A Wizard’s Secret

The sky slowly darkened. Drizzles of rain and snow were still falling outside. Often, gusts of chilly wind were blowing into the house from the door, preventing the hall from warming up.

The flame in the fireplace was going strong, often giving out crackling noises. The crackling noises were extremely clear in the silent hall.

There were only four people in the hall at this moment – Count Selin, the black-robed old man, young girl Shelly, and Merlin.

Count Selin was leaning against his wooden chair and sitting beside the fireplace. He squinted his eyes and half of his face turned bright red due to the heat from the fireplace. He seemed calm but his tightly-clamped hands had betrayed his nervous feeling.

The old man was still sitting cross-legged on the floor. His long black robe had covered his whole body. Since he did not move, a mysterious air surrounded him under the gradually darkened sky.

The young girl Shelly was moving around the hall, doing nothing. Since today was Merilung’s “revenge day”, Count Selin had called Shelly to the hall as well. He wanted her to stay with him to avoid any accident.

Merlin had been meditating all this while. It was not suitable to practice his Spell or the mysterious posture of the sculpture here but it was alright to meditate his Mind Power.

However, even if Merlin was meditating his Mind Power, he did not lower his guard toward his surrounding, especially outside. As soon as anything happened, he could awaken his senses from his meditation immediately.

It was already near dusk, though. Why hasn’t anything happened yet?

Not only Merlin, everyone was confused. Could it be that Merilung would not be coming anymore?

“Father, where did Brother go?” Young Lady Shelly asked with a long face.

She was an energetic and lively girl. She was already frustrated that she was asked to stay in this hall for almost for a whole day.

“Shelly, stay here obediently. It’s not any normal day today. Don’t…”

Just when Count Selin was attempting to scold Shelly strictly, a loud colliding noise came from outside of the hall suddenly.

“Bang!”

Following the loud bang, the outside of the castle seemed chaotic. Sounds of horses could be heard faintly and many people were yelling about.

“Did he come?”

Merlin was shocked and immediately awaken from his mediation. He immediately opened his eyes wide and looked toward the outside.

Count Selin became tensed. Both his hands grabbed tightly at the chair’s handle and stared outside of the hall. Even the calm old man also raised his head and squinted his eyes, looking outside of the door.

At once, everyone in the hall became nervous. They stared at the door.

“Phew…”

A gust of chilly wind blew. Along with that, a tall figure appeared.

“Cook? What happened out there?” without lowering his guard, he asked in a deep voice while frowning.

Cook’s black armor was covered in snow. His bright red eyes indicated that he had not loosened his guard at all and was staying on guard outside.

“Father, a few horses in the castle are surprised and ran out of the stable. The horses crashed into our people in hiding, so it’s a little chaotic out there. I’ve already sent people to control the surprised horses. The confusion is now under control.”

Cook explained what happened out there briefly. It was only a small incident. Merilung had not arrived.

“Maybe everyone is too nervous. Cook, stay on guard out there. The sky is almost dark. It’s the most crucial time now. Everyone can’t lower their guards.”

Count Selin waved his hands. When he was about to let Cook go outside, the calm black-robed old man stood up abruptly.

“Hehe. Merilung is here!”

The old man suddenly sneered with his hoarse voice.

Cook frowned. His gaze toward the old man was cold as he asked in an unfriendly tone, “Wizard Hill, how will I not know if Merilung is here? The whole castle is completely closed off. Where does he come in from?”

“Bang!”

When Cook had finished his words, a loud bang rang from the outside again. This time, the noise was accompanied with a few terrified shrieks.

“He’s really here!” Merlin took a deep breath and said in a low voice.

He felt strong waves of Fire Element. That was the trait when a Spell Caster cast a spell.

Cook’s face turned dark and immediately turned around. He left the hall in a stride.

“Five years… Finally, I’ve come to see this day, Selin! Hehe. That scene five years ago. You surely won’t forget about it. My father, mother, brother, and sister… All are put to death on your order! Haha, but I didn’t die. I even became a Spell Caster. Today is my day of revenge. Everyone in the castle has to die!”

A young man with short brown hair wearing an armor the same as other knights in the castle kept waving his hands. Balls of fire flew out from his palm and burnt each knight who came before him.

No matter if they were First-level, Second-level or Third-level Elemental Swordsmen, they could not block the fire. The intense heat had melted the snow around the man and lit up the grass hidden beneath the snow. At once, smoke rose, and the place was engulfed in screams, rendering a loss of direction.

“Merilung!”

In his black armor, Cook finally reached the place. His face appeared grim and he stared straight at Merilung who was slaughtering the people. Seeing Merilung’s outfit, Cook instantly understood.

Merilung had already come into the castle since the beginning. The incident with the horses earlier was probably intentionally caused by Merilung. His aim was to take away the people’s attention and mess up Cook’s arrangement.

One had to say that Merilung had attained his aim. The guards hidden in the dark were all noted by Merilung and were cruelly killed after that.

Even though Merilung appeared mad with his bloodshot puffy eyes and ferocious expression, he had not lost his reasoning completely. In fact, he was rather cool-headed. Every time he cast a spell, some Elemental Swordsmen were burnt from the fiery flame while he dodged around unaffected.

“Fire-type spell and Wind-type spell!”

Wizard Hill in his black robe was also standing on the stairs outside of the hall. His distant eyes gazed at Merilung as if he was observing the latter’s ability.

Merlin was sending out his Mind Power as well. He stared right at Merilung. Just as the black-robed old man had said, Merilung had only cast two spells currently. They were Fire type and Wind-type spells.

Fire-type spell was greatly different from Merlin’s Fireball. There seemed to be no explosive effect but it could form a sea of fire and cause a large area of damage.

However, the thing that attracted Merlin’s attention was Merilung’s Wind-type spell. Merilung’s ghost-like figure was, in fact, the effect of Wind-type spell.

This was the support Wind-type spell which Merlin had been looking for!

“Merilung!”

Suddenly, Cook howled like a beast. His voice echoed throughout the castle.

Following that, Cook took big steps toward Merilung with his Aura building up gradually. It was as if his Aura was solidifying.

“It has begun!”

Seeing that Cook had walked toward Merilung, the black-robed old man, Merlin, and the others wore a dignified look. They stared at these two people fixedly.