章節 34: fourth member (part 2)

Our trio of protagonists were in a carriage on their way to Camelot to find Merlin. "So, Diana, what was that at the bar? Are you super strong?" Diana, upon hearing this, began to recall last night when she ended up hurting that man.

She started to panic, unsure how to react. It was then that Luffy spoke up, "Franky and I also have special skills in our group. Now, we'll be unbeatable." A big smile was plastered on his face. Seeing this, Diana smiled too; her nervousness vanished, and she began to breathe calmly. Right after that, curiosity got the best of her, and she asked Luffy about his powers, "What abilities do you have? I'm very fast and strong."

"We're also fast and strong, but we can also fly, and Franky can shoot energy beams from his eyes," Diana was very surprised and happy to realize that her first friends were like her.

They discussed this throughout the trip until they reached Camelot, where they had to go through some procedures at the entrance to gain entry. Everything went well, and they soon set out to find an inn to store their belongings. Afterward, they would begin their search for Merlin.

Merlin had been worried in the past few days; things were getting worse. Yesterday, there was information about strangers with powers being spotted in the port city. Following their route, they would soon reach Camelot. So, Merlin used a spell in conjunction with his magic item, a crystal ball, to see who these strange beings were. He could see a trio in a normal carriage: two men and a woman. However, one of them immediately caught his attention.

He was a young man with a well-groomed handsomeness and ordinary clothes. Yet, that couldn't conceal his aura of majesty, perceptible even from a distance. Merlin quickly identified him; even if he wasn't wearing his distinctive attire, his appearance hadn't changed since he arrived on Earth.

He was the god of humanity, possessing the power to control the life and death of all humans on the planet. The one who ended the age of the Titans and banished the gods from the Earth. Belial had told Merlin much about his stories. Inmo was a being that even Lucifer didn't want to approach. Such a creature was heading straight toward him, causing Merlin to break into a cold sweat.

He didn't know what Inmo wanted from him, but he knew he stood no chance against him. So, he decided to try to appease Inmo as much as possible and pray he wouldn't meet his end. He immediately commanded the castle's occupants to prepare, for a significant guest was on his way, and no one should dare to disrespect him.

During the night, the trio received a visitor—a knight. "You have been invited to the castle by Sir Merlin. Please follow me." After a brief discussion, the three agreed to accompany the knight, boarding the carriage that was waiting in front of the inn.

As they journeyed to the castle, they discussed what was happening. Inmo said, "So, Merlin knows we're here. He must be a great wizard. This is the first time I'm going to see a wizard." While Inmo spoke, memories of Atlantis' fall flashed through his mind. He remembered seeing some wizards there, but he wasn't sure if those counted.

Then Diana added, "On the island where I lived, there were some wizards." The group continued their conversation. Upon arriving at the castle, they were led to a large room with a table full of delicacies. The knights who had been there left, leaving only Merlin in the room with them.

"Welcome, travelers. Please help yourselves. While we dine, we can discuss why you are here." Merlin was insistent on treating them as well as he could. The trio was surprised but decided to dine with Merlin. "Well, we are forming a group of adventurers to travel the world freely and explore. We heard you are a great mage, so we'd like to invite you to join our group. My name is Luffy, and this is Diana and Franky."

Upon hearing Inmo's words, Merlin experienced a mental glitch, pausing for a few seconds, unsure of what to say. This imposing figure was forming a group, but what did he want with that? With his power, no one could oppose him. While Merlin didn't know what to do, it was undoubtedly a bad choice to oppose him. So, he could only respond, "I would really like to participate, but the kingdom is in the midst of a war, and I won't be able to leave the king's side."

Upon hearing this, Inmo said, "Don't worry. If you join our group, your battles will be our battles. We'll help you in this war." Hearing this, Merlin was surprised and quickly realized that with Inmo's assistance, Camelot was likely to secure victory in a matter of days. "Thank you. I'll accept the invitation."

Diana, who heard what Luffy said, was pondering her mission. Should she tell them about her mission? Well, that was something to think about. Inmo, after hearing Merlin, raised his glass and made a toast. "WELCOME TO THE NEW MEMBER." Everyone followed his lead and celebrated. Despite appearing around 60 years old, Merlin's true form was that of a 40-year-old man. Just like with Inmo and Diana, appearances can be deceiving.

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