"But I'm just a child. Why must I push myself so hard?" Little Merlin truly felt wronged, yet no one asked why his eyes were always brimming with tears.
"Who isn't a child?"
The raven rolled its eyes in a distinctly birdlike fashion.
"Didn't you say you were tens of thousands of years old?" Little Merlin was simply too honest. As soon as those words left his mouth, he was met with another round of pecking.
"Just because I'm tens of thousands of years old doesn't mean I can't be a child! Do you even understand the gold content of a divine raven?!"
The raven's sharp voice cut the air as it pecked. Little Merlin was forced into another twenty-kilometer sprint, crying out his grievances as he ran.
"I don't want to be 'Merlin'! What's so great about that name anyway? I hate it! If only I were named Mason! I bet people named Mason wouldn't be treated like this by you!"
One had to admit that children's thought patterns could be novel indeed. Faced with Merlin's rebellious outburst, the raven berated him for lacking the courage to embrace his glorious destiny.
But Merlin only felt his life was bleak and hopeless.
When the boy plopped down on the ground in defeat, surprisingly, the raven didn't chase him with more pecks.
"Merlin," The raven said, his voice softening, "You have limitless potential. You just haven't discovered it yet. Trust me; one day, you'll understand the meaning of all this. Believe me, if you don't suffer now, you'll suffer endlessly later. Bitter first, then sweet; that's the only way to make life better."
It was a classic PUA talk.
Maybe it's useless in the twenty-first century, but in the Middle Ages...
Not even the clever Merlin could resist this dimensionality reduction strike.
He thought it made sense, too.
And so,
Merlin climbed back up from the ground and resumed his grueling training.
"Good job, Merlin. This is how you should be." The raven's tone grew gentler.
Perhaps even now, the two-thousand-year-old Merlin beside Ian still hadn't realized that the raven was just switching tactics, adding "emotional value" to its teaching style.
It works on adults.
Even more so on children.
Of course,
That encouragement didn't last long. It was obvious the raven wasn't good at pretending. Soon, its true colors showed again. When little Merlin made a mistake while practicing swordsmanship, he was disciplined once more with a peach-stealing strike.
"Gu~"
Ian, who was watching this scene, couldn't help but gulp, secretly glancing at Merlin's groin. If that part of him still worked, it could only be described as forged through a thousand hammer blows.
Like Sun Wukong in the alchemist's furnace. No wonder Merlin couldn't bear to look back on such memories. He already had his face covered, unwilling to watch.
"Swordsmanship isn't just about strength; it's about speed! Remember: In all swordsmanship, speed is invincible. The one who strikes first will always outlive the one who strikes second!"
The raven clearly didn't know real swordsmanship. He relied on his indestructible beak and his speed, which was like teleporting, to bluff little Merlin into nodding along, utterly convinced.
Still,
Some talent can't be denied.
Following the raven's twisted logic, Merlin developed impressive swordsmanship. Days passed. Winter's cold winds howled through the snow-blanketed forest, and the world was dressed in silver.
Merlin sat on a large stone with his potion ingredients spread before him. Under the raven's guidance, he carefully brewed the potion, his brows furrowed and his eyes focused.
He gently dropped an herb into the cauldron and stirred slowly. The raven perched nearby and offered the occasional suggestion.
"Watch the flame. Slower. Yes, like that. Now add some chili. More chili. What's it for? "Mostly because I want to drink something spicy tonight."
The raven remained as inhuman as ever.
But by now, little Merlin had clearly adapted to his punishing lifestyle.
"Isn't there some kind of potion you can drink to instantly become stronger? Like an all-around enhancement potion?" Little Merlin suddenly asked, curiosity laced with a longing to slack off.
"Hm?"
The raven tilted its head.
Little Merlin shrank his neck at the same time. He had originally thought the raven would scold and punish him.
However,
Unexpectedly, the raven flapped its wings.
"Of course there is! I applied for the copyright on that kind of potion ten thousand years ago!" It declared. Somehow, by unknown means, the raven conjured a wooden box out of thin air.
"Take a look at these potions. They're all good stuff. Some can enhance your physical body, making you stronger. Others can deepen your perception and control of magical power, making your spells far more formidable." At that moment, the raven looked exactly like a salesman as it opened the box to reveal nine bottles of potion, each filled with a different colored liquid.
Hearing the raven's introduction, little Merlin's eyes lit up instantly.
Watching the memory, Ian's eyes lit up as well.
"I want them, Lord Divine Raven! This way of becoming stronger suits me perfectly." Little Merlin carefully picked up a bottle of potion, examining the liquid within.
"Does it really work?"
His voice carried a hint of eager anticipation.
"Of course it works! If it's made by me, it's guaranteed to be top quality!" The raven swore confidently.
Without hesitation, little Merlin opened a potion bottle and gulped down its contents.
As for how it felt afterward, Ian didn't know.
He only saw Merlin's whole body tremble several times.
"This effect...it's amazing!" Little Merlin said excitedly, his eyes full of joy.
The raven gave a smug laugh, sounding proud. "Naturally! This is my carefully crafted potion. I even thought of the name: 'Nine Dragons Dragging the Coffin'!"
Merlin froze, his smile instantly stiffening.
"Nine Dragons Dragging the Coffin?" That name doesn't sound very lucky." For some reason, he felt a bad premonition, and his heart climbed up into his throat.
"Names are just code names. The effect is what matters! Trust me, there are absolutely no side effects. I drink it myself; how could I scam you? At worst, if you drink too much, you might experience some minor side effects, but don't worry, it's nothing major!" The raven's tone was brimming with confidence.
But after hearing that, little Merlin no longer dared to drink any more.
"I love training. I just want to become strong through my own efforts."
It was as if he had realized something.
He quietly set down the other potion bottles. Indeed, little Merlin was clever. Ian's expression while watching this scene was priceless.
"..."
He had no idea what to say.
He just kept staring at the top of the raven's head.
Sure enough, there really was a little sharp point there.
Just then, as little Merlin sat back down by the campfire to prepare the hotpot base for the raven's dinner, Ian suddenly spoke up after a short silence.
"Divine Raven, why are you teaching me all of this?"
Perhaps it was a question that had been buried in Little Merlin's heart for a long time and finally found an opportunity to be voiced today.
At that inquiry,
Ian could clearly feel the older Merlin beside him stir with emotion. He instantly realized something and focused his attention on the memory scene before them.
Then,
The raven spoke softly.
"Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
It was rare for the raven to sound so serious.
"Of course the truth." Little Merlin stopped stirring the cauldron.
He looked intently at the raven before him.
And then,
The raven's golden eyes flickered slightly.
"It's complicated, but the main reason is this: When you owe history a debt, you must repay it with an equal debt." Its voice carried a low, heavy tone.
Little Merlin showed a puzzled expression.
"What do you mean?"
He pressed further.
And so, Ian heard the raven's reply; each word was like thunder.
"Simply put, I once encountered a wizard destined for glory. Then, I killed him. So, you should understand now, right?"
The black raven's voice echoed softly through the winter forest.
It seemed,
Other than Ian, who was separated from him by two thousand years, no one else knew this truth. Judging from the emotional response of the Merlin beside him, that much was clear.
(End of chapter.)
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