Whoosh!

A black portal appeared in a remote forest.

Moments later, a beautiful girl in a blue gown stepped out.

The portal behind her vanished at once.

The girl—none other than Catrine—looked around in confusion.

"Where am I? Master wouldn't just throw me into some random place, would he?" She wondered, furrowing her brow.

Considering her master's nature, it wasn't impossible.

Without hesitation, Catrine walked through the forest. After about half an hour, she finally reached its edge.

She looked ahead and saw a massive wall in the distance.

"That wall… Droswen City!" Her eyes sparkled with joy.

Having lived in Droswen since childhood, how could she fail to recognize it?

A smile formed on her lips. She snapped her fingers, and a two-meter-long ice leaf appeared out of thin air.

She leapt onto it, and the ice leaf shot toward Droswen City in the distance.

...

"Hah…" Ardhis exhaled deeply as he leaned back in his chair.

His gaze was blank as he stared at the ceiling.

"Merlin has gone to the academy. Time flies so fast," he muttered, his expression filled with nostalgia.

It wasn't only Livia who felt sad—he too felt the loss of his son deeply.

Four years ago, Merlin had undergone an unexpected change, which became the beginning of everything.

At first, Ardhis thought Merlin was just pretending. He even suspected that his son might be planning something bad.

But over time, Merlin proved that he wasn't joking. He had truly changed.

"As a father, I am proud to have a son like that." A smile slowly spread across his face.

Many noble family heads who were his friends openly admitted their envy.

While children Merlin's age were still dependent on their parents, Merlin was different.

He was not only intelligent but also wise and reliable.

He had even helped Ardhis formulate policies for the city of Droswen, allowing the city to reach its current level of progress.

For that, Ardhis was deeply grateful.

Just as he was lost in thought, a hurried knock sounded at the door.

"My lord, there is good news! Young Lady Catrine has returned!"

***

Ardhis, Livia, and Maya hurried toward the front hall.

When they saw a ten-year-old girl standing before them, their faces filled with shock.

Livia could no longer hold back her tears. She rushed forward and pulled the girl into a tight embrace.

"Catrine! You're finally back, dear!" She sobbed, tightening her arms around her.

It had been two years since Catrine disappeared, and Livia had long feared that her daughter might never return.

Every night, she struggled to sleep, her thoughts consumed by worry.

Although Catrine was not her biological daughter, she treated her as her own—loving her even more than Merlin.

After all, when Merlin had been mischievous and willful, it was always Catrine who soothed her wounded heart.

Now, with the girl standing before her once more, the anxiety that had weighed on her for two long years finally eased.

Feeling the warmth of the embrace, Catrine's usually indifferent expression crumbled, and tears streamed down her face.

With trembling hands, she hugged her mother back and cried out loudly.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I've caused you so much trouble! Woaaa!"

The hall was filled with raw emotion and sorrow.

Maya couldn't stop herself from crying. She wiped her tears in a hurry, but they continued to fall.

Ardhis watched from behind with a gentle smile. He missed Catrine deeply as well, but as a man, he could restrain his emotions better than Livia.

After several minutes, the two slowly released each other.

Livia looked Catrine over from head to toe and smiled warmly.

"You've grown taller and more beautiful, my dear. Your skin is fairer, and your figure has filled out. It seems the Master of Illusions took good care of you."

Catrine was stunned. "How do you know my master's name, Mother?"

She clearly remembered leaving without telling anyone, including Maya, who had been at home at the time. It should have been impossible for her mother to know.

Livia was about to answer, but Ardhis spoke first.

"Your brother told us, my dear. He said you were taken by the Master of Illusions. I don't know who the Master of Illusions is myself. Even among the most powerful figures in this world, no one bears such a title. Still, I believe your brother's words."

Ardhis stepped forward, stopping in front of Catrine, and gently stroked her head.

"And it seems what your brother said was true—you were well cared for by the Master of Illusions. Seeing you safe like this is a great relief."

When Merlin mentioned the Master of Illusions two years ago, Ardhis had searched through the records of powerful figures in history but found nothing.

He concluded that the Master of Illusions was likely an expert at the Second Spirit Core stage, or perhaps even the First Spirit Core stage, whose name remained unknown.

Even so, Merlin had insisted that the Master of Illusions was no ordinary person—someone so powerful that she could be compared to Linda.

