Chapter 134: The Druid Mage George

"To kill or not to kill?"

Having secured the magic ring and the Morgana Grimoire, George returned to face Drake, who was now drenched in cold sweat. He hesitated.

Drake, to be fair, wasn't a particularly heinous individual.

Although he was the present-day inheritor of the Morgana faction, he had never used magic for nefarious deeds. Instead, he made an honest living as a magician, performing on stage to earn his keep.

If Horvath hadn't escaped his seal and sought him out, Drake would never have gotten involved in the events that followed.

Letting him go now wouldn't be without risk, though. Even without his magic ring, Drake's magical energy could still be siphoned by Horvath to unseal Morgana.

Allowing Morgana's unsealing was something George could not afford to happen.

In the original story, Merlin's reincarnation, David, barely managed to defeat Morgana by combining science with magic. Any unexpected developments could lead to disastrous consequences.

Morgana was a mage on the same level as Merlin. She could dispatch Balthazar in mere moments, and if she summoned the Death Army, it would be nearly impossible to fight back. George wasn't confident he could handle that.

His plan, therefore, was simple: Morgana must not be freed under any circumstances.

It would be better to wait until his power was sufficient to crush her completely. Then, he could release her and extract the resurrection spell—a high-level necromantic magic that could revive legendary wizards into an undead army under his control.

How could he pass up such a powerful spell?

"Boy, do you want to live or die?"

Releasing Drake from the binding curse, George levitated a kitchen knife from a nearby rack, letting it hover menacingly by Drake's neck.

Drake immediately dropped to his knees.

"Great Panda, please don't kill me! I want to live—I want to live!"

"If you want to live, agree to one condition. I'll release you in no more than a year."

George's voice echoed in Drake's mind.

Without hesitation, Drake nodded vigorously.
"As long as you spare me, I'll agree to anything—even ten or a hundred conditions! You can take all my wealth too."

Drake wasn't stupid. To him, the magic ring, the grimoire, and even his fortune were secondary.

He knew how to recreate the magic ring, given enough time. He hadn't touched the Morgana Grimoire in years anyway, and the magic he had already mastered was more than enough to keep him at the top of the magician world.

As for wealth? That was the easiest to regain. So long as he lived, he could rebuild everything within a few years. But if he lost his life, none of that would matter.

"I don't want your wealth," George said coldly. "But I will detain you for a while—anywhere from a few months to a year. During this time, you'll teach me all the magic you've learned from the Morgana Grimoire. Once I'm satisfied, I'll release you."

George picked up a small box nearby and cast an Undetectable Extension Charm on it.

The Morgana Grimoire contained a new system of magical knowledge that would take time to learn.

While Drake wasn't particularly skilled, he had a solid foundation that could help George quickly get started.

Once Horvath was dealt with, Drake could be released without fear of him being used to unseal Morgana.

"Whatever you say, I'll do it," Drake replied desperately.

At this point, Drake was simply focused on staying alive. As far as he was concerned, negotiating with a talking panda—a magically transformed one, no less—was not an option.

Seeing Drake's compliance, George nodded in satisfaction. He allowed Drake to pack some clothes and food and make a phone call to cancel his plans for the next year. Then he stuffed him into the box.

Placing the box in his newly created subspace, George didn't immediately start studying the grimoire. Instead, he cast another tracking spell.

"Reveal the direction—David Stutler!"

A golden arrow materialized, and George spread his wings, flying off once more.

He wasn't certain when Balthazar and Horvath would break free from their seals, so he needed to locate Merlin's reincarnation, David, first.

Once David was found, Balthazar and Horvath would inevitably seek him out.

When that happened, George could use the opportunity to befriend Balthazar and hopefully learn some of the magic from Merlin's spellbook.

While Drake was a novice at best, good enough to help George get started, truly mastering this world's magic would require a teacher of Balthazar's caliber.

Following the arrow's guidance, it didn't take long for George to locate David in an old six-story apartment building, fast asleep.

"So it hasn't started yet."

After some thought, George used an Unlocking Charm to open the window. He quietly flew inside and perched by David's bed.

After mentally preparing the story he was about to spin, he gently patted David on the head.

"Child, wake up. Wake up!"

The telepathic whisper stirred David from his slumber.

"Who… who's calling me?"

Rubbing his eyes, David blearily opened them. When he saw the panda's head looming above him, he blinked in disbelief.

"Am I dreaming about pandas?"

"No, I'm right in front of you. This isn't a dream."

George blinked back at him.

David stared blankly for five seconds before opening his mouth to scream, only for George to silence him with a wordless spell.

Once David calmed down slightly, George removed the silencing spell.

"Don't be afraid," George said. "I mean no harm. I just need your help."

"Help? What could I possibly help you with? Did you escape from a zoo? Do you need me to take you back?"

David pressed himself against the wall, his voice trembling.

Pandas were adorable at the zoo, and David might have taken a few photos or selfies if given the chance.

But waking up to find a talking panda at his bedside was terrifying.

"I don't need to go to a zoo. Have you heard of druids?"

George sat down on a chair and began his explanation.

"I'm actually a mage. A druid, to be precise. I've been transformed into a panda due to my unique magic. I need your help to break this spell and become human again."

"Druids? Like the ones in video games? Even if that's true, I can't help you. I don't know magic."

David sighed, his voice tinged with helplessness.

If not for the magical duel he had witnessed ten years ago, he wouldn't have believed George's story. But now, he found himself unable to dismiss it entirely, though he still felt powerless to help.

"You are the reincarnation of Merlin, the legendary Prime Merlinian. You can do this."

As George spoke, he used his powers to levitate the Merlin Dragon Ring from the table, gently placing it in David's hand.

...

T/N: Waking up to find that I am the reincarnation of a legendary wizard is my wet dream lol.