A Wizard’s Secret

It was Merlin’s first time preparing Mokra Potion. There was a wide variety of potion materials required, and the process was extremely complicated. However, with the help of the Matrix, the portions could be controlled precisely, so his efficiency in the preparation of the Mokra Potion would not be any less compared to Wizard Hall’s.

“If the success rate can be maintained at more than 30 percent, then I can yield at least 30 portions of Mokra Potions!”

Merlin thought as he looked at the Mokra Potion in front of him. He was not worried about not being able to prepare Mokra Potion, but about the success rate of the potion.

By relying on the Matrix, Merlin could achieve a success rate of more than 30 percent in preparing any ordinary potions. However, it was his first preparation of Mokra Potion, so he had to wait until he actually made it before the approximate success rate could be known.

“Matrix, start preparing the Mokra Potion!”

“Beep. Checking potion materials…”

Merlin was already familiar with potion-making, so he quickly started indulging in the preparation, precisely controlling each step of the process according to the instructions from the Matrix.

As the potion materials were too many, and the process was too complicated, even the preparation of a single potion would not be completed in a short time.

One hour, two hours… Finally, after eight hours when the sky had completely darkened, Merlin completed the final step of making the potion.

“Tss… Tss…”

Suddenly, black smoke started emerging from the transparent glassware, which was a change that occurred after Merlin added the final potion material called the “Black Stone”.

In the end, as the black smoke grew thicker, Merlin saw that there was only a black scum of potion residue in the transparent glassware. It did not produce any effect at all.

Merlin had failed in making the Mokra Potion on his first try!

Looking at the failed Mokra Potion, Merlin shook his head helplessly and whispered, “Forget it, I’ll get back to rest first. Otherwise, Charise will come here and look for me again.”

If it was the past, Merlin would stay in the house until he had successfully prepared the Mokra Potion before he would leave the house. This time back at Wilson Castle, it obviously could not be done as the past as Merlin had to take care of his clan’s affairs too.

This is especially so in the “baby-making” process with Charise. Merlin would feel very helpless when he thought of “baby-making” every night. He did not expect that after becoming a prestigious Spell Caster and a genius of the Dark Magic Region, especially after having made a notorious reputation among the roaming Wizards currently, he still had to be dragged back every day for “baby-making”.

Yet, this was the life of ordinary people. Sometimes, Merlin wondered too that if he had not become a Spell Caster, he could not imagine how many kids he would have had by now.

The lives of ordinary people were both helpless and peaceful. However, when he thought about how short his time back at Wilson Castle would be in the future, Merlin gave in to Charise’s “torture”. Whatever his clan needed, he would try his best to satisfy them.

Time passed by day by day. In Wilson Castle, Merlin had a regular everyday life. During the day, he would prepare Mokra Potions, while during the night, he would try to spend time with his family.

Occasionally, he would also go and watch Bammou teach Felinda. Recently, there were many tasks for Bammou including teaching little Cole, who possessed Spell Caster Quality, as requested by Merlin.

In this regard, Wizard Bammou wore a bitter expression every day, resenting his troubles deep down. However, as Merlin’s slave, he did not dare to have any complaints.

…

“Tss… Tss…”

In the room laid with simple deco, a puff of black smoke started billowing from the transparent glassware again. However, this time, the black smoke only persisted for a short time. Then, it gradually disappeared and was replaced with a translucent white mist.

“Success!”

Merlin looked at the white mist floating from the glassware, and a smile finally appeared on his face. For five consecutive days, he could only prepare a Mokra Potion each day.

However, as for the previous four days, the Mokra Potion that he made had failed. It took him five tries this time, and after mastering the control of heat of the various preparation processes, he had finally made a successful potion.

Merlin gently picked up the glassware and looked at the Mokra Potion with a tranquil gaze. There was only such a small amount of potion. Who would know that it had such a huge effect of enhancing one’s Mind Power?

Although the potion was successful, Merlin was still somewhat dissatisfied as the success rate of the potion was much lower than he had previously anticipated. Merlin had predicted a success rate of thirty percent so that at least thirty portions of Mokra Potions could be prepared from the one hundred portions of potion ingredients.

