Chapter 57: Royal Members (Part 1)

"Alright, let's take a break, everyone."

Emerging from a forest, Old Wilson ordered the large convoy to halt. Ahead lay a clear stream, ideal for the group to replenish their water supply.

Old Wilson had joined forces with Baron Barman's troops, barely amassing a total of fourteen hundred knights. Together, they led the group, which, with family members, servants, and others, numbered close to three thousand.

With such a large contingent, progress was naturally slow. However, the Church appeared preoccupied with securing control over the Kingdom of Light, so they weren't actively pursuing Old Wilson's group. Aside from sporadic encounters with Church knights along the way, they had not been confronted by a substantial force.

This allowed the convoy to travel safely for ten days, gradually nearing the borders of the Black Moon Kingdom.

Inside a carriage, Merlin opened his eyes. At the moment, he was alone, as both Meixue and Lady Bust had moved to one of the women's carriages within Baron Barman's convoy.

After ten days, Merlin's injuries had fully healed, and his mental strength had even improved slightly. The mana reserves for his Freeze spell had accumulated enough for six or seven uses. Given time, his control over Freeze would only strengthen.

Yet, the most significant gain from this journey was not just increased mana but a deeper understanding of spell combinations.

Through his battle with Mage Jason, Merlin had become adept at combining spells. Individually, his Fireball or Freeze spells held limited power. But when used together, their combined strength increased severalfold. Still, there was room for improvement. He had realized one shortcoming: his speed was not fast enough.

If Merlin had been quicker, he could have evaded even Jason's level-one spells effectively. Due to his slow reaction time, he had been forced to endure the attacks, nearly losing his life in the process.

During these ten days of recuperation, Merlin decided on the direction of his third spell model—an auxiliary speed spell.

With such a spell, Merlin could enhance his own speed, allowing him to dodge attacks more swiftly. Combined with Fireball and Freeze, this would elevate his strength significantly.

In the spell notes from Old Aita, it was explained that a spell's effectiveness isn't purely about power; it should be tailored to the caster's abilities, making it the most suitable choice.

Currently, Merlin had no speed spells other than a Whirlwind spell recorded in Old Aita's spell notes. However, this was primarily an offensive spell, not the type of speed spell Merlin desired.

Given Merlin's entry-level status, his Fireball was already sufficiently potent in attack power, so adding another offensive spell like Whirlwind would be redundant and offer minimal improvement.

Thus, Merlin decided to set aside Whirlwind for now, planning instead to seek a more suitable spell in the future before constructing his third spell model.

Merlin pulled aside the carriage curtain, jumping out to stretch by the river.

By the riverbank, he noticed Meixue conversing with a young girl. The girl was tall, with long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, radiating an air of youthful vitality.

However, it was her exquisite appearance that caught Merlin's attention. Even from a distance, he could see her features clearly. She was remarkably beautiful, almost doll-like in her perfection—a beauty that exceeded even the finest face Merlin had ever encountered.

His gaze did not go unnoticed; the young girl acknowledged him with a nod from afar before returning to her carriage with Meixue.

"Aivyr? Having such a fiancée isn't so bad…"

Merlin thought to himself. He had long guessed her identity—Aivyr, his betrothed, whom he was meeting for the first time.

Just then, Old Wilson approached, casting a glance at Meixue and Aivyr, a smile appearing on his face. "Merlin, you and Aivyr are of marriageable age. Once we settle down in the Black Moon Kingdom, Baron Barman and I will arrange your wedding."

Merlin smiled. "Father, there's no rush…"

But his smile quickly faded as he looked past Old Wilson, his expression turning serious. "Father, there are a large number of knights behind us!"

This time, it was not just Merlin who noticed; the entire convoy became aware. The rumbling sound grew louder and was unmistakable to any seasoned knight—it signified at least a thousand knights galloping behind them.

The distant hills echoed with the chaotic pounding of hooves, growing steadily louder, signaling that the force was quickly closing in.

"Form ranks! Prepare for battle!"

Old Wilson swiftly drew his sword. Together with Baron Barman, they rallied over a thousand knights to shield the convoy, standing like a barrier at the front.

Meanwhile, women and servants hurried back into the carriages, peeking out cautiously as they watched from a distance.

Merlin joined the front line, noting Old Wilson's grave expression. "Father, I'll go scout who they are."

Knowing Merlin had recovered and was a capable caster, Old Wilson agreed, yet cautioned him, "Merlin, scout carefully. If they're from the Church, don't be reckless. They are many, and you may struggle alone."

Merlin nodded, appreciating Old Wilson's advice.

Though he was now an entry-level caster, Merlin was far from being able to destroy fortresses at will. He could perhaps intimidate a thousand knights, but holding back their full charge alone was beyond him.

"Don't worry, Father. I'll be careful."

With that assurance, Merlin slipped into the dense forest to investigate.