. A small garden like this would be destroyed easily. All that could be done was to wait for spring to come and replant them.

Seeing the mess in the garden, Carice shook her head gently and said helplessly, "Mr. Etha's garden is ruined again. Poor Mr. Etha, he's wasted a few months repairing his garden, but now it's become like this."

Both of them walked into the small house as Carice led the way. They went up to the second floor and came to a wooden door that had faded in color and looked extremely old.

Carice turned her to give an advice. "Merlin, Mr. Etha likes quietness, so you have to be a little quieter after you go in."

Merlin nodded. It seemed that the person Carice had wanted to find was in this room.

"Is Mr. Etha here? I'm Carice, here to see you today."

Carice knocked on the door and whispered into the room.

"Creak…"

The old, wooden door opened and an old man, around fifty years of age appeared.

The old man was short. The top of his head was balding and had very little hair but the old man had carefully combed the sparse hair back behind his head. He wore a black overcoat and had a thin face with fair skin, and he kept a pair of beautiful mustaches under his nose. He looked very sharp.

Just as Merlin was sizing up the old man, the old man was also doing the same. He looked at Merlin and Carice contemplatively. However, he merely gave Merlin a cold glance before shifting his gaze upon Carice. He said in a hoarse voice, "Carice, come in."

The old man turned around and walked back into the room. Merlin and Carice followed him from behind before Merlin closed the door after them casually.

The fireplace in the house was still burning with fierce flames. The old man immediately walked to a wooden chair before the fireplace and sat down while speaking in a hoarse voice, "Carice, tell me, for what matter have you come looking for this old man today?"

A smile broke out on Carice's face. She brought Merlin straight to the spot before the old man. The light from the fiery flames in the fireplace shone upon his face, turning his originally chalk-white skin to somewhat rosy.

The old man did not even raise his head. He held a thread-bound book with a black cover with both hands, reading it with relish.

"Mr. Etha, I've brought my friend here to visit you today."

Carice gave Merlin a look, signaling him to introduce himself.

Merlin nodded and spoke as he stepped forward slightly in respect. "Mr. Etha, I'm Wilson Merlin. I really like some antiques, especially the antiques during the time of the Molta Empire. Today, Miss Carice mentioned that there are many unique antiques from the Molta Empire era in Mr. Etha's house, which is why I've taken the liberty of coming here to trouble you, sir."

The old man added more wood into the fireplace. The crackling sounds emitted by the burning wood in the fireplace could be heard clearly. It was after a long time before the old man slowly put down the book in his hands and stood up. He said coldly, "Come with me."

"Mr. Etha's temper is very weird."

Merlin felt that this old man Etha had a somewhat odd and unpredictable temper.

"Shush, lower your voice. Mr. Etha's personality is just a little eccentric and antisocial, but he's a very good man. Alright, follow Mr. Etha in."

It was obvious that Carice knew old man Etha very well. Along with Merlin, she followed Etha into another room.

This room was small and seemed slightly cramped with the three of them inside. There were two gigantic red bookshelves which had been arranged in an extremely organized manner. There were no books on the shelves but some small and exquisite antiques.

Some of these antiques were broken and incomplete while some were flawless. However, these were unique and different from the antiques that Merlin had seen over at Nathan's. They were like porcelain in distinctive shapes that Merlin had never seen before like the ancient bottle which had a curved opening on either side. It was indeed very strange and special.

Merlin stretched his hand out, wishing to touch these antiques. Old man Etha, who was beside him growled fiercely. "You may only look but you cannot touch!"

Merlin felt embarrassed and all he could do was withdraw his hand.

There were approximately over a hundred uniquely-shaped antiques arranged on the bookshelves. Merlin looked as far as he could, but there was not a single one that was the same as the relief sculpture. He could not help but felt somewhat disappointed, and casually asked, "Are these the only antiques here?"

Old man Etha seemed to be quite disgruntled with Merlin's tone of voice and said in a deep voice, "I've been collecting them for a very long time. Why, do you consider them few?"

Seeing that old man Etha was somewhat upset, Carice hurriedly explained, "Mr. Etha, don't get upset, it's just that Merlin's only interested in the antiques of the Molta Empire. Also, he has only just come into contact with antiques so it hasn't been a long time."

Carice whispered into Merlin's ear, scolding him, "Don't simply say things. Mr. Etha is quite upset already."

Merlin nodded. Old man Etha really had a weird temper so it was better to speak less and not provoke him.

Although the antiques here at old man Etha's were very strange and unique, Merlin did not find the mysterious relief sculpture he was looking for. Thus, he could not help but revealed a hint of disappointment on his face. Shaking his head a little, he spoke to Carice, "Let's go out first."

It was after Merlin and Carice had left the room that the odd-tempered old man Etha narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on Merlin's back for some time. There was a hint of a weird expression on his face.

After they left the house, Carice asked in a low voice, "Merlin, did you find any that you like?"

Merlin shook his head. Carice did not persist so she could only bid old man Etha goodbye. "Mr. Etha, sorry for bothering you today. We'll come and visit again in the future."

The odd-tempered old man Etha suddenly asked, "You're called Merlin?"

"Yes, Mr. Etha. What do you wish to request of me?"

Merlin looked at old man Etha doubtfully.

"Are you willing to learn antiques appraisal from me?"

As old man Etha's voice fell, Merlin became somewhat dazed and was puzzled. Why would this old man with a weird temper want to have him as a disciple now?

Although Merlin did wish to learn how to appraise antiques, he thought it would be easier for him to understand the origins of the relief sculpture. He was also absolutely clueless with regard to this weird old man Etha.

Just as Merlin was hesitating, there was a hint of delight and surprise on Carice's face. She hurriedly spoke to Merlin in a low voice, "Agree quickly. Mr. Etha's appraisal of the Molta Empire antiques can be considered to be the most authoritative in Blackwater City. It's your good fortune that he wants to have you as a disciple. Others don't even get this kind of opportunity even if they beg for it."

Merlin was amazed. How could this old man, who lived in such an ugly house and possessed such a weird temper had such great skills?

"Why? Aren't you willing?"

Old man Etha's face darkened as his anger grew.