A Wizard's Secret

After leaving Phantom, Merlin boarded the carriage and said evenly, "Go to Count Altadin's castle."

The carriage driver did not ask anything, simply brandished the whip and urged the carriage on towards Altadin's manor.

In the carriage, Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly. The current situation was getting more and more strange. In other words, things were becoming clearer as well.

The king, the second prince, the Princess Royal, were now similar to three different legs of a tripod. In fact, the king's influence was not as scary as one would imagine. The power held by the princes and princesses within the royal family was actually fearsome as well.

As an example, the army that now protected the palace completely was actually in the hands of the second prince and the Princess Royal. The second prince had slightly more authority. Still, by now the Princess Royal had Merlin's support, and the situation might reverse soon.

Once the tide had turned, it would disrupt the balance. This was sure to rouse some conflict. Perhaps, following this, Merlin would have to get ready to face these abrupt conflicts.

"The biggest possibility is the second prince. Perhaps he will make his move…"

Merlin's mind did not stop analyzing. Once the balance was disrupted, one side would surely make a move. Merlin had never crossed paths with the second prince and only knew that the second prince also had a few full-shifting contenders under his command. These were the contenders of the army.

The army, the palace, and Phantom were actually three factions. Initially, the king controlled Phantom, the second prince controlled the army, and the Princess Royal controlled some forces within the palace. Nevertheless, the second prince's influence had been very overpowering, having reached a hand into the palace, and the Princess Royal suffered defeat after defeat.

Fortunately, the Princess Royal had acted decisively and immediately stopped at nothing to rope Merlin in. In that case, currently by relying on Merlin, the Princess Royal's influence had extended into Phantom. It was because Merlin had gotten involved with the king's power that the king had sent Farron to deliver a warning.

The matters of this royal family could be said to be simple, but it could also be said to be complicated.

"Creak."

Soon enough, Merlin noticed that the carriage's jolting was slowing down, then it stopped. Merlin pulled the curtain aside. It turned out that, without realizing it, he had already reached Count Altadin's castle.

"Wait here for me."

With that, Merlin leaped off the carriage and walked towards Count Altadin's manor.

…

Within a lavish room, candles were lit, and a faint and subtle fragrance drifted throughout the room.

In the room, a handsome man sat steadily in a chair, his eyes revealed a cold glint. He was listening to the report from the three middle-aged men standing before him.

"Your Highness, it looks like the Princess Royal had indeed roped in the new Deputy Minister of Phantom, Leon. This Leon had killed the Black Gorilla King and was later hunted down by Doomsday, but he was saved by Farron."

The middle-aged man spoke in a low voice.

"Heh, that old fellow had saved this Leon, initially wanting to earn his service, but what's the outcome? In fact, it made things easier for that good elder sister of mine. Tsk tsk, my good sister, your influence is expanding so fast, and you're even dipping your finger into Phantom. I don't believe that the old man would be unconcerned about this?"

This young man was actually His Highness the second prince of the Holy Dragon Empire who wielded authority over the army. The three individuals before him must have been the commanders of the army that he most valued. These were all full-shifting, formidable existences, not weaker in the slightest than the Team Leader of Phantom's Combat Team, Hert the Ursus King.

As for why the second prince could control the army, this was connected to his mother. Within the royal family of the Holy Dragon Empire, his mother was a direct descendant of the most well-reputed military clan. It was just as shame that, as the empire fell into chaos, the army's influence was not as dominant as before.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid His Majesty will simply bear it in silence. Currently, the situation is not as before. The royal family must think of a way somehow to bring in some powerful individuals. This Leon is impressive indeed. According to rumors, he's also a Host. By relying on Leon, it would still be a significant achievement if the Princess Royal were to gradually control Phantom, even though Farron may be in the way and Leon could only control a portion of Phantom's power. The Princess Royal's influence would immediately surpass ours."

This commander of the army spoke somewhat worriedly. In regard to the Princess Royal's prowess, although they had never personally experienced her methods, they had heard that she was not to be underestimated.

The struggles within the royal family were sometimes even more ruthless and scary than any other matter.

