CH77 Coming-of-age Gift
***
"Father?" Zora gave Merlin a curious glance.
Merlin nodded.
Zora stood, walked over to a nearby shelf, and retrieved a small, well-crafted box. She returned and gently placed it in front of Alex.
"What is this?" Alex asked, eyeing the box with interest.
"A birthday gift. From Father," Zora said with a faint smile.
Alex looked to Merlin in surprise, eyes lighting up with curiosity.
The old man gave a gruff cough.
"You are my True Disciple. It would not do for my reputation if I didn't offer you a proper coming-of-age gift. At the very least, you will stop looking so poor and finally have something worthy of showing off as my disciple."
Alex's smile widened. He didn't need further prompting from the Father-Daughter pair.
He opened the box with eager hands.