Now, five sets of potion materials could only successfully produce one portion, and the success rate could only reach a mere twenty percent. It also meant that if the success rate of twenty percent was maintained, Merlin could only obtain twenty or more Mokra potions when he finally used all one hundred portions of potion materials. This amount was more than ten portions less compared to his original expectation.

“It seems that in the future, I can only carefully grasp the heat-handling and hope to improve the success rate.”

Merlin also seemed very helpless. He had already executed the steps of potion-making accurately by relying on the Matrix, but it could only yield a success rate of twenty percent. It was because he had not mastered the handling of the fire, so the success rate was too low.

After obtaining his first Mokra Potion, Merlin did not consume it immediately as once taken, he would fall into a deep slumber. Hence, Merlin must have gotten everything prepared before he could consume the Mokra Potion.

As time went by, Merlin concentrated his energy in preparing the potion in an effort to grasp the heat-handling, and to improve the success rate of the Mokra Potion.

During this period, Wizard Bammou also brought some good news. Although Felinda’s and little Cole’s Spell Caster Qualities were ordinary, Felinda had developed a fondness for runology, and also had a certain talent in it.

Therefore, Wizard Bammou focused on passing some of his runology wisdom to Felinda.

This was indeed good news. Even if Felinda was only an Entrance-level Spell Caster, by studying runology, Merlin would perhaps even let her use the Runic Magic Disc that he had gotten in the future. By that time, the Wilson clan could also set up Runic Magic Circles to safeguard the entire Wilson Castle.

In order to let Felinda study runology better, Merlin also pulled out some runology books that he unexpectedly found from his ring for Felinda so she could focus her energy in her study.

Besides Felinda’s matters, there was another thing that Merlin also put to heart in order for the Wilson clan to become a Spell Caster clan. Hence, he went to look for the black-robed old man and requested his help to look for some people who possess Spell Caster Quality in Prakash City, and recruit them into the Wilson clan.

The black-robed old man eagerly agreed. Moreover, the black-robed old man was very efficient. In just over a month, he found more than a dozen children with Spell Caster Quality.

These children were all no more than ten years old, which was the exact age at which they could be trained greatly. Merlin recruited these dozen children into the Wilson clan and had granted them the Wilson name, cutting off any relationship with their former family and relatives.

The basic teachings of these children were directly handed by Merlin to Wizard Bammou, which made Wizard Bammou extremely miserable. At first, he thought that he could have some time to replenish his depleted Magic Power in his Awareness after arriving at Wilson Castle. However, it seemed that he was obviously used by Merlin as a “labor”.

…

“That’s the final portion of potion material for Mokra Potion. I can’t believe I’ve made it successfully!”

Merlin held a freshly-made Mokra Potion in his hand. This was already the final portion of potion material. After more than three months, he had only prepared a potion every day and had finally exhausted the hundred portions of Mokra Potion materials that he exchanged from the Resource Tower.

Moreover, along with his proficiency in heat-handling, the success rate of Merlin’s Mokra Potion potion-making had also significantly improved. During the final few potions, he could even achieve a success rate of forty percent.

After exhausting the potion materials, Merlin began counting the number of Mokra Potions that he had successfully prepared.

“Twenty-eight portions of Mokra Potions. Not bad, more than twenty percent success rate, almost reaching thirty percent.”

Merlin had counted twenty-eight portions of Mokra Potions, which was close to thirty percent success rate. If it was not for the wastage of potion materials in the beginning stages of his potion-making, Merlin may even reach a success rate of more than thirty percent.

Just like in the preparation of the final few portions, Merlin’s success rate had reached a frightening forty percent!

“Phew…”

Merlin breathed a long sigh of relief. He had finally completed preparing the Mokra Potions. Next, he would start to consume these potions, but taking the Mokra Potions would induce deep sleep. Hence, during this period, Merlin would be put in a very dangerous position, so he had to be thoroughly prepared for anything.

Fortunately, both Charise and Avril had good news. A month ago, they had announced their pregnancy, so Merlin could safely take the Mokra Potions.

“Bammou!”

Merlin contacted Wizard Bammou in an instant through the slave contract.

After a moment, Wizard Bammou’s figure appeared in front of Merlin. As Bammou was used as a “labor” by Merlin, he always had a bitter expression on his face.

