"To save Magic Stones, or to avoid detection?"
"If I'm not mistaken, yes."
"Another fool blindly researching knowledge. The Council should establish specific research laws to bring all acts of knowledge research under surveillance and control."
Faber furrowed his brows and headed towards his residence as he continued,
"What about that mad Second Rank Wizard?"
Yureya paused before replying, "He's dead."
"Dead?" Faber's steps faltered slightly as he turned to ask, "What happened?"
"Last night, two Second Rank Wizards happened to be here, they were attacked, and in self-defense, they struck back and killed the mad Isidore."
"There were two other Second Rank Wizards here? Why were they here?" Faber curled his lips, not too surprised by Isidore's death.
After all, witchcraft does not discriminate, and not all wizards master Confinement Magic.
Yureya had a strange expression as he paused before saying, "With them, there were four First Rank male wizards who had undergone some special physical transformations."
Faber's face darkened, and after a moment of thought, he asked, "This sounds like an ordinary incident where a Second Rank Wizard went mad from researching knowledge and was accidentally killed. Why request High Rank assistance?"
Upon hearing this question, Yureya turned serious:
"We found traces of high energy in the basement. Although it had faded, it still retained the intensity of the Third Rank... The object that left these traces had reached the Third Rank, and moreover, from the aura, it likely was not a wizard."
"Take me there." Faber's expression turned serious.
"Of course, please follow me, Lord Faber..."
As Faber and his companion delved deeper into the residence, their voices grew fainter.
Colin, amid the crowd, suppressed his shock, his expression blank as he quickly turned and left.
"Isidore is dead! And there are Third Rank traces left in the basement... could it be a miracle?"
This thought sent chills down Colin's spine.
What on earth had happened in the basement of Isidore's residence after he left last night? How did it come to this?
And the miracle... Where had that unique Ice Element gone?
Colin instinctively wanted to look around, but then he caught himself, slowed his pace, and started observing his surroundings in a more natural manner.
Nothing seemed out of place... Colin paused and hailed a passing public carriage.
Sitting in the carriage, feeling its slight vibrations, he suddenly found himself smiling wryly.
He had communicated with Isidore, all the while wearing concealment Witch Tools, and the only ones knowing his identity were Darren's Commission.
But in reality, not everyone at Darren's Commission knew his true identity; at least the witch that received him only knew his alias "Wood Spirit," and the face she remembered was disguised.
Colin relaxed a bit, considering that even if Miracle, due to some circumstances, had mutated to possess the power of Third Rank, it was still fundamentally Ice Element and should not know his real identity... There was no need for undue worry about it seeking him out.
Thinking about it, perhaps his reaction had been overly sensitive.
But after all, he had just visited that basement yesterday morning, and today, another Second Rank Wizard there had met a mysterious death—although according to the wizard from the Law Enforcement Team, Isidore had died at the hands of the other two wizards.
But still, the process was somewhat bizarre.
Colin took a deep breath and lifted the cloth curtain on the left side of the carriage.
The view of gray-black buildings and crowds continually passing by helped to focus his mind and mellow his emotions.
'I'll leave the city for a trip tomorrow.'
Colin opened the Golden Paper, staring at the Knight segment that now read 99/100 and silently thought.
If nothing unexpected happens, by the end of today's practice, he should reach the boundaries of Knight Rank.
To avoid making too much noise during the advancement, which could attract unnecessary trouble, he needed to find a suitable place.
Originally, according to the plan, he actually intended to wait a few days until he had bought the Coldthorn Flower to enhance his Frost Talent before seeking a secluded place.
But now, with the sudden appearance of a miracle, it was better to temporarily leave for a few days to avoid attention.
The next day.
Around noon, Colin had already arrived at a desolate mortal city.
He chose a quiet mountain forest, delved deep into the dense woods, and eventually settled down in a spacious cave.
A roaring bonfire was lit, and inside the cave, a simple gray stone house had been constructed, complete with stone beds and tables, everything included.
All of this only took Colin a few minutes, using the Witchcraft that Shelley had mentioned to him back in Ancient North Village, the Wall Building Skill.
As Shelley had said, this was indeed a very useful piece of Witchcraft, and it didn't require high conditions to use, even Advanced Apprentices could use it...
Speaking of which, Shelley had clearly said she would return after the chilly nights ended, but now nearly three months had passed... and yet there was still no sign of her.
The burning firewood crackled, and Colin, looking at the bear paw in his hands that was roasted shiny by the flames, gathered his thoughts.
...
In Neustadt City, within a study.
Bale was frowning, questioning the recently arrived Gerna, "Why didn't you send someone to surveil Colin yesterday?"
"Yesterday... something happened." Gerna, remembering the interrogation by the Law Enforcement Team and reflecting on the beautiful night that was spoiled the day before last, also had a gloomy look in his eyes.
He paused, then looked at Bale and asked, "What about that Golden Feather? What happened to him?"
Bale said irritably, "He suddenly left Neustadt City yesterday, and we missed such a great opportunity!"
Gerna was stunned, and his face also turned grim.
For the past few months, they had been watching Colin almost every day—mainly to see if he left Neustadt City.
To avoid being discovered, they didn't surveil Colin directly, but instead stationed people at several city gates and locations like the Transmission General Bureau and Airship Traffic Bureau.
The purpose of this was mainly to find a suitable opportunity.
After all, trying to attack a member of the School like Golden Feather in Neustadt City could only be described as a fool's errand.
"It's my fault this time," Gerna said gloomily, inwardly cursing the crazy Wizard from the night before.
But no matter how much he hated, there was nothing he could do, as he had already killed the man... Thinking about this, Gerna grew even more irritated.
Indeed, they had killed Isidore in self-defense, but a Second Rank Wizard had died, and the Law Enforcement Team had many troublesome procedures to handle.
Of course, what irritated Gerna the most was the disrupted gathering; although only the wizards from the Law Enforcement Team knew now, who's to say the news wouldn't spread to the Family... It was truly embarrassing!
"Don't worry, that Golden Feather won't be hopping around for much longer," Gerna gathered his thoughts and continued to the still angry Bale.
Bale was taken aback, "Did you hear some news?"
Gerna nodded slightly, saying in a low voice, "I'm not too clear on the specifics, but our Hidosh Family seems to have given up on recruiting Colin... Your Bunier Family should be the same."
"So does the Family plan to take action against him again?" Bale furrowed his brows.
"I'm afraid so, these past few months, our family has again tried extending the olive branch several times, but was rejected every time," Gerna added, thinking of Colin soon facing the Family's hostility, his mood slightly improved.
"But our goal is to pry out the location of the Magic Stone that Joyce promised us... Even if the Family continues to act against him, what does it have to do with us?"
"This good opportunity was still missed by us,"
Gerna's expression froze, his face immediately turned ugly, and he could only say gloomily:
"We will wait for another opportunity later."
"Let's hope," Bale looked at him disappointedly and sighed.