End of the Magic Era

“Haha, Mafa Merlin, you couldn’t fit in Thousand Sails City so you ran to Oddrock City? I heard about your dad dying at sea and the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce going bankrupt, leaving you all alone… You are truly pitiful…” The young mage in his twenties kept talking, spraying saliva everywhere.

The problem was that Lin Yun truly didn’t know him, which made him feel rather angry.

‘I don’t know you, why are you coming over here to run your tongue?’

Lin Yun took a step back to avoid the saliva attack while giving Solomon a doubtful glance.

“He is Harrison Burns, the son of Kerry Burns…” Seeing Lin Yun’s confused look, Solomon knew that this young Great Mage still had issues with his memories.

In fact, this was a public secret in Thousand Sails City. Almost everyone knew that Locke Merlin’s son had been growing at a frightening pace this past year, but his memory seemed to have sharply declined… He would often look at people and ask who they were…

“Who is Kerry Burns?”

“…” Solomon twitched. He had clearly underestimated the degree of forgetfulness of this young Great Mage. Thus, the number one High Mage of Thousand Sails City had no choice but to remind him, “The leader of the Blue Moon, one of the seven chambers of commerce of Thousand Sails City. Like your father, he was involved in the alchemy business. When the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce grew bigger and gained a monopoly over the alchemy business, he diverted the core of his Blue Moon chamber of commerce to Oddrock City. Try to remember…”

Solomon’s impatience could already be seen from his last words. He was a peak High Mage, the master of the Sage Tower, wasn’t it too much to ask him to explain these trivial matters?

“Eh…” Lin Yun knew that it was a bit annoying, so he could only scratch his head at Solomon’s comment as he searched through Mafa Merlin’s memories.

In fact, that Kerry Burns was truly unfortunate…

Originally, the Burns family had been operating the alchemy business in Thousand Sails City for hundreds of years. But in Kerry Burns’ generation, Locke Merlin had appeared. In twenty years, the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce rose up from nothing into a colossus that pressuring every other chamber of commerce. The Blue Moon chamber of commerce’s market was slowly eroded away day after day, up until it completely broke away from the alchemy market, being reduced to a stepping stone for the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce.

As for this Harrison…

He was the eldest son of that Leader Kerry. He showed some good magical talent as a child and became a Mage in a dozen years. He then left to study at Okland Magic School for three years. He was already a 9th Rank Mage when he returned to Thousand Sails City.

Considering his age, he had been considered excellent among the younger generation, far above Mafa Merlin and Mason Monchi. At the time, many people compared him to Ryan Monchi.

But unfortunately, Harrison was far from being as good as Ryan…

Ryan came from the Monchi Family, one of the major forces of Thousand Sails City. Even after the rise of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce, the latter didn’t constitute a threat to the Monchi Family’s status.

But Harrison was different. He came from the Blue Moon chamber of commerce. At that time, the Blue Moon chamber of commerce had already been pressured by the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce, and if not for Locke Merlin refusing to ruthlessly exterminate them, the Blue Moon chamber of commerce would have already had to declare bankruptcy.

When Harrison came back, he had become a 9th Rank Mage and was naturally proud and arrogant. Seeing the Blue Moon chamber of commerce in such a pitiful state instantly made him angry. He directly looked for an excuse to teach a lesson to Mafa Merlin.

One was a 9th Rank Mage and the other was a 9th Rank Magic Apprentice. The outcome need not be mentioned.

In short, Mafa Merlin returned covered with cuts and bruises and complained to Locke Merlin.

This Leader of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce used all his power to sweep everything like a wind scattering dead leaves and spent the next month driving the pitiful Blue Moon chamber of commerce into a desperate state.

Just as the chamber of commerce was about to go bankrupt, Kerry Burns was no longer able to sit still so he took Harrison to the Merlin father and son and made the 9th Rank Mage, Harrison, bow his head to a 9th Rank Magic Apprentice and apologize.

Only then did Locke Merlin let the Blue Moon chamber of commerce off. But at the same time, he told Kerry Burns that he didn’t want to see Harrison in Thousand Sails City again.

It was because of this that Kerry Burns transferred the business of the Blue Moon chamber of commerce to Oddrock City while Harrison became a member of the Ash Tower, leading to him becoming a Great Mage in less than two years.

“I remember who you are now…” Seeing Lin Yun’s frown, Harrison felt elated.

