"I have given you the power of fate, but with your current mortal body, you cannot control this power. Therefore, I have simplified it, and it will help you control this power."
Merlin looked at the old man. "Why do you need to find a successor?"
"Because I am about to die," the old man whispered softly.
Merlin frowned. "Can an existence that weaves fate also die?"
"For humans, death is the most terrifying thing in this World, but for immortals, death is a great blessing."
The old man murmured in a daze.
"It is precisely because of limited life that people seek the meaning of living.
Whether it is pleasure or pain, there is an end. After the end comes, all that remains is endless emptiness."
After speaking, the old man named Fate looked at Merlin and smiled.
"To make you the Master of this house, I gave you the fate of its original Master."
Merlin was stunned, but then he raised his hand and placed it on his chest. The heart that was once beating vibrantly was now gone, and in his mind, there seemed to be some knowledge that did not belong to him.
He looked at the Fire in the stove not far away. In the orange-red flames, a heart was sleeping within it.
"You have signed a contract with the Fire Demon and the Son of Stars. You gave your heart to it, and you have also become its Master.
You possess immense magic.
Soon, a cursed girl will come to your Castle.
A Witch wandering in the Wilderness cursed her because the Wilderness Witch wanted to find you."
"If I inherit his fate, do I also have to inherit his relationships? I don't even know her," Merlin grumbled.
"Different Worlds and different situations mean that fate will manifest in different ways, and among them, there are variables that influence it."
The old man's voice was old and steady, patiently explaining many details to Merlin.
"In this age of the end of magic, things like magic no longer exist. According to common sense, even if you possess this fate, you cannot have all of this.
You would only encounter an ordinary old house and then meet a woman who isn't so lucky.
This segment of fate does not come from this World, nor was it specifically woven; instead, it comes from the story in your mind, from the beginning to the end of the story.
Due to the lack of background, it contains many logical errors.
I used the power of fate to fill in these errors. It materialized this moving Castle, and in this World that is about to enter the end of magic, it materialized your magic and magic, as well as some other things.
This is to allow this segment of fate to perfectly run as woven.
This is one application of the power of fate.
However, the consumption is also more than general fate weaving.
As for other uses, you will naturally learn them later."
After a pause, the old man continued.
"Because you lost your heart, you also lost human emotions and the distinction between good and evil.
Moreover, because you signed a contract with a demon, as you use your magic, you will be at risk of becoming a Demon King.
But afterward, you will be redeemed by that woman and regain your emotions."
His gaze was deep as he whispered softly.
"Whether or not there is this contract, after becoming a weaver, a long life will eventually make you lose human emotions.
This is a silent loss; by the time you realize it, it will already be too late to regret.
Therefore, I let you experience all of this in advance and also gave you a chance to regain it.
But fate is never absolute.
Whether or not to regain your emotions depends on your own choice.
This is an exam I have arranged for you."
"I didn't expect to escape exams even after coming here," Merlin grumbled.
"I will merge another fate into the woman who is about to arrive at this Castle.
She will come to you because she was cursed by a Witch, and the kingdom she used to stay in will also trigger a massive war in advance due to her disappearance.
This war will affect the World, last for a long time, and many people will die because of it."
"A World War triggered by one person's disappearance?" Merlin's expression was a bit subtle.
"There are such examples, aren't there?" the old man said. "For example, Helen in the Troy War, the most beautiful woman among humans, the Queen of Sparta.
Because of the power of the God of Love, she fell in love with Troy's Prince Paris and eloped with him.
This led to a thousand ships setting sail, starting the ten-year Troy War, and leading to the destruction of Troy."
"So it's the femme fatale route," Merlin murmured softly.
After a pause, Merlin looked up and said, "You want me to stop this war?"
"Whether to stop it or not is your choice," the old man said. "Every choice you make will lead human destiny to an unknown future."
Merlin raised an eyebrow and nodded.
"I still have one question. In the story, the Wilderness Witch was eventually dealt with by Howl's teacher, Suliman.
Have you materialized this person too?"
"I can do that," the old man said, "but that would consume more power of fate, and I don't think it's necessary.
I said, although fate has a fixed part, it also has variables. In reality, the plot will not perfectly follow the setting."
"So that Witch is something I have to deal with myself?" Merlin asked.
"Perhaps other variables might appear," the old man whispered softly.
"Then… I wish you good luck."
The old man of fate slowly raised his head, looking at the ceiling with a hazy gaze, as if looking at his past life.
"It really was a long journey…"
Then, under Merlin's gaze, the old man gradually turned into countless golden lights and slowly dissipated in front of Merlin.
He watched all of this speechlessly. He didn't know if the old man had left, or if, as he had said, he had completely disappeared from this World.
But what he knew was that he would probably never see him again…
....