Chapter 15 – Merlin

Chapter 15 – Merlin

Arriving at the mines, I was already fired up, wanting to meet my, I mean, our second witch! I was curious as to whether her skills would be different than Sasha's or if she had more affinity towards spells! Who knows! When we arrived, the people there already surrounded a very nervous and trembling kid who barely reached up to my waist. Damn... he was short... and young...

"There she is!" Sasha said with excitement, explaining everything again, but I wasn't listening.

My eyes were scanning the kid's features. The long, black hair that was gleaming unnaturally. The intelligent, dark-brown eyes and the almost perfect, doll-like body. Yet there was a problem. My senses were not tingling. Not like when I first looked at Sasha... this one was not a witch. But a warlock!

"Hey, Sasha... Why did you say there was a witch here?"

"Because..." She stopped in her steps, looking at me, getting confused, and now multiple heads were turning back and forth between me and the evidently little boy before me.

"Have you asked his name?"

"Mernin!" She replied at once.

"Merlin..." The small boy murmured, correcting her and making me almost choke on my saliva.

"That is what I said!" Sasha protested, not finding the errors in her words.

What... the... fuck? Is he like me? Or... is this some kind of cosmic coincidence? Is it the joke of a laughing god or something? What the hell was going on?! I had to test it, so I spat out something that he would have surely heard about if he was from the same place as me.

"KFC."

"..."

"..."

"What is that?" Sasha questioned me, just as lost as everybody else, but I only waved my hand. I already got my answer... which was nothing. I was looking at him without blinking, and he wasn't faking it. He was from this world, so the name he was blessed with had to be something... local. Heh... Maybe transmigration works both ways? Who knows!

"Forget it!" I clapped, smiling, "Merlin is a boy's name, my little dummy!" I knocked on the head of Sasha, who started pouting and discontent with how I spoke to her before everyone at the scene.

"I am a boy..." Merlin nodded, reinforcing my conjecture, and to show proof, he simply pulled down his trousers.

"STOP IT?! NOW!" Sasha cried, rushing forth, pulling it up on him, scaring the kid.

"Haaah..."

While everyone laughed, I rubbed my forehead because this was NOT what I expected. Don't get me wrong... I am glad that there is a second witch, I mean, wizard... warlock, whatever, in my group, but... I don't want to raise a kid, not yet!

"Where are your parents?" I asked before doing anything else, and the boy looked around as if he was searching for them.

"I don't see mom and dad. We came together, but they are not here."

"They are probably at the other construction!" Sasha interjected at once.

"I hope so." I added, glancing at Sasha, "Okay, okay! We will get to the bottom of this, but first, Merlin, can you walk to the magic circle?"

"You were surprisingly kind."

"Hm? Was I?" I asked with a smile, looking at Sasha, who walked up next to me with a gentle and warm smile.

"The thing you said... about being a kid... I... I really liked the sound of it... Something I wish I heard when I was at the age of Merlin."

"Huh, I think it's how it should be! In the future, kids won't have to work, not until at least 16! Later on, maybe even 18!"

"Yeah? Then what about me? Or you?"

"Not everyone can be that lucky!" I laughed, hugging her waist, pulling her close, and she wasn't protesting. Instead, she went really silent.

"Hey... Leon... Am I useless?"

"Huh? Why do you ask that?"

"You know why..." She shrugged, looking at me with worried eyes, "I can do nothing... that is how I feel! I can't cast spells or... come up with things you do! I can only... memorize stuff and do what you say, turning things on and off... but I don't make those things! I never even came up with anything unique!"

"Dummy!"

"Yeah- Nyauh?! Don't pinch my butt..." She complained with teary eyes, but I just laughed, continuing to knead her bottom.

"You are worrying too much! Yes, Merlin showcased today the clear evidence that he has mana! He has special powers! Maybe even a lot of it! But you, too, don't forget that!"

"But he is better at it..."

"Is he?" I grinned, watching her look at me while holding onto me and ignoring my hand on her buttocks, waiting for me to continue. "Or it's the effect of your life?"

"Huh?"

"Think! You were told not to use it, then you escaped and lived for years, suppressing your powers to not get caught! Of course, his mana displays itself differently! He was never told or taught to hide it! Your experiences are totally different, my dear Sasha! So don't worry... You are not worse, not even by a longshot!"

"Really...?"

"Really!" I leaned in, kissing her cheeks, which turned her bright red, and finally, she realized where I was continuously touching her, so she quickly broke free from my holding.

She was cute when embarrassed. She was a bit chaotic... She didn't mind it when it happened, but the moment her mind switched into overdrive and met with a new impulse... or she was reminded of her position, she immediately turned bashful once again. But I didn't mind. This weird duality of her was the product of her life... She wanted to appear strong and somebody who could do anything. Who can survive... then when she got lax, she suddenly switched into a young girl, someone bashful. Somebody who was still innocent.

"I will... teach him right!" She mumbled, playing with her hair and scratching her cheeks.

"That is what I expect from you! I can't be everywhere at any time, so I need capable people! You are one of my first trusted subordinates, Sasha! I am counting on you!"

"Um! I will... do my best!"

"Thank you~!" I walked past her, patting her shoulder before heading to find Oleg, as I had to talk to him about Merlin and his family. I was happy about them, but I wasn't naive. What if they are moles? Agents who keep an eye on the territories for the Empire? The chances for it were low, of course... but not zero. So I wanted trusty people who I knew I could count on to keep an eye on them at all times.