Chapter 52: The Imperative of Strength

Kris kicked Kaelos squarely in the calf, forcing him to collapse halfway to his knees.

“Let go of His Highness!”

Kris lifted her sword, her gaze icy and unwavering as she stared down the elves around them. “Shut up. One step closer and I’ll make sure his head moves to a new home immediately!”

“Attack her! She wouldn’t dare kill me!” Kaelos roared in anger, his voice reverberating with fury.

“Go ahead and try,” Kris retorted, her tone as cold as steel. “See if I’m afraid of you!”

The elves froze, intimidated by the lethal combination of Kris’s stare and her poised, threatening stance. Merlin stepped forward, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. “Enough,” he said calmly. “We’ve already caused quite a commotion here. If we keep this up, the students or even teachers from the Beast Taming Academy will show up. Don’t make things worse.”

Kris’s ears twitched slightly at the warning, then with a sudden motion, she shoved Kaelos aside.

Kaelos hit the ground hard, scrambling to his feet in a messy, embarrassed heap. Footsteps echoed faintly in the distance, and he could even make out the glow of lanterns far off. He glared at Merlin and Kris before snatching his sword off the ground with a snarl.

“Remember this—this isn’t over!”

With that, he vanished into the dense forest with his elves in tow.

From above, Fitt leapt down gracefully, landing beside Merlin. “You’re really something,” he said with a mix of admiration and disbelief. “How did you manage to provoke that mad dog?”

“We’ll talk about that later. Sit tight for now, Stacie. Are you hurt?” Merlin asked, reaching out to help Stacie, who was sitting on the ground.

“I’m fine,” Stacie replied with a weak smile, glancing down at her dirty clothes. She would need a good wash later.

Before Merlin could reach her, Kris grabbed Stacie’s hand and pulled her to her feet, supporting her gently. “We should leave quickly. If a teacher catches us here, we’ll be interrogated for sure.”

The three of them moved swiftly through the forest. Along the way, Stacie’s eyes held a guilty expression as she looked at Merlin. “I’m sorry, Boss Merlin.”

“I know my brother too well,” she admitted quietly, tugging at her hair in embarrassment. “Once he gets back, he’ll be plotting his revenge on you. I’m the one who dragged you into this trouble.”

“Trouble? Standing up for your employee isn’t trouble. Besides, anyone would help in a situation like that,” Merlin said nonchalantly, a small smile tugging at his lips as he glanced at Stacie. “As for Kaelos… he’s not the problem. He’d better not provoke me again—or we’ll see who really brings the trouble next time.”

Kris, carrying Stacie on her back, rolled her eyes at Merlin’s casual attitude. “Don’t brag, Merlin. Kaelos is a proper member of the Elf Royal Family and a mid-level fourth-tier magician. If it weren’t for me today, your pretty head would have rolled long ago.”

“Merlin, we know you well enough by now,” Kris continued, her tone half-warning, half-joking. “From now on, just come with us after school. I’m afraid if you keep getting reckless, you might end up in real danger.”

Merlin rubbed the small white stone he kept close to him—a talisman he had almost forgotten in the chaos. Kaelos’s sword had nearly grazed him, yet the stone hadn’t activated. He wondered if the three spells sealed inside were fake.

Kris delivered Stacie back to her dormitory. Unlike the elves, Stacie didn’t live in the forest dorms built for students; she stayed in the teachers’ apartments alongside her mentor. Kris ensured she was safely settled, while Fitt escorted Merlin back to his own room.

“Fitt, how much of those Icefield Blueberries do you still have?” Merlin asked, his eyes lighting up.

“Why? You want some? I’ve got several boxes left. Back in my homeland, these are practically endless,” Fitt replied casually.

Merlin’s face brightened. “I remember you mentioned being short on money. How about selling them to me? I’ll give you a fair price, and if possible, you can get your family to send more.”

Fitt’s eyes gleamed at the thought of making money. He was perpetually short on funds, and if it weren’t for Merlin’s culinary creations like Lotus Leaf Beggar Chicken, life would have been even tougher.

“How much do you want? How’s the buyout going to work?” Fitt asked, leaning in with curiosity.

“I don’t know the market value of Icefield Blueberries,” Merlin admitted.

“They’re a specialty of our Icefield Empire,” Fitt explained. “I usually only eat the ones reserved for the royal family, which are pricey—around ten gold coins per pound.”

“Not that fancy! Just give me the regular ones, doesn’t matter if they’re a bit lower grade. I’m not eating them anyway,” Merlin replied.

“And for the premium ones, I’ll just get them straight from my place,” Fitt added, rolling his eyes and spinning a nearby stool to lean forward on it. “If you want the regular kind, I’ll supply whatever you need.”

“High-end stuff can wait. You say whatever I need, I get? Then start with a few hundred tons…” Merlin said casually, already envisioning the scale.

“Let’s talk price first. One gold coin per pound for regular Icefield Blueberries. It’s a fair deal; I won’t even charge you for delivery,” Fitt said confidently.

Merlin nodded, trusting his friend. “Deal. Let’s start with ten thousand gold coins’ worth. I’ll test the waters first.”

“Ten thousand?!” Fitt’s jaw practically dropped. How could a first-year student have so much money? Even if the Leo family hadn’t gone bankrupt… it seemed impossible.

“Don’t make a fuss. I’ve been running business at school for a while. Selling mystery box Beggar Chickens brings in over ten thousand gold coins daily—you’ve been eating them, but you probably didn’t realize how much money that actually is,” Merlin said, grinning.

Fitt scratched his head awkwardly. “I just knew they were delicious, never realized your business was that serious.”

“Anyway, I’m going to wash up and sleep. I have things to do tomorrow. I’ll leave the Icefield Blueberry transaction to you. Make sure they get to the Arcane Academy at one gold coin per pound—beyond that, it’s your profit,” Merlin yawned, waving him off.

Once Fitt left, he rubbed his hands together, scheming. One gold coin per pound? There was potential for profit here. He could leverage Merlin’s success to build his own fortune. He even considered returning immediately to liquidate his assets, corner the Icefield Blueberry market, and become a supplier tycoon.

Meanwhile, Merlin lay on his bed, thoughts consumed with power. Since arriving in this world, he had never felt so small, so vulnerable. He needed strength—immense strength—to defend himself and his assets. Tomorrow was combat class. He would grow stronger. Only by becoming powerful could he protect himself, and everything he had worked for.

In the teacher’s apartment, Stacie finished washing and sat on her bed, heart still racing from the day’s events. If Kris hadn’t arrived in time, Merlin might have died right before her eyes.

Her chest tightened at the thought. Glancing at the black hourglass on her bed, her eyes glimmered with a stormy resolve.

She had to become stronger. Strong enough to protect Boss Merlin—no matter what.

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