"What's wrong, Merlin?"
A voice from the side pulled Merlin out of his memories. It was the flame burning in the hearth, which had sprouted a pair of eyes and a mouth, looking at him curiously.
That was Calcifer, the Fire Demon the old man had spoken of.
"Nothing, just thinking about some things," Merlin said.
"What fate did you give him?" Calcifer asked, somewhat curious.
"An assassin from the Renaissance period," Merlin murmured softly.
He wasn't giving Herbert this fate out of pity; after all, his heart was no longer within him.
His control over fate would gradually strengthen with the weaving of fate, which was beneficial to him, so he didn't mind lending a "helping hand."
The fate Merlin imposed on Herbert used the template of Ezio from the Assassin's Creed series.
His family was also harmed by a powerful force, and he eventually achieved revenge.
Merlin felt that his story had a certain compatibility with Herbert's, so he merged them.
The old man named Fate did indeed simplify the use of the Power of Fate for Merlin.
If he were to weave fate directly from scratch, it would consume an enormous amount of energy and time, requiring consideration of many variables.
To weave a fate like the one he just gave Herbert, with his current ability, it would take at least one to two years.
The old man directly gave Merlin a simple, lazy system: as long as he entered various requirements, it would perfect these things for him.
This allowed him to directly apply the fates of various story characters from his memory, which would be much more convenient.
The reason the character in this template could successfully take revenge was due to the assassin training he received and the special bloodline flowing within him.
And the assassin training he received came from his uncle.
Merlin had two choices: either use the Power of Fate to make an assassin uncle exist for him, who would teach him these skills.
But that would undoubtedly be like putting a laxative in Biden's coffee—superfluous.
Therefore, Merlin took on this fate himself, taking responsibility for teaching him these assassin skills.
However, Merlin obviously didn't possess these assassin skills, and this would require the Power of Fate to materialize them.
But having these memories himself and teaching them to Herbert would waste some unnecessary time.
So, Merlin directly applied this Power of Fate to Herbert, which accounted for those extra memories Herbert gained.
Merlin still didn't possess those assassin skills; his existence was merely to provide a reasonable "explanation" for this "memory."
Merlin could not mobilize much Power of Fate at the moment. To conserve energy, he used his magic to create the assassin's outfit and Hidden Blade, which were the items he had just given to Herbert.
Howl often made magical items for the royal family, so after inheriting Howl's fate, making these things was not difficult.
He just needed to apply a breath-concealing spell to the existing clothes.
He also knew the blueprints for the Hidden Blade through the Power of Fate, so he could create it by expending some iron and using Alchemy.
Besides that, he didn't fully materialize the assassin bloodline either.
Because the World view of the template was not purely medieval.
In its broader context, there was a super-ancient civilization.
In this World view, the greek mythology and norse mythology of humans all told stories of this civilization.
In the plot, humans were created by people from this civilization, and things like the Golden Apple, which could control people's minds, were also created by them.
The so-called assassin bloodline was actually the bloodline of this civilization; Hawkeye came from this bloodline.
If all these things were materialized, the consumption would be secondary; it would introduce some unnecessary variables.
Furthermore, this World has no Knights Templar, no Brotherhood. Where this fate will lead his destiny, even the current Merlin cannot be 100% certain.
After all, it's just a template.
"Is it very powerful?" Calcifer asked.
"That depends on your definition of powerful. For ordinary people, he is powerful," Merlin said.
"His enemies don't seem to be ordinary people; they all have guns," Calcifer said.
"Guns of this era are not too concerning yet."
As he spoke, Merlin walked towards the table behind him.
"It still lacks a sufficiently cruel war."
Most firearms of this era were flintlock guns, which had low accuracy, could not fire continuously, were prone to misfires, and had low damage.
On the dining table lay a plate with half a slice of toast. This was food he had when he acquired the Castle. There were originally some bacon and eggs, which Merlin had finished earlier.
