"Whoosh."

The atmosphere in the living room was heavy, and the two Seventh-level Spell Casters that Wizard Anlin had brought along had even taken a step forward and said in a loud voice, "Duke Wilson, you should think it over again. His Majesty has given specific orders that Angie must be found. Hmph, a few days ago, both of us had seen Angie enter the Wilson Castle!"

"If you've seen her, then search the castle!"

Duke Wilson's voice turned sharp and cold. To date, no one had yet dared to search the Wilson Castle, and since he had already conceded his title to his son, his stance was clear. He trusted that His Majesty would take careful consideration. 

"Then we'll do just so. Wizard Anlin, please be rest assured. We have seen Angie enter the castle with our very own eyes. We'll be able to find her..."

The Seventh-level Spell Caster had yet to finish his words when he was harshly reprimanded by the Great Wizard Anlin, "Silence! Is the Wilson Castle something you can search at will? Before we left, His Majesty, the king has already warned me that since Wizard Angie has formed a marriage contract with the Wilson clan, then His Majesty will not pursue any further of everything that she has done before in Fog City!"

"What? Not investigate further, this..."

The two Seventh-level Spell Casters were dumbfounded. In their view, the king had sent even the Great Wizard Anlin and was just about ready to lay a hand on the Wilson clan but seeing the Great Wizard Anlin's attitude now, it was completely different from their imaginations. Was there something that they should be wary of when it came to the Wilson clan? They had observed the Wilson Castle for a long time but they had never seen a single Great Wizard.

Moreover, so what if they had a Great Wizard? How could they possibly be a match for the royal family? As such, the two Wizards of the royal family found it difficult to understand. However, these were the words spoken by the Great Wizard Anlin, and they would not doubt it.

A glimmer of strange emotion flickered in Duke Wilson's gaze as he asked hesitantly, "His Majesty had truly said so?"

"Yes, Your Grace. His Majesty has regarded the Wilson clan highly for over the span of hundreds of years. Oh yes, His Majesty has even asked me to bring a message to the Duke; should Your Grace ever meet the great Wizard Merlin, please ask Wizard Merlin to come to the castle so that he and His Majesty could reminisce about the old days."

After finishing his words, the Great Wizard Anlin once again approached Wizard Merlin's portrait, and gave a respectful bow before turning around and leaving the Wilson Castle.

Peace returned to the living room as before long, Wizard Havens of the Dark Magic Region arrived in the living room. Upon seeing Duke Wilson's serious expression, he hurriedly asked, "Your Grace, what did the Great Wizard Anlin say?"

Duke Wilson slowly raised his head as he looked at the portrait that was hung in the living room and spoke calmly, "The Great Wizard Anlin had come on behalf of Bhutto XVII. The royal family will no longer pursue the matters of Angie, and he had even asked me to deliver a word to predecessor Wizard Merlin."

"Wizard Merlin? Duke Wilson, you're able to find Wizard Merlin?"

Havens's eyes widened as he appeared visibly on edge. As a Dark Magic Region Wizard who was closely related to the Wilson castle, Havens naturally knew just how powerful Wizard Merlin had been.

He was also highly aware that the current power and prosperity of the Kingdom of Blackmoon and the Spell Caster world had all been Merlin's doing single-handedly. 

"If I could find my predecessor, I wouldn't be so worried now, would I? Perhaps, the predecessor has already..."

Duke Wilson appeared uncertain. After all, the predecessor of the Wilson clan, Wizard Merlin had not made an appearance for hundreds of years. Otherwise, how would His Majesty become so ambitious?

"No, back then, Wizard Merlin had reached unfathomable heights that we could have never imagined. He couldn't have possibly died."

Wizard Havens shook his head. He refused to believe that Merlin had died. After all, even Great Wizards lived a long life, let alone Merlin.

Perhaps Bhutto XVII had thought the same and deep inside, he had always feared Merlin. Therefore, even when he knew that the Wilson clan had taken in Angie and had close ties with the Dark Magic Region, he still refrained from laying a hand on the Wilson clan. 

All of this was because of the powerful predecessor of the Wilson clan of hundreds of years ago!

"I would've never imagined that until today, the Wilson clan still had to rely on the protection of this portrait."

Duke Wilson stared at the portrait hung on the walls of the living room, an indescribable emotion surged inside of him. Now that the royal family had gained control of the bigger picture, he may have been able to protect Angie but the Dark Magic Region was unlikely to be as lucky.

Havens's face was pale. He knew that this time, once the Great Wizard Anlin had returned, there was a high chance that he would begin to act upon the Dark Magic Region. After all, there was only one such spell casters' organization left in the Spell Caster world. 

Even though the tie between the Dark Magic Region and Merlin had been special once, it was still far from the relationship between him and the Wilson clan. Bhutto XVII may have been able to tolerate the Wilson clan but not the Dark Magic Region.

"If Wizard Merlin is still here, at least our Dark Magic Region will still be safe. However, Wizard Merlin has disappeared for hundreds of years, and no one knows where he's gone..."

Wizard Havens heaved a silent sigh. He knew that with the rise of the royal family, it would be difficult for the Dark Magic Region to escape their wrath. However, whenever he thought about the inheritance of a thousand years would end in their hands of their current generation of Dark Magic Region Wizards, he could not help but feel regretful.

