Chapter 003

In the whole evening, Merlin and Melissa strolled around the entirety of Balvion City, with the fastest way possible, by riding on the carriage.

They had gone to the different places inside the city, the City Park, the Statue of King Ambrose the First at the center part of the city, the Trading District and other places where  the usual lovers went, which made Melissa a bit flustered, but the only thing they didn't went to was a hotel.

Given their actual relations to each other, they would definitely not go to such place. Merlin wasn't like that kind of man, but he noticed that he was seemingly not good with relationships. This always come to his mind everytime he thought of the woman he once loved in his previous life, Vivian.

The lady of the lake, the woman who betrayed him, despite the love he gave to her. It caused Merlin to be a bit afraid of having relationships with woman again, but he didn't let it ruin him, instead he tried to solve it for pursuing woman in this world. The women that caught his sight.

Melissa told Merlin everything he wanted to know, which was not part of the information God provided to him. Most of it was about the Laws inside the kingdom. And since she was the princess assistant, Merlin also asked him how he could  enter the Capital City of Ambrose Kingdom.

Melissa said it was only exclusive to all Ambrose Kingdom's citizens. One must be on the list of Citizen Book that the Commission of Ambrose Populace had, and if one wanted to be a citizen, he must get a Citizenship Card at the Commission of Ambrose Populace Building located at the three cities near  at the Capital City of Ambrose Kingdom.

In front of the Balvion City Inn, Merlin get out of the carriage while Melissa remained. "It's a good bye now, Merlin."

"It might be; might be not. Fate is always playful, and I already experienced her mischievous hands. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed our date." Merlin said.

A bit flustered, Melissa answered. "Yes, it's been fun. I have to go now. It's nice meeting you, Merlin." and the carriage left while Merlin entered the Inn.

Inside the Inn, Merlin saw many people chatting and drinking on the Mess Hall. He rented one room and headed straight upstairs to retire for the night.

"My first day has been pretty eventful. I saw a witch, and Magic Artifact Holders. I think I need to remake my plans. How they are able to use such item intrigues me. What information God provided is only about the world's geography, and about the beings that lives in Phantasia, but nothing about Magic Artifacts. I must acquire one of those to know how they are made. Tomorrow, I'll head to the next city. This city doesn't had any forge, the next might have."

Then, Merlin sat on his bed and entered a trance. Melding with the world and pulling mana towards his Mana Pool, like a vortex initiating purification. Although, Merlin had an extremely large amount of mana, he wasn't satisfied to its quality.

He noticed before when he used a spell in the Forest of Albear to kill the Wyrm Serpent, his spell wasn't powerful as before, which was due to his mana not being pure.

"I think I need to start at the bottom again. This will take a long time, so I'll start the purification early." and Merlin spent his night purifying his mana.

The next morning, Merlin left Balvion City with a horse as a mount. He took the path which the Merchants and Traders mostly travelled along as it was safe from any bandits and the fastest route towards the next city.

Instead of travelling alone, Merlin banded with a Merchant group. He might found something interesting from their stories about the places they had already went to.

Everborne City, standing on the center of lushly grassland, within the Ambrose Kingdom. This city was the only place where a travellers, Merchants and Traders could stop over, before continuing their journey.

At first glance, one would thought it was a peaceful city like in fantasy. However, protected by the tall walls was the horror that the City Lord was hiding from any foreigners coming to their lands for trades and businesses.

More often at night, when the gate of the city were closed, when no one could leave nor enter, when the moon was bath in blood. A scream of a woman like a banshee filled with resentment, revenge and pure agony would resound through out the city, spreading dread and terror to its citizens.

The cause of this horrible phenomenon was a curse laid upon the city by the citizens of the Everborne called Black Witch Mistress.

All things have stories behind them. Whether it was good or bad all had their own stories, but different endings. As it might be good like in fairytales, or bad like a tragedy. But that is for another time...

To not let the other cities and merchant companies avoid their city as merchants and tradings were vital for the livelihood of the citizens, they built a tall wall to conceal this ritual when the time was right.

They always closed the city every night, when the moon was red. It was the only way for the curse to not took effect, said the witch that laid it.

Until the other cities grew baffled to this practice. The City Lord said it was for the purpose of protection, as they were raided sometimes by the bandits from the Mountain of Hourdour.

How could that be? How could that happened? This was the words that the people from other cities would always said when they heard this alibi.

Even more, If the distance was too long for the lazy bandits to travel just to pillage a city with thousand families? Coupled with hundred militia inside the city.

In the end, they didn't asked any further. And just took it as the City Lord only wanted to protect his citizens.

