"You don’t know, you say? How is that possible?" rlin froze in disbelief.
Just a mont ago, he’d been wondering why Margaret didn’t know her mother was still alive, especially when the novel had clearly stated that her mother was dead.
It turned out Fenric was the one who had kept it a secret. rlin had never even imagined such a thing.
Fenric let out a small sigh and gave a wry smile. "There are so secrets I find hard to reveal. But rest assured, I did it for Margaret’s own sake."
rlin fell silent for a mont before giving a small nod. He believed Fenric’s words. After all, he was Margaret’s father.
There was no way he would want to harm his own daughter. Besides, this was their family matter, and rlin had no right to interfere.
"I understand. Don’t worry—I won’t tell Margaret about this," rlin assured him.
Fenric looked relieved and smiled slightly. After exchanging a few more words, rlin and Lyserra turned and left.
Once the two were out of sight, the smile on Fenric’s face vanished, replaced by his usual indifference.
He sat back on the sofa and asked, "What do you think of that boy?"
An old man appeared beside Fenric. He wore a half-mask, making his features hard to discern.
The old man gazed in the direction rlin and Lyserra had gone, then remarked, "That boy is destined for great things in the future. Befriending him will be to your advantage, Lord Fenric."
Fenric smiled, about to agree, but the old man continued with a warning.
"But the path he’s taken is extrely dangerous. He bears a trendous burden and responsibility. In fact, I would rather you distance yourself from him imdiately and not befriend him. Otherwise, it will bring disaster upon the Beethoven family."
Fenric’s expression turned serious when he heard this.
"Bring disaster upon the Beethoven family, you say? Are you joking with ? I an, what could a little kid like him possibly do?" Fenric voiced his skepticism.
It wasn’t that he underestimated rlin, but to him, rlin was simply a mysterious boy worth befriending. That was all.
It was hard to believe that rlin could bring down the Beethoven family.
The old man didn’t get angry at Fenric’s doubt. He folded his hands behind his back and explained, "Everyone carries their own destiny. I can sense a great destiny within rlin Clay. Befriending him will bring prosperity and glory, but it may also invite disaster. So, I hope you’ll think carefully."
After saying that, he turned around and vanished from sight.
Fenric fell silent, his expression heavy. He stared at the vial in his hand for a mont, then let out a long sigh.
"This is a difficult choice."
The old man was no ordinary person. He was an expert Fenric had hired to protect the Beethoven family.
There was no way the old man’s words were ant to deceive him.
"rlin Clay..."
Fenric looked toward the door with a complicated expression. "What are you really hiding?"
...
"Isn’t that strange? He’s hiding sothing this serious from his daughter. That just doesn’t make sense," Lyserra remarked, furrowing her brow.
She truly couldn’t understand Fenric’s way of thinking.
rlin chuckled softly as he slipped his hands into his trouser pockets.
"It’s fine. It’s none of my business. I’m sure he has his reasons. And most importantly, I’ve already laid a solid foundation for future cooperation. Now, the Beethoven family has beco my ally, and that will help later," rlin said casually, a broad smile spreading across his face.
The Arden family was under his control, and now the Beethoven family was on his side as well.
The two most influential families on the continent were already backing him, which ant he could act without fear.
Forget Lucius—rlin was even confident enough to confront the Arcadia royal family head-on.
Lyserra shot him a aningful glance before yawning lazily.
"I don’t understand what you’re trying to do, but rest assured, I’ll help you."
After saying that, her body turned into light and vanished from sight.
Not long after, rlin stepped out of the main hall and found Linda waiting at the entrance.
A sigh of relief escaped Linda as she saw rlin co out safely.
"Are you okay? Graham Arden didn’t hurt you, did he?" she asked, her voice full of concern.
"Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine," rlin replied softly.
Linda didn’t believe him right away. She examined him from head to toe before finally being convinced that he was truly unhard.
"Did you get the items?"
"I did, Master. But I can’t show them to you."
"I understand. Don’t worry."
Linda smiled and gently patted his head.
