Merlin first explained it briefly to Old Wilson. On hearing that Merlin was going to the Imperial City, Old Wilson did not inquire further, only exhorting him to stay safe in the Imperial City.

Thereafter, Merlin went to see Charise and Avril. They had only been pregnant for more than a month hence no baby bumps were visible yet. However, they had already paid extra attention as both were wearing loose clothing.

Unlike Old Wilson, after hearing that Merlin had to leave Wilson Castle, Avril was extremely upset, so she pouted her mouth and sulked, while Charise was silent. Perhaps, with Merlin's departure this time, he would not be able to see the birth of the children in their wombs.

In this regard, Merlin also felt very helpless. He could only assure them again and again that he would try to return to Wilson Castle after a few months.

After comforting Avril and Charise, Merlin called Wizard Bammou to the room and explained some things to him carefully.

"Bammou, you don't have to go to the Imperial City with me this time. You'll settle down in Wilson Castle instead. Give no mercy to anyone who dares to threaten the Wilson clan and kill them!"

A hint of coldness flashed across Merlin's eyes. Wizard Bammou was delighted but at the same time, he could not help but feel a little shudder. It seemed that the Wilson clan was of the utmost importance to Merlin. He must ensure that nothing happened to the Wilson clan.

"Master, please be rest assured that with me, the Wilson clan's safety won't be jeopardized in any way."

Wizard Bammou also had absolute confidence in his strength.

"However, Master, Felinda's understanding of runology is extremely good. With my shallow understanding of runology, I'm afraid that it'll soon be evident that I'm not able to teach her more knowledge about runology."

Wizard Bammou appeared to be a bit sullen. He acted that way because as a Seventh-level Spell Caster himself, he was not capable of teaching Felinda, someone who could not even be considered as an Entrance-level Spell Caster.

However, runology, potion brewing, and alchemy were all comparable to spell construction. Without adequate study, any typical Spell Caster would not be able to comprehend them.

This issue did not actually cross Merlin's mind. After all, runology was a complex, profound field of study. It was simply not possible to teach Felinda by relying on Wizard Bammou alone.

It seemed that he could only exchange some systematic knowledge of runology from the Dark Magic Region, then hand them over to Felinda for her studies. This would still fare better than Wizard Bammou's teaching.

Thinking of the exchange of runology knowledge, Merlin thought of the children who had Spell Caster Qualities, whom the black-robed old man had recruited. To ensure that they would not betray the Wilson clan, they had to be constrained using contract papers. He needed to redeem some contract papers from the Dark Magic Region.

"I'll put this matter to heart. This time, after I come back from the Imperial City, I'll return to the Dark Magic Region and exchange for some runology knowledge."

Wizard Bammou nodded.

Merlin thought carefully, and there was nothing to explain anymore. With Wizard Bammou in Wilson Castle, he was also very relieved. Thus, he headed directly to Snake Elder's house.

"Wizard Merlin, have you arranged everything?"

Snake Elder was already ready. Following behind him were the two ugly Wizards in addition to Wizard Hasbro and Wizard Sacra, who were sent by the eighth prince. All five of them were waiting for Merlin.

Seeing that Snake Elder was all ready, Merlin also nodded. "Yes, all has been arranged. Let's go now."

Hence, the group of six went into three carriages and slowly departed from Prakash City.

…

It was a quiet night. Only the sizzling sound of the bonfire could be heard.

The summer nights were very cooling. On a spacious rocky field, several Spell Casters were lying on the ground casually, enjoying the hard-won moment of silence.

"Snake Elder, how far are we from the Imperial City?"

Merlin, who leaned on a boulder, asked with a slight squint. He had already rushed for ten consecutive days with Snake Elder and the others, yet it still seemed far away from the Imperial City.

Snake Elder gently moved a few dry firewood into the bonfire and responded softly, "Approximately ten or more days of journey. The Imperial City is too far away from Prakash City. Even by rushing all day and night, it'll still take a long time."

Merlin, Snake Elder, and the others had been rushing all day and night for the past ten days. Only today had they taken a night's rest, and would resume the journey tomorrow.

Merlin glanced at Wizard Hasbro and Wizard Sacra. Both of them were silent on the road, not uttering a single a word. Only Snake Elder occasionally answered Merlin's questions, otherwise, he too was also very silent.

However, Merlin wanted to know more about the current situation of the eighth prince, so he could only beat around the bush.

"Snake Elder, are there many princes in the royal family?"

Snake Elder stared at Merlin. Firelight glinted on Snake Elder's face, especially the greenish scales on his neck, which made Snake Elder's appearance a little terrifying.

Snake Elder replied, "There are many princes in the royal family, but only a few princes can compete for the throne. His Royal Highness the eighth prince is one of the most qualified princes!"

