"I thought you weren't chasing women any longer."
Merlin chuckled, snapping his fingers. A stone table rose smoothly from the mountain beneath them. Moments later, a polished teapot and two porcelain cups materialized upon its surface. He calmly poured himself a cup before taking a slow sip, enjoying the warmth as the mountain breeze drifted past.
"That's not it." He smiled faintly. "I was simply infatuated with her."
He glanced toward Qwarian.
"Be honest. Have you ever seen a woman more beautiful than her?"
Qwarian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he genuinely considered the question. Eventually he slowly shook his head.
"No. She really is a divine beauty."
He rested one elbow against the arm of the stone chair.
"Unfortunately, I've also heard she possesses a rather horrifying personality."
Merlin raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Qwarian nodded.
"She apparently has very little patience. If someone annoys her, she prefers solving the problem through violence." He shrugged. "Whether she's justified or not hardly seems to matter. I've heard she enjoys fighting far more than she enjoys conversation."
Merlin listened quietly before smiling.
"So — she has personality."
Qwarian stared at him for several seconds before laughing.
"I think you're beyond saving."
Merlin merely shrugged.
"Perhaps."
Qwarian tilted his head.
"Then why pursue a Legendary-tier woman? There are plenty of Mythical-tier women around your own level."
Merlin's composed smile finally cracked. A trace of embarrassment crossed his face.
"...I have rather specific tastes."
He coughed lightly into his fist.
"And, unfortunately, very few women among the Mythical-tier possess the appearance I'm looking for."
Qwarian narrowed his eyes.
"...You got rejected."
Merlin almost spat out his tea.
"I would phrase it differently."
Qwarian folded his arms.
"I'm listening."
Merlin sighed.
"I'd say they simply haven't realized how wonderful I am yet. They'll come around eventually."
Silence. Qwarian looked at him. Merlin looked back. Then both men burst into laughter.
Merlin waved a dismissive hand.
"Forget that. Tell me about Dante. The man Vexion follows."
Qwarian's laughter gradually faded.
His expression became noticeably more serious.
"There's honestly not much to tell."
He slowly rotated the cup in his hand.
"Only that he's an enigma."
Merlin remained silent. Qwarian continued.
"He possesses enough strength to confront both Jurian and Aishwani directly, and win."
The mountain became strangely quiet. Merlin slowly lowered his teacup onto the table.
"...Jurian?" He looked up. "The High Human? The Son of Light?"
Qwarian nodded once.
"The same one. The man who nearly killed me."
Merlin couldn't stop the faint twitch in his expression.
'Midvest Academy. Does this place intentionally gather monsters?'
He slowly tapped a finger against the table.
"If what you're saying is true, I understand why you called him troublesome."
Qwarian smiled faintly.
"I want Dante dead. So why would I exaggerate? If I lie, you underestimate him. If you underestimate him, you die."
He casually took another sip.
"I'd rather use you to remove him. I can always deal with you later."
Merlin couldn't help smiling.
"...Fair."
He leaned back.
"So — everything you've told me, you're certain?"
Qwarian nodded.
"I wouldn't claim it's everything I know. But everything I've said, I witnessed personally."
Merlin remained thoughtful. Several minutes passed as Qwarian calmly described the encounter. The teleportation. The barriers. The unknown energy. The battle. Jurian. Aishwani. Every detail.
When he finished, Merlin frowned.
"...That sounds impossible."
Qwarian merely chuckled.
"Exactly."
Merlin looked directly into his eyes.
"Teleportation. Unknown offensive energy. Defensive barriers. Enough speed to keep pace with the Son of Light." He slowly shook his head. "Are you absolutely certain you weren't observing some elaborate illusion?"
Qwarian laughed quietly.
"I wish that were the case."
He placed his empty cup onto the table.
"But I'll repeat what I told you. I stopped watching. Not because I wanted to. Because I had to."
His smile disappeared.
"My instincts were screaming. If I continued observing, I genuinely believed I would die."
Silence settled between them. Merlin studied Qwarian for several long moments. Not because he doubted him, but because Qwarian wasn't someone who frightened easily. For a man like him to willingly abandon information simply to survive spoke louder than any exaggeration ever could. Merlin exhaled slowly.
"...I understand."
Then he smiled.
"So — would you care to cooperate? Temporarily."
Qwarian raised an eyebrow.
"You mean trust you?"
Merlin shrugged.
"We're already exchanging information. That requires a certain amount of trust."
Qwarian slowly stood.
"Trust?" He smiled. "No. I'm trusting your self-interest. If Dante is as dangerous as I believe, you'll naturally point yourself toward him. I don't need to convince you."
Merlin couldn't argue with that. Qwarian adjusted the gloves around his wrists before walking toward the Watch Tower.
"I have no interest in wasting time. My goal remains unchanged. Top Ten. The World Essence. If you wish to chase Dante, feel free. But don't expect me to hold your hand."
Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared into the Watch Tower.
Merlin remained seated. The wind quietly rustled through the rocky mountains. For several moments, he simply stared toward the horizon. Then a slow smile spread across his face.
"My dear Vexion—" He rested his chin upon one hand. "—it seems your Master is becoming rather troublesome."
He softly laughed to himself.
"Unfortunately, that only makes removing him more interesting."
He closed his eyes.
"I suppose I'll have to prepare properly."
Unlike Qwarian, Merlin had no intention of underestimating Dante. If even Qwarian had withdrawn, then treating Dante as an ordinary Mythical Being would be stupidity.
Merlin had survived this long precisely because he rarely made that mistake.