NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Awakening
"What happened to you? Why are you so quiet?"
Linda's curious, slightly confused voice pulled Merlin from his reverie.
Beside him, Catrine furrowed her brow, looking at him with a mix of displeasure and dissatisfaction.
"Ahem!" Merlin cleared his throat lightly. "I… I'm sorry, Headmistress Linda. I just… it felt almost unreal seeing you here."
Linda blinked, her curiosity evident, and a gentle smile curved her lips.
"You don't need to call me Headmistress, Merlin. You're not a student of Saint Freya Academy, after all, so you can just call me Linda."
Merlin hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"Alright… Linda," he said softly.
Linda nodded in satisfaction, folding her arms over her chest as she asked again, curiosity in her voice, "By the way, you haven't told me how you discovered my identity. Did Ardhis?"
"Father didn't tell me," Merlin replied, shaking his head. "I enjoy reading, and I once came across an article about you. There was even a picture, so I recognized you immediately."
Of course, that was a lie. He had never seen Linda's picture, let alone met her in person.
It was only after she spoke her name that Merlin realized the woman before him was Linda—the headmistress of Saint Freya Academy.
This woman played an important role in the story. During the academy arc, Abel would demonstrate his enchantments and abilities at the grand tournament held once every five years.
At that event, Linda sat in the main seat, astonished by his achievements. Impressed, she later called Abel to her office and asked him to represent Saint Freya Academy in the inter-academy battle scheduled five months later.
By the way, Linda was the heroine of the story—but she was not part of the main character's harem.
The reason was simple: Michiku-sensei really liked Linda. He made it nearly impossible for the main character to make her fall in love, no matter how hard he tried.
When Merlin found out, he felt as if Michiku-sensei had hit him on the head with a rock. After all, creating a heroine but not letting the main character pursue her did seem strange.
Still, Merlin hadn't cared much at the time. Michiku-sensei was known for liking MILFs, so Linda was likely created just to satisfy that taste.
Nevertheless, upon looking at her more closely, Merlin had to admit that Linda was indeed very beautiful—her body well-proportioned, with curves, bosoms, and hips that could tempt any man.
Merlin finally had to acknowledge one thing: Michiku-sensei was truly skilled at creating heroines.
"Is it really like that?" Linda asked, a trace of suspicion in her voice.
"Yes, it is like that." Merlin gave a small nod, his expression remaining completely unchanged.
Linda dismissed her doubts and said, "Alright. Now, let's awaken the spirits within both of you. The process might be a little painful, but I'm sure you can handle it."
Merlin and Catrine nodded slightly. Soon, they followed Linda to the center of the courtyard.
Linda took a deep breath and pressed her palms together. A large magic circle appeared beneath their feet, lingering only for a moment before vanishing.
"I've placed a magic circle to stimulate the spirits within you. You can now start trying to communicate with them," Linda said softly.
Merlin and Catrine exchanged glances, then nodded slowly. Both sat cross-legged, resting their arms on their knees.
"Catrine, do your best, okay? Don't lose consciousness," Merlin reminded her gently.
Catrine smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes, Big Brother. You too."
"Of course!" Merlin chuckled softly.
Seeing their affectionate exchange, Linda couldn't hide her surprise.
'Ardhis was right. This boy really has… changed,' she murmured.
In truth, this wasn't her first encounter with Merlin. About a year ago, Ardhis had brought him to her to check for a possible curse.
Back then, Merlin had been incredibly cheeky. Although only seven years old, his attitude and audacity were like that of a troublemaking teenager.
Back then, Linda had been very angry and upset with him. But now, the once annoying and insolent boy had grown gentle and polite, leaving her both surprised and impressed.
Merlin and Catrine closed their eyes and began entering a meditative state. To awaken their spirits, they needed to communicate with them.
The process might sound simple, but in reality, it was extremely difficult. Spirits were proud beings and often looked down on humans.
Still, Merlin wasn't too worried. Over the past two days, he had read numerous books about spirits and was about ninety percent confident in his chances of success.
A few minutes passed, and suddenly, Merlin felt his consciousness being pulled away by a strange, powerful force.
In the next moment, an unpleasant chill ran through him, and he snapped his eyes open.
The sight before him made his eyes widen in shock.
"Where am I?"