Chapter 71: Plans I

Merlin and the rest of the troop followed Count Phuman’s knights through Ravens Castle into a small town inhabited only by soldiers. This site which was built specially to provide supply for Ravens Castle had war supplies scattered everywhere.

The legendary heretic kingdom – the barbaric, evil, and the horrible Kingdom of Blackmoon was now in front of Merlin and the others. Old Wilson, who had remained silent, appeared solemn, but Merlin noticed from his gaze that the complex surges of emotions must have emerged in his heart.

After all, Old Wilson had once participated in the extremely difficult and cruel Slaughterhouse battle and fought against the heretics of the Kingdom of Blackmoon for several years. However, here he was now, embarking on a journey to the heretic land. It was not surprising for him to experience feelings of uncertainty and change in the heart.

Apart from Old Wilson, the others such as Macy, Big-breasted Madam, and Avril were curious and found everything exciting and interesting. They drew their curtains to check out the new environment eagerly.

Count Phuman’s knights gradually began to leave after returning to the small town. When they finally arrived at a white castle, there were only a hundred guards left with the count.

“Commander Bain, please help Wizard Merlin’s family to settle down.”

Count Phuman nodded slightly at Merlin with a smile. “Wizard Merlin, that’s my castle in front, please come in!”

Old Wilson suddenly spoke in a deep voice, “Merlin, will you be safe?”

“Father, we’re at the Kingdom of Blackmoon, the holy land of Spell Casters. Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen to me. You should all go to rest, and we’ll start planning for the next step when I return.”

Merlin followed Count Phuman into the castle after reassuring Old Wilson.

There were many knights in Count Phuman’s castle, making the atmosphere rather tense and murderous. Merlin explored the surrounding with his Mind Power and noticed there were more powerful knights watching his every move in the dark.

However, what confused Merlin was that he did not sense any other Spell Casters’ Mind Power around. Old Wilson once mentioned that Spell Casters regularly stationed in some military fortresses at the Kingdom of Blackmoon but Merlin did not find any Spell Caster since he entered Count Phuman’s castle.

He followed Count Phuman into the grand hall, and soon, the warmth from the fireplace filled the entire hall.

Count Phuman took off his heavy armor and sat on a wooden chair with ease. He waved at Merlin and said, “Be my guest, Wizard Merlin, please take a seat.”

As soon as Merlin sat down, the maidservants in the castle brought in small cups of viscous soup. Some black leaves and pieces of strange objects looked like fish scales floated on the surface. Soon, a scent of fish filled the warm air.

Count Phuman smiled as he picked up the cup. “Wizard Merlin, try Ravens Castle’s specialty – the icefish soup.”

Count Phuman tilted his head backward and gulped down the soup in one gulp. He heaved a sigh of relief, though his face showed an unsatisfying pleasure.

Merlin was not interested in such a strange-looking soup, but he could not help to be curious when he saw Count Phuman’s indulgence in it. Hence, his curiosity made him take the cup and sip on it.

The first taste of the icefish soup was slightly sour but the aftertaste was an unexpected burst of sweetness on the tip of the tongue. When the fish soup went down the throat, a warm feeling quickly rose and spread rapidly in his entire body. It tasted so good that one could not help but felt comfortable.

Merlin finished the soup in the cup with his eyes closed. Finally, he expressed his admiration, “Not bad at all, this icefish soup is really wonderful.”

Naturally, there was a massive difference in the cuisine of a foreign country.

Count Phuman felt his body warmed up after drinking the icefish soup. Then, he asked casually, “Wizard Merlin, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been on your journey to Ravens Castle. What kind of plans do you have for the future?”

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“My plans?”

Merlin thought for a moment before replying, “The main priority is to settle down before considering anything else.”

It was primordial to settle down in a foreign country and become familiar with the environment.

A hint of brilliance flashed across Count Phuman’s eyes. He suddenly lowered his voice and asked, “Wizard Merlin, you should be a free wizard! Why don’t you join me in Ravens Castle and station here? There must also be some powerful Elemental Swordsmen in your family who can also join Ravens Castle. I give you my word that your family will definitely have a comfortable life in Ravens Castle.”

“Join the army? My dear Count Phuman, I’m really sorry. Right now, we only want to settle down in the Kingdom of Blackmoon. Moreover, we’ve just experienced some tough battles in the Kingdom of Light, hence, my family and I do not wish to join the army at the moment.”

Almost immediately and without thorough consideration, Merlin rejected Count Phuman’s offer.

Due to his former identity, Old Wilson certainly would not agree to join the army of the Kingdom of Blackmoon. Besides that, Merlin was thinking of expanding his force as a Spell Caster in the Kingdom of Blackmoon, so it was impossible that he would bind himself to the army.

In addition, the current unstable situation in the Kingdom of Light meant a war might break out anytime soon. If that happened, perhaps Ravens Castle would bear the brunt and face the chaos first-hand.

Due to these reasons and at a time like this, Merlin would not join Ravens Castle, the army of the Kingdom of Blackmoon.

“That’s a shame…”

Count Phuman shrugged. His tone filled with regrets.

“My lord, Lady Countess wishes to see you immediately regarding an urgent matter.”

A maidservant dressed in gray hurried to the hall and whispered to Count Phuman.

“What happened?”

Count Phuman frowned and looked upstairs with a puzzled look on his face. Then, he stood up and looked at Merlin in the eyes. “Wizard Merlin, please be seated for a while. I’ll return in a minute.”

Immediately, Count Phuman walked up to the second floor.

In one of the rooms located on the second floor, a beautiful figure of a woman was pacing around the room anxiously, looking out of the door from time to time.

“Madam, what’s the matter? Why the hurry?”

Count Phuman pushed open the door impatiently and noticed his countess pacing around the house looking uneasy.

The countess was hesitant for a second, but eventually took a letter from the desk and handed it to Count Phuman. “It’s a letter from my brother, Selin. Take a look at it yourself.”

“Count Selin? What happened to him?”

Count Phuman took the letter suspiciously and began reading the letter.

Gradually, Count Phuman’s furrowed his brows, and his face took on a ghastly expression with a hint of anger.