In the office, Merlin sat on the couch across from Arturia.

They were waiting for Rom to arrive.

“Merlin, did the report of Frederick and Ryan were true? You investigated the location where they exterminated the Witch Cultist, right?”

Arturia asked Merlin in the middle of the wait, causing Merlin to look at Arturia with serious eyes.

“Yes, the report was mostly correct. Because Frederick and Ryan didn’t participate directly in the last battle, they didn’t know whether the Sin Archbishop had dead or not.”

“That’s concerning.” Said Arturia as she crossed her arms.

Merlin stroked his chin with his right hand and looked up to the ceiling.

“There is that too…” He muttered in a low voice, but Arturia heard that.

It was intentional to make Arturia suspicious of him. He glanced slightly to Arturia, and she did become suspicious of him.

“What are you hiding?”

“I wonder what is it?” Merlin answered with a playful voice as he touched his mouth with his index finger.

“Just tell me about it and be done with it, Merlin.” Arturia pressed her voice, appearing commanding with her tone.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Merlin.

Merlin laughed a little and raised both of his hands. His wand was leaned against the couch.

He then lowered his hands and looked at Arturia seriously.

“There is a possibility that the Sin Archbishop of Sloth has not died yet. Something is missing, his corpse.”

“Disturbing.” Said Arturia, “Anything else?”

Merlin nodded his head.

“On the way to the Mathers mansion, I felt a residue of Mana. Magic was being used on the road. Frederick and Ryan didn’t present such report, which means neither they weren’t aware of it, nor they hid it.”

“No, they didn’t hide anything.” From outside of the door, a voice of a man ringed out.

The voice was familiar, so Merlin and Arturia just looked at the voice that interrupted them.

A second, two seconds, the door wasn’t opened. At that point, Arturia realized something.

“You may enter.” She hadn’t given permission yet.

As soon as she said that, the door was opened and Reinhard stood outside of the door with Rom behind him.

“I apologize for interrupting your conversation, Milady.”

“No problem, Sir Reinhard. However, can you elaborate on what did you know about this matter?”

“Certainly.”

Reinhard walked inside the room, followed by Rom. Because of his position as a Knight, Reinhard just stood without sitting on the couch, leaving Rom standing awkwardly behind him.

“Rom, you can sit here if you want to.” Merlin offered Rom to sit beside him as he moved to the side while holding his wand.

“Thank you.” Rom said and he sat beside Merlin.

Seeing everyone was ready, Arturia looked at Reinhard.

“Continue.”

“Yes. Frederick and Ryan were not lying in their report. I asked them again when we were in the training, and they are honest individuals, Milady.”

“I see, so the Magic was used without them realizing it. Merlin, continue with the information.”

Merlin nodded his head.

“The villagers were evacuated by the maid of Roswaal L Matters. The elderly and kids were put in the mansion while the rest of the villagers were sent to a place called Sanctuary. Sir Reinhard, maybe you know this Sanctuary location?”

Merlin asked Reinhard, and it made Arturia confused. She then realized it.

“No way… Merlin, are you serious?”

Rom tilted her head, he didn’t understand what Arturia meant.

Reinhard who knew Merlin’s power was also surprised. He looked at Merlin, waiting for an answer.

“Yes, My King. I couldn’t see them. There is a bounded field, a barrier that surrounds the place called Sanctuary. Whoever made the barrier is strong, it could be a witch.”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise, especially Rom. He’d never thought that a witch would come out in the conversation, especially from Merlin.

From what Rom knew, Merlin was the strangest magician that he met in all of his lifetimes. However, seeing Arturia’s confidence in Merlin, showed that Merlin could be depended on.

A witch came out from that Magician’s name. The Magician was trusted by Arturia. He said that he found a barrier that a witch made.

“Merlin, are you sure that a witch made the barrier?”

Merlin once again nodded his head, “Maybe. The Magic that I felt was different from the normal Magic around here. So I concluded that the barrier had a relation with a witch or Witch Cultist.”

“You didn’t force in because you are cautious, right? It’s not like you weren’t able to look past the barrier.”

“Of course!” Merlin exclaimed with a big smile, “We need to move carefully, so I thought of reporting what I found first before breaking through the barrier. It will use a lot of Mana, but I will manage.”

Arturia smiled slightly, leaving the two people surprised with their mouths gaped.

Reinhard was able to recover faster and looked at Merlin. He never thought that there was another one, a man that could be classified as a Monster in terms of skill.

In this case, Merlin was the monster of Magic, the one who said that he could breach a barrier made by a witch with confidence.

Arturia then formed a plan inside her head. However, the plan was a bit risky, so she asked Rom, the one with the most experience in this room.

Experience, in this case, was the experience of war in this world. The plan, the strategy, Rom was a veteran.

That was what Arturia’s instinct told her, and she did trust her instinct.

There was also Reinhard, the veteran Knight.

“Rom, I am planning to get the troop a real-life experience by hunting Mabeast, what do you think? Sir Reinhard is free to say something in his mind too.”

“Hmm…” Reinhard touched his chin with his right hand and looked up slightly, “I think there will be no problem.”

“I also don’t think it is a problem, young miss. Rather, ask them to hunt a lot of Mabeast. It will make them feel less fear towards their opponent.” Rom said as he nodded his head.

Arturia nodded her head, and then she smiled.

“Well, then the next agenda of the troop will be hunting Mabeast.”

The poor soldiers that were now having their breakfast didn’t know about it. The day where they could leisurely train themselves would be over in a few days.

They would realize, that Arturia’s training would be a piece of cake compared to the experience that they would get.

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