Just as he was about to pick up the knife and fork on the side to cut a piece for his dinner, he noticed a very large cockroach crawling on it, its two antennae swaying, seemingly greeting Merlin.
Merlin's expression froze slightly.
On the other side of the table were some dishes, almost all of them covered in thick grease, including the knife and fork. They looked like they hadn't been cleaned in a long time.
He looked up and around. The room was not large. Although it was somewhat dim, he could still see some cobwebs and old accumulated dust.
Merlin looked towards a dark corner. In his hometown, there was a saying: when you see one cockroach, there might be so many hidden in the dark that they can't even fit.
He had no doubt that there must be a considerable number of cockroaches, rats, and spiders—these shade-loving creatures—hidden inside.
"You don't have to materialize it so clearly," Merlin muttered.
The original owner of the fate he inherited was such a person who was refined on the outside but unkempt on the inside. This was just the tip of the iceberg of this Castle.
Although Merlin wasn't a germaphobe, he wasn't sloppy either. For him, the sanitary condition of this Castle had already exceeded the scope of what a normal person could tolerate.
Merlin sighed, raised his hand, and the bread, along with the cockroach, flew towards the Fire. Calcifer opened his fiery maw and swallowed it whole, chewing with smacking sounds.
Then, Merlin placed the small knife on the table. His appetite was completely gone.
"This Castle really needs a cleaning lady."
"But finding a cleaning lady costs money. Do you have money?" Calcifer said.
Merlin nodded, "That is indeed a problem. Food also costs money, and the Castle has no food left."
"You should ask that guy for some compensation," Calcifer said.
"I will collect his compensation later," Merlin said.
"Why don't you just turn some money into cash and spend it?"
"Those are just illusions. Once the magic on them disappears, they'll become waste paper," Merlin said.
"What does that matter?" Calcifer said.
Merlin looked at Calcifer and said calmly,
"To use magic, one must abide by the rules of magic, just like our contract.
The human World is also like this; to live in human society, one must also abide by certain unwritten rules."
"You're quite kind," Calcifer said.
Merlin raised an eyebrow and nodded, "While that's true, it has nothing to do with good or evil. The abuse of magic can lead to the loss of control over magic, and the same is true for human nature."
Calcifer burned fiercely, crackling, "You seem to know a lot, completely unlike someone your age."
"Have you seen many people?" Merlin chuckled.
"At least, in the memories I possess, it's like that."
Merlin smiled and didn't continue to explain.
When your college entrance examination score is high enough to reach some three-digit schools, but also low enough that you can't access any popular major in those schools, you will encounter some unpopular disciplines.
For example, the sociology Merlin studied.
Sociology has seven founding fathers, four of whom were trust fund babies, and two had no financial worries. Seeing this, you probably know what kind of discipline this is.
Although they studied Marxism-Leninism every day, it had little to do with the system, and employment prospects were virtually nonexistent. The only benefit was learning a lot, having broad knowledge, and being articulate.
Merlin looked through the window at the street outside. The imperial capital had just passed a severe cold spell. After a light rain, the breeze flowing through the City carried a hint of chill. People on the street tightened their clothes and quickened their steps, wanting to return to their warm homes.
The Fire burning in the fireplace in front of him resisted the cold that tried to seep through the window.
He thought for a moment, picked up a coat from the side, and walked towards the stairs.
"I'm going out for a bit."
"What are you going to do?" Calcifer asked.
"Go out for dinner," Merlin said.
"But don't you have no money?"
"I have magic, don't I?" Merlin teased.
"I think those kind and wealthy noble sirs in the imperial capital probably wouldn't have the heart to turn away a handsome and pitiful stranger like me."
Calcifer was silent for a moment and then said, "I don't understand you humans, but is this your 'abiding by the rules'?"
"Rules are also made on the premise of being well-fed," Merlin said earnestly.
"Besides, these noble sirs are a bunch of guys who like to break rules, and breaking rules always comes with a price, doesn't it?"