"That's right, my dear beloved sister. I've really underestimated her. Now that her influence is not yet fully consolidated, we must act at once. In terms of Leon, we can send someone to give him a warning. He'll understand. Naturally, it'll be best if he can come over to my side. If he won't, well, after my beloved sister is dead, no matter how strong he is, it won't be of any use.

"Therefore, both of you, immediately send someone. The main thing is to deal with Lisa - she must die!"

A cold force was exuded from the second prince, and there was a faint murderous aura as well.

"Your Highness, the members of the royal family must not resort to killing each other. Doing so is rather improper," a middle-aged man replied after some hesitation.

"Humph, the rules set by those old fellows aren't really that significant in usual times. Now that the empire is in such an unstable situation if I kill Lisa and also wield main authority over the army, would those old fellows really sentence me to death? Rest assured, the old man and those old fellows would reprimand me sternly at most. They would not act rashly against me."

The second prince's eyes were filled with a wild light.

The three middle-aged men were silent for a moment before they finally nodded. "Full-shifting contenders would be too easily exposed. The intelligence division of the Princess Royal had learned everything they could about the full-shifters in our army a long time ago. Therefore, we mustn't send a full-shifter. Otherwise, we'll be found out before we even get close to the Princess Royal."

"If we can't send a full-shifting contender, fourth-form shifters would be too weak. Could they manage to kill Lisa? Although that sister of mine isn't very powerful, she has a top-tier almighty beast bloodline and is a fourth-form shifter! Moreover, there will surely be full-shifters by her side who would be protecting her in secret."

The second prince knitted his brow. Trying to ambush and kill the Princess Royal was challenging indeed. They could not send a full-shifting contender. Once they did, their plans would be exposed.

"There's still someone who's surely up to the task. If he's involved, the ambush would most likely work!"

The second prince's eyes brightened as if he had thought of someone. He said softly, "You're talking about Shadowthorn? He wants to come into close contact with the Sacred Lion Beast though. That's really too greedy."

"Your Highness, as long as he kills the Princess Royal, Shadowthorn won't be useful anymore. At that point, whether we bring him to the Sacred Lion Beast is entirely up to us!"

The three middle-aged men burst out laughing. That was right. No matter how formidable Shadowthorn was, he was merely a fourth-form shifter. As long as it was not an ambush, Shadowthorn was not much of a threat.

In the end, the second prince could even make plans to murder Shadowthorn.

"Very well. We'll go with this then. Inform Shadowthorn that I've agreed to his conditions. As long as he kills Lisa, I'll bring him to touch the Sacred Lion Beast in close range at once!"

A look of anticipation grew over the second prince's face. He had been waiting for this day for a long time…

…

Within Count Altadin's castle, Altadin was looking at Merlin warmly. In truth, Count Altadin knew a little about Merlin's situation, being someone of his rank and position.

Of course, secret developments like Phantom's Deputy Minister would not be known to him. Nonetheless, Merlin's beheading of the Black Gorilla King had already spread around the upper echelons of the aristocrats. Almost everyone knew about this.

Therefore, of course, Count Altadin would know as well. Right now, his gaze towards Merlin was filled with fervor and eagerness.

"Leon, you've really become a full-shifter?" After a long while, Count Altadin could not help himself anymore and asked softly. By his side, even Baratha batted her wide beautiful eyes as she stared at Merlin steadily.

"That's right!"

Merlin nodded softly. He had personally acknowledged this.

"Phew…"

Count Altadin let out a long sigh, but his eyes twinkled with an excited look. A full-shifter - a great contender at this level, only one had reached this stage amongst Count Altadin's ancestors.

Furthermore, Count Altadin remembered clearly that Merlin was also a Host. A host that was a full-shifting contender was really unimaginable.

"Leon, is that Bead of Infamy still with you?"

Seeing that Altadin inquired about this, Merlin could only bring out the Bead of Infamy, shaking his head powerlessly. "I'm really sorry. Because of me, the almighty beasts' wills sealed and suppressed within the Bead of Infamy had all vanished."

