Puppet?

After resting for nearly two hours, until the noon sun cast its harshest rays upon the earth, Arkhan finally returned to full strength.

He hurried back to the imperial palace to free Asterios from Merlin's mind control.

However, when he caught sight of Asterios, his steps involuntarily faltered.

'What's up with those panda eyes?'

After thinking speechlessly like that, Arkhan quickly turned to look at the trio beside him.

Atalanta with her arms crossed, wearing a 'not my problem' expression, while Melusine hesitated to speak, seeming like she wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words.

Eventually, Medusa, looking embarrassed, stepped forward and explained with her head down.

"Sorry, he was a bit worked up when he woke up earlier, so I wanted him to calm down... but I couldn't hold back in the heat of the moment..."

"..."

If he remembered correctly, Medusa seemed to have a personal skill called 'Monstrous Strength'.

Luckily, Asterios had a personal skill called 'Natural Demon' which could enhance his Strength and Endurance parameters. If not, he would have a worse fate than those panda eyes.

Nevertheless, if Medusa wanted him to calm down, why hit him straight in the eyes?

Taking a glance at this seemingly mature but somewhat air-headed lady, Arkhan sighed helplessly, stepped forward, and placed his hand on Asterios's head, starting to use the power of Fenghuang Down to break Merlin's mind control.

Whether it was because Asterios was naturally simple-minded or because of the beatings he had taken earlier, not only was his mental activity not very significant, but the power of Merlin's mind control was also considerably weakened.

Almost halfway through, Arkhan finally managed to break it, and at the same time, he also helped Asterios heal his injuries.

Asterios had basically been getting beaten up since yesterday, first by Arkhan, then by Melusine and Medusa. Seeing the famous magical beast's descendant being bullied to this extent was simply heart-wrenching.

However, after the healing was done, Asterios still didn't wake up.

It was understandable.

Breaking the mind control would have some impact on his mind to a certain extent, so he needed some time to rest and recover.

"Do you all remember what happened before?" Arkhan asked, turning his head to Medusa and Atalanta.

A monster and a hero, two famous women from Greek mythology glanced at each other, their faces suddenly tinged with subtle embarrassment.

"Don't worry, nobody's going to pursue what happened before. After all, you were all forced into it back then."

Arkhan reassured them, seeing right through their thoughts at a glance.

"But I hope you can lend us a hand—we're severely underpowered in the Holy Roman Empire's current state, so we need your help."

"Of course, if it weren't for you saving us, we'd probably still be under Merlin's control. Besides, saving this world is the reason why we're here." Medusa nodded gently, her soft voice contrasting completely with her domineering demeanor.

If someone only listened to her voice, they would likely think she was a harmless woman, easy to bully.

"My thoughts exactly... daring to tamper with my mind, that Merlin, I won't let her off lightly!" Atalanta's eyes, full of wildness, flashed with a hint of fierce coldness.

"That's good then. On behalf of the Holy Roman Empire, I welcome you both." Arkhan nodded. "Later, I'll arrange for someone to familiarize you with the empire. If you don't need it, you can explore on your own. But you should hurry, we're about to have a decisive battle with Camelot. I hope both of you can adjust your conditions before then."

"A decisive battle?" Atalanta looked surprised. "So soon?"

"It's not that we want it to be so soon, but the time left for us is running out..."

Arkhan sighed, briefly explaining the current situation to the two women.

"In short, Merlin has captured Nero, and the completion of the Lion King's Holy Selection is imminent..."

Upon hearing his explanation, the faces of the two women gradually grew serious. Just from listening to his explanation, they could already sense how dire the situation was.

"Please rest assured, we'll definitely contribute all our strength—consider it atonement for our past mistakes." Medusa nodded gently.

"That's more than we could ask for." Arkhan nodded and hesitated for a moment before asking. "By the way, I have something else I want to ask you. What do you think of Agravain?"

""Agravain?""

Medusa and Atalanta glanced at each other in wonder before Medusa spoke up.

"Sorry, I don't really have much of an impression of Agravain. The only thing I know is that besides Merlin, he's the only one who regularly sees the Lion King and serves as the one in charge of handling internal affairs in Camelot. Other than that, I rarely see him, and he hardly ever leaves the palace."

'So it's true...' Arkhan sighed silently in his heart.

Earlier, when he asked Melusine about Agravain, he got pretty much the same answer. Besides Merlin, the most mysterious was undoubtedly Agravain.

It was not that Arkhan had any compelling reasons, but at a critical time like this, if he didn't figure out his enemy's every move and detail, it was impossible to reassure anyone.

"Although I haven't met Agravain much, he always gives me this really weird vibe..." Atalanta pondered. "He's super meticulous about everything he does, always getting things done with maximum efficiency, even when it comes to eating... So sometimes, I even feel like he's not a living being, but some finely crafted puppet..."

"Puppet?" Arkhan raised an eyebrow slightly, a thoughtful look crossing his eyes.

===

Camelot, Royal Palace.

Merlin, clad in her usual majestic white mage robe, strolled along a quiet, wide corridor.

Her footsteps, crisp and clear, echoed like the delicate chimes of silver bells, lingering in the corridor.

At the end of the corridor stood a huge and extravagant door, which radiated an indistinct pure brilliance, akin to the gates of heaven in legend.

Beside the door stood a tall figure, cloaked entirely in pitch-black armor.

The black-armored figure remained silent, with head bowed as if he could vanish into the shadows at any moment.

"How's His Majesty holding up?" Merlin inquired with a calm tone.

"His Majesty is in the final stages, progressing smoothly at present."

The black-armored figure responded, his voice deep and slightly grave. However, upon closer listening, it sounded a little distorted.

"Come with me to see His Majesty." Merlin nodded nonchalantly.

"Understood."

The black-armored figure quickly bent down, his entire body melting like ice cream on a hot day, pooling into a small black smudge on the ground, blending into Merlin's shadow.

Merlin, unfazed as if nothing had happened, turned to the huge door and immediately took a step forward, crossing its threshold.