In the living room.
Colin sat calmly on the brown sofa by the window.
Outside, Nasi and Demi were playfully frolicking, their laughter penetrating the colored glass.
'Could Oliver and Yasi Hidosh behind him have been deceived by me...' He gazed at the garden outside, deep in thought.
The grudges between the Hidosh Family and their mentors were beyond tracing.
In fact, those past events no longer mattered...
Colin sighed lightly. He had thought Neustadt City would be a more peaceful place where he could cultivate properly.
Yet, he had not anticipated the complexities here to be as undulating and unpredictable as a battlefield.
'In the end, I am still too weak.'
"If only I were a Second Rank Wizard, or had a Golden Feather..."
He withdrew his gaze and slowly stood up, preparing to go out.
'No time to delay, I must visit the School and meet with my mentor first, then find a tranquil place to break through the Yi Guang Breathing Method.'
He had another hidden worry in his heart.
The crystal of the Ancient Tree Heart, formed from a branch of the legendary Ancient Tree of Life, was undeniably extraordinary!
The energy within, given the current pace, had barely absorbed one percent and was far from fully assimilated.
If any mishaps occurred during this period causing it to be exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Not long after.
He said a word to Renee, then stepped out the door, halted a public carriage, and headed towards the School.
However, before reaching the School, Colin suddenly had the carriage stop.
He swung open the door and stepped down slowly, looking at the ordinary setup of the small courtyard in front of him.
If he recalled correctly, this was Marjorie's residence.
After a moment's reflection, he stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"May I ask who it is?"
Moments later, accompanied by the sound of footsteps, a maid came and asked through the black grill door.
"Is Marjorie home? I am Colin, Colin Leonard," said Colin succinctly.
The maid furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Sir, my master is named Thompson, and I have never heard the name Marjorie..."
Colin's heart sank a bit and he persisted in asking:
"When did you move here? Do you know where the previous owner moved to?"
The maid's expression faltered slightly, her gaze becoming somewhat wary but she remained silent.
Colin frowned slightly, paused, and then continued, "Is your master home? I need to speak with him."
About an hour later.
On Amfer Street, ten minutes away from Lier Holy Street, inside a Magic Crystal Store.
Colin sat quietly on the sofa reserved for guests.
"Sir, please have some tea," the apprentice store manager respectfully offered freshly brewed red tea in a white porcelain cup to Colin.
"No need," Colin waved his hand and looked towards the small door behind the counter, asking, "How much longer?"
The apprentice store manager placed the tea on the table and smiled, "It should be soon, possibly energizing crystals. It can't be interrupted... But it should only be a little longer now."
His words had just ended when suddenly a creak was heard as the brown door behind the wooden counter was pushed open.
"Colin —" Marjorie exclaimed in surprise, "Is it really you? When did you come back?"
"Senior Marjorie."
Colin slowly stood up, silently looking at Marjorie... at his right arm.
"Haha, what's wrong?"
Marjorie felt his gaze and subconsciously hid his right hand behind him, then, as if realizing his reaction was unnatural, quickly stretched it out again, patting it with a hearty voice:
"This hand, from an accident during a Demon Beast subjugation mission, has been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic arm, crafted from silver alloy containing 0.5 grams of Mithril. The magic conductivity is very smooth, nearly undistinguishable from before."
Colin didn't continue the conversation, just smiled and said:
"Have time to go out for a walk?"
Marjorie instinctively nodded, then seemed to realize something, turning his gaze towards the apprentice store manager on the side.
"Of course, no problem, Sir Marjorie. You may reminisce with this gentleman as long as you like; I'll have Eddie handle your work for today."
The store manager hurriedly addressed him gently, though he couldn't help but complain internally.
He had no idea that Marjorie was a member of the Tin Saint School, nor did he know that he knew a First Rank Intermediate Official Wizard with a Silver Feather Token!
And that this same First Rank Intermediate Silver Feather Wizard would even call him senior!!
What was such a wizard doing working in his small store... Really!
He watched as Marjorie and Colin walked out of the store, breathing a slight sigh of relief.
On the street.
Colin and Marjorie walked side by side in silence for a moment before Colin abruptly asked:
"Was your injury caused by the Hidosh Family?"
Marjorie's steps halted, and the joy on his face gradually diminished.
"You can't hide it from me, Colin," he said with a wry smile.
'Such words, who could hide...'
Colin shook his head inwardly,
Marjorie, with his head lowered, looked at his arm and continued to mutter,
"Although I have no proof, that Red Ridge Brown Bear we were assigned to subdue clearly had been enhanced by some mysterious power.
And just before that, Yasi Hidosh had sent someone to warn me."
"Does the mentor know about this?" Colin paused, then continued asking.
"Not yet," Marjorie shook his head, suddenly furrowing his brow, his left hand forcefully rubbing his right arm.