Chapter 19: The Spell Manuscript

"Meixue?" Merlin furrowed his brow, casting a questioning look at the butler.

The butler gave a helpless smile and explained, "Young Master Merlin, Miss Meixue found out herself."

Meixue stood there, her face pale, staring intensely at Merlin. Merlin sighed inwardly; dealing with his younger sister was never easy, as she seemed to forever see him as someone in need of discipline.

Seeing that she was about to speak, Merlin quickly grabbed her hand, speaking in a low tone, "Not here. We'll talk at home. Get in the carriage."

Meixue, pulled along by Merlin, climbed into the carriage. The butler and Mos took their seats outside, and they slowly departed from the church.

Inside the carriage, shielded from the cold winds, it was comfortably warm, though a tense silence hung in the air. Meixue gazed intently at Merlin, as if she had words she was holding back, while Merlin maintained a calm expression.

After a while, Merlin looked up and asked, "Go ahead, what do you want to know?"

Meixue's face softened slightly, though a mix of emotions lingered. Finally, she asked, "Is it all resolved?"

"Mostly taken care of. The Church should be leaving for Gran City soon, so there shouldn't be any more issues," Merlin replied, keeping his tone level.

"Good. Since this involves the Church, even small issues can become big ones, and with Father not around… it's best if you lay low for now," Meixue advised gravely. "I'll let Sir Pero know you'll be absent for a while and say you're unwell."

Merlin nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll stay in the castle for now and avoid going out."

In truth, Merlin had already planned to stay at home and focus on studying Aita's spell manuscript. With Meixue handling things with Sir Pero, he could avoid drawing unwanted attention.

When the carriage arrived back at Wilson Castle, Merlin issued instructions to the butler to inform any visitors that he was unavailable, regardless of who they were. Afterward, he retired to his room.

After a brief rest, Merlin carefully retrieved the ring he had hidden near his bed. Just holding the ring filled him with excitement.

He recalled the tension in the church. In Jason's presence, he had felt so insignificant, aware that if Jason had found him suspicious, he could have been killed on the spot.

Wizards, masters of powerful spells, were the true force in this world!

Merlin let his consciousness slip into the ring. With a thought, the thick spell manuscript materialized in his hand. He placed it gently on the desk and decided to examine the ring more closely.

"If it can hold the manuscript, it should be able to hold other things as well."

Curious, he took out the mysterious carving and, focusing his mind, willed it into the ring. In an instant, the carving vanished, and upon looking inside the ring, Merlin saw it now lay there.

Satisfied that he could store other items in the ring, Merlin felt reassured. The mysterious carving was safest kept within the ring.

Merlin then picked up the spell manuscript again and opened it. Unlike before, when curiosity alone had driven him, he now aimed to understand its contents. However, after a few attempts, he shook his head in frustration. Despite Aita's notes as a guide, deciphering the text word by word was agonizingly slow and ineffective.

To make real progress, he would need to master the Mortan language—a task that required him to learn at least a thousand words before the manuscript's contents would be comprehensible.

With this in mind, Merlin decided to return the spell manuscript to the ring. He vowed not to take it out again until he had mastered enough of the Mortan language to understand it.

---

In Wilson Castle's grand hall, the butler rushed in with a hint of urgency.

"Young Master Merlin, the Knight Protectors from Gran City have left Blackwater City this morning."

The butler's face bore a smile, for Merlin had asked him to keep an eye on their movements and report any changes.

Merlin sprang to his feet. "Are they all gone? None left behind, especially that leader, Jason?"

"They're all gone, under Jason's command," the butler confirmed. "They filled three carriages with items taken from the heretic's home. I made sure to verify it multiple times."

"You did well," Merlin said, finally relaxing. Though he had remained indoors, he had been closely monitoring the Knight Protectors' actions. Now, assured they had departed, he could focus on his studies without worry.

"Has anyone come to see me lately?" Merlin asked.

The butler hesitated before replying, "Yesterday, Young Master Anson and Young Master Gute came by, but Miss Meixue turned them away."

Merlin chuckled, dismissing the matter. Anson and Gute likely had nothing urgent, and with them turned away, he could study the Mortan language undisturbed.

Freed from other distractions, Merlin dedicated himself fully to his language studies. Within just a few days, he had learned over a hundred more words, bringing his vocabulary to over three hundred. With each word he acquired, the language's patterns became clearer, allowing him to progress even faster.

"At this rate, in a month, I'll have a thousand words down and finally be able to delve into the manuscript."

He eagerly anticipated that day.

---

A warm glow from the crackling fireplace filled the hall. October had arrived, bringing colder weather. Outside, frost formed on the cobbled pathways, and the castle staff braved the biting wind as they scraped away the ice.

In the hall, Merlin and Meixue dined together. The table was laden with buttered bread, wheat porridge, and steaming milk. Meixue watched Merlin eat with an expression of hesitation, as if unsure how to broach a subject.

"Meixue, I'm done," Merlin said, wiping his mouth with a white cloth before preparing to leave.

"Wait, Merlin," Meixue called, her brows furrowing as she put down her fork and spoke quietly. "Why didn't you go out with Anson and Gute when they came to visit yesterday?"

Merlin gave her a bemused look. In the past, she had always disapproved of Anson and Gute, dismissing them as his "bad influences." If she ever ran into them, she usually had little kindness to spare.

But today, her tone held an unfamiliar concern. Shrugging, Merlin replied, "There's nothing pressing. Besides, with this cold, it's more comfortable staying in the castle."

"Merlin," Meixue began, her gaze tinged with worry, "you've been cooped up in the castle for over a month now. You should get some fresh air."

Merlin sensed her unease and realized that his recent behavior—staying indoors for such an extended period—must have seemed strange. She likely thought that the incident with the Church had affected him deeply.

With a reassuring smile, he nodded and said, "I'll go out when I can."

After that, he quickly left for his room, leaving Meixue in thought. She was still troubled by Merlin's unusual conduct, as he was rarely one to stay home for so long.

The butler, seeing her concern, offered a gentle smile and said, "Miss Meixue, though Young Master Merlin has been indoors lately, he's in good spirits. I'm sure he's fine."

His words eased her worries somewhat, and after bundling up, she hurried out of the castle.

---

Once back in his room, Merlin wasted no time. Only truly important matters would prompt him to leave the castle at this point.

He was progressing rapidly with the Mortan language; as of today, he had mastered over eleven hundred words, which he now deemed sufficient to understand the spell manuscript.

Retrieving the ring from its hiding place, Merlin channeled his focus, and with a thought, the thick spell manuscript appeared in his hands once more.

When he had initially glanced at it, his limited knowledge of Mortan had left him puzzled. Now, finally, he was ready to uncover its secrets.