Merlin had always imagined the moment when he would finally meet Old Wilson, picturing all sorts of possibilities in his mind. However, he felt unusually calm when it actually happened.
"Merlin, why are you here?"
Old Wilson jumped off the horse swiftly and paced to Merlin. His eyes brimming with gentle love.
Merlin had to tilt his head slightly upward when speaking to Old Wilson who had a great stature. He was nearly two meters tall and appeared as strong as a horse. A bloody smell assailed Merlin's nostrils as soon as his father came near.
"Father, have you encountered bandits?"
Merlin did not hurry to answer but replied with a question.
Old Wilson gently sheathed his bloody greatsword back into its scabbard and replied nonchalantly, "It's not a big deal, just a few bandits that I've killed. Come on, let's head inside."
Hence, Merlin followed Old Wilson into the castle. Old Wilson took off the black suits of armor with the help of servants. Merlin was shocked as he watched the three servants walked away carrying the armor with difficulty. Old Wilson's black suit of armor must have weighed at least three hundred catties.
Having a Normie put on an armor that weighed nearly three hundred catties was already a question, not to mention to travel in it. However, Old Wilson could move about freely and even combat in that armor. It showed that Old Wilson physical quality was rather extraordinary.
Initially, Merlin thought Old Wilson was only a Second-level Fire Swordsman, but now it seemed that Old Wilson was more than he appeared on the surface. A usual Second-level Fire Swordsman could never manage such a heavy armor.
Not only was Old Wilson a Second-level Fire Swordsman, he was also endowed by nature's natural gift. He who possessed exceptional force had extremely outstanding physical quality. Even his pure physical force was stronger than any other Second-level Elemental Swordsman.
'No wonder father survived the expedition to the Kingdom of Blackmoon, also known as the Slaughterhouse. Besides having accumulated an abundance of military exploits that eventually made him a noble, his physical quality was his biggest asset!'
At the moment, Merlin could sense that numerous Fire Elements were being absorbed into Old Wilson's body at an accelerated speed. Old Wilson should have already reached the vertical limit of Second-level Fire Swordsman by now. When the suitable moment arrived, it was likely that he would upgrade to a Third-level Swordsman!
Merlin could not see through the actual strength of Old Wilson, but he deeply believed with Old Wilson's terrifying strength, he could easily be on par with a Third-level Elemental Swordsman.
The female butler led Old Wilson to the bathroom. Moments later, Old Wilson, brimming with energy, entered the hall in a new change of clothes.
The dauntless bloody smell lingered on Old Wilson disappeared when he removed the black armor; without it, he appeared as mild as a lamb. He walked over to Merlin's side and patted his shoulder lightly as his eyes inspected Merlin from up to down. A few seconds later, a smile washed over his face. "Not bad, you've grown up as a strong man, just like your father!"
It was evident that Old Wilson was genuinely delighted at the improvement of Merlin's health. No one who had seen Merlin at his previously weak form would believe he was Old Wilson's son.
"Oh right, Merlin, why are you here at the manor instead of Blackwater City? Did anything happen back home?"
A hint of austerity flashed across Old Wilson's eyes. That gentleness hung on his face just moments before had seemingly turned into something frantic.
Fortunately, Merlin's Mind Power was forceful enough to suppress his inner emotions instead of being charged by Old Wilson's sudden violent pang.
"Father, everything is alright back home. I'm only here to notify you that the castellan wishes to invite all noblemen in Blackwater City to his residence for a meeting, in order to solve the issue with bandits."
Merlin provided a full account of the incident to his father, Old Wilson, whose brows knitted together in concentration.
After a moment, Old Wilson finally raised his head and spoke softly, "Almost every small town around Blackwater City was harassed by the bandits, but what's strange is that not one town has experienced any destructive damage. It was as if these bandits had more planned than mere looting.
"No matter what, these bandits must go. Otherwise, the small towns around Blackwater City and many of the noblemen's manors will never be peaceful again. I've encountered a small group of bandits when I patrolled the area a few days ago. They were only a small group slightly bigger than ten, and their force wasn't strong either. My heavy knights knocked them down in an instant. But our effort to locate the swarm of well-hidden bandits was still to no avail.
"It shall make the operation easier if the whole noble force of Blackwater City was to gather. Oh, right, did Augustin mention the date of this meeting?"
"Probably the day after tomorrow," Merlin replied softly.
"The day after tomorrow? Very well. That gives us plenty of time if we depart tomorrow. Merlin, we'll leave for Blackwater City tomorrow."
Old Wilson came to a decision quickly. It seemed this gang of bandits posed a huge threat. Even Old Wilson thought the force of Blackwater City's every nobleman was needed to drive out these bandits.
**************
Merlin rose from his dream in the early morning of the next day. Dawn had just broken, but servants were already shuttling back and forth on their duties.
Merlin dressed up and headed right downstairs.
Old Wilson was still not awake. Merlin glanced toward the direction of Old Wilson's room. Last night, he thought he saw that alluring female butler tiptoe into Old Wilson's bedroom.
Merlin shook his head as if to dismiss the distracting thoughts. He extended his gaze at the enclosure wall outside of the castle. He remembered that peculiar gush of wind last night had come just right from under that mottled wall.
"Young Master Merlin!"
Most of the guards and servants in the castle had already familiarized themselves with Merlin. They bowed respectfully at each encounter with their young master. Merlin nodded with smiles and headed outside of the castle.
"Whizz…"
The early morning of winter was freezing cold. The slight amount of snow that fell last night had covered the surface of the earth with slippery dampness.
Merlin checked his surroundings. Only after making sure that no one was in sight did he head for the enclosure wall. Soon, he arrived at the place where the strange wind whooshed last night. The ground surface on this area was unusually even, probably a forced work of the gush of wind last night.
"Here we are."
Merlin came to the corner of the wall and squatted silently. That strange wave of spell he sensed last night was probably concealed right underneath the wall.
The soil underneath the wall was soft and moist, hence Merlin extended his hands and began to dig with caution.
A few moments later, among the dampen soil, Merlin's hand felt a hard, cold object.
"This is the casting tool?"
Merlin was delighted. He did not care to look at the object unearthed before he wrapped it around with the cloth that he brought along beforehand. Then, he headed back to the castle as if nothing happened.