In these few days, Merlin had learned that in the royal family of the Kingdom of Blackmoon, only those with Spell Caster Quality can qualify to inherit the throne.

After one was crowned the king, one could only remain on the throne for thirty years before one had to be abdicated. The elders in the royal family would choose the best from the many princes to become the new king.

The purpose of this was to prevent power corruption so the king would not consider himself a world above others due to the accumulation of power and resources.

It should be known that the Blackmoon King himself was a powerful Spell Caster. If he was given infinite resources and power, he would then be even stronger. Without additional control and restriction, even a powerful Spell Caster may lose oneself and indulge in the great power, which would then lead to the decline of the entire kingdom.

Hence, the rule for changing the throne every thirty years was established.

As for the selection of the best prince among the many princes, there were no fixed perfect standards. However, most of the time, princes who were strong in their own strengths and held great forces would eventually inherit the throne.

As for the eighth prince, he was obviously contending for the throne as it was less than five years before the abdication of the incumbent king. It was not surprising that all the princes were expanding their forces wildly. The eighth prince had even conscripted the alpine Snake People to his services.

"So, which other prince is the most threatening competitor to the eighth prince now?"

Merlin simply asked directly. He knew that the eighth prince must also have other threats. Otherwise, it was impossible to pay so much attention to Wizard Leo, seeking his allegiance so anxiously.

Merlin even guessed that the situation of the eighth prince was not very optimistic. Surely, there must be no Spell Casters who can help him in suppressing his worries and turn the tide by his side! Thus, the eighth prince secretly hoped that Wizard Leo could become the powerful Spell Caster by his side who could turn the tide and suppress everything!

Snake Elder pondered for a moment, then said with a low voice, "By the time we arrive at the Imperial City, Merlin's questions would naturally be answered. Hence, there is nothing to hide. At present, there are only three princes who pose the most threat to His Royal Highness the eighth prince. Namely the fourth prince, the ninth prince, and the thirteenth prince."

Merlin secretly memorized this information in his mind. When he reached the Imperial City, this information could prove to be useful.

"Swish..."

A cool breeze blew past, dissipating the bonfire. Some grasses on the ground also gave out a rustling sound.

"Who is it?"

Suddenly, a loud yell broke the silence of the night. It was the sound of the two ugly Wizards, Snake Elder's subordinates. Throughout the night, they had been hiding in a secluded place, keeping a watchful eye over the rest of the camp.

Upon hearing the voices of the ugly Wizards, Snake Elder and the others immediately became vigilant. Merlin also narrowed his eyes and silently released his Mind Power.

"Thud! Thud!"

Two muffled sounds, followed by two bodies landing heavily in front of Merlin and the others. Shockingly, it was the two ugly subordinates of Snake Elder.

The facial expressions of the two ugly Wizards were extremely astonished. Even the reason for their deaths was obvious – they were killed by a pure force that shattered their internal organs, not hurt by a spell.

Merlin and the others immediately went on alert. The two ugly Wizards were not powerful Spell Casters. At best, they were only Third-level Wizards, but they were stealthily killed by a powerful force. It was indeed a puzzling incident.

"Be careful, we don't know who it is."

Snake Elder immediately shouted loudly, reminding Merlin and the others. Thus, the four of them immediately huddled into a circle, watching the surrounding vigilantly. Mind Power was scanning the area the whole time. Not a single movement could escape their senses.

"Swish…"

Another breeze blew, and the branches and leaves on the tree pranced constantly, letting out a soft noise.

At this moment, Merlin's eyes suddenly widened as he muttered, "Someone's here!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

When Merlin's voice fell, four figures fiercely emerged from the darkness of the night. The four figures were three males and one female. The three men were tall with grim expressions and wore gray Wizard robes.

The female looked rather strange. Her appearance looked immature, just like an eleven or twelve-year-old girl. Her body was petite too, and she was wearing a red tight-fitting leather outfit, looking very adorable and likable.

However, Merlin felt a fierce and dangerous aura from this cute little girl who had been smiling all the time – especially her eyes which flashed an occasional hint of coldness which made Merlin all the more vigilant.

"Hehe, it's not easy to find you but I've finally found you!"

In the hands of the cute little girl, there was a huge hammer that did not match her figure, and it looked extremely comical. Looking at the hammer, Merlin glanced at the two ugly Wizards on the ground with slightly sunken chests. Suddenly, things had become clear in his mind.

"Did you kill them?"

Merlin squinted and asked calmly.

"Swoosh!"

The little girl's gaze instantly turned to Merlin.

"Hehe, indeed, it is I who killed them. The two of them were too feeble. I only touched them a little and they're dead. How weak!"

The little girl looked at Merlin innocently, pouted her lips, and cocked her head slightly. If not for the two dead bodies on the ground, no one would believe that this lovely little girl would be so cruel and dangerous.