The maids quickly cleared the dining table as Merlin rose, ready to head upstairs to rest.
"Merlin, I have some news for you," May Snow called out.
"What news?" Merlin asked, turning back with a curious look.
"Tomorrow, Perot the swordsman is taking us to the church in Grand City to meet young people from other cities," she replied.
Merlin's brows furrowed slightly. He knew that May Snow's "us" likely didn't include him. It referred to those with elemental affinity, individuals the church deemed highly promising and worth cultivating.
"How long will you be gone?" he asked.
"About four or five days."
Merlin nodded. "Under Perot's leadership, you'll be safe. That's reassuring."
With that, he turned and headed up to his room. Watching his retreating back, May Snow murmured to herself, "Merlin's different somehow…"
His tone and manner had noticeably changed. In the past, Merlin would never have said something as considerate as, "That's reassuring."
Back in his room, Merlin didn't feel like sleeping. He sat on the bed and once again positioned himself into the strange pose depicted on the relief. By now, the posture felt familiar, and he easily sank into it. Before he knew it, he'd leaned back into the soft bed and drifted into a deep sleep.
---
Merlin woke early the next morning. Outside, snow had fallen all night, and a thin layer of frost had gathered around the window, making the room quite chilly.
Shivering, Merlin realized he had fallen asleep while contorted in the relief's posture, which left him feeling unexpectedly refreshed and energized, despite the cold.
"Covered in sweat again…" he muttered, wiping the greasy perspiration from his arms and feeling the sticky discomfort across his skin.
"Lucy, bring me some hot water," Merlin called after opening the door. Although Lucy found it unusual for him to bathe in such cold weather, she dared not question him and dutifully filled the tub with hot water.
Merlin quickly scrubbed away the sweat. Despite being chilled overnight, he felt surprisingly vigorous, his face rosy and his body full of energy.
"Lucy, is Young Master Merlin bathing again?" came an elderly voice.
Merlin immediately recognized the butler's voice, apparently addressing Lucy.
"Yes, sir," Lucy replied softly. "The young master started his bath early this morning."
"Understood. Prepare hot water for him every morning from now on."
After the butler's quiet instructions, their footsteps faded down the hall.
"Thoughtful of him," Merlin mused, chuckling softly. He guessed that the butler had come to summon him for breakfast, so he quickly got up and opened the bedroom door.
"Hm? No one's here?" Merlin was puzzled. He had heard the voices distinctly outside his door, so how could they be gone?
Perplexed, he walked down the hall and glanced downstairs, where he saw the butler and Lucy chatting in the corridor below.
"In the hall? But their voices sounded so close…"
Merlin raised an eyebrow, suspecting that somehow, he had overheard their conversation from the floor below. As he reached the dining hall, he grabbed a piece of bread absentmindedly, preoccupied by this unexpected change.
While nibbling on the bread, Merlin became aware of distant conversations reaching his ears:
"This weather's so strange. It's not even winter yet, but it's freezing!"
"Hurry up with that work, Norp, or if the butler catches you slacking again, you'll be out of a job."
Merlin concentrated on the sounds around him. These people were dozens, if not hundreds, of meters away, yet he could distinctly hear their voices. It was undeniable—his hearing had sharpened remarkably.
This change had occurred suddenly. Merlin was sure that before he'd fallen asleep the previous night, he had no such enhanced hearing. Now he could clearly pick up footsteps and conversations from great distances.
"Young Master Merlin, would you like anything else?" The butler's question snapped him out of his thoughts, and he realized he'd finished the bread in his hand.
"No, I'm done," he replied, wiping his mouth before hurrying back to his room.
Once there, Merlin took out the relief from its hiding spot by the bed. He was certain his newfound abilities were linked to the peculiar posture he'd practiced from the relief.
Beyond hearing, he felt a notable increase in his strength and agility. With continued practice, his physical condition could improve even further.
Merlin lingered in his room for a while, then bundled up in a thick coat, draped a gray scarf around his neck, and put on leather gloves. Properly insulated, he headed downstairs.
Outside, the snowfall had blanketed the castle grounds in a thick layer of white. Bare branches were covered in snow, transforming the landscape into a pure, pristine winter scene.
Moss waited by the carriage, his face red from the cold as he rubbed his hands together. Merlin, eager to escape the chill, climbed into the carriage. "Let's go," he said.
As the carriage started moving, Merlin suddenly noticed how empty it felt.
"Wait… where's May Snow?"
"She left the castle early this morning, sir," Moss replied.
Merlin nodded, recalling that May Snow had accompanied Perot to Grand City and would be gone for several days. In the meantime, he wouldn't need to attend the church.
With etiquette lessons scheduled for the afternoon, Merlin had the morning free. After thinking for a moment, he realized that, apart from Nason's antique shop, he had explored little of this world since his arrival. The strange relief had sparked a deep curiosity in him about Morta Empire relics.
"Moss, stop the carriage. We're not going to the church. Take me to Mr. Nason's instead," he instructed loudly.
Nason's antique shop was the perfect place to delve deeper into the ancient mysteries that now captivated him.