Chapter 80: The Arrival (Part 2)

As night fell, a soft rain mingled with snow drifted down outside. Occasionally, a gust of cold wind blew through the entrance, keeping the grand hall from ever quite warming up.

The fire in the hearth burned brightly, crackling occasionally in the stillness.

In the hall, only four people were present: Baron Sellen, the old man in the black robe, young Sherry, and Merlin.

Baron Sellen leaned back in a wooden chair beside the hearth, eyes half-closed. The heat had reddened one side of his face, and while he seemed calm, his hands clenched tightly together, betraying his inner tension.

The old man sat cross-legged on the ground, his long black robe enveloping his body, giving him an air of mystery as the evening shadows deepened.

Sherry paced idly through the hall, her usual vivacity dampened. Since today marked Meliron's "Day of Vengeance," Baron Sellen had ordered her to stay close, fearing some unexpected danger.

Merlin remained in meditation. This setting wasn't suitable for practicing spells or rehearsing the mysterious postures from the relief carvings, but it was perfect for mental training.

Despite being in a meditative state, Merlin stayed attuned to his surroundings, ready to react to the slightest sound.

Yet, as dusk approached, all was still. Where was Meliron?

Merlin wasn't alone in wondering. Surely, everyone in the castle shared his sense of anticipation. Could it be that Meliron wouldn't come after all?

"Father, where's Brother?" Sherry asked, her expression falling. Her naturally lively nature had been stifled after a full day of enforced idleness in the hall, and she was clearly growing restless.

"Sherry, just stay put. Today is no ordinary day. Don't—"

Baron Sellen's stern reprimand was abruptly interrupted by a loud crash from outside the hall.

The noise was followed by a flurry of confusion outside the castle, mingled with the sounds of galloping hooves and panicked shouts.

"He's here?" Merlin snapped out of his meditation, his eyes darting to the entrance.

Baron Sellen tensed, clutching the arms of his chair as he stared intently at the door. Even the usually unshaken old man raised his head slightly, narrowing his eyes as he looked out.

Everyone in the hall held their breath, eyes fixed on the door.

A gust of cold wind swept in, and with it, a tall figure emerged.

"Cook? What's happening outside?"

Seeing that it was Cook, Baron Sellen's brow furrowed, but he remained on edge as he asked in a low voice.

Cook's black armor was speckled with snow, and his eyes were bloodshot, evidence that he too had remained on high alert outside.

"Father, it was just a few startled horses. They broke free from the stables and disrupted some of our guards. I've already ordered them secured, and the situation is under control."

Cook's explanation revealed it to be nothing more than a minor disturbance—not Meliron's arrival.

"Perhaps everyone is just a bit too tense. Cook, return to your post. It's nearly dark, and this is the most critical time. No one can let their guard down."

Baron Sellen raised a hand, about to dismiss Cook when the black-robed elder suddenly stood up.

"Heh, Meliron is already here!" the old man rasped, a chilling smile on his lips.

Cook's expression darkened as he eyed the old man coldly. "Mage Hill, if Meliron were here, I'd know. The entire castle is sealed. How could he have gotten in?"

Cook's words had barely left his lips when another resounding crash echoed outside, this time mingled with terrified screams.

"He's really here!"

Merlin took a deep breath, his voice heavy. He could feel a surge of fire elemental energy—a telltale sign of a spellcaster's magic at work.

Cook's face twisted in anger as he turned and strode out of the hall.

***

"Five years... I've waited five years for this day! Sellen, do you remember the scene? You personally ordered the execution of my father, mother, brother, and sister! But I survived. I became a spellcaster. Today is the day of my vengeance, and everyone in this castle will die!"

A young man with short brown hair, dressed in armor like the other knights of the castle, was hurling fire from his hands, burning every knight who dared to confront him.

No one—whether a first, second, or even third-level elemental swordsman—could withstand his flames. The intense heat melted the surrounding snow, igniting dried grass buried beneath and sending thick smoke into the air, filling the area with agonized screams and making it hard to discern direction.

"Meliron!"

Clad in black armor, Cook had finally arrived. His face was ashen, his gaze fixed on the figure spreading destruction. Seeing Meliron's disguise, Cook instantly understood.

Meliron must have infiltrated the castle earlier. The incident with the startled horses had likely been a diversion, a deliberate ploy to draw attention and disrupt Cook's defenses.

And it had worked. Meliron's massacre targeted hidden guards one by one, creating utter chaos.

Though Meliron's expression was wild, his eyes bloodshot and face twisted with fury, he remained eerily calm, calculating each move with precision. Every time he released a spell, another elemental swordsman was engulfed in flames, while Meliron himself moved fluidly, untouched.

"Fire and wind spells," observed Mage Hill from the stone steps outside the hall. His gaze fixed on Meliron, studying his techniques with interest.

Merlin extended his mental senses, focusing on Meliron. As the old man had noted, Meliron was using both fire and wind spells.

The fire spells differed from Merlin's own Fireball; they didn't explode but instead created a continuous blaze, spreading across a large area.

What intrigued Merlin even more was Meliron's wind spell, which allowed him to move with ghostly swiftness—a type of auxiliary wind magic that Merlin had been seeking.

"Meliron!"

Cook's bellow reverberated through the castle like a wild beast's roar.

Without hesitation, Cook strode toward Meliron, his aura growing more formidable with each step, becoming almost palpable.

"It begins!"

Watching Cook advance on Meliron, Mage Hill, Merlin, and the others tensed, their eyes fixed on the impending clash.