"That girl is with you too, isn’t she?"
"Yes. I’ve stored her in my magical storage. She’s safe, but her body is very weak. Once we get to the academy, I’ll have to heal her."
The fox girl’s condition was quite severe. Graham and the Arden family likely hadn’t fed her properly, leaving her thin and frail.
"I have so good potions to help her recover. I’ll give them to her later," Linda said.
"Thank you." rlin smiled gently.
After that, the two climbed into their horse-drawn carriage and left the palace grounds.
***
"Damn it! I won’t let you just walk away like that!"
From the shadows, a man watched rlin and Linda leave, his face twisted with rage. It was Gustav, the protagonist’s father.
The humiliation rlin had inflicted on him in the auction hall had left him disgraced. There was no way he would just let it slide.
"No matter what it takes, I have to get that fox girl," he muttered, clenching his fists tightly.
The fox girl’s existence was tied to his son’s safety—and to his own future.
So he couldn’t allow rlin to take her away.
Without hesitation, he vanished from where he stood.
...
"Be careful. The enemy is about to attack," Linda suddenly said.
rlin, who had been lost in thought, was startled. He turned toward her and asked hesitantly, "The enemy is attacking? What do you an—"
Before he could finish, Linda grabbed his wrist and disappeared from where they were sitting.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted, blowing the horse-drawn carriage to pieces.
Linda and rlin reappeared ten ters away from the blast.
Letting go of his wrist, Linda stared at the wreckage and shouted, "Co out. Don’t be a coward!"
"Hahaha! Sorry, I didn’t expect my attack to be stopped so easily. It seems you really do live up to your reputation, Linda Thalsis."
A man stepped forward, his face filled with confidence.
"Gustav?" Linda raised an eyebrow slightly. "What do you an by attacking ? Are you trying to declare war?"
A powerful aura burst from her body, forming a violent whirlwind around her.
Gustav was one of the few experts on the continent at the First Spirit Core level.
He was famous for his madness—challenging three First Spirit Core experts at once and sohow managing to fight them to a draw. That was why he earned the nickna "The Fearless Madman."
Linda had no grudge against him, so she didn’t understand why he was attacking her.
"Don’t be foolish, Linda Thalsis!" Gustav roared, pointing at rlin with fury. "Because of that boy, I was humiliated at the auction hall earlier! Tonight, I’m going to kill him!"
After saying that, he crouched down and charged forward.
His movents were so fast that rlin didn’t even have ti to react.
But Linda moved first. She appeared in front of him and blocked his attack with ease.
Her expression turned cold as she said, "Since you want to fight, I’ll accept it."
Clenching her fist tightly, she swung it at the right side of his face.
Gustav tried to block, but the space around him suddenly shook violently.
His arm stiffened, and Linda’s punch struck him head-on, sending him flying dozens of ters away.
"Wait here. I’ll deal with him."
Then, her figure vanished from sight. Monts later, explosions echoed in the distance, so loud that rlin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
"Damn... that old man is completely insane," rlin cursed under his breath.
He had expected Gustav to block his path, but what he hadn’t anticipated was just how fast the man could move.
"Hahaha! Found you!"
A voice ca from the trees above.
rlin looked up and saw several n staring down at him with greedy eyes.
"Second Spirit Core experts?" His eyes narrowed. "It seems I really caused a stir at the auction earlier."
But rlin wasn’t afraid. He had already expected to beco a target, especially after revealing a drop of a ninth-level monster’s blood.
"Don’t pick a fight with if you don’t want to die," rlin warned coldly.
"Hehehe... how amusing," one of the n sneered as he leaped down from the tree. He looked at rlin mockingly and said, "You’re alone, while we’re in a group. It doesn’t matter how strong you are. Against our numbers, you’re bound to lose."
The others followed, jumping down one after another and standing beside him with arrogant expressions.
rlin chuckled softly. "If that’s what you want, then get ready to et the King of Hell."
He raised his right hand, and a fla-shaped symbol appeared on the back of it.
"Lyserra, hear my call!"
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