Merlin continued her examination with a concentration that could have impressed any observer.
Any of them, except Emrys.
He perceived perfectly the emotions stirring in the sorceress. Behind her serious expression and her methodical gestures, a growing excitement was gaining strength. She was trying to hide it, but every time she discovered a new angle from which to examine his eyes, that excitement grew even more.
Emrys stayed still, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
What's wrong with this one?
He felt Merlin move her analysis spell to another part of his face. Her magical energy scattered into extremely fine filaments that ran across his eyes without causing the slightest pain. She checked something, interrupted her spell, then started over with a different method.
And she was even more excited than before.
Wait a second. Is it really the chance to study me that's putting her in this state?
He had met people passionate about magic and research before. Some could forget to eat or sleep when they worked on a particularly interesting problem. He had nothing against that kind of behavior. What he found strange, however, was that a simple inspection of his eyes would provoke such an intense emotional reaction.
Especially from someone who claimed to be the greatest genius in Belialuin.
"Could you stop moving your eyebrows?"
Emrys blinked.
"Is that really that important?"
"Yes, it distracts me enormously."
Ican't concentrate at all when he makes such an adorable pout.
If those who had fallen victim to Emrys's inquisitive gaze had heard her, they would have called her crazy.
"You let yourself get distracted by so little and you call yourself a genius mage?"
She stopped short.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just saying it in the wind."
Merlin clenched her teeth and retaliated immediately. She pretended to let her gaze drift into the void and to think out loud.
"I wonder what kind of experiment I'm going to start with."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just saying it in the wind."
They stared at each other for a few seconds before Emrys exhaled, ending this battle of nerves.
Not far from them, Nimue was watching the scene with a smile she was doing her best to make look as innocent as possible. Unlike her son, she didn't need Observation Haki to understand that Merlin had far more reasons to be happy about this meeting than she cared to admit.
And she liked this discovery very much.
Oh, Merlin. If only you knew how much you're making things easier for me. I wonder what my grandchildren will look like.
She turned her face away so that her smile wouldn't become too obvious.
Merlin, who had gone back to examining Emrys's eyes, noticed nothing. She was too busy maintaining her concentration and keeping her emotions from taking over.
Emrys, for his part, decided not to ask any more questions until she was finished. He had no desire to prolong the examination just to find out the reasons for her enthusiasm.
It risked taking longer than necessary.
Merlin finally ended her spell. She stayed silent for a few moments, then changed the nature of her magical energy one last time. This time, she no longer focused solely on Emrys's eyes, but on the interactions between them and the rest of his body.
She searched for an anomaly in the magical connections, a disruption in the circulation of energy, or the slightest trace of outside interference.
Nothing.
She started over.
Still nothing.
Her excitement gradually gave way to genuine perplexity.
"This is... complex..."
Emrys turned his face toward her.
"Did you find something?"
"No. That's exactly what bothers me."
She stepped back slightly and crossed her arms.
"Your eyes show no apparent anomaly. I find no lesion, no curse, no magical disturbance that could explain your blindness. Even by widening my examination beyond your eyes, I discover nothing that could justify their inability to see."
"In short, you don't know what's wrong."
"In short, I haven't found the answer yet. That's not the same thing."
"The difference doesn't help me much."
"It should reassure you, though. If I had discovered an irreversible anomaly, the situation would be different. For now, I simply don't have enough information to determine what is preventing you from seeing."
Emrys didn't answer right away.
He had never hoped she would find a solution in a few minutes. He still wanted answers, though.
And Merlin, despite her obvious skill, had discovered nothing new.
"What do you plan to do now?"
A smile appeared on the sorceress's lips.
"You're coming to my workshop."
Emrys slowly turned his head toward her.
"Excuse me?"
"My workshop has all the equipment needed to take my research further. I own analysis instruments more precise than the ones I used today, as well as books that could help us understand your case. I'll also be able to compare your results with those of several studies I've carried out over the centuries."
"You could just consult your books and come back with your conclusions."
"That would be a waste of time."
"Why?"
"Because I can't know in advance which information will be relevant. If you're present, I can continue my examinations as soon as a new lead comes up."
