End of the Magic Era

“Must have been a mistake… A mistake… Haha” William stood in the hallway, chuckling nervously.

How could William not know that although Great Mage and Mage were very similar, the pronunciation was different, there was very little chance of making a mistake.

But William really didn’t dare to think too deeply about it…

If he thought too deeply about it, William wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

‘If it wasn’t a mistake, then didn’t that mean that Cousin is able to mass-produce Great Mages?’

‘This is crazy just thinking about it…’

Lin Yun had some free time for a few days since he was waiting on the fifty Mages from the Merlin Family and on the result of the design he gave to the alchemy workshop, but he soon became unable to sit still. Thus he began to mull over the chamber of commerce mercenary group. For this matter, Lin Yun especially went to ask the old butler what the original Flashing Gold chamber of commerce’s mercenary group looked like.

After asking, he learnt that the former Flashing Gold’s mercenary group was called the Mercury Mercenary Group. It would rank fourth among Thousand Sails City’s mercenary groups. But all the elites of the mercenary group were escorting the ship and ended up being involved in the shipwreck, with the mercenary group getting nearly wiped out.

Only a handful of new recruits without any battle experience were left in Thousand Sails City, along with one decent vice leader, but they lost contact with him after the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce went bankrupt. The old butler didn’t know where they were now.

Lin Yun got a headache after listening to the old butler.

Lin Yun originally thought that if there was one of former leaders left, he could look for him and have him cooperate with William to rebuild the mercenary group with the fifty 5th Rank Mages as a base.

But who would have thought that Locke Merlin’s shipwreck was so thorough.

The entire Mercury Mercenary Group had been ruined, and the only vice leader left couldn’t be contacted.

‘How could it be rebuilt that way?’

‘Seems like I can only take my time and think of another way…’

Time passed very quickly, and in a flash, several days passed by. The fifty Mages of the Merlin Family finally arrived, but unfortunately, Lin Yun didn’t have time to take care of them because he heard news from the workshop at the same time. The hand crossbow was already forged, and the Gilded Rose’s caravan was now ready and would be leaving for Edge Rift the next morning.

Thus, Lin Yun had no other choice but to put those 5th Rank Mages aside and instead spent the whole evening crafting in the alchemy laboratory. The next morning, Lin Yun followed the caravan with dark eyes, going straight for Edge Rift.

The Poison Fog Canyon’s trade route had already been opened, and for this trip, the Gilded Rose spent 100.000 golds, yet Sauss was still a little afraid that the Gilded Rose would occupy it for a long time. But Lin Yun had personally guaranteed that it would be three months and not one day more so Sauss could only skeptically let it go.

Today, Sauss heard the news of Gilded Rose’s caravan arriving at the Poison Fog Canyon and rushed over alone, not bringing a single subordinate.

When Sauss saw Lin Yun, he mentioned about William Merlin coming to him.

“Great Mage Merlin, a few days ago, a certain William Merlin came to find me!”

William Merlin was in one of the caravan carriages, and when he heard Sauss, he inwardly cursed him along with his ancestors.

‘Damn Sauss, you are a real bastard, you kept mentioning the great favor from my father that day, you said you would think of a way to repay the favor. Is this how you fucking repay it? By selling me out?’

‘Thank god I’m smart…’

William Merlin couldn’t help being proud of himself as he thought about it.

‘If I didn’t have a bad feeling about this and hurriedly changed my approach, I might have not been able to repair my relationship with this Master Alchemist cousin of mine. It’s much better now, I immediately became the bridge between the Merlin Family and cousin and facilitated their collaboration, and cousin is slowly starting to trust me.’

‘This caravan going for Edge Rift for example, cousin asked me to escort it.’

‘If I have a few more opportunities, I might be put in an important position by cousin.’

‘This would lead to a better future than with the Merlin Family…’

William Merlin was clear that although he was a famous scion of the Merlin Family, he was merely 6th in the line of heirs to the Patriarch’s seat. There was still five scions more outstanding than himself. His chances of seizing the position of Patriarch were merely one thousandth.

Later, he would most likely become a supervisor of one of the Merlin Family’s business, or manage a territory for the Merlin Family.

That was the best outcome.

But it would be different if he followed his Master Alchemist cousin.

That was a Master Alchemist not even in his twenties, and even if he spent thirty years to become an Artisan, he would only be fifty! If William could obtain his trust, his own future would be far more bright and promising than if he stayed with the Merlin Family.

