End of the Magic Era

‘Even if the strength of a High Mage didn’t work, the status as a future Patriarch of the Merlin Family was still there, and my seat at the Elder Council isn’t fake… If Mafa wanted to return to the Merlin Family, I would have a lot of say in it. So how did it end up like that? Does that Mafa Merlin, despite being a child of the Merlin Family, actually have no plan to return to the Merlin Family?’

The idea seemed incomprehensible to Leon.

‘This… This is impossible, right? That’s the Merlin Family… To a child stuck outside the clan like Mafa Merlin, isn’t it a dream to be able to return to the Merlin Family? What was all this, then?’

Leon thought for a long time in the reception room, but couldn’t think of the reason behind all this.

But he knew that he couldn’t ask the Merlin Family for help in this situation, or else Aube’s people might impeach him from his Elder Council seat for misconduct.

‘Should I go ask for help from Teacher in the Cloud Tower?’

As this idea suddenly popped in his mind, Leon’s eyes brightened. ‘That’s right, Teacher is a 9th Rank High Mage, only one step away from becoming a truly distinguished existence. Undoing the Mana Shackles would be as easy as blowing off dust. If I take advantage of this and seek Teacher’s help and have him personally come to Thousand Sails City, not only will I be able to get rid of this resentment, I’ll also win the Nether Iron Vein from Mafa Merlin, and even the entire Gilded Rose…’

After carefully thinking about it, Leon’s dazed expression was swept away, replaced by self-confidence. He didn’t bid William farewell as he directly left the Gilded Rose.

…

Lin Yun had stayed in his laboratory for the greater part of a month, spending all his energy on studying the 8th character, the stack of paper on his refining table becoming thicker all the time. The 8th character was also becoming clearer in Lin Yun’s mind. His entire research was reaching the end, and it would take a week at most to finish this task.

At this time, Lin Yun had opened the Planar Path three times, but he didn’t go in himself. Hunting Skeleton Warriors and collecting Nether Iron Ores were Faleau and William’s jobs. Last time they came out, there were some 9th Rank Mages appearing among those fifty Mages. He estimated that a month later, the first Great Mage would appear within the Gilded Rose’s Mercenary Group.

Everything was progressing methodically.

Time quickly passed and it was finally the 13th of the next month.

Lin Yun had just entered his alchemy laboratory and noticed the large crystal ball starting to flicker. He knew that this was most likely Jouyi.

And sure enough, the elderly figure appeared within the crystal ball.

“Get ready, I’ll arrive at Thousand Sails City tomorrow afternoon.”

“Eh…”

“Oh right, do you have some relatively rare Spells or Formulas in your hands? If not, I can bring some from the Cloud Tower, this way you can participate in the knowledge exchange after arriving at Oddrock City. Whether you gain something or not, it is mostly to let you get acquainted with a few people. You will grow moldy after staying time confined in your alchemy laboratory in Thousand Sails City all the time…”

From the last sentence, it could be heard how Star Sage Jouyi was still somewhat resentful about Lin Yun refusing to go to Okland.

“No, I’ll make my own preparations.” Lin Yun was somewhat moved after hearing this. Even though Jouyi’s words weren’t particularly pleasant, even a deaf person could hear the support in his voice.

But being moved was only being moved. After thinking about it, Lin Yun still refused Jouyi’s proposal.

It wasn’t that Lin Yun was afraid of owing Jouyi a favor…

But Lin Yun had his own plan for the magic knowledge exchange of Oddrock City.

“Good, then we will see each other tomorrow.” After being flatly denied by Lin Yun, Jouyi didn’t seem to take offense and straightforwardly ended the transmission.

The next day, Lin Yun took a rare day off.

After going to the Gilded Rose at dawn, he didn’t go to his alchemy laboratory like usual, and instead, he waited for Jouyi’s arrival.

Jouyi arrived in the afternoon. This Star Sage didn’t look like an Archmage… He looked like an ordinary old man as he entered the Gilded Rose.

The only difference was that an ordinary old man definitely wouldn’t have the Leader of the Mage Guild to wait upon him.

Star Sage Jouyi didn’t politely greet Lin Yun after entering the Gilded Rose and straightforwardly asked him where he had put the papers that he had used to calculate the Fanrusen Formula’s core spell matrices.

