Free Web NovelChapter 73: Chapter 73: The decision
Roe and Lot had successfully completed their mission.
They had now acquired another Emergence.
There was a problem, however. The same problem they had just settled days ago.
They would need to be held accountable.
The council was obviously not just going to let them have their way.
The council would make a statement and present it before the Wise Men.
The Circle of Merlin would have to think of something, or else they would be in the same situation, presented before the council with their lifeline being dangled at the whim of scholars.
Since Roe woke up, he remained in his chambers.
He didn’t come out the day before. He most certainly wasn’t coming out even today.
He was contemplating.
He was frustrated.
He’s the mage being compared to Merlin, yet he couldn’t even handle a single S-rank, he thought.
He was being hard on himself. It had only been a couple of weeks since he awakened. These things take time.
He believed he didn’t have any.
He wanted to jump from noob to Merlin in days.
Well, that’s impossible.
He had just gotten a reality check.
The thing is, he wasn’t willing to accept it.
How could he, with what happened in that last match?
Roe had come alive in a way even he didn’t expect.
He was less tame than usual. Less reserved, less composed.
It was new and strange to him.
He liked this new side of himself.
He didn’t want to admit it.
It was wild. It was unlike anything he’d known, yet it felt so natural.
It felt like he’d been alive after sleeping forever.
Was this the real him?
A gentle knock was heard on his door.
"I’m not coming."
The knock was heard even after his response.
"I said I’m not coming, Lot," he added.
Someone came in.
"I’m not Lot."
It was one of the temple keepers.
"Wow, you must really think you’re hot stuff to think Master Lot would come get you himself."
"You’re being summoned," the keeper said, walking out.
Rude, Roe thought.
The fact he was being summoned meant this wasn’t Lot calling for him. It must be something serious, he thought.
He didn’t bother to shower. There was really no time for that.
He came out of his room.
They all met at the general hall.
He expected to see Sigman and the others.
They were not present.
They had already gone on a mission.
This early? Roe was shocked.
There were four figures present.
Roe was the fifth.
He greeted them as he went in.
He greeted all but one.
He paid Lot no regard.
Lot just smiled back in response.
I’m liking this kid, Lot thought.
Why wasn’t Solomon ever this way?
Things would have been much easier and—
The four present were Lot, Solomon, Joseph, and Ruben.
He was surprised to see Joseph, as this was their first encounter outside of Merlin’s Realm.
He was even more surprised to see Ruben.
"Why’s the scholar here so early?" he asked.
He knew it was because of the Emergence, but why would they be preparing to face the Wise Men this early?
"Are they already raising charges?" Roe asked.
"Do they want Chris already? Let me go get dressed."
"Let’s go, right?"
Roe was being too presumptuous.
He noticed nobody was making a move despite the supposed urgency.
"What are you people doing?" he asked.
"Let’s head out," he added.
"Where’s Chris? Why isn’t he here?"
Solomon was getting worried.
Roe was asking a lot of questions.
Really unimportant ones.
He was changing.
"Control yourself, Roe. This behavior. This act. Drop it," Solomon simply said.
Roe took a deep breath and followed with a bow.
No one was more shocked by his behavior than him.
"So what’s the plan?" Roe asked.
"Merlin’s already decided," Lot said. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"Good. So we fight."
He walked over to Ruben.
"So how do we tackle this?"
Ruben looked shocked.
"I don’t think he understands," Ruben said, looking at the others.
"Merlin never intended for us to take home the Emergence. We were asked to take on the mission for experience and to stop the Emergence from enacting his prior plan."
"That’s been stopped thanks to you," Solomon said.
"There’s no room for Chris here. He’ll be transferred elsewhere to keep the power balance," Solomon ended.
"I don’t understand. So we did all that just to get a powerhouse for some other circle."
"Why would we do that? I mean, why?" he asked.
"Well, I don’t have an answer for you," Lot said.
"I didn’t expect you to," Roe thought.
He didn’t actually think it.
He said it out loud.
"Oh. Bold now," Lot responded.
"I was talking to Solomon," he continued.
"It’s the will of Merlin. The power balance must be kept, after all. Are you doubting the will of the Master?" Joseph asked.
"No, I’m not. I’m just trying to understand."
"Okay. I’ll drop it."
"So Ruben’s here to..." he asked.
"Ruben’s here to set up the transfer papers."
"We want to still have access to Chris in certain conditions. Situations," Lot said.
"Christopher. He’s Christopher," Roe corrected.
He was implying Lot didn’t deserve to call him casually just like that.
Lot didn’t care.
"Roe," Solomon simply said, giving him a real stare-down.
"Okay. I don’t know what’s happening here, nor do I care to."
"The documents are ready. You can sign them."
He passed them to Solomon.
"After you sign, have him sign, then let’s head on to whoever the recipient is and also have them sign," Ruben continued.
Wait, that’s three signatures, Roe thought.
Why three?
He didn’t ask.
He came to his own conclusion.
The other signature would probably be the Circle Master’s.
Merlin’s.
"So who’s he being transferred to? What circle?" Roe asked.
They all turned to him.
No one spoke.
They gave him the impression it wasn’t good news.
"I can’t believe this is actually the follow-up to yesterday," Lot said.
"You do like games, Merlin."
Roe didn’t understand.
Solomon passed the documents over to Roe.
"The mission. You were sent for a reason."
"Your signature is needed."
"The Master also requested you be the one to select what party accepts Chris."
Roe was shocked.
Solomon called the obvious options.
"The Council of Mages or the Circle of Gadmoda. Which?" he asked Roe.
"Okay. It’s Merlin’s will then."
"I’m going with neither."
He said it as he signed.
He looked up.
He passed the document over to Solomon.
He wasn’t looking in Solomon’s direction, however.
His eyes were firmly fixed on Lot.
"Let’s hand him over to the Circle of Vlad."
This response came as a shock to everyone. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
"Excuse me?" Joseph asked.
"You heard me, Master Joseph. Quite frankly, you’re not the one I expected to ask ’excuse me.’"
He said, his gaze still clearly set on Lot.
