And it was with Ian… the more she thought about it, the more awkward and bizarre it felt!

"Yeah yeah yeah, he mistook her for someone else."

Ian glanced at Leonard, who looked like he was about to say something. To keep Ariana from falling into a state of mental confusion, he immediately dispelled his Patronus Charm.

"Say hi to Professor and Pandro for me."

He also took the chance, before Ariana faded away, to say goodbye to her. And the ever‑polite Ariana even waved at Leonard and Merlin to bid them farewell.

Leonard reflexively waved back in farewell as well.

Merlin, however, didn't react. It wasn't that he was rude—though Ian did feel he lacked a bit of basic decency—but in this moment, Merlin mainly just didn't see her.

His gaze was locked dead on Ian.

Once Ariana vanished—

The sky cleared.

Merlin finally couldn't hold back and spoke.

"That was your Patronus? A humanoid Patronus?" Merlin's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a trace of shock and disbelief, and his drooping hands were trembling slightly.

"Pretty cool, right? She can even help me chop people up." Ian raised his brows, tone light. Being able to shock an ancient Wizard King felt quite entertaining to him.

"This isn't a matter of cool or not…" Merlin's throat bobbed a few times. "As far as I know, there are only two beings who can pull someone out of the Netherworld."

He had obviously also seen Ariana's identity as a Heroic Spirit.

"Besides me there are actually two more? That many?" Ian's focus was oddly off, and he clearly felt Merlin's shoulders starting to shake.

"Heh."

Merlin seemed to be suppressing his emotions.

"Yes, two more."

His eyes stayed fixed tightly on Ian.

"One of them is the God of Death, right?"

The Little Wizard made a guess.

But Merlin shook his head slightly.

"No, the God of Death never does that sort of thing. In all of history, only two have ever done such a thing: one is the Shadow Crow, and the other is the figure Alchemists firmly believe in—the legendary True Creator."

"Of course, now there's you as well… Medivh… or maybe I should call you Ian. I hope that really is your true name." Merlin seemed to have developed a paranoia. His ever‑flickering gaze was filled with interrogation, making Ian's scalp prickle so much he couldn't help but step back a few paces.

"I'm definitely called Ian."

Ian gave a sheepish laugh.

Leonard watched him, lost in thought.

However—

This Dumbledore's gaze was far less sharp than Merlin's.

"This doesn't make sense. If there's one thing this journey has finally made me realize, I think it's that I may have seen through a shocking truth long buried beneath the dust of history."

Merlin's voice carried a touch of gravity. "To summon the Dead from the Netherworld is no ordinary ability. It is Authority—an emblem of a Ruler."

His words made Ian swallow involuntarily.

"What are you trying to say?"

The Little Wizard already had a hunch in his heart.

Sure enough—

"I just want to verify a guess." Somehow, Merlin suddenly produced a black orb from who‑knows‑where, opened his hand, and held it out to the Little Wizard in front of him.

"Perhaps the Authority to control life and death has, from beginning to end, only ever appeared in the Human World in the hands of a single bastard." Merlin saw the Little Wizard hesitating to take the black sphere.

He simply moved fast and shoved the black sphere directly into Ian's hand.

"What is this?"

Ian was still curiously weighing the heavy orb in his hand.

The next moment—

The black orb began to crack open, turning into a metallic, cyber‑style eyeball—a "cyber eye" of sorts. Whatever that meant, Merlin instantly showed a "just as I thought" expression when he saw it.

Before Ian could ask—

The next moment—

A fist the size of a sandbag appeared in the Little Wizard's field of view.

"Holy shit! Merlin Tyson!" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Flowers were blooming riotously in the forest.

Ian used his own body to prove that Wizards are omnipotent.

Clearly—

Among Wizards, there isn't only a Sword Saint.

There's also a Boxing King.