After leaving the hall, Vargan and Charlotte stood calmly in front of the gate.

Actually, Vargan could have waited in his room or in the throne room.

However, he thought that if he did, he would miss the rare chance to witness the dragon's blessing.

Although there was a possibility that Merlin wouldn't receive it, he was one hundred percent sure the boy would.

After all, Merlin was the child mentioned in the prophecy.

"By the way, you don't have to wait here, Charlotte. Go back," he said softly.

He loved his daughter very much. Charlotte was the child he had been waiting for.

Having three sons always gave him a headache, so her presence felt like a sedative to him.

Charlotte shook her head and refused, "Thank you for your concern, Father. But I want to wait for Merlin here. I also want to see how the dragon's blessing works."

She was lying. Although she was curious about the dragon's blessing, what she truly wanted was to make sure Merlin came out safely.

If he didn't, she could move immediately to save him.

Vargan didn't notice her thoughts and simply nodded.

"Oh, right. I heard from the servants that you're very close to Merlin. Is that true?" A playful smile appeared on his lips.

Charlotte's face instantly turned as red as a tomato. She glanced at her father nervously and replied softly, "Yes, Merlin and I are close. Is that wrong?"

"Wrong?" Vargan chuckled softly. "No, it's not wrong. On the contrary, you're doing the right thing. I want you and Merlin Clay to become even closer."

As he had said before, he wanted to bind Merlin to the royal family. The quickest way was to make him his son-in-law.

However, he didn't know his daughter's true feelings. And now, after seeing her shy reaction, he was sure she liked Merlin—or at least had a good impression of him.

"What do you mean by getting closer?" Charlotte pursed her lips in displeasure.

Even so, the happiness in her eyes was impossible for Vargan to miss.

With a smile still lingering on his lips, Vargan made a suggestion.

"How about you and Merlin get engaged?"

The moment Charlotte heard those words, her body instantly stiffened.

It felt as if smoke burst out of her head, and she shook it frantically.

"Engaged? How is that possible?" Charlotte refused immediately.

"Huh? Why don't you want to? Don't you like him?" Vargan looked confused.

Charlotte slowly calmed down and lowered her head in sadness.

"It's not that. I heard Merlin is already engaged to the daughter of the Tharot family, Luna Tharot. How could he and I get engaged? Wouldn't that be the same as taking him away from her? I don't want to do that," she whispered in a depressed voice.

It would be a lie to say she didn't want to be engaged to Merlin.

In terms of appearance and character, Merlin was very good—even better than other noble children his age.

There was only a three-year age difference between them—not too far at all.

Unfortunately, one thing bothered her—Merlin was already engaged.

And his fiancée wasn't from an ordinary family but from the Duke Tharot family.

Despite her reluctance, she knew that a special relationship between her and Merlin was impossible.

Upon hearing her explanation, Vargan fell silent as he looked at his sad daughter.

'This girl is truly too innocent,' he muttered.

In his kingdom, it wasn't unusual for a man to marry two to five wives.

He himself had three wives, so Merlin could certainly have more than one as well.

And as king, he could forcefully break the engagement between Merlin and Luna.

But he knew doing so would cause resentment—not just from the Tharot and Clay families, but from Merlin himself.

"All right, let's forget about this for now," Vargan said, gently rubbing her head.

Of course, he wouldn't give up. Sooner or later, he would come up with a way to bind Merlin completely to the royal family.

At that moment, a vibration spread across the floor beneath them.

Vargan and Charlotte flinched, then exchanged glances.

"Father, is this—"

Before she could finish, Vargan nodded slightly and turned toward the gate with a deep gaze.

"It seems Merlin Clay has succeeded..."

***

"Who woke me up?"

The majestic voice echoed throughout the hall.

Merlin felt his body battered by a powerful wind and quickly channeled his mana to keep himself in place.

After a few moments, the wind subsided, and Merlin finally regained his balance.

He lowered the arm shielding his face and looked ahead in panic.

"System, has the dragon finally appeared?"

"[It seems so, Master. Prepare yourself.]"

Merlin nodded heavily and watched as the golden lights slowly merged, forming a giant golden dragon head.

The head was five meters tall with a terrifying face. Its eyes were cold, and its golden pupils were as sharp as swords.

Its nose and mouth released hot breath that occasionally struck the edge of the altar.

Merlin could clearly see parts of the altar melting under the heat.

Its sharp teeth—teeth that looked capable of breaking the hardest materials in the world—were visible whenever its mouth opened slightly.

Two golden horns rose from its head, making it look even more imposing.

The dragon's head belonged to the Dragon of Light, Calystron.

Calystron stared at Merlin coldly and sharply, then asked, "Did you summon me?"

His voice boomed, making Merlin's body tremble unconsciously.

Just as Merlin was about to speak, a systematic voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"[Ding! Triggering an emergency mission! Obtain assistance from the Dragon of Light, Calystron! Reward: 50,000 system points and 3x Pandora's Box. Do you want to accept it? Yes/No]"

Merlin was surprised, but he quickly regained his composure. Without hesitation, he pressed "Yes."

After accepting the mission, Merlin turned his gaze back to Calystron.

"Are you the Dragon of Light? I am Merlin Clay, and yes, I am the one who summoned you," Merlin said firmly.

"Oh?" Calystron seemed surprised by his boldness. "Judging by your attitude and expression, you don't seem afraid of me, kid."

"Afraid?" Merlin chuckled softly and stepped forward without hesitation. "Why should I be afraid? After all, you can't possibly kill me, can you?"

When Merlin stopped just a few meters from the dragon's head, he noticed something strange.

The dragon's expression had changed completely—his massive face was trembling with fear, as if he were seeing something terrifying.

Merlin frowned in confusion. Just moments ago, Calystron had acted dominant and intimidating, yet now he remained silent with a terrified look.

Merlin glanced behind him to check if something frightening was there. But he saw nothing—only the torches burning on the pillars of the hall.

"Are you okay, Dragon of Light?" Merlin asked hesitantly as he stepped closer.

But suddenly—

"Don't come near me!"

Merlin: "…"

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