"And if no lead comes up?"
"Then we'll look for another one."
Emrys sighed.
He didn't like this proposal.
But while he was searching for a good excuse not to go, Nimue stepped in.
"I think it's an excellent idea."
Expecting it, Emrys could only sigh in resignation.
How predictable.
Merlin, for her part, was doing her best not to show how much she appreciated that intervention. Naturally, she wanted to convince Emrys to come to her workshop. Being able to continue her research in his presence would be far more practical than having to arrange several meetings, and she could study his particularities with greater precision.
That was, at least, the official justification.
She also had a few ideas about how she could take advantage of this opportunity to spend time with him without Nimue constantly nearby.
She simply had to avoid letting that part of her intentions show.
Unfortunately, Emrys could still perceive her excitement.
Again? Seriously?
With great reluctance, Emrys ended up accepting. Not that he had a choice.
"Very well. I'll go to your workshop."
Merlin needed all her self-control not to let her joy burst out.
Nimue, on the other hand, made no effort to hide her smile.
"Excellent decision, Rysrys!"
Perfect. Once they're alone, things can finally move forward.
Nimue kept her smile, but her mind had already moved on to the next stage of her plan.
When Merlin had first come to meet her, and when she had finally understood that she was the girl her son had saved at the cost of his sight, a plan had formed instantly in her head.
She obviously had no intention of forcing Emrys into anything. He was perfectly capable of making his own decisions. However, nothing stopped her from giving him a little nudge in the right direction.
After all, if two people clearly needed an opportunity to grow closer, why not offer it to them?
Merlin seemed perfectly willing to seize that opportunity.
And Nimue was more than delighted to help her with it.
"Since everyone agrees, we can leave," Merlin announced a little too quickly.
Emrys frowned.
"You seem to be in a hurry."
"I simply want to start the research as soon as possible."
"Of course."
He felt a new wave of excitement from her.
I really don't understand this woman.
Merlin held out her hand, but thought better of it before touching him.
---
Emrys felt the difference immediately.
The magical energy that permeated the place had nothing to do with that of the lake. Here, it was spread through the space at a much lower density, passing through the walls, the objects and the surrounding air without forming that crushing mass he had felt near Nimue.
Thousands, millions of tiny particles of magical energy appeared in his perception, floating around him. Some drifted slowly through the air, others gathered near objects infused with magic. A few followed more complex trajectories, drawn to devices whose function he didn't know yet.
For the first time since he had arrived at the edge of the lake, he could clearly make out these variations without having to fight against such a massive concentration of magical energy.
He breathed in deeply.
Then he did it again.
"Ah... That feels good."
Merlin, who had just closed the portal, turned her head toward him.
"What's going on?"
Emrys took another breath before answering.
"Staying near an energy source as concentrated as the lake felt like breathing water."
Merlin froze for a moment, then her eyes lit up.
"Ah, so the equivalent of oxygen for you is magical energy. Good to know."
She immediately turned toward a table to look for something to note down this information.
Emrys, for his part, wasn't done.
He discreetly sniffed the surrounding air.
A smell of old books, metal, dust and various magical substances reached him. Nothing resembling the characteristic smell of something left on the fire for too long.
He frowned.
"Huh, that's odd."
"What?"
"I don't really smell anything burnt."
The sorceress stopped in the middle of her movement.
Emrys tilted his head slightly.
"You wouldn't have lied to us, by any chance?"
Merlin turned slowly toward him.
For a fraction of a second, her smile almost disappeared. Then her usual expression returned, along with that confidence that never seemed to leave her for long.
"I don't see why you'd say that."
"You told us you'd left a potion on the fire and had to leave to prevent an epidemic. And yet, I don't smell any burning."
"So?"
"I just wonder whether that story was true."
Merlin crossed her arms.
"I said I'd forgotten something on the fire. I never said it had burned. You're the one who drew that conclusion."
Emrys stayed silent.
He replayed their conversation in his head.
She had indeed spoken of a potion forgotten on the fire and of the risk that it might cause an epidemic. She had never claimed that the potion had burned.