"Like providing you with dinner?" Calcifer retorted.
"Remember not to let anyone in," Merlin chuckled.
"Don't worry, without my permission, even the Wilderness Witch can't get in," Calcifer said confidently.
"Only that person is looking for me," Merlin murmured softly.
With a click, the door closed tightly. He looked up at the foreign street. A light rain had just fallen, and the City alleys were misty, but even so, a faint smell of kerosene lingered in the air.
A slight daze came over Merlin's eyes. At this moment, he finally felt the reality of his transmigration.
Although he did intend to go out for food, those words just now were naturally to tease Calcifer. His main purpose for going out was to follow Herbert.
This was his first time weaving fate, and he needed to observe to confirm how the Power of Fate operated.
As it was already night, there were few people on the street. Occasionally, one or two carriages could be seen moving forward. The light from the kerosene lamps was dim, and visibility was even lower under the shroud of mist after the rain.
The silent City was wrapped in a chill, giving one goosebumps and reminding one of old London legends like "Jack the Ripper."
But then, Merlin found it amusing and shook his head.
Although he had just arrived in this World and didn't know the specific situation, this was the imperial capital after all. No matter how bad the public security was, it was impossible to casually encounter any criminal activity...
Merlin's smile froze.
At the end of the street, two shabbily dressed men were slowly walking towards him. They came before Merlin, toying with a small knife in their hands, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted towards him.
Their eyes glinted fiercely, and they spoke to him in a suppressed, menacing tone.
"Don't make a sound. Come with us into the alley."
Merlin shrugged cooperatively.
Just then, a sharp shout came from somewhere.
"Hey! What are you doing!? Aren't you afraid of the Secret Police!?"
Hearing this, the two men turned their heads displeasedly towards the source of the sound.
Because of the recent light rain and the sudden drop in temperature, there were few people on the street. However, at the end of the street, a rather exquisite and luxurious carriage was parked.
A middle-aged woman dressed as a maid stood beside the carriage, looking over, and there was also a burly coachman beside the carriage.
The two men's expressions changed, and their original drunkenness vanished in an instant.
In the imperial capital, anyone with such a setup was either a noble or a high-ranking official, and neither was someone they could afford to offend.
Almost without hesitation, the two drunkards ran away in a panic, their steps unsteady.
Merlin thought for a moment and slowly walked towards the carriage.
"Thank you very much for your righteous words, madam."
"Don't thank me, thank my young lady. She told me to help you," the maid said.
Upon hearing this, Merlin looked at the carriage, and soon, a voice came from inside the carriage, like fragile glass, clear but delicate.
"Be more careful when you go out in the future. In recent years, there have been more and more idle ruffians like these in the imperial capital."
"Do you know why this is?" Merlin asked.
The person inside the carriage was silent for a moment, then said, "You're from out of town, aren't you? Coming to the imperial capital to find opportunities?"
"Yes," Merlin replied.
"Almost all these people wandering the streets are from out of town, coming to the imperial capital to find opportunities. I advise you, leave here. If you have land, guard your land well."
After speaking, the maid took out a pocket watch from her person, checked the time, and then whispered beside the carriage,
"Your Highness, the banquet is about to begin."
"Let's go," the person inside the carriage said.
The coachman tapped the horse with his whip. The horse neighed and stepped forward. As the carriage moved, the curtains on the carriage swayed.
Merlin quietly watched the carriage depart, but suddenly, he seemed to sense something and quickly stepped back, hiding in the Shadow of the eaves.
On the opposite side of the street, two people dressed as coachmen seemed to be searching for something. Their eyes were covered by blindfolds, which was very strange.
Soon, they locked onto the departing carriage and slowly followed behind her.
Those two were not people; they were magic, or rather, the magic of the Wilderness Witch.
"What are you looking at, Merlin?" Calcifer's voice echoed deep within Merlin's mind.
"I'm looking at fate," he whispered.