"It's been a long time, my dear disciple. How have you been?"

She set the pen in her hand aside and leaned back in her chair.

Merlin stepped inside with a smile and replied, "I'm fine, Master. How about you?"

He closed the door behind him and walked closer.

"I'm fine as well." Linda smiled back while looking him up and down. "By the way, you've become even more handsome, my dear disciple. Do you have a fiancée yet?"

A meaningful glint flashed in her eyes, causing Merlin's expression to stiffen.

"Ahem! Thank you for the compliment, Master. As for a fiancée… well, I do have one. She's the daughter of the Tharot family—Luna Tharot. She's also one of the new students at the academy."

Although his voice sounded awkward, he tried his best to remain calm.

"Heh… so that's how it is…" Linda nodded faintly, as if she understood.

Even so, Merlin could sense a heaviness in the air, as though Linda were suppressing her jealousy.

'I need to change the topic quickly. Otherwise, this will get troublesome,' he muttered to himself.

He sat down on the chair beside him and shifted the conversation.

"By the way, Master, you're becoming more and more beautiful," Merlin said sincerely. "Have you been getting treatments?"

"Treatments?" Linda blinked.

"Um! Treatments!" He nodded. "Your skin looks brighter and healthier, and you seem even more beautiful than before. So I was wondering if you've been receiving treatments over the past four years. Am I right?" A playful sparkle appeared in his eyes.

Linda froze. A faint blush spread from one ear to the other.

"Ahem!" She coughed shyly. "Yes, I've been getting treatments. You have sharp eyes."

In the past, before meeting Merlin, she had never done any special treatments.

After all, she was already beautiful and never felt the need for them.

But strangely, after returning from the Clay family mansion, she began paying close attention to her appearance.

Even when going to work, she made sure she was always in perfect condition.

At first, she didn't understand why she had changed.

Over time, however, she finally realized the reason—it was all because of the boy sitting in front of her.

Strange as it was, she had developed inappropriate feelings for her disciple.

No matter how much she tried to deny it, the truth was undeniable.

"Heh… I understand."

This time, Merlin turned the tables, leaving Linda feeling slightly annoyed.

"By the way, what level are you at now? Why can't I see through you?" she asked.

It had been four years since she last saw her disciple, yet the changes he had undergone were astonishing.

"I've already reached the Fifth Spirit Core, Master. What do you think? Am I impressive?" Merlin said with a proud smile.

"Fifth Spirit Core?" Linda was stunned. "Wait—wasn't your talent only at level A? How did you reach the Fifth Spirit Core?"

It wasn't that she underestimated Merlin; the facts were simply undeniable—her disciple had only A-level talent.

According to her calculations, he should have reached the Seventh Spirit Core, or at the very least, the Sixth.

Yet unexpectedly, he had reached the Fifth Spirit Core with that A-level talent.

"Why would I lie to you?" Merlin chuckled softly and asked the system to remove the veil concealing his level from the outside world.

In that instant, Linda felt the power emanating from her disciple.

"You've truly reached the Fifth Spirit Core…" She exclaimed in amazement.

Although she had trusted that Merlin would not lie, witnessing it firsthand felt entirely different.

"Hehehe… do you believe me now?" Merlin wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

Linda nodded, still in awe. "Yes, I believe you now. As your master, I'm very proud. You must have gone through many adventures over these four years, right?"

Merlin did not deny it. He nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I've been through a lot during these four years."

Linda couldn't help but smile. Even though she hadn't been by his side all this time, seeing her disciple grow so well filled her with joy.

After that, the two continued their conversation. Most of the topics revolved around Merlin himself, and he did not hesitate to share his experiences.

Before they realized it, half an hour had passed, and they decided to go have dinner.

"By the way, what do you think of the academy? Do you like it?" Linda asked as she stepped out of her room.

Merlin followed behind her and replied, "My impression is very good. The academy is large and spacious, and the facilities are well equipped. I really like it."

For some reason, hearing his answer made Linda feel happy.

The two continued walking down the hallway.

Merlin glanced left and right and noticed that the building was completely empty—only the two of them were there.

As if sensing his thoughts, Linda explained, "This building is exclusively mine. So it's usually just me and the special staff who work under me."

Merlin nodded in understanding.

They soon arrived at a door. Linda opened it and stepped inside.

It was a dining room, with a table already set with food.

"Let's eat. I knew you were coming, so I asked the cooks to prepare your favorite dishes," Linda said.

Merlin smiled. "Thank you, Master."

They sat down and began dinner. From time to time, they talked about topics related to magic.

Linda was a powerful mage with vast knowledge. Learning from her was something most academy students could only dream of.

Yet Merlin received such guidance effortlessly.

After all, he was Linda's favorite disciple.

"Oh, right. There's something I want to tell you, Merlin. Tomorrow morning, you and the other students will take a test."

"A test?" Merlin was surprised. "Aren't we—the ones who entered in the first batch—exempt from the test?"

"The old rules did say so. However, the academy officials want to change them," Linda explained casually as she cut a piece of beef and brought it to her mouth. "They said this year is special, and they want to hold a test to determine who among you is truly talented."

"In addition, this test isn't only meant to evaluate your abilities but also to determine your class rankings. The top ten will receive special rewards from the academy—contribution points, or even epic or legendary artifacts. What do you think?"

Merlin was stunned, not expecting the rewards to be so generous.

Contribution points were the currency students used to purchase items from the academy store.

The academy store itself was like a small market, selling potions and artifacts of various grades.

Students could also trade there and earn contribution points from fellow students.

In the novel, contribution points were explained in detail, so Merlin was not confused about them at all.

"That sounds intriguing, Master," Merlin said. "So, do you have a challenge for me?"

He chewed his food calmly as he looked at her.

He knew Linda well. There was no way she would bring up tomorrow's test without a reason.

Linda chuckled softly and nodded in satisfaction at his reaction.

"I'm not asking for much—just take first place in the test, and I'll grant you anything you want."

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