Chapter 90
However, this time, he smiled softly and replied, "You know, she used to have a human body. Then she saved me. I'm the reason she's like this." He paused as Rachel ruffled her feathers. "But we're on the road to recovery at the moment." Gray looked at Ciri and said, "It's time for me to go back to my world. My magical school is starting soon, not to mention I need to collect royalties from selling my potions." He smiled widely, stunning Ciri further as she observed the true Gray—someone who smiled, someone who looked normal. She compared him to the cold, distant, and detached Gray she once knew. They seemed like two entirely different people, yet they were the same. "I guess this is goodbye then," Ciri said with a sigh. Gray nodded and replied, "Look, Ciri, don't let anyone tell you who you are—not even them," he said, glancing at Yennefer and Geralt.
"You get to determine who Cirilla of Cintra is, nobody else—not even the Elder Blood can define you," he added, shocking Ciri. She smiled and said, "You really know too much about me, huh?" Gray leaned in and whispered, "You're not the only one who can see through time and space." They both chuckled before Gray sighed, "Goodbye, Ciri, and good luck." He was surprised when she hugged him, an awkward embrace at first, but he patted her back and said, "Good luck, Witcher." As she let go, Gray walked toward a rift that led back to his world. Summoning his domain, he felt like he was atop everything. Reaching for the rift, he changed its structure to take him back to the wizarding world. Before stepping through, he looked back at Ciri, waving goodbye as she waved back. Returning to his world, Gray felt ready for what awaited him, with Rachel by his side and his newfound mastery of magic. Unbeknownst to him, his greatest challenges were yet to come, but he knew he was prepared.
-scene change-
The moment Gray appeared back in the wizarding world, he had his domain active. He saw everything from a new perspective, observing lines that stretched so far and high they resembled a web. "A web of lies and deceit," he thought to himself as he looked around, noticing many of the lines trying to reach him. "This is Probably how they track me," he mused, making the lines miss him. Since he was in his domain, making himself nonexistent to the lines was easy, and he did just that, taking a deep breath as an idea struck him.
Looking at the rift behind him, he smiled and took out his staff, where Raven was peacefully sleeping, only to be disturbed as she looked at him with annoyance. She had been drinking magic from the arcane stone on the staff. "Yeah dont give that look, I have something I need to do," Gray said with a smile as she flew off the staff and landed on his head like it was her nest before falling asleep. Gray chuckled, removing his ring, and moved everything out of it— and it was alot as it was all the ingredient he got from the fight, Holding the staff, he began chanting in Latin, tearing the dimensional rift from its place and turning it into liquid.
He funneled the liquid dimensional rift into the ring which was the suitcase that has been his hope for years, which grew unstable. Gray magically enforced the ring, making it more durable, and after a while, the rift was fully absorbed. Once he finished casting, Gray entered the ring. However, he didn't find himself inside a room, instead he was floating above a large island suspended in a blue sky, with an endless ocean below. Using the rift, Gray had transformed his suitcase into a ring containing a small dimension. "Weak, my ass," he muttered, marveling at his newfound power. He didn't even need the wand, as his domain alone could've achieved this, but he was content.
Gray named the island "Pangea" and began terraforming it into five regions. At the center was the World Tree, a large tree he had grown magically. To the south of the tree was a sandy area with a saltwater pond. To the north lay the coldest part of the island, covered in ice and snow. The west featured a vast desert with a small oasis, while the east housed a forest and mountains. Using his magic, Gray constructed his home and workshop in the center. He also cast protective spells in Latin to safeguard the area.
"Well, it's done," Gray said, removing Raven from his shoulder as she took flight to explore Pangea. Meanwhile, Gray planted magical plants and herbs in their suitable regions. Raven eventually returned, ruffling snow from her feathers. "Look who had fun. You like Pangea, huh?" Gray asked, and Raven nodded before settling on the staff to absorb more magic. After finishing his planting, Gray expanded his domain to encompass all of Pangea, allowing him to bless the soil which he could do and assess his efforts. Satisfied, he dismissed his domain. "Time to restock my materials," he said aloud, pondering what might have changed in the world.
What he didn't expect was just how far things had spiraled since he left. Two weeks after his arrival, Gray, now wearing a robe, was heading towards the Ministry of Magic, trailed by paparazzi snapping pictures. Some yelled, "Mr. Knight, is it true that you use unicorn blood in your makeup potions?" One reporter's voice stood out, but Gray ignored him. However, he smiled knowingly as he sensed strangers among the crowd—figures dressed in elegant but modest robes, adorned with silver jewelry enchanted to amplify their charm magic. Gray, of course, could both see and feel the subtle spells. These figures carried wands and staves tipped with small gemstones and used basic charm spells, such as minor persuasion and voice manipulation, to incite the masses against him. But instead of anger, Gray's smile widened. "Looks like they switched up their tactics," he mused.
These individuals were members of the Order of Merlin, who had been busy spreading rumors about Gray being a dark wizard and using unicorn blood in his potions. While their accusations weren't entirely false—Gray had indeed used unicorn blood in the past—the makeup potions did not contain it. Their goal was clear: to attack Gray's reputation and hurt his primary source of income. Gray wasn't going to let that slide, but he had no intention of getting physical. Instead, he decided to fight them on their own turf. Activating his domain—unnoticed by the crowd—Gray trapped the manipulators within it, rendering them helpless. Yet, he refrained from harming them. Instead, he delved into their memories without triggering the self-destruct spells they carried, extracting every piece of information about their plans and organization.
Gray's suspicions were confirmed. These individuals indeed belonged to the Order of Merlin, specifically to a division called the Voice of Merlin, which dealt with espionage and politics. Other divisions had attacked him before: the assassins belonged to the Shadows of Merlin, while the martial art mages were part of the Hands of Merlin. Yet two divisions remained unseen: the Intelligence Division and the Mage Division, the latter being the strongest. Gray learned their ranks and hierarchy: the lowest were the Silver Tongues, followed by Whisperweavers, Mind Shapers, and finally the Sirens of Merlin, with only a few at the top leading them all. Each division had similar rankings, and their numbers were staggering—hundreds of thousands of Silver Tongues, thousands of Whisperweavers, hundreds of Mind Shapers, and only a few dozen Sirens. This ancient organization, likely predating him, made Gray pause and wonder, "Were they here before me?"