The closing of the City Gate only happened every 6th days of every week. There were 7 days every week, 6 weeks every month and 12 months within a year. Hence, it happened often and this caused the citizens to leave and make a new life in other cities.

But for those whose couldn't leave, they could only remain and endured everything that was happening, promised to not divulged it to any outsiders.

Year of the Holy Maiden, 5th day of the week, and 3rd week for the 6th month, Merlin and group of merchants were only a day away from the Everborne City.

Traversing the vast heath under the clear blue sky with mild weather. Merlin had already heard the merchants stories about the Everborne City. One said the city was cursed. The other said the City Lord was part of a cult, that they were conducting rituals everyday, sacrificing citizens to their evil deities.

While others had their own version, and even more elaborate, exaggerated that it was almost unbelievable.

Merlin had already heard things like this in his previous life, and so he didn't believed any of those he heard. After all, he knew to himself that he would immediately know the truth once he arrived at the city. Seeing things personally was better than listening to the words of others.

"Merlin, why don't you tell us about yourself?" one of the merchants named Almano asked.

"Sure, but my story isn't like what you want to hear. I have a plain life. My grandparents died and I leave the house to experience the world. Ever since I became a magician I want to travel around the world to see things in my own perspective. I have a mother, but didn't know who my father is....."

Merlin told them all the things they wanted to hear, but all of it was a lie, except for one, the thing about his father. He really didn't knew who his father was, what he looked like, or even what his was known as. His mother didn't told him anything, and always said that he was born with a purpose, but she didn't told him what it was.

Until he discovered magic. Something that only he could do. Bending reality to fantasy. Creating something from nothing, and making something disappear from reality. Such feat was told impossible by philosophers he admired the most.

However, most of the memories of his mother had already been erased, and all he could remember was a woman with a blurred image, not even her name was left known to him.

"Umm, Merlin?"

"ah sorry, I just remember something unpleasant..."

"Don't worry about. Like my gramps always told me. Life is unpredictable, everything happens with a purpose." Samuel said one of the merchants whom had the same age as Merlin and Almano, and looked at the old man controlling the horses. " Right Old Man?!"

"Yehh! Right pip-squeak! Y'all won't have dinner if ya don't work! Stop that unprofitable talk and get on your work! We have arrive at the cursed city of Everborne! I advice you, don't start talking about curses if y'all don't want to be jailed. Understand?!" the old man yelled.

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"Alright!" they answered and laughed.

Then, suddenly, the subtle breeze wind became a eerily cold gust which briefly halted their caravan as the horses became restless for a second, but settled down quickly.

The others answer weren't from their hearts as Merlin noticed that they didn't took seriously what the Oldman Omar said to them.

Oldman Omar knew it, but he only grunted by not taking his words seriously, and thought once they spoke something about it, they're on themselves and he had nothing to do with them. He had warned them already. It was entirely up to them, if they would heed his warnings or not.

"The weather is nice. Looks like there will be no rain today. A good sign for us to start our business." said someone behind, and others nodded in agreement.

However, Merlin saw things differently.

Before his eyes, the horizon was covered in dark clouds with red lightning flashing, swimming about. Souls of people lingered around the city, howling as they cried for vengeance.

Even for a hundred meters away, Merlin could hear their cries and the scent of blood emanating around the city. Such thing could only appear if almost already hundred thousand lives had been sacrificed. This was enough for an semi-devil to be summoned from the depths of hell.

However, instead of being horrified, Merlin smiled. Such encounter ablazed his bored soul from excitement.

This city is indeed cursed. The curse has already completely taken over the whole city. All the original citizens of this city will suffer from the curse once they leave. The City Lord is wise to cover the whole city with tall walls. If he hadn't had done it, this curse might have already affected the whole grassland, even the nearby mountains will be affected. Merlin evaluated everything with just one look, and he had already knew who laid the curse.

She was standing near the gate of the city, charitably offering free food to all people who entered the gate. What she was giving were also cursed, and consuming it would slowly destroy one's health, until they died.

"Everyone, listen." Merlin said to attract everyone's attention.

"What is it Merlin?" Oldman Omar asked curiously.

"No matter what. Don't eat food given by anyone inside the city. I'll tell you this to ensure your safety, because you have been kind to me. The City is indeed cursed." Merlin said.

A long silence persisted as they looked at the city and back to Merlin. "Is what you said true?" Almano asked.

"Like I thought, this city is truly cursed!" Oldman Omar said.

"Everyone, calm down! Actually, I'm here for a mission to release this city from the curse. Also only the citizens of this city are affected by the curse so you're safe. As long as you followed my advice and head out before they closed the gate, you'll be okay."

