NOVEL NEXT Chapter 79: The Figure Behind the Curse
"Hate?" Merlin was dumbfounded. "How could I ever hate you? You're my beloved sister—the one I love the most."
He quickly clarified, and those words made Catrine's face, which was already red from crying, turn even redder, like an apple.
But her tears didn't stop. She continued sobbing softly, looking at him with sad eyes.
"In that case, why didn't you tell me?" she asked, wiping away the tears on her cheeks. "I wanted to know where you went because I was worried about you."
Her words made Merlin flinch. He fell silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
'I really was… stupid,' he said with a wry smile.
Back then, he had no one by his side and had always depended on himself.
Even after reincarnating into this world, that old habit sometimes resurfaced, and without realizing it, he ended up hurting his little sister.
Taking a deep breath, he forced a small smile and gently pinched her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Catrine. I was really stupid and selfish. Actually, I wanted to investigate the plague that has spread to a nearby village," he explained seriously. "The cases have been increasing for the past two days, and the soldiers still haven't found the source. I feel this problem could endanger us and the city's residents, so I have to check it out myself."
Men, women, and children would become victims of the plague. And of course, most of them would be children, as their bodies were more vulnerable.
Every second was precious, and he couldn't afford to delay any longer.
Meanwhile, Catrine, who had just heard his explanation, was shocked. Her small mouth opened and closed, as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.
Moments later, she composed herself and asked with concern, "Isn't it dangerous? What if you get infected?"
Both of her hands gripped his left hand tightly. Her brother was someone she cared for and loved deeply; losing Merlin was something she couldn't accept.
"I know it's dangerous, but it has to be done soon. Otherwise, there will be more victims," Merlin assured her.
Catrine bit her lower lip and lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought.
Then, all of a sudden, she looked up and met his eyes with a determined gaze.
"Take me with you, Big Brother! I can at least protect you!"
Hearing those words, Merlin's face stiffened. He quickly shook his head and firmly refused. "No way! How could I take you with me? It's too dangerous!"
He wasn't even sure if he could return home unharmed himself, let alone bring his little sister along.
Besides, if their mother and father found out, he would be in serious trouble.
"Then you can't go either! I don't want you to be in danger!" Her round eyes filled with tears.
Merlin fell silent, unsure of what to say. At that moment, the system's calm voice echoed in his mind.
"[Why don't you just take her with you, Master?]"
Merlin frowned. 'System, are you kidding me? Taking her with me would be the same as sending her to her death! There's no way I'm doing that!'
"[You're underestimating the heroine too much, Master. Remember who saved the city of Droswen in the novel?]"
Merlin's eyes widened. 'That—Catrine…'
"[Bingo! That's right, Master. So there's no harm in bringing her. In fact, bringing her might even help you solve the plague faster.]"
Merlin considered the system's words. He wasn't the type to stubbornly refuse advice, and now that he thought about it, the system made a valid point.
He still didn't know the exact source of the plague, but he had a few guesses: perhaps the air, the water, or the soil.
Although the soldiers claimed they had checked everything yesterday and found nothing, it wasn't impossible that they had only said so without actually investigating.
After three minutes of careful thought, Merlin took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
"Alright, Catrine, you're coming with me. But please, don't do anything reckless, okay? Otherwise, I'll send you straight back home," Merlin warned solemnly, gently pinching her cheek.
Catrine's sad expression instantly brightened into a happy glow.
"Don't worry, Big Brother! I promise I won't!"
"Good." Merlin nodded, satisfied. "Now, let's finish your breakfast first, then we'll go."
Catrine didn't protest and quickly devoured her breakfast with enthusiasm.
...
"How is this possible? The curse I implanted in him… it's just gone?"
In a dark room, an old man frowned. His body was strong and muscular; long white hair framed his face, and his beard hung down to cover his lips and chin.
Despite being called an old man, he showed no signs of frailty. He looked more like a man in his forties than someone elderly.
He looked around warily. "This is… strange. The curse shouldn't be able to disappear—but it has."
His gaze fell to the rough, rocky ground below, filled with wonder and confusion.
The curse he referred to, called Blood Viroth, was embedded in Merlin's body.
It was an ancient curse with no known antidote—so powerful that even the Ninth Star mages of the Arcadia Magic Empire or the mages of the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria would have been powerless to remove it.
Yet now, the impossible had occurred, and he could no longer deny it.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the shock within, his expression turning cold and filled with lethal intent.
"This cannot be ignored. I must find the cause—otherwise, the whole world could be destroyed," he muttered softly. "After all, that boy, Merlin Clay, is an anomaly… one that should never have existed in history, or even… in this timeline."
With that, his figure dissolved into white smoke and vanished completely.
...
The city of Droswen was surrounded by a massive thirty-meter-high wall that encircled its entire territory, protecting it from potential enemy attacks.
The city had four main gates—north, south, east, and west. Each gate was enormous and always bustling with people coming and going.
After all, Droswen was one of the major cities in the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria. It was a natural destination for merchants and for people from outside the city who came to take a vacation or look for work.
Just then, from the direction of the south gate, a brown horse-drawn carriage rolled out. There was nothing special about the carriage itself, but the people inside were far from ordinary. They were Merlin and Catrine.
The two set out with a single purpose—to investigate the plague that had struck a nearby village.
"Are you feeling sick?" Merlin asked softly as he pulled back his hood.
Catrine shook her head with a big smile. "No, Brother, I'm fine. In fact, I feel really excited. This is our first trip together, after all."
Merlin chuckled and gently pinched her cheek. "I'm glad to hear that. By the way, we should be arriving soon. Get yourself ready."
"I see!" Catrine nodded lightly.
Half an hour passed quickly, and their carriage came to a stop. A moment later, the coachman's voice called from the front.
"We've arrived, Young Master Merlin, Young Lady Catrine."