Chapter 95: The Token (Part 2)

Shelise understood Merlin's intent and, after pressing her lips together and deliberating for a moment, finally said in a low voice, "If you're willing to help, we're prepared to give you half of our wealth."

She finished and looked straight at Merlin.

Merlin's expression remained unchanged, his face calm as he shook his head slightly. "Not enough."

Shelise's fists clenched tightly as her chest heaved, showing her inner tension. But she persisted, saying, "We're willing to give you seventy percent of our wealth!"

Again, Merlin responded calmly, "Not enough."

Shelise finally couldn't contain herself and shouted, "Lord Merlin, do you have any idea how much wealth we're talking about? Seventy percent would be beyond your imagination!"

After venting her frustration, she realized Merlin remained entirely unaffected.

After a long silence, Shelise bit her lip, seeming to come to a difficult decision. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Besides seventy percent of our wealth, I will also stay and serve you."

The statement was a blow to her pride. For the once proud princess, giving herself up to serve a man, like a lowly maid, was a complete abandonment of her dignity.

Especially considering that the man in front of her was someone she had previously never even considered worthy of her attention.

With a slight movement, Shelise removed her outer robe, revealing her graceful figure.

Merlin narrowed his eyes, studying Shelise and comparing her to the other strikingly beautiful women he'd encountered.

Among them, Avelyn had the most delicate features, almost doll-like in appearance but lacking some maturity—perhaps due to her youth.

Gia, on the other hand, exuded an alluring charm that captivated the senses and ignited desire.

Shelise possessed a mature, womanly air as well, but hers was more refined—a regal aura that came from her upbringing in the royal court, something that couldn't be easily replicated.

Merlin could see Shelise was resolute. For the safety of the royal family's last heir, Bening, she was willing to surrender her pride and negotiate with Merlin. She'd likely made similar promises to Baron Valen before.

However, Merlin was unfazed by such offers. Regardless of how much wealth Shelise proposed, it didn't tempt him. So he shook his head once more and said, "Still not enough."

With a sharp intake of breath, Shelise's face turned pale.

In that moment, she realized that no matter what price she offered, it wouldn't sway the man before her.

Shelise exhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. Despite feeling defeated, she didn't leave; instead, she continued to watch Merlin intently.

Merlin frowned. He thought he had been clear—whatever Shelise was willing to offer, he wouldn't agree.

"Miss Shelise," Merlin began, "I believe I made myself clear. I won't—"

His words stopped abruptly. His gaze was fixed on a black ring in Shelise's hand, a glint of surprise in his eyes.

He sensed something peculiar about the ring, as if it held a special power.

Lightly caressing the ring, Shelise spoke in a steady voice, "This ring is a token of Darklight Dominion. With it, you can gain entry to Darklight Dominion and become a powerful spellcaster. Will this be enough to earn your help?"

Merlin's breath caught as his face registered surprise. The idea was astonishing, and he spoke in a low tone, "This is a token of Darklight Dominion?"

"Yes, it's a token from Darklight Dominion, one of the most powerful spellcaster organizations in the Blackmoon Kingdom," Shelise affirmed.

Hearing her confirmation, Merlin finally believed it. The black ring Shelise held was indeed what he had been longing for—a key to joining a spellcaster organization.

Darklight Dominion was no stranger to Merlin. The black-robed elder had once mentioned that it was the closest organization to Pugas City, which was traditionally within Darklight Dominion's sphere of influence.

Merlin carefully took the ring from Shelise's hand. The ring was black and surprisingly light, though he couldn't tell what material it was made of.

Intricate symbols and arcane patterns decorated its surface. From his study of the spell manuscripts left by Master Etta, Merlin knew that spellcasters' history ran deep, ancient enough that no one truly knew when they had first emerged. Those early spellcasters had not only developed magic but had also left behind fields of study such as alchemy, potion-making, and sigil crafting.

For example, the black-robed elder stabilized his unstable spell model using certain potions, which kept it from collapsing. But he had only one potion recipe and had never truly studied potion-making. Only within spellcaster organizations could these disciplines be systematically learned and mastered.

The same was true for alchemy and sigil crafting. The black ring in front of Merlin, though he couldn't yet discern its secrets, was covered in mysterious sigils. Even if it weren't a token of Darklight Dominion, it was clearly an extraordinary object.

"Perhaps the black-robed elder would recognize this ring," Merlin thought. He decided to visit him again when he had the chance.

"Well?" Shelise pressed, "This ring can get you into a spellcaster organization. Now, will you protect us?"

Shelise bit her lip, her voice low but firm. Clearly, this ring was her final card. She wouldn't have offered it unless she had no other options.

Merlin pocketed the ring, letting his gaze linger boldly on Shelise as he replied with a slight smile, "Sheltering you both without reason? Of course not."

"What more do you want?" Shelise's face flushed with anger as she glared at him.

"But if you were my woman," Merlin continued, "then it would be a different story."

With that, Merlin pulled Shelise into his arms.