Gathering

Merlin bowed towards Acier and said, "Madam Silva, it is-"

Acier smiled and interrupted him, saying, "Again with this, Merlin? You can just call me Acier. Besides, I heard from Mereo herself that you call me by my name when you two are alone."

Merlin gave a wry smile and said, "Well, it just feels more familiar to me since we weren't in a formal setting, unlike now."

"Well, you may call me whatever you like, I do not mind it one bit," Acier said with a bright smile. From behind her, Nozel walked forward to Fuego.

"I heard that you fought against your sister and it ended in a tie? I would've won if it were me." Nozel said bluntly with his arms crossed.

"You wish you were able to fight on our level," Fuego said, not giving in to Nozel's taunt.

"My brother can beat you up at any moment!" Nebra from behind Nozel cheered on, waving her fists in the air.

Victoria giggled and said, "You two are such good friends. Why don't you try duelling with Merlin someday? I heard some gossip that he's a very good mage."

Nozel and Fuego both frowned, turned to Merlin who smiled at them as he tilted his head. Fuego then turned to his mother and said, "Mother, with all due respect, mother, let's stay realistic."

Nozel nodded and said, "We have challenged him in the past, with the goal of making him move from his spot no matter what. However, we spent the entire afternoon with no success."

Nebra looked stunned at Nozels words, finding it hard to believe that this pretty boy in front of her was able to make Nozel admit defeat. Acier was also surprised and said, "Wow Nozel, you would never be so honest when it comes to duelling someone."

Nozel merely crossed his arms once more and looked away, leaving the mothers to both giggle and Merlin smiling at their interaction. On both of Fuego's and Nozel's arms, he could recognize the bracelet that he gifted them 5 years ago.

Merlin then spoke up, "I don't see the people from house Kira, I thought you would've at least invited them."

"Well, we did, but apparently they seem to be having a discussion based on the surrounding Kingdom's movement. Something must have gotten them so riled up." Victoria said, speculating.

'Not enough to summon the other houses it would seem.' Merlin thought.

Looking around, Acier asked Victoria, "Have you seen my sister? I was meaning to talk to her, but she doesn't seem to be here."

(AN: In case those don't know, Acier's sister is the mother to Mimosa and Kirsch, making the two of them cousins to Nozel, Nebra, Solid and Noelle. The family tree in black clover is like a damn jigsaw puzzle)

Victoria leaned in and whispered to her that she was having a rendezvous with her fiance. Another person then approached them as she said, "Well it looks like almost everyone is here. Now, where is that brat at, making us wait for this long."

"Ms. Theresa, I'm sure that Mereo is now preparing herself," Merlin answered her.

"She better be." Theresa said, sighing and rubbing her head, "She already caused such a ruckus with Fueggy yesterday, then she ups and leaves once again after obtaining her Grimoire. That kid needs another lesson on discipline, I swear."

"No, I do not, Ms Theresa! I just went out with Merlin to test out my new spells!" Mereo's voice rang out from the side as she rushed over to them in her usual attire which consisted of a white tunic, covered by a long, dark blue shirt with long sleeves and a high collar that had vertical strips of gold running along its edges and collar, with a purple sash tied around her waist.

Victoria shook her head and said, "You really should have dressed up, this is a special event for you, you know?"

"You know that I don't like any of that clothing, mother. It's too constricting and hard to manoeuvre around in." Mereo said as she crossed her arms.

As the two were bickering back and forth over what they should wear, Merlin's attention was on the food platter that was being served at the side of the room. Making his way over there, Fuego and Nozel shook their heads, knowing that this would happen since every time they saw Merlin at a formal setting he would try his best to avoid interacting with anyone he didn't know and focus on the food. Unless they were girls he could tease, but never going further.

Victoria then leaned over to Mereo and whispered to her, "So, how much progress have you made with Merlin? I heard a little gossip that many of the Noble houses are lining up to marry their daughters off to him. Not only that, even some ladies are willing to marry him once they see his handsome appearance under the sun with that unique hair of his."

Mereo frowned and said, "Who would dare to try and take Merlin from me? No matter who it is, if I find out they've been trying to seduce him, I'll burn them to the ground." A flame was lit in her eyes as she declared.

"Then you better make your stance clear. Although I have heard of him flirting around, he merely likes to tease those girls. He behaves differently around you." Victoria said, winking at her and rejoining Acier and Theresa as the three discuss the latest gossip. Although Victoria knew of the curse, no matter which generation, the wife of the heir of House Caliban lived in great harmony, with no complaint ever heard.

Mereo turned over to Merlin, who was looking over a plate of pastries with a smile on his face. His long white hair hung behind him, as he stood there in his white robes and black shirt and pants.

Deciding on the matter, she strolled over to Merlin quickly, who in turn looked at her with a smile and said, "Mereo, you should try these out, they're amazing!"

"That can wait," Mereo said, grabbing his hand and looking at Merlin's eyes. The members of the Vermilion family and the others that Merlin interacted with turned to the two, curious about what they were up to.

"Well, aren't you bold today? What's gotten into you? Not that I mind it, but people do like to talk." Merlin said.

Mereo merely scoffed and scanned the room of the other noble girls attending, keeping them away.

The party continued for a while longer, with the only hiccup being Nozel and Fuego almost butting heads and declaring a duel right there and then. Coming up behind them, Acier said, "You two are getting quite close these days. Should I give an early congratulations?"

Mereo blushed slightly, but shook her head, saying, "This is nothing. Just some light skinship."

Acier nodded slowly, with an expression of pure doubt. She then followed up, switching the subject. "Well, I do have something to tell you, Mereo. We're going to be stepping up in your training soon. You better not slack off in your training, but do remember to take breaks as well. Overworking yourself can be harmful to someone at your age."

"I know, I know. Ms Theresa already reminds us enough of that." Mereo then nudged Merlin, "What about him?"

"What about me? You should worry about yourself first." Merlin said, teasing her.

Acier nodded, "Well, I'm not really sure what I can teach him. The last time I asked him how far he was, he already showed me that he could deploy his Mana zone."

"Mana Zone?" Mereo asked, unsure of what it was.

"If you paid attention in your classes, then you would know what Acier is talking about." A voice interjected between them.

"Ms. Theresa!" Mereo quipped. "I do pay attention in class, it's just that… sometimes, things get lost…"

Theresa sighed, followed by Acier and Merlin laughing. Acier said, "Well, you'll have to know how to apply Mana Skin to yourself first before you start to consider using a Mana Zone"

"Mana Skin… I remember that." Mereo said, going on to explain what she knew from class. The rest of the celebration continued on without much more fanfare. By the end, Merlin had already left for home. He had to be in top shape for the following day, so nothing could distract him. He would be dealing with a Devil for the first time, but he had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last.

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Authors Notes:

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