"I've already paid for the room. If you want to go back to the academy, just go. Don't worry about the room fee," Merlin said indifferently.

He turned to leave, but Jared's voice stopped him from behind.

"Wait a minute. There's something I want to ask you."

Merlin paused and turned to face him, waiting calmly.

"Why did you help me?" Jared asked hesitantly. "We don't know each other at all, do we?"

He wasn't ungrateful, but he and Merlin came from different kingdoms and had no connection at all.

It felt strange when a stranger offered help without expecting anything in return.

Merlin was silent for a moment, then answered casually, "Do I need to know someone to help them? In my principles, I help those who are in trouble."

Without waiting for a reply, he kept walking and soon disappeared from sight.

Jared was speechless and lowered his head, murmuring, 'Principles of life, huh?'

Inevitably, his father's words from the past came to mind: "Don't be arrogant, son. Many are better than you. But don't be too humble either. Be strong, and help those around you who ask for help. Trust that when you face hardship, your kindness will guide you back up."

A smile curved Jared's lips as he whispered, "Merlin Clay, huh? What an interesting person…"

***

Merlin left the inn and noticed the sky had completely darkened.

"Hah… I'm late getting back to the academy. The wardens are definitely going to scold me," he muttered helplessly.

The academy had strict rules to prevent students from acting on their own.

Every student had to report to the dormitory warden before leaving or doing anything outside the academy.

Failure to do so would result in punishment, depending on the severity of the violation.

That afternoon, he had asked for permission to leave and return around five o'clock.

Now it was seven—two hours late.

Shaking off the thought, he headed to a nearby food shop for dinner before finally returning to the dormitory.

…

Five days passed quickly. Merlin spent his time studying, practicing, or visiting his beloved master in the office.

Of course, he also made time to play with Luna and Monica.

Luna, in particular, was extremely clingy. She hated being separated from him, even for an hour.

Merlin didn't mind. Luna was gorgeous, smart, and talented—being loved by her was a dream for almost every boy at the academy.

But she had one flaw: her possessiveness.

Her clinginess wasn't just affection; it was a way of marking Merlin as hers.

As a result, any girl who tried to approach him naturally felt inferior.

After all, Luna had placed third in the previous test, and in terms of appearance, she outshone them all.

"Mmm! It's so delicious! I could eat this forever!"

Luna chewed the strawberry pudding with a flushed face, radiating pure happiness.

She scooped up more and ate eagerly. The sweetness of the milk and cream combined with the tartness of the strawberries created a flavor that was almost impossible to describe.

Merlin chuckled softly at her adorable behavior. He sipped his black coffee, savoring the contrasting bitterness.

"If you like it, I can ask Aunt Lisa to make more. Want me to?" he offered.

Luna shook her head with a soft sigh.

"No need. I'm already too full. Can't you see my stomach?"

She rubbed her slightly rounded belly, a result of Lisa's irresistible cooking that made her eat without a second thought.

Only after finishing did she realize just how much she had eaten.

Merlin smiled and gently pinched her soft, supple cheek.

"Just eat whatever you like—no need to hold back. I like you no matter what," he said softly.

Of course, that wasn't entirely true. He was still a man, and appearance was the first thing he noticed in other girls.

But with Luna, it was different. With her, he saw not just her face but also her heart and personality as well.

Besides, he was certain Luna would never gain weight. According to the databook, she had a unique metabolism.

While other girls might gain weight from overeating, Luna stayed thin and slim.

The food she consumed was converted directly into energy and strength.

Her cheeks flushed at his heartfelt words.

"You have such a sweet mouth, Merlin. I don't even know how many women have fallen for that," she snorted.

Still, she couldn't hide the happy smile tugging at her lips.

Merlin just chuckled. They continued their casual conversation until Luna suddenly asked an unexpected question.

"By the way, have you received your prize, Merlin?"

Merlin shook his head. "Not yet. How about you?"

