Beneath the Sacred Streets of Neustadt, at the doorstep of the Colin Family.
The apprentice who had come to deliver the Silver Feather Token had already left, and Andrew was still kneeling on the ground.
"Lord Yasi..." Colin did not hurry to continue speaking and instead slowly asked,
"Is it Yasi Hidosh?"
Oliver watched him and slowly nodded.
Then, with an ambiguous meaning, he said,
"Lord Colin has just received the Silver Feather Token, and your future is full of promise. You would not want to destroy your own future over a dying man..."
Colin's expression remained unchanged, rubbing the Silver Feather Token in his hand, seemingly shaken in his thoughts.
Oliver smiled again, pursuing the matter further,
"Lord Colin has just returned to the School, perhaps unaware.
But the Faction you belong to now only has three members left, including the dying Atbolde... Those who understand the times have already switched Factions."
"Only three left, including me?" Colin asked quietly, his heart sinking slightly.
"Yes," Oliver nodded matter-of-factly, then furrowing his brow in thought,
"... Apart from you, the only other student of Atbolde left is an apprentice named Marjorie, at the peak."
'Adversity reveals the true nature of people... The ancients did not deceive me,' Colin sighed silently in his heart.
Atbolde hadn't mentioned this to him, nor had he anticipated it...
But on reflection, this was an inevitable outcome.
Severely wounded and on the verge of death, Atbolde couldn't offer any protection anymore. Those apprentices couldn't withstand the pressure from the Hidosh Family and chose to switch Schools, which is quite normal.
After all, for him, a First Rank Wizard who had just received a Silver Feather Token, the Hidosh Family had taken such a tough stance; not to mention those apprentices...
Although it was so, from Atbolde's viewpoint, those few apprentices were undoubtedly heartless and disloyal.
After all, not all apprentices were unable to withstand pressure from the Hidosh Family...
Colin felt somewhat emotional.
He hadn't expected Senior Marjorie to stay.
Marjorie was the first apprentice of the same Faction he had met when he came to Atbolde, the scene from back then vivid in his mind.
...Unexpectedly, he was also the last apprentice to stay with him.
Beside him, Oliver watched Colin, quietly waiting, with the hint of a smile disappearing from his face, turning solemn.
Though the Silver Feather Token was a great honor, compared to the mighty Hidosh Family behind him, it amounted to nothing.
If the Colin standing before him knew how to adapt, well and good; if not, he shouldn't blame him for being rude...
Oliver, looking at the house Colin rented next to him, felt calm.
For him, in charge of this area, with the help of the Hidosh Family, there were a thousand ways to make Colin move out today!
Of course, this would be a last resort.
Withdrawing his gaze, Oliver looked back at Colin, continuing to wait for his answer.
"Sorry, Lord Oliver, I currently have no plans to change my Faction."
At this moment, Colin spoke up as well, shaking his head with a neutral expression.
At these words, Oliver's expression grew deep, his signature white teeth hidden away, suddenly losing his friendly demeanor and becoming menacing.
However, Colin beside him seemed unaware, continuing to speak,
"Atbolde, my mentor, is severely wounded and close to death; his days are numbered! As his student, it's absolutely impossible for me to switch Factions while he is still alive!"
Oliver was about to burst out, but Colin, without revealing anything, suddenly glanced at him, his eyes carrying a vague meaning.
Oliver seemed to realize something, carefully chewing over Colin's words.
'No plans yet... days are numbered... will never switch Factions while the mentor is still alive...'
Colin, in his storytelling, emphasized these words with his tone.
"The mentor has been kind to me, but it's unfortunate that I've been recently overwhelmed with my studies, and the Magic Stones in my hands are not plentiful.
I fear I must take on some School tasks, which means I'll have to leave Neustadt City for a while..."
Meanwhile, Colin was still "talking to himself," his expression faintly sad, watching the side street and murmuring,
"I do not know if upon my return, I will still see my mentor..."
Oliver, watching the poorly acting Colin, felt relaxed inside.
He understood the subtext in Colin's words.
"Wizard Colin's character is admirable; I will report back to Lord Yasi," Oliver said, sharing a meaningful smile with him.
After finishing speaking, there was silence between them for a moment.
Oliver then tentatively asked,
"Lord Colin, how long do you plan to be away from Neustadt City on this trip?"
Colin met his gaze with an imperceptible nod, smiling,
"Who knows? When it's time to return, I naturally will."
Colin's nod made Oliver finally set his mind at ease.
'Thought he was a tough nut to crack, but it turns out he's just a hypocrite.' His heart relaxed somewhat but also sneered slightly.
Colin's words clearly hinted that he would not support Atbolde against the Hidosh Family.
But on the other hand, he also didn't want to switch Factions at this time...
In his view, he probably wanted to maintain his good reputation and avoid giving outsiders the impression of abandoning his mentor in dire times.