Merlin and Leina finally arrived at the most famous tavern in the city of Dunvale—The Bull's Horn.

The place was quite spacious, with saloon-style doors often seen in medieval-themed movies.

Inside, people bustled about, cheerful expressions plastered on their faces.

As soon as the two entered, they were greeted by the boisterous voices of the customers.

"So this is what the inside of a tavern looks like? It's really crowded," Leina murmured in awe.

Merlin simply smiled without saying anything. From Leina's previous stories, he understood that she rarely left the academy except for truly important matters.

No wonder she looked so amazed just by seeing the inside of a tavern.

"Auntie, let's sit down," Merlin said.

Leina nodded and walked toward the only empty table at the end of the room.

A waiter immediately approached and greeted them. "Welcome, honored customers. What would you like to order?"

Merlin glanced at the menu, then ordered buffalo steak, chicken with mushroom sauce, and several other heavy dishes.

Coincidentally, it was almost lunchtime, so he decided to eat more now to avoid eating again until dinner.

Leina understood Merlin's intention and ordered heavy dishes as well.

While waiting for their food, Merlin and Leina chatted casually.

"Do you think we can get the information here, Merlin?" Leina asked, glancing around with curiosity.

"I think we will. So don't worry," Merlin replied reassuringly.

Leina said nothing and waited calmly.

Fifteen minutes later, their food arrived and was promptly placed on the table.

However, before Merlin could touch his meal, Lyserra appeared in the form of a cat.

She snatched the buffalo steak from Merlin's plate and ate it without hesitation.

Merlin: "..."

The corners of his mouth twitched, and annoyance was clearly visible on his face.

"Can you not appear so suddenly?" he asked, displeased.

Lyserra stuck out her tongue as if mocking him, then continued eating.

Merlin shook his head helplessly. Fortunately, he had ordered another heavy dish, so his annoyance faded quickly.

"Is that your guardian spirit, Merlin?" Leina's curious voice came from across the table.

Merlin nodded. "Yes, Auntie. This is my guardian spirit. Let me introduce her—this is Lyserra, an adorable red cat."

He patted Lyserra's head, making the little dragon look dissatisfied.

Still, she said nothing and kept chewing on the buffalo steak in front of her.

"A cat, huh? I didn't expect your guardian spirit to be a cat. It's quite a contrast to your talent," Leina teased.

At first, she had imagined Merlin's guardian spirit to be something extremely powerful.

Who would have thought it would be just a red cat?

Lyserra shot her an annoyed glance and grumbled, 'What an insolent human!'

She was about to teach Leina a lesson, but Merlin quickly pinched her cheek to stop her.

"Hahaha," Merlin laughed dryly and replied casually, "I had no other choice. At least my guardian spirit is quite strong. That's enough."

Although Leina was Charlotte's aunt, their relationship was not that close. It was impossible for him to reveal the fact that Lyserra was actually a dragon.

Besides, only his family and Luna knew Lyserra's true identity.

Even Vargan and Charlotte were unaware of this.

He had done this on purpose to reduce the chances of trouble in the future—especially anything that might come from Vargan.

Despite their current good relationship, there was no guarantee that the man would not betray him one day.

Therefore, Lyserra would remain his secret weapon, reserved for any unexpected situation.

Just as they continued eating, the voices of two men suddenly reached Merlin from the table to his left.

"Hey, do you know what happened in the city of Helvar?"

"The city of Helvar? The city destroyed by the Dark Tunnel Organization? Yes, I heard about it. I feel sorry for them. They were tortured cruelly, and many women and children became victims."

"Tsk! That's right. But I wonder why the Eldryn Kingdom hasn't taken any action. Isn't that city part of their territory?"

"I don't understand either. Could it be that they deliberately let it happen? That sounds strange and doesn't make sense, does it?"

The conversation was kept low, as if they didn't want anyone else to overhear.

However, Merlin and Leina were not ordinary people.

As possessors of special powers, they could clearly hear even the softest voices.

Merlin glanced at Leina with a meaningful look. She responded with a slight nod, as if she understood his intent.

While continuing to eat, they focused their attention on the conversation between the two men.

"Speaking of the Dark Tunnel Organization, I heard they come from the western region. It's said they have an agenda to summon demons banished thousands of years ago," the man on the left said cautiously.

"The information is still unclear. But one thing is certain—they're powerful and dangerous. We shouldn't get involved with them," the other man replied.

Soon, the conversation drifted to a topic Merlin and Leina no longer needed to hear.

Not long after, the two men stood up, paid their bill, and left the tavern.

"I'm full," Merlin said, setting down his spoon and fork.

"Me too," Leina agreed.

They both stood up. Leina went to the cashier to pay, while Merlin picked up Lyserra and stepped outside.

After Leina joined him, they headed in the same direction the two men had gone.

However, the dense crowd caused them to lose sight of their targets.

"Lyserra, can you help me find them?" Merlin asked.

Lyserra nodded. She sniffed the air with her small nose, then pointed to the right side of the road.

Merlin turned to Leina. "Let's go that way, Auntie."

Without another word, the two immediately moved in the direction Lyserra had indicated.

***

In a narrow alley, the two men from the tavern walked leisurely, still chatting with each other.

Suddenly, Merlin and Leina appeared in front of them, startling the two men and putting them on guard.

"Who are you?" the man on the left asked, his voice trembling.

"You don't need to know who we are," Leina replied coldly. "We just want to ask you something. Answer honestly."

The two men fell silent, then exchanged uneasy glances.

"Then tell us what you want to ask," the man on the right said cautiously.

At least they weren't being robbed. Otherwise, he would have already run away.

Leina stared at them intently and asked, "What do you know about the Dark Tunnel Organization?"

At those words, both men gasped. They frowned, clearly unsure whether to answer.

"Why are you silent?" Merlin pressed. "Speak."

The man on the left began to tremble under Leina's gaze and hurriedly explained, "It's not like that, friend. I'm just afraid to say anything."

"Afraid?" Merlin and Leina asked in unison, confused.

The man nodded and spoke carefully, "There's a ban on mentioning that organization. If you break it, the consequences are severe."

"What consequences?" Merlin asked.

The man swallowed before answering in a weak voice, "Death and suffering."

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