Inside Wilson Castle, Meixue watched as the door to the basement opened. Without hesitation, she swung her greatsword with all her might at the figure outside.
The sword's speed was swift, but the opponent was faster, instantly catching Meixue's wrist.
"It's me, Meixue!"
The familiar voice and figure made Meixue pause in surprise. Behind her, the chubby Gutt exclaimed with a mix of relief and excitement, "Merlin? Haha, I can't believe it's you! If you hadn't come, we'd probably be done for... But where's Tirafa?"
Gutt looked around, puzzled. He'd seen Tirafa enter the castle with hundreds of knights.
"Gutt, you're here too?"
Merlin looked at Gutt, a faintly amused expression on his face.
The butler stepped forward to explain, "Young Master Merlin, we owe a lot to Young Master Gutt this time. Without his warning of the danger, we might not have made it."
Merlin gave Gutt a serious look and said sincerely, "Gutt, I'm truly grateful that you chose to help Meixue in such a critical moment."
Coming to Wilson Castle to warn them was indeed a considerable risk, and if discovered, it would endanger the entire Douglas family.
Gutt awkwardly rubbed his hands and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, it was nothing. You're my friend; how could I not help? But honestly, I didn't do much…"
Gutt was still shaken. Not only had he failed to be of much help, but he'd nearly risked his own life in the process.
Meixue, now fully recovered from the shock, looked Merlin over and, seeing that he was unharmed, let out a relieved sigh. "Merlin, did you return with Father? Where is he?"
Merlin nodded. "Father went to the City Lord's residence. I came here with Uncle Prahl and some knights. When I didn't find you among the bodies in the castle, I guessed you might be in the basement."
At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from outside. Commander Prahl rushed over, a sense of urgency in his voice. "Young Master Merlin, the castle has been cleared of enemies. Only a few knights managed to escape. But it's not safe here. We should head to the city gate and wait for the baron."
Prahl's armor, once a brilliant silver, was now stained with blood, emitting a strong scent of iron, intimidating to anyone nearby.
"Uh… Merlin, did Tirafa escape?" Gutt asked suspiciously.
Prahl grinned coldly. "Tirafa escape? Impossible. Young Master Merlin captured him, and I personally made sure he met his end."
Gutt's face turned strange as he looked at Merlin. He was beginning to see a new confidence in his friend.
"Let's go," Merlin said, not wanting to dwell on the topic, and led the group out of Wilson Castle.
As they passed through the hall, Meixue, Gutt, and the others took in the sight of bodies strewn across the floor, the overwhelming smell of blood. Meixue turned pale, and while Gutt held on a bit longer, he couldn't help but vomit at the sight of Tirafa's body.
Tirafa lay on the floor, his face twisted in a look of agony, a clear sign of the suffering he endured before his death.
Merlin glanced at Prahl, who chuckled darkly, showing no remorse. Having fought alongside Old Wilson at the "slaughterhouse," he had seen—and done—far worse.
They exited the castle, where a few dozen knights awaited. Merlin scanned the group, noticing that only sixty knights remained. Despite the advantage his spells provided, nearly forty knights had been lost in the battle against Tirafa.
Merlin's thoughts shifted to Old Wilson, now at the City Lord's residence, where defenses were far stronger, with over a thousand knights stationed. Even with Old Wilson's heavy-armored knights, there would surely be significant losses.
"Let's move to the city gate."
Merlin led the group toward the city gate. After ensuring that Meixue, Lady Wilson, and the butler were safely settled in a carriage, he turned to Prahl. "Uncle Prahl, stay here to protect Meixue and Lady Wilson. I'm worried about Father and must head to the City Lord's residence."
Prahl hesitated, but after considering Merlin's abilities as a spellcaster, he nodded. "Understood, Young Master Merlin. I will guard the lady and her mother with my life."
Merlin, unable to ride well, called over a knight to bring him to the City Lord's residence. Just as he was about to depart, Meixue leaned out of the carriage, worried. "Merlin, what good will it do for you to go? Father has his heavy-armored knights with him; he'll be fine. You'll only be in his way."
"In his way?"
Merlin gave her an amused look, realizing she didn't know he was a spellcaster. A small smile appeared on his lips as he raised a hand toward the city gate.
"Boom!"
A fireball slammed into the gate, leaving a sizable hole in the already damaged structure.
Ignoring the shocked looks from Meixue and the others, Merlin ordered the knight to take him to the City Lord's residence.
Meixue and Gutt could only stare, wide-eyed, at the thick city gate's new hole, speechless.
***
At the City Lord's residence, Old Wilson stepped forward, his massive presence radiating an almost oppressive weight on everyone in the room.
"Pressure like this… Are you near Level-Three Elemental Swordsman?" Augdin asked with a bitter smile, sensing Old Wilson's commanding aura. Only Level-Three Elemental Swordsmen could exert such pressure, using the "power" of the elements to weigh down opponents.
"Wilson! What difference does your return make? The church's takeover is inevitable, and you're just walking to your death!" Wengrit sneered, drawing his sword. His entire body radiated a yellow light—the mark of an Earth Elemental Swordsman at Level Two.
Earth swordsmen were masters of defense, often requiring Level-Three Elemental Swordsmen considerable effort to defeat them. Confident in his strength, Wengrit took his stance in front of Old Wilson.
Old Wilson's body flared with fire, and he shot Wengrit a mocking glance.
"Flame Strike!"
Without any flourish, Old Wilson slashed downward in a straightforward, powerful blow. Wengrit, fully prepared, intensified his earth-elemental defense.
"Boom."
In disbelief, Wengrit stared at Old Wilson. With a single blow, Old Wilson had sent him sprawling to the ground.
No resistance whatsoever! After decades of rivalry, this was the first time Wengrit had felt such hopelessness.
"You're too weak… Wengrit, you're not worthy to be my opponent!"
Old Wilson barely spared him a glance as he shifted his gaze to Lord Augdin.
It was Augdin he'd come for.