"System, do you think I can conquer Luna Tharot?"

Inside the carriage, Merlin sipped the hot tea in his hand, glancing out the window to his right.

"[I don't know, Master. Honestly, Luna Tharot is a heroine I find difficult to conquer. But if you manage to make her fall in love, then you mean everything to her,]" The system replied casually. "[The key is really you—whether you want to conquer her… or not.]"

The system's words made Merlin fall into deep thought.

It was true—everything depended on him.

If he wanted to conquer Luna, he had to win her over, just as he had done with Linda, Margaret, and Catrine.

But it wouldn't be easy. As he remembered, the relationship between Luna and Abel hadn't begun with love at first sight, but with a collaboration between them.

That collaboration was tied to the secrets of the Tharot family itself.

Tracing back to the founding era of the Kingdom of Aldoria, the Tharot family had never officially held the title of Duke—they had been a royal family.

Yes, the Tharot family had once ruled their own kingdom. But the first king of Aldoria had invaded their land and forced them to submit.

From then on, the Tharot family, once royals, became dukes.

Their territory was reduced to just a quarter of its original size.

This history was not widely known. It was natural—after all, it had happened so long ago.

Yet, the historical records were still preserved in the Tharot family mansion.

If Merlin remembered correctly, Luna in the novel had discovered a remnant of her family's history by accident in an underground chamber.

It was a gleaming golden grail. At first, Luna thought it was just an ordinary artifact, but it turned out to be closely tied to the Tharot family's past.

Even more astonishing, it was a mythical-level artifact.

Yes, mythical-level. No one would have expected the Tharot family to possess such a treasure. Yet it could only be activated by someone who was "destined."

At that time, Luna had heard about Abel and sensed that he was the one destined to wield it.

Long story short, Luna brought Abel to the grail and explained everything. And indeed, Abel was the chosen one.

He activated the golden grail, and the two were instantly transported to a bygone era—a time when the Tharot family still held power.

From there, their journey began. Truth be told, it had been a nerve-wracking arc.

Merlin still remembered spending two full days in his office, correcting and rereading the draft.

'If I can activate the golden grail, then it's not impossible that I could gain a great opportunity in that dimension,' Merlin muttered, narrowing his eyes.

In the novel, Abel had gained an extraordinary opportunity: the Tharot family's royal scepter, lost for generations.

After he handed it to Luna, combined with their intense adventures together, the girl immediately fell in love and became utterly infatuated.

Luna, known for her sly nature, eventually succumbed—and became a yandere.

Ever since his father had asked him to visit the Tharot family mansion for breakfast last week, Merlin had been eyeing the scepter, hidden away in that secret dimension.

Just as he drifted into thought, the system's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"[Ding! Secret mission triggered! Retrieve the Tharot family scepter, lost for hundreds of years! Reward: 1x Pandora's Box and 70,000 system points!]"

Merlin was taken aback by the sudden panel. He straightened up, set his teacup on the table, and asked, "System, are you serious? Why issue a mission out of nowhere?"

System missions were usually triggered by events in the moment. This sudden appearance clearly startled him.

"[Master, I sensed your desire to obtain the scepter, so I triggered the mission to make you happy,]" the system replied, teasingly.

"You…" The corner of Merlin's mouth twitched slightly. He hadn't expected the system to be so attentive to him.

Just as he was about to speak, a bright light suddenly appeared on his right side, and the figure of Lyserra, who had not shown herself for a long time, materialized before him.

The little dragon leapt onto his lap and sprawled out lazily.

"How long have I been asleep?" Lyserra asked, yawning.

Merlin gently rubbed her head. "Six months. Is your hibernation over?"

"Six months?" Lyserra blinked in surprise, then regained her composure. "Long enough, but still within reasonable limits."

Merlin chuckled, shaking his head. Six months ago, Lyserra had appeared and announced she would enter a long sleep to accelerate the recovery of her powers.

Now, after half a year, she had returned, signaling that the process was complete.

"How's your power recovery? How much did you manage to regain?" Merlin asked, curious.

He picked a grape from the plate on the table and offered it to Lyserra.

The little dragon ate it lazily, then replied, "I've recovered twenty percent. That's all I can regain through sleep. If you want more, you'll have to get stronger, m-y-m-a-s-t-e-r!"

She emphasized "Master" as if scolding him.

Merlin smiled, slightly embarrassed, knowing he couldn't argue.

Over the past two years, he had trained both physically and magically, yet he was still stuck at the Ninth Spirit Core level.

Even his little sister had nearly broken through the Eighth Spirit Core, which made him feel quite embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best. I feel like the barrier with the Eighth Spirit Core will break soon. You can trust me," Merlin said in a reassuring tone.

Lyserra merely rolled her eyes and said nothing, but a faint smile appeared on her lips as she closed her eyes, enjoying his gentle touch.

…

Before he knew it, three days had passed in the blink of an eye. Merlin's journey to the Tharot family mansion had gone remarkably smoothly.

He traveled through various cities, stopping in each one to rest for the night.

Duke Tharot's territory lay on the western side of the kingdom, making the journey quite long.

The terrain was harsh, too—he had to pass through mountains, dense forests, and other potentially dangerous areas.

Fortunately, James was by his side, so Merlin had no reason to worry.

"So, this is the western region… It's beautiful," Merlin murmured, marveling at the scenery.

The region was protected by mountains stretching horizontally, serving as a natural fortress against potential invasions.

The cities were prosperous, bustling with merchants from across the kingdom.

"Young master, in a few hours, we'll reach the city of Dralmor," James said calmly from the driver's seat.

"Alright, Uncle James. Thank you for the information," Merlin replied.

Leaning back lazily in his seat, he gazed out at the passing scenery.

"Luna Tharot, huh… I can't wait to meet her," he murmured.

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