| Meeting and Private Lessons (5)|

Now, there's only Elder Virion and an unmasked Merlin in the living room.

"Oh right, as for your question...That's what we discovered till now...but there definitely is more elements out there that is yet to be discovered." Virion answered Merlin's question.

"Hn Hn!" Merlin nodded.

"There's something I need you to do before becoming my disciple. It won't be hard, and it'll only take you a week or two to do it." Virion stated.

"Okay?" Merlin said, waiting for Virion to continue.

"First, meditate for at least 5 hours a day for the next 2 weeks. Can you do it?" Virion stated,

"Meditate?"

"...Yes" Virion face yelled 'Seriously?'

That night, Virion had to explain a lot of basic things to Merlin.

.

.

[Arthur Leywin PoV]

I roused from my sleep before getting bombarded by Tess question.

How the hell was she so energetic this early in the morning?

Trying to tame my bed hair, I responded to one of her question regarding Merlin and me staying here,

"We'll know for sure after my trip with Elder Virion, but most likely, it seems I'll be bothering you for a bit longer, Princess."

She stabbed my side with her finger,

"Not Princess! Tess! T.E.S.S.! I'm going to get upset if you don't treat me better."

Damn it, she looked so cute with her pouting face.

"All right, all right! Oh right, where's Merl? I don't see him here, did he left to hunt?." I joked.

"Hehe, Aren't you sharing room with him? I haven't seen him since last night" Tess pondered before answering.

"I'm going to get ready. I'll catch up to you later." Like that, Tess left my room.

I got out of bed and hopped into the shower to get ready, making sure to keep the feather-wrapped stone inside my robe.

As I made my way down the flight of curved stairs, a butler opened the front door for me and I spotted a small carriage with Grandpa Virion and Tess inside.

"Father! It is not appropriate for a human to be residing within this kingdom!"

"Alduin is right, Elder Virion. Although saving Tessia is something I will forever be grateful for, having a human stay here goes against all traditions."

I heard The King and Queen talking to Grandpa Virion as he is lazily leaned back inside the carriage.

"BAH! Screw traditions! I've taken a liking to the brats and so has Tessia, haven't you child," he snorted.

"G-grandpa! It's not like that! They're just…" her voice trailed off at the end, as her face slightly turned red.

"Hahaha! Anyways! They're going to be under my direct guidance from now on so make sure to let everyone know that they are not to be trifled with!"

"F-father…"

"ENOUGH! This is not up for discussion! Oh brat! You're here! Come! We should hurry!" His expression changed into a smile immediately after seeing me.

I nodded and hopped into the carriage, avoiding the frowns that the King and Queen were giving me.

On the carriage, I asked grandpa,

"Grandpa, where's Merlin? He's not here either"

"Hn! Hn!" Tess nodded,

"Hmm" He started stroking his chin before a smirk formed on his face.

"I wonder~ You'll see him in 2 weeks anyways. You can wait right? I just gave him tasks to do hehehe"

""..."" We could only stare at him.

Well, not a lot of thing can happen within that short time period.

.

.

The journey was worthwhile and a huge load was lifted out of my shoulder in this trip.

I promised Tess to go out for a stroll in the capital after 2 weeks as that's the time Merlin will complete some task that gramps gave him.

***

[2 Weeks Later]

Royal Dining Room,

As Arthur enter the royal dining room, he is immediately struck by its ethereal beauty. The walls are adorned with delicate carvings of leaves and flowers, each one a work of art in its own right. The ceiling is vaulted, and a grand chandelier made of delicate crystals hangs in the center of the room, casting a soft, warm glow over everything below.

The room is decorated in a soft, muted palette of greens, blues, and golds, giving it a serene and tranquil atmosphere. The tables are made white marble and are set with gleaming silverware and sparkling crystal glasses.

Each place setting is adorned with a delicate, hand-painted plate, featuring intricate designs of flowers and leaves in vibrant colors. The chairs are crafted from the a light yet sturdy wood as the tables, and are cushioned with soft velvet, in shades of pale green and gold.