"Then, why we mustn't let others know this? Shouldn't we need to notify others about this?" someone commented.

"Fool! Your gonna kill everyone with your idiocy!"  Samuel said to the man, which enraged him.

"You!..." before the two brawled, the quiet old Caesar spoke. "He's right, Orson, if you we told this to others, not even a day has passed the Witch might have already know it and she'll definitely kill everyone, and Everborne City will be the next Coltmoor City. Not even a corpse was left...... So we must definitely not let others know about this. We must follow what this Kid Merlin said. He's the only Magician amongst us here...."

What Old Caesar said made them think more deeply, and shivered with the thought if they had really spread the words to others.

"Remember everyone, don't ever take any food given to you. Also refuse politely! We'll see how much acting skills you have! Being cunning is also one of the great merchants abilities!"

"Yer right bout that, Kid!" Oldman Omar said as he laughed and continued on their way.

Oldman Omar was fearless. He really admired this old man. Merlin knew from his actions only, that he had already experienced many hardships, even near death experiences. Such person must be admired. Even after what he experienced, he could still laugh heartily, embracing death at old age.

Oldman Omar and Old Caesar were clearly similar in this aspect...

Merlin told them other things they mustn't do when they're inside the city. The merchants listened carefully and memorized everything Merlin said to them. Until they had arrived at the entrance of the cursed city of Everborne.

At the entrance, many merchants and traders took and ate the free food, while others which weren't bewitched by the woman's beauty, remained aloof and didn't took the free food.

Some of the merchants within the group where Merlin came along, also did the same. They ignored her and hurriedly entered the City.

Then, it was Oldman Omar's moment. Merlin watched what he'll do.

Oldman Omar neared and looked at the woman. "Aye, lady. I'm sorry, but instead of giving this to me, I'll give this food to the people behind you. See those guards? They're clearly hungry. Such people must be treated handsomely. Take this few Emperial Silver Coins, and this few breads to them. Thanks for the food pretty lady..."

Then, Oldman Omar left. What he did made the people behind him gasped in admiration. Even Merlin was left speechless for a second. Clearly, Oldman Omar was a merchant. With just those good words of him, which were all lies to Merlin, had made others followed his example!

Oldman Omar saved the lives of many merchants implicitly!

"Aye, lady this Old Man will give my free food to those people too." old Caesar said as he walked towards Oldman Omar.

Samuel, Almano also did the same, but there were others who didn't followed him.

Then, it was Merlin's moment.

When the Witch saw, her eyes flashed with black light, killing intent rosed behind her as he spoke. "What a cute young lady you are...."

This made the band of merchants at the entrance laughed, like their lungs would explode and there's no tomorrow left for them to laugh.

"Lady, you have mistakenly took him for a girl. Pfft!"

Merlin glared at them, but it only added fuel to the fire. "Actually, I'm a man. I'm straight and loves women. So if you're free, you can accompany me tonight..." then, Merlin winked at her, but it didn't stopped there. Merlin even publicly touched her buttom in front of every one.

What Merlin did made the disguise witch angry as she slapped him, but Merlin caught her hand. She fell to her knees and yelled for help, then the guards arrested Merlin, and took the lady as well.

Oldman Omar and Old Caesar gasped and gave Merlin around of applause. All the people with them, looked at Merlin and the two old man with disdain, but for the two old man, what Merlin did was heroic. He saved many people from being cursed.

"Let's go. We'll bail out Merlin at the military section." Old Man Omar said as they rode on their caravan and left towards the City Marker Place.

After they had set their stalls, Oldman Omar and Old Caesar walked to the military section and bailed Merlin out of the jail. Since his case was only touching someone's buttom, they could bail him out, and the process had gone smoothly.

The time Merlin had gone out, he stretched his arms and legs for a moment. "I won't go back to that jail again. I told you it's not for people, there's no human rights written on that jail it has too little space! The only thing I can do is sit. I can't even straight my legs inside."

"Well that's for criminals only you know, and the kingdom don't treat them as human. Your case is not punishable by death so they put you in jail." Samuel said.

"So what you'll do now, kid? Are you going to find the witch...?" Old Caesar whispered.

Merlin nodded. "Yes, it's nice meeting you all. Let's part way here. Remember, don't remain here. You must head out immediately when the sky turned shady red. Exactly six in the afternoon."

"Alright, we'll do as you said. It's better safe than sorry." Alamo said.

"Okay, I have to go now." Merlin said his goodbye and walked down the road towards the city square, when most people go. The band of merchants watched as he disappeared in the crowd, before they returned to their stalls at the market place.

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Sorry folks! Fight won't broke out just yet! Anyway, enjoy the show at the next, next chapter!

See y'all!