Naturally, Merlin would not speak about merging the almighty beasts' wills. This was now his greatest trump card. He would not reveal this if it was not a crucial moment. After all, having fused together countless almighty beasts' wills, the increase in his strength was far too terrifying.

Yet, Count Altadin did not seem concerned at all and simply waved his hand. "It's better if you keep the Bead of Infamy. I know that it's able to seal and suppress almighty beasts' wills. Maybe you still have use for it. If my ancestor knew that, by relying on this Bead of Infamy, a Host who is a full-shifting contender could be born once more, he'll be very gratified."

Currently, Count Altadin's attitude towards Merlin might be even more affectionate than his daughter.

"Oh right, Leon. Previously I've made an agreement with your father. We've missed the date of the wedding for you and Baratha, due to various reasons. However, never mind that. We can discuss this matter anytime we like now. From my perspective, it would be good after a month. What are your thoughts?"

"And there's also Lady Reese."

Merlin had not forgotten Reese, the young woman he had seen when he first arrived in this world.

"Very well. If there are no objections, how about if I take care of the matters of the wedding?"

Count Altadin seemed extremely enthusiastic, but this suited Merlin's wishes as well. He had no energy to prepare for these various chores. Naturally, it was best if Count Altadin could take care of things for him.

"Everything as you wish, Count Altadin."

Count Altadin appeared to be overjoyed and kept Merlin chatting for a long time. Only until the sky outside was somewhat dusky that Merlin was able to free himself and left.

"Hoo…"

As soon as he went out, a cool wind blew past which made Merlin feel as if his mind had cleared up. When he thought about Count Altadin's enthusiasm, Merlin felt very helpless.

Nevertheless, the matter had been settled at last.

After Merlin boarded the carriage, he said at once, "Return to the castle quickly."

The carriage driver nodded and instantly raised his whip, increasing the speed as they whizzed back towards the castle.

Under the gradually darkening sky, there were only a few stray people walking in the streets. Moreover, there were also some lights that illuminated the somewhat dim path.

Merlin lazily leaned back in the carriage. He was not thinking about anything for once, his mind a total blank.

No one noticed that on the bluestone pavement ahead, a dark figure silently leaned against the wall. When the carriage was passing by, the figure suddenly swelled up all at once and transformed into a frightening almighty beast.

"Bang."

As the almighty beast snarled, its fist smashed into the carriage. This carriage could not put up any resistance, including the carriage driver, who was reduced into a pile of mangled flesh.

"Roar…"

Suddenly, an enraged roar rang out, and a gigantic paw appeared from the midst of the carriage's wreckage. It seemed to block the entire sky as it smashed down upon that almighty beast.

"Crack."

The almighty beast's body instantly split open, its blood gushing out at an incredible speed.

"Bang."

The pressure built up within the almighty beast until it exploded into smithereens. Flecks of flesh sprinkled through the air, turning into specks of bloody rain. It was a ghastly sight indeed, and even the air was stained by the thick stench of blood.

Merlin's figure loomed out from the dust and smoke. A mere fourth-form shifter actually came to assassinate him. Was that not a suicide mission?

'Who could it be? Farron? He had just warned me recently, and would not need to use such methods at all. Moreover, sending a fourth-form shifter to his death - this was not a true assassination attempt, but a warning.'

"A warning? Currently, in Holy Dragon City, I'm closest to the Princess Royal. If it really was a warning, it must be connected to the Princess Royal. Could it be the second prince?"

Merlin's mind was immediately analyzing the various possibilities. At last, he concluded that there was a huge possibility that this was a warning from that second prince whom he had never met.

"If it really was a warning, why pick this moment? Don't tell me that…"

Merlin's heart suddenly throbbed as he thought of a possibility. At once, he turned around abruptly and raced towards the palace in large strides. Within Merlin's current physical attributes, even if he had not shapeshifted, his full-speed run was much faster than the carriage by leaps and bounds.

"Boom."

Suddenly, the palace seemed to tremble slightly. An almighty beast of incomparable size emerged from the palace. Moreover, its mighty presence contained a streak of unbridled fury.

"Oh no, it's the full-shifter by Lisa's side!"