At the head of the room, there is a grand fireplace, its flickering flames casting a warm glow over the room. Above it hangs a tapestry, depicting scenes of an enchanted forest, woven in rich hues of green and gold.

The menu is a work of art in itself, featuring a selection of dishes made from the finest ingredients, prepared with the utmost care and attention to detail. The aromas of exotic spices and herbs waft through the room, tantalizing your senses and whetting your appetite.

As you dine, you are serenaded by the soft, ethereal music of elven bards, playing their instruments with a delicate grace and elegance that perfectly complements the overall ambiance of the room.

The dining room is a true masterpiece of elven craftsmanship and design, a place where beauty and elegance meet in perfect harmony to create a dining experience that is both enchanting and unforgettable.

Getting out of stupor, Art whispered to Tess.

"Tess, why did gramps suddenly became nice and told us to eat dinner here?"

"Who knows, are you nervous~?" Tess teased.

"Hah? I just felt that this will not be a normal dinner. He must've planned something." Art stated.

"Oi brat, you know that I can hear you right?" Virion who's seated at the head of the table said.

"I thought your old age ruined your hearing senses" Art muttered.

"What did you say, you brat!" Virion grew a tick mark.

>Creak<

Suddenly, the door to the dining room opened and a short black-haired cute boy with a round yet sharp amethyst-like unique purple eyes and a few strands of white hair. He wore a purplish silk elven robe as he walked in.

"Merl!" Tess was the first to say his name.

"..." Art stayed silence and observed Merl while giving him a welcoming smile.

"Greetings my dear friends" Merlin elegantly bowed down and greeted Art and Tess, like that of a well trained noble.

""...Eh...?"" Tess and Art became bewildered.

.

.

As everyone is seated and is eating dinner on their respective seat on the dining table.

Art and Tess are the only one's who haven't touched their food and is only looking at a certain person, Merlin, who's elegantly cutting the steak on his plate.

"Hahehehe. So, you've finished the tasks I've given you?" Virion asked Merlin after sipping his drink.

"Yes, Elder Virion but..." Merlin politely replied before sipping his drink as well,

Virion, Art and Tess are waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"But?" Virion raised his brow and asked, expecting Merlin to continue.

"But it's so GODDAMN ANNOYING! Why can't I eat the way I like, walk the way I like, talk the way I like, $%^#$%^#@#$%^@#@!#!"

"..." We all could only stare at Merlin venting out his frustration with a blank and lost face. Even Virion could only smile wryly.

'Is this the Merlin I used to know?'

"@#$%$#@!@~!@!...Oh right, grandpa. When can I start training like Art?" Merlin's sudden shifts in character is weird.

Art and Tess turned towards Virion with a questioning gaze. Virion couldn't help but sweat drop.

***

The next day,

The trio went on a stroll in the city, they visited numerous stalls, and took time walking around.

An eventful moment that happened to them was when a cocky elven boy insulted and challenged Arthur to a duel.

...Well...

It was over in a second. The elven boy was too cocky and didn't even take the necessary precautions to find out whether Arthur was an augmenter or conjurer and by the time he was in arm's length, the boy hadn't even begun his chant.

After that Tess quickly ran to Arthur and pulled him away followed by Merlin whose hand is full of desserts.

Later, Tess explained to us that, in a duel, there were certain unsaid customs. One of these customs was to let the challenger make the first move. The other was that informal duels between nobles were only a demonstration of magic, not actual fighting. This got a good laugh out of Gramps when he found out, saying that the duels between nobles were utter foolishness and a completely inaccurate way to measure someone's magical prowess.

All in all, what Feyrith had meant when he initiated the duel was to simply take turns showing off each other's respective magic talent.

Arthur chose to stay in the manor most of the days keeping myself out of trouble, as he lived a rigorous lifestyle that followed consisted of meditating with Grandpa Virion in the morning, spending a little time with Tessia and Merlin in the afternoon and training by himself at night.

Similarly, Merlin lived the same rigorous lifestyle as Arthur but he focused more on meditation than physical and weapon training.

Like this, three years had passed.

***

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