Chapter 172: Scarcity of Resources

"Constance, come here!"

Merlin stepped out of his room, momentarily disoriented by the bright sunlight. Realizing he'd been indoors for several days, he squinted at the brightness, unaccustomed to the light after spending so much time in darkness.

Nearby, Constance was happily playing in the expansive courtyard, held by the maids who seemed oblivious to Merlin's call. Despite hearing his voice, she didn't respond.

Merlin sighed. Neither Constance nor Celia seemed to show any closeness to him. The two little ones hadn't even called him "father" yet. Merlin felt a bit helpless about this.

Walking over, Merlin scooped up Constance, who wriggled in his arms and playfully tugged at his clothes, causing the maids to laugh.

"Where are Shirlyce and Avril?" Merlin asked one of the maids with a smile.

The maid responded respectfully, "My lord, the ladies are bathing."

Merlin raised an eyebrow, already guessing the reason. Since he'd given Shirlyce and Avril the rejuvenating potion, they had become almost obsessed, adding it to their bathwater daily to soak and rejuvenate.

The potion was indeed miraculous, leaving their skin smooth and radiant. Merlin had always heard about a woman's pursuit of beauty, but he hadn't fully understood until now. Not only did female mages adore the potion, but even ordinary women found it irresistible.

Looking up at the second floor of the castle where his wives were, Merlin realized they wouldn't be coming out anytime soon. He decided to visit the black-robed mage to check if the *Purple Stone Powder* potion had stabilized his spell model.

Setting Constance back down, Merlin turned and left the Wilson Castle.

---

The carriage came to a stop, and Merlin found himself once again at the black-robed mage's residence. He knocked on the door, and the same maid let him inside, where he found the black-robed mage leisurely reading a book.

"Master Hill, it seems like your spell model has stabilized?" Merlin noted, smiling as he observed the relaxed mage. It seemed the *Purple Stone Powder* potion was working well.

Hill looked at Merlin and nodded, smiling, "The *Purple Stone Powder* potion you provided has been effective. I no longer need to constantly suppress it with my mental energy, though it's still slightly unstable. I will need more doses."

Then, his face turned serious as he said, "However, I've run out of the key ingredient for the potion, purple stone powder. Do you happen to have any left, Merlin?"

Merlin shook his head. "All my purple stone powder went into making potions. And it's not just you—I'm also struggling to find potion ingredients. Outside the Dark Arcane Order, it's incredibly hard to source materials. There's hardly anything in all of Pugas City that could serve a mage's needs."

A sense of helplessness crossed Merlin's face. After a year in the Dark Arcane Order, he had grown accustomed to the abundance of resources in the Tower of All Realms, where he could trade for nearly any magical resource with contribution points. He had never considered how scarce these items might be outside.

Without the support of a mage organization, Merlin was beginning to realize how challenging it was to grow his power independently.

"Pugas City is hardly a resource hub," Hill nodded. "But if you need materials, I might know a place—Floating City. There, countless mages, be they rogue mages, military mages, or members of mage organizations or families, gather for trade."

Hill then gave Merlin a detailed account of Floating City. Excitedly, Merlin thought back to Arena, the lively mage who had once mentioned her family in Floating City's Delman Clan.

"Have you been to Floating City before?" Merlin asked.

Hill nodded. "About a decade ago, I visited. It was bustling, with a vast array of mages trading items. If you decide to go, I would be willing to accompany you to find more purple stone powder."

"Great! I'll make some arrangements and we'll head out together soon!" Merlin replied with a smile. He was eager to gather the resources he needed for furthering his spellcasting ability, particularly with the complex spells *Solid Ice* and *Darklight Domain*, which demanded significant mental power.

With that, Merlin bid Hill farewell and returned to the carriage to make his way back to Wilson Castle.

---

Once back, Merlin sought out his father, Old Wilson, who was now leading training sessions for his heavy armored knights in a large square he had constructed at the back of the castle.

Today, however, Old Wilson wasn't training with his full team but rather a small group, all practicing an unusual stance. From a distance, Merlin recognized the stance from the mysterious relief sculptures he had given to his father. Behind Old Wilson stood Argus, Prah, and two other men whom Merlin recognized as part of the loyal group that had followed his father from Blackwater City to Pugas City.

"Who's there?"

Old Wilson suddenly opened his eyes, exuding a fierce aura as he scanned the area, his gaze predatory and intense.

"Father, it's me," Merlin called as he stepped forward.

Seeing it was Merlin, Old Wilson softened his expression and greeted him warmly. "Merlin, what brings you here?"

Merlin's gaze swept over the other men, and with a slight smile, he asked, "Father, are you teaching them the techniques from the mysterious relief?"

Old Wilson nodded. "Indeed, Argus and Prah you know. The other two here are Emmett and Balbus, my most trusted men. I decided they were worthy of learning these techniques."

The two men respectfully greeted Merlin, "Lord Viscount!"

Merlin acknowledged them with a nod. He had little familiarity with them, but since they had Old Wilson's trust, Merlin felt reassured.

"Merlin, what do you think of Argus?" Old Wilson asked suddenly, his eyes on Argus, his tone curious.