When Merlin saw this almighty beast, the uneasy premonition in his heart grew more intense. Even the full-shifting contender by the Princess Royal's side had exploded with this terrifying power, revealing their true full-shifted form. This meant that the Princess Royal was surely in danger.

With this in mind, Merlin's speed was further increased as he raced towards the Princess Royal's palace.

…

As usual, the Princess Royal had left the palace, ready to head to the king's palace to pay her respects. This was an act of etiquette the Princess Royal had to perform each day. On this point, she was much better than the second prince.

However, this time, when she had merely reached the garden on her way there, a black shadow suddenly approached the Princess Royal silently. There was a white flash from his hands. The Princess Royal merely felt a slight pain, following which she was no longer conscious of anything.

"Rip."

That white flash came from a small, sharp knife. In one slice, the Princess Royal's head had fallen off before she could even react in any way.

"Shadowthorn? You dare to kill the Princess Royal, die!"

There was a full-shifting contender by the Princess Royal's side. When he saw the Princess Royal's body crumpling to the ground, this full-shifting contender even felt rather humiliated.

Under his protection, the Princess Royal had died without a cry. This was the work of Shadowthorn. Only he could have such a capability, his target dying before they could even react.

"Bang."

The full-shifted bodyguard unleashed a mighty roar, practically crushing the entire palace into pieces. Nonetheless, Shadowthorn's figure had vanished without a trace, as if he had never appeared at all. This was Shadowthorn, who had never slipped up, let alone caught. No one had ever seen Shadowthorn's true face before.

"D*mn you, Shadowthorn. You must die, show your face!"

This full-shifting contender seemed to have lost his mind, wildly destroying the palace. This enormous commotion was certain to attract the attention of the adepts within the palace.

"Swish."

Finally, Merlin hurried over. When he saw the Princess Royal's body lying on the ground, without a head, his heart was gripped by an unquenchable murderous rage.

That full-shifter who had gone mad was frantically destroying his surroundings and did not even notice Merlin. His massive fist smashed down at once, and the whistling wind even produced an explosive sound.

"Scram!"

Merlin growled loudly, and his arm instantly shapeshifted. A fist flew out, and that full-shifted almighty beast broke out into a pained expression. Its gigantic bulk was actually sent flying by a quick blow from Merlin's fist.

"Boom."

The colossal body of the almighty beast crashed heavily into the ground. The full-shifting contender only then noticed that it was Merlin, but his eyes were filled with a look of reverence.

No wonder the Princess Royal would value Merlin so much. Previously, this bodyguard had thought that this was not right, but now a mere fist from Merlin had sent him flying. It would be a piece of cake for Merlin to kill him, not even taking much effort.

"Who killed the Princess Royal?"

Merlin's eyes had turned red through and through. Regardless of whether he was using the Princess Royal, or the Princess Royal was using him, they were indeed bound to each other for the moment.

Furthermore, only with the Princess Royal's support would he be able to share in her authority over the empire. To Merlin who wanted to rely on the power of the empire to better understand this world, this had been the best option.

However, the Princess Royal was dead now and Merlin's plans were all in ruins. One might well imagine the fury burning in his heart.

Faced with Merlin's cold, detached stare, the full-shifting contender felt a tremble in his heart and said hurriedly, "It was Shadowthorn. He assassinated Her Highness. Moreover, although Shadowthorn isn't on the second prince's side, he has a close relationship with the second prince. There's a high chance that this affair is incited by the second prince."

"The second prince, hmm?"

Merlin slowly stood up. Despite his calm gaze, his body exuded a piercing, icy force. Still, one would shudder not from the cold, but from fear.

"Marquis Leon, you… What will you do?" Even this full-shifter seemed to feel afraid as he asked timidly.

"Of course I'm going to kill someone!"

Merlin turned and was about to leave when the full-shifting contender clenched his jaw and seemed to come to a decision. He said softly, "Marquis Leon, in truth… In truth, Her Highness hasn't died!"

"Swoosh."

Merlin swiftly spun around, his gaze as sharp as blades, fixed steadily upon this full-shifter.