Chapter 45: The Crisis at the Old Castle (Part II)
Tirafa arrived with a large force, charging towards the Wilson Castle. Originally, there were two hundred heavily armored knights stationed within the castle, but they had been called away by Prahl. Apart from these armored knights, there were still some regular knights; however, last time Merlin went to the territory, he took several dozen knights with him.
As a result, Wilson Castle's defenses were now almost non-existent, with only a few servants and a handful of knights left—completely incapable of resisting Tirafa's onslaught.
"Charge!"
Tirafa's gaze was filled with bloodlust as he looked at the ancient castle before him. Leading over a hundred knights, he stormed into Wilson Castle, saying nothing, his sword raised high as he slaughtered the guards and servants within.
The air was soon thick with the scent of blood. Even Meixue and others in the hall could smell it.
Meixue's face turned ashen, while the chubby Gutt looked stricken, muttering softly, "I didn't think Tirafa would be this ruthless. He's set on wiping out the Wilson family!"
"Miss Meixue, Young Master Gutt, please follow me quickly, before Tirafa finds you."
The butler spoke in a low voice. With the Wilson Castle now completely devoid of defensive forces, if they didn't hide, they would be at Tirafa's mercy.
Immediately, the butler led Gutt, Meixue, and Lady Wilson to Old Wilson's room, where he quickly activated a secret mechanism.
A low rumble echoed, and a circular passage opened within the room.
"Get in quickly. This is a basement built by the baron, modeled after a military fortress. It's safe inside, and it's unlikely that Tirafa will discover it anytime soon," urged the butler.
Curious, Meixue couldn't help but wonder. She had lived in Wilson Castle for so many years, yet she never knew there was such a hidden basement here.
Gutt hurried in first, followed by Meixue, Lady Wilson, and the butler, who carefully closed the entrance behind them.
By now, Wilson Castle had become a scene of carnage. Blood was everywhere, and hundreds of servants lay dead under the swords of Tirafa's knights.
"Search everywhere! Merlin is not in the castle, but Meixue must be!" Tirafa ordered as he strode into the deserted hall, noting that Meixue was nowhere to be seen. Knowing she must be hiding, he commanded his knights to search every corner of Wilson Castle.
***
Merlin awoke from his sleep and gently lifted the curtain of his carriage, noticing that dawn had broken. The air was damp and cold; it was already morning.
"Moss, how close are we?" Merlin asked.
Moss turned his head slightly. His face was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot with fatigue. Moss had been traveling with the knight squad through the night, utterly exhausted.
"Young Master Merlin, in about an hour, we'll reach Blackwater City," Moss replied quietly.
"An hour more?" Merlin frowned slightly. Today was the day the city lord had summoned all the nobles, and if they arrived late and someone else seized control of Blackwater City, it would be disastrous.
Merlin also worried about Wilson Castle's safety.
However, they had already pushed to their fastest speed, so there was no point in further anxiety. Merlin settled back into the carriage and began to review the changes within his mental sea.
Just yesterday, he had simulated the Frost Spell in his mind, and after a night's accumulation, the ice elements had grown steadily. Merlin estimated that he could now cast the Frost Spell three times.
"Three times, that's enough!"
Merlin knew the purpose of the Frost Spell. It wasn't an offensive spell but a binding one, so it didn't require numerous casts—just enough to create a strong restraint.
For offense, he could rely on Fireball. Over the past months, his mana had grown substantial, allowing him to cast nearly twenty continuous Fireballs.
Moreover, with the Bell Pendant, he could unleash eighteen large Fireballs, a secret weapon he preferred not to use lightly.
After a night's rest, his mental strength was almost fully restored. Now, Merlin was at his peak.
"I hope Meixue is safe…" he murmured, a glint of resolve occasionally flashing in his calm gaze.
An hour later, the towering walls of Blackwater City appeared in the distance. The walls were lined with archers, while the massive gate remained tightly shut.
"Something's wrong! The church has made its move!" Old Wilson waved his hand, and the galloping knights immediately halted, their eyes fixed on the closed gates of Blackwater City.
Only in emergencies were the gates shut. Clearly, something drastic had happened inside.
Old Wilson looked up at the people on the walls. Judging by their attire, they appeared to be members of the city defense force.
"What do we do, Baron?" Commander Prahl approached Old Wilson, gazing at the closed gates with worry.
"We're still too late…"
Old Wilson shook his head helplessly. His original plan was to reach Blackwater City before the church made its move, hoping the gates would still be open.
But they were too late; the church had seized control of the gates.
Old Wilson clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot with frustration. But with the gates shut, without large-scale siege equipment, there was no way to break through.
"Unless there's a powerful sorcerer who could blast open the gates!"
An idea flashed through Old Wilson's mind as he remembered the powerful sorcerers of the Black Moon Kingdom. A single terrifying spell could devastate even the most fortified stronghold, let alone a mere city gate.
"Quick, bring Merlin here," he ordered.
Soon, Prahl brought Merlin to Old Wilson's side. Old Wilson pointed to the city gates and asked gravely, "Merlin, can you blast open the gates of Blackwater City? If we can't open them, we'll have to retreat to our territory, and Meixue and the others may be in grave danger…"
Old Wilson looked at Merlin with intense anticipation.
Merlin squinted slightly as he studied the gate. After a moment, he nodded calmly and replied, "I'll give it a try."
Whether he could shatter this fortified gate, Merlin wasn't entirely sure.