The creature inside the shadow breathed a sigh of relief.
"Have you heard the story of the tortoise and the hare?" It whispered, as though about to reveal its identity, eager to prove it was truly a remarkable existence.
"Mm, the tortoise and the hare raced, and the hare lost to the tortoise, right? You're saying you're the tortoise in that story?" Ian guessed, trying to peel away the other's stubborn shell.
"No." The life within the shadows gave its reply.
"Then you're the hare?" That was Young Morgan's interjected guess.
But once again, the life in the shadows denied it.
"I'm not the hare either. I didn't take part in that race." Its voice came out raspy.
"Are you playing us?" Ian raised a brow at that, and then, without hesitation, he began prying at the shell again. The motion made the being inside panic all over again and hurriedly beg for mercy.
"I'll talk, I'll talk! I'm the big bad wolf who was watching the race from the sidelines… You must've heard of me, I'm the one Little Red Riding Hood has been beating up since I was small!"
It quickly explained its identity.
"…"
Ian was speechless.
This wasn't the version of the fairy tales he knew at all. And really, wolf or not, why bring up the tortoise and the hare? Was this just a roundabout way of admitting he was too embarrassed to say he'd been chased and beaten by Little Red Riding Hood his whole life?
"I don't believe you."
He still thought the thing in the shadows was trying to fool him. Characters from fairy tales shouldn't be this bizarre. Things like that ought to be pure evil through and through.
"I really am the Big Bad Wolf! I even have an ID card that Cinderella gave me as proof!" The shadow quivered violently, as though the creature inside was trembling in fear.
"You can't expose me to the human world, otherwise…" Its tone grew frantic, but before it could finish speaking, it was abruptly interrupted by an uninvited guest.
"Pardon me, would you be so kind as to hand over what you're holding? I've been searching for their traces for a very long time."
The voice was as clear and pure as a mountain stream, carrying a gentle courtesy that felt like a spring breeze brushing across the skin. From within the forest, a figure slowly stepped out, clad in snow-white robes, smiling softly in the sunlight.
His steps were light, making no sound at all, as if he walked upon an unseen path. The sunlight itself seemed to favor him, bathing him in a faint golden glow.
"Hm?"
Ian looked at the man's face. Upon the tall bridge of his nose sat a pair of deep eyes, their pupils shimmering faintly with silver light, as though containing the brilliance of distant stars.
He was a man of striking appearance, tall, easily over one meter eighty, with features refined and gentle, a handsomeness that could even rival Ian's own.
This made the young wizards feel a sense of familiarity.
"A wizard?" Young Morgan quietly slipped behind Ian.
"Yes, I am a wizard. And I believe you are as well." The newcomer's gaze swept briefly over the corpses still standing motionless where they were, his expression calm, before turning back to fix on what Ian held in his hand.
"Rest assured, I respect every kind of wizardly tradition. It is not the corpses that drew me here, but the hidden mystery represented by the object in your hand."
His voice was gentle, yet carried a deep, magnetic resonance that thrummed with magical power.
Just then, "Quick! Run! Run! Take me and Morgan with you and run!"
The shadow suddenly shrieked in a piercing burst, its tone not just fearful but trembling with sheer terror.
"You fear him, but not me?" Ian could clearly feel the shadow's dread.
The shadow gave no response. The man in white robes, however, smiled softly.
"I suppose it's only natural for it to fear me." His hands were long and pale, his fingers slender, as though they had never been stained by dust. From within his body, a faint yet overwhelming power seemed to radiate.
"It was rude of me not to reveal my identity sooner. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Merlin Ambrosius… perhaps a wizard of some small renown." His gentle voice carried a resonance that seemed to sink into one's heart, and the name he uttered was certainly enough to shake anyone to the core.
"What!?"
Upon hearing this, young Morgan's pupils shrank violently, her expression turning to one of utter disbelief and fear. She clutched at Ian's sleeve, her emotions clearly in great turmoil.
After all, In terms of allegiance, the legendary wizard before them served the enemies of her family.
"This is exciting!" Ian couldn't help widening his eyes. He wasn't sure if the shadow lurking nearby was the Big Bad Wolf from a fairytale, but the man before them was without question a living legend.
No one in this era would dare impersonate the King of Wizards.
"Now then, will you hand me the item in your possession? Of course, I'll reward you handsomely. You may ask me any question you have about magic."
"As long as you speak it, I will share with you every piece of knowledge you desire." Merlin's tone was calm and measured. He was clearly showing off, but he had every right to.
Just as Ian was about to reply, "Teacher… I still have gemstones as big as a man's head! Three of them!" Morgan suddenly pulled out every last gold coin and jewel she had on her, stuffing them straight into Ian's pockets.
"Uh?"
Ian was startled.
Turning his head, he saw Morgan's eyes filled with desperate expectation.
At that moment, silence spoke louder than words.
In his mind rang the words he himself had carelessly boasted last night: 'Once the gold's in place, Merlin gets wasted.' Judging from her actions, his newly taken apprentice had taken his bragging completely seriously!
"Gemstones the size of a man's head… three of them?" Ian swallowed hard.
He swore, the wand really had just flown into his hand on its own.
"Let's make a bet." Ian raised his head to look at the legend before him.
"Oh?" Merlin regarded him with an amused gaze.
"Do you intend to challenge me, boy?" Merlin's eyes narrowed into slits as he looked at the wand in Ian's hand, speaking with a chuckle that carried a hint of mischief.
"I need a Time-Turner." Ian found himself a convenient excuse.
The gemstones?
They were just a bonus.
His rule was simple, he never acted unless he secured himself two paths to victory.
"A Time-Turner, is it…? Hm, I can see you're not from around here." Merlin raised an eyebrow. A boy bold enough to challenge him was intriguing indeed.
"No problem."
His reply was definite.
"To dare challenge a living legend… that kind of courage is enough to make you, in time, become--" Merlin began, intending to express his admiration for the small figure before him.
However, In the very next moment, he felt an overwhelming surge of magic erupt from Ian's body.
A power that belonged only to legends.
"Bloody hell!" Merlin's hand gave a sudden tremor.
This wizard, who had always prided himself on joining the ranks of legends in his twenties, at this very instant… was utterly stunned.
(End of Chapter)
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