NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Olivia Walt
Chloé Twilight's POV
"Miss, the envoy from the magus association has arrived," Susan's voice pulled me from my thoughts about the awakening ceremony that was supposed to take place at the manor and in the town of Black Stone.
"I'll meet them personally. And where's Merlin?"
I got up to prepare for meeting the person who was supposed to help my son finally begin his path toward the magic he's so fond of.
"Young master Merlin finished his breakfast after your meeting and locked himself in the library."
As expected of my pride and joy, he's very diligent in his work.
According to Adrianne, the head of the guard, my son also has an excellent talent for weapons in general.
"Excellent, don't disturb him unless I call for him after my meeting with the magus."
I really hope it's an honorable magus who made the journey - it would be useful if Merlin could gain The favor of a magus
Of course, I don't expect the magus to be a man. It's unrealistic to hope for a male magus to come to a town like Black Stone for a mission like this.
Once I put on more formal attire, I went to meet my guest. It only took me a few minutes to reach the guest room.
Before me was a young girl with black eyes and long black hair. She wore a black dress, simple but beautiful.
Apart from her young appearance of about 14 or 15 years old, she had another remarkable characteristic.
She possessed an aura, or atmosphere, of solitude and inaccessibility.
This young girl was accompanied by two women in knight's attire.
I could sense they had mastered their "aura" to a level close to mine.
I estimate they're weaker than me or Adrianne, but together they could give me a good fight.
"My greetings, honorable seeker of truth, I am Baroness Chloé Twilight."
I bowed slightly to the seated young girl, unlike the two guards at her sides. She just nodded at my greeting.
I can tell at a glance that she's not a true magus, but a mere apprentice.
Despite her status as a mere apprentice magus, the young woman before me was overflowing with pride. This could be explained by her future possibility of becoming a magus or just plain arrogance.
I'll have to endure her insolence, it's for my little Merlin's sake.
"Baroness Twilight, you're already aware of the reason for my presence here, aren't you?"
The silence that had settled after my greetings was broken by the calm words of the apprentice magus before me.
She had a cold voice, unusual for her young appearance, and her black eyes stared at me as if trying to pierce through me, but I managed somewhat under her magical pressure.
However, Susan and the servants were having trouble breathing properly.
Personally, I've dealt with magus before due to expeditions in the black forest next to Black Stone town.
So, the pressure passively exerted by an apprentice magus isn't really a problem for me.
I just slightly covered my body with my "aura" to resist it.
"I'm aware of the reasons for your presence. I'll organize the awakening ceremony for Black Stone town tomorrow morning."
While I spoke, I signaled a servant to bring more tea and pastries.
"Excellent, I don't want to spend much time in this place," she sketched a small smile of satisfaction that was hard to perceive.
It seems she really doesn't want to stick around, which doesn't surprise me given the schedule of beings like her.
"Oh! I almost forget, Miss Twilight, I heard from my elder sister Countess Rose Walt that you have a son."
For the first time since I met this young girl, there was something other than boredom in her black eyes.
...
Merlin's POV
"Young master Merlin," a maid rushed to my current location.
"I... madam..." she was having trouble expressing herself properly, she must have something really urgent to tell me for her to not follow etiquette.
"Calm down, breathe first and then speak," I gave her a chair next to mine.
She followed my instructions and quickly relaxed.
"The envoy from the magus association has come to the manor and wishes to meet you, young master."
Normally, this wouldn't be bad news, but it seems there's more than just a simple meeting.
Why do I think that?
It's simply because of the expression on this servant's face.
"I see," I just nodded before getting up to head toward the library exit.
"Aren't you going to show me the way?" At my words, she immediately stood up and started guiding me to the location of the person sent by the mage association.
I wasn't really worried about my safety facing a mage, the laws regarding men are extremely strict.
I'm not at risk in the Black Kingdom, unless I actively seek trouble of my own free will.
...
"Hello, ladies," once I arrived, I greeted everyone following etiquette.
"Huh," I couldn't help but gasp because of the pressure emanating from the young woman in black dress before me.
[Alert!!!]
[Alert!!!]
[Radiation detected, it is recommended to move away from the source.]
It only lasted a few seconds before the radiation detected by the AI disappeared as if it was my imagination.
"Sorry, I practice magic linked to darkness and it tends to passively affect people with a small amount of mana."
The black-haired young woman seated between the two guards apologized in a sincere tone, but her facial expression didn't really convey her sincerity.
"My name is Olivia Walt, I'm from the same house as Countess Walter. Of course, I'm a level 3 apprentice magus."
She followed etiquette during her introduction, showing she respects me despite my young age.
There's also the fact that her name is that of a secondary character who appears in the novel.
Olivia Walt, she'll be a true magus at the beginning of the novel's main plot.
She's a future professor at the Northern Empire's magic academy.
You have to understand that magus in general are affiliated with the magus association, which is a neutral organization itself like the guilds, but the magic academy is different.
The magic academy is affiliated with the empress and the Northern Empire. It provides information and resources to magus and aspiring magus in exchange for their cooperation during various crises.
The magus association is a bit different.
If I can explain it simply, I'd describe it as a huge commercial platform for magus.
Any magus can exchange various services and objects through it.
The Magus Association aims to promote the evolution of magus, regardless of their racial origin, guild, or organization.
The magus association also grants the most freedom, since everything is based on meritocracy.
Members of the magus association can be affiliated with nations like the Northern Empire. However, there are certain rules that must not be broken.
If a member breaks them, they'll be hunted across the entire world of Gaia (or Midgard).
The rules or prohibitions in the magus association are often related to betrayal of the world of Gaia or Midgard.
So yes, if I want to evolve easily in this world, I should avoid having trouble with the magus association and the Northern Empire at the start.
"You probably already know me, miss, but I'll introduce myself anyway. I'm Merlin Twilight, of House Twilight, of baronial rank."
She nodded before taking some tea. I can see she's really a refined young woman, it was a bit fascinating to watch her drink it.
A simple action, but strangely fascinating.
"I wanted to meet you to proceed with your awakening ceremony, and I also made a proposal to your mother."
I took a closer look at my mother. She simply looked back at me before smiling weakly.
It seems she had to make a certain decision that didn't please her, and I already have a small idea of what it's about.
"May I know the terms of your proposal?" I just asked for confirmation.
"Merlin, it's not necessary for you to know right now. You should first pass the ceremony," Chloé answered me instead of Olivia.
I remained silent for a moment before nodding. I noticed Olivia sigh with satisfaction.
I remember that the Walt family in the novel is a family of count rank.
However, I read in the library that it's a declining family.
The reason is simply due to the lack of men and magus for too long.
Normally, a high-ranking noble family has a man or a magus among its members.
The current Walt family has neither. Fortunately for them, Olivia is supposed to become a magus in the future.
My mother belongs to the same political faction as Countess Rose Walt, and our territory is under this noble's zone of influence.
It's logical that Countess Rose would want to use this influence to force my mother to save her family.
That's why I think the agreement between Olivia and Chloé concerns my future children or my fiancée.
"I won't take any more of your time. I'll start your awakening ceremony," Olivia extended her shadow over the table and it produced a crystal ball.