That year, it was because of this Mafa Merlin that he’d had to apologize and his father’s Blue Moon chamber of commerce had been forced out of Thousand Sails City.

The Blue Moon had developed well in Oddrock City, and he had also become a Great Mage of the Ash Tower. He had gradually forgotten about everything that had happened in Thousand Sails City.

But he didn’t expect to meet Mafa Merlin here today.

This was a dramatic reunion. The humiliation caused by Locke Merlin back then would be repaid a hundred times to his son.

Harrison sized up Mafa Merlin.

He was wearing a brand new black robe, and besides the handiwork being pretty good, it didn’t have many mana fluctuations. Moreover, he seemed to be empty-handed, not even having a magic staff. It seemed to him that the rumors about the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce going bankrupt after Locke Merlin’s shipwreck were indeed true.

Otherwise, how could Locke Merlin’s son fall to this point?

After all, when the father was still alive, he opened an alchemy shop in the expensive Victorious Return street just to make it easier for his son to learn magic.

Looking at him now…

Harrison couldn’t help sighing. The arrogant young master of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce had actually fallen to that degree.

“Well well, Mafa Merlin, what are you doing in the Ash Tower?” Harrison’s voice carried a thick feeling of superiority. Someone unrelated might think that Harrison was the master of the Ash Tower.

“Only a trivial matter.” Lin Yun naturally wouldn’t let Harrison know that his “trivial matter” was actually to participate in the Magic Hand’s gathering.

But Harrison interpreted that ambiguous attitude in a different way…

“Eh…” Harrison’s voice dragged on for a long time, as if he feared that others wouldn’t know that he had already understood.

But of course, he only thought he understood…

He thought that Mafa had come to Oddrock City this time because he’d heard the news that the Ash Tower was recruiting and wanted to try his luck.

This was quite normal.

The Ash Tower was one of the two major mages forces in the eastern part of the kingdom. It would recruit many Magic Apprentices and low-rank Mages trying their chances every year. Everyone knew that by joining the Ash Tower, their status would greatly increase. They would also have a chance to be taught personally by a Great Mage and come into contact with the deepest magic knowledge.

The various generous benefits that were typically offered were things that Magic Apprentices and low ranked Mages never even dreamt of.

Harrison couldn’t help sneering. If he had come before, he might have had a chance to get in.

But he couldn’t even dream of it this time.

The one standing before Mafa now was the one in charge of recruiting low-rank Mages and Magic Apprentices.

“Well, Mafa Merlin, joining the Ash Tower isn’t easy…”

“Ah?” Lin Yun froze. ‘When did I say that I wanted to join the Ash Tower?’

“What do you mean, “Ah?” My words aren’t to be trifled with. Do you know how many low-rank Mages try to join the Ash Tower every year? Do you know how many succeed? It’s not just me talking big. The treatment offered by the Ash Tower is the best in the eastern part of the kingdom.”

“…” Lin Yun couldn’t help turning to look at Solomon when he heard that.

‘Fucker…’

Solomon suddenly felt like cursing when he heard that person. ‘This bastard of the Burns Family. I just wanted to watch the play, but you had to offend me as if it’s nothing? What do you mean by best treatment in the eastern part of the kingdom, do you think I don’t know the ins and outs of the Ash Tower?’

Unfortunately, Harrison simply didn’t know that he had just drawn the ire of a peak High Mage…

Harrison’s thoughts were very simple. He was daringly bragging about the Ash Tower to annoy Mafa. The better the Ash Tower looked, the more humiliated Mafa Merlin would feel, and when he refused him, Mafa would be devastated.

“I tell you, the Ash Tower’s Mages get a Life Potion every year, don’t you know about the Life Potion? Having a Life Potion is like giving you a second chance at life when you are injured. Moreover, you have one opportunity to enter the Ash Tower’s library every year. You can find the deepest magic knowledge of the whole region there. It is a temple of knowledge that all mages yearn for, do you understand now? With the opportunity to visit the Ash Tower’s library, you would be able to become a Great Mage in three years…”

Lin Yun didn’t say anything, but Solomon was trying his best not to explode.

‘Fuck, little bastard of the Burns, are your eyes in your ass? Can’t you recognize who is standing before you? That’s the boss of the Gilded Rose, the quantity of alchemy items produced each month is way more important than what you will ever get to see in your entire life!’