Sorcerer Supreme
Balthazar opened the Magic Book and said, "See that? These are the two of you."
The page the book was turned to showed not only Dave's portrait, but also Charlotte Doyle's, along with drawings of Horvath and Maxim.
Then Balthazar handed the Magic Book to Charlotte: "Take a look."
Charlotte didn't stand on ceremony and took it in her hands to look through it.
Balthazar then walked towards the center of the Training Room and said, "In order to imprison Maxim inside the Grimhold as soon as possible, I must first train you all to become Mage."
Balthazar came to the center, then held his breath, slowly raised his hands and then slammed them down on the ground. A circular green flame shot into the sky.
Dave gasped in surprise, interrupting Charlotte who was reading through magical history.
As Balthazar moved, the flames slowly subsided, outlining a magic circle on the ground.
As the magic circle was completed, Balthazar declared, "This is Merlin Circle!"
"It can be used to gather your power and help you master new spells."
"This is also where you learn your skills."
After speaking, Balthazar came out and raised another Merlin Circle on the open ground next to him, one for Charlotte and one for Dave.
"Come in, and don't bring anything except yourself."
"Once you're inside, you're not allowed to leave until you've mastered the power."
After thinking for a moment, Dave said, "I'd better go use the restroom first, just in case..."
Dave then turned to Charlotte and asked, "How do I get to the restroom?"
Seeing Dave's embarrassed expression, Charlotte laughed and said, "Just ask a waiter when you get out of here, he'll show you the way."
"Thanks!"
After saying that, Dave walked out of the Practice Room.
Charlotte glanced at the Magic Book in her hand, then at Balthazar standing within the magic circle, and suddenly asked curiously, "What's the difference between Merlin- style Mage and Kamar-Taj Master of the Mystic Arts?"
As soon as Charlotte finished speaking, Balthazar's figure appeared before Charlotte like a phantom.
Where did you hear about Kamar-Taj?
Charlotte shrugged, remaining silent as she looked at Balthazar, awaiting his answer.
"Alright, I don't care where you learned about Kamar-Taj, but I have to tell you one thing: don't learn their magic."
"Our Merlin lineage primarily focuses on identifying individuals who inherently possess magical potential and powerful energy, nurturing them into formidable Mage."
"Our lineage's great power originates from within ourselves. Talent itself may be the biggest limitation, but we have a long lifespan and will not need to pay any additional price in the future."
"The biggest difference between Merlin's lineage and Kamar-Taj's lineage is that Kamar-Taj mages do not rely on their own magic, but instead choose to form contracts with other powerful beings to borrow their power."
"This kind of opportunistic approach comes at a great cost in old age; apart from their leader, the Sorcerer Supreme, they are all short-lived..."
Before Balthazar could finish speaking, a halo suddenly appeared beside him, and a bald woman stepped out—it was the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme.
"Master Balthazar, speaking ill of others behind their backs is not a good habit!"
Seeing the woman emerge from the portal, Balthazar gave an awkward smile, then respectfully said, "Good evening, Sorcerer Supreme!"
Ancient One returned the greeting to the now respectful Balthazar, saying, "Good evening, Archmage Balthazar!"
Then, the Ancient One turned to look at Charlotte Doyle, her gaze lingering for a moment on the Dragon Ring on Charlotte's index finger before she asked:
"Master Balthazar, are you planning to hand over the position of Prime Merlinian to Mr. Charlotte Doyle?"
Charlotte and Balthazar were both puzzled by the sudden appearance of the Ancient One, especially after the mention of Prime Merlinian's location.
In the Magic World, there is not only the title of Sorcerer Supreme, but also the position of Prime Merlinian.
However, the Prime Merlinian has always belonged to Merlin. For more than a dozen centuries after his death, because Balthazar did not find a suitable successor, the position has remained vacant.
Today, the Sorcerer Supreme suddenly asked this question. Balthazar frowned slightly, then slowly replied, "This is a matter concerning Merlin's lineage; it shouldn't fall under the jurisdiction of the Sorcerer Supreme!"
Ancient One said gently, "Don't misunderstand, I will not interfere with the succession of the Prime Merlinian lineage; I'm just learning about it."
Upon hearing the Ancient One's words, Balthazar then spoke up, "The Dragon Ring has chosen Charlotte; she will be the next Prime Merlinian."
At this moment, Ancient One's gaze pierced through the door of the room, as if she saw Dave going to relieve himself. She shook her head slightly and said, "Poor guy. I wonder if, in the future, he'll regret his choice when he finds out he sold the position of Prime Merlinian for only 100,000 US Dollar."
Then, Ancient One looked at Charlotte and said, "Charlotte Doyle, now that you've inherited the position of Prime Merlinian, come to Kamar-Taj. I have some things to tell you."
"After all, Prime Merlinian has returned to his position, so the responsibilities he originally bore should return to him, not me, shouldn't they?"
Upon hearing the Ancient One's words, Charlotte's expression turned serious. She had thought it was just a Ninjutsu amplification Artifact, but it turned out to be a hot potato.
As for getting Charlotte to give up the Dragon Ring and relinquish the position of Prime Merlinian to Dave, he couldn't do that. What he bought with his own money was his.
Even if you recharge, he won't give it away for free...
The Sorcerer Supreme's mission is to protect the Earth, so what is Prime Merlinian's mission? Although Charlotte doesn't know the specifics, she can guess some of it.
At worst, he could wait until his strength increased and then plant God Tree in other dimensions. He also wanted to test whether those demon gods could be used for recharging.
Charlotte nodded solemnly and then said, "I understand, Ancient One!"
After receiving Charlotte's reply, the Ancient One said nothing more, but stepped into the portal and left.
After Charlotte and Balthazar watched the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, leave, they exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.
"Master Balthazar, before we begin our magical studies, could you please explain the story of Archmage Merlin and Prime Merlinian?"
Balthazar nodded, then walked over, picked up the Magic Book from Charlotte's hand, and slowly began to speak...
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