Psychiatric Hospital of the Gods.
Beneath the large tree in the center of the courtyard, a quiet and mysterious figure stood alone.
Today, Merlin had changed back into his deep-blue mage's robe. He wore a large hood symbolizing mystery and the unknown. There was neither a thermos steeped with goji berries nor a hefty health manual in his hand, only a slender magic staff that gave off a faint glow.
He raised his head and gazed at the void in the sky, his eyes filled with profundity and wisdom as he stood motionless like a statue.
Perhaps noticing that something was off with Merlin, the Monkey King and Gilgamesh, the two longtime rivals, had unusually refrained from fighting today. Instead, they each stood at the entrances to their wards, watching Merlin from afar.
The Monkey King held a huge wine jar and took a fierce gulp. Splashes of liquor sprayed onto Gilgamesh beside him, and anger immediately surfaced in the latter's eyes.
"Monkey, are you looking to die?!" He turned to the Monkey King and said coldly in a lowered voice.
"...Tch."
The Monkey King glanced at him without saying anything more, disdainfully withdrawing his gaze before raising the wine jar and drinking again.
Though the Monkey King had said nothing, that look alone explained everything. The anger in Gilgamesh's eyes grew even stronger!
"Y-you two..." At that moment, a timid voice came from behind them.
The two turned around and saw Bragi clutching his harp as he cautiously spoke. "Let's not cause trouble today, okay? Uncle Merlin doesn't have much time left..."
Hearing that last sentence, Gilgamesh frowned slightly. He turned to look at the mage standing alone beneath the tree and asked in confusion,
"What happened to that old man?"
Gilgamesh was a new patient here and had