"Not yet?" Luna looked surprised. "How is that possible? It's been over a week since the test, you know?"

"I don't know either. I asked the vice principal, and he said my prize was too big and still being prepared."

Luna blinked several times before finally smiling.

"Too big, you say? Could it be a mythic-grade item?"

"Pfft! Impossible. Mythic items are incredibly rare—the academy probably only has two or three. There's no way they'd give one to me. It's most likely a legendary-level item or something below," Merlin said, waving his hand dismissively.

He took another sip of coffee, pondering. The thought had already crossed his mind—after all, it did take the academy far too long to deliver the prize.

"Hm… you're right. That was just my guess," Luna shrugged. "Oh, by the way, I haven't shown you my prize yet. Ta-da!"

She pulled a blue crown from her pocket and held it out to Merlin.

"A crown?" Merlin frowned in confusion. "What's it for?"

"Hehehe…" Luna grinned. "It's called the Aurion Crown. It's an epic-grade item. The rank isn't the highest, but its abilities are amazing. When I use it, my strength increases by twenty-five percent. But that's not even the best part."

Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the crown. "This crown can make opponents lose forty percent of their strength for five seconds. But that only works on opponents one level above me. For those two levels stronger, it drops to twenty percent. Still, it's really powerful! What do you think, Merlin?"

She looked at him expectantly.

Merlin smiled and nodded. "It's a really powerful item. It'll be very useful. Congratulations, Luna."

"Hehehe!" Luna's grin grew even wider, making her look impossibly adorable.

Just then, footsteps sounded from the side, followed by an angry voice.

"Are you Merlin Clay? Fight me!"

Merlin and Luna were startled. They instinctively turned toward the voice and saw an eleven-year-old boy approaching.

His face carried an irritating arrogance. He was of average height, and while his features could be considered handsome, he was no match for Merlin.

A white sword badge hung on his left chest, marking him as a member of one of the noble families of the three kingdoms.

The students eating at Thorn & Vine also turned their heads, surprised by the boy's appearance.

"Is that Julian? I'm not imagining things, right?" One student rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"Julian?" another student asked, confused. "Who's Julian? Is he a genius?"

The first student sighed softly. "Julian is one of the geniuses from the Magic Kingdom of Arcadia. He's the son of a high-ranking family there. If I'm not mistaken, he's a close friend of Prince Lucius and—" he paused slightly, "—also an admirer of Crystal."

Students from the other kingdoms finally understood who Julian was.

Yet they still couldn't grasp how this kid dared to challenge Merlin—the champion.

Merlin had overheard their conversation, so now he knew the identity of the boy who had challenged him.

Luna looked angry. She wasn't intimidated by Julian's status.

After all, she was the heir to the Duke Tharot family—the highest-ranking nobles in the Magic Kingdom of Aldoria.

As she was about to reprimand Julian, Merlin stopped her first.

"Wait. Let me handle this."

Luna opened her mouth to protest but finally held back and sat down again.

Merlin turned to Julian, who was now standing about a meter away.

"Didn't your family teach you manners?" he said calmly. "Disturbing others while they eat and challenging them with such arrogance. Remember—this isn't the Magic Kingdom of Arcadia; this is an academy. You can't act as you please, even if you rely on your family name."

Julian froze. His face flushed with embarrassment as the students around them shot him contemptuous glances.

"You…" he started, but quickly swallowed his words.

Now, he stood in front of a crowd of students. All eyes were on him. Any rash move would only humiliate him further.

"I'm sorry," he muttered weakly. "Please don't take offense."

Merlin had the urge to provoke him further, but it didn't feel right—especially with all the students watching.

He took a slow sip of his coffee and asked casually, "Alright. So, what exactly do you want from me?"

Julian straightened, his arrogance returning. Pointing at Merlin, he declared, "You're the champion, and everyone thinks you're above the rest. So—let's fight!"

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