"And even if something had burned, it wouldn't have made much difference. My workshop has several automatic cleaning systems. They eliminate residues, fumes and odors before they become bothersome."
---
Merlin set about giving him a tour of her workshop.
Or, at least, she tried.
She pointed out the main worktables, the shelves holding her books and the various magical devices installed in the room. Emrys listened with one ear, but he was more occupied analyzing the place with his Structural Grasp.
The workshop was much larger than he had imagined. Several rooms opened onto the main hall, and some were separated by doors reinforced with magical protections. He also sensed installations whose energy seemed to concentrate around crystals or complex mechanisms.
He would have liked to take the time to examine them.
But he didn't intend to move in here.
"The bedrooms are at the back," Merlin explained, gesturing toward a corridor. "You can settle wherever you like."
Emrys turned his head toward her.
"Settle?"
"Yes. There are several bedrooms available. You can choose the one that suits you best."
"Why would I have to live here?"
Merlin froze.
It was only a brief stop, almost imperceptible, but Emrys noticed it immediately. Her excitement dropped slightly before giving way to a disappointment she tried to mask.
"I'm not asking you to live here forever," she replied. "I just thought it would be more practical for the research."
"You can do your research without me sleeping in your workshop."
"Some experiments will require your presence."
"Then I'll come when it's necessary."
"And how do you plan to do that? Let me inform you that my workshop isn't exactly close to the lake. I'm not going to teleport you every time you want to come."
"That won't be necessary."
He walked to the center of the room.
Merlin followed him with her eyes, intrigued.
Emrys raised a hand. Several swords appeared in the air, one after another. They planted themselves in the floor around him, forming a regular circle. Their blades sank in up to the hilt, leaving only their handles visible.
The sound of metal striking the ground echoed through the workshop.
Merlin's eyes widened.
"What are you doing?"
Emrys didn't answer.
He checked the arrangement of the swords with his Haki, mentally adjusted their positions and made sure the circle was stable enough. Then, as softly as he could so that Merlin wouldn't hear, he spoke the words he wanted to engrave into this structure.
"I am the bone of my sword."
A luminous circle formed, running through the different swords.
A few moments later, the energy of the device melted into that of the workshop, leaving behind only a barely perceptible trace.
Emrys smiled, satisfied.
"There. Now I can teleport here whenever I want."
Merlin stayed silent.
She looked at the swords, then at Emrys, before turning her attention back to the weapons.
That wasn't a spell, which means it's his magical power. No wonder they call him the blades Specter.
Emrys was about to add something when a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
He smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand.
"Damn it!"
Merlin jumped.
"What? What is it?"
"I forgot to place a teleportation point near the lake."
He let out a deeply annoyed sigh.
"How could I forget that? I should have made one there before leaving."
Merlin was left speechless.
She looked at him, then looked again at the circle of swords.
"So that's how the people of Ulster get around."
Merlin ran a hand over her forehead.
"I understand better now why no one has ever managed to find Ulster until now."
Emrys let out a small laugh.
"Actually, a lot of people have managed to find where Ulster is."
She turned sharply toward him.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"But then why is there no information about where it is? Some even think the place doesn't exist."
"Because none of them was ever able to reveal what they learned there."
Merlin narrowed her eyes.
"You executed them?"
Emrys didn't answer right away.
He had no reason to lie to her, but he didn't see the point of giving her more details than necessary, either.
"Most of the time, I don't need to. But it's happened a few times with people who were too insistent."
He didn't elaborate any further.
"I'm going back to my mother. I'll come back later, when you need me for your research."
The mage pursed her lips.
She would have liked to protest, but she knew that insisting risked putting him on the defensive. She had to be patient. She had gotten what she wanted: Emrys had agreed to come back, and that was the main thing for now.
There was no need to rush everything.
At least, that was what she kept telling herself.
"Very well," she finally answered. "I'll take you back to the lake."
Her usual mysterious smile took its place back on her face, as if nothing had happened. Still, Emrys could feel the deep disappointment she was experiencing.
He tilted his head slightly.
Seriously, what is her problem?
The space warped around them and they disappeared from the workshop.
I'm not sure making Merlin a simp is a good idea, but what's done is done.