“Master, is there any order for me?”

Although his face expressed bitterness, Bammou did not dare to be disrespectful to Merlin.

Merlin glanced at Bammou, then said in a deep voice, “This time, you can be at peace for a long while. I need to take some potions, and I’ll fall into a deep slumber so you’ll need to stay around and be responsible for my safety! Remember, no one can get close to this room.”

When he heard that Merlin needed protection, and it was an inseparable kind of protection, Wizard Bammou was overjoyed. During this period of time, he could finally recover some Magic Power quietly.

“Master, be rest assured that I’ll not let anyone come close to this room to disturb you.”

Merlin nodded. Bammou was a Seventh-level Spell Caster, and he was not any ordinary Seventh-level Spell Caster. He possessed Mind Power comparable to a Great Wizard, and he had also constructed an Eighth-level Fire-type spell. This Eighth-level spell was able to withstand the Flame Prison’s scorching flames, which were embedded with a slight force of the Flame Maxim.

Therefore, even Merlin was not entirely clear of Wizard Bammou’s strength, it was surely not comparable to any average Seventh-level Spell Caster. With Bammou’s protection by his side, Merlin would be at ease.

After he finished speaking, Merlin closed the door with a peace of mind, leaving only Wizard Bammou hiding in the surrounding to safeguard the room.

…

“Creak…”

In Wilson Castle, the plain wooden door of Snake Elder’s room was suddenly pushed open, and two unfamiliar figures appeared in the room.

“Hmm?”

Snake Elder lifted his head abruptly, his eyes turned infinitely sharp. Surprisingly, he did not realize that these two unfamiliar figures had approached his room earlier.

“Snake Elder, we’re sent by the eighth prince!”

These two figures had their entire bodies covered in wide Wizard robes, their looks could not be seen clearly.

There was a hint of astonishment on Snake Elder’s face, but there were more elements of doubts in his expression. He was indeed too familiar with these two Spell Casters. They were the closest confidants by the side of His Royal Highness the eighth prince. Their strengths were also comparable to him, as Fifth-level Spell Casters.

“Wizard Hasbro, Wizard Sacra, what’s the instruction of His Royal Highness the eighth prince?”

Snake Elder was somewhat jealous of these two Spell Casters. Although they were all Spell Casters serving under His Majesty the eighth prince, they personally belonged to different divisions and would sometimes compete with each other to gain the eighth prince’s trust.

“This is the order of His Royal Highness. You can see it for yourself.”

The slightly larger built, Wizard Hasbro, pulled out a white letter and handed it to the Snake Elder.

Snake Elder looked at the eighth prince’s letter carefully, and his expression turned grim. Then, he said with a deep voice, “His Royal Highness the eighth prince was delayed by several other Highnesses, so he can’t personally come to Wilson Castle. I’m afraid the situation isn’t really optimistic.”

“That’s right, precisely because the situation is unsatisfactory, His Royal Highness can’t wait to ask Merlin to the Imperial City. By that time, His Royal Highness will naturally have a way to recruit Wizard Leo of the Dark Magic Region. These things aren’t what we should be concerned about. Our mission is to safely escort Merlin to the Imperial City.”

“Escort Merlin?”

Snake Elder shook his head helplessly as the Imperial City was too far away from Wilson Castle. It was too inconvenient to exchange messages, so he did not report the recent incidents in the city-states of Taran, Guinomi, and Fanya to His Royal Highness the eighth prince. He planned to inform the eighth prince in person when he returned to the Imperial City himself.

However, the eighth prince sent Wizard Hasbro and Wizard Sacra to escort Merlin, which also reflected the importance that the eighth prince had put on Merlin, or rather, the importance of Wizard Leo.

“Why, what’s the problem?”

Wizard Hasbro noticed the strange look on Snake Elder, so he asked softly.

Snake Elder shook his head and said, “There’s not really a problem. Since the situation of His Royal Highness the eighth prince in the Imperial City wasn’t optimistic, let’s not delay anymore then. I’ll take you two to Merlin!”

Thereafter, Snake Elder led the two unfamiliar Spell Casters and headed towards the place where Merlin was.