Chapter 6: The Antique (Part 2)

The chubby boy, Gut, vaguely stirred memories in Merlin's mind. He worked quietly to recall the details, and finally, information about Gut began to surface.

Gut's full name was Dougran Gut. His family, the Dougran family, had humble beginnings, only rising to wealth and influence in his father's generation. Despite lacking noble roots, Old Dougran was impressive, building his fortune from scratch. Within a few decades, he became one of Blackwater City's richest individuals.

The Dougran family controlled nearly ninety percent of the city's jewelry trade, so Gut was known for his generosity and easily fit in with the likes of Merlin and Anson.

Gut was heavily built, occupying two seats with his ample frame. His eyes were small, nearly disappearing into slits when he smiled. When he saw Merlin and Anson, his face lit up, and he called, "Come on, I saved you seats right here in the front row!"

Merlin and Anson took their seats, and soon the two were deep in conversation about the new history teacher.

Merlin couldn't help but shake his head, watching them chatter away about women. No wonder May Snow had warned him about "fooling around"—with these two, it would be challenging not to get dragged into mischief.

Still, Merlin managed to gather useful information. From their conversation, he pieced together that this was a noble etiquette school in Blackwater City. It taught young nobles various subjects such as music, history, philosophy, art, and the many intricate rules of noble etiquette.

Noble children weren't the only ones attending; sons of wealthy families, like Gut, also came to learn, hoping it would facilitate future connections with the nobility.

Before long, the room filled with students. Originally almost empty, it now held about forty people.

One of them, a thin man with pale skin, entered through the front door, deliberately walking close to Merlin. He gave Merlin a sneering look and snorted disdainfully before sitting in the back row.

Merlin didn't recognize the man, but it was evident that he held some hostility toward him.

"Ah, it's Tiraffa, that self-important fool. Don't mind him, Merlin. You're already engaged to Avril. No matter how much he resents it, he can't do anything about it."

Anson spoke quietly, and Merlin nodded, storing the information away. He didn't know much about Tiraffa, but with Anson's help, he soon got the full story.

Tiraffa was the eldest son of the Wengrit family, just like Merlin was the heir of the Wilson family. Their rivalry, however, wasn't personal but rather a feud between their families. The origins were rather dramatic.

Years ago, Baron Wengrit and Merlin's father, Old Wilson, had both fallen for the same woman. They even dueled over her in secret, with Old Wilson emerging victorious. That woman became Wilson's eighth wife and was May Snow's mother.

Merlin couldn't help but be surprised. Who would have thought that Lady "Big Bust" had such allure in her youth that she caused a noble feud?

But the Wengrit-Wilson rivalry didn't end there. Tiraffa himself liked Avril, and the Wengrits had even proposed a marriage alliance with the Barman family. However, Baron Barman ultimately arranged for Avril to marry Merlin instead, deepening the feud.

"Merlin, Tiraffa loathes you and won't miss any chance to trouble you. Be careful not to get too close to him or provoke him. He's skilled—he has earth elemental affinity and may become an Earth Swordsman one day. If you cross him, the two of us together wouldn't be enough to stand against him."

Anson's voice was serious, clearly wary of Tiraffa.

"Another Elemental Swordsman?"

Merlin nodded. He had seen enough of those with elemental affinity to know better than to pick a fight with Tiraffa.

Just then, the sound of boots echoed from outside, and a woman entered the room, causing immediate silence.

The woman had long legs clad in flesh-toned stockings, a figure-hugging coat draped over her shoulders that couldn't hide her ample chest, and an alluring, curvaceous figure. She exuded both a mature charm and a graceful elegance, blending seductive appeal with poise.

"Perfect!"

Anson and Gut stared at the new teacher, clearly captivated.

Ignoring the eager gazes, she offered a faint smile and said, "I'm your new history teacher. You may call me Gia."

"Perfection. Absolute perfection! I've met the perfect woman. Merlin, Gut, you two have to promise not to compete with me for her. She's mine!" Anson muttered excitedly, already losing his composure.

Gut scoffed. "Get real, Anson. Look around—how many people have their eyes on her? But if you're serious about pursuing her, it might not be impossible. Everyone knows why teachers come here—to charm noble heirs and rise in status. I can dig up information about Gia if it'll help."

Merlin, who had little memory of this place, took it all in, noting that most of the female teachers were indeed here to attract noble suitors. According to Gut and Anson, even the last history teacher had left after successfully securing a marriage with a baron's son, so few had purely academic intentions.

Gia, however, seemed undisturbed, maintaining her calm as she began the lesson. "Alright, let's start. Today's topic is antiques."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small ring, holding it high. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the ring and casting a porcelain-white glow.