If the Hidosh Family had instructed it, and he had personally killed him, there might still be some trouble...
However, since he had completely destroyed Joyce's corpse, and it was in a place like the Extreme North, the hope of finding evidence that he had killed Joyce was slim...
Colin walked towards the Transmission Array while pondering.
After some deliberation, he ruled out the possibility that Joyce might have been instructed by the Hidosh Family.
Although he didn't feel it strongly, he was now a Golden Feather, and the Hidosh Family's ostensible attitude was mainly to foster good relations... It was improbable that they would be two-faced.
Furthermore, if it indeed had been the Hidosh doing, the people sent to attack him would likely not have been just Joyce.
His tangled thoughts gradually dissipated. Colin's heart settled slightly as he walked into the transmission site.
"May I ask your destination, sir?"
"Neustadt."
After paying with the Magic Stone, Colin calmly stepped onto the Transmission Array.
Swoosh!
Accompanied by a dazzling white light, a feeling of falling instantly came over him, his vision suddenly darkened, and then brightened just as suddenly.
Colin felt his feet on solid ground again, but the scene before him had changed from Kararli City.
It was still morning, and the streets were bustling, presenting a lively sight.
There was no ceaseless cold wind, no knife-like snowflakes... Even the snow piled beside the road seemed somewhat warmer than in Ancient North Village.
Standing in the hall of the Transmission General Bureau and looking outside, Colin's body involuntarily relaxed slightly, but his heart soon grew heavy again.
"Don't you think this is a little too unfair?" Shelley's words seemed to still echo in his ears.
Colin stood still for a moment, slightly shook his head, and took strides towards the bureau's entrance.
The transport hub was as bustling as always. Wizards continuously entered the door, preparing to go elsewhere.
As Colin was reaching the door, he suddenly heard a slightly tense, clear female voice from the amplifying crystal behind him:
"Good morning to all wizards. We have an emergency announcement: the Transmission Array has experienced a technical malfunction. All transmission services are temporarily suspended. Our responsible wizards are urgently repairing it. Please wait patiently or return tomorrow."
Colin's pace faltered slightly, and he looked back in surprise.
"Huh?!"
"A malfunction...?"
"Alas, what's happening to this city lately? Not a day goes by without a fight, and now the Transmission Array is broken."
The hall was noisy, but since the Transmission Array was the property of the Supreme Council, no one dared to say much.
He withdrew his gaze and continued to walk out.
He hadn't expected such a coincidence. If he had delayed any longer, he would likely have had to wait for the Transmission Array to be repaired before he could return to Neustadt.
An inadvertent stroke of luck diluted the mysterious heaviness in Colin's heart. He did not go home but went to the School along the way to confirm that his mission was complete.
However, as he passed Zuo Ao and Right Ao and entered the Tin Saint School's residence, Colin suddenly sniffed a hint of something amiss.
The wizards passing on the School's road all hastened their steps, and most headed in the same direction.
While Colin's confusion grew, his School Badge belatedly lit up, conveying a message:
"Colin Leonard, upon receiving this notice, please proceed immediately to the front lawn of the General Affairs Castle for assembly."
"I don't know what the School is calling us together for this time," said a male wizard with sideburns who had noticed Colin's badge light up, speaking unabashedly.
"Sir, you received this notice as well?" Colin suppressed his surprise and asked.
"Yes, and not just me, I think most of the wizards on this road have," the sideburned wizard shook his head, quickening his pace. "We should hurry over, with such an urgent summons, being late might mean punishment."
Colin nodded, said nothing, and followed the crowd silently towards the lawn of the General Affairs Castle.
Yet, his mind kept returning to the sudden suspension of transmission services at the Transmission General Bureau...
It seemed that during his time away from Neustadt City, something he didn't know about had happened.
Arriving at the Great Building's lawn,
The place was already crowded. Scanning the crowd, Colin noted from their badges that apart from First Rank Wizards like himself, there were quite a few Second Rank Wizards and some Advanced Wizard Apprentices.
In front of the crowd, a white-haired, white-bearded old man hovered in mid-air, his face calm, dressed in a white robe, holding a branch-like brown Magic Wand.
He didn't speak much, but all the wizards who arrived dutifully shut their mouths, standing in orderly rows on the lawn.
'Lord Eggerberg...' the sideburned wizard looked at the elder reverently and swiftly took his place in the crowd, mouth shut.
Colin did the same, his body slightly tense.
He wondered if his Limit Breaking Spirit Fog and Hayden's Pseudo Ability could escape the scrutiny of the Third Rank Wizard before him...
Perhaps after advancing to Second Rank, with a stronger and more sensitive soul, Colin felt a profound energy emanating from the Third Rank Eggerberg before him, like a vast ocean, awe-inspiring.
No wonder whether it was Mentor Atbolde or the knowledge he had come across, they all said reaching Third Rank was a watershed for a wizard. Only upon reaching Third Rank could one barely earn the title of a High Rank Wizard.
"Colin? Have you completed your mission?"
Just then, another familiar voice came from behind.