Chapter 27: Fierce Battle (Part 1)

Jia stopped and turned, lowering her voice. "Here's the thing: Mr. Aita actually left something for me. I didn't know what it was at first, but after I went home and opened it yesterday, I found his note asking me to pass it on to you."

"You have something from Mr. Aita?" Merlin's gaze sharpened as he fixed his eyes on Jia. "Where is it?"

"I hid it in a safe place. Follow me," she said, turning to lead the way.

Merlin squinted, watching her back carefully, but ultimately decided to follow.

Just as they exited the building, Mos stepped up to him. "Mr. Merlin, would you like the carriage?"

"No need," Merlin replied, waving him off. "Wait for me here."

Mos saw Merlin leaving with an attractive woman, so he took the hint, refraining from further questions and returning to the carriage.

Jia led Merlin on foot, weaving through several streets until they reached a secluded courtyard.

"Come inside; it's hidden in here," she said, a fleeting glint of cunning flashing in her eyes.

The courtyard was spacious, with only a few bare trees, and although there was no snow on the ground, indicating it was regularly cleaned, the air felt oddly quiet. At the top of a few stone steps stood a large, closed door, seemingly the entrance to a main hall.

At the door, Jia turned abruptly, frowning at Merlin. "The item's inside. Why did you stop?"

Merlin paused, glancing at the closed door. A small smile appeared on his face. "Jia, how many people are inside?"

Jia's expression flickered, but she replied calmly, "This is a secret hideout known only to me."

"Is that so? Then let's test it."

At his words, two blazing fireballs appeared beside Merlin, hovering in midair and emitting a fierce heat.

"Lord Lorrin, now!" Jia shouted, retreating into the house at high speed. But Merlin was faster. Guided by his mental focus, the two fireballs hurtled toward Jia, leaving trails of black smoke.

**Bang! Bang!**

One fireball struck Jia's leg, but she seemed prepared; a small shield appeared in her hand, blocking the blast. However, the impact was still strong enough to send her tumbling into the house, her fate uncertain. The other fireball hit the sturdy door, burning a large hole through it.

Suddenly, a rapid volley of short black arrows fired from within the house—clearly not from a regular bow, but a powerful crossbow. The arrows, about a dozen in total, shot toward Merlin with terrifying speed.

Merlin's spell model trembled in his mind as two more fireballs appeared, and he jumped back as the fireballs exploded, scattering the arrows in broken fragments onto the ground.

As the smoke settled, Merlin warily observed the house, and soon a figure emerged onto the stone steps, looking down on him with a cold gaze.

"Discovered so soon… Was it a mistake on our end, or did Jia fail?" the figure asked.

With the dust clearing, Merlin saw him clearly: a man in his forties, over six feet tall, powerfully built, with a beard covering his face and a massive sword in hand. He radiated an oppressive aura, like a lurking beast.

Merlin's spell model in his mind began rapidly absorbing the surrounding fire element. He had already cast four fireballs, turning the gray bar red—ready to unleash his massive fireball technique.

"Jia may have tried to deceive me, but I used her as well. Her story was full of holes. I spared her in Aita's cabin only to use her to flush you out."

"While the church is a danger, they pay little attention to a small place like Blackwater City, so I'd be safe. But you're different; you know my identity, and that makes you a risk I can't allow."

Merlin's tone turned icy. In fact, he'd seen through Jia's lies at Aita's cabin. Killing her then might have alerted her associates in the Black Moon Kingdom, so he had let her go, setting a trap to draw them all out.

The bearded man remained composed. "Clever, young mage. But you're all the same: arrogant, presumptuous—especially Aita, who ignored my orders. For a mere spellcasting tool, he not only left Blackwater City without permission but secretly took you on as a disciple. Hmph, if he hadn't died, I'd have shown him that mages aren't all-powerful!"

The man's aura surged, and Merlin could feel the danger radiating from him. This was no ordinary elemental swordsman—possibly a Level 3 or higher.

Merlin also sensed the man's intense disdain for spellcasters, especially Aita. Clearly, he harbored deep resentment toward mages.

"You can't compare to Mr. Aita. Enough talk; let's settle this with a fight!" Merlin raised his hand, and a fireball shot toward the bearded man.

Before it reached him, the man stomped, shaking the courtyard. A surge of flames erupted around him, reaching nearly half a meter high and distorting the air around him—a clear display of his status as a formidable Level 3 Fire Swordsman.

Merlin had never encountered a Level 3 elemental swordsman before. The most powerful swordsman he'd seen was the church's Borg swordsman, who was only Level 2.

The man sneered, "Zero-level fireball spell? Young mage, let me show you the true power of fire—a Flaming Slash!"

With no fear of the searing fireball, he lifted his massive sword and swung it down.