"Not bad, looks like Bhutto XVII hasn't forgotten the promise he had made."

Suddenly, a strange voice sounded in the hall.

"Who's there?"

Suddenly, Wizard Havens pointed a finger, and almost instantly a wave of fluctuations appeared in the void as the Wind-type spell was cast. The entire hall sealed off. 

"The structure of your Wind-type spell is well-built but the Spell Model isn't very stable. I'm afraid it'll be difficult for you to become a Great Wizard in the future."

The strange voice sounded again. Then, a black-robed figure suddenly appeared in the living room, seemingly unaffected by Wizard Havens's spell at all.

Wizard Havens was in shock. He was a Ninth-level Spell Caster. The Wind-type spell created by him was immensely powerful, and he had once immobilized three Wizards of the same level with it as its powers were second to none. 

However, it was just as this strange Wizard had said. Although the power of his spell was strong, the Spell Model was unstable. It was almost impossible for him to integrate all the Spell Models into one hence becoming a Great Wizard was practically impossible. Once merged, the Spell Model would collapse in an instant.

This was also the main reason why Havens had yet to merge the Spell Model until now. He did not dare to merge it, and thus, he would not be able to become a Great Wizard.

"Who are you? How..."

Havens's words came to an abrupt end as he found that no matter how he struggled, he was unable to move his body, and neither could he speak.

Havens and Duke Wilson's heart dropped as their minds immediately went to the thought of a Great Wizard. Only a Great Wizard could render them powerless.

"You're a Great Wizard of the royal family?"

Duke Wilson's heart thumped, then, a light flashed in between his eyebrows as a dense Runic Magic Circle instantly enshrouded the strange black-robed Spell Caster. Such a powerful, multilayered Runic Magic Circle – a total of nine – was capable of instantly immobilizing a Ninth-level Spell Caster, and even confine a Great Wizard. 

This was the true secret behind Duke Wilson. He was only a Seventh-level Spell Caster, and he rarely participated in combat, and he had hidden so well that even the other Spell Casters had not known that he was a Runic Magic Circle Wizard.

The ability to momentaneously cast a Runic Magic Circle to immobilize enemies was something only a Runic Magic Circle Wizard could do, and Duke Wilson's true talent was in fact, runes! 

"The Runic Heartprint?"

The black-robed wizard's concentration wavered as he stared at the space in between Duke Wilson's brows where a ray of light glimmered. Others may not know of this but the black-robed wizard knew very well that it was the Runic Heartprint and it was capable of instantly casting mass Runic Magic Circles.

"The power of your Runic Magic Circle is impressive but this isn't enough to hold me."

The black-robed wizard pointed a finger, and a firelight flared as a domineering force filled the hall, so much so that Duke Wilson and Wizard Havens felt from the bottom of their hearts that they were unable to resist.

As for those Runic Magic Circles, they were naturally broken all at once.

The mysterious black-robed wizard took no further action as he looked at the pained Duke Wilson. The well-hidden Spell Caster was also now pale and blanched. 

"You're from the Dark Magic Region, right?"

The black-robed wizard turned around, and looked at the Wizard Havens who had been confined by him.

Wizard Havens opened his mouth, and suddenly found his body light and lithe as he regained movement. He immediately took huge gasps of air. He never wanted a repeat of that feeling of being immobilized ever again.

"I'm Wizard Havens of the Dark Magic Region. Who exactly are you? There's no way that the royal family has a Great Wizard as powerful as you... Provided that Bhutto XVII hasn't hidden his forces."

Wizard Havens remained highly vigilant. He was not sure whether the royal family had any hidden powers. Nonetheless, this mysterious black-robed wizard had appeared the moment the Great Wizard Anlin had left. It was all too strange, and it did not seem like the royal family's doings.

However, apart from the royal family, Havens found it difficult to imagine any other forces that had such a powerful Spell Caster.

"The Dark Magic Region… It's finally returned to its former glory! Looks like the inheritances that I've left behind had made a huge difference to the Spell Caster world..."

The black-robed wizard appeared to be mumbling to himself.

"You're the current Duke Wilson? Seventh-level Spell Caster, not bad. However, you're better gifted in runes. Why is the Runic Heartprint with you? Where's Felinda?"

The black-robed wizard asked off-handedly as if he was a close, endeared elder.

"Felinda? How do you know Wizard Felinda? You even know the Runic Heartprint. The Runic Heartprint is something only known to the generations of Duke Wilsons and Wizard Felinda. No one else knows of it apart from them. You, who are you?"

Duke Wilson stared at the mysterious black-robed wizard with a look of disbelief. The Runic Heartprint was something only the Duke Wilsons' generations knew, and he had not even told any of his many children. There was no way an outsider could know about this. 

"Who am I?"

The black-robed wizard smiled. He looked up at the portrait hanging from the hall, the edges of his lips curled into a glimpse of a smile. "My portrait's still hanging there, isn't it? It's painted really well..."

Duke Wilson and Wizard Havens immediately swerved their heads toward the portrait hanging in the living room, and looked back to the black-robed wizard before them – they were almost the same.

At that moment, they finally realized who this person before them was.

"Predecessor!"