“In the alchemy laboratory. What…” Lin Yun wanted to ask what Jouyi was up to, but he didn’t have time to finish his words before Jouyi disappeared with Solomon.

“…” Lin Yun was stunned for a while before helplessly shaking his head. When he planned to follow them in, the Gilded Rose welcomed two more guests.

This time, it was surprisingly Leon…

Leon seemed to have changed greatly.

His face that looked similar to William’s didn’t have the same calm that he’d had when he entered the Gilded Rose the first time. He looked like a totally different person. He was filled with a hard-to-conceal impatience, and even his steps seemed somewhat hurried, as if afraid he would miss something.

It looked like the Mana Shackles on him had yet to be undone. The High Mage’s mana fluctuations had completely disappeared and he simply looked like an ordinary man.

But it was the one standing next to Leon who made Lin Yun frown.

He was a middle-aged man in his fifties, was tall, and had a square-shaped face. Lin Yun only needed one glance to know where Leon had learnt magic from.

But what made Lin Yun frown was the fact that this middle-aged man was a peak High Mage.

If he wasn’t a 9th Rank High Mage, then he was at the 8th Rank at the very least. And when he entered the Gilded Rose, he was already spreading mana fluctuations, pressuring Lin Yun without a word.

“Looks like there is an issue…” Lin Yun was startled. A peak High Mage, that was an existence on the level of Hogg.

“You are Mafa Merlin?” After the middle-aged man entered the lobby, his eyes fell on Lin Yun.

“Indeed, I am Mafa Merlin, and you are…?”

“I am Leon Merlin’s teacher, Head of the Cloud Tower’s Magic Department, Hoen.”

Lin Yun instantly understood.

He introduced himself as Leon’s teacher first and then as the Head of the Cloud Tower Magic Department. In other words, this High Mage Hoen came for Leon today.

But Lin Yun had seen worse. So what if it was a peak High Mage? Solomon and Star Sage Jouyi were both in his alchemy laboratory. Picking this time to look for trouble, wasn’t that too awkward?

Unfortunately, this middle-aged High Mage didn’t know that.

Nothing could be done about that, as Hoen had been fighting in the Cloud Tower’s Pale Plane up until the previous day. Thus, he didn’t know that Jouyi had come to Thousand Sails City, and he also didn’t know that not long ago, a youth had helped Jouyi solve the difficult Fanrusen Formula.

Hoen only knew that his only disciple, Leon Merlin, had suffered a big loss in Thousand Sails City and had his mana sealed by Mana Shackles.

Leon Merlin’s talents in magic were outstanding. Becoming a High Mage at only 33 years of age was something only a few in Okland were ever able to accomplish. It could be said that Hoen had great hopes for Leon, and although he was exceptionally strict on the surface, he had inwardly decided to make Leon his inheritor.

But he hadn’t expected that when he left for the Pale Plane, the disciple that he regarded as most important actually suffered from being bound with Mana Shackles.

At that time, even Hoen, who would never show his anger, suddenly flared up and didn’t even undo the Mana Shackles.

This was because undoing the Mana Shackles should be done by the one who set them up. He would then use Mana Shackles on that perpetrator and make him taste the feeling of having one’s mana sealed.

Early that morning, Hoen took Leon and rushed to Thousand Sails City before making a beeline for the Gilded Rose in Victorious Return Street.

‘Those who dare to make a move on my disciple should be prepared to pay the price.’

As for whether that Mafa Merlin came from the Merlin Family, whether he had a Nether Iron vein, Hoen simply didn’t care. Hoen didn’t care about that, it would be others that had to worry about him.

“Are you the one who left those Mana Shackles on Leon’s body?” After reaching the Gilded Rose, his eyes were fixed sharply on Lin Yun. As he released the aura of a peak High Mage, an invisible pressure filled the entire lobby.

“This…” Lin Yun hesitated. ‘Should I let him know that Jouyi and Solomon are here? He is a member of the Cloud Tower, after all. If this blows up, it might not be so good…’

“No need to explain, you only have to answer yes or no.” Unfortunately, Hoenn saw that hesitation as a desire to shirk responsibility, and his square face became heavy.