Thinking about it, William got off the carriage, and greeted Sauss in the distance.

“…” Sauss’ smile immediately froze.

‘This is quite awkward…’

‘I’m cheerfully selling you out, but I didn’t expect you to be a part of this caravan. How could this be more awkward?’

“Ha… Ha… Haha, William, this is quite a coincidence!” Sauss coughed a bit before chuckling.

“Indeed, Uncle Sauss, what a coincidence!” William was fuming, and the way he said “Uncle Sauss” made Sauss’ legs shake.

‘I’m finished, I’m finished, I thoroughly offended that young master from the Merlin Family…’

Fortunately, footsteps coming over from some distance away rescued Sauss.

“Stop!”

A silhouette rushed over from the faint red mist, staggering. He was chased by a team of Fighters from the Viper Nest. It seemed like the Viper Nest’s own problem.

But as Great Mages, Lin Yun and William had keener senses than the others. The two felt a fierce mana fluctuation approaching at the same time.

“7th Rank Great Mage, could it be Bell?” William Merlin made a guess.

But Lin Yun shook his head, “No, it’s a 5th Rank Great Mage, but with a very strange Magic Conducting Rune.”

Lin Yun had met the Great Mage from the Viper Nest, how could he not know what his Magic Conducting Rune looked like.

Indeed, Bell’s Magic Conducting Rune was very powerful, but it lacked the strangeness of this person’s rune…

This Magic Conducting Rune had a shockingly high temperature, but it was deathly serene.

This was strange, usually high temperature came from flames, and flames were usually ferociously burning. How could it give a deathly quiet feeling?

This Magic Conducting Rune didn’t resemble flames, it gave more of a feeling of post combustion’s ashes.

That’s right, ashes!

Lin Yun recalled the Black Horn Auction House’s High Mage that was going toe to toe with Solomon, he gave out the same feeling. At that time, he had asked Solomon, and Solomon had told him that it was the Ash Rune, one of the most powerful Magic Conducting Runes among the Ash Tower’s inheritances.

‘This is a Great Mage from the Ash Tower?’

That staggering silhouette was quickly overtaken. Fighters from the Viper Nest immediately put swords on his neck. At the same time, the Ash Tower Great Mage was drawing closer.

“Let’s go, there is nothing worth seeing.” Although Lin Yun and Sauss were chatting happily, he didn’t want to come in contact with the Great Mage from the Ash Tower, so after seeing that person under control, he pat William’s shoulder and told Sauss, “Leader Sauss, we will leave first.”

“Mage Merlin doesn’t want to take a break? I planned to place an order of Magic Spring Potion. Damn, it’s those guys’ fault for disturbing Great Mage Merlin, I’ll definitely teach them a lesson later…” Sauss exaggeratedly tried to keep Lin Yun behind, while waving him goodbye…

“Haha…” But inwardly Sauss was carefully thinking on how he could shake Lin Yun off.

The Great Mage that came from the Ash Tower. With the relationship between the Sage Tower and the Ash Tower, if Solomon knew, Sauss would have to take it up with him. Sauss’ attitude when Lin Yun mentioned leaving was only an appearance.

Lin Yun chuckled and entered the carriage with William. Just as he planned to have the caravan continue on, a voice echoed ahead, “Colin?”

Lin Yun was surprised by hearing the butler’s voice and before he could react, the old butler had already rushed over.

“Young Master, Young Master…”

“Uncle Pave, what’s up?” Lin Yun looked strangely at the old butler. He rarely showed this much anxiety aside from Fario’s visits for debts.

“That’s Colin!”

“Colin?”

“Didn’t you ask me a few days ago about the former member of the Mercury Mercenary Group? That’s Colin’s father, the last vice leader of the Mercury Mercenary Group.”

“You are saying that this is the son of the vice leader of the Mercury Mercenary Group?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I got it.” Lin Yun nodded, getting down from the carriage and shouting at Sauss, “I’m sorry Leader Sauss, I don’t think I can walk from this.”

“Plop!” Sauss who had been happy because of Lin Yun leaving suddenly slipped and fell on the ground with a plop. After he managed to get up, Sauss couldn’t help inwardly curse, ‘Damn, leave if you are leaving, just don’t come back!’

‘This is troublesome…’