Catrine stood there in a daze for a moment before slowly regaining her composure.

She sighed deeply and muttered, 'Master, I didn't break my promise, okay? Mother and Father learned about you from my brother, not from me. So don't blame me later.'

Earlier, her master had warned her not to reveal her identity to her father, mother, or older brother.

Unexpectedly, her brother already knew and had even told their parents.

Pushing the thought aside, she looked at her mother, then her father, her expression filled with anticipation.

"Father, Mother, where is my brother Merlin? Why isn't he here?"

Her gaze occasionally drifted toward the interior of the mansion.

By her estimation, her appearance would surely surprise her father, mother, and brother.

And she was right—her parents were indeed very surprised, which made her happy.

Unfortunately, she didn't see her brother anywhere.

If he were in his room, he should have appeared by now.

When Ardhis and Livia heard her question, their expressions immediately stiffened.

They exchanged glances, as if hiding something from her.

"Is Brother Merlin not at home?" Catrine asked hesitantly.

Livia let out a long sigh, gently rubbing her head as she replied, "Your brother isn't at home. And he won't be back for the next four years."

Catrine's eyes widened, her breathing turning rapid.

"Why? Why did he leave? What happened?" Panic filled her voice as she clutched her shoulders tightly.

Livia wasn't surprised by her reaction—she had already expected it.

"Yesterday, your brother…" Livia was about to explain, but Ardhis stopped her.

"Alright, Livia. Let's leave it for now. Catrine has just returned—let her rest first."

From Catrine's reaction alone, Ardhis could tell that telling her the details right away would only distress her further.

It would be better to bring her inside and talk after she had calmed down.

Livia found his words reasonable and held back her explanation.

"Come inside first," Livia said as she slowly stood up again. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I've prepared plenty of food. After that, I'll explain everything to you."

Catrine still wanted to know the truth immediately, but she suppressed the urge.

The Master of Illusions' teachings were not limited to power alone—they also emphasized mental discipline and emotional control.

Taking Livia's hand, Catrine followed her into the house.

…

The horse-drawn carriage carrying Merlin and Luna finally arrived at a region called Arangus, located two hundred kilometers from the city of Droswen.

Under normal circumstances, covering that distance in a single day would have been impossible.

However, with Merlin's acceleration magic, they arrived far sooner than expected.

"We've arrived, Young Master and Young Lady Luna," James's voice came from outside.

"Let's get down," Merlin said, holding her left hand.

"Mm! Let's go!" Luna nodded with a sweet smile.

The two stepped down and were soon greeted by a vast, beautiful stretch of grassland.

"Is this Arangus? It's so beautiful!" Luna's eyes sparkled like twinkling stars.

Arangus was renowned for the beauty of its grasslands. Luna had read about it in storybooks and had always wanted to visit.

Unfortunately, she had never had the chance, as Arangus was located far from the city of Dralmor.

"Yes, you're right. It really is beautiful," Merlin agreed, sharing her admiration.

A gentle breeze swept across the land, causing the grass to sway back and forth.

"Young Master, how will you contact the academy?" James asked curiously.

Merlin turned and took a small scroll from his pocket.

"This is a summoning scroll. Once it's destroyed, a representative from the academy will arrive shortly."

He opened his left palm, and red flames appeared in the air.

He burned the scroll, and in the next instant, a blue light shot into the sky like a flare.

"Whoa!" Luna exclaimed in amazement. "Is that a signal?"

"It seems so. I've never seen one before either," Merlin said, equally awed.

A few minutes later, a portal appeared in the sky, and a five-meter-long eagle emerged from it.

A tall man wearing glasses stood atop the giant eagle's head. He guided the bird down toward them before leaping to the ground.

When his eyes fell on Merlin and Luna, his stern expression softened.

"Are you Merlin Clay and Luna Tharot?"

Merlin gave a slight nod. "Yes, that's us. Are you a representative from the academy?"

"Yes. I'm Victor, a representative of the academy. Let's go."

Merlin and Luna nodd ed in unison.

"Then we'll be leaving now, Uncle James," Merlin said.

"Alright, Young Master. Be careful and take good care of yourselves," James replied.

After exchanging farewells, the two climbed onto the giant eagle. With a powerful beat of its wings, the eagle soared back into the portal and vanished.

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